Way too complicated

Maki paces across her penthouse, phone clutched in her hand.

“I’m such a fuckin’ dumbass. God, I’m such a fuckin’ dumbass.” She mutters, falling face-first into the couch.

She turns and wipes at her eyes, holding her phone up to her face.

Two nights prior….

Maki finally officially named the club. Deciding on the final name, she had yet to properly announce it. She told people; she told her staff, which included Erik, and while drinking with Vi, who had come to the club yet again, this time with Max, Vi was throwing him a rare bone. Plus, she was feeling horny, and a part of her had planned to share him with Max, since she had caught them that one time. Nice fun circle, she had thought.

…

“Oh!” Maki grinned, putting an arm around both Vi and Max, his hands on her thigh, Vi with narrowed eyes, sipping on her drink, already excited. “I finally figured out a name for the club!”

“Oh yeah?” Vi asks. “What is it?”

“Club Nysa!” Maki exclaimed with glee. She switched her gaze between the two.

“I thought it was already named that!?” Vi had asked.

Maki shook her head. “It was the frontrunner. I did some testing with patrons, and people liked this name the best!”

“What’s Nysa?” Max had asked.

“Oh! That’s where Dionysus grew up!” Vi had said through her tipsy haze, her hand rubbing Maki’s other thigh.

“Yeah!!!” Maki exclaimed, rewarding herself and Vi with another shot.

Max rolled his eyes, not really caring. He leaned into the girls and grinned. “Great news! Maybe we should go somewhere proper to celebrate.”

Vi giggled and then looked at him. “See, that’s why I like you; you’re not just a pretty face.”

Maki didn’t care anymore in that moment; she was hot, she was horny, Vi is hot as fuck, Max is a hot himbo. “Fuck yes.”

Maki had guided the two up to her penthouse, Vi encouraging the redhead to kiss Max, something she wouldn’t do herself. They fell into the penthouse, Maki greedily swapped spit with Max, something he was also glad to finally get a chance to do.

Vi had quickly snapped a photo of herself, with Maki in the background. And sent it to Erik.

She had left her phone on the couch, joining the rest on Maki’s bed.

Erik looked down at his phone and his heart dropped. He texted; he called, but there was no response. Vi was too far, too busy.

The couple had somehow never referred to Maki by name. It was either ‘my stepsister’ or ‘the hot club owner.’

They never once referred to the club by name. Never ‘Club Nysa’; Vi called it ‘the new club’; Erik would say ‘stepsisters’ club'.”

IT was so stupid, so short-sighted, neither of them bothering to follow through with more questions, neither of them putting two and two together.

Surely not, right? They never once mentioned anyone by name? That would be the dumbest coincidence of all time

…

He bolted out of his dorm, right into his car.

He pushed through the crowd; the bouncer let him in- he’s staff, after all.

The bouncer at the penthouse elevator tried to warn him that his stepsister had guests; Erik said it was an emergency, a family one, and the bouncer let him through.

The elevator dinged; Erik made eye contact with Max.

“Wha- What are you doing here?”

The girls had turned, Maki needing a second before her eyes went wide, Vi with a worried look on her face.

“Erik!?”

The girls turned to look at each other.

Erik panted as he stared; Max rushed to cover himself.

“Oh, my god.”

Vi came to the same realisation that Erik had.

The elevator dings; Maki hasn’t slept for days. She watches as Vi walks in, Erik behind her.

“What the fuck?” Vi says, arms crossed, a fury on her face that Erik has never seen before. “Did you know!?”

Maki shrinks, rubbing her eyes. “Yes…”

“What the fuck!?” Vi growls, not finding it necessary to come any closer.

Maki sighs; she’s never been in a position like this, being treated like a young girl, worse yet, scolded by someone younger than her.

“I mean, what the fuck!!?”

Erik has nothing to say; to be fair, he's in shock himself.

This girl that Vi had described as ‘sexy and fun, huge tits, thicc.’

Erik had played along, talking about a threesome one day, fun with all three of them.

Is it really possible they never referred to her by name?

Maki sighs and attempts to explain where her mind was, what she was doing, and the fact that she was doing this for Erik.

“For me?” He asks

She nods. “I thought she was cheating on you… At first.”

“At fucking first?!” Vi roars. “You thought I was cheating on your brother, so you thought, ‘Oh, let me fuck the guy she’s cheating on him with WITH HER?!’ Do you have fucking worms in your brain, you stupid bitch!?”

Maki shrinks.

“Vi…” Erik says, getting a glare from her before she takes a breath.

“Sorry.” The apology is directed at Erik, for the insult, rather than Maki, who the insult was for.

“Did you two never say my name to each other?” Maki asks.

“Are you saying that this fuckery is our fault?” Vi asks, death laced in her voice.

“No! Just, I’m surprised you never mentioned me by name?”

Vi looks at Erik. “Did we?”

Erik shrugs. “If we did… We didn’t really pay attention, or we were…. Distracted. But I definitely said at least once that my stepsisters names are Maki and Anya though…”

She pouts, looking down at her crossed arms. “I do remember you saying that actually… I guess I thought it was just a coincidence.”

Erik grimaces. “We probably should’ve figured that out…”

Erik turns to Vi.

“Did you ever look at her socials?” Erik asks.

“She told me she doesn’t… have… any…” She turns to Maki, who is sitting sheepishly. “YOU BLOCKED ME?”

“Oh, Christ, Maki…”

….

Vi joins Erik by the bar, her arms crossed. “That is the stupidest plan I’ve ever heard. Did you think this would work? Did you think at all when you hired him to be part of your stuff? Was the plan that we never would say the club name, fuck, your name? Did you think?”

“It did last a while.” Erik says softly, to himself more than anything. But all the same, he gets the death stare from Vi.

Maki looks down at her feet. “I have nothing more to say. I’m sorry. I really started to like you, and by the time of the other night, I kinda… suspected… I just didn’t know how I would bring it up.” Maki looks at Erik. “I was going to ask you… And we would approach it together…”

Erik grimaces, cocking an eyebrow and rubbing the bridge of his nose.

“What did you expect?” Vi says, subtly demanding that she say it out loud.

“That you two… had some… agreement about the relationships.”

Vi sucks her cheek in.

“Yeah. Somewhat.” Erik confirms.

“I noticed that she doesn’t kiss people. I assume that’s not consensual?”

Erik nods.

Vi’s facade cracks watching the stepsiblings speak. “I thought we were friends.”

Erik glances over. Maki speaks softly. “I’m genuinely sorry.”

Vi turns to Erik. “I don’t know what to do.”

Erik turns as well. “I know… It’s a weird spot for you.”

“Not for you?”

Erik sneaks a glance at Maki. He grew up with her, so it’s weird to see her act more like Anya than herself.

“My friends… growing up… always found Maki attractive; it was one of those things that guys would say to me… She’s always been… well, dumb. Wild.”

Maki shifts on the couch.

“She thinks I didn’t know, but I know she would wear less clothes and be flirty with my friends… She’s still my stepsister… She’s going to stick around. I won’t ask you to forgive her… But… I don’t know.”

Vi sucks her cheek in, nodding slowly. “Okay.” She takes a final look at Maki and leaves without another word.

Vi takes the elevator down without Erik. “You’re a dumbass. Why didn’t you just ask me? It’s not like this isn’t something you wouldn't be blunt about.”

“I was angry… I thought she was a cheater…”

He sighs. “You should hope that she forgives you, or tolerates you in some way.” He pouts.

“I know.”

“I won’t be working for a bit.”

“I get it.”