Breakfast
Disclaimer: Gakuen Alice and anything related to it do not belong to me, but Higuchi Tachibana.
Lavender colored eyes flickered lazily underneath a fan of ebony lashes. After a few moments, they focused on the shadows dancing across the room from the rising morning sunlight filtered through the window.
Persona closed his eyes, reveling in the warmth of bed that kept him in its firm grasp, imprisoning him in its downy caress. Sighing, he rolled on his side, his arm instinctively reaching for the familiar body usually curled next to his side.
His arm met a cooled bedspread instead.
I will always be by your side.
Snapping his eyes open, Persona rose slightly from his bed, searching for his companion.
Nobara.
Instinct honed through years of training at Gakuen Alice caused his shoulders to tense; a moment of fear seized his heart.
Where was she?
The panic in his stomach quelled when he heard a familiar gasp from outside of the bedroom, which was followed by the soft tinkling of dishes tapping against one another.
"Phew, saved it."
Nobara's optimistic voice over her rescue of the dishes, although spoken softly as to not awaken him, immediately soothing whatever fears that gripped him before.
Persona pulled away from the bed, disregarding his lack of dress with only a pair of pajama bottom pants, and ambled toward the kitchen. The sound of his footsteps was nonexistent as padded to the hallway outside of the kitchen, hidden by the midmorning shadows. His eyes instinctively searching for the familiar sight of curly, slate gray hair.
Relief filtered throughout his body as he caught sight of Nobara.
She was safe.
She was still here.
Although, curiously, she was leaning against the countertop, reaching for a bottle of honey that was obstinate to stay out of her reach.
Not wanting his presence known just yet, quietly, like a hunter stalking his prey, Persona moved silently into the kitchen.
Maneuvering his body so that he stood behind her, his chest barely touched the back of her shoulders; he leaned forward to grab the bottle of honey for her.
Don't.
Persona observed her reaction to his unannounced presence. Her shoulders didn't seize or quake from the fear or surprise of his sudden appearance. Instead, he heard the light intake of air, a gasp of delight, which was followed by a sigh that formed into a smile on her face.
He memorized her mannerisms a long time ago.
The honey was forgotten on the kitchen countertop. Instead, his attention was focused on the warm body suddenly pressed against his chest.
To his surprise, Nobara spun around right into his arms. Persona could see warm, gray eyes brighten as she gazed at him before disappearing as she burrowed her face against in his shoulder. Instinctively, he brought his arms around her small form to, if possible, bring her closer to him in an embrace.
Don't touch me…
Nuzzling into his neck, he could feel her take a deep breath in contentment, strands of her soft hair lightly tickling his neck with the motion. He could feel the warmth of his Ice Princess' arms as they wrapped themselves around his middle, holding him as a willing captive in her embrace.
"Good morning," Nobara murmured sweetly, her voice slightly muffled against his skin. She must be blushing, he assumed as he felt the burn of her cheeks against his shoulder. "I'm sorry if I woke you up…"
"No, not at all," Persona muttered, his voice slightly hoarse from lack of use so early in the morning. "I didn't see you when I woke up."
Removing her head from his neck, Nobara shyly looked at him, using her long bangs as a cover to hide her pink-tinted cheeks. She turned her head slightly from his in a moment of contemplation before looking at him once more, her cheeks deepening into a pinker tint as she whispered, "I wanted to make you breakfast."
His attention was momentarily diverted as he focused his attention at the table a few steps from the kitchen laden with breakfast, still hot because of the visible steam that rose from the food.
"It was my turn to cook breakfast this weekend," Persona gazed at Nobara curiously. His forehead furrowed slightly as she attempted to free herself from his arms. Instead, Persona used one arm to hold her waist, keeping her firmly against himself while the other moved to her face. His fingers lightly slid her bangs away from her face that obscured his view of her beautiful face. Gently, he cupped her cheek, his left thumb gently brushing against her smooth, pale skin. He smiled, if a bit wary of her answer, as he attempted to joke, "I thought you enjoyed my cooking."
If you do…
Nobara's clear, gray eyes widened at his statement.
Persona's heart seized.
As if sensing his anxiety, Nobara turned her head brushing her face into his hand, kissing the soft skin of his palm. Moving her head away from his hand for a moment, she moved her left hand to lie over his hand, the clink of metal being heard as she interlaced their fingers together. She kissed his hand once more.
You will be like me.
This time, against the gold band that rested against his fourth finger.
It lay side-by-side against its mate, which Nobara had around her own finger.
Nobara giggled, her eyes steadily gazing at him as smiled tenderly at his confusion, "Three years ago, you proposed to me on this day over a breakfast that you made for me."
A tint of pink appeared on Persona's cheeks as he reminisced over the day. Originally, he meant to propose to Nobara the night before during dinner, but due to bad weather ruining his vision of a perfect night, he postponed it to the following day. To compensate for his ruined plans, his new agenda involved making her day as wonderful as possible.
Breakfast ended up with runny eggs and orange juice with too much pulp. The kicker in it all was, due to a single misstep that would have made his self in the past cringe with shame, Persona ended up sprawled on the floor.
The ring that was in his apron pocket flew out due to his dramatic fall and landed with a slight hop on Nobara's charred pancakes.
The silence that stretched afterward was so deafening that Persona nearly forgot to breathe.
The ring glittered in the morning light, a stark contrast against the brown and slightly burnt pancakes that served as its cushion.
Hesitantly, Nobara reached forward and picked it up, carefully cradling the ring between her fingers.
"Is this for…"
Persona scrambled forward toward Nobara, his knees dropping on the floor as he felt his plans and a part of himself crumble as her gray eyes direct themselves toward his dilated purple ones.
"…me?"
His arms other either side of her lap, Persona leaned against Nobara's lap, his head dropped downward in shame about the embarrassing event.
"I wanted to…propose to you properly," he muttered, his voice cracking because of the bombardment of emotions that threatened to overtake him, "I…I'm sor-"
Arms threw themselves around his neck and he felt the crash of lips against his own, his ears ringing with "yes, yes, yes, please, yes," as she peppered his lips and face with kisses.
The breakfast lay forgotten.
"I wouldn't call the food I produced actual cooking," Persona attempted to avoid Nobara's gaze as she giggled at his bashful reaction. She giggled once more, leaning up to him to press a comforting kiss to his lips. Their hands had dropped, his arm joining its partner to wrap around her middle, her left hand still entangled over his hand between their bodies.
"We always celebrate our wedding anniversary with an event that you made for me," Nobara whispered against his lips, as if telling him a cherished secret. "I wanted to do something in return, so I've always tried to make breakfast on the day you proposed to me, but it fell on your day…but…I wanted to make it for you."
I will protect you.
"Just like how you try so hard for me," Nobara smiled, bashful at her confession. All thoughts of uncertainty and embarrassment left as he leaned downward to capture her mouth in a soul-searing kiss. His reservations and fears surrounding Nobara melted into the background as he kissed her.
His beautiful Ice Princess- no, Queen, froze his fears about their relationship and banished them somewhere far away.
Nobara may not have realized it it, but she did so much for him that whatever actions he did for her, paled in comparison.
She saved him.
Saved him from the murmurs and rumors from students and elementary school principal of Gakuen Alice.
Saved him from the past that haunted him.
Freed him from his self-imposed solitude.
Reluctantly, he moved away from Nobara's tempting lips so that they both may breathe. Pressing his forehead against hers, "I'll make lunch."
Laughing, Nobara nodded against his forehead before slowly extricating herself from his grasp, her fingers still laced with his, their wedding bands occasionally bumping into one another. "Then let's have breakfast now."
As Nobara led him to a table waiting for them with beautifully made eggs and pancakes, Persona reveled in the warm, fullness surrounding him.
He was living.
SS: Aaah, I have a renewed love for Gakuen Alice! I mostly write NatsumexMikan fics, so I hope this story is well received as well. Comments and criticism, good or bad, would be loved! I hope y'all are enjoying the recent chapters of Gakuen Alice because I know I am!