What Once Was (A Steins;Gate 0 Story)
Chapter 25-One Ring To Wed Them All
Disclaimer:I don't own Steins;Gate, only this story...
Mayuri's eyes sparkled, with excitement. "Oh my gosh, Okarin! I can't believe this!"
They were currently walking to Shinjuku, and he was being forced to put up with all of the endless energy she seemed to have. Okabe knew how Mayuri could be sometimes, blowing things way out of proportion, so he attempted to defuse the situation, before she could announce to the whole world what he was planning. "Don't make a big deal out of this, Mayuri. I know how you are." His effort was futile, because once Mayuri got going, she wasn't going to stop anytime soon.
His old friend scoffed. "What are you saying? I know that I can sometimes get carried away, and make a big deal out of something that isn't, but this isn't one of those times! I mean, I didn't even know that you were dating anyone, and then I find out that you're planning to marry someone! That's a VERY big deal, you know." She was unable to keep the smile off of her face. She turned to Okabe, deciding to tease him a bit. "The part that I find most surprising about this, is that you actually got out of that stuffy Lab of yours and met someone! The Okarin I know, hardly ever leaves that place." It was a very honest statement, and he knew it.
"That's not entirely true! I go back and forth from college to the Lab." Okabe defended himself, but even he had to admit that the wall he was putting up in defense wasn't very solid. It was basically made out of sand, and Mayuri's waves of truth were able to disintegrate it with ease.
"I guess you're right, but you avoid as much interaction with anyone as you possibly can, when you're in public." Her honesty was a good trait to have, but that didn't make the brutal blow to his ego any less painful.
That was the knockout punch, leaving Okabe with nothing he could use to respond to that. Mayuri seemed to have had enough of torturing him for now, and he was thankful that she switched to a different topic.
"Sooo, who is the lucky girl? Is it someone I know? I mean, I've never seen you interact with any other girls. except the ones in our group of friends. I bet I can guess who it is!" Mayuri began to go through the Lab members one by one. Okabe knew that she would never be able to guess, but he didn't want to be the one to ruin her fun, so he didn't say anything.
"It can't be Ruka, because even though he LOOKS like a girl, he's a dude. It obviously couldn't be me, because I'm PRETTY sure that I would know about something like that. Is it Moeka? Hmmm…no it couldn't be her, because you guys don't really talk all that much. Although, she hardly ever talks to anyone, since she'd rather send text messages. I guess the only one left is Faris. Is it her? I mean, it WOULD make the most sense." She leaned in close to Okabe, whispering in his ear. "I'm probably not supposed to tell you this, but she has a huge crush on you! You two would make such a cute couple!"
"I am well aware of that. I know a lot more about that, than she thinks I do."
"It isn't anyone you would know. Her name is Makise Kurisu, and I promise that you'll get to meet her soon. I plan to bring her to our meeting at the Lab. I'll explain everything there."
Mayuri seemed to let it go at that. "Well, whoever she is, I'm sure she's a wonderful person! If you like her, then I'm sure I will too."
Okabe thought about how Mayuri had listed all of the Lab members, and felt a pang of sadness at the fact that she didn't remember that Kurisu was one of them. No one did, except for him. Just as he was thinking that, Mayuri spoke up about something that had been bothering her, ever since he had mentioned that name.
"Hey, Okarin, this may sound like a weird question, but…I feel like there used to be another Lab member."
Okabe failed to keep the surprise he felt, from showing on his face. "What makes you say that?"
"I was trying to think of why she sounded familiar to me, but then I remembered something. I had a dream once that we were having a meeting at the Lab, and I think I may have met her. I remember you calling her Kurisu. Does she have red hair?" She paused, attempting to recall anything else specific about it. "I also think she was wearing a brown jacket. The dream seemed so real, but it couldn't have been, because I've never met her in real life. Have I?" Mayuri was confused, not knowing what to believe.
She had gotten along well with her in the dream, and they seemed to be good friends. How could she forget meeting someone like her? It even made sense that she could be the girl that Okabe was talking about, since in the dream they had seemed like they were close and that they fought a lot, which was proof of their bond. If it was true, then they were even more of a perfect match than Okabe and Faris would be, since Kurisu was the only one smart enough to match Okabe's wit.
"You DID meet her, but it wasn't in this worldline. That was a memory that must have leaked through, somehow. You're absolutely right, that's my Kurisu." Okabe smiled, fondly. Even though they had only been apart for about 30 minutes, he was missing her dearly. "Don't worry about what a worldline is, that's part of the explanation you will hear later, as well."
Mayuri nodded, although she didn't understand it. Her head was hurting from thinking too hard about it, so she was more than willing to drop the subject for now. "If that's really who it is, then I approve of your choice. From what I think I can remember, she's a really nice person, and I liked her a lot! Someone has to take care of you, and you couldn't have picked a better person to take over the job for me. I'm sure that she will keep you in line, and make sure you stay out of trouble."
"I wasn't aware that I had to have your approval to marry her, but all the same, I'm glad to hear it."
"Of course! Didn't you know that since I've been your friend the longest, that makes me in charge of deciding who is the right one for you? I'm like your manager, or whatever!" Mayuri grinned.
Okabe couldn't help but chuckle at that one. "All right, I understand."
By the time they had finished their conversation, they had arrived at their destination, just outside a jewelry store in Shinjuku. The whole trip had taken nearly twenty minutes, but it sure didn't seem like it, since they had been distracted with the lively conversation that they were having.
"This is the place!" Mayuri turned to Okabe, excitedly. "Come on, let's go find you the perfect ring!" She grabbed his hand before he could respond, pulling him inside the building.
The place was called 'Kujikawa's Jewels' according to the sign displayed above the doorway. A young girl that looked to be in her early 20's greeted them as they walked through the door, and even though he was in love with Kurisu, Okabe had to admit that her smile was dazzling. He had the feeling that he had seen her before somewhere, but he wasn't sure.
The girl could have realistically been an idol or fashion model if she wanted to be. And for all he knew, she might actually be either one. He missed the microphone that was on the sign outside, and the stack of CDs being sold at the front register. The covers of the CDs were labeled 'Risette's Greatest Hits' with a picture of her smiling face. That was all the proof he would have needed to recognize her, and realize that she was an idol. However, he failed to notice all of these things, due to the fact that his overeager companion was dragging him through the store at such a quick pace.
"Hello there! Welcome to Rise's-ahem, I mean Kujikawa's Jewel's. Is there anything I can help you with today?"
"No, I think we've got it, but I appreciate the offer." Okabe said while he was passing by, Mayuri's grip still tight on his hand, as she dragged him away.
"All right, just let me know if it turns out that you DO need something."
Mayuri seemed to know where she was going, since she had been in here before, so Okabe just left it up to her to find the section they were looking for. Soon enough, they found the section for the rings, being held in a glass display case. "Here it is, Okarin! Have a look at these, and I'll help you decide which one is the best."
"I don't know much when it comes to this stuff, but I will do my best to find something that Kurisu will like." Okabe peered into the glass case, scanning its contents.
Mayuri could tell that he was uncertain about his ability to find a good one, so she decided to give him some advice. "Don't search with your eyes, Okarin! Search with your heart! If you listen to its voice, then you will know which one to pick. I'm sure of it."
"What the-how am I supposed to do that? What does that even mean, anyway?"
"Trust in Mayuushi's words. When you find it, you will know exactly what I'm talking about. You'll just feel it and know that in your heart, it's the right one!"
Although he still didn't understand what she was trying to say to the fullest extent, he got the gist of it. Apparently, he wouldn't be able to explain it, but he would get a feeling about the one that he was supposed to buy. He kept searching, hoping that she was right. Mayuri stood behind him and looked over his shoulder, waiting patiently for the time to come when he finally found what he was looking for.
There were so many different rings of all shapes, sizes, and types, that Okabe didn't even know where to start. He began looking over the rings in no particular order, hoping that he would see one that stood out to him. So far he had no luck, and it didn't take him long to look through all of the ones they had in there. He was about to give up hope of finding the right one in this store, when it happened. He was going over the rings one by one for the last time, when he spotted one that he somehow hadn't noticed the first time around. This was the one, and it was like it was made just for him to find. It was absolutely perfect.
It was exactly like Mayuri had told him. Once his eyes landed on that ring, he got a feeling deep down in his chest, and he knew without a doubt that this was the one he was meant to get. "Mayuri, I believe I've found it!"
She saw the one he was pointing at, and smiled. "Oooh! That's perfect! I'm sure she'll love it!"
"I hope so."
The ring was silver in color, with a jewel inside it that was black like his hair. Although he didn't know how it was done, trapped inside the jewel, was the image of an orange hourglass like the one he had on his arm. It really was like it was made specifically for her to wear. It would remind her of him, every time she saw it. He knew that it was a long shot, but when he told the girl which one he wanted, he asked if there was another one like it.
To his shock, she went into the back of the store and brought back a ring that was perfect for him to wear. The ring was silver in color, with a jewel inside it that was the same shade of blue as Kurisu's eyes, with the image of a green hourglass trapped inside it like the one on her chest. When he wore it, he would be reminded of her, as well. Unless she wanted to, he wasn't going to get separate rings for the wedding, since this would set him back enough money as it was. He wouldn't wear his ring until the wedding, so that people wouldn't be confused and think that they were already married beforehand. Luckily, he had enough money saved back, that there was enough to pay for both rings.
After paying and getting the boxes that contained the rings, Okabe stuffed the bag into the pocket of his lab coat, so that no one could see it. His pockets were deeper than they looked, at first glance. He would have to find a place to hide them, later. He wanted the proposal to be just right, so he wasn't going to do it until tomorrow. He just hoped that he could pull it off in time to save them both. They had wrapped it up just before lunch, but Mayuri had some things to take care of before the Lab meeting, so she had to leave. Okabe thanked her for her help, and made sure to remind her not to say anything about what he had told her. After promising that her lips were sealed, along with performing the appropriate hand motion, she skipped out of sight, full of excitement for what was to come.
Okabe hadn't seen Kurisu for several hours, and he figured that she would be done by now, so he took his phone out of his pocket and dialed her number. There was no need to go through his contacts, since he had memorized her number, long ago. It was the main one that he had bothered to memorize out of his list of contacts, though there were one or two others. With a tap of his thumb, the screen informed him, that he was in the process of calling his girlfriend. It picked up almost instantly, and he was sure that she had been waiting for him to get in touch with her.
"I've been wondering, when I would hear from you. I just finished up here, and I thought you might be done by now, so I was waiting for your call." Kurisu started, as soon as the connection was established.
"Yes, that's exactly why I was calling. I was also hoping that you were finished, and I only just now realized what time it was. Since it's about the time that we would normally eat lunch, would you like to go get something to eat with me?"
"Do you even have to ask? Of course, I'll go with you! Could you stop by my apartment first? I'll go with you, but I have to get ready beforehand."
"Yes, that's fine. I'll be there soon." Okabe started to hang up, but he realized that he had almost forgotten to say one thing. "I'll see you soon, Kurisu. I love you."
"Yep, I'll see you when you get here. I love you, too."
After that little exchange was over, Okabe began to head towards her apartment. Once he arrived at his destination, he knocked and she let him in.
"Hey, Okabe. It's good to see you." Kurisu's eyes lit up, as soon as she saw him. Only he could make her feel that way, just by being in his presence.
"Hello, Kurisu. I missed you." He cupped her cheek with one hand, kissing her on the lips, gently.
Kurisu was blushing when he pulled away, from the feelings that were brought to the surface from such an action. She was embarrassed by the realization that she had just come to. Before she had met him, she would have never imagined that she could come to rely and depend on someone as much as she did with Okabe. The thought of having such a weakness centered around one person, scared her. Somehow, and she wasn't sure exactly when it happened, it had become impossible for her to live without him, and she trusted him more than she would probably ever tell him. She had been feeling a dull ache in her chest, ever since they had separated several hours earlier, and now she could feel it disappearing, since he had returned. She knew what the cause was.
"I missed you, too." She said, sending her warmest smile to him. "More than I'd like to admit." She added, under her breath, as the ache faded away completely.
Okabe couldn't help but smile, when presented with Kurisu's bright smile. He gave her a knowing look as he walked by, having been close enough that he had still heard what she was hoping he wouldn't. He reached out a hand and brushed it through her hair, taking a moment to appreciate how soft, and smooth it was. This also gave him the opportunity, to notice that there was something different about it today. "I see that you've done something different, with your hair."
Kurisu was hoping that he would notice, but she didn't expect him to. Okabe wasn't always the most observant about these sorts of things, but when it came to her, she shouldn't have been surprised. In many ways, it was like everything he did and thought about revolved around her, though she didn't know just how much he thought about such things. The adorable shade of pink that tinted her cheeks, did not go unnoticed, by Okabe.
Her stance had changed, looking up at him and appearing almost timid, like she was seeking approval. Her right arm instinctively grabbed her left, her body subconsciously betraying her sense of nervousness. "I-I remembered that you liked it, last time I wore my hair like this. Well, actually it was a very vivid dream I had, but it felt real to me. Do you? Like it, I mean." Her hair was put up in a ponytail.
Okabe could tell that this was one of those rare moments where Kurisu was vulnerable, though they were happening more often lately. She was normally, someone who liked to project an outward appearance that she could take care of herself, so it meant a lot for her to share these moments with him. He supposed that she was changing little by little and so was he, ever since the separation. It had been said before, but it was rough on them, and there was no use fighting when they could appreciate their reunion. Kurisu had a sweet, emotional side to her that she only let out when they were together.
Okabe couldn't help but feel a sense of pride, at the fact that he was the only one that got to see who she really was. It was clear that the memory of their date from another worldline had leaked over, just like Mayuri's memory earlier. She had done this to impress him, so he would have to make sure that he gave her an answer that left no doubt about how he felt.
"Of course, I do, Kurisu. You look just as beautiful, as you always have. In a world full of thorns, you are my one and only rose. What I am trying to say, is that it looks good on you, my dear." Okabe gave her one of his smiles, that made her feel like there was nothing more important to him than her.
She smiled back, sweetly. "You have no idea, how happy I am to hear you say that. Thank you, sweetie." Kurisu wrapped her arms around him, and pulled him down to her for a kiss.
Okabe grinned. "Wow! If that's what I receive for giving you a compliment, then I should do it more often."
"I wouldn't mind, if you did."
He turned the corner, the living room coming into view. He was surprised, when he saw what was waiting for him inside the apartment. There was a new wardrobe on the other side of the room, opposite from the coat closet. This had to be a new addition, since Okabe would have remembered it, with all the time he had spent there. Kurisu didn't have very many clothes, and all of them fit in her coat closet, so why did she buy another one?
It was Kurisu's turn to grin, as she put a hand on his shoulder. "Go ahead, check it out."
Okabe approached the wardrobe, which appeared to be made out of mahogany. He opened the double doors and peeked inside, revealing all the lab coats and other assorted clothing that he owned within. He closed it, turning back around to face Kurisu, not sure what to make of this new development. "Not that I'm not grateful, but what is the meaning of this?"
"Well, I kind of still owe you for saving my life, and just making my life better in general with your presence. We've been having to go back and forth to the Lab to get your clothes because I didn't have anywhere to put them, and you've been staying here a lot lately, so…I thought I might as well, make it official. Okabe, would you like to move in with me?" This was why it had taken her so long to finish what she was doing, he was sure of it. She was busy getting ready for lunch, AND setting up all of this. She stretched her arm out, offering her hand to shake like it was some sort of business deal.
"Kurisu, I really appreciate all of this. I would love to move in with you!" He stretched his arm out and shook her hand, sealing the deal.
"Good! Now that that's over, let's go get something to eat. I'm starving!" Kurisu exclaimed, in a good mood after all that had happened.
Okabe was also in high spirits, if only for the fact that she was, which made it impossible for him not to be. "Did you have somewhere in mind?"
"Not in particular. Anywhere you want to take me is fine, as long as I get to be with you." Kurisu grabbed his right arm with both of hers, pulling her body right up against his side.
"Alright, let's just look around for one." Okabe said, as they walked out the door of the apartment.
"Oh by the way, Okabe. I almost forgot to give you this." Kurisu fished around in the pocket of her jacket, and pulled out a shiny silver metal key, then handed it to him. "This is a spare key to my apartment, that I had made for you. Well, I guess I should say OUR apartment now. This way, if you ever get locked outside for any reason, you won't have to do something stupid, like pick the lock."
"I wish I had this, back then. If I did, I wouldn't have gotten arrested for trying to break in!"
"Thank you." Okabe told her, depositing the key in the pocket on the front of his lab coat, where he always kept his favorite red pen.
After that, they aimlessly wandered for a while, trying to find the right restaurant. Okabe just hoped that the Lab meeting would go well, but knowing his friends as well as he did, there wasn't TOO much to worry about. She was a Lab member too, after all, even if they didn't remember her.
They would approve of her and welcome her with open arms, surely. Right? And if they didn't, then it wouldn't change HIS opinion of her in the slightest. No matter what they said, he was going to marry this woman, and nothing, short of the universe tearing them apart from each other, would be able to stop him.