Archive of Our Own ^beta

Yuri was many things.

A multitude.

A sprawling labyrinth of thoughts, thoughts on those thoughts, and addendums to those thoughts.

But she was not confident.

That much she could ascertain from the turbulence in her brain.

Still, she clutched a small box of chocolates close to her chest.

This is cliche. Trite. 

She chided herself. 

Chocolates on Valentine’s Day? She may as well not even write her name with the amount of the exact same gift Monika was sure to receive. 

Still, perhaps even more so, she clutched the box closer to her chest. 

But...I must try.

Yuri did have one advantage, as opposed to the onslaught of her peers. These chocolates were hand-picked by Yuri’s discerning tastes. None of the tacky, heart-container chaff one might grab from off the shelf, no…

...this ensemble, contained in a dark red box trimmed with signature gold foil, was tailormade. Full of her favorites, hand picked at a chocolatier shop she frequented for special occasions. 

But...is that too much?

Oh...oh my god...it is, isn’t it?

Making a big deal out of something so...mundane. How very like you, Yuri…

Shaking the nay-saying negativity from her noggin, Yuri reignited her resolve.

Nevertheless, I must press on.

Though the day continued as it normally did, the dismal gray skies of mid-February were keen to exacerbate Yuri’s mounting anxiety. 

Class after class, she had seen others dole out gifts to their sweethearts. It seemed so simple to them. So easy . Did they not suffer her hesitation? Her dread? Her perception of a million-and-one potential ways it could go wrong?

Of course not. They are not you, and they are not courting Monika. None of them could hope to be a match for her beauty, her grace, her tact...

The bell rung, and Yuri clutched her bag as she mulled through the hall, trying to avoid notice. 

Her eyes darted, trying to parse the crowd to keep herself from stumbling into Monika unprepared. 

Simply running into her and giving her the box would be disastrous. Disjointed. Total and final justification in banishing me from her pool of romantic peers. No...there must be a better way.

She thought back to Monika asking her on the date weeks prior, how smoothly it had gone despite Yuri’s stilted reaction. 

Everything comes so naturally to Monika…

“...Heeeyyyy, earth to Yuriiiiiiii…”

Yuri flinched as a soft, bubbly voice broke her concentration. 

Sayori, in her typical sunshine flair, had brought Yuri back to clarity. 

“S-Sayori! Ah, I’m…s-sorry, I was...lost in thought.”

Sayori nodded, a solemn expression forming as her brow furrowed. “I get that...Valentine's Day is serious business…” 

Yuri squinted. “How did you...come to that conclusion?” 

Sayori’s knowing smile almost made Yuri shrink. “You were making your ‘I’m thinking about Monika’ face!” 

“I h-have a face for that?!” 

“Yup! I didn’t realize it at first...because you’ve made it before, but after you told me that Monika asked you out on a date, you’ve made that exact same face whenever she’s around!”

Oh my god. I have a face for that. How long have I been making that face?! 

“Uh oh. You’re making your ‘thinking too much’ face now…”

“P-please stop commenting on my face like that…” Yuri turned her head away, partially obscuring her clearly worried face with her hair. 

“Oh no!! I’m sorry...mm…” Sayori was quick to swerve the subject off of Yuri. “Do you need any help with the Moni thing?”

The Moni thing? I have a Monika thing now?

“I-I’m...unsure, truth be told...I’ve got what I wish to give her...but...broaching the subject seems...troublesome.”

“How come?”

Yuri wrung her hands, trying to say any of the many reasons she had come up with in a way that didn’t make her seem crazy.

“I-I just...don’t know if she...likes me like that.”

Sayori made a face of her own, quirking her eyebrow.

“But...you two went on a date, right?”

“W-well...we did...however I’m not sure if it was...an acquaintance date, a friend date, a peer date...a... date-date …”

Yuri could clearly see Sayori processing less of the conversation. “There’s that many kinds of dates?”

“F-for some, I’m sure…”

“Listen, Yuri...I’m gonna tell you something, okay?” Her voice was grounded, an air of gentle authority, as if she could bend the state of things to her sheer sunshiney will. 

Yuri nodded.

“I think Moni likes you. A lot. A lot a lot .”

Sayori’s smile offered some small amount of reassurance, despite the anxieties of Yuri’s mind giving their best efforts to the contrary. 

“So...I don’t think you need to worry about the ifs, yeah? I know that’s tough, though…”

Yuri pursed her lips, clutching her bag as Sayori’s words percolated. “Then...How should I proceed?” 

“IIIIIII think, if being extravagant is scary, then don’t be! Just...give them to her, and let her know how ya feel!”

“You say that as if it easy…”

Sayori shook her head. “Not easy at all! But...if it’s simple, there’s less to worry about, yeah?”

“I suppose...that’s a sound line of logic...thank you for your insight, Sayori…”

“Noooo problem, Yuri! Now go gettem!!” 

Before long, Sayori and Yuri parted ways to go about the rest of their day. Even with the advice and assurance of her good friend and sapphic comrade, Yuri still had her reservations. The day’s lessons and assignments and interactions all started to congeal into mush as she retreated back into her mind. 

Sayori suggests I not overthink...but...for me to not overthink would effectively be the same as not thinking at all...and if I don’t think, then...disaster strikes. 

Even with Sayori’s advice, Yuri still had trouble putting together an ideal moment to even hand off her gift. Club had been called off, and she had no classes in common with monika…

What am I to do? Where would I even begin to look for her?

“Yo, Yuri, you good?”

Another voice broke her from her spiral, this one laced with cinnamon and spice.

Natsuki stood over Yuri at her desk, giving her a playfully incredulous look. “Oh, you’re making the face—“

“Do not acknowledge the face, Sayori has already informed me of it, and I’m already mortified by it.” Yuri interjected in a rare moment of assertion. 

“Sheeeesh, I’m just poking a lil fun! It’s not even a bad face! It’s cute!” Natsuki plopped into the seat beside Yuri, turning her body to face her. 

“Soooo…?”

Yuri glanced over, confused.

“...did you not give her your little gift yet?”

“N-no…”

Natsuki looked at the clock behind Yuri. “You’re uh...running a little low on time.”

Yuri frowned as she put her head in her hands, muffled and defeated. “I don’t know where she'll be at this point…”

Natsuki snickered. “Luckily for you, you happen to be pining for the most extracurricular girl to exist. I bet she’ll be in the music room after this period, doing her thing.”

Yuri sighed, though it was more out of relief than of despair. Peeking up from the comfort of her arms, she regarded Natsuki warmly.

“T-thank you.”

Natsuki flashed her a toothy grin. “It ain’t nothing. Just make sure you shoot your shot, okay? I’d hate for this all to not end up with something really really gay happening between you two.” 

Yuri giggled, despite her nerves.

“It would be a shame, wouldn’t it?” 

Yuri had at least some confidence, now. She had advice, she had a location, and she had the faith placed in her by her friends.

All she needed to do now was to execute. 

She and Natsuki waved their goodbyes at the end of class, with Yuri waiting in a corner for the mass of students to thin out, watching Natsuki be embraced by a very rosy-cheeked Sayori. The two giggled as they navigated the rapids, hand in hand.

Perhaps they would be experts in taking a chance on love like that…

Yuri drew in a breath, inducing a stillness of mind as the buzzing din of the crowd faded into nothing. The path was clear, the task was set; she would not fail. 

It didn’t take long. 

In front of her was the door to the music room, the gateway to love or loss. Such high stakes were beheld by this simple, unremarkable entryway. Already she could hear a faint melody being played inside. 

Another intake of breath, and Yuri pushed her way in.

Sure enough, the room was empty save for Monika herself, in all her splendor. Her form, her concentration, her keen skill with the piano keys before her…her angelic voice…her radiant features…

Mesmerized, Yuri could only watch, enraptured as Monika continued to play, none the wiser to Yuri being her audience. She closed her eyes, committing the musical notes to memory as Monika laid them out, letting the feeling in each refrain rush to her like the waves of the tide at her feet.

It was beautiful.

She was beautiful.

And then, all at once, it faded.

“No, no, that still doesn’t feel right…hm…” Monika remarked on her performance, her regard for it a sharp contrast to Yuri’s own feelings towards it.

“It was lovely…” Yuri blurted.

“OH–!” Monika jolted, nearly springing from her seat and tumbling to the floor, only to catch herself in a clumsy recovery.

“S-Sorry! You were- I was- I didn’t…want to interrupt…” 

Monika quickly composed herself, a faint blush tinting her cheeks. “Well...I’m glad you liked it! It was...uh…kind of a secret project I’ve been working on…”

Yuri, free from being enraptured by Monika's music, took in her surroundings. Beside her was her bag, and not much else. 

Surely someone else must have tried to give her something, right? I can’t be the only one…

“What sort of project? I-If it’s okay to ask…”

Monika sighed, flexing out her fingers. “It was...heh...it was for someone special.”

Oh.

“Someone sweet, gentle, and pretty…”

Yuri felt as though she shrank with each word. Of course. Of course it was for someone else.

“...and that same person just happened to hear a good chunk of it before I was happy with it.” 

...what? 

“...who?”

Monika gave Yuri a sweet, reassuring smile. “ You, silly!”

OH.

The answer took a moment to penetrate the layers of thoughts surrounding Yuri’s brain, but they impacted with the force of a celestial body. 

“M-me?!”

“Ahaha, it’s...well, it’s a bit sloppy on my part to still be workshopping a gift on the day I was supposed to give it, but…” Monika shrugged. 

“B-But...I loved it! What I had heard, anyhow…” Yuri wrung her hands as a flurry of emotions began to overwhelm her. “I just...I didn’t think you would make something...for me…”

Monika tilted her head. “Why wouldn’t I?” 

Yuri didn’t have an answer.

Rather than press her, Monika motioned back to the piano. “Would you...wanna hear it from the beginning, then?”

Yuri nodded, and Monika scooted over to make room on the bench for her.

“T-thank you…” Yuri murmured, as Monika began to play. 

Again, the melody entranced Yuri, even moreso now that the intent behind the work was known. 

Again, the tune ended, and again, Yuri was smitten by the artistry of the piece and the beauty of its creator. 

“I really do love this, Monika...t-thank you…”

Monika blushed, a crooked smile forming on her face. “O-of course! I...I’m really glad you like it.”

Silence filled the room for a moment, Yuri fidgeting before reaching to her bag. 

“I-I got you something as well…” the box was placed flat on the wooden frame of the piano, beside the handwritten sheet music Monika had made. 

“Oh! Oh my gosh! These are— that chocolate place you talked to me about!” Monika’s eyes lit up as she carefully inspected the filigree and patterning before popping it open. 

“Y-you remembered! Yes...this...this is just a collection of my favorites...flavors I found to hopefully be suitable to your palate…” 

Monika’s eyes sparkled in wonder at the delectable treats, before eventually closing the box back up. “I love it, Yuri...thank you so much!”

Yuri fidgeted happily at the response, relief and elation flooding her body all at once. “I’m...glad it’s suitable…” 

“It is! More than suitable, even…” Monika’s voice trailed off, a question forming as she pursed her lips. 

“Could I...kiss you?”

The question was innocuous, awkward in its tone and meek in its delivery. Yuri could hardly believe it came from Monika. But the level of candid affection in her voice only compounded Yuri’s own feelings. 

“I— You—… yes! Yes, please…”

The relief in Monika’s eyes was plain to see, even to Yuri.

She leaned in, her gentle lips pressing against Yuri’s own. A moment that, to her, seemed to last both an eternity and an instant. 

Monika pulled away, cheeks redder than before, her smile lacking her trademark confidence, but conveying something more...earnest.

“I...I liked that.” Yuri blurted again, her eloquence had yet to catch up to her. 

Monika giggled, the happiest sound Yuri had ever heard.

“I liked that too...and...I’d love to do it again, if you’d like…”

Yuri nodded, partially obscuring her face with her hair.

“I-I would, yes.”