The day started like everyday. Shuri opened his eyes, stretched himself - trying to remain unnoticed - and furtively stroked the cactus under the bed. Of course, his attempts to remain unnoticed proved futile, and in moments like this he was yet another time convinced that the Black Hawks was really something. Kuroyuri waved at hime at once, yawning widely, while Hyuuga right away tousled his hair.
"Good morning, Shuri-kun!" he called out, and his cheerful tone clearly indicated that Major was ready to tousle Shuri in the whole.
Shuri pulled the cover up to his nose.
"Major Hyuuga! Could you please leave him alone at least today?" Konatsu, sulking, reproached his superior, grasping him by the pyjamas and pulling away from the newest member of the Black Hawks.
"Why, Konatsu-kun?" Hyuuga moved closer to his Begleiter.
Konatsu pouted, his arms folded, and didn't say anything. Hyuuga pulled the collar of his Begleiter's nightshirt up, and Shuri decided he didn't want to look at this any more.
On the other side of the bed, Kuroyuri tried to wake up entirely in his pink pyjamas. Haruse, ever vigilant, already had a comb, a mug of hot chocolate and a dressing gown close at hand - and was ready to grasp the one his superior would demand in the first instance. Kuroyuri, however, apparently had other needs, for after a while of alternate - and sometimes simultaneous - yawning and stretching he attacked Haruse, pushed him onto the bed and started to tickle him all over his body, laughing happily. It seemed Haruse had nothing against it, and Shuri decided he didn't want to look at this either. He realized that rather similar noises were coming from Hyuuga's and Konatsu's direction.
Cautiously, he glanced at Ayanami, but didn't see much, for the face of Chief of Staff was obscured by the newspaper, and only the top of his cap stuck out. Shuri sighed and stroked the cactus again to relax.
He had already ceased being surprised - or, at least, showing his surprise - at the ideas of the Black Hawks. Noblesse obliged, and the look in Ayanami's eyes was enough to cut any questions. One evening, right in the end of the year, Hyuuga had informed him that in winter all of them slept together. Heating was expensive, and it was no good warming all the rooms up, unless they wanted to have their soldier's pay reduced; Ayanami's view on the matter seemed clear. Shuri had initially thought Hyuuga had been talking of sharing the bedroom, but the reality had yet again proved beyond his imagination. In the enormous bed he had been brought to no-one could possibly complain about the cramped conditions - and, it had turned out very soon, everybody was comfortable.
A bedroom for his own was an obviousness when taking into consideration his status - yet Shuri very quickly had got used to the situation. After all, at home and in school, he had always been surrounded by the servants, so his understanding of privacy had been peculiar from the very beginning. And... sharing the bed with colleagues wasn't that bad idea, was it?
The door opened, revealing Katsuragi. The Colonel entered, bright and positive, bringing in a very appetizing scent of freshly baked cookies.
"Good morning," he called out, adding, "and happy Valentine's Day!"
Hyuuga and Konatsu emerged from under the jumbled bedding, flushed, their breaths uneven, while Kuroyuri and Haruse, as much tousled, appeared in the opposite end of the bed. Katsuragi's baking was magic enough to draw anyone away from the most attractive activities. And they were delicious even as a breakfast, especially with milk. Shuri stared at the pink icing that made different patterns on each cookie: the Barsburg Empire emblem, the symbol of the Black Hawks, the Eye of Raphael... and many hearts as well.
A while had passed before he realized there were only Ayanami and Katsuragi in the bedroom now. Others must have left discreetly - which was a real achievement on Hyuuga's part. Ayanami had put his paper aside and was conversing with the Colonel, who sat on the edge of the bed with his serene smile. "Next time Chief of Staff will perhaps manage to take the cap off," Shuri thought distracted, clumsily getting out of the bedding and trying not to trip over his nightshirt. He snatched the cactus and left the room, determined not to disturb the seniors.
On the corridor, he was passed by laughing Kuroyuri, who seemed to run away from Haruse. The dreamy expression of the latter made it hard to tell whether he wanted to dress, undress or comb his charge... Or, perhaps, they were just playing tag? Round the corner, Hyuuga and Konatsu very eagerly wished each other happy Valentine's Day. Even if Hyuuga - invoking the decencies - had previously forced Konatsu to put on the nightshirt when sleeping with others, now its being gaped open didn't appear to bother him in the slightest. Konatsu, on his part, seemed more than willing to get rid of it totally... Rolling his eyes, Shuri returned to his room and put the cactus onto the windowsill. He patted it gently on the spines and smiled with affection.
It was like every day. In fact, no-one in the Black Hawks needed any Valentine's Day.
