It's odd.

We have been together for quite some time, yet these moments, rare as they are, where we simply sit and enjoy one another's company always cause me to become reflective. It is no surprise though, an intellect such as my own is always occupied. When I am not proving myself the superior in all that I set out to do, I am constantly analyzing the events that have transpired as I try more and more to make sense of it all.

At how we two so very unlike individuals have found love for one another. Yes, love. This hunched over, fish-eyed, cynical, indolent, self depricating 'loner' who always finds some way to vex me with his constant- Ah, there I go again, like a foolish young girl fawning restlessly over her first infatuation. I am an intellectual, not to be taken in by such simpleminded thoughts. In any case, for all his flaws, for all his mistakes, and problems, there are equally as many great qualities, successes, and advantages. His witticisms though annoying are rather amusing in hindsight, he is undeniably intelligent(though less so than I am obviously), he is selfless (ironically for selfish reasons but this does not change the nature of the trait), he is able to look past the facades of others...

To that I am no exception. It took some time of course, the self I chose to show others was quite intricately designed that even I believed it after so long. He, with all his experience, took months to see through it but see through it he did with those eyes of his. Those hard, grey, lifeless, stoic, loving, handsome- Enough, I must emancipate myself from such thoughts before I am totally consumed.

"Hikigaya-kun."

My voice breaks the silence. He lazily glances up from his trashy, likely perverted, 'novel' and meets my gaze with expectation... and slight annoyance. That won't do at all.

"Yes?"

"Hachiman."

He seizes up as a blush takes hold of his features. That muted feeling of annoyance has lost all trace from his countenance. He looks away shyly.

"Y-yes?"

Now to go in for the coup de grace.

"I love you."

The blush soon covers his entire face, his lips quiver ever so slightly, and his gaze turns down to his feet. Ah, that I can still make him feel that way about me. It never gets old, this expression, it is truly one of the things I enjoy most in my life.

He glances up with a genuine smile. His face is still red, but his eyes have a quality of determination and honesty to them.

"I love you too."

EHHHH!? No, why am I blushing!? I am a Yukinoshita! I am a...ah, he looks so cute right now, I can't stand it anymore! I gently place the book I was reading upon the table between us, all thoughts to its content, or where I was reading forgotten in an instant. I stand up and close the distance between our two armchairs with deliberate slowness and grace. My fingers trail across the table as I walk along side it. His eyes follow me, glancing briefly at my fingers before returning to my face, widening with each step closer to him. Ah, his eyes look somewhat normal like this! That's cheating! If they always looked like this...I don't know what I would do~ I gaze into those affection filled eyes of his, brush my hair behind my ear, and lean in towards his face. I really do love making him like this...

"Yuki..."

Hearing that name in that strained, pleading, masculine voice of his... I lose all self control and pounce him. My lips meet his as we both go tumbling to the floor with the chair. We are unperturbed by the fall, our hands wander each other's bodies as our tongues intertwine. At some point a switch is flipped on in Hachiman and his sadist tendencies are brought out... breaking our embrace momentarily and hungrily tearing off my clothing without another thought. Our positions are reversed as he roughly flips me onto the floor, his lips never too far from my own. My thoughts start to fade and we lose ourselves to our baser instincts.

After our...reaffirmation of our attraction to one another, we lie on the floor in a comfortable embrace, content for the moment. Honestly though, this was truly indecent, doing 'that' in the parlor when the entrance to the manor is right there. I know we are alone, but what if someone happened to walk in through the-

SLAM

"TADAIMAAAAaaaaa..."

Her loud greeting dies on her lips as she sees the state we're in. A look of hurt and confusion is apparent on her normally jovial self.

"Haruno..."

Hikigaya's voice comes out weakly. No childish embarrassment is present, he knew in a sense what the issue was.

"Y-you, but, this wasn't... not like this..."

I'm sorry Haruno, despite your words to the contrary, I knew that after everything that has happened, you had fallen in love with him. The way you thought everything he did was hilarious, and never missed an opportunity to let the family know about it. Your constant intrusions into his business and his resistance to such. The way he rebuffed your judging gaze and constant teasing. The same things that drew me to him, drew you in as well. I care dearly about you, Haruno, but let me make one thing clear.

HE IS MINE. I WILL NOT THROW AWAY MY ONLY CHANCE AT SOMETHING GENUINE.

I don't get a chance to air my thoughts or at least, the sanitized version for Haruno before she runs off further into the estate with tears beginning to make their way to her eyes. Poor confused girl.

"Yuki... what should we do."

"I'll deal with it, Hachiman, it's my responsibility after all."

What a catastrophe, though a thoroughly manageable one. At least it couldn't possibly get any worse.

"Nee-san! What's wrong!?"

An all too familiar voice rings out from the entrance as the source's gaze makes its way over to the two lovers.

"Hikigaya-kun!? M-mother!? What is this!?"

Yukino, my other daughter, shakes her head in utter denial at the scene before her.

Before either of us can say a word to her, she backs out of the house in a state of complete shock and takes off down the driveway towards the gates of the estate. Having come out of our own state of shock, we finally cease our laying about and stand up from the rug. A familiar feeling of cold practicality takes a hold of me as I turn to address him.

"Hikigaya..."

"Yes, Yuki?"

"We should not see each other for some time. I would also ask you to cease any further contact with Haruno and Yukino for the foreseeable future. Do not worry, I will attend to this situation, they are my daughters and it is my responsibility."

"But-"

"I will take care of this, it is not up for discussion."

My glare meets his own to silence any further objections. He doesn't back down.

"I still have to do something, you know that right? This is important to me too. After everything I've been through with them and everything I've been through with you. I knew what I had with them was at stake, but now you're leaving me too?"

That ever familiar coldness stops abruptly. What!?

"No! It's not like that! I am not leaving you, it's just..."

"But that's what you were implying, weren't you!?"

Doesn't he understand the situation!? He is being extremely illogical, I don't need to listen to this... ah, I care about him too much.

"Enough! That wasn't what I meant. Give me a week for now, alright? Then we'll see what we can do. Just... don't ever say anything like that again, I would never hurt you like that. You trust me, don't you?"

His expression softens and he nods. We pick up our clothes from the floor and make ourselves presentable once more. A strange silence sets over us all the while. Finally, I walk him to the entrance.

"Take care, Hikigaya."

"You too, Yuki, I'm sorry for saying those things... I hope everything will be alright for you."

It won't be but I won't bother trying to lie to him. I give him another kiss on the cheek instead. It's a shallow gesture, given what has just happened but not one unappreciated by him given the returning blush.

"Now get out of here, and smile why don't you? You just made love with one of the most beautiful women in Japan. Truly, you should be honored."

It's useless to act like this, falling back on one of my facades. Is that supposed to comfort him? Well, his mood does improve a little, as he responds on the way out of the estate with his faux sarcasm and a sad smile.

"Yes, yes, of course my girlfriend is the most beautiful woman in all of Chiba."

I want to go after him. I know this will haunt him, this will be a longer week for him than it will be for me. Despite his many emotional traumas he is still sensitive. His club relationship will fall apart no matter what, and things will certainly be different between us from now on. All I can do is be there to keep him going, and... I, I'll need him to keep going too. I was never all that close to my daughters, but with what has happened I'll be even further away. I am confident I can make peace with Haruno, but can the same be said about Yukino? My mind is a mess...

For now, however, I must deal with a heartbroken heiress.