Title: the answer
Rating: G
Fandom: Tokyo Xanadu
Relationship: Hiiragi Asuka/Hokuto Mitsuki
Wordcount: 550
Short summary: Asuka contemplates her current life and finds the answer to the mystery that is her relationship with Mitsuki.
Asuka twiddles with her Xiphone as she contemplates her life, now at age 20, living as a university student and an Enforcer for Nemesis. This is already an interesting double life, but then she also happens to be in a relationship with the one and only Hokuto Mitsuki. Who would have seen that coming? Certainly not the Asuka from 4 years ago. That Asuka would not understand this situation at all, would have found this to be quite the mystery.
But would that Asuka have been able to solve it? Asuka’s life had always been full of mysteries to solve, ever since she learned that there was another world besides the one most people saw, a place that could be both dangerous and beautiful. In one sense she solved mysteries because it was the continuation of her parents’ work, a way to honor their memory and sacrifice. In another sense she did genuinely want to help and protect people, because they weren’t at fault, because they didn’t deserve to feel the same pain she did. But it had also been a way to distract herself from the pain, to continue living. To have a goal for each day even when she didn’t want to move forward.
But mysteries about the Eclipse were one thing. Mysteries about the human psyche were another. Sure she cared somewhat, since the way in which someone like Tokisaka could have such spirit, such skill with his soul device despite his inexperience, was quite fascinating. But everything about her life after she joined Nemesis was about her purpose. It wasn’t about bonds, about friendships, about love…
And it certainly wasn’t about finding all of these things with Mitsuki of all people. But at the same time, this might have been the most obvious thing of all. Despite all of Asuka’s hesitance at first, mostly due to their positions in rival organizations, they were compatible from the start. They understood each other, not only because of similarities in their life but because they shared a rather similar view of the world, of people. People in general had good intentions. People in general wanted to help each other. But people in general were hard to trust. Hard to rely on completely.
Or maybe that was more Asuka’s problem than Mitsuki’s. Still, Mitsuki kept poking, kept prodding. Kept calling, kept visiting. Kept insisting, kept smiling. And she proved, again and again, that she was strong, that she was durable, that she…wouldn’t just leave.
In this life, Mitsuki solved the mystery for Asuka, helped Asuka understand why, after so many years working alone, that she had to accept the help, that she wanted to accept the help. The friends, the connections… Asuka wanted love. She wanted to be loved and she wanted to love in turn. And she found it. With the XRC and with Mitsuki.
“You’re in a good mood today, Asuka. Did you receive some good news?”
Asuka looks up from her Xiphone and right at Mitsuki’s face, at Mitsuki’s small smile and sparkling purple eyes.
“Yes,” she replies. “Very good.”
It hadn’t been “news” per se, but it was definitely good. The answer to her contemplations is simple. There’s no more mystery to uncover here. Life is good right now, and there’s nothing Asuka wants to change.