If the clock in the den was to be believed, it was now just past midnight in that little cabin on Mt. Fuji. Toshino Kyouko and Sugiura Ayano were exhausted; though Kyouko was used to staying up late for various reasons, both girls had tired themselves out with their afternoon ascent up the mountainside.
The previously horrifying snowstorm had slowed to a gentle flurry as the sun dipped below the horizon. Kyouko and Ayano had decided not to attempt scaling down the mountain in the pitch darkness of night, lest they sustain further injury. They instead agreed to go to sleep, and the latter girl was sitting up nervously in bed, waiting for Kyouko to exit the bathroom.
Ayano was proud of herself; she had made a promise to herself to be more honest with her feelings, both to herself and to the object of her affections. Though it was under the guise of having won a bet, Ayano had made her desire to share the double bed with Kyouko known. A year, or even a few months ago, Ayano would have come up with some logistical excuse, like 'It's just for safety; what if someone tries to break in?' or 'I just want to make sure your injuries don't get any worse.'
This time, though, she made no excuse. She needed no reason to want to be close to Kyouko. It was simply what she desired. Being able to admit that to herself, and to Toshino Kyouko, was a huge step for Ayano.
The sound of a toilet flushing and the sink running roused Ayano from her thoughts. As the sounds stopped, she looked up to see Kyouko climbing the small staircase to the loft. Her heart began to race in a mixture of excitement and nerves, and she pulled the comforter up to hide her blush.
Wordlessly, Kyouko slid into bed next to Ayano. With a small squeak, Ayano watched as Kyouko lay down and reach over toward the lamp. She hesitated, and turned to Ayano.
"Is it okay if I turn the light off?" She asked. Ayano, on edge, could only hum in response. With a click, the room went dark. The reality of the situation dawned on Ayano all at once, and in an instant her nerves turned to excitement. This was real. This was not - she hoped - some daydream.
She turned to face Kyouko, who was lying, relaxed, with her eyes closed. Ayano realized Kyouko was probably not asleep yet. A thought sprang into her head: what would Kyouko do if Ayano were to wrap her arms around her? The idea was a risky one; despite the fact that Kyouko was notoriously flirtatious and physically affectionate, all of her previous experience in this field had been initiated by Kyouko. What would she do were she unprepared for it? What if she wasn't in the mood to be hugged? Would she ask to be left alone? Ayano couldn't imagine Kyouko asking for personal space, since she appeared not to have any sense of the concept, but the mere possibility gave Ayano pause.
Her luck, though, had been good so far. Perhaps the next step for Ayano to be more honest with her feelings was to take more risks? She decided to play out her fantasy.
As though about to jump into a cold swimming pool, Ayano closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Then, with a small squeak, she wrapped her arms around Kyouko's midsection. Kyouko, for her part, opened her eyes, parted her lips, and looked at Ayano. After a moment, she smiled sweetly and sighed contentedly, snuggling into Ayano's neck. Ayano, beet red, smiled goofily, and swallowed the urge to giggle like a child.
"Good night, Ayano-chan," Kyouko said softly, without opening her eyes. "Thanks again for saving my life." Ayano chuckled.
"You're welcome."
A sharp series of knocks resounded through the cabin and startled both girls, who both sat up quickly.
"Looks like it's time for me to return the favor," Kyouko said with a smug grin.
"Eh?" Ayano peeped. "What do you mean?"
"It's time for me to save your life, from whoever is at the door," Kyouko explained. "It could be a burglar, or a serial killer, or a tax collector."
"Why would a burglar or a serial killer bother to knock?" Ayano asked, as Kyouko turned on the lamp, climbed out of bed, and began rummaging through her backpack. "And we don't pay taxes."
"Exactly!" Kyouko cried. "That's why the tax collector has come to repossess us!"
"Repossess us?" Ayano echoed. "Toshino Kyouko, what are you looking for?"
Kyouko stood finally, and proudly displayed a closed umbrella.
"What do you expect to do with that?" Ayano asked, an eyebrow cocked. Wordlessly, Kyouko pressed a button on the umbrella's handle, quickly extending the umbrella and opening it.
"Shield!" She exclaimed, and shuffled down the staircase. Ayano followed behind her, remaining at the top of the staircase as another series of knocks came at the door.
"Hello?" A man's voice came. "Toshino Kyouko? Sugiura Ayano? Are you in here?"
"That depends," Kyouko called. "Who's asking?"
"We're with the rescue team, we've come to escort you back to the ski lodge!" The door began to creak open, and Kyouko ducked back into the hallway, taking a martial-arts stance, extending the closed umbrella in front of her. The man looked around, and froze when he saw Kyouko with her extended umbrella.
"How do I know you're not a burglar, or a serial killer?" Kyouko demanded.
"Yeah," Ayano called from the top of the stairs. "Or a tax collector!"
"Oh," The man said, reaching into his jacket and pulling out a wallet. He opened it and began looking through the card slots. "Gimme a second," He mumbled.
Kyouko and Ayano shared a look as he searched.
"Ah! Here we are," He said, shining a flashlight on a small card that read Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park Rescue Service - Satoshi Kawashima.
"Hmm," Kyouko inspected the card. "Okay! Let's go."
/*~~*~~*\\
Yui had calmed down some. After Akari had talked her through her emotions, Yui had elected to remain on the couch in the lobby, generously accompanied by the aforementioned redhead. The two chatted quietly about everything from their favorite snacks to their high school plans, until Chitose, who had also become restless and hungry, had joined them as well.
"I have to say, Chitose," Yui observed, yawning. "You've really kept it together this whole time."
"Ah, well… I wouldn't say I'm not worried," Chitose explained sheepishly, "But Ayano-chan is very responsible. I'd be surprised if they didn't find somewhere safe to hide."
"She really deserves to be vice president, huh?" Akari said.
"Mmhm," Chitose hummed. "I know she likes to deny it, but I know she really cares about Toshino-san. She'll make sure she's safe."
Akari felt a weight in her lap, and she looked down to see Yui fast asleep there. She looked to Chitose, who giggled quietly to herself.
"I guess Funami-san has had a long day," Chitose observed in a whisper.
"I think we all have," Akari agreed. "This might be the longest Yui-chan and Kyouko-chan have ever gone without seeing each other!"
The raucous bells of the front door startled all three girls, sending a dazed and groggy Yui to the floor, and causing Akari and Chitose to jump in their seats. The two latter looked to the door to see all four of the rescue team members entering the building.
The two in the front carefully ducked low below the threshold to allow clearance for two girls who were riding on their backs: Kyouko and Ayano, who looked to be having the time of their lives.
Akari and Chitose gasped happily and stood, watching excitedly as the aforementioned pair dismounted their rescuers.
"Good horsey," Kyouko patted the lead officer on his head.
"Kyouko-chan! Ayano-chan!" Akari and Chitose shouted. Yui, for her part, stood clumsily to see for herself. Before either Chitose or Akari could reach their friends, Yui had stumbled forward with impressive speed and embraced Kyouko tightly. Akari, Chitose, and Ayano all stopped to witness the display. Yui, still holding tightly to Kyouko, her face buried in her shoulder, inhaled sharply and held her breath, and then let it out with an exasperated sigh. With a sniffle, she pulled back, grasping Kyouko's shoulders.
"Okay, I'm good," She sniffled. Kyouko was speechless and blank-faced, but after a moment she smiled and held up a hand in greeting.
The four girls took turns embracing one another in celebration, before Akari and Chitose left to tell the others the good news.
"Say, Toshino Kyouko," Ayano said, turning to face her blonde companion. "You never did your homework, did you?" Kyouko laughed good-naturedly.
"Nah, I was a little busy. I guess I'll have to do it tomorrow," Kyouko considered.
"I, uh…" Ayano said, twiddling her thumbs. "I could help you." Kyouko's face lit up in apparent approval. "B-besides, you never granted my wish…" Ayano finished with a deep blush.
"Ooooh," Kyouko cooed, "Such forwardness. You're on! It's a date."
"I-It's a date?" Ayano cried. "I- I didn't… That's not-"
Her protest was cut short by a chorus of excitement spilling from the hallway into the lobby. Seconds later, the two girls were swamped in affection by seven others. Ms. Nishigaki, who was incredibly relieved that no one had died on her watch, opted to hug the rescue personnel.
They were all happy.
It had been a good day.