Kano Shuuya hates his birthday. It wasn't that he didn't like surprises, or even birthdays for that matter… he just hated his. Often times he would find himself wandering the city for the duration of the day and would return to his presents set neatly on his bed beside a small piece of homemade cake. Seto and Kido—the only people left who really knew him—knew that he needed the "birthday walks," so they tried to never disturb his routine, instead, they would simply wait for him to get home, give him good wishes, and head to bed.
Though Kano particularly hated his own birthday, when it came to his two childhood friends', he would always go above and beyond for them, after all, their lives were something to celebrate… his was not. Over the years, he became a little bit better at truly accepting the birthday wishes he would receive but he still would've preferred the day to be just another day.
So it happened that at twenty-two years old, Kano Shuuya woke up to another May tenth. A lot had changed these past six years leading away from those endless August days and his relationships with the others had drastically changed as well—mostly for the better. He turned to look beside him where the green-haired woman slept soundly. The clock read ten past five in the morning from the bedside table.
Time to head out… he thought slightly bitterly as he began to unwarp hi arms from around his companion. There was a stirring and coal colored eyes caught him in place. Without thinking, he grinned and leaned down to peck a kiss on her lips.
"Where are you going…?" she questioned, her voice still thick with sleep. He chuckled, moving her long bangs out of her face with his hand.
"It's the tenth, Tsubomi." She paused, clearly trying to piece together what he meant in her groggy state.
"Oh," she mumbled, her face showing signs of recognition, she frowned, "Just for today, can't you stay home?" He involuntarily frowned also—she had never bothered him when he went out before.
"I always go out today…" was the only response he could manage as she turned to face him directly.
"I know." Her voice, though now more awake, sounded strained as though she were holding something back from him. What it could be, he had no chance of guessing at. Still, he took a moment to consider; he knew she was probably growing tired of this game he was playing—even if she understood his reasons. He also had to admit that while he couldn't totally understand, he could imagine how he'd feel if she refused to let him celebrate every January second. So, as his answer, he settled back down beside her and pulled her to his chest, snuggling closer until he heard her chuckle softly. Before he knew it, Kano Shuuya fell asleep beside the love of his life.
When he woke up next, the smell of breakfast wafted through the apartment and he laid still for a minute, enjoying the scent, before swinging his legs over the side of the bed and standing. It had been a while since his partner had had the time to cook a hot breakfast before her classes began at the nearby community college so he figured, this must be her present to him.
With this thought in mind, he made his way to the kitchen where he found her standing in front of the stove; countless smells assaulted his nose at once: bacon, eggs, coffee, fresh cinnamon rolls, and as he put his arms around her waist, the faint smell of her soap. She jumped, nearly dropping the tongs she was using to flip the bacon.
"Shuuya," she scolded, "do you want me to burn the food?" A good hearted laugh was followed by him removing his hold on her and sitting down at the kitchen table, already set with two plates, mugs of coffee, silverware, and a wide variety of foods.
"Whatcha' making?" he teased, already sure of what her answer would be.
"Food." The standard answer.
"That's not very specific, dear."
"Breakfast food, darling."
He snickered, loving the way she rolled her eyes, shot sarcastic remarks back at his, and the way her mouth turned up at the corners when she smiled. The little crinkles around her eyes, the way her hair fell down around her shoulders, her sharp eyes that softened when she had to comfort him, the slightly husky, familiar voice that put all his worries behind him—yes, he knew he loved her. As he watched her, she glanced over at him with an amused look before turning the stove off and bringing the remainder of the food over to the table.
Kano ate quickly, scarfing down as much as he possibly could of her cooking. He'd missed her cooking, perhaps today could be good after all… He mused over it as he took another bite, followed by a long drink of coffee. Kido paused, resting her head in hand and her elbow on the table, setting her fork on her plate.
"It's not going anywhere…" Her amusement was obvious—even in her voice—as she watched him, "You don't need to eat so fast…" Finishing his coffee, he set the mug down with a cheeky grin.
"Of course I do! The faster I eat, the more of your cooking I can eat!" As he spoke, he began scooping more eggs onto his plate.
"You're going to make yourself sick and it'll be your own fault." He laughed again, feeling surprisingly better than he had in a while.
"Alright, alright, I'll limit myself." She rolled her eyes, smile growing as she continued to eat what she'd put on her own plate.
Once breakfast had been finished, Kano helped his girlfriend do the dishes—it was the least he could do after she'd fixed such a feast for the morning meal—and they found themselves lounging on the old black sofa in the front room, the television on but so low that neither could hear what the actors were saying. Kido had found a book to occupy herself with and was reading, lounged against the right armrest with her legs pulled up beside her. Kano rested his head in her lap, half watching the movie and trying to guess what was going on, and half drifting off to sleep.
The third time Kano awoke that day, he and the green-haired girl were tangled in a mess of blankets on the couch, her back was pressed against the sofa's back and she was stretched out, feet hitting the end opposite her head. Meanwhile, the blonde found himself pressed closely to her figure, arms wrapped tightly around her waist and legs stretched out and entwined with hers. How long had it been since they'd fallen asleep in such a manner? He chuckled, thinking they must've looked rather odd the way they were sleeping so close but he couldn't have been more comfortable where he was and again he thought, today really isn't so bad.
That night's dinner was one of his favorite dishes and he tried to offer his help in cooking it but was shooed off to the other room. He sat on the couch, picking at the old, cracking leather and smiling to himself. If there were one way he'd want to spend his birthday, spending it with Kido had been just that. When the meal was ready, he was invited back into the dining room to just as large a feast as what had been cooked that morning—she'd really outdone herself this year. He kissed her cheek before sitting across from her and digging in. Conversation during dinner was light as both were genuinely enjoying their meal.
Finally, when the table had been cleared of the dinner's dishes, Kido ordered him to sit back down. He did so obediently, expecting some of what was to come. Some.
As he was waiting, Kido emerged from the kitchen carrying a decent sized cake, black with white accented details—no doubt something that she, herself had created. She placed a couple of candles on its surface and lit them, sang him a quick happy birthday, and he blew out the candles. What did he wish for? Kano was sure he'd already gotten everything he could want, so why wish for more?
After cutting the cake and each having a slice, they sat in pleasant silence for a few moments. When Kido stood, the birthday boy smiled at her, his way of thanking her for the day's good end, but she made her way around the table to him, one hand concealed in the pocket of her purple jacket. She leaned against the table, kissing his cheek as she pressed a small box into his hand. Confused and curious, Kano looked for clarification before opening the box.
The band inside was plain and simple, nothing too spectacular, and had it not been from his longtime partner, he would've missed its significance.
"I-I know it's normally the other way around," she stuttered out her explanation as he continued to stare at the ring, "But… I don't feel like either of us is the most conventional anyways, and well—"
Unable to finish her rambling, Kano pressed his lips against hers in silent confirmation. Her shoulders relaxed and the two found themselves not wanting to separate, once they did, both were breathing raggedly, trying to find the air to speak again.
"Guess you beat me to it, huh?" A laugh, another kiss, and the night passed in sweet bliss.
Perhaps May tenth isn't such a bad date… The blonde mused as he fell fast asleep in the arms of his fiancée.
A/N: Okay so, HBD Kano again, this one was actually written for his birthday... But since May 4-10th was super hectic for me, I'll be posting all my KanoKido Week 2016 prompts... backwards. Oops! I wish I could've posted them the days that the prompts applied but since I didn't do it last year, I decided this year I would... even if I'm late. So, as mentioned, I'll be going back from day seven (Kano's birthday) to day one. I'd just post them in order but Kano's birthday is more relevant right now. Either way, I hope you enjoyed and please let me know what you thought! I tried a few new writing techniques in this one so I hope they worked~