Title: The True Meaning of Genuine Part 2

Summary: Life is full of choices and decisions and those decisions mold the way one sees the world and how one acts. However, in a quest to find the one thing Hachiman wants, this is the one time where yes a choice needs to be made, but not a choice between the other two members of his club.

Episode Base: Season 2 Episode 8

Characters: Yukino, Yui, Hachiman, Iroha (mildly)

"Yukino you did what?!"

Yukino winced, shutting her book and lifting it almost like a shield as Yui's hands landed on her shoulder to shake her like mad on the couch, "Yui stop! I already apologized," the frazzled bookworm tried to defend herself from the obviously unhappy girl.

"You told Hachiman that he didn't need to watch over us and force himself to be at the Service Club! Service Club! With us Yukinon!" Yui released her and fumed sitting beside her on her knees, and Yukino honestly believed she was overreacting.

Yukino coughed lightly into her hand, pulling herself and her composure together to respond to her… whatever the term was supposed to be in this situation's question. "As I said earlier, I apologize for upsetting you and possibly making Hi-Hachiman-" good grief Yui was rubbing off on her too much. "-leave the club, however Yui while I am sorry, I am not going to apologize for testing him."

"What?" Yui narrowed her eyes, "how does this work as a test?"

Yukino gave her a long look, "Iroha already suspects something changed between us two seeing how she has attempted to nudge details out of me more than a few times, and when you brought up a good point, I had to make sure to get rid of a possible sense of obligation from H-Hachiman." I need to stop spending so much time with them both unless I want to get stuck using that nickname forever.

"Possible sense of obligation… oh," the expression of understanding that dawned on Yui's face made texting Yui about what she, Yukino, had done and agreeing to Yui's request of running over to Yukino's apartment and before being shaken for a few mind jarring seconds, all worth it.

Yukino scooted a half an inch closer and reopened her book, "I do not know what idea you have whirling around in your mind but I wanted to make sure he was not here for the club's sake." she flipped a page so she was back to her previous spot, "I wanted to confirm that he came to the usually fruitless club meetings for-"

"-For us," Yui finished then lightly smacked Yukino in the shoulder with a frown, "why didn't you just say so Yukinon? You had me really worried!"

"If I had you would never have agreed, not to mention," Yukino gave her a blunt look, "you would have given it away."

"Auh come on Yukinon!" Yui complained, shifting so she could slump into the couch cushions, "that's mean!"

Yukino lifted a hand and rested it on the top of her head while her eyes still followed the text in her book, "hush, I am studying Yui."

Yui sighed but leaned forward and picked up one of the other textbooks before settling so that her shoulder brushed Yukino's as they both read silently for a few moments.

"How long till we figure out the results of your little test?"

"Not long, we will likely find out tomorrow afternoon or evening during club hours. I'll pick you up from your classroom and we'll see if Hachiman shows up tomorrow."

"Yukino…"

"I trust him Yui," Yukino explained simply without looking up, "he will come, if you can't trust him then trust me." She gave her a reassuring smile, "okay?"

Yukino got part of an answer much earlier than she had expected, as in, a phone call at two am early. She blurrily opened her eyes and reached groggily for her phone, bumping Yui's head in the process and giving her a stark reminder that she had fallen asleep on the couch with Yui.

The latter had been worrying at evening so Yukino had simply called Yui's mother, let her know where Yui was and pushed her off to the bath while she hunted down the DVDs Yui had brought over a while ago. Movies weren't her thing, she was more of a reader than a movie watcher but she had been concerned about Yui at the time and so she had suggested they'd watch a movie or two. However… Yukino blinked dumbly at how close Yui was to her, she had been sitting up when she dozed off, so why was she lying here curled around the other girl?

Yukino's face flushed pink but she didn't get up, keeping as still as possible as she managed to scoot her phone closer by her fingertips, trying to not wake Yui up, before answering the vibrating call without looking at the caller ID. "Hello?" She tried to rub the sleep out of her eyes and keep it out of her voice.

"Yukino?"

The voice made her eyes widen a small amount and in an instant all of her sleepiness was gone.

"Hachiman."

"Look, I need to talk to you for a minute."

Yukino couldn't help the mild frown that adorned her lips and the irritation that leaked into her voice as she put the phone between her ear and her shoulder, "then start talking Hachiman."

She reached over Yui, jostling the other girl a little as she reached blindly for one of her throw pillows to replace her asleep arm that ended up beneath Yui's head somehow. "Little minx," Yukino muttered as the idea of Yui moving them both into this position popped into head.

"Parden?"

Yukino rolled her eyes, "talking about a book character Hachiman. I still haven't heard you start talking yet." Her fingers brushed over the throw pillow's edge and she seized it, lifting it up before trying to move her rather dead arm.

"I know you told me not to go to the club if I'm just there to watch over you guys, but…"

Yukino carefully pushed the pillow beneath Yui's head, wincing a little as Yui stirred at the shifting of her head, while listening to Hachiman's gruff voice over the phone.

"... I am not there to watch over you," Hachiman explained, "and… I don't really know what my reason is yet."

"What do you expect me to do Hachiman?" Yukino sighed as she began to pull her arm out from under Yui's head, feeling the limb tingle and complain about the blood flowing properly again through it. She needed to get up, there was no telling when Yui would wake up after all of that moving around.

"I do not expect-"

"Yukino...?" Yui's groggy voice interrupted Hachiman's words and Yukino grimaced, like she wanted Hachiman to know Yui was with her when he called her and not Yui.

"Is Yui there with you?"

Yukino sat up, pulling her feet beneath her before carefully breaking every manner and protocol she was taught and walking on the couch, stepping over Yui in the process. She said nothing for a long moment, waiting till she flipped on the light switch in her apartment's hallway before speaking. "She's asleep, she can't hear you if that is what you are concerned over Hachiman, now go on, continue."

Hachiman waited for a few moments himself before replying. "I do not expect anything from you, rather I have a question I'd appreciate an answer for."

Yukino brushed her long hair over her shoulders and leaned sideways against the wall, "so you've said," she sighed lightly, tired and not really in the mood to fight with him right now, "what's the question."

"What changed after the student council presidential elections."

A wary sense of confusion nudged Yukino's tired brain and she spoke slowly, "what do you mean?"

"Something changed during the process of the student council presidential elections," Hachiman explained, sounding rather forceful and mildly confused, "something in the club."

Yukino ignored the rude tone of voice and responded, choosing her words carefully and trying to not give too much, if anything, away. "There were many things that changed in the club around then Hachiman, it was back in November, nearing a month ago."

"Yukinoshita," Yukino frowned at the extremely formal referring of her name, "stop edging around the question."

"Then make the question clearer Hikkigaya," Yukino replied coolly with a rather frosty tone, "I neither have the time or energy to fight with you and your increased hostility this late."

Yukino heard a deep breath as if he was trying to calm down and not fight with her. "I want to know what changed between us," Hachiman's voice was confused, more confused and tentative she had ever heard him sound since she met him.

"Who?" Yukino asked for clarification, her tired brain jumping to a few conclusions.

"You, and I, Yukino" Hachiman explained, "you, Yui, and me I mean. Something changed and I do not like it in the slightest."

Yukino's lips thinned into an irritated line, what was she supposed to say? "I apologize, but I'm not exactly sure what you want me to say Hachiman. We've all had a long month and life is all about change."

"Change may be your philosophy Yukino," Hachiman pointed out, "but you can't just sit there and tell me you are happy with this."

Yukino felt her eyebrows furrow, "for your information Hachiman I am perfectly happy with some of the changes."

"How?" Hachiman actually sounded disbelieving, "the club doesn't talk, this event is falling apart, I haven't seen you really talk to Yui for weeks, etc. How out of all of that are you happy?"

Yukino sighed, "Hachiman I am not fighting with Yui, I am not agreeing with your process, not the way Yui does things. As for you not seeing us speak to each other, that is simply because Yui feels torn between our different sides. Unless of course, you conveniently forgot that I woke her up because you called me this late into the night and neither of us are nocturnal like cats."

"So she is there," Yukino couldn't figure out the emotion in Hachiman's voice at that moment.

"She is asleep in my living room because she wanted to have a movie night," Yukino explained slowly, "what kind of reaction is that? I am very sure Yui has told you she stays over at my apartment, she's too open with you for her to not have."

"Sorry, sorry," Yukino frowned further at the apology. Hachiman apologizing for something like this? What was going on in that guy's head?

"Stop apologizing Hikkigaya and tell me why it bothers you so much that my best friend is staying over at my place," Yukino deadpanned, "clearly there is something bothering you for you to have apologized over something like this."

"..."

"Hikkigaya tell me or state what you want before I hang up."

"Iroha said something to me."

Yukino narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms, "what did the student council president say?"

"That you two were together or whatever, and I'm not being some third wheel," Hachiman grunted back.

Causing Yukino to force a chuckle and keep her cool, "Iroha has romance on the brain Hachiman, take refuge in the knowledge that you're no third wheel, we have only been friends."

"But…"

"But what?" Yukino rolled her eyes, "what now Hachiman?"

"I'm not blind Yukino, I've seen that look in your eyes in Komochi's shows before."

Yukino almost choked, whether she was more shocked about Hachiman watching what his little sister watched or the knowledge that he had caught her looking at Yui before she didn't know, "e-excuse me?"

Hachiman sounded rather gruff and awkward as he spoke, "Yui's the only one out of the three of us that isn't aware of it."

Yukino scowled, yeah right. Yui knew full well at this point. "Figures you watch romance with your little sister Hachiman, can you get any creepier? As for Yui, she already knows."

"She's my little sister and I'm her only family that's around most of the- wait, what?"

"Yui is well aware of my emotions Hachiman, I wouldn't concern yourself with it."

"But…"

"Look, I do not pry in your relationship with Siaka or anyone else for that matter, I would appreciate it if you would drop the topic of my nonexistent love-life hachiman."

"Of course, I apologize for prying Yukino," he sounded awkward and confused.

Yukino leaned more against the wall she was leaning against, rubbing at one of her temples in a stressed fashion, "is there anything else you needed Hachiman?"

"No, have a good night Yukino," with that he hung up.

Yukino gave a stressed groan and turned back toward Yui, fully intending to pick her up and putting her to bed in her room while she studied some more, her mind whirring at a hundred miles a minute. Only to jump at finding Yui's messy haired form curled up, sitting up on the couch with the tv playing once again.

"Who were you on the phone with?" Yui's pink hued eyes looked amber from the tv's reflection.

"When did you wake up?" Yukino asked her in reply and scooped up her book from the coffee table before sitting down for a few moments, feeling more tired than she was when the phone call first woke her up.

"A few minutes ago," Yui replied cheerfully and leaned gently against Yukino's shoulder in a form of comfort, "who was on the phone with you? It's very unlike you to get calls from people this late Yukinon."

"Ask me again tomorrow," Yukino sighed and shut her eyes, feeling too drained to even relax with her book. The phone call had gotten Yukino's brain running at a hundred miles an hour, her frazzled brain throwing general logic out the window and running the conversation through her mind a few times.

Why was his reaction to Yui like that? Yukino's eyebrows furrowed together, now that she was looking back on it he sounds more odd than she had originally thought. Did she detect traces of disappointment and resignation in his voice? Yukino's eyebrows furrowed further into an expression of stress and confusion. Hachiman had held that tone throughout the rest of the phone-call, even when she told him she and Yui were just friends.

What was going through your head at that moment, Hachiman Hikkigaya? Yukino frowned, did I say something wrong? If so, what were you expecting me of all people to say? My speciality is logic, not human emotion and the fickle thing that is the emotional heart.

"Can I take a guess?" Yui's voice pushed Yukino out of her thoughts and the latter opened her eyes and sat up straight, having slid into a lazy slouch while she was thinking.

"Guess what?" Yukino replied dumbly to her, in the middle of shoving Hachiman's phone call into the secondary areas of her mind to better focus on Yui.

"Did Hikki call you?" Yui asked and sheepishly held up her own cell phone which displayed her call history, "cause he tried to call me too."

What bothered him so much he would call both of us? Yukino rubbed at her temples in a stressed fashion, "yes he was the caller Yui, but he did not really say anything of interest that actually made any sense."

Yui nodded, "okay," she seemed to sense how frustrated and stressed out Yukino was as she stood up and gently grasped Yukino's wrist. "Come on, it's late and you're going to be really tired at school tomorrow if you don't get some sleep."

Yukino lifted her other arm and glanced at her watch which read two-fifteen-am and mentally sighed. She let Yui lead her to her room, before she began to remove Yui's hand from her wrist as they reached the hallway closet, "hang on, I will go grab pillows."

Yui refused to let her go and gave her a smile and a shake of her head, "it's okay Yukinon, the pillow divider isn't needed this late, I just want to go back to sleep."

Yukino's cheeks adopted a red hue in the dark but she just rolled her eyes and pulled her hair back behind her shoulders and followed Yui.

Sorry I missed your call, everything good? Yui hit the send button and could do nothing but wait for a response despite the time. She doubted he was asleep after calling Yukino out of the blue like that, after all Yukino had dozed off long before she had.

The sun was just beginning to rise, the midnight blue of the night lightening just a few degrees, but Yui was still awake. She had been thinking, mulling over her potential solution to their current situation while Yukino was asleep.

Yukino's breath tickled her ear, her slow breathing tickling the skin and rustling her pink hair from how close she was to her right now.

Yui let her phone rest down on the mattress and silently snuggled back against the sleeping girl's warm body. Drawing warmth and a sense of comfort from the unguarded actions of Yukino in her sleep. Yukino wasn't necessarily a naturally touchy feely person, but Yui had had enough sleepovers with her to know that Yukino was a cuddler in her sleep. So if she simply wanted some comfort or to feel protected, like she did right now, all she had to do was pry a pillow out of Yukino's fingers and lay next to her. Where Yukino would naturally, cuddle her to her body without so much as stirring a little.

Sure Yukino would probably mentally freak out with her that close to her when she woke up, but she didn't really say anything about it making her uncomfortable and Yui didn't do it all the time, just when she couldn't sleep or needed the comfort.

Yui could feel Yukino's arm draped over her waist, her fingers twitching a little against her shirt and the sheets as she dreamed accompanied by the occasional adorable noise that escaped the sleeping girl's lips. All of it gave Yui a warm sense of comfort, like Yukino, unknowingly, was there to protect her, and when she was debating about a plan that she wasn't even sure would bode well between Yukino and Hachiman in the beginning she needed it.

"Don't hurt…" Yukino sleep mumbled near Yui's ear, tilting her head down, "...the… cat…"

Yui couldn't help her grin, of course Yukino was dreaming about cats, it would've been kind of strange if she didn't. Yui lifted an arm near her head, wrapping her hand around Yukino's in a form of affection and causing Yukino's fingers to still in her hold.

Yukino's nose came in contact with Yui's hair and she fell silent once again, her arm tightening mildly around Yui's waist for a moment before she relaxed, her breathing deepening back into proper sleep.

Yui's phone lit up, the device on silent to prevent the vibrations or sound from waking up Yukino, and she scooped it up with her free hand to unlock and check the text. Looks like I was right, Hikki's still up.

I'm responding to your text at four-am in the morning Yui. Does it sound like everything's all fine and dandy?

Yui rolled her eyes and typed out a response.

Relax Hikki, I was curious if there's anything Yukinon missed in your call you want me to address. I woke up at the end of the call and it didn't take much to connect my missed calls to her call.

Not really, Yukino's as crypt as usual.

Well if you were talking about emotions then she's probably confused how to explain it.

Makes sense.

Yui breathed a rather shuddered sigh through her nose, obviously Hachiman wasn't in the mood to converse right now.

Yukino's arm around her middle tightened at the sound and she stirred, Yui could feel the change in her breathing. "Yui?"

Yui flipped down her phone's screen, preventing the added light from completely waking her up, "sorry," she whispered, "my mind's whirring."

"Tell it to shut up and go back to sleep…" Yukino mumbled in a sleep roughened tone, "your body's melatonin levels were fine earlier…"

"I will," Yui whispered and felt Yukino's nose ruffle her hair again as the light sleeper easily dropped off before she replied to Hachiman's text.

She didn't tell me anything about the call or anything if that's what you're worried about.

I wasn't.

Yui stifled an annoyed breath.

Well if you don't have anything to say I have a question for you Hikki.

Shoot for it.

Was she really asking him this? This could go a hundred different ways and a lot of them weren't great.

Hypothetically do you think couples with more than one partner can work out?

What, you trying to insinuate something?

Yui raised an eyebrow, no Hikki, I watched a tv show recently and wanted your opinion. Realistically this was the best option for the three of them. Sure, Yukino and Hachiman would likely have a hard time adjusting and learning how to make it work, but Yui had faith that they could make it work as long as they both wanted it too. They were both too stubborn with the ability to do anything they put their mind to let it fall apart.

What is there to say? Society, especially at our age disapproves.

Yui frowned, when did you start caring about society Hikki?

I don't, I'm just pointing that out.

Okay, but what's your personal opinion?

As long as all the members of the relationship are happy and they all balance the relationship itself out it's fine.

Yui smiled and shut her phone in favor of snuggling a little closer to Yukino and tugging the blankets up to be held at her chin. Now all she had to do was come up with the way to bring it all up to him and Yukino and they would finally get somewhere.

"I… I will…" Yukino looked almost like she had seen a ghost, so startled and shocked, "I will th-think about… it Yui." She awkwardly told her, "it's not a no, it is just…"

Yui smiled gently at her and sat down in her seat, giving Yukino some space to think about her potential solution, "I know it's a lot to take in Yukinon, but if we don't act soon we're going to be emotionally miserable for who knows how long."

"I… I know," Yukino's brain was struggling to keep up and file through all of Yui's suggestion, "and I am not completely against it or anything, it is just an odd concept for me to understand."

Yui nodded, "traditionally a couple is one guy, one girl, but even though your family still follows traditions like those and so do my own to a certain extent, we're not traditional. We're both girls and both of us love each other and a guy creating a triangle that we can't escape. I mean," she smiled, "normally the two girls are butting heads over a guy, not developing feelings for each other alongside feelings for him as well."

Yukino rubbed one of her temples, "I understand, but how would society even see this? You know I am not one to care about the fickle things in society's eye, but this? This will make all of us outcasts, particularly at our own school Yui."

Yui perked up, "I already have a plan for that too, you and Hikki are naturally very reserved people and outside of the clubroom I only closely interact with you in a manner that shows off how close we are. It wouldn't be too hard, for at least at first, to let people know that I'm dating you but not tell them about how we're also dating Hikki!"

Yukino was silent for a few moments, mulling the idea over before sighing and shutting her eyes, "I can not believe I'm about to say this, but if Hachiman Hikkigaya agrees to this crazy scheme of yours I will try it." She opened her eyes and looked at Yui, eyes firm, "but… at least until we are sure it will work, you are my highest priority, understand?"

Yui nodded, "I figured," she smiled and rested a hand on Yukino's shoulder, "both you and Hikki are going to have the hardest time adjusting to it all so if it'll make it easier for you then go ahead. Just…" Her smile softened, "don't hold back with him like you do right now okay?"

Yukino briefly touched her hand with the pads of her fingertips before she reopened her book, "I will do my best. However," she gave her a small conflicted smile, "give me some time to really think about it alright?"

Yui nodded and fell silent, turning her attention to her phone and giving Yukino the requested space and silence she needed to work it all out in her head.

That was how they stayed for a while, the only sounds were their breathing, pages being softly flipped in Yukino's book and the clicking of Yui's keys of her phone.

Until there was knocking at the door anyway and Yukino instantly responded.

Sitting up a little straighter and calling out a greeting while flipping a page of her book, "come in."

Then as the door slid open they both breathed in a gasp and their eyes widened as Hachiman silently stepped into the room. Since when did Hachiman ever knock on the clubroom door or even wait for approval to come inside?

They both watched silently as he closed the door and finally Yui spoke, lowering her phone as she did so.

"Hikki, something wrong? You actually knocked and all…" Yui heard Yukino close her book and could feel the difference in her at Hachiman's presence. She seemed awkward, hesitant, but also mildly cold and distant the moment his arrival registered to both of them.

"I said you didn't have to force yourself to come anymore," Yukino's tone was flat to most, but Yui could hear the awkward shaking in it, likely from her suggestion just minutes earlier.

"But I'm here for a reason now," Hachiman replied and Yui watched him, pink eyes studying his determined but solom body language and the tones of his voice.

"H-have a seat," Yui cursed the weakness in her voice due to the rather now normal feeling of being caught between the two in their fierce headbutting of personal opinions, Yukino's stronger than Hachiman's.

Hachiman did as she asked, and Yui saw Yukino's eyes widen as well out of the corner of her eye as instead of going to his usual seat on the other side of the table, he pulled out the chair directly across from them and sat down.

"What's going on?" Yui couldn't help but ask, confused and unsure on what had sparked this change in attitude from him, "you're acting a little different than you normally do". Even their text conversation gave her no insight on what was going on with him right now.

Hachiman gave a sigh, one that Yui recognized as a sigh of steeling one's self up for something, "I came with a request, and…" something flickered in his obsidian eyes, "...and to talk."

Yui blinked, "to talk?" What did he want to talk about? Was what she was about to ask when Yukino jumped in as well.

"Very well, what is your request Hachiman Hikkigaya."

"We can talk after we know what your request is Hikki," Yui smiled a little, "then we can all make a decision."

Hachiman gave no recognization of Yukino using his first and last name but nodded lightly toward Yui before he spoke. "You know the christmas event Iroha came to us about?" Yui nodded and he continued, "it's much more difficult than I have originally expected. So I would like to ask for your help."

"But-" Hachiman cut Yukino off and Yui could only look between them both, concerned and worried about what would happen now.

"-no, I know what you want to say, I took it all upon myself and said it wouldn't help Iroha in the end but I'm the one that advised her to become student council president."

Yui winced at the reminder of the source of some crazy events back in November and by the way she saw Yukino lightly grip her skirt in her lap, Yukino didn't like the reminder either.

"Do you remember that summer camp last June? Well that girl we helped is there, there in the event's preparation meetings but it's like before."

"I remember her," Yui nodded and Yukino finished the sentence for her.

"Her name was Rumi, correct?"

Hachiman nodded, "see I really want to do something to help her, but I only made it worse last time. By coming here I'm being selfish, wanting your help, needing it, but I can't just stand by anymore. I need your help Yui, Yukino. So please," he dipped his head and shoulders into a mild bow, "lend me your help."

For a few moments there was nothing but silence, and Yui watched, looking between Yukino's conflicted expression and Hachiman's before she broke the ice.

"Why us Hikki?"

"Because…" Hachiman hesitated and looked toward the window, "because I know if… I know that if I have nobody else to turn to you both will help me if it's feasible."

"If that was the case you could have gone to Siaka or even Hyato," Yukino murmured quietly and Yui silently agreed with her.

Yui tucked some of her fringe out of her face and partially changed the subject. "What did you want to talk about Hikki? That'll give us some time and think over your request."

Hachiman nodded and Yui saw his adam's apple bob as he swallowed before he began speaking. "I wanted to talk about us, all three of us."

Yui exchanged confused glances with a very quiet Yukino before she turned back to Hachiman, "what do you mean Hikki?"

"We have… we have all changed," Hachiman began, "the club dynamic, the way we all interact with each other and I do not like it. We're all pretty much lost in our own worlds in club meetings, you two don't talk anymore, and Yukino's explained to me that you, Yui, feel torn between sides. And… and it needs to all stop."

Yui gave him a look of confusion while beneath the table she stopped Yukino from tightening her grip on her skirt. "What do you mean?" She spoke slowly with a sense of dread, "do you mean we need to break up the club?"

"What?" Hachiman looked briefly shocked, the most emotion Yui had ever seen on his face since she had met him, "that is not at all what I meant."

"Then be clear about it," Yukino told him quietly and Yui nodded in agreement.

"What exactly do you want to change Hikki?"

"It feels like we're all distancing ourselves from each other-"

If only you knew what was actually going on, Yui mentally sighed.

"-and the bonds we as people have developed with each other are beginning to break or shift and it made me uncomfortable." Hachiman explained, "I don't like the silence and the lack of communication between all of us, including how we don't… we don't rely on each other anymore."

Yui tilted her head slightly to one side, "what do you mean?"

"I mean that it seems as though we're all isolating ourselves from each other and it's impossible to take a moment and rely on each other." Hachiman explained and lowered his head, "I'm always alone, and I admit that it's my norm. However, it wasn't the norm here until recently. I… I felt..."

Yui felt her throat close up slightly, Hachiman was essentially telling them that he relied on them, that they made him feel like he really wasn't alone besides his little sister.

"...I felt like I had people that understood me," Hachiman explained, still not looking at either of them, "that two people understood what I struggled with and that I could struggle together with them and they wouldn't push me away…"

"What started all of this?" Yui asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I ran into a junior high classmate a little while ago, in fact you both met her, and… the things she says, they're different than what you two say and how you two treat me." Hachiman replied, a mild shaking in his voice, "when I pulled that stunt in the culture festival you two were the only one that didn't ignore my existence. Sure you got upset when I did what I did in Kyoto, but…"

Yui watched him, saying nothing and just letting him talk.

"...but you only got upset because you care." Hachiman whispered, "Yukino you were so angry and Yui you cried because you cared and I realize that now. I've done all of these things, and…"

Yui's eyes widened, noticing the way Hachiman kept looking around.

"...and you've just taken them in stride and stayed beside me. I've put you both through so much but… but you've done nothing but care. I finally recognize that, and I know what I've been really looking for this whole time. I don't believe struggling is genuine," he stood up, his hands clenched into fists at his sides, "and neither is what we do in the service club nor is what Iroha calls love, but… I want to find it! I want… I want something genuine!" Hachiman's voice shuddered with tears, "I want to find something I can call genuine and I believe I can find it here, here with both of you!"

Yui felt her own eyes get wet with tears at his long rant of a proclamation.

"You've already found it Hikki," she told him softly, "even if you yourself don't feel it, genuine is already here. It's here, between all three of us, and…" The look Yukino gave her, a look of panicked fear, made her falter but she finished her sentence, "...it's called love Hikki. Not just a passing attraction or crush, it's love."

She looked him straight in the eye through her own tears, "I love you Hachiman Hikkigaya, and so does Yukino. Love is genuine, love is the feeling you get when you don't just have a bond with someone, you're connected with them on a deeper level. You want them to be happy and despite everything going on you want to protect them but you know that you can't protect them from everything. It's something precious and invaluable, and if you don't feel it right now it's okay," she smiled warmly at him and stood up before she reached across the table and grasped his hands. "Because if you will let us, we'll both teach you, won't we Yukino?"

Yukino nodded slightly but didn't speak, looking like a frightened deer caught in the headlights.

Yui looked back at Hachiman with a loving smile, "all you have to do is tell us what you want us to do Hikki."

"You're…" he seemed to be struggling to speak, but Yui could see that he believed in what she had said, "you're both really important to me, but I… I don't know."

Yui could see Yukino anxiously grasping at her sleeve, her cheeks pink but her face a little pale and confused. However Yui continued to talk to Hachiman, "don't know what?"

Hachiman looked at her, confusion and conflicting emotions dancing around in his usually rather deadened eyes. "I don't… I don't know how I feel," he explained with a rather heavy amount of guilt in his voice, "I don't… I don't know."

"That's okay," Yui smiled, feeling a sting in her heart but stubbornly keeping it from showing itself, "you can figure it out yourself or we can all figure it out together-"

"I'm sorry…" Yukino whispered, cutting Yui off, her hand curled tightly around her sleeve so hard that her knuckles were white. Tears were threatening to appear in her eyes, her silvery blue eyes swirling with a sea of confusion, hurt, and pain as she looked down at her own lap. "I… I can't do it…" Her eyes briefly met Yui's and Hachiman's where she whispered, "I'm sorry…" and sharply stood up from her chair before fleeing the room.

"Yukinon!" Yui tried to catch her wrist but Yukino yanked her arm free without breaking stride, vanishing outside of the clubroom. "Yukinon come back!" Tears welled up in her eyes, "Yukinon!"

She was gone.

Yui swallowed the massive lump in her throat and looked at the rather frozen boy staring down at his shoes.

"I want…" he spoke hoarsely, "I want to try and learn, but… I don't know who to choose," he whispered gruffly, "I don't want to choose."

Yui walked around the table and looked at him, "you don't have to," she told him, unable to help the pleading edge of her voice, "just please… please come with me…"

Hachiman shook his head, tears welling in his own eyes as he just stood there, staring out at nothing. "she's gone Yui."

"No she's not!" Yui desperately grasped Hachiman by the sleeve, "lets go Hikki!" She pulled harshly on his sleeve.

"I'm not going."

"Don't give up like this!" her tears threatened to spill out over her cheeks, "don't give up like this when there's a future waiting out there for all three of us!"

Hachiman said nothing so Yui pulled on his sleeve again but harder, getting him to look at her as she spoke, "Yukinon's confused! She's been in love with you for so long that hearing that you don't know how you feel felt like you stabbed her with a knife! I felt like that and I know she did as well!" Yui's tears escaped, marking tracks down her cheeks and face and she desperately tried to keep it together and get Hachiman to go with her, "she doesn't know what to do when I accepted her confession and feelings but you didn't!"

"Yui…"

"Come on! We'll go together!" When he didn't move Yui caved, near sobbing, "please Hikki! we can't just let what we all have end like this! It's too precious to me for me to just let this fall apart in the moment where we all need to come together!"

No response.

"Please Hikki!" Yui looked tearfully at him, her own heart cracking apart at how quickly this turned to despair, "it's now or never, we have to go after her!" She released his sleeve to instead grab his hand, "come on! Please Hikki!"

When his hand slipped out from hers Yui almost broke down, looking at him like he was breaking her heart doing this, and in reality he was.

However he looked past her toward the door and spoke in a rough low voice, "I can walk just fine… let's go."

Imagine Yui's surprise when Hachiman opened the door to see Iroha just standing there now looking very awkwardly at the two of them.

"Oh, uh… um hey! I was going to come in but you guys seemed like you were all in a hurry…"

"We really are," Yui told her quickly, she had to find Yukino, she wouldn't leave this building till she found her and made sure to fix whatever miscommunication that she had running through her head, "we gotta go!"

She heard Hachiman get stopped by Iroha, but she didn't pay attention as she sprinted down the hallway. Only for Hachiman to run by and grab her by the hand.

"Iroha says she's up on the roof," he told her as they ran toward the stairs.

"Then that's where we're going," Yui told him firmly, "come on Hikki!"

Sure enough they found Yukino standing on the roof gazing out at the setting sun, visibly lost in her own world.

"Yukinon!" The relief in Yui's voice was audible as she ran down the pathway regardless of her panting from running up two flights of stairs, and didn't stop moving till she threw her arms around her. Where Yukino narrowly caught herself from making them both fall to the floor.

"Y-Yui?"

"You got the wrong idea!" Yui exclaimed around her and her own labored breathing. "You didn't let Hikki finish!"

"Hachiman? What?" Yukino looked and sounded even more confused, "Yui, what're you talking about?"

Yui partially released Yukino to look at the boy walking toward them, "you don't have to choose Hikki, and you can learn and understand your own feelings as we go." She opened an arm toward him, an invitation of a hug, "we can all be together, all three of us."

Hachiman didn't even twitch, having understood Yui's one sentence suggestion toward this particular thing while Yukino looked a little lost and confused. He did sigh though and stop, standing a foot or so out of Yui's reach, "society's not going to accept us, any of us after this."

Yui smiled warmly at him, "says the guy who doesn't like society."

Hachiman rolled his eyes and took a step toward them, allowing Yui to loosely pull him into a hug with him and Yukino. "Just making sure you're well aware of that fact before I get myself into something as crazy as this."

Yui's face broke out in a massive smile and she giggled while Yukino looked about as lost relationship-wise as Hachiman, both of them giving each other awkward looks.

"Take it slow," Yui told both of them, "I already knew both of you would struggle to find your footing so we can take it slow, well mostly slow. I love you Hachiman," She then released Hachiman to pull Yukino close, getting a squeak out of Yukino before she smiled at her, "and I love you too," she hummed before to Hachiman's surprise and Yukino's embarrassed shock, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to Yukino's.

"Woah," Hachiman blanched.

Yui knew he was there, but for the moment she indulged herself as she felt Yukino's fingers threaded themselves through her pink hair to cradle her head close in an adorable Yukino fashion. Yukino's lips tasted like her mint lipbalm and the kiss itself was soft and warm, mildly awkward due to it being both of their first kisses, and Yui could feel Yukino's naturally guarded emotions through the contact better than she could by just reading her body language and the things she said.

After what felt like a while, Yui pulled away from the kiss, grinning like an idiot and giggling before pulling Hachiman back into a hug with all three of them.

Yukino seemed stunned, her face a dark red while she was holding her fingers to her lips in a dazed fashion while she was visibly not really registering the world around her, her silvery blue eyes mildly unfocused and fixed on Yui at the moment.

She felt like she could fly right now, all three of them were together.

"I'm not…" Hachiman gave a rare stutter, "I'm not really ready for that."

Yui nodded and leaned up on her toes and Hachiman shied away, but instead to his surprise, she only pressed her lips to the corner of his lips. A more intimate than a cheek kiss but not a full kiss either, a perfect middle ground. "Just tell us when you're ready Hikki, cause we'll wait for you, won't we Yukinon?"

Yukino blinked and seemed to blush harder but returned from wherever her mind had wandered. "Oh, of course," she hastened to agree and gave Hachiman a beautiful smile, "I am sure that Yui's the only one that is really ready for anything really regarding our relationship."

Hachiman gave her a funny look, "but she literally just kissed you."

Yukino blushed harder and Yui grinned at him, "I've known about Yukinon's feelings since mid-November Hikki and I told her mine just after Iroha originally approached us about the christmas event. We've had time to figure out how to communicate with each other and…" she pressed her lips to Yukino's cheek, "...Yukinon learned how to hug people and be able to handle physical affection."

"We're just a little ahead of you," Yukino explained and Hachiman felt surprise hit him like a train as Yukino's arms slipped around his middle, briefly hugging him and resting her head on his chest for a brief moment. "We'll all get to the same point eventually, relationships take time Hikki."

Hachiman and Yui stared at her at the use of the nickname, when did Yukino Yukinoshita use nicknames?

Yui shook off her shock and giggled, hugging them both closer, "I love you guys!"

"I love you too Yui," Yukino lightly chuckled, and Hachiman smiled a little as well.

"I can make this work," he simply said and both girls smiled at him before they both exchanged glances and pressed their lips to his cheeks.

"The service club accepts your requests," Yukino told him as she pulled away, "we will gladly assist you in the christmas event and…" her cheeks darkened, Yui probably could've fried an egg on Yukino's face by how red it was, "we'll teach you how to obtain something genuine as long-"

"-as long as you teach us too!" Yui finished with a bright smile that softened Hachiman's heart.

End

Guest - glad you've enjoyed the story

Lean - Thanks, I'm working it all out as I go XD Need more practice with trio pairings plus their personalities XD

Guest - *Snort* hey, gotta be awesome to go to a mental institution because of a fanfiction! XD