Amanda wanted to talk, so she talked… I just listened, kept silent, clinging on to her every word, no jest, no snides, I really paid close attention for a good while there.

Through her stumbles, a lot of her fumbles, some pauses, I essentially played the patron saint of patience, as the princess next to me desperately sought herself the perfect word for the perfect sentence to string them to the next set of sentences yet to be said… if they'll ever be said, that is.

"Love triangles are never a fun time," was how she started it, stiff as a board, and already feeling the deep impulse to clear her throat. "I've seen enough shows, read enough books, to know that they aren't. All that hammy drama, all those sappy nonsense - pick one or the other - it gets pretty exhausting after a while… and I promise myself I'd never end up being in one over my dead body, but then considering the fact that I almost did just die not even a while ago, well..."

Here came another pause… she was really, really thinking hard here. Like Tyler, I don't think Amanda was fond of rehearsing speeches.

"I knew full-well from the beginning that liking you would have its caveats. You aren't exactly a normal person, and as such, I knew your relationships with others wouldn't also follow your typical standard affair."

"I suppose," I muttered quietly, nodding once in agreement.

"You fell for the Elf," She smiled faintly, breathing out heavy. "Like who wouldn't? Ash is beautiful, she's every man's dream. I mean, I can't blame you for being a guy, can I? But all the same, I'm thinking, how on Earth am I supposed to compare with the likes of her? I suppose I could cosplay… but it wouldn't be the same now, would it? Can't exactly wiggle my ears like she can."

"You're selling yourself way too short," I told her as firmly as I could, hoping she'd hear the sincerity. "It takes more than beauty too. If you weren't you exactly individually, then as breathtakingly beautiful as you are already, I don't think we'd be having this conversation in the first place."

"Thank you, but you don't have to reassure me, don't worry," She let out a little giggle, and the tension in her voice significantly lightened. "But maybe I should keep the pessimistic act going if you're gonna keep serenading me with your words like that. It's more than welcome."

"Don't push it."

I felt her squeeze my hand, her thumb lightly caressing the surface of my skin. I don't think she even realized what she was doing, it seemed like a tic, especially when her free hand was doing much of the same except with her palm.

"Then there's that Succubus, Irene. Oh man, mmm, Irene. I mean, where do I even begin with her? She's got both Ash and I beat. She's crazy head over heels for you, and I haven't the faintest idea why. Unless you're secretly an Incubus yourself. Which, at this point, I'd wager wouldn't be entirely impossible."

"Frankly, your guess is as good as mine," I said. "Maybe, I am"

"Adalia, I'm not too sure," Amanda went on, staring up at that orange overcast sky. "She always seems to be off in her own world, but you always seem to bring her back to ours. The phoenix, I've yet to know her, so I don't know. 'Least I know Sera definitely is a no-go."

Suddenly, she sounded a soft grunt.

"I'm… losing my thoughts here, um, sorry," She said, vigorously shaking her head, flailing her blonde twintails left and right to gain it back. "Look - what I'm trying to say is, this isn't even a love triangle anymore. It's even sappier than that - I'm in a harem."

Didn't really know what to say to that besides, "Pretty sure you already know this, you mention this."

"As a joke, just a joke before," She looked away from the horizon and back down at me, utter disbelief brimming her pupils wide. "My reality now."

Deranged was the politest I could describe her expression right then and there, didn't help that her little chuckle after sounded more like a maddened witch's cackle.

"And do you want to know the punchline to the whole thing?" She asked me, her lips in a profound half-parted smile. "I don't even mind being in one the slightest bit."

My cue was up. This was the part where I say something witty, the punchline to the punchline. But the look she gave held my tongue, stifling whatever thoughts I had at that moment prior.

Both hands now, I felt the warmth of them both. She shifted closer, enough that our shoulders touched - too close, she apparently thought - and drew back a slight inch.

"I won't demand your constant attention. I don't need you to tend to my every need or whim. I may come off as high-maintenance sometimes, but I'm really not. It doesn't take much to satisfy me. As much as I desire, crave, want you all to myself, I know that's impossible. You make a single choice, everybody else loses… and for all I know, the next time I make you choose again, that choice might not end up being me at all, you know?"

'Don't answer that', spoke the glimmer in her eyes, the curl on her lips.

"Once in a while, just once in a while is fine, you know? Throw me a smile every now and again, text me if you ever find the time, just talk to me in passing, maybe hold my hand sometimes, or perhaps let me lean my head on your shoulder too.

"Just those small tiny reminders that you care, not much, just enough to keep me from forgetting, from doubting. You have plenty of love to go around, and plenty of love to give. I'm okay with that. So long as you save just a tiny little portion of that love reserved just for me, and for me alone. I'll be content with just that."

I waited a few more seconds in case there was more she wanted to add… and when she didn't, that's when the floodgates of bewilderment flung wide open.

If she was joking, she didn't sound nor look at all like she was. If she was serious… why the hell was she serious?

"I'm not just gonna toss you to the wayside, Amanda," I furrowed my brows. "Leave you on the curb of the sidewalk, begging for scraps of affection. That's-that's-that's not what love is."

"Don't take it literally, loverboy," She smirked. "I know you aren't cruel. Even without me saying anything, I know you'll still do everything you can to keep me from starving."

"You're really that in love with me, huh?" I said, blowing out a breath in awe.

"What can I say? I guess I'm just a sucker for the knight-in-shining-armor type," She said, her gaze veering away coyly. "Especially the handsome ones that are just so easy to tease."

I let out a scoff. "Easy to tease…"

"Easy to fall in love with," She finished. "And damn difficult to stop. But not impossible, you know? If you want to keep me, be sure to do your fair share, okay? That's all I'll ever ask."

"Don't worry, you'll get my fair share and even more," I told her, drawing closer. "Make no mistake."

She shook her head again, her lips still wide in a smirk. "Mmm, I'm not too sure about that. First rule of the harem dictates you aren't allowed to give one girl more attention than you do the others. And besides, I don't want to come off as being too greedy with you."

"Why not?" I shifted even closer, going beyond just touching shoulders. "Rules are meant to be broken, aren't they?"

Amanda took clear notice of my furtive attempts to cut our distances short, and whether her reaction had stemmed from the general feeling of bashfulness, or if she simply was just playing hard-to-get, she slinked away from me just as furtively.

"Uh…" She tried to chuckle and ended up with a tremble. "They're not my rules to break, you see."

"Well, if you've watched me closely in the tournament, you'll know I'm not the best at upholding rules either."

More and more, I crept closer as she shrank further, growing less and less subtle by the second until she inevitably was left teetering on the edge of her seat.

Her eyes were bigger closer, her breath warmer closer… I kept getting closer.

"You're… you're too close..." She finally said, stating the obvious with a voice stripped cleanly of its bravado, leaving only the meek and timid to stand before me defiantly. "Wha- what do you think y-you're about to do?"

I softly spoke, seeing her lips - so alluring, captivating - quiver ever so slightly as I did, "My fair share."

Her blinks became sporadic, her eyes frantic… but she stayed herself, she didn't move, didn't fight it, the light squeeze of my hand in hers meant she didn't mind it.

And her eyes slowly fluttering close told me she wanted it.

Eventually, I moved past the last inch, feeling her tense breaths, her soft lips brushing against mine.

But then right before anything else could happen, something rang aloud…

Someone rang aloud.

A violent buzzing beneath fabric broke us apart in an instant. There was an awkward scuffle of movement as we both rummaged through clothing to find the source of the buzzing.

The culprit ended up being a white glow shining just right beneath my robes. Amanda immediately seized scouring the folds of her dress to simply stare and smile at it.

"Second rule of the harem: somehow, someway, there will always be something to interrupt you at the very last minute," She shook her head, sighing. "I suppose you better answer it. Sounds important."

Through the loud buzzing, and the incessant ringing, it was still so easy to hear the disappointment clear in her voice, how her expression dimmed, drooping crestfallen… with her only attempt at hiding it being a small totally unconvincing smile.

Amanda shifted upright, she looked like she was about to walk off and go, it seemed she believed her moment had already long passed, so easily usurped by another… by a mere phone call.

As per the rules of love.

I'm surprised she's forgotten already, I only just told her… rules are meant to be broken.

I broke it.

I reached out, just as she stood. Held her tight, just as she walked. And tugged her towards me, just as she spun around to face me.

Caught completely unaware, she stumbled, tripped, her lips parting open in a sharp gasp. With both arms, I broke her fall. With both hands, I pulled her close. With both her eyes still reeling wide open, I leaned in even closer.

Then with a kiss, I stifled her gasp to an instant quiet.

The buzzing continued, the ringing neverending. Her hazel eyes stared unblinking, and her fingers outstretched quivered and shuddered, it's as if every joint in her body froze over in that one single instant.

But in time, as the shock gradually subsided, as she slowly gave herself into the moment… when she kissed back... Her eyelids began to droop, and her hands fell limp, landing into mine.

Eventually, even the ringing stopped. Leaving just us two, in a silence, in a moment, seemingly forever… all to ourselves.

Amanda pushed hard, forcing me back.

'More...' spoke the feverish quiver in her breath. I could only oblige.

I pushed even harder, and I felt her melt into my arms. Suddenly her arms were moving, exploring… wanting every inch of me. I could almost hear her plead, hear her beg, wanting me to do the same.

Honestly, she was getting a bit carried away, I feel.

Before anymore else could happen, I forced our lips apart - there was a loud pucker resounding - she leaned in, eyes still closed. Her not wanting to let go, her wanting more.

"Sorry," I whispered, smiling, placing a finger against her lips. "Rules are rules."

That seemed to have snapped her back to her senses. Her eyes slowly fluttered open. A blink once, a glance twice… then suddenly her cheeks were aflame with red, and she drew herself far, far away to her end of the bench.

"You're…" She swallowed her voice. "Bold…"

You're one to talk, aren't you?

"What, too sappy, a bit too hamny?" I frowned at her, raising a brow. "You don't like it?"

She turned away, her face still flushed with color. "I don't mind it."

"Good," I nodded, reaching out to adjust a stray strand in her hair. "Because I don't plan on that being our last."

"That's nice."

I leaned my head forward. "And you?"

Seriously, she holds on to the edge of the bench any harder and it's gonna snap from right under her.

And she says I'm easy to tease...

"Y-You should answer the phone call now!" She sputtered out, looking literally towards everywhere else but to me. "Could be important. C-Call back. See what they want."

By all accounts, what she was saying was sound advice. But the thing was, I didn't have to reach into my pocket, I didn't have to flicker on my phone to know who was calling just then.

I already knew who was calling just then.

No one else would ring me for that long, and no one else would leave me a message immediately right after.

Make that two.

Oh, make that three.

Irene was a bonafide authoritarian when it came to punctuality. Not that I could blame her for that, for now… someone's life was at stake, after all.

My life.

> went the first message.

> spoke her second.

> said her last.

It seemed it was finally time for Irene's time in the spotlight.

As per the rules of the Harem.