Info: It's chapter two time! XD Thank you all for your positive responses to chapter one, I appreciate it! I've enjoyed writing from Yukari's perspective a lot more than I expected. This one is set perhaps a week or so later, when Yuu excepts the job, at the end of his first day of work. Yukari's waiting outside the Easter building for Yuu to come out. How did Yuu handle a day of destroying children's hopes and dreams? Will his new job change him? Find out! Thanks for viewing, please R&R! -Ash(enWhisper) ;)

I stroked my finger across the dirty windshield of my car as I waited outside the Easter building. Today was the first day of Yuu-chan's job at Easter, and as much as I tried to deny it, I was nervous for him. How would the man I could never talk about heart's eggs with handle a job like this? Would he hate me for what I did; for what I got him a job doing? I let out a sigh. I had been so confident that Yuu needed this job. But… maybe letting him stay a teacher was the right choice after all. Who knows. Only time would tell.

I saw the door to the intimidating skyscraper swing, and opened my mouth to yell. I stopped myself quickly before I embarrassed myself by yelling to a random Easter employee. For a moment, I had felt relief to see him come out. But now, I was back to waiting.

I turned to look at my car's windshield. I traced my finger in a soft curve, then one more to form a heart. Tracing my finger inside it, I formed a small "YS", then two quick lines for a + sign, and carefully formed the initials "YN." I found myself rolling my eyes as I wiped my hand on my skirt.]. What are you, five? You're going to smudge the glass. Quickly, I wiped my hand across it, wiping the heart back into the dust from which it came.

"Why did you erase it?" I turned to see Yuu standing at the front of the car. He was smiling at me, a few binders cradled in his clumsy arms. Something felt different about his smile, however. The curve at the edge was just a tad bit softer than it had been before. "I thought it was cute."

"Yuu," He set the binders down, and I allowed him to pull me into a gentle embrace. I wrapped my arms around him and held him hard. I was glad to see him with the same cheeriness as always, even after a dreary job like this. I wanted to be in his arms forever in that moment, to freeze it in time until I had squeezed every last drop of happiness from it. But when he began to pull back, like always, I let him.

Yukari, you're over thinking things again. I felt myself readjusting my glasses. It was a nervous tick I had tried countless times to break. "So… how was the job?" I didn't want to ask, and I could tell he knew that, but I did.

Yuu shrugged. "It was alright. Boring, and kind of…" He looked at the ground for a moment. "…depressing. But it was alright." He looked back up at me, and I knew he could read the concern in my eyes. He had always been good at that.

"What's wrong?" He touched my hand in a soft, kind, way, and I let him take hold of it. I was suddenly overcome with feeling that someone like this—someone kind and gentle like Yuu—didn't belong working at a dark place like this.

"Nothing." I lied.

Yuu searched my eyes. "Yukari-chan. You know that I don't want you to worry about me, right?" The look of concern that crossed his face was so loving I wished I could keep it forever.

"I know."

"I'm doing this all for you. I don't want you to feel worried about me." He smiled at me. "Besides, as the man, it's my job to worry about you, right?"

I smiled half-heartedly at him. "Yeah, I guess."

Yuu put his fingers gently against my chin in the kind way he always did that made me feel like a princess. Then again, everything Yuu did for me made me feel like I was the most important person in the world to him. And he was the most important person in the world to me. But, if that were true… would I have made him get this job? Guilt seeped through me as I stared into his beautiful amber eyes. "I got this job to make you happy. I'm doing all of this for you, Yukari. Don't worry about me." He grinned in a cheerful and positive way. "Besides, they say that you can either let people change you, or let yourself change people." He leaned in closer. "I won't let anything here change me, darling."

I nodded. "I know, Yuu." I reached up and kissed him. I could've sworn I felt a certain rigidness to his lips. Okay, now I'm just imagining things.

"Would you like to head out for a drink? I'll buy," He grinned at me, and I knew I couldn't say no.

"You always buy, Yuu," I felt myself smiling, and didn't suppress it.

Yuu grinned in the kind, innocent way he always did. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

I laughed. Real laughter. Yuu was the only person who could make me laugh; no, could make me happy, ever since I joined Easter. He would never lose that quality. "Alright."

We agreed to head over to a nearby bar in Yuu's car, then he would ride me back here and I'd drive my car back home. Unless I ended up drinking too much. Then… well, who knows. But I did know that Yuu would take care of me. He was always that kind of a dependable, caring individual. So, we headed over to his red jeep-style car, and got in.

I strapped myself in swiftly. And Yuu had his hands on the wheel immediately. I looked at him as I spoke, but he kept his eyes on the road, like the responsible driver he was. "So… what did they have you doing?"

He stiffened slightly, and I felt myself biting my lip. Should I have brought it up? Will it upset him?

"Well… They had me go out and," He paused. "well, I found a child who was completely elated." That time I knew I saw a saddened look go across his face. "And I drew out his hearts egg and turned it into an X-egg." The words sounded almost pained, like he was trying to cover it up. "It was soft blue, with a microphone stand on it. I think he wanted to be a stand-up comedian. But… now it'll never happen."

I opened up my mouth, like I could suddenly figure out something smart and consoling to say that would cheer him up, but I knew I couldn't. I had no idea what to say. Unlike Yuu, who could come up with something clever and kind in an instant… I was silent. I had never thought about the eggs that I had used Utau as a puppet to destroy. What had they mattered to me, when the only egg that should matter was the embryo? But somehow, in some way, I realized that heart's eggs mattered to Yuu. I wasn't sure how. But in that moment I knew that heart's eggs were significantly important to this man.

Yuu continued. "But, it was really a stupid dream anyway." His eyes had a faraway look. "I mean, it was good to get him away from stupid dreams that will land him in the streets. It was good for him to give it up this early. Instead of waiting for him to grow, and get so immersed in a world of hopes and dreams that when they fall through, he is so completely crushed and torn apart that he can never be put back together fully again."

I felt my mouth opening in surprise. Yuu's teeth were gritted together, his hands in a death grip on the wheel like wringing a neck. His face was the picture of hatred and sorrow so suddenly, and I couldn't help feeling fearful. What… what happened to Yuu?

Yuu kept going, his voiced raised, with a deeper hint of anger and regret. "Dreams are ploys to throw a child into a life of depression and poverty, and deserve to be destroyed. They're just big disappointments to give people a fake future, and get them excited for a tomorrow that never comes! The second the child gets within reach, they shatter into a billion pieces, and never let the innocent child come out unscathed! They're pointless, stupid, and cruel!"

The last words were so loud I couldn't help feeling fright send chills down my back. I had seen Yuu feel upset, but never like this. I was staring at him and hadn't realized we had pulled into a parking spot. Yuu let his hands fall to his sides, his eyes closed tightly in anger and, probably, sadness. The sudden silence filled me with discomfort. I wanted to say something, anything, to fill the empty space. But I couldn't find a word to fit the situacion. The silence seemed to last forever, and I just wanted it to end.

Is this… the first moment I've ever been with Yuu that I've just wanted to get done with? Normally, I love every moment I spend with him. What happened?

Yuu opened his eyes suddenly, as if coming out of a trance. He seemed startled to remember that I existed. "Yukari…"

I couldn't think of a response. I'm an idiot.

He let out a slow long breath of air, but didn't meet my eyes as he spoke. "I'm so sorry about that. That was stupid. Please, try and forget I ever said those things."

I nodded, as it was the only thing I could think to do.

Yuu unclipped his strap. "Let's go."

I followed him into the bar. He held the door for me like always. He picked out our table for us as always. He pulled out my chair for me, as always. But… I knew his thoughts were far away, on something that must have caused this hatred of dreams he had. I wished I knew, wished I could share his pain, but for now all I could do was sit and wait for the bartender to come by.

She didn't take long, and she spoke in a singsong voice as if she was completely happy with her job and thought the world was filled with rainbows and puppy dogs. But I knew that wasn't what she was feeling. Nobody speaks in an honest way with how they feel. Not even Yuu. Until just now.

I picked out my wine quickly. Yuu looked up at the waitress, and spoke, trying to remove the rocks of anger from his voice. "I'll have a Bud Light, please."

Yuu's getting a beer? Any other day, Yuu would have said that it was more economical to just get a drink of water, and that drinking, for him, was only for parties, save buying his Yukari-chan a drink. I longed for him to speak those words that had always annoyed me in a playful way. But he did not.

"Yukari, I am so sorry." Yuu was the first to speak. "I just… It was an outburst, it was so stupid." He suddenly locked eyes with me in that way he always did. "I never meant to hurt your feelings, Yukari. I always want you to be happy, and if I ever make you feel uncomfortable like that again, I want you to tell me so I can correct it."

"Yuu…"

"Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own." I almost smiled. Yuu and his quotes. But I had to speak, and now was my only choice. I took a breath, and spoke confidently.

"Yuu, that's exactly it. You're always worried about me, but I don't worry enough about your feelings. I need… I need you to share with me your pain, so I can help you through it. If you always absorb my pain for me, and never let any of yours out, how can you cope?" Yuu didn't answer. "Please, Yuu. Don't go through whatever you're facing alone. Please."

This time, I was the one to grab his hand. He looked down for a while, and there was only silence. I've really started hating silence. But I did my best to wait patiently.

Yuu finally looked up, and his voice had its regular honey-sweetness, almost making me forget the harsh, angry voice he had had in the car. Almost. "Yukari-chan, I love you more than I've ever loved anything. I don't want to cause you any pain."

"But that's just what you're doing!" The anguish in my usually calm voice worried me, but I continued. "If you keep all of this sadness and anger inside, you make me upset, and make me wish I could help you, but you don't let me! You keep grinning, and acting like everything's fine, but it's not! I know that now! So just let me absorb some of your sadness for you. Because if you keep all of this pain inside, Yuu," He was looking down, but I used his tactic and waited until he had locked eyes with me to continue. "One day, it'll be too much. One day, you'll be so emotionally scarred, that you'll lose the beautiful kindess that makes you you, and I'll be left with only the memories." I felt a tear coming to my eye, and did my best to keep it inside. "Don't do that to me, Yuu. Stay with me. Tell me what made you so upset back there."

Yuu didn't respond. I realized our drinks had came, but I didn't touch it.

"I don't care if you quit work. Think about what you said. If the happiness of one is essential to the other, then I need you to be happy, Yuu. So tell me what's wrong."

He looked up at me. The sadness left his eyes, and instead, to my surprise, a smile curved the edge of his lips. "Yukari-chan. You are so much more clever then you give yourself credit for." He leaned towards my stool and kissed my cheek gently. "You are so kind, and beautiful, and amazing." He kissed me again, and leaned back into a frown. "But… I'm not going to tell you about my childhood."

I opened my mouth to speak, but he put a finger against my lips. Slowly, he handed me my wine, and grabbed his beer off the counter. "You don't need to know what happened to me back then."

"But-"

"Shhhh." He smiled at me, and I felt suddenly annoyed. But he continued. "Listen. I promise, that one day I'll tell you what happened. I promise you this, Yukari. But not today. Alright? I won't break a promise to someone I love as much as you. You know that." I nodded, and he smiled.

He took a drink of the beer. I couldn't help feeling it was out of character for him. Yuu always did his best to be happy without the use of alchohal. I felt even more worried that he had stopped down to his. But I knew Yuu wouldn't break his promise. And who knows, maybe he would tell me soon.