"Wait. Are you... Are you playing the bad guy?"

Chloe looked over from the television screen at her girlfriend with an amused smile. "I thought you said you'd never seen this game before."

Kate smiled back at her, nudging her playfully with her shoulder. "I haven't. But I can recognize clever storytelling structure. You have your dead girlfriend who you're going to revive – is it a miracle or necromancy? - and you're commanded by a disembodied, suspicious voice to kill a bunch of monsters. It's incredibly common to play up the subjective nature of what makes a monster. But you want your girlfriend back, so you do what it tells you. You ride out across a majestic landscape and find the first creature. And it's giant and terrifying and kind of sad and you do the deed. And then gross black magic flies out and seeps into you? I mean, if you're not the bad guy, then you're a patsy for sure."

Chloe began to laugh as she resumed playing. "Well, lucky for you, this game is about the journey and not the destination. You have fifteen more colossi to decide if your little pet theory is correct or not."

Chloe had recently purchased a beat-up old PS2 for herself off Amazon, and was excited to show nerd newbie Kate some of her favorite games. First up was Shadow of the Colossus. And despite the fact that Kate felt like she could see the ending coming a mile away, Chloe had a point. It was still a gorgeous game, and it had this delightful way of alternating between peaceful horseriding and high-tension monster climbing.

So she got snuggled up with her, only occasionally freaking out when poor Chloe was stories high and running low on her grip strength. She would slap her shoulder and squeak excitedly and tell her to do things she was clearly already doing. Kate knew full well she was being overly adorable when she didn't have to be. It was nice to be a performative girlfriend sometimes, if only to make one of the others smile a little bigger.

This continued for a while, a marvelous Saturday afternoon to relax before classes started back up. As Chloe began another long ride across the land, she glanced over in Kate's direction with another smile, one that she instantly recognized as nervous. Either Chloe was getting worse at hiding her feelings or Kate was getting better at recognizing them. "So uh... We never really talked anymore about things after Max proposed to us. How did all that shake out with you and Vicky?"

"Hmm... Well, we discovered that we had more in common than we thought. I feel like that happens a lot, even after all this time. We both have pretty crummy ideas about marriage, but agreed that sometimes it feels like we're married already. So making it legal would be a logical step." She swallowed and blushed, burrowing into Chloe's shoulder as mild embarrassment washed over her. "I may have gotten swept up and started making plans for a big wedding for the four of us. I'm told it was infinitely endearing."

"You too, huh? Yeah, Max was dead-set on bucking multiple traditions and sticking it out for the long haul."

Kate nodded slowly, pushing herself to sit back up. "I'm glad. I remember thinking during my conversation with Tori that if she wasn't interested in marriage, if we eventually split up for some reason, then I would still be happy to tag along with you guys. Even just as a third wheel."

Surprising her a bit, Chloe put the game on pause, setting the controller aside. She turned on the couch and looked her dead in the eyes. Kate shrunk just a little reflexively, even though she was certain Chloe was just winding up for some big affectionate response. "Kate, if Victoria were to actually do that? If the impossible, million to one odds were to actually land and she decided she didn't want to be with you anymore? Baby, Max and I would make you feel like a goddamn queen."

"Really?" It slipped out so easily, and for a moment Kate felt like she was back at Blackwell, all tiny and scared and nervous all the time. "Bu-But... you're primaries. I'd always be just an intruder in your relationship..."

There was a flash of anger in Chloe's eyes, but not the terrifying kind that would make you concerned it might get turned at you. It was that more rare, righteous kind that made her look strikingly beautiful. "That's just a label Kate. And you know better than any of us that labels are only as good as their flexibility. Max and I adore you! We know what you need, what you like, what you want, and we fucking love giving that to you. Together. All of us."

Kate blinked and realized that she was tearing up a little. This was so dumb, of course she wouldn't just be an annoyance to them. But there was that part of her mind that was never really satisfied. "I know that... But sometimes I just..."

Chloe actually smiled, shocking her out of her slump. "I knew this day would come. I just didn't think it would be so soon..." She turned to look in the direction of Max's bedroom. "Max! Get out here and bring your phone!"

Max came wandering into the living room a moment later, looking somewhat baffled, but carrying her phone as requested. "Chloe, what's with all the ruckus? I've got this reading I need to get done before class on Monday because my professor is a-"

"Max. Operation Whatever Amen. Are you good?"

All of her exhaustion drained out of her face and Max erupted in a massive grin. Chloe stood up while she pressed something on her phone and a moment later some piano music started playing. Kate had absolutely no clue what to expect next, but a karaoke session was not high on the list. They began dancing awkwardly, and as the voice on the phone started singing, they joined in.

"She plays Wipeout on the drums, the squirrels and the birds come, gather round to sing the guitar. Ohhh I – have you got nothin' to say?" They giggled brightly, still dancing as Max grabbed for Kate's hand and tugged her up to her feet, urging her to join them. "And you can seeeeeeee the daisies in her footsteps. Dandelions, butterflies. I wanna be Kate!" Chloe and Max were still moving but Kate stopped when she realized why they were singing this song, they were singing to and about her. Her eyes watered again as she tried to comprehend how long they had been planning this – theatrics aside.

"Everyday she wears the same thing," Max sang, taking over singing by herself before passing the invisible mic to Chloe who added "I think she smokes pot," with a wink and a smirk. Max continued "She's everything I need," with Chloe finishing the line "she's everything I'm not!"

They resumed singing in unison, and while a few of the lyrics got lost in translation, they were much clearer on the bridge. "She never gets weeeeeet, she smiles and it's a rainbow. And she speaks! And she breathes! I wanna be Kate! Kate! Kate!"

There were still more words, but they became lost on her somewhat as she was pulled into further dancing, all three of them now giggling brightly. Max and Chloe were barely able to get the last few bits out through all the gasping and laughing. They playfully twirled her back and forth between them, until she finally ended in Chloe's arms, who dipped her and went in for a romantic kiss.

The music ended and she was helped back upright as Victoria finally came over to investigate the commotion. "What in the name of sweet baby Jesus did I miss?"

"We were seducing your girlfriend with Ben Folds Five." Chloe looked so damn proud of herself, and Kate couldn't help but reward her with a peck on the cheek.

Victoria got this kind of exhausted look on her face, gripping the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger, eyes shutting tight. "She's your girlfriend too, you complete goober."

"Yeah and she needed a quick reminder of that fact..."

Chloe chuckled and finally let go of Kate, and she went over to kiss Max on the cheek as well, then sauntering over and giving Victoria's cheek a peck for good measure. "I love you all very much, and... sometimes I let myself forget how much it's reciprocated. Chloe and Max were just making sure I knew it, in their own... special way."

That night, Victoria was working late on school prep stuff of her own, and so it seemed appropriate that Kate ended up spending the night in Max's bed with her and Chloe. They had insisted that she snuggle up between the two of them, and she couldn't really turn down such a sweet offer. She was curled up on her side facing Chloe, with Max playing big spoon for her, and Chloe's lanky limbs encircling the both of them. It was warm, and safe, and she couldn't believe that she would let herself think she was only a third wheel. "So... how long were you guys sitting on that little production anyway?"

Max hummed in thought, idly pressing a kiss to her neck. "Christmas break last year? You and Tori were with your families, and Chloe went with me to Portland. And it kinda just started as a silly conversation. I mentioned that there was a song about a girl named Kate and how charming it was. Except the more we talked about it, the more it felt really appropriate actually. Not like we choreographed it much or anything. But it was always there in our pockets, just in case."

"And you really see all that stuff in me? I leave flowers in my wake and smile rainbows?" She knew she shouldn't be saying these things like this. Obviously they did. Obviously they thought the world of her. Maybe she doubted it or maybe she just needed to hear it again.

She could see Chloe looking at her with those soft eyes there in the dark. It was a look she gave almost nobody else in the entire world except for her girlfriends. Kate treasured that look. "You know, most of the time when a degenerate like me decides to start calling someone an angel or a saint, it's like an insult or whatever. You're the only person I can think of that I always meant it for seriously."

"Okay. Thank you. I think maybe sometimes I just need to hear it again. I know it makes me seem a little needy." Kate closed her eyes and smiled gently.

The other two both snuggled in closer to her, wrapping around as tightly as they could without suffocating her. "We'll tell you every day if that's what it takes... Sing that song once a week..." Max whispered softly.

"Until you're sick of us..." Chloe added.

Kate yawned, burrowing and nuzzling a little more. "Impossible..."