How about an update?
Sorry this took so long. Redeploying home, switching jobs, and then a quarantine kind of kept me from having a good routine for writing. As it is, this is just one scene in four parts, less than I'd planned on. The big clash coming in Ch 12 is also fighting me, since there's a ton of moving parts to organize to make sure everyone's in the right places at the right time.
OTOH, we're opening Ch 12 with KSK getting in on some main-plot action! And having a discussion about a plan. A plan that
Sayaka came up with.
2400 words of crazy to open the last chapter of
Advice & Trust.
Art?
Chapter 12.1
Götterdämmerung
+++
HEY.
YEAH?
COME OVER, BAE.
CAN'T. I'VE GOT HOMEWORK.
SAYAKA'S DAD ISN'T HOME. STAY THE NIGHT.
Kensuke's dad found a hastily scrawled note on the kitchen table explaining his son was off to spend the night at his friend's house, he had his cell phone. Mr. Aida shrugged. His son stayed over at the Suzuhara kid's place pretty often. He thought nothing of it and went to make some instant ramen for a simple widower's dinner.
+++
The comfortable silence in the dimly lit bedroom was broken by the redhead after twenty minutes of panting and silence. "Sayaka?"
"Mmm?" She tightened her arms around her bedmate, burrowing into her partner's back.
"You know this is kind of crazy, right?"
Sayaka shrugged and didn't open her eyes. "Too good an opportunity to pass up. Our dads will let us spend long sleepovers together without much supervision since they 'know' nothing naughty will go on, but how often do we get a chance to spend almost a whole week alone with our boyfriend?" She laughed softly. "And
definitely get 'naughty'."
"That's the part I mean." Kyoko reluctantly disentangled herself from Sayaka's arms and sat partway up on her elbows. "Us and Kensuke. I... I would feel awkward and unfair to him if we were just using a guy for sex because we've both found boys are more fun than we expected-"
"But we're not!" Sayaka protested, sitting up herself. "Sure, that part is lots of fun, but we go on actual dates, hang out together, his camping trips... heck, he's even made no-joke
studying together more fun and productive! And we all said we'd be honest about our feelings. We're not just using him, Kyo-chan! We've got something real here!" She paused. "...I mean, we both really like him, right?"
Kyoko nodded. "We do. And that's the crazy part. I wasn't saying we
were using him, Saya-chan. Just... if we're not doing this for real, that's what it is. And since we
are doing that... it's kind of crazy. Bad enough if our families ever found out you and I are together for real. But if they found out we're a for-real triad? That we're not just lesbians, but bisexual polyamorous perverts? Your dad would shoot him
and us, and my dad would either excommunicate me or send me to a nunnery! I'm not talking about this week being crazy. I'm talking about us doing this whole thing."
Sayaka's face drooped and she looked down and to the side. "...we'd be screwed either way. We'd be in a mess every way this ends except giving up on each other and just one of us taking Kensuke. And like Hell am I giving you up. You and I have loved each other since before we even knew how to say it." Her eyes came up to lock with Kyoko's again. "So if we're going to be in trouble, let's be in it the way that makes us happiest. Let's be crazy."
Kyoko's face split into a grin, her little fang winking at her girlfriend. "That's what I thought you'd say. I just wanted to check. Me too." She glanced at the bedside clock. "He should be here in a few minutes. Jan Ken Pon for who has to get dressed enough to open the door for him?"
+++
Kensuke fidgeted nervously in the bare hallway. He knew OPSEC was important, and Sayaka didn't want him to be seen sneaking in, so he'd waited in the stairwell until the coast was clear. But now he was stuck waiting outside her door now that he'd rung the bell. He was darting a worried look over his shoulder down the hall when the door hissed open and a pair of petite arms grabbed his collar and hauled him inside so fast he was nearly pulled right off his feet. "Yeek! He-"
Kyoko did her level best to muffle his surprised shriek by pushing him up against the wall just inside the door and sucking all the air out of him. "Mmmmmwa! Hi there, favorite boytoy! Glad you could make it!" she said with a smirk on releasing him.
Kensuke's eyes finally uncrossed and he smiled back at her. "Hi to you too. I-" Frantic signaling at the back of his head got through, and his eyes did a quick bob down and up again. Then a longer one, followed by a panicked look at the door, praying it was closed. "Kyoko! What if someone had been in the hall?!"
Kyoko stepped back from him and giggled. "I looked on the peep-camera first, dork. And I knew you wouldn't even ring the bell until there was no one in sight. Relax!" She did a little twirl, the bottom edge of the buttoned-up dress shirt she was wearing floating upward a distracting degree above her bare legs. "I'm still dressed enough to answer the door, anyway. Right?"
"Gleefle." Legs legs legs legs legs hips!
"Yeah, that's what Saya-chan said, too. Well, come along, then. She gets to give you a welcome kiss too. Got to be fair!" He barely had time to slip his shoes off before she grabbed his hand and led him through the living room and down the hall to Sayaka's bedroom.
Kensuke tried not to swallow too hard on sighting Sayaka laid out on the bed, ginning seductively. She sat partway up and smiled broadly as her girlfriend towed their boyfriend into the narrow room. "Heya, Ken-chan! About time you joined us. Have a seat!" She patted the bed next to her. Since she'd rolled herself over to the far side, this would put Kensuke in the middle once Kyoko laid down too. The space was half-filled just by the desk and slightly-wider-than-usual twin bed, so it was perfectly reasonable that only one person could really stand in the remaining space.
So of course Kyoko gave Kensuke a shove and dropped him into the bed next to Sayaka.
"Oof!" He barely had time to blink before the bluenette captured his lips.
"Mmm, welcome welcome indeed," Sayaka purred when she pulled back.
He settled into the middle with some trepidation. They'd had to work out some habits, making their tentative triad function, and the middle spot was the choice spot, allowing the lucky one to be cuddled from both sides by the other two. Generally, it rotated, unless someone had won it as a forfeit in a bet or one of their mock battles. For Sayaka to order him into that spot right off the bat signaled she had something important to say, and wanted him comfortable. The three of them had also discovered whoever was in the middle was pretty agreeable to a lot of things.
Kyoko sat down on the edge of the bed, her hip forcing Kensuke to scoot closer to Sayaka, who was only too happy to sandwich him between them. She laid down and arranged herself on his other side, throwing her bare leg over on top of his. He was pinned. He settled down, then shrugged mentally. So far, staying cool and communicating like Rei had taught him had worked out pretty well for the three of them. He trusted them. Hell, he was way past
liking them. His life was out of his control anymore, and he was just fine with that. As long as he got to be the one in the middle sometimes.
"Now that we've got you in our clutches, we want to discuss our master plan."
"My girlfriends are supervillains? Sounds like the next light novel," Kensuke joked, slightly nervously. "Um... master plan?"
"We've got two, a short-term and a long-term one," Kyoko said from behind him.
Sayaka nuzzled his left ear and giggled. "So, let me tell you, the vote is already two for, so it's probably going to pass, but we wanted your thoughts on Plan Crazy."
"Plan
what?"
+++
Kensuke stared up at the ceiling. It was becoming more familiar, and he looked forward to that. "Well... it's got a good name."
"Vote?" Kyoko prodded.
"It's a
really good name," Kensuke replied. He rolled his head to the right. "We've been together for a grand total of about five months, and this is a... uh... long range plan, to put it lightly."
"We've technically known each other since about third year of elementary school, though," Sayaka countered.
"Yeah, and I was the biggest nerd in school for most of that. Plus 'the creepy guy who takes pictures of the girls changing and stuff' for the last two. Your dad can't be thrilled of that. And we're kind of going to need that to even try this."
"He already likes you a bit for being as much an army nut as he is," she rebutted.
"And my dad thinks you're at least kind of nice for being willing to come and help out at his church during Christmas," Kyoko added. "Sure, he's probably not exactly thinking of you as 'the one who'll make an honest woman of me', but it can't hurt to bank up some goodwill, right?"
Kensuke couldn't prevent a brief terrified shiver at that phrasing coming from her mouth. "Just... this is crazy. You.. us? I... gahhh..."
Kyoko grimaced as she realized her own slip of the tongue. Though as usual, she took the bull by the horns and charged in. "Ok, let's just say it out loud and stop dancing around it: We like you, Kensuke. We want to start taking things seriously in a long term way. Yes, even... us three together as a..." She groped for a word. "Fuck, married. We're talking marriage. Or at least some kind of long-term as-close-as-we-can-get-away-with."
Kensuke stared at a point a thousand miles away. "Crazy..." He shook his head to snap himself out of shock. "Kyoko, did you just
propose?
To me?!"
Sayaka poked him in the ribs from his other side. "One, technically, we just admitted we're discussing that topic in a long-range and theoretical way to get some of the awkward euphemisms and stuff out of the way. Two, no, she didn't.
We did."
She shifted onto her side to face him more easily. "Ken-chan, Kyoko and I have been together... well, we both know this isn't 'just some phase', no matter what people usually say about girls like us. So finding you, who's not only able to keep his mouth shut about us before we were anything but classmates, is not only willing to toss a burgeoning career as the hottest date in our year for playing beard for us, but is also willing to," she waved her hand vaguely, "just go along when we wanted to experiment with all this... Hell, Ken-chan, we'd have to be crazy to let someone who's turned out to be this sweet get away. So… um… are we making you panic?" asked, worriedly.
"Little bit," Kensuke squeaked.
"Sorry."
"Probably just reflex!" he raggedly continued. "You are both sweet and I really like you and just having a little panic attack is perfectly normal!" He managed a shaky grin. "Not like telling our families 'Hey, we three plan to be a thing for the long run' is going to make them freak out and separate us. It's not like your dad is going to come in and hear us and see this and-"
"Kensuke! Relax! It's us!" Sayaka said, squeezing him from the side. "My dad's not coming through the door for days, trust me. He left last night in a hurry, something about a 'surprise unscheduled drill'. He said he wouldn't be home until at least next Monday. We're safe."
Kensuke froze. "He… what?" He rolled over to face her directly. "Did… did he say exactly that? 'Surprise unscheduled drill'?"
Sayaka's eyes flicked up towards her eyebrows. "Ah, yeah, I think so. Why?"
Kensuke looked worried. "That's exactly the same thing they announced when they were mobilizing a bunch of units ahead of the first Angel attack here. Don't you remember?"
Sayaka shrugged. "I… guess so. I wasn't paying much attention then."
Kyoko snickered. "Because you and I used that week for another 'extended sleepover', maybe?"
Sayaka reached over Kensuke to poke and tickle her girlfriend just above her belly button. "That was
your idea, you thirsty witch."
"
You're the witch, honey," Kyoko snarked back, swatting at her hands. "Look at you, ensorcelling two innocents with your sexy wiles, binding us to your will with your oh-so-innocent blue eyes and firm little-"
Kensuke suddenly rolled over Kyoko and off the bed, standing up and walking quickly out of the bedroom without a word. Sayaka and Kyoko left off their tickling and poking at each other and shared a confused look.
"Er… Ken-chan? Something wrong?" Sayaka asked after him.
"Yeah, you're not running away, are you? Seriously, we didn't mean to freak you out if this is too much. 'Plan Crazy' is kind of just… tongue in cheek, you know?"
Kensuke returned, holding a small, hollow metal cube in his hand, painted a bright red. "Something's wrong."
"That's what I'm asking abou… Huh?" Kyoko peered at the thing in his hand.
He held up the metal cube. It was open on three sides, and had what looked like a keyring loop on one side. "He left his BFA. I don't think he's on a drill without it."
"BFwhat?" Kyoko blinked.
"Blank Fire Adapter. You use it during drills when you're not using live ammo. You have to stick it on the end of your rifle or it won't cycle without it. You-" Kensuke looked at their blank stares. "Nevermind. It's just something that's really weird to leave behind when you're called up for a 'surprise unscheduled drill'. Especially when that's the same thing they said right before the first Angel attack." He looked up at them, frowning. "I wonder if something's up. I'll have to ask Major Katsuragi about it next time we go see Rei and the rest."
"Why don't you just call Shinji-kun and have him ask?" Sayaka suggested.
Kensuke shook his head. "No good. NERV monitors all the phone lines in the city, so its a bad idea to try talking about sensitive stuff over 'em."
"That sounds kind of paranoid, hon," Sayaka grinned at him.
"No, I'm serious. A computer voice cut off a call between me and Touji once, when I tried asking about the Class Rep's condition after a battle. NERV takes secrecy stuff seriously."
Kyoko shrugged. "Alright, so we ask them next time we go over. Tomorrow, maybe?" She reached out her hand and tugged Kensuke closer to the bed. She kept pulling until he was forced to flop back onto the narrow mattress and roll back into the middle. "Tonight, you, me, and Saya-chan have an apartment to ourselves, no parents around, and a bed. Sound good?"
Kensuke half-smiled. "Sounds crazy."
) and was confused about possible Angel attack and Kensuke not being called up to pilot/being super concerned about it. Woops.
