Chapter 10: Three Fall
Hachiman reappeared, rubbing his hair with a towel. He exchanged a glance with Yui. She slowly shook her head. He nodded.
"I hope," he addressed Yukino, "you didn't hurt her more than necessary."
"Sit down," Yukino just answered, "let's finish that round, shall we."
They continued to play in silence until finally Yui drew Yukino's second but last card and dropped the final pair.
Yukino looked at the final card again. She smiled. "Oh, so very subtle, Yui."
She hold on to that card so a curious Hachiman instead grabbed the one Yui had taken out before the game.
It was the three of diamonds.
"Hikki," Yukino spoke up.
"Hm?"
"What were the unspeakable things Yui and you did to Princess Yukino in that dungeon?"
He looked uncomfortable. "I can't tell you," he finally answered. "If I could they wouldn't be unspeakable, correct?"
"I see your point."
"Thank you."
"Maybe... you could show me at some point then? Sooner or later? Maybe sooner?"
She was almost knocked over as Yui threw herself against her and hugged her.
Hachiman just stared at Yukino.
"Are you happy now?" Yukino asked Yui.
Yui nodded fiercely.
"I told you that your happiness is most important, didn't I?"
"But you still have strange ways to say some things, you know?" Yui mumbled.
"I am sorry. Can I try again?" She looked at Hachiman. "You and Yui asked me a question. The answer is yes. I'd love to be your girlfriend." Why were her eyes getting wet? She blinked a few times. "Very much so."
She turned to Yui again. "Is that better?"
"Much better."
"Then say it."
Yui's voice trembled as she spoke. "Hikki, Yukinon, I love you so much… I'd be so happy to be your girlfriend."
"The service club," Yukino answered, "accepts your request."
Hachiman had found his voice again. He looked at Yui. "What did I tell you? Don't..."
"She didn't blackmail me. She didn't put pressure on me," Yukino interrupted him. "Is it that what you wanted to know?"
"I told you it would make her happy!" Yui added. "I told you!"
Hachiman now looked at Yukino. "Haven't I made myself understood at all..."
Yukino interrupted him again. "I understood you very well. I am sure. You said it was my decision. So I made a decision."
If Hachiman hadn't been engaged in a staring contest with Yukino at that moment he might have noticed Yui's broad smile getting a little broader for a fraction of a second.
"Your solution to our problems is unusual," Yukino went on, "but it admittedly has a certain charm to it."
She paused. "To get my freedom, I had to give something up. Maybe it's now time to take it back." She looked at Yui. "With lots of interest."
"Yukino," Hachiman pleaded, "we will crash so hard. What about Yui?"
"Hikki, you're always so gloomy," Yui threw in. "We will not crash."
"Yui will be happy." Yukino demonstratively wrapped an arm around her and drew her closer. "I'll see to that. And you, at least try to act as if it could work. You promised, remember?"
"What happened to that net?" Hachiman tried.
"Oh, I think you told Yui to burn it. To keep us warm. In the Himalayas."
"In the Himalayas..."
Yui smiled broadly and collected the cards. "Another round?"
Yukino shook her head. "No, Yui. I want to tell you and Hikki a story instead. Well, you know it already. I might have to add some pieces so you won't get bored." She closed her eyes. "So we went hiking. The three of us. In the Himalayas, perhaps..."
THE END (for now)
Author's Notes
WTF, dark ending, the author trolled us. Best ending ever. If you think so, please do yourself a favor and don't read the Author's Notes Extra Long Edition in the following chapter. Also don't read the following little epilogue. I wrote it while editing the story, and changed a few things to make it fit in. It's still not porn! It will put more awkward into your awkward though.
Epilogue
"Hikki," Yui asked as she and Yukino broke a kiss. "I like these stories. Do you have a nice story to tell too, maybe? Maybe you also had a nice dream every now and then?"
He winced. "Well..."
"No," Yukino interrupted. "It's really getting late. let's call it a night."
"Sure," Hachiman answered, very much relieved. "Could you spare me a blanket then?" He gave Yukino a glare. "I will try to find a solution to this mess until tomorrow. Don't expect me to get much sleep."
"I can see that happening." She turned to Yui. "Yui, you remember your first sleepover? The quality of the couches?"
There was no reply for a few seconds. "Yukinon," Yui finally answered slowly, "I get you. I hope this is not another stress test for the club? Because if it's just that, tell me, and let's just pretend you didn't ask that."
Yukino just kept looking at her.
"Because otherwise you would get an answer from me now," Yui went on.
"It's your decision," Yukino replied. "It really is. Maybe you've just changed your mind. Think about it. It can't hurt to find a blanket..." She attempted to rise.
But Yui suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "Hikki," she then said, her face red, "this couch. It's really uncomfortable. And short. One couldn't possibly sleep there. But you know, Yukinon's bed is really big. Like a double bed. Two people can easily keep their distance."
"They could. If they wanted to, that is," Yukino chipped in, still looking at Yui.
"If they wanted they could," Yui agreed.
"Two people," Hachiman echoed.
"Three people, I'm afraid," Yukino responded, "might touch a little. Just a little."
"Hey," Hachiman demanded. "Look at me."
Yukino turned towards him.
He actually looked a little... scared.
Good.
"This has long ended to be a game. Or a joke. Or a contest. Or whatever it was. Are you sure you would be comfortable with that?"
Yukino and Yui exchanged another glance. "Yes," Yukino said in a very serious tone, "we are sure." Yui just nodded emphatically.
"Yukino," Hachiman asked, "could you come sit here for a second."
Yukino shrugged and switched couches. She gave Hachiman a quick kiss before sitting down.
"I just want to know if we're on the same page. We took a wrong turn somewhere. Where exactly?"
"You can't take wrong turns when you're in free fall."
"You can criticize metaphors to avoid an issue though."
"You are right. I don't blame anyone in particular."
Hachiman took a deep breath. "I love you, Yukino. Yui had a working definition for that word. I've decided to adopt it."
"We have a working definition for love now, hm? By Yui, nonetheless."
"It's a good definition. It fits. I'm sure you will like it. I just needed to say it. Before..."
"Hikki, I have no doubt the bed will be nice and warm in any case, does that shock you? My only fear is that it's outside where we might still freeze to death."
"Yukinon," Yui said, "don't you start becoming gloomy too. I'll make a fire to keep the room warm."
"You were always trying your hardest to keep the room warm, Yui, but that wasn't enough. But maybe you can teach us?"
"So maybe we agree, Yukino?" Hachiman asked. "We will crash so hard. This will never work out. I said it before, when less was at stake."
"You could have stopped it at any point. You could stop it now."
"Could I? And, you know, I'm not a schemer..."
She laughed. "You can be funny if you want to."
"A schemer with some standards, at least. But I'm also not a robot. Just a man."
"That's what I wanted to hear." She leaned against him. "It feels nice being in free fall. Let us fall a little deeper and just don't think about the crash anymore for tonight. We can think about it tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow." She straightened herself. "And we are the service club. Who, if not we, would be able to solve this problem?"
Suddenly two arms wrapped themselves around them from behind. "Yukinon, Hikki," Yui said, "listen to me for once. We will not crash."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure. We just need to figure out how to fly, that's all."
Yukino gave Hachiman another kiss. "You heard her." Then she whispered something into his ear. Not that it mattered, as close as Yui was.
"Make me fly tonight."
THE END (for real?)
Author's Notes, the Second
A long file to follow. I put in everything one might want to know including things that are hopefully totally clear.