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Of all the places they could’ve been sent to via trapdoor and forced to hold hands in, this probably isn’t the worst, Akihiko figures.
Despite being presented with no choice other than to move forward, they’re not in any immediate danger, and while fighting with one arm figuratively tied behind his back isn’t ideal, he’s still glued to one of his ever-reliable teammates in case they run into danger.
Then again, Akihiko’s also trying really, really hard not to let the theming of the situation get to him and failing miserably at it, so that’s gonna put a damper on their odds of escaping. He wonders if the enemy’s intent is to bewilder them with the whole “destined partners” shtick.
The flowery road ahead of them would be pretty appealing to a couple in any other circumstance, all dolled up with heart-shaped arches and rainbows that he can actually see the ends of. Or, at least that’s what Akihiko figures. He’s never really stopped to think about couple activities before now.
Yuuki and him as a couple…
“Sanada-senpai, are you alright?”
Right. No time for getting lost in thought. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just trying to figure out our next move.”
The mechanical voice from before chimes in again, repeating its demand for them to proceed.
“...I think we should go forward,” Yuuki deadpans.
Muttering in agreement, Akihiko starts down the path. He’ll have to curtail his speed so Yuuki isn’t dragged along, but that detail doesn’t particularly bother him, for some reason. At least the air here is fresh, not nearly as stagnant as the Labyrinths or Tartarus’. Akihiko’s reminded of his daily jogs to the shrine, the morning breeze spurring him on; maybe he should ask Yuuki to tag along, after this is all over.
It’s then that Akihiko notices the red tint across Yuuki’s face. A short walk shouldn’t be wearing him out so quickly, but he’d better check in, just to make sure. “You okay?” Akihiko asks.
Yuuki mumbles an “I’m fine”, conspicuously staring straight ahead and refusing to look Akihiko in the eyes. What Akihiko plans to say in reply dies on his lips as the mechanical voice speaks up once more:
“Suddenly, all in attendance hear an announcement.”
His survival instincts kicking in again, Akihiko stances up for a fight (or as much as he can stance up, given one out of his two fists is currently occupied.) “What is it this time?” he questions impatiently.
“Up ahead, they see a bride and groom’s joyous commemorative photograph of love,” the voice rattles off, and sure enough, there’s a giant picture frame standing just a few yards away. “They confer between them whether to look at it, or ignore it.”
Judging by their inability to do anything but follow the route laid out for them, Akihiko assumes they don’t have an actual choice here either, and says as much.
Yuuki nods in agreement, so they both make their way to the frame.
“...What is this.”
Akihiko knows damn well what he’s looking at, it’s a wedding photo with his and Yuuki’s faces superimposed over the groom and bride’s, respectively, but the bizarreness of it all leaves him struggling to form words.
The fact he kinda likes the thought of marrying Yuuki is also cause for pause, though that seems like small potatoes compared to their predicament right now.
“Uh. This is… pretty weird, huh?” Akihiko punctuates it with a hollow laugh. “You and me, having a wedding?”
All Yuuki does in response is rub at the back of his head sheepishly. Like usual, it’s hard to tell through his ever-stoic expression if he’s embarrassed, upset, or something else entirely, though the redness on his face only seems to have intensified.
Hoping to smooth over any hurt feelings, Akihiko quickly adds, “I’m not saying it’d be a bad thing.” A nice, domestic life, cooking for each other and seeing Yuuki’s slate-gray eyes shine like stars with every bite of the lovingly prepared food—it’s a nice visual.
But there he goes, getting distracted again. Yuuki’s probably just confused by the photo. Who wouldn’t be?
“I… guess it wouldn’t be so bad. Just not right this second.”
Oh.
Oh.
“Yuuki, are you saying—”
“With the photo fresh on their minds, they proceed to the church in the distance.”
Akihiko looks down from the ceiling—he keeps hoping the voice will reveal itself so he can punch its lights out—and sees Yuuki staring straight at him. Not a big deal, normally, but with their faces only inches away, his mind jumps straight to the obvious.
“Let’s find a way out of here,” Yuuki says, voice quivering a little despite his still-composed expression. “I wanna talk about this when we’re safe.”
“A-Absolutely,” Akihiko stammers after his brain resumes normal function. He shakes his head vigorously, as though him kissing the bride will just fall out with enough effort. “It said something about a church, right?” He peers past the picture frame, seeing the church entrance further down the path. “That’s our next stop.”
“Do you wanna get going, then?” Yuuki asks, taking a step forward.
After a deep breath to center himself, Akihiko nods.
“I do.”