Aging
Summary: Some things change as we age, but the most important ones don't. :Theme 55:
"Hideki!"
Chi's cheerful voice, unchanged by the years, carried through the air. Hideki grinned, putting down his book. "Welcome home, Chi. How was work?"
"We had quite a busy day today. It's as if every other bakery in the district closed down!" Chi ran up to Hideki and gave him a brief hug. Hideki smiled, pressing Chi to him lovingly.
"I'm glad to hear that. Manager Ueda would have been proud." Chi smiled, as Hideki knew she would, at this comment. The manager had died four years ago, leaving Chiroru in Chi's care. Chi, as could be expected, had done everything in her power to make the bakery prosper, and prosper it had.
"How was your day, Hideki?" Chi asked, moving away to take a drink of water.
"It was fine," he replied, picking up his book again. "I got home just after you did, actually. I'll probably be out all day tomorrow; Minoru's going to a press conference and he's quite like my company." After failing his university exams once again, Hideki had given up the idea of being a uni student. Instead, after a few years of odd jobs here and there, he'd become the publicity officer for Minoru's newly formed company, dealing in persocoms and other computers. The company, with a head as smart as Minoru, had done very well. However, Minoru was never too good with people, and relied on Hideki to face the press.
"Chi is going to go change," Chi announced, and bounced from the room.
Hideki smiled at her fondly, staring at the door long after she'd closed it. She had changed so much over the years, mostly for the better, though sometimes Hideki still wished for the innocent little girl he'd fallen in love with so many years ago.
Things had changed over the years – he'd gotten a real job, moved into a real home with Chi. They were an odd couple, of course, and they could never have a lot of things normal couples take for granted. Children was a really big issue, but one that they overcame. They were happy together and to Hideki at least, that was all that mattered.
They had both aged, in different ways. Hideki had grown from a simple-minded teenager to a wise businessman who knew what he wanted in life. Chi's change had been subtle; while her stunning appearance remained the same as always, her memories had increased with time and as had her social skills. She'd learnt more about the world and about herself. In fact, the only things that remained constant in her – in both of them – were their hearts, and their love.
It surprised him, sometimes, to hear people say how pure his heart was. He knew he only did things with good intentions, but it was odd to hear it voiced by someone else. Chi was the same, and though he knew she probably did it to please him, he also knew that she was angelic by nature. He knew he was lucky to have somebody like her.
He worried sometimes about age. He was no longer young, and the disapproving looks from passers-by had doubled. A human and a persocom together, and so different in age to boot. It was one thing to say he didn't care what others thought, but in a way, he was worried too.
"What's Hideki thinking about?" Chi had emerged from their bedroom, wearing casual clothes and looking curious. Hideki sighed. Even though he knew Chi understood as much as the next person, perhaps more, he hated to burden her with any of his problems. Not that this was a problem, at all.
"Not much, Chi, just that we've all changed."
"Change?" she asked. "Chi hasn't changed."
He smiled fondly at her. "Well, on some levels, no. I mean, you still look the same. But we're all changed on the inside."
"On the inside?" Chi blinked, but then brightened. "Whatever change there is, Hideki and Chi will go through it together!"
"Yeah," Hideki replied, smiling, thankful that she could make everything so simple. "Together with Chi."