I changed my mind and wrote more.
Blossom Apartments, Ottawa, ON, Canada
9:24pm, December 22, 2016
A portal opened on the common room's wall. Rob and Hyoga stepped through, their arms filled with wrapped presents. "We're home!"
"Welcome back," replied Maika as she stepped forward to take some of the parcels from Hyoga. "Have you eaten?"
"Yes, we have. Rob was right; Sasami-chan is a good cook."
Rob almost made a teasing complaint at Hyoga's lack of trust in him, but thought better of it. "Are Mii and Ami home?"
"I'll go get them." Maika passed Ruiko at the common room's door.
"Welcome home! Did you bring us any souvenirs?"
Rob nodded at the presents that he was still carrying. "I think there's something in here for you. Have you been a good girl, Rui-chan?"
She looked at the load of wrapped boxes, thought for a moment, then said, "Maybe I should wait until Christmas Day."
"Not Christmas Eve day? We've been invited out for Christmas, remember?"
"That's right! Rob-oji, when are we going to host instead of visiting?"
"We'll host the next get-together, I promise. Let's invite everybody to skate on the world's largest outdoor rink when it's open, probably some time next month. Do you know how to ice skate?"
"I've never tried."
"If you ask nicely, maybe Mako-chan will teach you."
"Maybe I'll teach Rui-chan what?" asked Makoto from the doorway as she and Ami walked into the room.
"Can you teach me how to ice skate? Please?"
"What, right now?"
Rob chuckled. "How about the two of you go some place quiet and work out whether you're going to do that."
Ruiko grinned while Makoto narrowed her eyes. "You're trying to get rid of us."
Rob nodded. "What Hyoga and I have to discuss with Ami and Mii is between the four of us, at least for now. Okay?"
Makoto sighed. "Fine. But I expect you to tell me what happened," she said to Ami just before leaving with Ruiko.
A moment after they left, Mii walked in, closing and locking the door behind her. "Maika told me that you wanted to talk with me."
"Yeah. We have the results of Washuu-chan's tests ..." Ten minutes later, Rob finished "... and I wasn't about to do anything until we knew what you thought."
"And, since what I want takes two willing people, we haven't done anything yet."
Mii nodded at Hyoga's comment, then sighed. "I was hoping you'd wait until I was old enough, but that isn't happening now."
Ami smiled, almost sadly. "I knew you wouldn't wait for me."
"Woah!" Rob held up a hand in a 'stop' gesture. "We don't need to do anything right now, if you want us to wait."
"Oh..." whispered Hyoga.
Ami looked at Hyoga, then turned back to Rob. "Yes, you do. As a Warrior of Love and Justice, I think it would be unjust for you to deny or delay your love."
"We aren't denying it." Hyoga took Rob's hand in her own. "And I want to... but I don't want to hurt either of you."
Mii moved behind Hyoga and hugged her. "Ami and I discussed this before you even manifested in this universe, Hyoga-sa... Hyoga. We know that we're sharing our beloved with each other. I'm willing to share with you as well."
"So am I," added Ami. "Of course, it's up to Rob whether he wants to do this."
Rob sighed. "It's up to all of us. Don't make me feel like you think you're my servant - or worse, my property. I don't want that. I want all of you - my beloveds - to have your own lives that include me, not to be just part of my life."
"In that case, I want the same deal from you," replied Mii. "No special treatment goes both ways."
"Likewise," added Hyoga.
"Which means it's unanimous," Ami finished. "We are sharing our lives with each other, but we aren't chained to each other. So you two go share each other and don't worry about what I think."
"You're sure?" Rob and Hyoga asked almost in unison.
Mii looked at Rob, grinned, and let go of Hyoga. "That's not a gun in his pocket. You'd better do something about that."
"Hey! I'm not -"
"I know you aren't. Yet. Teasing you is fun, Rob." She kissed him on the cheek, then headed for the door. "Let me know how things go, okay?"
Blossom Apartments, Ottawa, ON, Canada
10:05pm, December 22, 2016
"I still think you're making a mistake, Ami. You could have any boy you want."
"I don't want a boy, Mako-chan. I want Rob. Even if I have to share him."
"Okay, I can understand that. I think. That's better than some of the stories on the Internet about us."
"Some of my classmates showed some of those to me. Who out there thought that we're a romantic couple?"
"Some of the animators, apparently, or ... Ami? Are you okay?"
"I... I think so... Igottago!" She bolted for the door.
By the time Makoto got to her apartment's door, Ami was already past Rei's apartment and opening the door to her own - which she slammed behind herself in her haste to get through the doorway.
'What's gotten into her?' Makoto wondered.
* * *
Mii sighed as she half-watched some Looney Tunes cartoons. If only she was older, she could have been in the same room as Rob and Hyoga right now... taking part... feeling... what she was feeling right now...
She turned the TV off. "Pronoun trouble" would have to wait. She knew she shouldn't be feeling the way she did just then - especially considering how unsexy a show she was watching - but she couldn't help it.
* * *
"Oh, oh God! This is fantastic!"
"Oh, oh, darling..."
* * *
Ami could hear everything that was going on in the apartment immediately below her... but she was too busy to listen.
* * *
Mii was at the opposite end of the building... but she could "hear" everything in her mind, too.
Blossom Apartments, Ottawa, ON, Canada
11:44pm, December 22, 2016
"Oh, God. How many times did I just ... Oh, ..." She collapsed from exhaustion.
* * *
"Oh, God. How many times did I just ... Oh, ..." She collapsed from exhaustion.
* * *
"Oh, God. How many times did we just ... Oh, ..." They collapsed from exhaustion.
Blossom Apartments, Ottawa, ON, Canada
6:51am, December 23, 2016
"Good morning, ladies!"
Mii and Ami both blushed at hearing Rob's greeting... and blushed even deeper when they saw Hyoga was with him. "Good morning... Is something wrong?"
"No...?" whispered Ami.
"Maybe?" Mii whispered.
From the common room's doorway, Makoto said, "There you are! Good morning, Ami! Why did you take off so quickly last night?"
Ami's blush deepened even farther at Makoto's question.
"What happened?"
Mii looked at him in surprise. "You know what happened! I could hear the two of you!"
"You heard us? From the other end of the building?"
"So could I..." Ami whispered.
"I didn't think we were that loud!"
Makoto looked at Hyoga. "You and Rob-san... Whatever you did, I didn't hear it."
"But..." Mii looked puzzled.
"Oh, no! The link!"
"What link?"
Rob grimaced. "We didn't tell you because we didn't think it was any of your business, Mako-chan. Peorth told Hyoga that she has an emphatic link with the people she loves."
"The people I want to protect. I didn't remember that it's a two-way link! I'm sorry!"
Ami smiled shyly. "Don't be. It... wasn't unpleasant."
"it was wonderful..." Mii breathed.
"You need to keep control of that link!"
Hyoga turned to Makoto, tears in her eyes. "I don't know how ..."
Blossom Apartments, Ottawa, ON, Canada
9:24pm, December 22, 2016
A portal opened on the common room's wall. Rob and Hyoga stepped through, their arms filled with wrapped presents. "We're home!"
"Welcome back," replied Maika as she stepped forward to take some of the parcels from Hyoga. "Have you eaten?"
"Yes, we have. Rob was right; Sasami-chan is a good cook."
Rob almost made a teasing complaint at Hyoga's lack of trust in him, but thought better of it. "Are Mii and Ami home?"
"I'll go get them." Maika passed Ruiko at the common room's door.
"Welcome home! Did you bring us any souvenirs?"
Rob nodded at the presents that he was still carrying. "I think there's something in here for you. Have you been a good girl, Rui-chan?"
She looked at the load of wrapped boxes, thought for a moment, then said, "Maybe I should wait until Christmas Day."
"Not Christmas Eve day? We've been invited out for Christmas, remember?"
"That's right! Rob-oji, when are we going to host instead of visiting?"
"We'll host the next get-together, I promise. Let's invite everybody to skate on the world's largest outdoor rink when it's open, probably some time next month. Do you know how to ice skate?"
"I've never tried."
"If you ask nicely, maybe Mako-chan will teach you."
"Maybe I'll teach Rui-chan what?" asked Makoto from the doorway as she and Ami walked into the room.
"Can you teach me how to ice skate? Please?"
"What, right now?"
Rob chuckled. "How about the two of you go some place quiet and work out whether you're going to do that."
Ruiko grinned while Makoto narrowed her eyes. "You're trying to get rid of us."
Rob nodded. "What Hyoga and I have to discuss with Ami and Mii is between the four of us, at least for now. Okay?"
Makoto sighed. "Fine. But I expect you to tell me what happened," she said to Ami just before leaving with Ruiko.
A moment after they left, Mii walked in, closing and locking the door behind her. "Maika told me that you wanted to talk with me."
"Yeah. We have the results of Washuu-chan's tests ..." Ten minutes later, Rob finished "... and I wasn't about to do anything until we knew what you thought."
"And, since what I want takes two willing people, we haven't done anything yet."
Mii nodded at Hyoga's comment, then sighed. "I was hoping you'd wait until I was old enough, but that isn't happening now."
Ami smiled, almost sadly. "I knew you wouldn't wait for me."
"Woah!" Rob held up a hand in a 'stop' gesture. "We don't need to do anything right now, if you want us to wait."
"Oh..." whispered Hyoga.
Ami looked at Hyoga, then turned back to Rob. "Yes, you do. As a Warrior of Love and Justice, I think it would be unjust for you to deny or delay your love."
"We aren't denying it." Hyoga took Rob's hand in her own. "And I want to... but I don't want to hurt either of you."
Mii moved behind Hyoga and hugged her. "Ami and I discussed this before you even manifested in this universe, Hyoga-sa... Hyoga. We know that we're sharing our beloved with each other. I'm willing to share with you as well."
"So am I," added Ami. "Of course, it's up to Rob whether he wants to do this."
Rob sighed. "It's up to all of us. Don't make me feel like you think you're my servant - or worse, my property. I don't want that. I want all of you - my beloveds - to have your own lives that include me, not to be just part of my life."
"In that case, I want the same deal from you," replied Mii. "No special treatment goes both ways."
"Likewise," added Hyoga.
"Which means it's unanimous," Ami finished. "We are sharing our lives with each other, but we aren't chained to each other. So you two go share each other and don't worry about what I think."
"You're sure?" Rob and Hyoga asked almost in unison.
Mii looked at Rob, grinned, and let go of Hyoga. "That's not a gun in his pocket. You'd better do something about that."
"Hey! I'm not -"
"I know you aren't. Yet. Teasing you is fun, Rob." She kissed him on the cheek, then headed for the door. "Let me know how things go, okay?"
Blossom Apartments, Ottawa, ON, Canada
10:05pm, December 22, 2016
"I still think you're making a mistake, Ami. You could have any boy you want."
"I don't want a boy, Mako-chan. I want Rob. Even if I have to share him."
"Okay, I can understand that. I think. That's better than some of the stories on the Internet about us."
"Some of my classmates showed some of those to me. Who out there thought that we're a romantic couple?"
"Some of the animators, apparently, or ... Ami? Are you okay?"
"I... I think so... Igottago!" She bolted for the door.
By the time Makoto got to her apartment's door, Ami was already past Rei's apartment and opening the door to her own - which she slammed behind herself in her haste to get through the doorway.
'What's gotten into her?' Makoto wondered.
* * *
Mii sighed as she half-watched some Looney Tunes cartoons. If only she was older, she could have been in the same room as Rob and Hyoga right now... taking part... feeling... what she was feeling right now...
She turned the TV off. "Pronoun trouble" would have to wait. She knew she shouldn't be feeling the way she did just then - especially considering how unsexy a show she was watching - but she couldn't help it.
* * *
"Oh, oh God! This is fantastic!"
"Oh, oh, darling..."
* * *
Ami could hear everything that was going on in the apartment immediately below her... but she was too busy to listen.
* * *
Mii was at the opposite end of the building... but she could "hear" everything in her mind, too.
Blossom Apartments, Ottawa, ON, Canada
11:44pm, December 22, 2016
"Oh, God. How many times did I just ... Oh, ..." She collapsed from exhaustion.
* * *
"Oh, God. How many times did I just ... Oh, ..." She collapsed from exhaustion.
* * *
"Oh, God. How many times did we just ... Oh, ..." They collapsed from exhaustion.
Blossom Apartments, Ottawa, ON, Canada
6:51am, December 23, 2016
"Good morning, ladies!"
Mii and Ami both blushed at hearing Rob's greeting... and blushed even deeper when they saw Hyoga was with him. "Good morning... Is something wrong?"
"No...?" whispered Ami.
"Maybe?" Mii whispered.
From the common room's doorway, Makoto said, "There you are! Good morning, Ami! Why did you take off so quickly last night?"
Ami's blush deepened even farther at Makoto's question.
"What happened?"
Mii looked at him in surprise. "You know what happened! I could hear the two of you!"
"You heard us? From the other end of the building?"
"So could I..." Ami whispered.
"I didn't think we were that loud!"
Makoto looked at Hyoga. "You and Rob-san... Whatever you did, I didn't hear it."
"But..." Mii looked puzzled.
"Oh, no! The link!"
"What link?"
Rob grimaced. "We didn't tell you because we didn't think it was any of your business, Mako-chan. Peorth told Hyoga that she has an emphatic link with the people she loves."
"The people I want to protect. I didn't remember that it's a two-way link! I'm sorry!"
Ami smiled shyly. "Don't be. It... wasn't unpleasant."
"it was wonderful..." Mii breathed.
"You need to keep control of that link!"
Hyoga turned to Makoto, tears in her eyes. "I don't know how ..."
--
Rob Kelk
Sticks and stones can break your bones,
But words can break your heart.
- unknown
Rob Kelk
Sticks and stones can break your bones,
But words can break your heart.
- unknown