Disclaimer: I do not own Love Live

Umi woke up earlier than usual that morning. Moving about the room she made sure to be as quiet as possible as she finished she took a quick glance at the clock and saw that it was still early for her partner to wake up. She wrote a quick note and gave her partner a quick peck on the forehead before leaving for work.

30 minutes later Maki woke up and noticed that the other side of the bed was empty. As she sat up she then saw a note by her bedside.

'Maki

I'll be coming home late tonight you don't have to wait for me if you get hungry. Also, I've left some breakfast for you downstairs.

Umi'

Maki was a bit miffed at the note that was left for her, after all, why was it that Umi had to work late today of all days. She shook her head and made a quick mental to-do list for the day. She didn't tell Umi that she had taken the day off, after all, her intention was to surprise the bluenett. After getting ready and eating the breakfast Umi left for her, Maki headed out to prepare for the surprise later that night.

Her first stop was Homura's, she knew how Umi loved the Homura manjuu's so much. As she entered the store Honoka greeted her energetically and as soon as she said that she wanted to order some manjuu's Honoka immediately said "This is for Umi-chan isn't it Maki-chan! Don't worry I'll deliver it to your house later! The fresher it is the more Umi-chan will love it!"

Maki had simply sighed at Honoka's energy but she can't help but smile at the gesture Honoka offered. "Thanks, Honoka. Can you bring it over late in the afternoon? Umi's going to be coming home later than usual tonight." Honoka made an okay gesture as she entertained a new customer. As she was leaving someone had called out to her. "Maki-chan!"

"Ah! Kotori."

"Buying some manjuu for Umi-chan?" Maki nodded her head.

"Actually Kotori can you make sure Honoka doesn't forget to send the manjuu over later? And can I ask for a small favor?"

Honoka overheard Kotori's and Maki's conversation despite her being busy with other customers. "Mou! Maki-chan! I won't forget!"

Kotori had simply chuckled at Honoka's silly outburst and agreed to do the small favor for Maki.

Maki made another stop at another bakery then a quick trip to the supermarket to buy the ingredients for dinner. When she got home she took a quick nap, set up the table and answered some work emails and before she knew it, it was already 7 pm. She prepared the table then the ingredients and made a quick note of what Nico had taught her a few days prior.

"Messing this up should be minimal Maki-chan! It's just simple pasta and don't worry you won't burn your house down. Trust me! After all the great Nico-nii was the one that taught you how to make this!"

Maki chuckled at the memory and went back to concentrating on the task at hand.

As Umi sat in the office she felt bad for suddenly telling Maki that she had to work late that night. Worst of all she just told her this morning on a little note that she had left for her. After 20 more minutes of staring at the computer screen, unable to produce any more comprehensible work she decided to pack up and just head home earlier than she had planned. It was already 7 pm as she packed her things and thought that Maki would most likely be on her way home as well.

Upon arriving home she thought she smelled something burning, on instinct she ran to the kitchen and there she saw Maki with her back facing her while she was busy with some other food. Her eyes then darted to the pot beside Maki and saw a rag haphazardly discarded near the pot with one of its end getting caught on fire. Immediately she ran to it, turned the fire off and dumped the rag into the sink dowsing it with water. Maki stood there staring at her; her expression showed shock, sadness, pissed and embarrassment. She placed the pasta on the counter and simply left the kitchen before Umi could say anything.

Umi quickly followed as soon as the red head left when she reached the living room Maki was sitting on the couch obviously sulking from what had just happened. Slowly she approached the sulking red head and sat beside her.

"Ne Maki you don't have to worry about what happened. It was just an honest mistake that anyone could make. Also, you know that I've already left some pre-cooked food in the freezer just in case you got hungry before I got home."

Maki ignored Umi and after hearing what she had to say just annoyed her more. Just now she asks herself at how she could have fallen for this dense idiot in the first place. But she remained silent with those thoughts in her head; still ignoring Umi.

"Hey come on now, its okay if you messed up. It wasn't like the house burned down right?"

Maki couldn't take it anymore, how could Umi be here comforting her and not realizing the reason why she did it in the first place. She started to mumble her grievances at Umi which the other obviously could not understand a word of.

"Could you please repeat that Maki, I couldn't understand what you were saying."

Umi carefully coaxed Maki to come out of her shell. After all, they have been together for a long time now and Umi had learned how to handle Maki especially when her tsundere mode is turned on.

Suddenly Maki faced Umi and said "Mou! How can you be so dense! I was cooking dinner for the two of us and since you had said that you were going to come home late tonight I thought that a surprise dinner would be nice."

Maki then walked out the living room and immediately went back in with a box, a simple blue ribbon sitting on top of it, in hand and handed it to Umi. "Here this is for you. It is your birthday today and I thought that we could have a nice little celebration tonight."

Maki's face was turning as red as her hair as she said those words to Umi, she couldn't even look at her straight in the eyes while twirling the ends of her red hair. Umi was shocked to see Maki react this way but slowly her expression was replaced with a smile. She then opened the box that was handed to her, upon opening it she couldn't help but grin and lightly chuckle at the simple gift. Inside the box was the manjuu's that Maki had ordered from the Homura's but what made it special was the design that she had requested from Kotori. It had a variety of icons on it a bow and arrow, a shinai, a pen and paper, the sea (海), a blue bunny and red panther and lastly a tomato with an arrow that was striking through it. Umi put the box down and embraced Maki from behind surprising the later as she was not paying attention to her surroundings prior to the hug.

"Thank You, Maki. I love the gift as well as the gesture. Now let's have some of that pasta so that we can eat the manjuu's afterward."

"But the sauce is burnt and those aren't salvageable anymore."

Umi ignored any of Maki's protest and simply pulled the girl back to the kitchen. Maki watched Umi take the pasta and place it into a dish then added the sauce that she had made and added some canned tomatoes and topped it off with some cheese before putting it in the oven. When it was done the two ate at the table that Maki had set up earlier.

"This is pretty good Maki" Umi said as she took another bite.

"I didn't even do anything you fixed it that's why it tastes good."

"The pasta was cooked just right and the sauce had a nice flavor to it. All I did was make use of what you had made and added some tomato chunks, just how you like it, the rest was all you."

There was a momentary silence between the two till Maki said "Actually Umi your manjuu would have to wait for tomorrow."

Umi looked at Maki as the later had stood up and brought another box with her. Maki took out two cupcakes with the words 'Happy Birthday Umi' written on them and placed it in front of the bluenett.

"Happy Birthday Umi!"