The Promise Card had been sitting in Haseo's mail station for weeks now, unused. Sending it to a girl meant triggering a wedding ceremony, and he'd be a jerk to give someone the wrong idea. Sending it to a guy meant a best friends deal, but there were a lot of people whose friendship he valued. So picking one over the rest wasn't right, was it?
For a while he'd planned on sending it to Endrance. But posters on the BBS claimed that in-game weddings weren't restricted to guy-girl couples, and the Promise Card itself had that cheesy animation of lace-patterned hearts, so obviously Endrance wouldn't go for the 'best friends' option. Weddings meant gatherings, guests, friends making annoying jokes. Whatever was going on between them, Haseo decided, it was nobody's business but theirs.
So the Promise Card carried on sitting there.
He closed his mail station, and logged into The World. Vibrant banners and balloons swayed on the breeze, floating between the towers of Breg Epona.
"Haseo!"
He recognised the voice at once; they'd agreed to meet here, after all. Alkaid scrambled over to the Chaos Gate with her usual energy, smiling broadly at him.
"It's bad manners to keep a lady waiting, y'know! But I'll forgive you. Invite me into your party and let's go."
"Sure, just wait for the third member."
"More waiting?" Alkaid grumbled, setting her hands on her hips. "C'mon Endrance, today you're helping me level up," she said, as a spiralling blue glow marked his entry to the root town. "It's pretty appropriate, since you two kept me off the Demon Palace throne last time. Haha."
Endrance gave her a questioning glance, then flicked his hair from his eyes and looked to Haseo. "If Haseo wishes, then of course I'll assist…"
"I need to get back into fighting shape!" Alkaid announced. "Now, it's Σ Upfront Muddled Symphony. Don't fall behind!"
Following her lead, Haseo warped to the area. He wondered how she'd known to address Endrance, before the PC had fully appeared in Breg Epona.
Alkaid had a lot to talk about between battles, but Endrance didn't begrudge her. Apparently Sirius had the same goal as her, wanting to regain his place as Emperor. Atoli was glad that Moon Tree had reformed, but they were looking for a new Second Unit Leader. Other events, happening to other names that Endrance couldn't put a face to.
After two uneventful floors, slaying all enemies they came across, Haseo said, "Hey, it's fine if I go AFK for a minute, right? Preparing dinner."
"Pretty early to be eating, isn't it?" Alkaid asked.
"I was studying right through my lunch break."
"A man who puts his brain before his stomach, huh?"
"A man whose teachers have painfully high expectations."
"…If you're struggling to manage time, play The World less rather than letting your grades suffer," Endrance said. The idea made him unhappy, but he wasn't selfish anymore. Besides, he didn't think Haseo would seriously consider it.
"It's not that bad." True to expectations, Haseo shook concern aside, and then his PC went still.
Endrance was left alone with Alkaid. They were too deep in the dungeon to log out, but monsters had been cleared from most nearby caverns, so it was safe as any area could be. He stepped aside to admire a row of waterfalls, spilling over ferns and algae-draped rock to cascade into darkness.
"Uh, Endrance?"
"Hmm?" He turned, and saw Alkaid standing with her head lowered, one hand held to her mouth: an unusually hesitant posture. She broke out of it an instant later, looking him full in the face.
"We're rivals, aren't we?"
"Rivals? I'm no longer interested in Demon Palace…"
"Not that! I mean, you know – Haseo."
"Ah." Endrance considered that. A long time ago, in a fit of childish insecurity, he'd confronted someone who seemed to be stealing all Mia's attention. Then he'd realised that such a thing couldn't be stolen or won, only generously given - and people who fought amongst themselves didn't deserve gifts. "I have no ill will towards you."
"That's good, but it's not what I'm talking about. Y'see…" Alkaid folded her arms, explaining in a matter-of-fact tone. "Ordinarily I never give up. But if what I want is already unavailable then it's pointless to waste energy, right?"
"That makes sense."
"Right. So, you and Haseo." She glanced towards Haseo, perhaps checking he was still AFK. "You hang out together a lot, don't you? And how you are around him, he's pretty content with that, isn't he? So, uh…"
"…You wish to know if your feelings are a lost cause?" Endrance guessed. Alkaid said nothing, but it was an informative silence; her eyes were fixed on an empty patch of ground. "Wouldn't it be best to ask him yourself?"
"Well…nah, really it's no big deal! Do me a favour and forget I said anything." She forced a laugh, and began to pace around in a burst of tension-abating vigour. Halting, she added, "Darnit, this cable's loose. I'll-"
Her PC froze, flickered and abruptly vanished.
Well, that made a definite end to a rather vague discussion. Left alone to wait, Endrance opened the map screen to check their progress. He was distracted by that until an unknown voice rang through the cavern.
"See, there he is! Told you so!"
Endrance watched cautiously as a high-level party strolled into view. He moved to stand between Haseo and the newcomers, affecting an air of haughty unconcern.
"What's the Terror of Death playing at, wandering around without a full party?" exclaimed a woman dressed in red. The amusement in her voice had a sharp, mocking edge.
"…You don't think two Emperors are a sufficient party?" Endrance replied, in the cool drawl reserved for arena opponents. "If your intentions are hostile, you'd do very well to abandon them."
"Hah! And what does Haseo himself think? Has the sight of three Chaotic PKs scared him into silence?" crowed a gangly beastman. "Divided we were beaten, but united we'll restore our reputations as The World's true terrors!"
"Come on, Terror of Death, say something!" A pause, then gleeful laughter. "Can you believe our luck? Looks like he's actually AFK!"
It didn't matter. Haseo and Alkaid would be back soon, and Endrance could hold out until then. He drew his sword, and the PKs followed suit: a Twin Blade, an Edge Punisher and a Shadow Warlock. It was little different from the arena, and strategy called for enemy spellcasters to die first; Endrance dashed towards the Warlock in a flurry of rapid, curving strikes and razor-edged rose petals.
The other two ignored him, charging straight for Haseo – but Endrance didn't let that ruin his focus. If he followed his heart and threw himself in the path of every hit meant for the other, they'd both end up PK'd. Instead he tore into the Warlock's HP and interrupted his spells, paused to use healing items on Haseo, repeated until the Warlock yelled for help.
Endrance tried to turn and defend from the Punisher, but not swiftly enough. A skill trigger knocked him off his feet, and all he could do then was frown and watch his HP deplete, hitting buttons whenever a chance for recovery looked likely (anxious emotion shouldn't cloud over a solution, make him fumble over simple controls). The screen roared red and shuddered under a storm of meteors. Three versus one wasn't impossible, he'd faced it constantly back in Demon Palace, but then he'd relied on Macha, and now – he couldn't use her now, could he? Haseo probably wouldn't approve. But if the alternative was a defeat like this, failing to protect Haseo from harm, even if the only real costs would be wasted time and a bruised ego… That couldn't be allowed either, could it?
"Just give up and die!" cackled the Twin Blade in red. Endrance didn't deign to reply. Less than half HP, but he'd finally found his footing, snatched a brittle chance to counterattack. His Devil Sword struck both Punisher and Warlock, whipped up and ripped through their bodies before flinging them away like dolls.
"You two suck!" shrieked the Warlock. "Forget that guy, focus on the Terror of Death while he's still away!"
The Punisher growled, charged – and was hurled back by explosive gunfire.
"Are you really that stupid, or do you have a thing for pain?" Haseo snapped, making his return violently clear. With quite impeccable timing.
It wasn't long before the dungeon contained only the two of them again. Endrance sheathed his sword with a silent sigh of relief, but Haseo glanced around, frowning.
"Damn, don't tell me they got Alkaid?"
"…No, I think she was having connection troubles."
A pause. "Yeah, she just sent a short mail. Her computer's online again, but the disconnect forced her back to a root town. We'll wait here for her."
"She'll regret missing the disturbance," Endrance said, thankful that it hadn't been him. A lost chance to help Haseo would be galling.
"You watched my back, though."
"Of course. Whenever you need me, whatever the task, I hope to be there for you…" Endrance reached out, fingers grazing the air an inch from Haseo's cheek, the angular scarlet wave marks. But Haseo stared, in a manner Endrance couldn't interpret, that he feared was disapproving.
"Um. Why do you always do that?"
"It bothers you?" Endrance withdrew, but Haseo caught hold of his wrist (doubling the speed of the pulse there, where it corresponded in real life).
"I mean, why don't you touch me? Think I'll get mad?" Haseo asked, in the quiet, serious tone he'd used during the festival. That festival of dreams, when he'd taken Endrance's hand beneath a glittering midnight sky…
"I won't get mad," Haseo said. His grip lightened, but didn't lift altogether. He stepped closer.
Endrance gave a soft, comprehending laugh, shaken by joy, lost for words. Then, carefully, he reached out again: to stroke Haseo's cheek, to trace a wave mark with his thumb, to brush through ash-grey hair. To wonder when Haseo leaned into it slightly, closing his eyes for the length of a dozen heartbeats, opening them with the hint of a smile. Acceptance, untainted by awkward hesitation.
"Haseo! Hey, where'd you guys go?"
Regretfully, Endrance let his hand drop at Alkaid's call. Haseo froze, a physical jolt out of the moment, and stepped back (though Endrance didn't mind that, much; there was a difference between showing one's feelings and letting oneself be gawped at).
Alkaid ran into view around a bend in the tunnel, then approached at a more casual pace, hands on her hips. "Thanks for waiting. C'mon then, no more time wasting!" she declared, winking cheerfully. If she'd noticed anything out of the ordinary, she wasn't letting on, and Haseo seemed relieved to play along with that.
Endrance tried to catch Alkaid's eye, but she was stubbornly avoidant. It would be so much easier, he thought, if he and Haseo were the only people in each other's worlds. But that was selfish, and he wasn't supposed to be that way any more.
Several of Ryou's classmates had been absent this week. He wasn't usually susceptible to illness – flu viruses were nothing compared to frenzies of mind-eating data – but this one caught him in a stranglehold. He stayed in bed, alternately kicking the covers off in feverish frustration and huddling under them, cursing the smallest noise or piercing point of light. The M2D's screen gave him headaches, too harsh to play The World.
Kaoru sent a text on the second night, while Ryou was busy staring at the ceiling's blurry shadows. He'd just accepted that this might not be fatal, just departed the stage where death didn't seem too unwelcome.
Is everything okay? You weren't online today, or yesterday. I'm starting to worry…
Ryou screwed his eyes up against the glow of the phone's screen, and sent a clumsy reply.
Ffver. Notwel
You're ill? Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that…is there anything I can do?
Dnt'wrorry.
Message sent, Ryou resumed ceiling-staring. His bones ached with weariness, but his mind was a ceaseless buzz, wide awake and bored. He reached for a glass of water, almost knocking it over in the dark; when he drank, the clinking ice hurt his teeth, but when he pressed the glass to his brow, the chill condensation was soothing. He checked the time - seventeen minutes since he'd last texted Kaoru - and made a call.
"Um, hi," he mumbled.
"What's the matter, Ryou?" Kaoru sounded a lot more worried than he ought to be, Ryou decided bad-temperedly.
"Just some bug."
A sigh. "If I was there, I'd take care of you…"
"No way. You make too big a deal. I'd want a quick recovery just so you'd quit driving me crazy," Ryou replied. He took another draught of water to drown his headache.
"So long as I'd help you recover somehow, that's acceptable," Kaoru said, sounding a little more amused, a little less anxious. "Ah, is it okay that you aren't resting right now?"
"I'm sick of resting. What's keeping you up?"
"I don't have much of a schedule, so it makes no difference if I sleep at night or day. So long as I'm online when you're online…"
"You should still sleep of a night."
Ryou shifted, re-shuffling the bedcovers to get more comfortable, turning the pillow over to lean against the cool side. He thought of Endrance's hand against his cheek, of wandering through a sunset wilderness after Cubia's defeat, of the frozen peace in Indieglut Lugh. One image melting into the next. Kaoru waited patiently on the other end of the phone, and there was an image to go with that now, too. Ryou closed his eyes.
"Hey. How long after you gave me your Member Address did you quit daydreaming and start really liking me?"
A brief silence. "…Not long at all. You surpassed all of my dreams."
"Thanks."
"Thanks?"
"I thought you might say 'since we first met'. That would be stupid, since you can't love someone you don't know. Thanks for not lying," Ryou said.
"Well…I did know a small amount, even before you saved me. From when we spoke in the Demon Palace title match. So I fell in love with my own ideas of you, and then the real you, quite seamlessly…"
"But at the end of the day, you'd have followed anyone who said the right words." A sudden twist of bitterness, followed by a longer silence.
"…I don't know how much truth there is in that," Kaoru replied at last, sounding less sure of himself. "I…was desperately lonely. I'm sorry if that lessens me in your eyes."
"You don't like thinking about it either," Ryou said, as the realisation reached him. "Sorry."
"It's fine." Kaoru's voice warmed again when he said, "I don't mind if you feel jealous, Ryou…"
"W-wait, I never said that!" he protested, then sighed while Kaoru gave a light, teasing chuckle. "You shouldn't mess with people if they're sick, you know."
"Oh? Didn't you tell me not to worry about that…?"
"Haha…"
Ryou recalled when they'd first become friends; that tide of affection had baffled him, so he'd brushed it off and carried on as usual. These days he found himself paying attention, holding onto specific phrases. There was no chance in hell he'd start saying stuff like that – but since Sage Palace, he'd learned to re-think the value of those words. Just because something was said easily or often, that didn't make it cheap.
If Kaoru was here, it was true that he'd make too big a deal of Ryou's illness. But his voice would be calm, and his hands would feel cool.
"When I get online next I'm going to ask you something, okay? You'll say yes, but I have to ask anyway."
"An offer I can't refuse…?"
"You'll be happy."
"You always make me happy. In every moment we spend together, every moment we think of each other…"
"Yeah," Ryou said, and smiled.
There was no grand reason behind his change of heart (unless it was the fever, which he doubted). If friends joked then he'd put up with it; if anyone had a serious problem then he'd gladly piss them off. He wanted to do something nice for Kaoru, and Kaoru would love all the over-the-top romantic crap involved in a wedding, so there was going to be a wedding. Simple.
"Then, I'll wait for the question whose answer we already know," said Kaoru.