Bonus Chapter: Fort
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"Chii-chan... Chii-chan..."

"Mmm... what is it Yuu..."

"I can't sleep... I've been turning over all night..."

"Mmmmhhhh... well, I told you not to drink all that coffee last night."

"I know... but I wanted to try it. It's the first time we get a fresh batch since we arrived here, and I felt kinda nervous about tomorrow." Yuuri replied as she lay next to Chito on their bed and kept trying to sleep. It was already quite late at night and after a long day of hanging out with their family and strolling through the park inside the Biodome, Chito was exhausted as she kept trying to sleep close to a restless Yuuri.

"Mmm... Yuu... you should try to sleep, you know it's an important day tomorrow."

"I know... Chii-chan, but I am... kinda worried!" Yuuri replied as she kept looking up at the dark ceiling. Chito softly mumbled and brushed her eyes looking at her worried lover.

"Oh... you shouldn't be worried Yuu. Reo said it's just a simple procedure that they have done countless times, and you will be asleep during the whole thing. After that you will have a new leg, didn't you say you want to be a 'robotic-god' Yuu?" Chito replied and softly embraced Yuuri under the covers.

"I know but, I am still worried it will be dark again... I don't want you to wait for me again to wake up for a long time like last time. What if something happens?" Yuuri asked as she gently held Chito's hand under the cover.

"Chiya had the same procedure done to her and look she is always working and going on expeditions on the outside, you shouldn't be worried Yuu. I will be right outside the room waiting for you. After that, you will be able to walk properly again with training." Chito replied and smiled as she held her hand close. "After the procedure, we can go eat gyoza at the park again if you want Yuu."

"Mmm... Gyoza... and I want fresh fish again Chii-chan!" Yuuri replied and smiled with a drooling mouth.

"I think we can get fresh fish too. We still have enough ration points for the month." Chito replied as she held her hand close to hers. "But you know that you need to train the leg almost every day. It doesn't work right away so it will take you time to get used to it. That's what Reo and Mieko said."

"I know Chii-chan, but I will be so happy to see you smiling when I can finally walk on my own without the walking stick!" Yuuri replied. "I will be brave for you tomorrow."

"Oh hey, I just thought of something Yuu, I hope it will help you sleep. Maybe I can return the favor and the warmness you shared with me that time outside in the snow fort. I slept so peacefully at that time in your embrace." Chito softly blushed as she glanced at Yuuri.

"But we don't have snow to build another fort Chii-chan!"

"Oh! We don't need snow. I read in a book that children in the old world used to build these things called pillow forts from blankets and pillows and... let me show you." Chito leaned next to the bedside where she kept the black device that Yuuri gifted to her the first day they moved into their house where she could read a lot of books and write in her diary. Turning it on she found the book that showed pictures from the old world and how children used to play games and build forts.

"Oh, they look so cute!" Yuuri replied as she scrolled through the device. "I wish we had this many pillows on the outside Chii-chan, we would have been so comfortable."

"Well... I think we have a lot of pillows and blankets in the other room too. I can go get them and we can build the fort in the living room. It will be just like the snow fort but, even comfier." Chito replied as she got out of bed grabbing her pillow.

"Oooo... I wanna help too Chii-chan!" Yuuri said as she got up from the bed and grabbed her walking stick. With her free hand, she grabbed the pillow from underneath her.

"Go wait for me in the living room, I'll grab the rest of the pillows and blankets!" Chito spoke as Yuuri walked out of the bedroom and turned on the lights in their living room.

° ° °

"Chii-chan... that's a lot of pillows."

"I know... I didn't know we had them in the other room. I think they are for guests if they want to sleep over here." Chito walked close to where Yuuri was sitting with her pillow and dropped all of the pillows and blankets on the ground that she could carry from the bedrooms. She kept looking into her device for ideas on how to build the fort.

"Hmmm..." she mumbled thinking to herself before she grabbed the chair from the dining room placing it on one side and two other chairs she placed opposite each other to give enough room for both of them inside the fort. Yuuri kept looking at her as she was still sitting down on the ground snuggling her pillow.

"Here Yuuri, you can place these blankets on the ground between the chairs and I'll cover the fort with the one I am holding."

"On it!" Yuuri replied with a smile as she moved closer to the chairs, spreading the blankets just underneath while Chito was covering the fort with one of the blankets using the chairs for support.

"And then... we just put a lot of pillows inside!" Chito said as she kept looking in her device as Yuuri carefully listened to her.

"Huh... that was easier than the snow fort Chii-chan!"

"Well.. the snow fort was more difficult to build Yuu, I still wonder how we even managed to build that. When we work together we can do amazing stuff, if only you weren't so lazy laying underneath the kotatsu all day." Chito replied humorously as she looked at Yuuri who was carefully placing all of the pillows inside the fort, covering the chairs and every bit of space inside.

"Chii-chan, that kotatsu is a miracle invention. You can eat on it and sleep underneath it... what else a girl could want?" Yuuri replied and softly giggled from underneath the fort.

"Oh and this says we can use a flashlight, lantern, or anything to light it up inside. I think I have that holographic star projector that Mieko gave me for when I have nightmares but I haven't used it still." Chito replied as she kept scrolling through her device. "I think I left it in the other room!" she walked out of the living room to look where she placed the small holographic projector and a flashlight.

"Chii-chan, I placed all the pillows inside. I think we already finished it." Yuuri replied from underneath just as she was settling in, Chito was already back standing close to the fort. "

So what do you think Yuu, will you be able to sleep here for the night?"

Yuuri glanced at the crude pillow fort they just built together with Chito. "Chii-chan, this is so cute. We built another fort, and this one is in our house made of comfy and warm stuff."

"It's so cute but hey... I found the flashlight and the holographic projector... here!" She handed them over to Yuuri as she moved to the side of the room to turn off the lights in the living room. "Don't forget to turn on the flashlight first so I don't trip over."

"Sure!" Yuuri replied as she turned on the flashlight just as Chito turned the lights in the room off. Moving inside the fort Chito sat close to Yuuri. "This is so comfy and cute Chii-chan!" Yuuri with a wide smile moved the flashlight around the fort lighting it up. It felt so comfortable inside with all the pillows and the blankets, like another small house inside their house. "I don't think we have to leave the fort ever Chii-chan, we can just live inside here with all the pillows."

"Well, we have to leave it to go prepare food and work Yuu. And Reo and Mieko will be worried about us if we stay inside here forever." Chito chuckled as she took the holographic projector in her hands inspecting it. It was a small device that Mieko gave to her that could emulate the night sky within a room with a holographic projection on all kinds of surfaces, but she never tried it out yet. "Oh we don't have to take it down if you don't want to, we can sleep inside here tomorrow too after your procedure."

"Oh hey, Chii-chan is that the 'holographic' thingy you kept talking about?" Yuuri asked as she looked at her holding the device in her hands.

"Yes I think that is it, let's try it out." Placing it on the side of the fort she pressed the button on top of the device, however, nothing was yet happening. They both kept waiting for something to happen, as they looked at the device.

"Do you think it's broken Chii-chan?" Yuuri asked her with a puzzled look, glaring at the device.

"Hmmm... Oh! I think we have to turn the flashlight off." Chito replied as Yuuri reached around for the button on the flashlight and turned it off.

Suddenly, the whole fort came alive with shining and glittering lights, showing the billions of stars, planets, and nebulas in the whole wide universe.

"Chii-chan, WOW! This is amazing!" Yuuri exclaimed as she laid down on the pillows looking up at the blanket above as the stars it emulated felt almost real and alive. Chito lay next to her also glaring up at the 'night sky' with wonder in her eyes.

"Oh... so this is why she said it might help me with my nightmares, it feels so calming to look at it. I think it might work in our bedroom as well."

"Chii-chan, it's like when we were sleeping outside looking at the beautiful distant stars, but in the safety of our home and inside a pillow fort... eeee" she squealed with a wide smile and snugged her pillow. Chito gently blushed as she looked at her happy smile, it seemed like she had forgotten all about her worries about the neuroprosthetic surgery the next day. Chito knew the risks were minimal and that it would have improved her life and given her full mobility back but she was still worried about Yuuri. She loved her more than anything in this entire world and she would never let anything bad happen to her again.

"Hey... Yuu." Chito grabbed her blanket close and leaned up on the pillows with her arms opened wide. "I promised to return all the warmness back to you that you gave me at the snow fort. Come close to me." she smiled, as Yuuri moved closer and lay on her chest looking up at her.

"Chii-chan... you are comfier than all the pillows in the world!" Yuuri replied and smiled closing her eyes under the safety and warmth of the pillow fort and Chito's chest.

"This is how I felt outside that time in the snow fort and I knew it might help you fall asleep. I felt so safe and warm in your arms and I knew one day if we found a home it's how I would love to sleep close to you." Chito replied and smiled as she covered herself and Yuuri with a blanket and looked up at the 'night sky' projected on the blanket above. "Every time you snuggle me close to you I just fall asleep almost immediately Yuu."

"So hey Chii-chan, we should invite Reo, Mieko, and Kazuo for a sleepover in our fort!" Yuuri replied with her eyes still closed laying into Chito's chest. "You said that the pillows and the blankets in the other room were for guests to sleep sometimes in our house."

"I think the pillow fort is too small for all 5 of us, they can always sleep in the other bedroom if they want. Mieko and Kazuo live nearby and they never had to stay over." Chito replied, the warmness of Yuuri's body always felt so comfortable and pleasant for her.

"Maybe Reo can stay here with us ... I know he is alone and sleeps at the hospital all the time." Yuuri responded still huddled into Chito, slowly her speech was getting mumbled as she was starting to fall asleep.

"I know, but he told me he likes to sleep in the hospital, he doesn't feel so lonely there. Besides he and Chiya don't live together anymore, and he feels alone at his apartment." Chito replied still looking at the 'night sky' with sleepy eyes. "He can stay here anytime he wants, it will be just like living with grandpa."

"Oh... why don't they... live together... I am worried about him... Chii-chan..."

"I don't think they love each other like they used to do Yuu. Reo is always busy with his work at the hospital and Chiya is always out on supply runs and is seldom home, so they don't see each other often and they grew apart... Mieko lives with her husband and they are waiting for a baby, so Reo lives alone." Chito replied as she held Yuuri tight in her embrace. "So hey... Yuu what kind of 'gyoza' do you want to eat tomorrow? We can also go get fresh mackerel from the market too."

"Yuu?" she asked again but to no reply. Yuuri must have already fallen asleep in her arms as she started to softly snore on her chest. Chito smiled again and laid her head on hers. "I know Yuu... this is how you helped me stay alive all this time outside... I love you my precious flower."

Closing her eyes Chito also fell asleep, inside the warm pillow fort they built together. The holographic stars kept glimmering above keeping them safe and softly lulling them both to sleep.

° ° °

As long as they lived, they never slept apart. Not even once. They were always there for one another, in sickness and in health, even in their old age, safe from the harm of the cruel and cold world outside.

It's all Chito and Yuuri wished for themselves a happy humble life and somewhere warm to stay the night together. All the warm, tasty food they can eat and most of all, their ever-growing family by their side.

They didn't ask for much in their long and wonderful life filled with adventure, happiness, and laughter. But just to be alive and safe in each other's arms.

(Latest revision: 12th December 2022)
(Thank you for reading)

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