Gendo took a small drink of his beer and set it back down on the bar. He wasn't really looking forward to sitting there until Yui's friends left, but he had nothing else to do. No friends to visit, no place to go and relax.

He took another drink of beer and frowned. It was more bitter than he remembered, and he knew he was in for a long evening.

Back to real life, Gendo hunched over his beer and stayed that way. It was probably as good a time as any to start... planning. Even though it was almost frightening, it needed to be done. They wouldn't just go to some office and put their stamps on a piece of paper; there would be a proper ceremony.

Yui wouldn't do without one, no matter how he felt about it. Or how his bank account felt, which was what he was most worried about. And that meant... a job. Something better than the table scraps he was making at his current job.

There was always... Just as Yui had suggested. Yet, there were complications in that too. Or possibly just one. There wasn't quite the same animosity toward Fuyutsuki in him that there had been, but there was definite dislike.

It was probably worse for the professor too. There was no doubt in Gendo's mind that the older man had some sort of feelings for Yui, and to watch her...

There was no point in thinking about it. Yui was going to be his wife, and that was that. But that wouldn't make whatever this mysterious job Yui was offering him any easier. God, what melancholy thoughts for a time that was supposed to be of celebration.

But celebrating now wouldn't help at all for the things that needed to be planned for in the future. And money was still his top concern. Yui supporting them... The thought was disgusting if only because it meant he was failing. Failing on all fronts. Failing right in front of Yui.

And the curiosity ate at him. There was some secret, something people weren't meant to find out about, something that Yui thought was _that_ important. So what could it be?

"You again. I thought you were gone. Or wasn't it enough the first time we broke your face?"

Gendo turned on the stool and faced the person speaking to him. Same guy, same three friends, and it looked like a few new ones. There was probably going to be another fight, but this time, he would actually make it a fight. "Fuck off."

"Look, Dad, I don't know why you're here," the guy said and put his hand on Gendo's shoulder, "but I'm going stomp your ass into the ground, and my friends are going to help."

The only thing Gendo could really think of was how upset Yui would be when he got home with his face looking like a train wreck. He wouldn't be the only one though. His hand clenched into a fist as he slid forward and sat on the edge of the stool. The look on his face never wavered from bored indifference.

The bartender, watching the scene unfold, waved the bouncers over to put a quick stop to things. They really didn't need another fight.

"Gentlemen, we don't want to see any trouble here," the bouncer said calmly and was completely ignored.

Gendo saw the movement out of the corner of his eye and slid out of the way, allowing the bottle to smash against the bar, hitting two other patrons with glass. He moved his head just enough so that the incoming fist glanced off the top of his head before punching back. His fist impacted with something firm, but which gave way with a gush of warm fluid.

With flying glass, tumbling bodies, and the sheer number of participants, the fight was soon a full-fledged brawl.