How about another Social Problems chapter? The poll results are in as well. I can say without a shadow of doubt that the good ending path won by a landslide. The results are now public, and if you combine them with the votes I received in the form of either messages or reviews, the tally for the good ending stands at twenty-two, while the bad ending only has four.

With that in mind, we're going to begin with the Gamer Girl ending here! Please stick around for the notes at the end of the chapter! I have plenty to talk about with this being one of the endings of the story!

Social Problems - Gamer Girl

"Waaake up. C'mon now! Get up, sleepy head! You've got a busy day today. Shit… if you don't get out of bed I'll yank the covers off."

There's a voice swimming around inside my head. Am I dreaming? Or is this perhaps some kind of paranormal visitation? I knew I shouldn't have stayed up reading those Creepypasta blogs the other day. Whatever vicious creature from the abyss you maybe, go away. Stop harassing my sleep – I need a few extra winks before I head to work.

"Okay…. I warned you, Blue. The covers… they're coming off in three…two…one."

A little gust of cold air sends a shiver through my body, the harshness of the lower temperature subtly nipping at me. My only defence is to hug my knees against my chest and curl up into a little ball, "Go away…. I'm not getting up. Seriously, Slender… if you think you can trick me into looking your way so you can steal my soul… you've got anoth-"

Wait, stop the presses for a moment – pause the MMORPG, and close the web browser. For the covers to be pulled from me like this somebody has to be- Oh shit! There's somebody inside my apartment! Heartbeat raised in alarm, I fearfully shamble with my back against the wall, vision obscured by my lack of glasses.

"Please don't hurt me! You're here to steal my manga collection, aren't you? It's under the bed," I stammer while raising my arms to shield my body from a would-be attacker, "Take whatever you want… but I'm begging, don't hurt m-"

"Woah girl! Woaaah! Calm down there – take it back a notch! Don't you recognize my voice, dummy? It's Kyu, from the video arcade. We met last night…. Here, let me help you with those glasses."

My spectacles, I feel their thick rims as they're placed gently in my hands. Finding comfort in the tactile sensation of their edges against my fingers, I sigh for a moment. Once I've drank up enough of the feeling, I open out the arms, "If you're a ghost this is a really cruel-"

My vision returns to me in a foggy haze while my eyes adjust to the change in magnification. Wow, I'm blind as a bat without these things. Yet what I see when my sight returns to normal causes a gasp to escape my lips, "Kyu? But… you have pink hair, and wings! How in the heck are those wings sticking out of your back?"

"Duuuh," Kyu sniggers at me and flutters a little closer, hovering just shy of my bedroom floor, "I told you, Nikki. I'm a fairy! What you see right here… this is my true form!"

"Ohhh, right. I think I get it now. Well, you might as well sit down now that you're here. What do you want?"

"You're," Kyu furrows her brow in questioning – wow does she look confused, "You're taking this awfully well… I've gotta say. Most people when I tell them I'm a fairy… the freak the fuck out. You know, complaining about my existence 'crushing their sense of reality' and all that awesome stuff."

"No, not me," I cross my legs and button up my pyjama shirt: I'm more than a little thankful that Kyu hadn't noticed one of my boobs poking out the side. Either that or she doesn't care. "We live in a crazy world filled with lunatics, assholes, ghosts, the supernatural, and straight up lame people. You think I don't believe fairies exist? Of course they do. The guy who made Peter Pan must've been onto something."

Yet Kyu looks even more confused by my words at this point. She chuckles, I think more out of pity than anything else, "But we're nothing like Tinkerbell in my world," she confirms with a waggle her finger, smiling at me innocently as though I'm a kid filled with wonderment, "You think Sky Garden where I live is filled with those little squirts you see in the movies?"

"Fact time," in a magical snap of her fingers Kyu makes a chalkboard and a pointer appear from a cloud of pink smoke. Scrawled upon the black slate is a picture of a fairy beside a much smaller, chirpier looking specimen, "A fairy is about the same size as a human, give or take. We usually grow to between four feet and five, with the tallest of us rounding out at a little over five-three."

"HEY!" She slaps the pointer against the board – the ruckus it makes being more than a little jarring to my freshly awakened brain. "Are you listening, Miss Ann-Marie?"

"Yes ma'am!" I nod diligently, hands held together in my lap. Jeez, this feels like school all over again. I watch as Kyu snaps her fingers a second time. In a sparkle of fairy dust her outfit changes to that of a college professor – shirt and tie neatly set in place.

"Good," she nods in approval, tapping her pointer enthusiastically, "Now I can continue. Where was I? Oh yeah! That's right! The fairy folk, especially those of us from Sky Garden, we're very similar in our appearance to humans."

"We're...definitely," she points between her legs with a dirty little smirk, "We're anatomically the same as you humans. Hey, I bet you didn't know that in the Lower City… a lot of fairy girls like to date human guys. True, they don't live as long as we do buuut… bigger dicks! BIGGER D-"

I feel the need to wade before kyu gets a little too carried away with herself, "I get the picture… you don't need to repeat yourself." Thankfully, it looks as though I've managed to derail Kyu's thoughts for a mo-

"Anywho! As I was saying, Blue," nope, she's still on a roll, regardless of my best efforts, "Those little runts you see in the cinema? They're called Pixies, and man are they annoying! All they do is zip around their little tree houses in the Flower District, singing and dancing with those obnoxious sunflowers all day long…. SUNFLOWERS! You have no idea how much I hate those grinning, cheery idiots with the-"

"Err… Miss Kyu," I raise a hand. I'm certainly intrigued by the revelation of another world beside our own, a magical one at that, but there's something much more important I need to know. "Not to rain on your parade or anything, buuuut… why are you here? I thought you said last night you'd given me all the help you could."

"Straight to business," Kyu flutters closer – clapping her hands together. In a sparkle of magical dust, the chalkboard and the pointer are gone, her outfit flickering back to normal in the blink of an eye. Can you really call the skimpy little vest and panties she's wearing normal by any stretch of the imagination?

She sits herself down beside me and continues - her hand stuck in some otherworldly hammerspace, "I came over to give you one last thing. I think it'll give you all the help you need to win Mikey over before he's too far out of your," the pink-haired fairy pauses for a moment, her arm still flailing wildly within her bizarre void of the unknown, "There it is! Here… take it!"

Jerking her arm free, Kyu seals the dimensional tear with a little fairy dust patchwork and turns back to me, a strange looking phone clasped in her hands. The edges are rounded, the screen wide with an almost mystical shimmer, while the button at the bottom I can only assume is used to power it on, is shaped like a love heart.

"This," Kyu places the device in my hand, closing my fingers around it with her guidance, "Is the newest version of Love Fairy Inc's all-purpose dating tool, the Huniebee. You have at the tips of your fingers a specially adjusted version, too. Here – let me show you!"

The peculiar phone glows in my palms. Intrigued, I open them wide and glance down at the screen. Fascinating, I've never seen a phone like this before, "What does it do?"

Kyu prods the screen enthusiastically, "You can use this to compile a profile of a guy after going on dates with him. The Huniebee automatically stores the profile you build. See the picture of Mikey in the middle of the screen? Well, since he's the only guy you're interested in right now, he's the only one saved to the device. Give his icon a press and read of his background for a sec."

"Are you sure this is okay?" I feel uneasy toward the whole idea. Something about looking at Mike's personal information like this seems a little, wrong to me. It's not that I'm scared to see something I don't like, I just… like to respect the privacy of others.

"It's cool dawwwg! It's cool! Just take a look!" Kyu of course, seems as adamant as ever that I try out the features.

With her less than gentle poking acting as my guide, I finally nod, relenting, "Alright… I suppose I could take a little look."

Name - Mike Andrew Winters

Date of Birth – February 18th 1993

Age – 22

Favorite Foods – Italian dishes, salads, Chinese banquets

Preferred drink of choice – Whiskey

Alcohol Tolerance – High

Sex Drive – Normal/High (Known to vary depending on situation)

Most Desired Local Candidates – Nikki Ann-Marie, Audrey Belrose

I set the phone down on the bed without reading the rest of the extensive profile, "I don't feel right knowing about Mike's personal life like this. I get you're doing this to help me but… the whole thing feels wrong."

Kyu however, seems less than bothered by the finer details of the phone and its purpose. She's laughing at me softly, waving the whole thing off as if it doesn't matter in the slightest, "You're such a sweetheart… you know that? Imagine what some other girls would do if you placed this power in their hands. You're not telling me they wouldn't use it for their own gain?"

Audrey is the first person to enter my thoughts after Kyu finishes. If Audrey had the power of this phone in her hand – if she had a Huniebee, I bet she'd use it to work out every tiny detail about a guy's life until she knew absolutely each nasty dreg. "Yeah, you're right…. But I'm not like that…. I don't want to… I mean- I'd feel happier finding things out about him when he's ready to tell me."

"And I get that, I do, trust me," Kyu reaches out and gives me a pat on the shoulder, making me flinch, "All I want here Blue," strange, she's looking away from me now. Her eyes, do I see a tear in them? No, I'm sure it's just my imagination. "All I want is to see you and Mikey happy together. I guess…. Well, if a fairy's being honest… I suppose I owe the big oaf for lost time…."

Kyu looks guilty… I've seen guilt in the eyes of enough people to know it when I see it, "Lost time?" I query, my curiosity at its height, "Does that mean… you've known Mike a long time?"

"Doesn't matter," shrugs Kyu dismissively, looking my way with a slightly less cheerful smile than before. "He'll be fine…. Tiger doesn't need me so long as he has you and his bandmates to hold him steady."

With that, Kyu flutters up on her wings. Her eyes closed, I watch, as she begins whispering something of a magic spell, her hands squeezed together tightly. Out of nowhere there 'pops' a flowery door. I can feel the power it resonates; wow, it's making me feel a little woozy. "Gonna have to jet, I'm afraid, other places to be, different clients, and between you and me…"

The pink fairy leans in, giving me a mischievous smirk as she brushes her lips against my ear, the sensation making me shudder, "I'm helping you out on the side… I'm not supposed to be here anymore."

Zipping back, Kyu leans up against the open doorway. She's looking primed to leave. However, I need to know something. If she's really trying to help me out of the goodness of her own heart then I have to ask a question, "What's the deal between you and Mikey, Kyu? Why are you going so far out of your way to help me like this?"

I watch Kyu's back tense, her shoulders stiffened defensively. She's looks back my way and closes her eyes, seemingly deep in reflection, "Because taking care of you humans is a really hard job…. Well, there's that, and I guess I-"

For the longest time Kyu doesn't say a word. Eyes glazed over, her expression looking extremely distant, I watch as her left hand creeps upward slightly, finding its place of rest upon her chest, right around the area of her heart, "It's crazy…. A fairy lives twice as long as you guys do, and yet they still end up half as happy…."

"Go on, Nikki…. Go get him," Turning her back, the fairy hurls herself through the open door, looking back one final time as her skinny figure twists and twirls within the magical vortex, "It's up to you to save my most ambitious project yet…. I can't stay here and watch everything crash and burn."

There's one final, blinding flash of purest white light, and once it clears, Kyu's magical door evaporates in a fizzle of pink lotus flowers. Just like that, she's gone.

"Good luck."

Her final parting words fill me with a resolve I've seldom felt before. I'm staring down at the phone in my hands, Mike's profile open for me to look at once again, "I guess it's up to me…."

My lips curve into a nervous smile. There's a message in the Huniebee's mail box. Mike has replied to my text from last night!

'Hey Nikki…. I'm sorry that I haven't replied to you until now. Guess you could say I've had a few important decisions to make in my life as of late. That's beside the point, though. I'd love to see you tonight, so, let's call it a date, shall we? I'll be at the arcade a little after ten. I want to take a moment to thank you as well… for not giving up on me so far. The truth is, I've really missed you too…. See you later!'

The date is set – tonight at ten. Now, I need to dig out my good skirt, the mid-length one with the patterns. Should I wear my nice 'going for coffee' sweater too? Damn, this isn't an easy choice to make. I wish Tiffany were here to lend me a hand right now.

Mike

"You stopping by for a swift tipple? Take a seat, dude." The bartender seems happy to have me around at least. That sets my mind at ease before the impending meeting with Nikki. To say I'm nervous is the understatement of the year.

I know what I want to drink. It's just a case of finding it on the liquor shelf at the back. I scan the contents in my search, stretching out my finger and jabbing it toward the spirits. "I'll take a Partridge, please… the twelve year bottle, and make it a large."

"You know your way around a Malt, don't you Mike?" I watch as the guy serving my drink reaches for the poison of my choosing and slides up a glass from behind the counter, "This here's the imported stuff. Most people who come in here swill down any old shit from the half-price board."

"Well, it could end up a rough night for me," I smile weakly after sliding a couple of bills across the bar, "Whatever happens, at least I've had a drink to calm the nerves for the hours ahead."

"Can't fault such flawless logic. What is it this time, eh? Things with the band not quite going as planned?" He passes my drink across, moving to adjust his tie with a sigh of relief, "You know, speaking of your music…. I haven't heard much from you guys recently. You still playing across town?"

"We've got a practice session organized for next week," It's best I answer his curioisity now – especially since Simon here is one of those people who always comes to watch us perform. "It's nothing to do with the band this time. If anything, I've had a lot of trouble figuring shit out with a girl as of late."

I slowly take back my Partridge, savouring every moment of the expensive beverage, the stiffness of it, and the diverse oaken flavour. No kidding, it's far better than some of the mass produced shit they sell in the stores.

Simon rolls his eyes and gives a wry smile, nervously running a hand through his highlighted grey hair. Were my words enough to hit a bit of a nerve, I wonder? "Wait until you get engaged," he scoffs, slouching against the bar, "My fiancé Clara, fuck did things change fast when I put a ring on her finger. Here I am working a double shift and I bet you now… she's out there," he shudders in terror at the thought, "She's out there buying more furniture for the house, putting it all on plastic and bank loans…"

"Moral of the story here, son," he continues in diligence toward his rant, clearly not paying attention to the fact I've nudged my empty glass his way and I'm ready to leave, "A guy your age? You should find yourself a couple of nice waitresses… make sure they work the next town over from each other, and bang them senseless. Don't have any regrets… you're too young."

"I'll keep that in mind," standing, I pop the top buttons on my shirt, exposing my toned abs to the cool air, and smile to my drink-serving friend in all of his domestic bliss, "Take it easy there, Simon. Don't go working yourself too hard."

It's time I go meet Nikki before I'm too late – it's already a little past ten.

There she is – Miss Ann-Marie, waiting patiently by the door with her hands tucked neatly in her lap. She's here for me just like she said she'd be - seeing her again fills me with such radiance, "Good evening," I call out, shifting my hand in a relaxed wave.

"Mike… You actually came," before I can respond she's already shuffling toward me shyly, a tense smile upon her lips – talk about uncharacteristically enthusiastic. I take this moment to admire her attire for the evening. A blue shirt and a slim fitting black jacket alongside some thigh-length shorts, topped off with some simple shoes. Having seen how Nikki dresses most of the time, it's pretty easy to tell she's pulled out the stops for me this evening.

The gamer girl halts just before me, gazing nervously as a little red hue overtakes her pale cheeks, "It's nice to see you," she says almost silently with a pair of shaking hands clasped together, "I hope you like my outfit…. I don't usually dress like this, but…. Oh, who am I kidding?"

Now more nervous than ever, she takes a couple of trembling steps forward and puts her arms around me. It takes me a moment to respond, but I open my arms in welcome, the two of us entering into a shared if not slightly fidgety cuddle, "I've missed you," Nikki's voice is tiny, almost mute in fact, "Honestly… I didn't think you'd come tonight," she rests her head against my chest, I can feel her fingers clinging to my middle tightly as if this moment means the whole world, "Thank you…."

"You're welcome, more welcome than you could ever know." All I want is to bask in this moment while it's here. I couldn't ask for anything more than this. That said, I gently run one of my hands through Nikki's aqua hair and squeeze her just a little bit tighter, "You have way too much of a soft spot in my heart for me to walk away now."

She smiles warmly at me, her mid-length strands blowing softly in the wind, "Nice of you to say so."

Suddenly, Nikki's eyes shoot open, and she looks at me meaningfully, almost as if she's forgotten something, "Oh yeah! That's right!" Now far more attentive and less sentimental, my petite lady of sapphire eyes edges back from our embrace and smiles wickedly. Oh, shit… her gaze, it's burning with competitive flare again!

Locked in with flawless accuracy, Nikki adjusts the thick rims of her glasses, their darkened tint complimenting her orbs perfectly, and gives me a calculated chuckle, "We're going to play a game, Mikey," she reaches out, taking my hand into hers, and hauls me into the arcade before I'm able to protest, "You better be ready."

Here I find myself – stood in front of a large red arcade cabinet, the screen depicts a pair of overly muscular men beating on each other with a bunch of blunt objects. On the side of the machine, the words 'Final Clash' are scrawled in chunky neon-style lettering.

"Alright," Nikki begins anew, pulling a couple of coins from her pocket as she steps forward, "This is a fighting game with stakes, Mike," she points to the buttons and the arcade sticks, trailing off on a long explanation about the lore of the game, types of movement, attacks, you name it. Damn, it sounds like she's played this one plenty of times before. I'm struggling to keep up with her simple explanation of the controls.

"Did you get all that?" Crap, she's already done, and outside of the absolute basics like the movement speeds and punches, I still feel as though I've been left completely out of the loop. Tapping her fingers impatiently, the lady of blue leans toward me with a gentle smile.

"How about we make this interesting, too?" Eyes honed so I have no escape, the rampage of Ann-Marie continues, "Whoever wins the match gets to ask one request of the loser… unconditionally."

I freeze up, overtaken by the combination of those words, and the embers burning in Nikki's eyes. Just what in the hell does she have in mind when she says something like that? However… a part of me deep down wants to rise to the challenge. If she wants to make this fun then why shouldn't we?

"Fuck it," I pop a couple more buttons on my shirt, leaning up against the cabinet with a smooth smile, "I'm in… win or lose!"

Nikki pushes the pair of silvery coins into the slot with her thumb. As if on cue, the machine springs to life with music and flashing lights, "I already know what I'm going to ask you, so I'll do it now, before we play."

Seemingly swept up in the euphoria of preparing to battle with me, the young lady is all but fearless right now - a vast difference to her usual self, I might add. With a deep breath, she folds her arms behind her back and looks to me with a gaze of steel, "If I win, Mike… I'd like you to come back to my house for a little while. There's something important I want to ask you."

It's not like I have anything to do with my time tomorrow, "That's fine with me," I reply, staring at the 'character select' screen with careful thought. There's a guy who dresses like a bullfighter in a long red cape – shades obscuring his eyes, and leather fighting gloves covering his chunky fists. I like the look of this fellow. A slap of the blue button confirms my choice.

"Raphael selected."

Next is Nikki – did she wait deliberately for me to choose my player before deciding to do anything? Bizzare, but I don't doubt for a second she has something in mind to best me. After all, this girl plays games on a level unlike anything I've ever seen before. If she put the time and effort into it, I'm sure she could turn professional in a heartbeat.

All I can do is watch with curiosity as she cycles through characters, so quickly in fact I'm barely able to catch their names on screen. There's a red skinned centaur wielding bladed gauntlets, a cybernetic lady soldier with peroxide hair, a skin-tight suit hugged against her well-endowed womanly assets; a magician wearing a ballroom mask with a crackling orb of blue energy in his hand, and many more. Just whom in the world is she going to pick?

"An angel?"

Her cursor stops over a majestic figure of flawless feminine beauty, her curvy figure adorned in something I can only compare to a Greek toga. Shining white hair pools down her back, a pair of fearless, illuminated eyes beaming with tranquillity. From the base of her spine, sprout a pair of euphoric feathery wings. I watch Nikki nod in conformation, "She's perfect against Raphael… this should be fun." A slap of the button and she's ready to roll.

"Kristina selected."

We're transported very quickly from a loading screen to our arena, a huge sprawling metropolis lies in ruins as a band of soldiers fight amongst the rubble. Meanwhile, our characters arrive on scene, my matador-like gentleman smiling coolly toward the screen as he cracks his knuckles, "It's game time…."

Nikki's angel descends from the skies above in a beam of purifying light, her glowing holy eyes fixated upon my fighter as she spreads her palms wide for battle, "I do not want to hurt you, but if you wish to stand in my way… you leave me with no choice."

"Three…two…one…FIGHT!"

Kristina launches toward my Raphael in a blur of inhuman speed, her mighty wings beating up a gust that sends surrounding rubble flying. She tilts her head back, letting out an inhuman scream, before a pair of thin yet focused laser beams, shining purest white erupt from her eyes. I'm caught off guard, forced in a hurry to give the buttons a wayward smack in an attempt to move my character aside.

"Too slow, lady," I breathe a sigh of relief as my suave brawler steps to the side in counter, his mouth wide in a grin. Time to begin my next move, a couple of presses of the two opposite-facing red triggers sends Raphael sprinting forward – he's unfortunately nowhere near as swift as his foe. However, I'm surprised to see Kristina standing perfectly still.

"Bad move," Nikki chuckles with glee, the sound of her punching commands filling my ears for a good long run.

"Face my judgement," the angel screams, her body pulsing with a wave of energy that tears half the stage asunder. My character is sent flying, and I'm forced to watch in fearful reflection as his health bar is depleted to a mere slither in seconds. He crashes to the ground, not defeated, but damn near close to the edge of oblivion.

"Shit," I mutter, jerking the movement stick to the side to save Raphael from his untimely demise. He wobbles, groans of severe pain creaking from his battered body, but thankfully, the rouge warrior clambers desperately to his feet to dust himself down.

"I'm not finished yet," he calls with determination, his smooth voice mocking the strikes of his foe. Under my command, the warrior is sent veering into the thick of battle with the smug audacity of a crimson missile, his fists smashing into Kristina's pale, hourglass figure in a mighty one-two-three combination.

I don't stop there either, glancing Nikki's way with a grin. I see her, wide-eyed, a little surprised I managed to pull such a move off, no doubt. "Let's see if I can turn up the heat."

Pressing in all of my attack buttons in perfect unison twists the screen – making it turn dark as a powerful supernatural aura pulses from my fighter's body. Still held in place by Raphael's punches, the angelic beauty is completely helpless.

"It's about time we finish this, wouldn't you say?" A snap of my characters fingers, a sparkling grin of his pearly teeth as he tosses aside his ruby cloak and begins to hurl his fists into the enemy with a merciless fury. The hits keep going, and going, endlessly showering Kristina as if they were a flash flood. The holy mistress yelps and howls as the hit counter rises. Finally, my player lets out a buttery-smooth laugh and sends a decisive mammoth strike sailing forward, "Do yourself a favour," he mocks, "Don't get back up…."

"Right where I want you," Nikki playfully nudges me in the side, crunching a couple of her own buttons in witty retort. What in the hell is she going to do?

Just like that, I'm forced to endure as Kristina catches the final fist from Raphael, "This will be the end for you, fallen warrior. Will you find peace in the next life?"

She levitates my character into the air, smashing him up and down countless times like a weightless ragdoll, his blood spattering against the concrete until finally, he's tossed to the ground in a broken heap, "Sorry boss," he hacks, red liquid spewing from his mouth, "Next time… I'll get her."

"Game over," the arcade cabinet calls out with a melee of musical flare, "Player one wins!"

I slump against the machine in exhaustion, having been so immersed in the game just moments before that my legs feel a little shaky. Nikki turns me with her slender hands, smiling subtly as a lone bead of sweat trickles from her forehead, "Looks like I win," she declares happily, reaching out with a palm to clasp one of mine, "You wanna get out of here and go back to my house? On the other hand, we could stay? I'd be more than happy to kick your butt a second time."

My pride can't take anymore – this girl plays games so well it's almost as if she's possessed by a foreign power far beyond this world. Squeezing her hand just the slightest bit tighter, I make a turn toward the door, "Let's be on our way. I think I've had the crap beat outta me enough for the evening."

My blue-haired lady chuckles, leaning in nervously for a moment, going so far as to pause before she softly brushes her lips against my cheek in a little kiss, "Sore loser…."

Eleven in the evening – I have Nikki sat sprawled across my lap, her head affectionately resting against me for warmth. The jacket she wore long since cast into the corner of the wide bedroom, she shuffles closer, her chest pressed up against my sparsely buttoned physique. Regardless of my best attempts it's a struggle not to peak a little - she isn't wearing a bra for support.

"I'm happy you're here with me like this," Miss Ann-Marie utters softly, one of her sweat-dampened palms meekly caressing my cheek as she brings our lips together in a warm tango of heartfelt joy. I melt into it, allowing her to take me under her commanding spell. Something about her feels different, I dare say far more empowered than it did before.

My eyes closed, my body overwhelmed with a wave of blissful emotion, I allow my outstretched senses to act as sight on my behalf. Every inch of me feels alive, fuelled, and ablaze as every little tactile sensation sends me closer toward the eye of the hurricane.

Nikki is overwhelming me, overpowering my will and conquering my masculinity with the strength of her kisses. Both her hands have a hold over me now, the left one already caressing the side of my face, and the right, held softly against the exposed flesh of my solar plexus. The tips of her fingers slink up and down my abs in a rhythm, I dare say a tune, as the once shy girl, somebody I never thought capable of such mind-melting passion, continues to rule over the landscape within my heart.

She continues, taking the entirety of her weight and using it to pin me against the bed: a soft moan escaping her as she continues onward. I'm surprised however when she pauses, swiftly aborting the shared 'waltz' of ours, and leaning back just the slightest inch. There she stays, eyes half open, their deepest blue submerging me. An uneasy smile consumes her, before a nod of approval is what I'm given. Are you planning som-

"Mmmmm," I'm caught off guard a second time, brought headlong into another powerful meeting, the moist sound of our union serving to shatter the silence of the room and bounce audibly off the walls. I feel it; the moist caress of Nikki's tongue is enough to make my entire form shudder. I'm blindsided, but far from against her advance. Alas, I give her the approval she desires, and allow for her tongue, the organ of her love to enter into my mouth and flail wildly in tangled dance with my own.

Her sweet taste – her aura, every inch of her soul flickering in the darkness of the room, I never thought a woman could make me feel like this. We're feasting, a mutual compassion, a flame stoked by wanting serves as our guide during this, the hour so close to midnight.

The heat in the room is almost enough to melt me, drops of sweat trickling from my forehead and down the side of my face. Nikki however, doesn't care in the slightest. I'm reaching the peak of my restraint, everything that I am, every nerve inside me burning with supercharged drive – lust is beginning to set in. My fingers squeeze around the girl's sides softly, and I feel her shiver and squirm.

Yet, to my surprise, Nikki breaks away from me, separating us for the moment, and thankfully saving me from the fires of my own urges. I sigh in relief, softly stroking her locks of blue as she rests against my stomach.

"Mike," she sighs, her every breath at a rasp.

I decide to pause for a moment, allowing us both to cool down before I continue, "What's up? I hope you're comfortable with all this," I raise my brow in consideration, "Because I don't want you to rush things on my account… all in your own time."

"It's not that," Ann-Marie purrs, popping open the last two buttons on my shirt and snuggling against the full radiance of my exposed torso, "The reason I called you here," she stops in her tracks for a moment, taking a deep breath to prepare herself before bringing her two blue sapphires to meet my emeralds of green.

"I was hoping you'd figure it out without me needing to say it…. After all, we both know know the deal - we're adults. All of the time we've spent together since we met at the arcade... It's been really awesome for me, and I was wondering if… if…."

I find my senses jarred by an invading brightness as the gamer girl flicks on the bedside lamp, her eyes gazing at me longingly, tearfully, "I FELT SO ALONE WHEN YOU WENT AWAY," she cries out, water streaming from her two ocean-blue pools, "So… I have to ask you… I have to know," she continues at a terrified whisper, "Are things between us serious? How much do you care about me? Because I really care for you… more than I ever thought, I could…. Audrey was wrong about everything, Mike…."

"Audrey," my skin crawls at the name. Is it wrong that I feel on edge again? "What did she say? You can tell me... Hell, if we've come this far, I think it's safe for us to talk about real issues."

The beating red core of my body damn near skips a beat for a moment, completely frozen in suspense. Talk about dropping a surprise on me from left field. I wasn't expecting her to mention the redhead again.

"Tiffany and myself... we haven't told her about you yet, about me and you being together like this I mean." Nikki is looking at me with genuine regret in her eyes. She seems afraid - I can only begin to ponder what she's going to say next. "It went off last night... I was about to head home from the arcade and there she was... thundering down the street, dragging Tiff in tow like a puppy on a leash."

My stomach turns in knots - dear God, this could be worse than I thought, "Carry on... What was she saying?"

Whisking her strands of blue to the side - Nikki turns away from me, not looking away from the floor for a second. She's hiding her eyes, "At first she was shouting at Tiffany, ranting about how much of a bastard you were, saying she'd sent you a text pleading to meet her tonight... and how she was going to set you straight for everything you put her through."

"I wouldn't say 'pleading' exactly," slipping my phone out of my pocket, I place it in her left palm, the message on full display, "Nothing would've stopped me from making it to see you tonight, especially not her... I've been through enough in that scenario... I was done chasing Audrey Belrose a long time ago."

Nikki scans the message in nothing short of a heartbeat, eying me with an uneasy, fragile smile, "For her to make demands of you like that... wow... I thought she only talked to me like so shitty, but... she treats you the exact same way..."

I place the phone down on the bed and sigh, "She's as lost as I used to be before I met you... but it isn't my job to save her. I see that now... I need to focus on looking toward the future... instead of dwelling on the past."

"Being honest... I'm a little guilty," a surprising confession from Nikki as she stops hiding from me, "It feels like I'm stealing you away from somebody that needs you far more than I do."

"Bullshit," I wrap my arms around the girl's dainty shoulders, squeezing her against my chest. She tenses for a second, but quickly relaxes into our embrace, "Nothing's going to stop me... and I refuse to turn away from how I feel… the responsibility for my own actions, or the happiness I feel now. If anyone needs to accept their guilt and move forward Nikki... it's me, not you..."

I need a moment – taking a deep breath to steady myself and put everything into perspective. Nikki is pleading with me, but I need not a single motivating factor aside from my own heart. I've known from the very beginning just how much she means to me. You saved me, indeed, in all of your quirkiness, Nikki Ann-Marie, you've been the gentle lifeline to save me from sinking in my own emotional tide.

From this moment on, I'll be at your side, and however unconventional or unique our relationship will be, I'll stick by you - so we can both share in the happiness of companionship.

With that in mind, place a gentle kiss upon her clammy forehead, not caring for a moment about anything in the world but this, our time together, "Of course I accept your feelings, Nikki…. From here on out, I'm with you, and I wouldn't change that for anything. You wanna know how I really feel? You're one of the most important people in my life. You've allowed me to find one last chance at being happy when I truly didn't think I deserved it. I want to be with you... be your boyfriend... because you've made my bleak world so much happier as of late."

Nikki lets out a muffled squeak against my chest, the moisture from her eyes wetting my skin slightly. She takes a breath, finally looking up at me through those cute glasses of hers, and clings as if I'm a doll, "I thought you'd turn me down."

"Not a chance…." We're together at last – two lonely souls amidst a city filled with diverse people.

For the longest time we sit on the floor in a snug bind, Nikki has her eyes closed, and she's moving one of her fingers in tune with the ticking of the clock in the hallway. I'm surprised it's so quiet that I can actually hear it - the other times I was here I couldn't.

'DING DONG DING DONG!'

Just as the old timepiece chimes, I shuffle a little closer to my lady and close my eyes, "Midnight..."

"Yeah... It's getting pretty late, isn't it?" Nikki smirks at me, giving me a most 'curious' expression as I open my eyes, "You could go home tonight, or…. C'mon, we both know what's up here… don't make me spell it out for you…."

"Do you mean-" Before I can even finish what I'm saying I'm cut off by her tiny nod of confirmation.

My heart thumps a mile a minute in my chest, but regardless, I take both of her gentle hands into my own and smile warmly, lovingly, "I'll stay tonight… but there might be a little bit of a problem…."

Her eyes honed with precision, Nikki furrows her brow and looks me over, her aura half-passionate, half-concerned, "What is it?"

I take my wallet from my pocket and flip it open, opening out the little divider that separates my cash from my cards, "….I'm not exactly... protected, you follow my drift?"

Nikki giggles – a response I'm not expecting in the least, "Hold on," just like that, she crawls away from me and reaches into her bedside draw, pulling out a little white box. Coming back across, she shakes it in her hand and gives me a shy, blushing smile, "The one time I'll thank Audrey for something…. Had to lie a tiny bit, but she got it for me."

"A morning after pill?" Holy shit, is this really the same girl I've been hanging around with all this time?

Yet all Nikki does is nod sheepishly, reaching back to flick out the light. We're in darkness for a second time. I can hear her, slinking closer like a fox hunting prey. However, she stops just short of pouncing on me, linking her arm with mine and sighing nervously, "I'm sorry if I'm not very good…. I'm new to this whole thing…."

I can't help myself, choosing to lean in and softly place my lips upon her cheek in a little peck, "I don't care about any of that… all I want is to be with you…."

Time in the hourglass slips onward, loving kisses meeting with the exploration of adventurous hands. Nobody can take the two of us apart now. Not a soul in the world will separate me from the woman I care for so deeply. The past is in the past, and that is where it will stay. Slowly but surely we're both finding our way in this, our little place of warmth and comfort, the cosy confines of the gamer girl's bedroom.

I feel such beauty as my hands work magic, gently separating Nikki from the fabrics that conceal her natural form from my passionate eyes, "I think your shirt needs to go…."

"Too slow," yet before I can even lay a hand upon her piece of clothing, she's already whisked it away and done the same with mine, leaving us both shirtless, exposed to one another.

The cycle continues - clothes slowly departing until we're both bare and at our most human, the softness of her skin sending tingles down the entirety of my body as we kiss, our hands roaming and exploring in this passionate freedom. My fingers outstretched, I slowly work my hand down her back until the tips of my digits attentively stroke at the roundness of her derriere.

Nikki heaves a little, laying against me with a shallow pant, her bosom meeting with the toned expanse of my chest. She wriggles closer, slumping against my shoulder and exhaling in a tense shudder, "I want to do this... together..."

"As long as you're ready," I utter lovingly, gently caressing the base of my left-hand forefinger against the nape of her neck.

Ann-Marie squirms under my touch, nodding desperately, hungrily for many a moment – smacking her lips against mine "...A little scared... but I won't regret it... I know I won't."

The consent of my love is all I was waiting for, "Then let me take the lead for a second, okay?"

"Okay… I trust you." Without a shred of resistance, Nikki allows me to lay her on her back. For a moment, I watch in awe as her sapphire-blue eyes stare into mine, their intensity being nothing short of hypnotic.

My right hand sinking downward, I go betwixt the confines of her slender legs, giving a gentle caress of my thumb to her budding flower to check if she's prepared. My digit comes back slick with the nectar of love, as the girl beneath me shakes intensely under my touch, "Oh shit," she shivers, "….Please… don't play games with me…. Mikey…."

A comforting, compassionate smile overtaking me, I take my place slightly atop of my special lady, and tease her womanly jewel with the fullness of my masculine power.

We both cry out in unision, but at this point it seems as though Nikki is close to the end of her temper. She slips both of her arms around my shoulders, using surprising force to make me jerk forward!

"OUCH," she yelps loudly, her beautiful features contorting as she struggles to take all that I am within her delicate place of feminine passion. Nikki wriggles again, her look of discomfort causing me to flare in alarm. I think she can sense my fear, however, because she smiles at me happily, "It's fine…. Y-you don't have to stop..."

A single movement is all it takes, the only catalyst I need to send every fibre of my being pulsing in a wave of lustful electricity. Nikki's intimate hold upon me, the sensation of us both being connected as one, it makes me feel whole. She's so very warm in her sensual hold upon me.

Nikki gaps, a naughty giggle sliding free from her mouth as she begins to carefully jerk her hips, "….Keep going… and please, Mike… look at me," she begs, truly taking command at this point, her every movement causing us both to sweat more and more, "I want you to look into my eyes…."

Those two beautiful sapphires of hers, combined with those lovely spectacles, they make my heart race even more right now as we share our love. Meeting her movements with my own, the two of us building further and further, I lean in to kiss Nikki's lips softly, a moan of her deepest ecstasy drowned out by the embrace.

When I part from her, our bodies still locked in their intimate melee, I look toward her, our gemstones of two different colours meeting, shining as they become one, "….From this night on, Nikki-Ann-Marie… I'll be here for you… no matter what…."

My girlfriend pulls me close, kissing me with powerful emotion flooding in her eyes, "Y-yes," she sighs in bliss, "Let your past go... We have each other now... and you have me..."

Thank you - I think at long last, I can finally feel content. Not only that, but I can say what I've needed to say for a long time.

Goodbye, Kyu Sugardust. If you hadn't come crashing into my life those long months ago, I never would've found my way in the end. True, I was lost, but now... I have direction. No, it goes beyond that, I have a special lady who truly cares for me. This is the end of my story, and the start of my new life on the road ahead. I'm freed from the chains of my guilt, and now... I can live out my days with meaning. You have my thanks, you crazy fairy, and my most heartfelt farewell. As for you, Nikki, you've turned my life around, and I don't want to picture my future without you in it. So, my sweet gamer girl, let us walk toward every new day as a couple, hand in hand.

Good Ending

There you have it – the good ending. It took me a very long time to write it, and honestly, I'm a little nervous because it's one of the most ambitious chapters I've ever written. So please feel free to give me your feedback if you like! Did you enjoy the story as a whole now that we've reached one of the endings? Will you read the bad ending when it comes out, too?

Also, for those of you who were wondering about my inspirations during this chapter - the arcade scene drew some inspiration from the opening of Psychic Force, an old fighting game for the PlayStation 1. As for Mike and Nikki's romantic scene, the song Welcome to the End, by Celldweller was what I listened to while writing it.

Thank you once again for your truly overwhelming support of this story! I might even create an epilogue for this ending after the bad ending is finished. Well, thanks again! Please keep on supporting the official releases of Huniepop and Huniecam studio, and I'll see you in the next chapter of the Problems series!