Enchanted by Illusions

Pretty...tsun of herself... Heh. Hehe... Hibiki almost had to wonder how Selena would react to hearing such a statement...

"Hn? Nah, didn't let 'em... Luca probably did." Hibiki answered as the two moved into the kitchen.

Muika took her seat as Iyuki had asked of her, watching as he went and got drinks and such along with the donuts for them. She...could have helped, but perhaps this was helping him...

If that was the case...

"Rested well..." She answered Miyako, well...for a couple of hours; Iyuki definitely wanted her to get more though...and perhaps her answer in his eyes wasn't an honest one...

Hibiki waited until the two were seated before he continued on, swallowing the piece of donut in his mouth before speaking. "Ah... Luca probably opened a garganta into here..."

Garganta...

That... Those were what...

Muika knew the word, having read in the pamphlet...

Hibiki didn't seem bothered in the slightest during his explanation; "He's an Espada, but he follows Selena like a loyal dog for the most part...so nothing to worry about...One's I've met aren't bad at least..."

So far he'd only really met Luca and Yysara, but...they were fine.

"I slept fine Yuki-nii. We didn't let anyone in." Miyako finished her first box and moved to the next as Iyuki got the drink and Muika sat down a the table on orders. She gave the woman a small smile at her words and nodded before continuing to eat all her her donuts, Iyuki was being bossy but Muika looked about half as good as Hibiki. The black hole of a stomach really...really needed filling and the more she ate, the better she felt really so that was her main focus for now.

Least they had both gotten some rest...

As they both sat down, Miyako looked up from her devouring of the second box and examined the three a bit more. Everyone looked ragged it seemed but that... was to be expected... No one had said a damn thing yet though so she opened her mouth as if to clear the air, wanting to at least...acknowledge... when Hibiki decided to explain.

"...A...what?" Miyako was confused for a brief moment, her eyes wide before she blinked and moved to start on the third box after his brief explanation. Espada were those Arrancar rulers right? The human hollows?

...

"...I knew he was really cool." Accepting that Hibiki knew a few and thus knew better, Miyako just ate her donuts while utter trust shined in her eyes for his reassurance and words. The man had seemed really nice and helpful! And well... Selena seemed a good judge of character and had gotten them donuts. No reason for her to be upset or worried, especially since Hibiki wasn't.

"Ah, that is good to hear. Still that means..." How? Well that wasn't important and Otouto had said he would tell them...

Iyuki poured them all what smelled like some kind of french vanilla latte drink, carefully making sure not to spill it all over as his hands shook lightly. Luca let them in? Was it some form of power...? Instead he gave Muika a rather telling look and pushed a box towards her after opening it. The look said eat! Eat lots! He even went so far as to pick up a chocolate custard donut and offer it to her, worrying over her state despite his own. "Try this kind, I believe you will like it..."

How...had they gotten there so quickly? Had then been in town?

Burning with questions, he instead made sure that everyone had a drink after forcing Muika to accept food and as he slid them over before Hibiki dropped the rather interesting tidbit. Iyuki froze solid before he paled quite strongly. A garganta... Arrancar?!

The...those were... One of the leaders! His shock was strong enough that all he could mutter at first was this. "Otouto... I did not even bow properly to a ruler..."

... Miyako's response wasn't even the expected one and he stared at her for a moment before his blue eyes lit on Hibiki. Muika was just as shocked!

"Arrancar are fine!? How many have you met!? When...why?!" Weren't they dangerous!? Why was Selena with one of those!? Was that how they'd gotten in?!

Miyako had been a bit...surprised for a moment, but her words... Cool, huh? Well, that was a good a response as any...at least she hadn't freaked out at least...

"Espada, a ranked arrancar..." He confirmed, since...at first she'd seemed confused.

Well...Miyako hadn't freaked but...Osamoto was. W-What... Yes, he'd met some; he'd just encountered them! Randomly!

Muika was...surprised at the news, but it only showed on her face for a few moments before she'd attempted to compose herself; she was listening, but her focus was on doing as asked of her, and as she was asked to try one of the donuts Iyuki handed her.

It looked...chocolatey so...

Miyako's smile to her earlier had also been noted, and she'd attempted to return it with a small one of her own.

Hibiki brought a hand to his hair, pushing it back for a moment before it fell back into place as he went about trying to continue to explain.

"I met one of 'em at random...wasn't an Espada though, a fraccion...carried a lot of snakes with her... After that I met Luca through Selena." He stated, "She hadn't known he was one at first, but was attached to him...so when the news was out she just remained so..."

After saying that, he gave a nod; "For the most part...the ones I've met are people...just going about their own lives...they have nice baths in Hueco Mundo though..." His voice had quieted a bit at that last statement, trailing off, though unknowingly to him he was still rather audible.

"Overall...the ones I've met at least...they're fine, yeah..." Saying that, he took another bite from one of the many donuts.

"Huh..." Miyako felt Iyuki's response was a bit strong for this news and just blinked at him before shaking her head. Maybe if it had been delivered before the day before's events, she might have been shocked more... But right now Miyako was coasting along as best she could. That meant pretty much being unable to be terrified or shocked.

Mostly she was worried over Hibiki but if they were like Luca, that man had been very kind. Miyako ate more donuts as Hibiki brushed his hair back, noting that it was a nice motion before listening as he explained more... Seemed they were nice enough, the two he met... No real problems. Selena had attached and cared for the man despite his being an arrancar... Which caused a few more questions to pop up in her slightly traumatized and yet ignored mind.

Also...snakes?

"Can you introduce me sometime then Hibiki? And let me see the baths?" If Hibiki was saying the baths were nice he musta been there and a bit of an excited glow entered her smile, sparkles forming hesitantly. What kind of world was it then?

At least Muika took it better than Iyuki...

Did no one seem to realize the danger?! They fought hollows or had been attacked by them more than once! But... No one seemed to care... Iyuki's self righteous grumping and rather overreacting manner faded as it took too much energy right now.

... At least Muika was eating the donuts now... He sighed and rubbed his forehead, leaning down so his head rested against the table after a moment. "I do not have the energy to fight this. I will trust you and Selena's judgement on this... He was rather dashing and snakes can be...interesting."

...Snakes...

Iyuki sighed, his face pressed face down against the table. Miyako wished to visit the baths, Muika was just quiet on all of this and Otouto seemed utterly unperturbed by it at all. They were just fine...

His head turned to the side and he reached for a donut to put in his mouth. "Please drink up everyone..."

"...Wait you VISITED?!" Iyuki popped up with wide eyes, staring in horror before groaning and letting his face fall back to the table. His donut had fallen out before he'd even taken one bite, falling to the table with a splat of frosting.

"Mn? Maybe..." Hibiki answered, looking to Miyako at her request. Visit, and an introduction? If he encountered either of the two again then sure... He didn't really see a problem with it.

He wasn't one to just contact out of the blue...plus it wasn't like he'd never interact with the two again.

"Next time one of 'em comes around I will..."

...?

His eyes went over to Iyuki who claimed to not have the energy to fight on this. Ah right... Considering what they were there was probably a cause for concern at first...if you'd never knowingly interacted.

Oh well, if Osamoto wanted to argue on it later whatever...

!?

Just when Hibiki had figured the man had dropped it, Osamoto piqued in again as his ears finally realized that yes... He'd been to Hueco Mundo.

"Ah... I have..." As his words escaped, Iyuki fell back to the table. A sigh escaped afterwards. Fine. Fine... "Arrancars can be dangerous...yeah, but...gh... s'Kinda like... Arrancars... they're like people, in a sense...all different. Some dangerous, some not...

Mn...mn... Only the weakest ones come here to...attack people, the stronger ones just go about their lives, the ones that live in the main...area...place..."

Gh...giving this kinda...understanding talk...

Muika on the other hand while Hibiki was busy explaining stopping eating for a moment, getting a donut and trying to get Iyuki to eat. He didn't need to be reacting like this...not so strongly right now, he needed to eat.

If he wasn't eating she wouldn't. Her first priority above all was making sure he recovered...

"Eat..." Her tone wasn't order-like like his had been, just a request, weak..but a bit pleading as she pushed donuts towards him, along with getting napkins to clean any wayward frosting with.

Miyako would accept the maybe, if he ran into either of them again... She smiled softly for a moment before more donuts were inhaled. Hibiki had paused on the baths, he really liked baths and if he was recommending it...

She took a cup at Iyuki's insistence, leaning over the table as Hibiki attempted to defend the group of people to Iyuki while she wanted whatever that was. It smelled good and the cup was brought to her lips as she watched Muika shove donuts towards Iyuki.

This was all...nice and relaxing and all but Miyako's happy demeanor that was returning faded away again as she fidgeted with a donut in hand. Her appetite fled as she shook her head, putting the donut back in the box. "Mm... we have things we gotta talk about though. You two. You two are miserable from more than lack of sleep, aren't you?"

"Spill. Don't lie to us or try." Green eyes unusually weary and dimmer than usual, her eyes went from the two very obviously messed up Viper killers.

It seems...they would vacation in that place... Iyuki felt more morose, wondering what in the world they were thinking...

"I...suppose that makes some form of sense... In some way... Hm..." Hibiki's explanation only helped so much, but the man allowed Muika to order him to eat. Her tone was what forced him to push the donut into his mouth, one of those long custard filled ones. His eyes shined a bit more like usual as he gave her an attempted smile around the donut...

'H-Hmph?!" Iyuki jolted up with his donut on his mouth again, staring at the young woman in shock though once her pronouncement was given. Well... she was right. His eyes darted between the two fighters for a moment, knowing they both looked far too guilty for what they should on top of things. But right now? Did this have to be brought up now?

Sighing, he pushed it into his mouth more and bit a piece off before chewing and swallowing so Muika had no excuses for not speaking up. "Mm... It is as good of time as any... I suppose..."

Picking up another donut, Iyuki showed Muika he intended to continue eating while this discussion was had with that movement and stared first at her and then at Otouto. "Stop it. Your guilt is almost palpable at this point."

Miyako seemed content with his answer, and that's all Hibiki could really ask for. He didn't just contact anyone on his own for the most part...mostly relied on dumb luck to just encounter people like Luca or Yysara, so it would just be a "next time" thing...

Muika was silently relieved as Iyuki began eating, and had about to take another bite out of her own donut when Miyako spoke up, causing both an obvious reaction from both her and Hibiki.

Both quieted when Miyako spoke up, averting their eyes from both her and Iyuki as he also moved on from his own shock to agreeing to discuss this. Miserable from more than just lack of sleep... Neither could deny that accusation.

Did... Did this have to be discussed now though...? They should focus on eating more... Rest...

"..."

Don't try to lie...

What did he mean by stop it? Like that was possible...

"..." Hibiki had been about to speak up it seemed, but had closed his mouth; he had been about to attempt some smart comment, but obviously...he couldn't put any meaning behind it...

Those two had both stated they were going to get their thoughts out from them, hear them spoken... Muika remembered Iyuki saying as such last night, and Hibiki had expected the lecture to begin with...even still...

Yuki-nii agreed with her? Miyako was a bit shocked but blinked it back and turned back to watching the other two for signs of speaking after their shocked responses to her word. Muika... she was forcing Iyuki to eat, and he was luckily so that maybe would help her...

But still... Putting it off wasn't doing them any good... Even if it had been an artificial topic change... Forced...

Miyako looked down, feeling tears welling up as her hands moved to her legs. They were covered by Iyuki's shirt and she clenched the edge... Neither of the pair were saying anything...

"Its stupid. Neither of you are it. Neither of you... Wh-What they did..." Miyako shook as she spoke... Anger and just a fierce upsetness pushing aside that momentary happiness she'd experienced as memories welled up. "You...couldn't have... It's not your fault! Stop... blaming yourselves..."

There was silence at the table and Iyuki followed up his donut with a bit of the coffee drink, vanilla flavored of some sort but he was far too distracted to even pay attention to it.

It was sweet, that was all that mattered.

His normally bright blue eyes were darker than usual as he sighed more, shaking his head at the pair's obvious stubborn refusals to accept it. Haunted, he looked haunted as he spoke following Miyako's proclamations. "She is right. It seems neither of us can accept your feelings on this. It was not your fault that this happened..."

"It wasn't. Considering you both rescued us... You both are heroes." He'd need the energy provided from the caffeine and the donuts to argue against them. That might set them off.

Both were saying exactly what'd they been saying since they'd returned home... It wasn't their faults, they weren't at fault...neither of them.

That...wasn't the easiest to even begin to believe though...

Miyako was near tears, and Iyuki looked haunted... Both were expressions neither wanted to see from the two, but...it wasn't like they could honestly just agree, move on and be done with it.

"This shouldn't...of happened in the first place." Hibiki eventually spoke up, taking a breath and letting his eyes shut for a moment. "...We ar...were subjects, we escaped...put the organization at heavy risk...which also put both of you at risk...

A few months or more...of freedom and what happens? We got stupid, we let our guards drop... I... I should have gone... I could have easily gone with you...but I said no because of mine and Okura's hatred...

...I was stupid."

He should have gone, and it shouldn't have happened to begin with... Just being involved with the likes of them put both Iyuki and Miyako at risk.

Muika had continued her silence, Hibiki had said...most of it anyway, though just by looking it was obvious there were some aspects that ran much deeper with her.

It shouldn't have happened...

Just being involved...that had...they'd...

Miyako waited, her hands trembling more as she waited for a response. Yuki-nii was right and spoke her mind it seemed so she just... what was she supposed to say more? How was she supposed to get through to them...

Hibiki's words caused a choked sob though as she shook her head strongly, so strongly she got a bit dizzy but it didn't stop her from moving quickly and picking up a donut. She tossed it frosting first at Hibiki's face, glaring fiercely. "Would they? Would they really have stopped? They were freaking desperate! They would have just gotten you too! Then what would have happened to us!? They would have hurt you awfully again! No no no!"

"You should be able to let your guard drop! Muika too, you two are f-free... now... Never again! Ever! I'd rather be stuck there...forever than let either of you get caught by them again!" Eyes shining brightly, her lower lip quivered as she picked up another donut just in case...

While Hibiki spoke up, Iyuki's eyes went to Muika as he watched her carefully. She wasn't speaking a word and that...was like her in some ways, but also entirely not good.

It was obvious she not only agreed with Hibiki but there was more to it for her as well. It seemed the otter was rather pissed and her words were similar to what he felt to say but... but... His haunted look grew, listening to Miyako yell at the pair while crying. He wanted to pull her into a hug, but he was too far away and had a Muika between them.

"You heard her. We both would have stayed and willingly if it meant you both kept from their clutches. They were prepared for you both in some ways, you might have been able to help... But Hibiki if you had gone, the odds are they would have gotten you as well. Who would have helped Muika calm down then?" Iyuki's voice was calm, his words well spoken as usual but... weak even still. His eyes shined though with his true, fear filled emotions but also a strong undercurrent of anger.

"You both...are thinking it would have been better to not have met us, aren't you? To not put us in that danger. That it would have been better to never have met and loved us, aren't you?" It was here... That his voice broke finally, the anger welling up into a cold burn that showed with every growled word. "Don't make those sorts of decisions for us. Stop being stupidly arrogant, you idiots. How dare you assume you have that right to think that and feel that. How dare you attempt to take responsibility for those monsters. What kind of arrogance you two must keep under those quiet shields to even be able to think such things."

Hibiki went quiet as Miyako spoke up, the only noise escaping him being a bit of a surprised on as a pastry was chucked at him. He wiped it from himself, but otherwise didn't bite back about it.

Would have just gotten him too...? Even if they were desperate there were no guarantees they'd ever know the answer to that. If they would have just gotten him too... Why not strike at the millions of other chances then?

He wanted to cut in, as Miyako brought up her willingness to...to...remain there had it meant...

"Gh..."

Muika's own hands had moved to the bottom hem of the shirt she currently wore to grasp at Miyako's outburst.

Before either could interject though, Iyuki spoke up. His words...were unexpected, but...should they have been...really?

Idiots... Seemed fitting enough.

Arrogance wasn't a term either had used before, but...

Their lives had been put into...tremendous amounts of danger because of them, it was...difficult to see how it wasn't their fault in some manner... Hibiki didn't mean to take the blame for the organization entirely, but...they were still a part of this equation...

"...It'd been a thought..." Muika finally spoke up, though she was still firmly looking down; "They attacked the both...both of you to get to us, t-they... It'd been a thought... I put them at detrimental risk...only a couple of years ago... I had thought...even if just for a moment...

I placed...a domino effect on them, I was their biggest problem...the cause of it all... Call that arrogance if you want... I thought considering the target on my head there might have been the slightest chance of an exchange..."

Hibiki said nothing on this, but his silence spoke more volumes than not as he glanced away from the two.

"When I got there though...there was no chance of that, I could tell..."

Their goal had been to get the escapees, but what better way to break them than to personally destroy their weakest points...

"Call it arrogance...s'Fine... I'll a-admit it...I had thought that...I thought more than that... This shouldn't of happened... I know it's...you both probably think we're stupid to keep...thinking like that...but..."

Her thoughts were toxic, and she knew it; stupid, and she knew it... but her mind couldn't focus on anything but the bad right now, all the harm that had come about...

And she knew how stupid her next words were...but they were coming out regardless...

"Had I never...never even...es...in the first place...had I never...caused..."

Miyako was a bit stunned by Iyuki's words. What had come over him to say such things!? In that tone too! She blinked a few times, shocked from her silent crying for a moment, wondering how she could even begin to respond to that. Wasn't it a bit harsh to... harsh to call them that?!

She felt bad for her tossing of the donut but Hibiki didn't say anything... She almost wished he had though as Muika spoke up, causing her eyes to trail from the man who wiped the frosting off to the woman who seemed so...so weak right now.

"They...wouldn't have... I don't think they... I think it might have been part of their plan..." Miyako didn't want to remember... Didn't want to think about the things said there, but...it was possible she had heard something like that while there. That if they could somehow trap those two... They'd have four monsters.

As long... as Iyuki and her were kept alive... those two couldn't have done anything...

Hibiki... Muika's words... and the way he looked away caused her to look down again, unable to help the tears leaking out again. Just... did they both think like that? That it...was better they had never escaped? "No! Thats not... that's not true Muika! Don't even dare think that!"

How...what words should she use to convince... her... How could she stop that...? Wait...

"Is...that how you feel too Hibiki?" Miyako's voice was soft, more than a bit sad. She...wanted to yell at Muika more but... She had a feeling Iyuki would do so. Much better than she.

Iyuki listened... Listened to Muika admit painful and horrifying things, watched as his cousin all but admitted with his silence to thinking similar things... Listen to Muika, watch Muika... hear her admitting she felt they could have been exchanged up until the final moment...

His hands clenched tightly around his cup, shaking with the effort to not speak or say anything until he felt she was done. But he wasn't ready for that proclamation. Those words and admittance to thinking... If she hadn't escaped...

Miyako's words registered in his mind before he reacted, quite strongly. Standing up quickly enough to force his hands to go to the table to steady himself, Iyuki glared at Muika before pulling her against him. His legs had pushed back the chair but... but he didn't care right now if he was bruised or hurt by that. "You really are being an idiot. You are forbidden for thinking such things... You never escaping was not worth this... Nothing is worth your freedom..."

Had...she been thinking this the whole night? Iyuki felt his body trembling. Was... Otouto thinking the same thing? He hoped not for his sake.

They wouldn't have... It was a thing they realized after infiltrating the base, they weren't kind enough to do that; they weren't kind in the slightest. They would use any means of breaking them, any horrible method that could cross their minds...

Muika tensed only slightly, barely so, as Miyako reacted to her words; she'd expected a reaction like that... Her thoughts were stupid, and even she knew that...but just knowing that wasn't enough...she couldn't stop herself right now from letting guilt eat away at her.

What she hadn't...fully expected was Iyuki's reaction as he pulled her to him.

Her eyes had widened as she looked up at him, not caring that tears had been spilled over on her part quite sometime ago without so much as a sound to indicate it.

"...B-.." Nothing worth... Her eyes went down slightly then, in some weak attempt to hide as suppressed sob attempted to escape. She was attempting to speak, but no words were coming out.

That's when Hibiki spoke up...to answer Miyako's own question as he looked down again.

"...I..." Words were hard, but this wasn't...wasn't a time for his shitty excuses... "I just...this isn't something I wanted...to see happen... Isn't something...I wanted to happen...

It was always a risk... Deep down I...knew that... I got...carried away...just because there was word...that they were all dying out, I... I was...have been happy... I can't...express that...easy...but...

This was the last thing I wanted to happen... I had briefly thought...of the exchange option, but...that wouldn't have worked... I know it wouldn't have..."

He knew how they thought, knew various methods they could and would use...

His mind hadn't drifted as far as Okura's had...to the point of not escaping... His own escape hadn't been as...reckless due to help, hadn't set off as much havock and panic as Okura's had, but... The exchange option had crossed his mind...

He couldn't deny that.

Who...did she comfort? Miyako was torn, torn so strongly it hurt... She needed comfort...Muika needed comfort, Iyuki needed comfort... Hibiki needed it...

She didn't know what to do or how, she felt the pieces of herself still scattered about after yesterday despite how hard she tried to stay put together right now.

Moving from the chair was impossible for her, but Hibiki's words made her want to as Iyuki seemed to be able to give comfort to Muika at least. If Muika was being taken care of...

Miyako reached a shaking hand out, her eyes trained on Hibiki's hand as she grabbed it and held it softly. "I know... I think we both do. I-I mean... that if there was anything you could have done to stop it or make it not happen...you would have. But...it happened... It did... H-Hurting yourselves over and over in your head..."

"...It's...my fault you are hurting... W-We both got hurt... we both...didn't...be careful enough for you... I knew about your past and didn't...didn't be careful... Didn't worry over that..." Happy...he had been happy... She had helped give him happiness... But then they'd failed. Her and Iyuki had failed at keeping it... Her voice was soft, almost as if she was hoping it wouldn't carry to the others... But it could be heard easily. "I hurt...you and Muika. I couldn't save Iyuki in time, I couldn't heal him enough before... We just... Muika, its okay..."

Still gripping Hibiki's hand tightly, her eyes went to the woman being held. "Th-Thinking that...wanting that... D-Don't please! I... you are my friend and I... don't want you to be thinking you...you being there still...is better than this! I-It isn't! Without you I'd be some hollow's plaything or dead... I wouldn't be here! Yuki-nii would be sad! N-None of us would get to eat dinner and tell jokes and poke fun together...

You wouldn't have gotten to try all those yummy chocolates at the mall, or got to pick up things to help you sketch... Or make those really cute but tiny smiles! A-Are you saying its all null and void? Th-That its not...not worth it? I-I think...think it is... It hurt... it still hurts... I feel all wrong inside but... I don't... don't want you hurting so much over this that you hate yourselves more! Either of you! I love you both so please stop!"

Iyuki didn't care that that was how Muika felt. It was wrong! Wrong for her to feel that! He held her tightly as she tried and failed to speak, his head leaning down to rest against hers as he kissed the top of her head. A hand moved up to her hair, holding her against him more as she clung. He didn't speak a word, giving her silent comfort of his presense to force her to think rationally... Or at least remember how much she loved him, how much he loved her and how horrific it was to think that their being apart was better than together...

Their being apart and he unscarred was worth her freedom? No! Hibiki's words caused an obvious tensing of him but he spoke only softly after Miyako did. "You both... Both are being ridiculous, but you can not help it... You as well Miyako. I couldn't protect you... Hmph. We are all being stupid, all feeling guilt, but none of that changes what happened and none of it is helping. I feel it is not worth destroying your happiness over... Either of you. Muika and you Hibiki. Both of you deserve so much happiness, and none...none of us deserved this..."

His words choked, Iyuki shook his head. "Fight it... We have to... We can't allow them to win. No...no buts are allowed... no thinking that being there would have saved me... Many awful things can happen to someone, just protecting me from that might not have saved me... A hollow could have eaten me as my powers grew Muika, you taught me so much in defense and protect me even now. Honestly so many things could have happened without you. Without Hibiki. To both of us... To think you can protect us from everything is arrogant, but you do your best."

They were all a mess... Those scars...the things they didn't want to think and talk about... None of it was any good and it was far too soon to be able to recover even a bit. But...they couldn't let those toxic thoughts sit in the hearts of these two more broken sweethearts. "We...would be miserable I think, miserable at being your loves if we snapped and shattered at the first....first...horrible incident to occur... At least in ways that couldn't be put back..."

Maybe they would be stronger for it after such an event? Maybe...with time.

Her...

Hibiki's eyes moved to Miyako finally as she began...blaming herself for this. This wasn't her fault in the slightest! They... Neither of them had had to watch their backs before them! Neither had had to...to worry about whether or not someone was going to...to come after them!

Before them neither had had targets on their heads!

It wasn't either of their faults...

Before them they'd... They'd had more or less normal lives...

Muika shared similar feelings even if neither of them were voicing their thoughts at the moment. It... It wasn't...

They shouldn't have...to be careful....like that...

"Don't..." Hibiki turned his eyes away again, feeling Miyako had taken his hand in a tight grip, and after a moment or two he attempted to turn his own enough to hold back. "...Neither of...Neither of you should even have to be this careful..."

One of Muika's eyes were visible to Miyako as she continued speaking, listing various...moments that had occurred throughout this past while...with all of them together...

Naming the bad things...that would have happened had she not been there...

Her body was tense in Iyuki's hold, a sign of her trying to hold back her emotions, trying to keep herself from breaking out into tears that were more or less already shedding.

As she felt Iyuki's hand move to her hair one of those sobs managed to escape, and she attempted to turn her face into his chest to hide further.

All of them being...ridiculous...

Hibiki's eyes briefly looked over to Iyuki before averting again as the man spoke, listening despite looking away.

It...was better with them than without them...

"...W...The ha...happiness...s'...worth it then...?" Muika voice was more than a little muffled, but she was audible at the very least...

Another concern... She'd been afraid, her mind had only been able to think of the bad, forcing her to question if the happiness was worth all the pain to them...

She didn't want to think like that, but...

"...But we chose to. We chose you two. It...means...we should be more careful..." Miyako spoke strongly, letting Hibiki's hand turn so she could grip it that much better. He was holding hers back and that was nice... "I-I...think Iyuki and I are in sync on this. We chose this... We chose you two, that means there things... Things we have to be careful of. And its not not worth it!"

"Its... worth it... those things are worth making you happy. Being happy with you." Miyako stared at Muika, knowing Hibiki could hear her well enough... But Muika was the one to get this all through to. "I'll get stronger, so I can bear anything I have to. I want to be your friend, I want to. The happiness is worth it Muika! And I want... want to be..."

Miyako's lip quivered as she looked over at Hibiki, the pain and hurt she had experienced the day before still burning there. "I want to be with you. I picked you... I...even when someone else asked, I just was thinking of you. Its...worth it to see you lift your lip with your finger. If I can...see that I can bare anything I think..."

"What we shouldn't have to have doesn't matter." Iyuki's more formal tones seemed to fade as Muika's tenseness continued, her hand having an obvious effect as she turned and gave one sob into his chest.. "Its what we have... I have Muika and Miyako has you Otouto. Shh, dearest its okay. Cry. Its okay to cry... Please let it out..."

She needed that release and as Miyako continued to speak, Iyuki turned his whole focus on Muika. Hibiki... he was more stable. He could stand to just listen ambiently for now.

"Miyako spoke before me... But yes. It is and was worth it." His voice cracked softly at the end, but he was being so utterly honest. "It...truly is."

It...had been just a smidgen of what those two had endured, how could he break after something so small when they had lived it day after day...

If Hibiki wanted to be stubborn about it... He very well could, but...he didn't have the fight in him to become that way against Miyako's words...

They chose, yes... It was their choice... Still...

Not... still... Stop.

He was trying, but...it was difficult, more difficult than he could honestly explain; being stubborn wouldn't...solve anything...

Their choice...

"Mn..." At his own sound, he visible frowned after noticing he'd done so; sounds...weren't good right now. He knew that, and yet it'd slipped out anyway.

He needed to talk...

Muika's hold on her emotions seemed to be cracking with the more that was said. She was...hiding her face at least.

It was...worth it... then?

More sobs escaped, muffled due to her hiding but she was at least starting to let it out as she should be. Her hands grasped his shirt tightly, though just the fabric so she wasn't hurting him.

They still thought it was worth it... Despite...all that'd happened after meeting them...they both...still thought it was worth it...