One was the star idol to her home nation. The other was a faithful soldier to her Special Mission Department. Their paths often intertwined. They grew up together. However, deep down, she knew the truth all too well. It was the simple, mere and cordial truth. No, it was merely the inevitable truth. In the end, nothing ever started; neither did anything create a warm flare between the two. It was all too foolish to think; Cave realized.
One of them was a woman whose sole duty lied in protecting the peace of Gamindustri and Leanbox. The other wished to change the world with her music. Their paths intertwined but somehow they went their separate ways. They grew up together yet they found their own viewpoints shifting into uncertainty. Nothing ever went beyond "friendship" between the SMD ace and the pop idol of Leanbox and soon to be star of all Gamindustri.
"Tch…can't sleep…" the red head cursed to herself. She rolled over in bed and grabber her cell to check the time. It was only 7:30 PM. Just great; the stoic look on Cave's eyes became annoyed, frustrated and above all: angry.
She had spent the last five weekends she had off-duty from the SMD going to bed early. The formal and on-paper excuse she constantly reassured to herself was that she needed all the rest she could get. She knew all too well that she was lying to herself. No, she had begun sleeping earlier during weekends just to flush away the lingering and crushing memories of that day. Several months later, 5pb's words continued to sting her. Lyrica's warm yet stinging sentiments.
"Cave, listen to me carefully. I like you too. I really like you. We've been friends for a long time and you've done so much for me…but…Look, this is too sudden. You're a wonderful person, don't get me wrong…Just…I want us to remain friends. I'm not even sure if I can handle a relationship…I'll just hold both of us down. I'm an idol and you're a soldier. It'll only bring both of us unwanted trouble…I'm really sorry."
The usually cool and calm collected soldier grunted quietly beneath her breath just from recalling those very words. Not only did she now cope with the pain of heartbreak but the grim and frightening possibility that she may have destroyed her friendship with 5pb haunted her thoughts. No matter how hard she tried to shrug it off, those thoughts came back over and over again. Cave and Lyrica remained close friends after her failed confession which both agreed to pretend never happened.
That didn't work out too well. Here she was, dwelling and swimming within those painful memories in bed. In addition, a part of Cave felt as if her friendship with the idol…didn't feel like it used to be. It was as if a void created an unspeakable gap between both the songstress and the SMD soldier. Thinking about it fueled Cave's fears five times faster than normal. She shook her head to snap herself out of those fears. She was the Special Mission Department of Leanbox's top soldier. She didn't have time to be afraid even though she wanted to be. Heartbreak was one thing but she didn't want to lose 5pb more than she already had.
Her thoughtful trance was shattered when she heard the doorbell to her condominium unit ring. She rarely had visitors and Lyrica had been out of the country for a charity concert tour. She dragged herself out from bed and answered the door.
"Cave, it's been a while. How've you been?" a long haired brunette in a blue coat greeted her. It was IF. Cave was surprised by the sight. The Planeptunian Guild Agent rarely visited Leanbox unless she needed to. Aside that, it never occurred to her that IF out of all people would have chosen to visit her. During their encounters and travels, the two of them merely established themselves as comrades in arms and friends in the battlefield. Now, she stood before her at the doorway of her condo. It wasn't very often that Cave expected guests so she improvised in the end. "Want to come inside for some tea?"
Minutes later, IF found herself seated at Cave's living room. The red head exited around the counter that separated both the living room and the kitchen carrying two mugs of hot piping tea. She placed both their mugs on the living room table. "I don't make tea often so I apologize if it doesn't end up suiting your tastes."
"Nah, I'm cool. I should be thankful that you even offered," the brunette half-jokingly said. "I'm surprised. This is the first time I've seen you outside of your SMD attire."
Cave blinked twice and it hit her. That's right. She only had a white blouse with a black skirt on and her crimson red hair, usually held by twin tails, was undone. "I suppose so. I hope you don't find it weird."
"Not at all," IF reassured the agent after taking a sip of her tea. Cave took the opportunity and sat down on the couch next to the guild agent. She felt the need to ask but she wanted to avoid indirectly offending her. "Is it okay to ask…as to why you're visiting? I rarely have guests over and I don't see you around Leanbox often."
"Just on a frontier run under Histoire's orders," the brunette answered while putting her tea mug down. "…and downtown Leanbox is soothing at night…so I thought I'd just visit to check how you were doing…I heard from Nepgear what happened between you and Lyrica…sorry about that."
"It's not much of a big deal," Cave kept cool, reassuring her guest to avoid swaying the conversation into a much grimmer topic. "Lyrica and I are still in good terms…just her popularity's been soaring outside of Leanbox so Lady Vert and Chika have enlisted other SMD officers to safe guard her in future tours. I'm more needed within the capital now so here I am."
"I was getting kind of worried," IF laughed slightly yet the tone in her voice dropped somewhat. "Lyrica's a good girl…so I'm glad you're both still doing okay. I know a rejection's a sudden thing but stay strong…there's worse out there."
She paused for a short while and Cave could feel a cordial kind of sadness emit from her eyes. "IF, there's something else…isn't there?"
"You read me like a book. Crap, no use hiding it then…well…I just wanted to take some things off my mind while I'm at it…"
"What…kind of things?" the SMD ace was even more curious than ever. She felt that asking too much would have been risky, not just because of her intuition as a soldier but because she feared that she would end up stirring the conversation into an awkward direction. It didn't make a difference either way and calm yet musing curiosity got to the best of this typically cool and sharp agent. "I can listen if you want."
IF spilled it all out. "Over half a year ago, Compa and I had a fall out with each other. A major fall out might I add. Things got too awkward, tense and most of all, confusing. I don't know how the hell it happened but the very next moment, we broke up just like that."
"I'm sorry I asked," Cave immediately found herself apologizing. "I shouldn't have…"
"Nah, no harm done," IF cut her off all of a sudden. She paused for a short while and then continued on, "There's no point in accepting this kind of reality if I can't even talk about it. Don't worry."
"Just…I was surprised. I thought you and Compa were on a solid track…at least based on what Nepgear told me a year ago."
"I thought the same," she responded. "I don't know how the hell it even happened…we were doing so good and one day, maybe both of us just realized that we weren't exactly happy at where we were…maybe we expected too much of each other or expected too little…I'm not even sure why we started dating in the first place…but it's difficult now."
"Difficult?" Cave's attention drew closer to the guild agent's sentiments. IF continued on, "Well…we had a major argument on the day we broke up and the next week, we both agreed that we'd still be friends. In the end, that was easier said than done…Compa and I still talk but not as much as we used to. Even Neptune notices. I'm a cynical person so I always thought over bloated drama like this only happened in the movies or those novels Blanc spends countless nights working on but…now…I don't even know anymore…"
The next thing Cave knew, she noticed tears streaming down IF's face. She carried on in a soft-spoken manner. "Compa and I have been close since we were little…she was precious to me and she still is…but why…why didn't I realize this sooner?"
She slammed her fist against the wall behind her couch, letting her frustrations out between sudden sobs. "It happened so suddenly yet the warnings signs were all around me and in the end I just ignored them! If I saw this coming…if I just thought for myself more carefully, I would never asked her out…I was happy just being where we were yet I…it's fricking painful. It really is! Coping with heartbreak is enough of hell as it is but Compa and I drifting away from each other as if those memories meant nothing…ugh… I just don't want to lose Compa from my life!"
Cave kept silent and she found herself reflecting upon IF's outburst. Was this what Lyrica feared? Was she afraid that something like this would have happened? These questions haunted the red head and rather than instilling fear into her, it made her think. It wasn't simply because Lyrica wanted to stay friends. It was because Lyrica herself was afraid. All this time, Lyrica feared uncertainty and because of it, she pushed Cave away in hopes of preserving their friendship.
Cave had to blink thrice to realize that she felt small tears well up in her eyes. Slowly, she scooted closer to IF and then…
The SMD soldier didn't know what happened nor did she have any justification as to why she did it. In a split second, the brunette guild agent found herself being wrapped around by the warmth of Cave's arms. The guild agent's tears soaked through the soldier's warm chest and for a small instant, a kind of cordial warmth engulfed her.
"C-cave, what are you…?" IF's words were immediately interrupted. "I'm sorry IF…just…I know how that kind of fear feels…not heartbreak…but…drifting away from the people close to you…it's a sound fear…even when I put up this steely cold face of mine, in the back of my head, I'm always worrying that me and Lyrica would eventually just drift apart…"
IF shot back while she continuously tried wiping her tears away. "…what if Compa stops talking to me completely…other people keep telling me to move on or whatever but how can I?! She and I have been close since we were little…to just start drifting apart because of that break up…I…"
"Compa's not that kind of person. I know it." Cave coolly reassured the brunette, "If anything, I wouldn't be surprised if she's just as afraid about this as you are…healing takes a long time but rest assured…Compa won't just drift away from you like a passing memory…so don't worry…"
IF had completely dried her tears by then. She broke herself away from the SMD officer's arms, immediately grabbing her coat. "….sorry about my outburst…I just needed to vent…Neptune and Nepgear aren't exactly experts on this kind of stuff."
"It's no problem…" Cave felt a small smile form in her lips. "To be quite honest, you helped me clear some doubts of my own…it's not often that I get visitors either."
"W-well…" IF bowed slightly and made her way for the door, "Please take care of yourself and if it's okay…mind if I come over next week…? For work related stuff, I mean."
"Anytime. Fellow fighters have to look after each other," Cave calmly stated, "So you're free to come by whenever you wish."
"Alright…see you around and…" IF's voice trailed off while her cheeks became light red. "Thanks…for listening."
Without wasting any further time, the guild agent left the condominium right away. Alone at last, Cave slouched down on the comfort of her own couch, exhausted and confused yet relieved at the same time. She took note of the unfinished tea left next to her mug. Perhaps IF had forgotten to finish it while on a hurry, so Cave believed. She picked up the half empty mug and quietly sipped it. Cave's flurry of excuses consisted of, "It'd be a shame to waste a good drink" or something along the lines but that was far from the truth.
"Perhaps…coming over to Planeptune once in a while wouldn't be such a bad idea."
Seconds later, she dozed off and left her conscious in the hands of her own dreams. For sure, they wouldn't be dreams plagued with doubt tonight, only cordially warm ones.
CORDIALEMENT – Fin
Okay, so this is both my first yuri and Neptunia related fanfiction that doesn't involve a crossover. Actually, it's been years since I did a fic that didn't involve a crossover of some kind but may as well start again. Cave and IF together sounds like a weird concept but a part of me finds it potentially interesting. Both of them are battle hardened veterans so I always thought had they talked more, they would have had a lot going on in terms of chemistry but eh. That's just me I guess. I may do another one-shot that will serve as a sequel to this one. This time from a third person point of view that windows over IF's own sentiments. Hope you enjoyed reading this.