Semi-cracky Gaim fic.

[estirose]

Smoothing skirts universe.

"Michi?" Kouta looked confused at a piece of paper. "Are we married?"

Michi's brow furrowed as she looked at the paper. "I don't think so, I'd need my family's permission and I'd never get it, but... this piece of paper looks like it."

Kouta took a deep breath. How was he going to break this to his sister, if it was true? He had a sixteen year old wife, he had to find a job and take responsibility for making sure she was provided for.

"I doubt it's real, Kouta." Michi's voice was calm. "And even if it was, nobody would ever notice." She shook her head. "Don't worry about it."

"B-but this would make you a Kazuraba, wouldn't your family notice?" She was almost too calm.

"Actually, this would make you a Kureshima instead." Folding the paper, she slipped it into her pocket. "But don't worry. If this is real, we'll just divorce. Nobody would ever find out it happened." She gazed up at him, as if challenging him to argue. Becoming Ryugen had changed her, he swore.

But he didn't have a chance to say anything further, because soon she was gone, presumably to take care of the whole thing.

Comments

[reka]

Kouta's a smart guy and has access to more information than he had before, so I think he'd figure it out. If he forgets, there's always Mai to remind him.

I like the implication that Akira has similar dreams that aren't related to Kouta. I have dreams about telling people things that I haven't gotten to talk to them about yet, and I think that Akira's situation could definitely produce those. She and Kouta lived together and talked. There are probably a lot of situations that come up where she'd talk to him if he was there.

I hope Akira can help Takatora understand Michi a little better, too. She did know Michi before the events of the series, right? And I'm sure Kouta mentioned her sometimes too.

[estirose]

Yes, Akira knew Michi a little bit before everything happened. At least, I'm guessing so from the fact that she was familiar with canon!Micchy. She's determined to do what she can. (Takatora likes Akira and they often have coffee together and discuss their siblings.) And she reminds Kouta that Michi does need to heal on her own.

Akira does have similar coffee-table dreams that are her subconscious figuring things out, which is why Kouta tends to set his on his own planet so that he doesn't confuse her, even though she instinctively knows which ones are his.

[reka]

There could also be a little "look, sis, I'm in a good place," maybe. Yeah. I think everyone dreams a little differently.

I think Akira is the kind of person who wouldn't be comfortable without someone to take care of in some way.

[estirose]

He is, at the very least, in a very wild place. Akira is semi-amused and sometimes reminds him that their kitchen table is fine.

Yeah, Akira is happy to have a family due to Michi's mistake. She is also vaguely attracted to Takatora (I have very shippy muses), but her brother is/was married to Takatora's sister so she's not going to even try to start a relationship with him. (Kouta thinks that she and Takatora would be a good match, and even if he and Michi are/were married, that shouldn't stop Akira.)

[reka]

Yes, but it's his and Mai's wild place, and they're safe there (for now, anyway, but Kouta's not going to tell his sister that).

I can't really envision how a long-term romantic relationship would go, but I can see how they'd work together well. And the basis for some mutual appreciation. I think the marriage thing might make things seem awkward, but as time goes on it might be easier to forget why Michi's kind of a little sister to her.

[estirose]

Yes, for the moment. I think they would work together well, and if they don't get married I can see them becoming close friends.

--
"He's got the same kinds of worries that you do, big sister," Kouta said. They were relaxing in a glade on Kouta's world. "I talk to him a lot."

"I know you do." Takatora told her about his Kouta-dreams, of how Kouta encouraged his brother-in-law and tried to help him understand Michi a bit better. "I'm glad you get along well with him."

"He and I are alike, in a lot of ways." He leaned back a bit. She thought she saw a little silvery-blond in his hair.

She sighed a little. "I know." Sometimes Takatora reminded her so much of an older, more mature Kouta.

"I think you and he should date." Kouta flashed a smile at her, reminding her that even if her little brother was pretty much a god now, he was still Kouta.

"Kouta, it's too soon." Kouta was still technically married to Michi, after all, and would be until he was finally declared dead. "You're still...."

"Married to Michi, I know. But we never felt married. And, um...." his face turned slightly red.

"Yes, I know. You presumed that Michi erased your marriage." In some ways, her brother could still be innocently cute. He and Michi had made quite a couple.

"Yeah." He looked away. "Don't let our marriage affect things. It'll be nice for Michi to officially have an older sister again."

Kouta felt responsible for Michi, that was clear, just as Takatora did. He was backing off and letting Michi find her way again, but that didn't mean he didn't want to step in. He just simply knew better now.

She had to go on, too. It was tempting to ask Takatora out, for the man would never think of asking himself. But she had a life. She and the Kureshimas would remain a kind of family even if nothing else happened, and there was a whole lifetime ahead of her.

She smiled, and hugged her brother, for there was little else she could do.

[reka]

I think it might take some time for Takatora to feel comfortable doing something like that for himself, too. Before, Yggdrasil and the world needed him, so his own desires weren't important. Now Michi and the world need him, and while I'm sure Michi would want Takatora to show a bit of his own desires (because I think part of their emotional distance is that Takatora never humanized himself to his little sibling and ended up seeming kind of alien), I think Takatora wouldn't feel comfortable dating unless Michi gave him permission. Which I'm not sure she'd feel comfortable bringing up. Which yeah, is probably why Akira would have to be the one to ask.

I hope Kouta is also thinking about his own life where he is. It would be like Kouta to spend more time worrying about the people he left, I think.