"Chapter 49 Alternate Scene"
May 24, 2011
Yukiko/Charles/Yosuke

A/N: And here was their first, well, betrayal... I had hinted at it for Chapters...I originally had intended to NOT do the scene before deciding I would...But then...it lost all logic with me because then I've written myself into a corner that would not sustain itself, so it came out.

Oh and I'm sorry for the abrupt nature of the end...but after the "major event" of this scene, I really had nothing immediate to go there afterward, had it stayed in...so my apologies.

["So we can go in now?" Chie put down the American Wirehair cat she had picked up after Charles hugged her. It had come over and rubbed its head against Chie's leg.

"Not a cat person?"

"Nothing against these guys. I just wanna get inside and ask Yukiko for her take."

"Mine not good enough for you?" He said with a bemused smirk. He unlocked and opened the door.

"I just want to see what she thinks."

"Well, she does give some good advice. Still, I can understand how you felt.] It's not easy when you're bet-"

The word he was looking for was "betrayed."

But that word died in his throat.

Because his heart died from when he had walked into the living room and from what he saw.

Yu was downstairs.

And he was kissing Yukiko.

…and she was kissing him back.

They were holding each other on the other's shoulders. Yukiko's left leg was bent backward below the knee as romantics do when they're really enjoying a kiss.

And Yukiko looked like she was REALLY enjoying this kiss.

Charles tried to speak. But his face was so filled with horror, no sound was coming out.

Chie, however, had no difficulty. "HOLY SHIT!"

Yukiko and Yu broke apart immediately. Then they noticed Charles.

Charles wasn't saying anything. Tears were streaming down his cheeks and he was breathing hard.

But he wasn't saying anything.

"Charles-chan?!" Yukiko said.

"Heh! Finally remembered me… Heh! Heh! You see that, Chie. She remembered me!"

"Charles…" Yu started.

"And then there's Yu! It's nice to know, I'm just, heh-heh, outside and you two decide to suck face."

"It's not what you think…" Yukiko said.

""I think I saw two of my friends kiss. It's okay. I'm intruding. You two, carry on stabbing me in the back."

"Chuck…" Yu said. "I's MY fault, don't blame her."

"A tango takes two, Yu. Heh! Heh! That rhymed."

"Charles-chan…"

"DON'T YOU FRIKKIN DARE USE THAT HONORIFIC, AMAGI! DON'T YOU… DON'T… DAMMIT!"

Charles ran out the door.

"Chuck, Wait!"

"STAY AWAY FROM ME, SATONAKA! EVERYBODY…JUST STAY AWAY!"

Yukiko and Yu looked ashamed. Chie was just stunned and dismayed and confused.

Nobody said anything.

Until Nanako who had been there the whole time said, "Big Bro…what does shit mean?"

"It means…Yukiko and I had hurt your other Big Bro."

"But Big Bro doesn't know why…"

"All right, Narukami…Tell me in 10 words or less why I shouldn't kick the…snot out of you," Chie was clearly angry.

"Chie…" Yukiko said.

"Please Yukiko…. don't say anything right now. Despite what he's saying…you're just as guilty as Yu-kun."

Yukiko looked down.

"10 words or less," Returning her attention to Yu.

It took 9.

Samegawa Flood Plain

"So here you are…" Charles had heard a voice in English say.

He saw it was Yosuke when he turned around.

"Yosuke?"

"Mind if I sit?" Yosuke asked.

"Go ahead. Why the English before?"

"I heard what happened…You were so distraught, you spoke in English. I figured you weren't going to speak in Japanese."

"Well, I am right now."

"Why'd you come here?" Yosuke asked

"Why? I like the quiet here."

"But you can hear the water…"

"It's relative, Yosuke."

"You all right?"

"Yosuke…No…I'm not."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"I lost her to him… What more is there to say? It makes sense… He unburdens himself to her. She gets mad. He feels sad. She realizes she should cut him some slack…with MY help, I might add. He feels better. She realizes she was rash and feels bad she made him feel bad. They can't deny the attraction anymore…they end up smooching. I lost because I took too long. I was too afraid."

"Chuck…you haven't lost her."

"Hah! You think that. But how do you know. Besides Yu or Chie just drafted you to help with the search."

"Actually… it was Yukiko. She feels terrible, Chuck."

"She shouldn't… The better man won."

"DAMMIT, CHUCK! SHE LOVES YOU! YOU KNOW IT! I KNOW IT! CHIE KNOWS IT! THE DOJIMAS KNOW IT! YU KNOWS IT! SO WHY ARE YOU SO DOWN ON YOURSELF?!

"Because… All of you guys are better for her than I am. Hell, even Ted…she deserves TED more than she deserves me."

"So instead of fighting for the woman you love, you're just going to give up? You lazy coward."

Charles eyes flared in anger.

"…the hell did you say, Hanamura?"

"Oh, please! Getting mad at me is worthless because you'll give up on that too. You choose the path of least resistance because it's easier for you. Because you think it'll make you a better friend. I've got news for you…it just makes you a bitch!"

"HOW. DARE. YOU!" Charles was livid. More livid than he was with Naoto, More livid than he was with Yu after Yu's confession. More livid than he was an hour ago at the Dojima residence.

"Let's face it, Chuck. You just cave in to anybody. If what you say is true and Yukiko has gotten impatient waiting for you…then it's no surprise because why would she waste time with a weakling like you."

"Back off, Yosuke."

Yosuke sneered. "You don't have the balls to do anything. Let's face it. You used up your intestinal fortitude for Chie against her Shadow. After that. You wimp out at the first opportunity."

"Keep talking…we'll see who wimps out."

"I'm sure you will, because you always use your 'disability' as an excuse to not fight."

"Have you not seen me in Mayonaka?!"

"You've got talent against Shadows, true. But against a person…You might as well give up.

"You're really asking for it…"

"See, a real man would have hit me a long time ago. You're not a man… Yukiko would never love someone like you. She's not into GIRLS!" Yosuke said mockingly.

"DAMN YOU!"

Then Charles punched Yosuke in the mouth.

"That the best you got? You didn't even split my lip!"

"I was holding back."

"Yeah, tell yourself that, maybe it'll keep you warm at night, because now Yukiko never will."

"Bastard!" Charles punched Yosuke in the stomach and then in the face.

"You punch like a girl, too."

"Yeah? Well at least I'm not dating one to cover up?" Charles smiled wolfishly

Which didn't last as Yosuke punched Charles in the face.

"Low blow, Chuck." Yosuke didn't look like he was playing anymore.

"That's one compared to your…what…lost count after four. You've got no room to complain"

"See, you're just doing the same shit you did in Toiletville, Utah. I guess YOU'RE the real Charles."

"Yosuke, please stop, I don't WANT to hurt you." Charles looked anguished.

"Big talk. Too bad you can't back it uhf-!" Charles punched Yosuke again. Hard.

"Doesn't mean I won't… Hana-chan!"

Yosuke punched Charles in the face.

Charles returned the punch.

Yosuke tried to move for Charles's gut, but Charles parried and punched Yosuke in his stomach.

"Stop now, and apologize Yosuke… You don't know me or how I feel!"

"How can I not? You broadcast more than Eye News."

"You DON'T KNOW what it's like for me. Feeling inferior!" He punched Yosuke in the gut.

"Insignificant!" Yosuke was punched in the chin.

"A FUCKING WORTHLESS LOSER!" Charles punched Yosuke in the mouth. Yosuke fell backwards.

"Charles! Stop! Please!"

Charles fell to his knees and cried,

"You don't know…what it's like… to be me." Charles was sobbing loudly.

Yosuke's nose was bleeding from where Charles had earlier punched it and had a swollen upper lip, but otherwise didn't look bad.

Charles, on the other hand had a cracked glasses lens, a split lip and bleeding from his mouth. There were a couple of bruises on his face.

"Feel better?"

Charles was surprised at the question. "You…you did this on purpose?!"

"Yeah, Chuck. You looked like you needed something to hit. I decided to volunteer myself."

"Yosuke…you shouldn't have done that. That was…"

"Stupid…? You may think so. But holding it in is definitely stupid, because it does more damage long-term."

"Yosuke…why?"

"You're my friend, and sometimes being a good friend is to have the person who is hurting to let it out. Even if it's on them."

"Yosuke…"

…

"… Domo Arigato."

"You're welcome."

"Charles-chan!" Charles had Yukiko say. She was running towards him.

Charles bristled for a second…but then he decided to let out a breath.

"By the way… We'll keep telling you until you get it through your dense head. You're not insignificant, inferior, or a loser. Will you PLEASE listen one of these days?"

"Maybe you're right, but…"

"No buts."

"Charles-chan. Your face…" Yukiko said when she reached him.

"I'll live."

"Why?"

"Yosuke saw I needed to let off some steam. So he decided I would let it off on him."

"Charles-chan. I'm…so sorry."

"Yukiko, what happened?"

"Yu-kun and I were talking. He told me about Minato being alive and the rest of what happened with Minako. Then he started feeling awful. And then I gave him the same kiss I gave you…"

"And things occurred from there…on this time…you didn't push him off."

"I didn't want to hurt you. I'm…"

"Please…don't say it anymore. I just don't want to hear it."

She started crying…

"Because I'M SORRY….I overreacted and didn't give you a chance."

"!" she said.

"Well, it looks like my work here is done," Yosuke said, starting to leave.

"Yosuke…" Charles said.

"Chuck… don't. Please don't…I know."

Charles nodded.