The sun filtering in through the curtains wakes you, because you've trained yourself to let it. An alarm clock would not be terribly convenient for three women sharing a bedroom and all needing to get up at different times, so you've each worked out your own ways of doing things. Sora sets her cell phone to vibrate and tucks it under her pajama top. She sleeps on the side of the bed nearest the door, so when it shakes her awake at three in the morning she can roll right off, get dressed, and head to the firehouse. You're in the middle, so once she's out of the way it's easy enough for you to slip out of the room without disturbing Reiko, who needs every last minute of sleep she can get if she's going to survive her office job. She doesn't stir until she smells pancakes cooking.
"Good morning, go-getter!" you say when you hear the click of heels on the kitchen tile.
"Morning's always good," Reiko says, eyeing up the stack you've fixed for her. "It's this afternoon I'm worried about. Someone's getting a promotion, and it's either me or that person."
"Then it will definitely be you! You say you always end up having to redo half his work for him anyway, right?"
"It isn't that straight-forward. Whoever gets it will be talking to outsiders a lot more, and the company wants to present a certain face." She doesn't have to explain any more than that for you to understand that it's the sort of job that's always given to a man. Still, you look at Reiko, with her hard eyes and her sharp features and her glossy brass-colored hair in an immaculate bun, and you can't help wondering where they think they'll find a finer face to present. She demolishes the pancake tower and leaves you with a maple-flavored goodbye kiss.
You spend the next couple hours tidying up the apartment. It's no prince's castle, but it is fairly big, what with two steady incomes and whatever you can squeeze from the magazines, so you never have any trouble finding things in it that could stand to be cleaned. There's a whole lot of living involved in living happily ever after, after all. Once you're satisfied with that, you settle down in the study and get some writing done.
Sora comes in not long after your lunch break and collapses into a kitchen chair. "Christmas trees are demonic," she tells you very seriously.
"Are they really?" you ask, eyes wide. You don't know what she's on about, but when something's upsetting Sora you can't help but be worried, however silly the problem may sound.
"Uh-huh! Whoever first decided to have people string a bunch of hot lights on giant cones of tinder was either evil or flakier than I am."
I'm pretty sure that second one isn't possible, is what Reiko would say. But Reiko is Reiko and you are Koharu, so you just come up behind Sora and start massaging her neck. "I hope no one died, or anything like that."
"Never, when I'm around." Her shoulders tense beneath your fingers. "What do we say, Koharu?"
"Everyone, all the time." Sometimes you worry what will happen if she ever loses someone. All you know is that you'll be here for her, and she will never be any less amazing in your eyes. "Do you need anything? A sandwich? A drink?"
"Just you, baby." Sora tilts her head all the way back to look you in the eyes, and you lean down and lay a kiss on that goofy grin. "What about your day? How're the stories coming?"
"All right, I think. I already have a buyer for this one, and I don't want to disappoint them, so…" You flash her your coyest smile. "I could use a little help with the research."
When Reiko gets home a few hours later, you have dinner ready, and Sora is taking a nap. You say it can wait, but Reiko shouts into the bedroom about food getting cold. Sora stumbles out, squint-eyed and bed-headed. "If you're going to wake me up, can't you at least do it with a kiss?" she says.
"I thought you were supposed to be the knight," Reiko teases her, but gives her a peck on the lips anyway.
"So, how did it go?" you ask your salarywoman once the three of you are seated at the table. Reiko looks down and starts poking absently at her food, and your heart sinks. "Oh no."
"Do I need to kick someone's ass?" Sora asks.
"Actually, what happened…" Reiko clears her throat. "My supervisor calls us both into his office, and gives us a bit of a speech, about this and that… And then he gives me the job."
"All right!" Sora exclaims, apparently not noticing the awkwardness. You, on the other hand, decide to hold back on the celebration until you've heard what's wrong.
"But the thing is, that person?" Reiko scowls. "I think he really thought he was going to get it. And he gets flustered, like he does, and suddenly he blurts out, 'Date-san is a dyke.'"
"What?" You're quick on the draw, reaching out and grabbing Sora firmly by the shoulder. It's the only thing that keeps her from jumping out of her chair.
"My supervisor asks if it's true. And I'm so shocked and angry I'm not really thinking straight, so I just say, ice cold, 'Sir, my colleague is jealous because I have two beautiful wives and he can't even get one.'
"And I don't know if he believes me or thinks I'm joking, but he smiles at me kind of funny and says, 'Well, I suppose anyone would be.' And that's the end of it."
"And you got the job?" you ask.
"I got it," Reiko confirms with a sheepish grin.
"Congratulations!" This time you're the one who jumps up. You go to Reiko and throw your arms around her neck.
She chokes a little. "I'm trying to eat, you know."
"Sorry."
Sora just smirks. "You aren't ever allowed to scold me for not being discrete again."
"You get one free pass," Reiko tells her. "One."
"I guess I'll just have to use it for something special, then."
"Oh, God."
"Sora, why don't you tell us about your day?" you say diplomatically.
"You got it! 'The Tale of the Knight and the Fire-Spitting Trees,' first chapter."
"Oh, this should be a good one," says Reiko.
It is. But then, in your opinion, they all are.