The Right Balance

Me: Here's the final chapter! Took a little while to publish because it was a tad bit longer than my normal chapters. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Doki Doki Literature Club, but it's been a very interesting and riveting experience dabbling in its fanfiction community.

Chapter 5: Birthday Surprise

"Aright, troops! Listen up!" Monika, marching onto the stage wearing beige Army fatigues and a green military helmet, addressed her audience. "Anon's birthday is next week! What are our plans?"

"Um…" Sayori, munching on some pretzels, scratched her chin ponderously. "Oh! I know! Bring lots and lots of snacks! Anon loves snacks!"

"You just want the snacks for yourself, don't you?" Natsuki asked cynically, poking her friend's side.

"Tehe…That tickles, Natsuki!" Sayori giggled. "And I can neither confirm nor deny those allegations!"

"Alright. That's it. You've lost your Netflix privileges. You've been quoting movies all week because you're binge watching them."

Sayori pointed her bag of pretzels at the pink-haired girl threateningly. No one dared to take away her Netflix.

"You wanna play?" She asked, adopting a terrible Cuban accent. "Okay! Let's play! Say hello to my little friend!"

"What the-Hey! Knock it off!" Natsuki exclaimed, holding her bag up to shield her from the blast of pretzels peppering her. "I don't even like pretzels!"

Yuri glanced up from her book, effortlessly dodging a stray pretzel.

"We could each write him a poem," the purple-haired young woman suggested quietly. "Dedicated to him. I'm sure he will like it."

"Boring!" Natsuki said, tentatively lowering her bag when the volley of pretzels stopped. Sayori had run out of ammunition, thankfully. "Let's bake him a cake. He loves cake."

"Because sweets are much more important than beautifully-written poems which would last a lifetime," Yuri said dryly.

"You wanna go, cow-tits?" Natsuki challenged, glaring at her friend.

Yuri, normally shy and polite, fumed at the far from endearing nickname.

"Sure. Should I find you a box to stand on so we can do this face-to-face, shortie?"

Natsuki flushed. "I'm not short."

"Whatever you say, pinkie."

"I'll kill you!"

Sayori, briefly mourning the loss of her pretzels, perked up.

"Did someone say cake?" She clapped her hands together excitedly. "I love cake! I cast my vote for cake!"

"Ladies, can we please calm down?" Monika asked politely. Seeing her fellow club members were not interested in a civil discussion, she was left with little choice. Pulling out a Colt pistol from its holster on her hip, she fired once into the ceiling. She smiled in satisfaction when her friends jolted and immediately went quiet. "Are we calm? Are we cool?" Her friends nodded dumbly. "Good, because I'm the law. And this," she patted her beloved pistol, "is my order. Got it?" They nodded again. "Excellent!"

"Oh! I've seen that movie!" Sayori cheered, only to be shushed by Natsuki and Yuri, who really didn't want to further agitate their president when she was carrying a loaded gun. "Sorry," she whispered, pressing her fingers together.

"Alright!" Monika holstered her weapon. "Now that we all have calmed down, are there any other ideas? Anything else at all? Because these suggestions are more than a little underwhelming. We can do better than that." Silence. Monika sighed. She supposed this was how teachers felt whenever they asked a question and nobody raised their hand. "Ms. Vice President? Anything?"

Natsuki nudged Sayori.

"That's you, dummy," she whispered.

"Oh, yeah!" Sayori bonked herself on the head cutely. "I always forget! Whoopsie!" Sayori put her thinking cap on. "Oh! How about a party with snacks, cake, and poetry reading!" She patted herself on the back for her quick thinking. This was why she was vice president.

"..." Natsuki pinched the bridge of her nose. "Did you seriously just take every suggestion and combined them together?"

"Yep!"

"We're doomed," Yuri lamented, feeling the urge to cry. "We can't think of anything. Anon will be so disappointed."

Monika, not one to be deterred, attempted to rally her troops.

"Come on! We can do this, girls!" She pressed. "He dedicates every day to making us feel special. This is the one day when it's entirely about him. We need to put our heads together and think of something!"

"Hello?" All the girls froze. They turned to see their beloved Anon coming down the stairs, rubbing the sleep away from his eyes and wearing only a shirt and boxers. He blinked when he caught sight of them. "Girls?" He furrowed his brow. "Why are you four in my basement at...two in the morning?" He questioned.

"Um…"

"Hehe…"

"..."

"This is all a dream," Monika said, waving her arms in front of herself hypnotically. "You are sleeping."

"No, I'm pretty sure this is reality," he mused, shaking his head. "I swear I heard a gunshot. Who shot?"

Natsuki, Yuri, and Sayori immediately pointed to their president, who was discreetly trying to hide her holster.

"Traitors!" She exclaimed, glaring at the girls and clutching her heart. "Betraying your own president! Have you three no shame?"

"Give me the gun, Monika," Anon said tiredly, holding out his hand.

"..." She pouted. "I won't shoot again! I promise."

"Monika."

Monika sighed. "Oh, fine. Here." She handed him the pistol. "I only use it to scare off your fangirls, anyway."

"Why are there scratches on the barrel?" Anon asked, squinting his eyes at the gun. "I count eight of them. What do they represent?"

"Do you really want to know?" She asked sweetly, batting her eyelashes at him prettily.

"Ignorance is bliss, I suppose," he muttered, emptying the pistol of its ammo for safety. "Anymore weapons?"

"Maybe." She smiled coyly, spreading her arms wide. The pretty brunette threw a sexy wink his way. "You should probably frisk me. Full body search is strongly recommended."

"Tempting, but I really want to know what you four are doing in my basement. I don't mind. All of you are free to come over anytime, but the gunshots are a big no-no."

Sayori jumped on his back, draping her arms over his shoulders and hugging him. The young man barely staggered, having long gotten used to Sayori's surprise hugs and glomps.

"Okay, I'll tell you!" She exclaimed, nuzzling the crook of his neck lovingly. "We're planning your surprise birthd-OWIE!" Sayori recoiled, clutching her forehead painfully.

Monika, smiling, lowered her pellet gun.

"What was that, Ms. Vice President?" She asked sweetly, daring her vice president to continue her sentence.

"Hehe…" Sayori chuckled nervously, rubbing the sore spot on her forehead. "Nothing!"

"Monika…" Anon held out his hand, beckoning toward the pellet gun.

"Come on!" Monika whined. "Not the pellet gun, too!"

"Give it here."

"Mou!" She handed it over. Folding her arms over her chest, Monika pouted. "Can't a girl just have some fun?"

As the deadline approached, the girls became more and more nervous. Their mutual love interest and cuddle buddy always made their birthdays a very special occasion. How disappointed would they be if they offered a half-assed, half-planned surprise party? This was Anon! He deserved only the best after all he had done for them.

"Okay, dummy!" Natsuki shouted out randomly during one of her and Anon's early morning baking rituals. Her hands slammed loudly on the kitchen counter, startling the young man as he was carefully spreading icing over some custom cupcakes. "What the hell do you want?!" She asked, standing on her tiptoes and glaring at him.

"Ummm…" He glanced over his shoulders, as if trying to figure out who the pink-haired young lady was talking to. His trademark 'Kiss the Cook' apron was smeared in icing and all sorts of other ingredients, leaving him looking very much disheveled and, although Natsuki would die before telling him, downright cute and utterly kissable. "Everlasting peace?" He supplied tentatively, furrowing his brow. "I don't know. Why are you asking?"

Adorably, she stomped her feet, impatience bleeding into her body language.

"For your birthday, duh!" She said, rolling her eyes. Handsome and caring he may be, but Anon could be really dense sometimes. "What would you like?"

"Oh. That." He shrugged, chuckling. "Honestly? I forgot my birthday was coming up. I don't really celebrate it."

"Why not?" She asked, curiosity coloring her tone. Her frustration at her inability to think of a gift for him was momentarily set aside. "Everyone celebrates their birthday."

"Well, I never really had parents around to celebrate it," he answered, a sad smile gracing his features. "But that's neither here nor there. You really shouldn't worry about it, Natsuki. Just spending time with you four is a nice birthday gift. Try not to do anything special, okay?"

Her heart broke. Guilt ate away at her. She hadn't meant to bring up bad memories. She knew his parents died when he was pretty young. Why had she pressed him? 'Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!' Natsuki inwardly chastised herself.

His desire to shrug off his birthday as nothing special had the opposite effect. Now, she wanted his birthday to be a blast. She wanted him to have the time of his life. Determination burned in her pink eyes. Her and the girls would be having a deep discussion about his birthday plans. They would plan the perfect birthday or die trying.

"Anon?" She asked, her voice a whisper.

"Yeah?" He inquired, turning away from the cupcakes.

Straining her body as much as she could and standing on her tiptoes, Natsuki planted a very loving and tender kiss on his lips. The young man froze, obviously surprised by the gentle gesture, but relaxed quickly. He touched her cheek, blushing as the pink-haired beauty leaned against him. When she was in danger of falling over, her body no longer able to sustain the stress of adding emergency height, his arms caught her, pulling her flush against him an allowing the kiss to deepen.

She pulled away very slowly, a single trail of saliva stubbornly connecting their lips, a lingering symbol of the kiss they shared. "I'm sorry," she murmured, blushing and averting her gaze to the side. "I shouldn't...I shouldn't have brought-"

"Hey, now," he interrupted her, planting a kiss on her forehead. "You have nothing to be sorry for. Don't worry about it, Natsuki."

"D-Dummy…" She hugged his chest. "When a girl apologizes, you should just accept it, otherwise you'll hurt her feelings."

"But you've done nothi-OW!" He winced as his stomach received a not-so-gentle blow. Natsuki smiled innocently.

"What was that?" She challenged, glancing up and daring him to say the wrong thing.

"I…" He smiled shakily. "Apology accepted."

She smiled brightly. "Good! Now…" She pushed down him onto the kitchen counter. "How about an early birthday present?"

"What kind of...Oh." He blinked. "That kind of present."

"Hey...Anon?" Sayori gently poked his chest. He had fallen asleep on her couch while watching some movie. Truthfully, he looked so peaceful and adorable, snoozing away without a care in the world, she didn't want to wake him, but the blue-eyed girl could hardly contain her curiosity.

Anon groaned. She watched his golden eyes open up drearily, blinking as sleep slowly dissipated from his mind. His eyes turned to her. A smile played on his lips, making her heartbeat quicken and her legs weak. He had such a wonderful smile. Even when they were little, she recognized the special quality it held. With his smile alone, every negative thought which plagued her left, replaced only with her undying and unyielding love for him. "Sayori?" He stretched his arms, sitting up on the couch. "What time is it?"

"Midnight!" She chirped happily, sliding onto the couch. Blushing, the coral pink-haired girl straddled his lap, placing her hands on his chest and smiling widely. "You like snacks, right?" She asked hopefully.

"Um…yeah. I like snacks." He yawned. "Did you wake me up just to-"

"What about cake? Or cupcakes?" Sayori pressed him.

"..." Anon chuckled. "Yeah, I do."

"And poetry?"

"I'm in a Literature Club," he pointed out. "We write poems every week. I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't like poetry, right?"

Sayori nodded thoughtfully. She could barely restrain her excitement!

"So if we were to throw you a big birthday party with all three of these things, would you like it?" Her eyes widened. "I mean...Hypothermially?" She amended with uncertainty.

He laughed. "You mean 'hypothetically?'" He suggested, grinning.

Sayori pouted. "Don't be mean!" She whined, looking insanely cute with her puffed out cheeks. "I hate big words!" She wasn't dumb. Vocabulary just wasn't her strong suit! Or math...Or science...But she was good at gym! She got a B last semester!

"You're adorable, Sayori." Anon kissed her cheek, smiling at the pretty rosy blush which quickly accompanied his action. "Never change. And if, hypothetically of course, there was a birthday party for me with snacks, cupcakes, and poetry…" He ruffled her coral-pink locks fondly. "So long as all of you are there, I'm sure it'll be perfect. Deal?"

She smiled brilliantly. Nodding happily, she hugged him.

"Deal! Um, hypothetically!" She barely suppressed a giggle. Anon would be so surprised when his birthday arrived!

Yuri turned a page.

'Both of my hands in agony I bit;

And, thinking that I did it from desire

Of eating, on a sudden they uprose,

"What is this book?" Anon asked her, kissing the back of her neck and running his hands up her sides lovingly.

Yuri shivered in delight. Oh, how she loved his touch on her bare skin…

"The Divine Comedy," she answered, closing her eyes. "Written by Dante in the 1300s."

"Hmmm...So long ago." His lips left hot kisses on her skin. She gripped the pages hard. If he kept doing that, she would definitely be unable to continue reading. "I like it. Dark and depressing, but…"

"But what?" Yuri whispered, glancing over her shoulder with half-lidded eyes.

Anon smiled.

"But uplifting. Out of hell and into heaven. Poetic, don't you think?"

It certainly applied to her. Hell existed for her before his arrival into her life. Now? She was in paradise, among the upper echelons of happiness she doubted even heaven could provide. "'Appropriate,'" she said, "might be the better term."

"Perhaps," he concurred, pelting her neck with affection.

She did her best to continue reading, gracing his ears with her lovely voice (Anon's description. She rather thought her voice was too high-pitched, but he always begged to differ) for several more hours. His lips and tongue were very distracting, however, and she was forced to pause several times when his actions became rather heated.

"So…" He finally spoke, waiting until she was putty in his arms and panting heavily from his ministrations. "About this surprise birthday party."

"..." Yuri sighed. "Sayori?"

"Yep."

"I figured. She can't keep a secret to save her life." Turning in his lap, she set her book aside and touched his cheek, gazing lovingly into his golden eyes. "Promise you'll act surprised?"

Anon kissed the hand touching his face, making sure every finger received a nice kiss. She was all blushes whenever he finally reached her palm, nuzzling it affectionately and making her heart soar. "I promise. I'm excited. Snacks, cupcakes, and poetry...Sounds like a blast."

"How much did she tell you?" Yuri groaned.

"Hypothetically, she told me a lot," he replied, chuckling.

"Huh?"

"Oh, nothing."

"Care to tell me why you're taking me to your house?"

"To hang out, silly!" He felt Monika playfully slap his arm. "Just a very normal, very simple hang out between two soul mates. Is that so wrong?"

"No. In fact, that sounds lovely, but is there any particular reason why I'm blindfolded?" Anon asked, gesturing to his face and the blindfold covering his eyes.

"Hehe…" Laughing nervously, Monika hugged his arm to her chest. "No reason, really. Just some roleplaying."

"I fail to see the 'kink' to this roleplaying," he said dryly. "Actually, I can't see anything right now."

"We're almost there!" She announced excitedly, deliberately avoiding his declaration. She bit her lip worriedly. For the last two weeks, her and the girls struggled to hide their planning. Anon was very clever; he could read them like an open book. For the betterment of the plan, Monika made sure to distract his deductive skills with plenty of kisses and lovemaking, breaking several intimate records for the both of them in the process. All for the greater good, of course. At least, that's what she told her friends. 'Hehe...Anon's insatiable!' She thought dreamily, reminiscing fondly over the last two weeks of nonstop fun. That very tempting part of her brain which was likely to throw all caution and care to the wind and kidnap him for herself was certainly starting to seem more appealing with every passing second. 'No! Bad Monika!' She inwardly chastised. 'Anon would be furious.'

Still, a girl could dream.

"We're here!" She shouted loudly. "Come on, Anon!"

Anon felt himself gently pushed over the threshold of Monika's house. Calling her home a 'house' was not giving the dwelling justice. It was a mansion, plain and simple, speaking loads of her family's insane wealth, spreading across acre upon acre of prime real estate within the city's wealthier district. His tentative footsteps echoed throughout the large open space on marble flooring, with Monika's gentle hand serving as his only guiding assurance. "Monika, can I-"

"Blindfold off!" She exclaimed, suddenly removing his blindfold.

Blinking as the light assaulted his retinas, Anon's vision cleared.

"Surprise!"

Ears slightly ringing from the loud, collective exclamation, Anon smiled widely.

"You guys…You really shouldn't have."

Natsuki, Sayori, and Yuri all stood excitedly in the living room, wearing party hats and custom-made shirts which declared 'Literature Club' across the fronts in girlish font. There were balloons of all colors hovering over the vast space, clustering particularly around a table with a variety of different chips and other snacks. Two more tables stood next to the one surrounded by balloons, with one bearing four individual envelopes and the other holding four cupcakes.

There were pillows and blankets scattered around the living room, cushioning all those who sought the floor for rest from the hard marble. Pink, purple, light blue, and yellow appeared to be the dominant colors despite it technically being his party, but he did not mind in the slightest. His heart swelled with joy at the obviously hard work which went into setting up such an event. It did not even matter he knew weeks in advance about the party; he was still touched.

He turned to Monika, who had somehow managed to change into a matching club t-shirt in record time without him noticing. With a warm smile, she held out a shirt for him to wear. All the girls watched with bated breath as he simply stared at the pink and decorated shirt. Shaking his head, he threw all worries of his masculinity to the side, taking the offered shirt and sliding it over his head. This elicited a round of giggles and happy claps from the girls. He glanced downward, reading the front of his shirt. "Hmmm…'Property of the Literature Club?" Anon chuckled. "Why is mine different?"

"Just so the other clubs know to keep their distance!" Monika answered cheerfully. "It's for their own safety, really. They wouldn't want another run-in with my trusty pistol, would they?" She brandished her beloved Colt proudly.

Anon's left eye twitched.

"What do you mean by 'another run-in?' And I thought I confiscated that."

"Hehe...Moving on!" Monika pushed him toward the gathering of girls. "Enjoy the party! Let's start with the snacks!"

"We got barbecue." Natsuki offered him a bag.

"And nacho-flavored!" Sayori showed him with stars in her eyes.

"A-And...a healthy option!" Self-consciously, Yuri offered a bag of baked chips. "Less calories and sugar, yet still flavorful!"

Sayori visibly recoiled at the sight.

"Heresy!" She declared, glaring at the healthy alternative.

"N-no! I swear, they are just-"

"Must be destroyed!"

"S-Sayori!" Crying out, Yuri tumbled to the ground as she was tackled by the blue-eyed girl.

Sayori pried the offending bag of healthy chips away from the poor girl. She hoisted the bag into the air like a trophy.

"I shall destroy these with extreme prejudice!" Sayori exclaimed, bouncing off Yuri and running toward the fireplace. "I love the smell of napalm in the morning!" She yelled, chucking the bag into the roaring flames.

"Who let you watch a war movie?!" Natsuki demanded, chasing after her. "You're not allowed to watch violent movies! They give you nightmares!"

"My chips! My poor chips!" Yuri lamented.

"Want a chip?" Monika offered Anon, holding out an opened bag.

Anon, watching the chaos unfold with amusement, shrugged and took the offered chip.

"Thanks."

"The next part of the party will go a lot smoother," she reassured him, patting his arm.

"Yuri! Please!" Sayori watched in horror as Yuri, feeling rather vengeful, tossed her bag of Doritos into the fireplace. "No! Doritos!"

Yuri smirked.

"That's what you get!"

Sayori collapsed on the couch, shielding her eyes from the traumatic event with her arm.

"The horror...The horror!"

"Stop with the movie quotes!"

"Tehe...Sorry~!"

"Did we get that out of our systems?" Seeing their nods, Monika smiled. "Good! Onward to the next part of Anon's Super-Awesome Birthday Party! Poem sharing!"

"Poem sharing?" Anon asked, playing the part of the clueless birthday boy.

"Yep! Each of us wrote a poem dedicated to you!" She grabbed his hand, guiding him to a bean bag chair. "Take a seat." Nodding, the young man did as he was told, plopping down onto the comfortable bean bag chair. "Perfect! Sayori, you're up first!"

Excited, Sayori skipped over to the center of the living room, stopping when she stood right in front of him. She opened her envelope and pulled out a piece of paper. She cleared her throat dramatically. "This is dedicated to the best cuddle buddy in the world!" She declared, smiling widely at him. Anon couldn't help but smile back. The blue-eyed girl could be ridiculously cute and endearing.

"I like movies and snacks,

But not as much as I like you!"

Sayori looked at him with hopeful, shining blue eyes.

Natsuki nudged Yuri. "Is that it?" She whispered.

"I...I think so," Yuri replied, frowning. "More of a statement than a poem."

Monika pinched the bridge of her nose, resisting the urge to sigh.

To the surprise of everyone, Anon clapped enthusiastically.

"I love it!" He beamed. "Thank you, Sayori."

Gushing, Sayori cheerfully tackled him in a bear hug.

"Thank you! I worked on it for weeks!" She snuggled into his chest. "I was so nervous."

He patted her head lovingly.

"You did amazing," he encouraged. Sayori swooned.

"I guess I'm next…" Natsuki muttered. She glared at Sayori. "Get off him, movie addict! It's my turn." Pouting, the blue-eyed girl relented, releasing her precious 'cuddle buddy' and joining the other girls. "There we go." Natsuki's pink eyes accessed the knucklehead before her. "I wrote a poem for you. N-Not that I give a damn about you, dummy."

Anon smiled. "Of course."

"I mean it!" Huffing, she ripped open her envelope and tossed away the remnants. She unfolded the sheet of paper. "Here I go." She took a deep breath.

"No words can describe,

The impact you have,

But here I try,

So desperate to tell you.

You don't mock my manga

You actively encourage my passions.

I bake with my emotions

So when I bake with you

I make the most delicious sweets in the world.

I can never thank you enough,

And I have a hard time saying it,

But, with all my heart, I love you…

"...dummy," she finished, blushing and averting her gaze.

The room broke into a round of applause.

"Brilliant, Natsuki!" Anon complimented, grinning devilishly at her. "And I love you, too...cutie."

Natsuki blushed profusely.

"H-hey! I told you to only call me that when we're alone!" She punched his shoulder. "Dummy!"

"Ouch…" He winked at her. "Love you, too. I can feel the love with every punch."

"Moron," she muttered, still blushing and stomping over to her seat. She glanced at a mirthful-looking Monika, a smiling Yuri, and a giggling Sayori. "Not one word," she warned, crossing her arms.

"Next?" Anon asked, laughing.

Nervously, Yuri stood up.

"M-me…" Gulping, she took small steps toward him, holding her envelope to his chest. "Anon? I'm nervous…" She whispered, low enough for only him to hear.

"Pretend like it's just you and me," he said, grabbing her hand and rubbing his thumb over her palm in a comforting gesture. He winked. "You can do this."

She nodded, offering him a small, grateful smile.

"Okay…" She politely cleared her throat. "Here is my poem, Anon."

"I would be lost without you

Pain exists, but you take it away

And replace it with love and unwavering kindness

How were you made?

In God's perfection?

Or perhaps of humanity's best qualities?

However you came to be, I am thankful

Will you do me this one charity?

Love me always

And I shall always love you

Long after the cosmos die

And the stars extinguish

I love you, Anon

You utterly perfect creation."

She kissed his forehead as she finished, a dark red blush threatening to make her faint as the room erupted in cheers. "Did...Did you like it?" She asked him.

Smiling, the young man brought her in his lap and kissed her breathless.

"I loved it," he whispered. "And I love you."

Blushing and more than a little overwhelmed, she nodded shyly and buried her face in his chest.

"Thank you…"

"Hey, lovebirds?" The duo looked up to see a smiling Monika standing over them. "My turn!"

"Oh…" Sighing in resignation, Yuri reluctantly separated from her lover, reasoning she would have plenty of time to cuddle and kiss with him later.

Monika patted her on the back.

"Good job, Yuri. I expect nothing less." The purple-haired beauty smiled brightly at the compliment, moving back over to the plethora of blankets and pillows. Monika elegantly opened her envelope, winking coyly at Anon as she pulled out her poem. "You ready, my love?"

"Always, Monika."

"Careful, Anon. I'll hold you to it," she teased, unfolding the paper. "Here I go."

"Bed sheets in disarray

Broken headboards and ripped clothes

You send me to the highest peaks of pleasure

With your big, long, wonderful co-Hmpf!"

"I think that's enough of your poem, Monika!" Anon said, hastily covering her mouth and laughing nervously. Yuri and Natsuki's faces were both bright red. "I liked it. Thank you."

Sayori tilted her head cutely to the side.

"Eh? I don't get it," she said innocently.

Monika batted her eyelashes at him seductively.

"Perhaps you and I can have a private reading, later?" She suggested, grabbing the front of his shirt and kissing him.

"What am I going to do with you?"

"Wait until I read the third passage. I have some brilliant ideas."

"Cupcakes?" Anon surveyed the four delicious-looking cupcakes set before him. His stomach growled at the sight.

"Yep!" Monika nodded. "First one is mine! Try it!"

'Interesting,' he thought, gazing at the treat. The red icing was in the shape of a heart, with 'M+A' written in the center. It certainly appeared delicious, but looks were always deceiving when it came to Monika's cooking creations.

Gulping, the young man tentatively grabbed the cupcake. He glanced sideways. Monika was staring at him with the most expectant and hopeful look. He winced. Anything less than a positive reaction and compliment would reduce the girl to tears.

"It was nice knowing you," he heard Natsuki whisper.

"Y-You'll be fine." Yuri gave him a reassuring smile, but he could tell it was fake.

"Can I have your Xbox if you die?" Sayori asked.

"What are you three saying?"

"N-Nothing, Ms. President!" They all shouted.

Monika nodded.

"That's what I thought." She smiled radiantly at Anon. "Go ahead, Anon. Eat up!"

"Sure…" He sighed. Saying his last wishes, he took a small bite. His eyes widened. "This is...good?" Quickly, he took another bite. He was floored. It was delicious! Monika's cooking normally sent him to the emergency room. "Monika, this is wonderful!"

Basking under the praise, the brunette smiled widely.

"Huh. I guess miracles are will," Natsuki commented, scratching her head.

"Well done, Monika," Yuri complimented.

"No Xbox…" Sayori muttered depressingly. "Um, I mean...Yay! Anon's alive!" She amended after everyone shot her a weird look.

Monika patted herself on the back. She wasn't dumb. She knew her cooking sucked. It drove the perfectionist young woman crazy...so she improvised. When no one was looking, she quickly substituted the one she made with a custom-made, store bought cupcake. She smiled victoriously. Would she tell anyone that? Hell no! All that mattered was Anon loved her cupcake. Who cared if she technically didn't make it? "Thank you, Anon." She pecked him on the lips. She licked her lips, tasting the icing. "Mmmm...Strawberry is the best."

"Here is mine, Anon," Yuri said, pointing at the one with purple icing.

Anon smiled at her. "How did I know this one was yours?" Her giggling was melodic. Shaking his head, he took a bite. He closed his eyes, savoring the explosion of creamy chocolate inside his mouth. "Ah...Tasty."

Yuri beamed.

"R-really? I practiced with Natsuki for hours…"

Natsuki offered her friend a smile. "And you did good, Yuri." Sure, the kitchen was an utter wreck just from the purple-haired girl trying to make icing, but she was determined to make Anon a great cupcake. Natsuki believed determination counted for a lot, so she patiently helped her shy friend with the preparations. "Here's mine, dummy," she said, grabbing hers from the table and placing it at his lips. "Open up," she demanded.

Like a true gentleman, he complied. Pink icing twirled into intricate little hearts, a pattern of sprinkles along the sides, a little dye applied to leave mesmerizing red streaks criss crossing the entire surface...It was professional, which he came to expect from an expert baker like Natsuki. He took a bite. And the taste...Amazing. Breathtaking, even. It was perfect. "Natsuki?"

"What?"

"You are a goddess at baking," he declared, finishing off the cupcake.

Natsuki blushed deeply.

"M-moron!" She averted her gaze, hiding a satisfied smile. "Thank you...Anon."

"My turn!" Sayori cheered. "Guess which one is mine!" She teased.

Laughing, Anon glanced at the table, seeing the last cupcake to grace its surface. The cupcake was misshapen in some areas, but that only served to give it some charm. Lines of multi-colored icing covered the top of the cupcake, spilling out over the edges and creating a rainbow effect. Picking it up, he winked at the excited blue-eyed girl and took a bite.

Sweetness assaulted his taste buds. Lots of sugar. Definitely Sayori's style, but it was by no means unpleasant. He chewed thoughtfully, offering the girl a smile as he processed a new flavor. He furrowed his brow. It tasted...weird. Not bad or unpleasant, just...Different. He swallowed the cupcake. Suddenly, he felt very warm. His heartbeat quickened.

"I hope you like it!" Sayori said, patting his arm. "I added a super secret, special ingredient to the mix!"

"You did, huh?" Gulping, Anon felt his eyes dip to her chest. For some reason, he couldn't tear his eyes away from her curves, drinking in every delectable proof of her feminine beauty. What...What was wrong with him?

"Anon…" Natsuki gently touched his arm, gaining his attention. "Are you okay?" She asked, concern written over her face.

Natsuki had a very nice set of hips, he deduced. He could spend hours running his hands over the perfect curve of her hips. "Yeah…"

Natsuki blushed when his hands suddenly touched her hips. They trailed lower. She jumped. "A-Anon!" She shivered. "N-not in front of everyone, dummy!"

"Maybe he's feverish?" Yuri supplied, questioning his strange behavior. She placed her hand over his forehead, checking for any excess heat, which had the unintended effect of grabbing his attention. "Do you feel hot?"

Anon's eyes drooped down to her chest. Her big, supple-looking chest. He could gaze at it for an eternity. "S-Sayori?"

"Uh-huh?"

"What's...What's the secret ingredient?"

"Silly!" She giggled. "It's a secret!" Seeing his desperate look, she sighed. "Okay. Fine. It's called…" She scratched her chin. "Called...What was it called again?"

"Sayori!" Anon said through gritted teeth. Monika's stunning green eyes were looking at him in such an alluring way. He could barely restrain himself. "P-Please!"

"Oh!" She brightened up. "It was called an aphrodisiac!"

Silence descended over the group.

"...pardon?"

"You put...You put an aphrodisiac...in the cupcake mix," Natsuki said slowly.

Sayori nodded.

"Yep! I bought it from the market!" She explained. "The woman said it would make my boyfriend 'very, very excited,' whatever that means." She shrugged. She glanced at Anon hopefully. "Is it working? Do you feel excited? I put the whole bottle in the mix. She only said a few drops, but I wanted you to have a good time."

"Oh, dear…" Yuri gulped. "Are you okay, Anon?"

"I feel…very excited. Definitely." Every girl's gaze lowered to the front of his trousers. They all blushed. "Wow…" His eyes glazed over.

"Anon?" Monika asked, touching his shoulder.

And everything went crazy very quickly.

The Next Day

Anon groaned. His head hurt. His whole body ached. His eyes refused to open. His chest and limbs felt heavy. What the hell happened to him?

He barely managed to crack open his eyelids when he heard a very cute moan. Adjusting to the brightness of the sunlight filtering through the window, he glanced at his chest. His eyes widened. He saw pink hair...and purple hair...and brunette hair...All snuggled up to his chest.

And...where exactly was his head laying?!

"Hmmm...Anon…" He felt a pair of hands cradle his face, pulling him flush between a pair of thighs. "That tickles~!"

Ah. It all made sense now. Yuri, Natsuki, and Monika were sleeping and cuddling up to his chest. Blankets covered their bodies, but he somehow knew that was the only thing protecting their modesty. And Sayori...He was relatively sure he was using her lap as a pillow.

Surveying his surroundings confirmed his theory. They were in the living room, but it looked like a tornado crash through the room. Blankets and pillows everywhere. Snackfoods and the remains of poor balloons littered the floor. Throughout the chaos, they had somehow made it to the couch, which they now rested on together.

He craned his neck. Sayori was still sleeping, simultaneously cradling his head in her lap and sitting up, snoozing the early morning away.

He vaguely remembered something about an aphrodisiac?

"Morning!" Anon glanced down. Monika smiled up at him mischievously, yawning cutely as she fought off sleep's hold.

"Monika…" He sighed. "Did everything happen like I think it did?" Seeing her nod, he groaned. "Oh. Damn. I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Crawling up his chest, she tried not to disturb the other two girls snuggling up to his torso. She kissed his chin. "You were an animal last night!" She said dreamily, pelting his face with kisses. "A god, even! I have never been so worn out in my entire life...and I was only one-fourth of your entertainment!"

"I went crazy?"

"Vast understatement." Sighing happily, she cradled his head to her chest. "I love you, Anon."

"I love you, too…"

"Was it a good birthday?" She asked hopefully.

Plenty of snacks, poetry, and delicious cupcakes. The memories of the night's later events started to come back to him. It brought a blush to his face. "You know what, Monika?" He smiled. "Best birthday ever."

Me: Hope you enjoyed! This story has been fun to write! Rest assured, I will write more Doki Doki fics.

I want to thank all of you who took the time to write a review. A lot of them were very constructive and flattering. They really uplifted my writing spirit! I can never thank you all enough!

Oh, and if this fic will receive an M-rated, uncut and unrated version? Perhaps. Maybe sometime in the future. I'll openly admit to struggling to keep this fic in the T-rated territory, but I accepted it as a worthy challenge. I know this chapter especially strained the boundaries of the T-rating, but I think I managed well.

Anyway, see you all next time! Have a great day!