Natsuhi swore she felt her heart rate increase with every step she took. Except, that wasn't entirely the right way to word it; rather, she knew it was increasing. After all, she was about to do something ridiculous. It was insane.
As the clacking of her heels rang more loudly in her ears with each passing second, she pondered just turning around and going about a normal day. Or, at least, as normal as a day could be in that mansion. She had only recently married into the Ushiromiya family, and, given all circumstances, the chances of her life ever being "normal" again were next to none.
Which was why even just the thought of what she was about to do was crazy. No matter what the outcome would be, nothing would ever be even remotely "normal" again. She'd spent nights staring at her ceiling, listening as the clock ticked at a torturously slow pace.
To the very moment she was walking to her destination, she still wasn't even sure why she was considering such a thing. What had even caused the idea to cross her mind? The more she thought about it, the more she didn't really want to know.
With each echoing step, she was approaching closer to her goal; a goal she wasn't sure she wanted to make. Her feet slowed to a stop and she took a deep breath, closing her eyes,
'...This is ridiculous...There's no way she'll agree to it. I'm not sure I even want her to. Odds are she'll laugh in my face and then she'll hold it over me for the rest of my life.' Her eyes opened only to close again as her thoughts continued to give her doubt.
After all, it was Eva she was going to request it from. The person who already more than enjoyed making her life a living hell. There was no way it would go well. Even if she did say yes, there was sure to be a joke attached to it. She was just the kind of person to have an ulterior motive for such a thing.
Natsuhi wasn't exactly innocent either though. She was doing it for Krauss too. But...she was going to explain all that to Eva, so that made it more the main motive. So, what was the ulterior motive then? She held her head,
"Ridiculous... There is no such thing. I'm just doing this for...Krauss-san...That's all..." She felt slight guilt at still calling him by his name rather then "husband" or "dear" or something else fit for a wife to say, but she just couldn't. It didn't feel right.
'...Which is why...I have to try this...'
Despite all rational thought screaming at her to not go through with the suicide she was about to commit, Natsuhi took a deep breath, straightened her posture, and resumed her trip to where the person in question was sure to be.
Hopefully no one else would be there. Otherwise, she'd have to try again later, and she was already struggling to keep her resolve. Before she knew it, she was standing in front of the door to the parlor. That...She got there way too fast.
She clenched the hem of her shirt and bit her lip. It was a bad idea. It was a really bad idea. Eva would most likely say no, and who knew what would happen after that. But what if she said yes? Natsuhi shook her head. That possibility was bound to lead to disaster too.
'Really, why am I even considering this?'
A repeated question she had asked herself countless times. What little courage she had built up was already withering away, and she wasn't even in the room that was her potential resting place.
But she had to make a decision and fast. She was standing in the middle of the hall and if someone came by, it would look strange. Her eyes lingered on the knob, hesitation clear. It wasn't too late. She could still leave and completely forget about the thoughts plaguing her mind.
'...No...If I don't do it now, I'll just keep going around in circles...'
Breathing deeply, she reached for the knob and slowly turned it, creaking the door open just slightly. She suddenly felt sick as the anxiety she'd been holding back shot up all at once.
'There's no going back after this. I mean, I could, but...ah...The longer I stand here, the stranger it will seem.'
It really was insane. How could she even think about something so...She had to leave. Just shut the door, turn around, and go. She'd figure something else out.
She was about to do just that when she felt a force on the other side of the knob, pulling the door out of her grasp. She flinched as her last physical obstacle was swung wide open, filling her field of vision with the inside of the parlor and the last person she wanted to see at that moment standing in the door frame.
She felt her heart sink, while the other person had a confused expression on her face. However, it almost immediately melted into a sly grin once she realized who was in front of her,
"Oh, Natsuhi-neesan. So, it was you who was here. I knew I wasn't imagining things when I heard the door open." She glanced back as if recalling the memory before looking at Natsuhi again, raising an eyebrow, "I wonder...Just how long have you been standing here like this and why?"
Natsuhi stiffened. Such a question was...How could she possibly answer that?
"...Eva-san...Why are you asking such a thing?" Wonderful. Answering a question with another question would just lead to an endless cycle of more, and she couldn't handle that right now.
"Well, I didn't hear any voices, which suggests no one was keeping you from coming in. So, does that mean you were just standing here the whole time?" She moved to cross her arms, a smirk bright on her face.
It was times like that—times when Eva was obviously enjoying herself because she knew she had the upper hand—when Natsuhi realized exactly how much she just couldn't get along with her new sister-in-law. Which made her question, yet again, why she was considering Eva of all people. She had to relax though. There was no way Eva actually knew why she'd been standing there for so long. She couldn't possibly know how nervous she felt and why. She was just enjoying getting under her skin, because she saw an opportunity and took it. Natsuhi took a breath,
'...Calm down...She's just trying to mess with you, like she always does. Don't let her win. If you can't even handle this then...' Her thoughts halted as she recalled the inner struggle she was having even at that moment. So what if she couldn't handle that? Hadn't she already decided she was going to leave and look for a different solution? No, but despite that, she really shouldn't let herself be walked over so easily. It was something so minor that she-
"Neesan."
She blinked as she was brought out of her thoughts. Ah, right. She was asked a question, but had been so caught up in her mind that she hadn't given an answer. Once Eva saw that she had her attention, she spoke again,
"I don't appreciate you zoning out like that when I asked you something." she was clearly annoyed, not liking the fact that she was ignored, "It's not such a difficult question to answer, is it? Honestly..." She may have been irritated, but her voice was still as condescending as ever. That was Eva for you. Natsuhi grimaced slightly before muttering an answer,
"...I... I was simply deep in thought about something...What does it matter?" The truth without saying too much, though she wanted to smack herself for asking another question. They'd never get off the topic at that point. However, thankfully, Eva seemed to have lost interest, as she just shrugged her shoulders,
"Eh, it's not like I really care. It just seemed a bit strange is all." She turned to walk back into the parlor, "If you're going to come in, then come on. If not, make sure you shut the door before you leave. And don't just stand there this time, alright?" she looked over her shoulder as she said that sentence and laughed mockingly. Natsuhi felt her face heat up at that, but quickly took a breath to calm down. Getting flustered wouldn't help anything. She took a moment to think clearly,
'Isn't this...Isn't this just a final chance, to turn around and leave, presenting itself to me? ' It was. While she thought she was doomed the moment the door was swung open, it seemed she had been granted another escape route, '...So, why am I not taking it? I can't possibly...still be...'
"...tch..." It was a very soft noise of frustration. It was her last chance, and yet...and yet...She sighed at her own self defeat. She closed her eyes, took yet another deep breath, and slowly stepped into the parlor, shutting the door behind her.
—
She was nervous. She was really, really nervous. There was no way she could do it. She had put it off even more by calling for someone to bring her tea, but Natsuhi knew the clock was ticking. Her tea didn't even taste good. In fact, it just tasted like nothing. She continued to drink it, nonetheless. As she went to take another sip, Eva's voice rang out, causing her to flinch. Fortunately, the tea didn't go down wrong, resulting in a coughing fit. That was the last thing she needed.
"Hey. ...Are you alright? You seem a little...unusual."
"Is...Is that so?" Natsuhi tried to offer a grin, but failed miserably and instead just lifted her cup up to her lips again. She looked anywhere, but the person on the sofa across from her.
"Yeah...And by 'a little', I mean a lot." Surprisingly, her concern sounded quite genuine. Natsuhi wasn't sure if that made her feel better or worse. While Eva's usual cruel behavior often made her feel terrible, it was something she had at least gotten somewhat accustomed to. If she suddenly started showing any type of friendliness, it would make her more willing to ask her what she needed to, and she was still thinking about just running away. However, luckily(?), Eva's tone changed into her usual sneering one, as she laughed, "Is it one of your world famous headaches?"
Natsuhi's eyes widened a bit, but lowered back down into a scowl as she realized she was being made fun of, "...You say it as if they aren't that bad..."
"Well, I don't know. Are they?"
"...Of course they are."
"Hmmm..."
Did she really have to be like that every time they had a conversation? Always purposely making her feel like her problems weren't real—that they were insignificant. Natsuhi was about to give another response, but stopped when she saw the smug expression on the other woman's face. That was close. She was playing right into her hands, reacting the way Eva wanted her to. Noticing that, Natsuhi said nothing and instead took another sip of her then cold tea. It left a bitter taste in her mouth, but she made sure to show no sign of it. If she was going to have any chance of going through with it, she would have to at least be equal with the woman across from her.
Easier said than done. Eva always loved to flaunt the family crest on her clothes and remind her of her rank in the family. Even though Natsuhi was married to the future heir of the family, her own rank was lower than even that of Rosa's, the youngest of the four siblings by far. It left her feeling inferior to say the least.
Anyway, neither of them spoke again, and the next few minutes were filled with silence. Natsuhi wasn't even going to pretend her tea tasted alright anymore. She was growing more frustrated by the minute and ultimately decided she just couldn't bring herself to do it. She was about to use her nearly empty teacup as an excuse to leave, but stopped dead as Eva spoke again,
"So, what's really the problem?"
"...What?" Natsuhi's voice was weak. Eva was trying to delve deeper? Why? When she was just about to leave and not look back on such a foolish idea?
"Oh my, Natsuhi-neesan, are you hard of hearing?" she feigned shock, but giggled all the same, "I asked why you're acting so strange?"
She stiffened, "...I...I'm not acting strange..." she murmured, barely audible, as she looked down into the little bit of liquid that was left in her cup.
"Right, right. And I'm not an Ushiromiya. Come on, Neesan. Even Rosa would be able to tell."
"That's!" she stopped. She always disliked how the older siblings treated the young girl. Their view of her was anything but acceptable. However, Natsuhi had tried before to get them to stop, but they disregarded her wishes. And being a low rank didn't give her much say in a lot, so she simply ignored it, "...I thought I said it was just a headache..."
"You said nothing about that. I did. And I was joking. Or could you not tell?" She was making fun of her again. Natsuhi had to leave. She'd already made up her mind. She couldn't keep running in circles like the way she was. If she didn't just leave, she was bound to- "Natsuhi-neesan."
"W-what?" her hand flew up to hold her forehead, covering her face in the process. Maybe she really was getting a headache. She looked anywhere but straight ahead, but she could tell Eva cocked her head a bit,
"...You look really troubled. ...And your face is pretty flushed..." she grinned even more and leaned forward a bit, "Now I really wonder what the problem is? Won't you tell me?"
She knew it was a mistake. She knew it was all a mistake. While she'd been glad before that they were the only two in the room, she was thanking the witch of the forest that there was no one else around at that moment. She set her cup on the table and rose to her feet abruptly, still covering her face under the guise of a headache,
"I'm sorry, please excuse me." she hurried towards the door—towards freedom—but was chained back down.
"Does it have to do with Niisan?"
She knew—she knew— she should have just kept walking. It was the smartest move to make. Yet, rather than moving towards the door, Natsuhi stayed where she was. She didn't turn around, nor did she even remove her hand from her face. Against her better judgment, she gave a response,
"...What makes you think that?"
"Well, it was just a guess at first, but your reaction right now is a dead giveaway." A low laugh could be heard. Natsuhi bit her lip. A dead giveaway? Eva had no idea what was actually going through her mind. She wasn't even sure if she, herself, knew. Natsuhi realized far too late that she really should've just kept her mouth shut,
"...Well...it's not...entirely about him..." She had to go. It was getting way too risky. She was walking on dangerous water, and if she didn't leave, she was going to sink and drown.
"Hoh. So, it does have something to do with him. That moron. I wonder what he did this time?" Eva laughed, as she stood up.
What he did? That wasn't right. It was more what he didn't do. And what she didn't—couldn't—do for him. Which was why...No. No, she had to go. Her final chance. Just walk out. Except she couldn't, as Eva was suddenly in front of her. Between her and the door. Natsuhi tried to swallow, but the lump in her throat left her suffocating. While she felt like she was dying, Eva was obviously enjoying herself. Natsuhi wouldn't have been surprised if she had knowingly blocked her escape. Like she could tell she was planning on fleeing and stepped in to prevent that. There was no way she was going to let her go then. That moment before entering the parlor really had been her last chance.
"Nee, Natsuhi-neesan? You really do look quite distressed over this. Do you want me to go say something to him?" It was more a joke than an actual offer. But it seemed to open the way the conversation needed to go. ...Despite all her rational thoughts,
"...I...I wonder...if you would...be willing to do a favor..." She was no longer holding her head, but she still wasn't looking at the other person. Instead, her eyes were downcast, staring at the floor. The, oh so, not at all interesting floor.
"Oh? So, you really do want a favor from me? You must be desperate." she chuckled again. 'Desperate' really was an accurate word to describe it, "Soo? What is it?"
Did she even have a heartbeat anymore? Natsuhi couldn't tell. She couldn't focus on it. She couldn't focus on anything, yet, she was focusing on way too much. There was a loud ringing in her ears, and her hands felt numb from clenching them too tight. Her mouth was dry, not even the bitter taste from the tea lingering on her tongue, and her vision was blurred. She wanted to take a deep breath. She needed to. Her chest felt restricted. But no real relief was brought to her lungs. She was really about to go through with it,
"...ch me...ave..."
Eva quirked an eyebrow, amused at the scene in front of her, "Ehh? What was that? You were mumbling so quietly that I couldn't make it out."
The other woman gritted her teeth. At that point, there was already no going back. Bracing herself, she spoke again, as clearly as she could, but her voice shook with every word,
"Will you...teach me how to have...sex?"
It was silent. It was dead silent. The floor was still the only thing she'd look at. Her whole body felt numb. Had she actually said those words? After a few more moments, Eva spoke again, though her voice no longer held the teasing tone it had before. Instead, it was lower, and it sounded a bit...dangerous,
"...Hohh? ...Is this some kind of joke? I had no idea you had such a sense of humor..."
"It...It's not a joke..."
"...Well, if it's not a joke, might I ask why you're requesting such a thing?"
There it was. She'd somehow gotten past the initial stage—asking the question. It was time for the explanation. Natsuhi thought that it should've somehow been easier to do, but, the more she thought about it, she realized it was going to sound just as ridiculous. She gripped the hem of her shirt,
"That's..." she swallowed hard. Her throat hurt, "...Krauss-san and I have, um...tried numerous times, but..." 'I couldn't do it.' For all the pride she'd thrown away, she couldn't bring herself to admit that. All the jumbled reciting she'd practiced in her head various nights before was completely forgotten. She had to think of something to say, but her mind was drawing a blank. She wasn't sure whether to be relieved or not when Eva took over the conversation,
"Don't tell me, that Niisan couldn't get it up, or something? And then you felt like it was your fault for not being able to please him?" Her voice was still low, but it had a spark to it again. Natsuhi felt herself blush at her words. It wasn't what had happened, but she hated to admit that she wouldn't be surprised if it would,
"...No. It just...It didn't really work out..."
"I don't see how that's any different from what I just said." A laugh. The whole situation was going poorly, "...So, basically: You want to sleep with me so you can learn how to perform well in bed?"
Her face caught on fire. Hearing it said so bluntly made her realize exactly just how shameful the whole proposal actually was,
"M...More or less, yes."
The room was silent again. All that could be heard was the ticking of the clock, though Natsuhi was sure time wasn't moving. She still hadn't received an answer, but she was certain what it would be. It really had been such a foolish idea. Eva spoke again, a hint of amusement in her voice,
"And just what makes you think I have any experience in that regard? Obviously, Rosa's too young, but what about Rudolf? Surely, he would be the better choice. And we all know how much he'd love to get you into bed."
Natsuhi brought a hand up and momentarily covered her mouth, lightly biting her finger in the process. She was the one desperate for an answer—just a simple "yes" or "no"—yet, Eva wasn't giving her one and instead expected some to her own questions.
Natsuhi brought her hand back to her side and chanced a glance at the woman in front of her. However, she immediately averted her eyes when they were met with a smug expression,
"...Well, Rudolf-san...would probably let it go to his head, right? And, um...him being a man...It would be bad if I got pregnant..."
"Haa, that's true. It would be incredibly unfortunate if you were to conceive a child, but with the wrong man. And with the brother of the husband, as well. But, Natsuhi-neesan, I wonder why you're asking the sister, rather than just trying to figure it out together with Niisan? I'm sure it would come to both of you in time."
"...That's..." her voice faded. Why was she even still offering information? She took another breath and continued, "...As you know, ...Krauss-san is often busy helping Father, and, so, he tends to go away on business trips quite a bit of the time. Because of that, we don't really...get much time to..." she felt herself shake. Or maybe she'd been shaking the whole time. She didn't know, and guilt slowly ate away at her. She'd requested such a ridiculous service in the first place, and then all that. While she wasn't exactly lying, she wasn't telling the truth either, and Natsuhi could only hope that Eva wouldn't catch on. Fortunately, she seemed to accept that as a decent enough answer,
"Well, that's certainly believable. In fact, he has a trip coming up soon, doesn't he?" she glanced to the side as she seemed to recall the upcoming schedule for her brother, before returning her gaze to the person in front of her, "However...No. Never mind." That caused Natsuhi to glance at her again. Another silence dropped between them, as Eva looked like she was deep in thought about something. A greater sense of paranoia consumed Natsuhi, and she shifted her feet. How long had they been standing there? Even though she knew the chance was long gone, she still wanted to just leave the room and not look back. She felt her breath catch in her throat when Eva finally spoke again,
"However, what I still don't understand is, why me?"
Natsuhi looked up, confused, "...Huh? ...I... I thought I-"
"What I mean is," Eva interrupted her, "You're suggesting pretty drastic measures, aren't you? Despite everything you've said, are you really so desperate to ask me, of all people? I mean, I know I'm super friendly towards you," she laughed, causing the other to glare ever so slightly, "but, I'm sure you could think of something else if you really tried. ...Unless..."
The volume of her voice fell along with her grin. It looked as if something had suddenly clicked within her mind and Natsuhi felt her heart skip a beat. She had no idea what was about to happen, but she had a feeling it wasn't going to be anything good. That thought was enforced even more when Eva's mouth curved back into a grin, far more sinister than before, and took a couple steps forward. Sirens went off in Natsuhi's mind. She was getting closer-too close. Natsuhi instinctively took a step back, (not) prepared to say something, but before she could, the oncoming figure stopped right in front of her, maintaining eye contact. She seemed to enjoy how the woman before her was reacting, and purposely let the silence draw on a bit, before finally speaking,
"Natsuhi-neesan...Are you attracted to me?"
It took a moment. It took a long moment for the meaning of those words to register, but the second they did, Natsuhi felt her face go aflame,
"That!- ...D-don't be ridiculous! I already explained to you all the reasons why you're the best option!"
"Ohh? So, that's a 'yes', then? I'm flattered." Eva giggled. She had complete control of the situation, Natsuhi having lost what little bit she may have had,
"Like I said! That's not the case! And even if it were, it has nothing to do with what we've been discussing!"
"Natsuhi-neesaan~ You seem quite upset right now."
"Because you! You!..." she took a breath, trying to find the words to express her thoughts, "You think...that I could be attracted...to you?" she gestured her hand towards the other, as if to emphasize her point. Eva just raised an eyebrow, smirk still in place,
"Well, I certainly find you attractive. Though your personality could use some work." she laughed as she watched the face of the flustered woman twist with embarrassment and offense at the same time. She continued, deciding to give the topic a slight change, "Ohh, also, Natsuhi-neesan. In the midst of all this, I realized that within that whole 'explanation' you gave, you failed to mention any form of payment."
Natsuhi froze. She hadn't...She swallowed,
"...P...Payment?"
"Hoh? ...Could it be you have nothing in mind? Natsuhi-neesan...Did you really come here to ask me to engage in such risky activities with you with nothing prepared to give me in return?"
Natsuhi bit her lip. She'd long since stopped looking at Eva. The floor was a good friend again. She hadn't thought of any type of payment. She'd spent so much time trying to think of everything else she was going to say, that any favors for the favor slipped her mind. And, to be fair, she didn't think she'd get passed the actual asking part. She spoke sheepishly,
"I...I don't know..."
"Whaat? You 'don't know' ? Please tell me: What am I supposed to get out of this whole deal, Natsuhi-neesan?"
It was cruel. The way Eva was acting was cruel, and Natsuhi just wanted to disappear. She knew it was a mistake. She knew it was. She should have never asked, but it was too late. All she could do was beg for Eva to forget all about it—which she was sure would be next to impossible to do. She hid her face, not even attempting to make it look like it was just a headache bothering her,
"I...I'm sorry. This was a horrible idea. I don't know what I was thinking. You're right, I can find another way. But, Eva-san, if...if you could just...Would you please just forget any of this happened? Please. I'm begging you, so just-"
"Okay."
Natsuhi looked at her, surprised by how easy it was to convince her. Half expecting it to be a joke, she waited, but when one didn't come, she sighed a breath of relief,
"T...Thank you...so much. I'll never ask you of such a thing again. I'm sorry I bothered you with it in the first place. I'll just leave-"
"No, Natsuhi-neesan. Okay. I'll do it."
Natsuhi stared at her, confusion washing over her face as she processed what had just been said. Did Eva just...? As realization hit her, Natsuhi took another step back and stuttered,
"W-Wait! T-That's...! Ahh, what...What are you saying?!" She just couldn't believe it. Her ears must have played tricks on her. There was no way Eva actually said yes. Her thoughts of doubt (well, at least some of them), however, were thrown out the window when Eva chuckled,
"'What am I saying?' I'm saying that I'm going to teach you how to have se-"
"A-Anyway!" Natsuhi quickly blurted out, purposely interrupting her. She held her face in the palm of her hand, clearly embarrassed, "Why would you even...What about payment?"
"Oh, don't worry. Since you obviously have nothing in mind, I'll be the one to decide what it should be. However, I'll have to think about it, so until then, I'll be doing this for absolutely free. Aren't I such a kind person?" She was making fun of her. She was making fun of her, and Natsuhi swore her already bad plan was turning out even worse than she ever imagined it could,
"But, why...why would you..."
"My, my, Natsuhi-neesan. ...Are you really that surprised that I said yes?" She laughed as she watched the woman in front of her continue to hide her face. She expected some sort of response, but instead, yet another silence filled the room. Looking at her, Eva realized it really must have been a surprise. After all, it was far from a normal favor, and the fact that she had been the one asked of it... She studied the other: She was desperately trying to cover her face, though it was obvious how red it was. At some point, the redness had even spread to her ears. Her body looked stiff and was shaking slightly. And, not to mention, she had refused to look at her throughout almost the whole time. ...She really must have been...so insecure about the whole thing. Eva let out a small sigh, and spoke again in a bit of a nicer tone, though a small grin still decorated her face, "...Come on, Neesan. ...You came to me about this, yet you're the one who looks unsure."
"..."
Eva sighed again. Amidst the silence, a thought crossed her mind, causing her grin to grow. She started walking forwards, "Natsuhi-neesan."
Sensing movement, Natsuhi finally looked up, only to see Eva coming straight for her. 'Wait...H...huh?! ' Barely having time to think, all she could do was quickly stumble backwards. However, she stopped abruptly when she bumped into the back of the sofa, her hands gripping the rim of it. Before she could try to move again, Eva calmly gripped it as well on both sides of her, pinning her to the spot. Natsuhi's breath caught in her throat,
"...Wait...! What...What are you..." her voice was just barely above a whisper. That was all she could manage as her mind tried to catch up with what was happening, eyes staring frightfully into the other. The other woman chuckled. She was finally looking at her again.
Despite the closeness, Eva actually wasn't touching her at all, as she purposely held her body back just far enough. She laughed as it was evident the quivering woman still thought it was far too close for comfort, though. Her shoulders were hunched and her head was shrunk down into them. That made it easy for Eva to tower ever so slightly over her. She could finally get a good look at her face: It was red. It was very red. Her eyes were wide and and looked slightly moist. Was she about to cry? As amusing as she found that, Eva kept any snide remarks to herself. It was obvious that Natsuhi was flustered and embarrassed, ...but more than that, she looked...
Eva moved her face closer to Natushi's, causing the latter to flinch. Too close. Too close. She was way too close. Eva's face stopped just a breadth away from hers,
"Neesan." she repeated, cocking her head to the side, "...You look terrified."
A sharp release of breath came out of her mouth. It was too much. It was too much. She couldn't take it. Eva was right, and Natsuhi hated it. She tried to speak, but her breath was ragged, and her words were quiet,
"Pl...ease...Sto...p...Get o-"
"Tonight," she was interrupted, as Eva spoke softly, "after the servants have made their rounds and everyone has gone to bed, come to my room. ...I'll wait until ten. If you're not there by then, I'll assume you've changed your mind, and I'll forget all about this, ...alright?" she was still smiling. Natsuhi could only stare at her, confused. She blinked a couple of times as she processed those words,
"...What? ...But, that's..." 'Tonight is...way too soon.' Her eyes darted to the side. She couldn't say that. Instead, she swallowed and asked, "...Why are you...offering such a...?"
"Because, Natsuhi-neesan: It has to be up to you. I've already given you my answer, and I'm sure with it. But...you look like you need a bit more time to think. And this way, if you do decide on 'no', I won't waste my time going to your room."
Natsuhi couldn't believe it. Eva was...giving her a final chance to back out? Whether it was as a joke or actual sincerity, she actually felt a bit of gratitude towards the offer.
Eva stood up straight, releasing the other from her grasp. So much relief washed over Natsuhi as she finally relaxed (as much as she could) and brought a hand up to her face to hold it. Eva backed up to give her more room,
"Also, Neesan. I think it goes without saying, but if you do decide to come to my room tonight, please take care to make sure no one sees you, okay? After all, it would look quite suspicious if someone saw you going in my room, especially in the middle of the night, right?" she giggled and Natsuhi just tightened her grip on the couch,
"...Of course."
"Well," Eva turned and walked towards the door, "I get the feeling that you don't want to see me right now, so I'm going to go. Regardless of what the circumstances are, I'll see you later, Natsuhi-neesan." The woman still leaning on the couch said nothing. She was right: She didn't want to see her anymore at that moment. Eva grabbed the knob and opened the door, only to stop. After what felt like far too long, she looked behind her, "Well, I certainly understand now why you were just standing outside the door earlier. What was it you said? You were 'deep in thought about something'? Haha, I wonder what it was~?"
"Eva-san!" she was frustrated and wanted to be alone. She had to be alone.
"Right, right. Sorry." An empty apology. That was the last thing she said before leaving.
Natsuhi let out a breath. With her left alone, the room was once again met with silence. The ticking of the clock could be heard again, indicating that time was moving forward. ...Time was moving forward...So, there really was no going back. Natsuhi covered her eyes. A tear slid down her face, followed by another. She'd been holding them in for so long. She regretted so much. She wanted to go back, but it was too late. Even though Eva had claimed she would forget everything if 'no' was the final choice, Natsuhi knew she'd still hold it over her. But, if she went with 'yes' ... She continued to sob, silently.
No matter what would happen from that point on, her life was never going to be, even remotely, "normal" again.
An idea I've had for quite a while now. I like their dynamic .3. I get sad of the lack of fics for them (and just for Umineko in general ._. *cough*) Anyway, please let me know what you think so far, and have a great day (or night if you're an owl, like me) ^^