Angela gave the driver a small smile and thanked him as she got out of the car and gazed at the front door of her home. She took a deep breath and walked toward it, pulling the key out of her backpack in the only compartment that was not filled with folders and research supplies.
Well, it was not just her home any longer she supposed. It was their home. After all, she was not the only one who lived here. Her dearest lover had brought them to this place so near the headquarters yet just far enough to take their minds off work. He was truly a miracle worker, not her. They had turned an empty and new house into a place that she longed to return to every night despite her work.
However, tonight was a night when she had no choice in the matter. Today, Genji had demanded that she would be home early, for reasons that he was not willing to disclose. Well, it wasn't as if she couldn't guess. It really wasn't hard to guess. The thought made her smile but she wiped it away before she pushed the key in and unlocked the door.
After all, it was her own birthday. And while it was true that she would have forgotten it without him being so adamant, she remembered now. That being said, she was extremely late to her own birthday surprise. There was no doubt that her husband will be mad. She just hoped that he didn't buy a cake. She was always worried about her figure around such a handsome cyborg despite his reassurance, plus the treat would have definitely gone bad by now. The refrigerator could only do so much after all.
The door opened and shut quickly though far from lightly. The click of the door and soft squeak of its hinge were definitely enough to alert her ninja lover. That was the whole reason he did not oil up the hinge after all, something about security and alerting him of intruders.
This time, however, he did not even need the warning. He was already waiting in front of the door, his arms crossed over his chest. Angela smiled apologetically, knowing that she was definitely in for a scolding now.
"I recalled requesting that you would be home by 20:00, Mrs. Shimada."
Oh, how she loved hearing him call her that. As much as she loved her surname, his family name was so wonderful as well, if one were to disregard what his family was. All that mattered was that it was Genji that gave her his last name and that he had promised to let her keep it for the remainder of their lives.
"Ah, I do remember that."
"And what time do you think it is?"
Angela smiled sheepishly and glanced away for a moment, "I seem to have misplaced my watch. Am I … that late?"
Of course she was, her several tablets informed her that. She had even ignored the 5 alarms on 5 separate tablets littered around her lab tables to finish her project. It was extremely important, enough that her own birthday was allowed to be delayed. Explaining that to her husband, however …
"You are 2 hours and 57 minutes late to be exact. That is unacceptable."
"I couldn't just leave my work you know, it was a time sensitive matter that I could not afford to leave."
"Or, you could have started on it the next time you came back."
"Then I would have thought about it all weekend and someone would have scolded me about thinking about work too much."
"Is that going to change now that you finished that time sensitive matter of yours?"
Well, he got her there and the narrow eyes that gazed at her informed her of the fact that he knew it too.
"... It'll be easier for me to forget about it with that thing out of the way. And what about you, you sometimes had things you had to run off to do as well."
"Well, I always make sure to finish it as quickly as possible and return."
"You reported back a day late and returned 4 days late on a mission once. I thought you died!"
"That was once. You, Angela Shimada, have done this many many times and is doing nothing to change that fact."
"Well, excusee me, Mr. I can do everything quickly Shimada. I have to make sure that my work is completed as soon as possible so I can send it to the others for analysis and feedback. If I wait the whole weekend then who knows when this will be done."
"Enough so that you didn't even give me a call to tell me that you were going to be late?"
"I was very concentrated alright? You don't even answer your comms during missions and that's when we're both there together."
This went on for a while longer. Their voices were never raised too high, though it was loud enough to be proper for an argument. They found themselves in the living room, Angela's backpack discarded on the couch there. They stood between the two couches there, standing on either side of the glass table at the center of their rectangular rug.
The scene played out like a scene from a drama Angela would watch on the TV as Genji cuddled her. They frowned and glared and accused each other, making them walk around the table and look away from time to time.
Eventually, they came face to face. They glared at each other, Genji's eyes hard and unyielding while Angela stared back steadily and adamantly, her lips in a tight line as she refused to back down. That was how they were, two uncompromising warriors who fell in love and would never surrender for something they were truly passionate about.
"What makes you think that you can just treat me like this despite everything I do for you?"
Angela leaned closer, putting her face mere centimeters away from Genji. She could feel his breath on her cheek without his face place on, so warm and not at all as heated as an argument would make most people feel. She gazed directly into his eyes, standing straight up and perfectly matching his height.
As much as she adored the idea of being shorter for him to spoon her and make her tiptoe to kiss him, times like these reminded her why she loved being the same height as him the most. It was especially fun when she put on her heels and get to tease him.
"I'm your wife."
They stood there staring at each other for a few moments before Angela's lips broke from its tight line. She maintained her eye contact for a moment longer before a small laugh leaked from her lips, making her look down and cover her mouth with her hands as she began to laugh.
Genji stood there incredulously for a moment, trying his best to not join her. Alas, when she looked back up, it was definitely not going well judging by the wide tight-lipped smile on his expression as he struggled to desperately hold his composure.
"H-hey, this is serious, why are you laughing?"
"You're terrible at hiding secrets you know?"
Genji gasped and clutched his chest, "I am Genji Shimada, the proud son of Senjiro Shimada, and I will not stand for such accusations."
"You think you can hide anything from me, Mr. Shimada?" Angela took a step back and tilted her head challengingly at him, a confident smile on her lips and hands at her side.
"I don't suppose you've noticed a puppy have you?"
Angela let out a proud huff and tilted her head up self-assuredly. "Of cou- ... wait what" The expression on her face was priceless as she tried to determine whether or not he was bluffing.
"Ok I lied, it was a kitten."
She was frowning at him now, still quite confused but now with reasonable doubt and reason to retaliate. "Genji, you know I-"
"Alright, fine fine. It was two puppies"
Genji grabbed her hand gently and pulled her to the next room. A soft adoring sound came from Angela's lips before she could muffle it with the palm of her hand. There, she saw two small beds inhabited by a pair of Shibas that seemed to be identical twins.
"Now we'll always have company."
"I hate you."
"Really?"
"... No, but you'll have to make up to me for this later."
"What? I even got you a cake and set the table all romantically."
"But Genji, I have to tend to the puppies." This was said as she tiptoed over to where they slept, kneeling down and smiling down at them sweetly as she ignored Genji.
"I alread-"
"Hii, has Daddy been good to you? Or has he been as mean to you as he has been to me? He has, hasn't he?" Her voice was soft and sweet, soothing as if she was tending to a baby in the hospital despite her work not requiring her to have done such a thing recently. It was motherly instinct, she supposed, especially the way she stroked their heads ever so lightly to not wake them up.
"I suddenly feel lonelier than ever before."
Angela sighed softly and got up, frowning at him as if he was an inconvenience that she had the displeasure of dealing with. She strode over to him and grabbed his face with both of her lithe hands.
They took a few steps backward and out of the room without tripping as she treated him to a deep kiss. However, she was unable to stop herself from laughing and infecting him with a smile as she broke away.
"You know, you're really bad at this whole acting thing," Angela teased him lightly.
"Thank you for playing along with me."
"I didn't want to hurt your feelings. You know how it is, do no harm."
"But of course."
Angela smiled at him, reminded once more why she had fallen so in love with this dashing and lovely young man. Their rings glittered on their hands, a sign of their marriage and a promise of their life together.
"Oh, and before I forget."
Angela tilted her head curiously, her soft smile fading a bit as she opened her mouth to inquire as to what he meant. However, these words never got to leave her lips as Genji kissed her roughly and picked her up at ease. A small yelp of indignation was the only protest she gave as he princess-carried her and littered her with even more kisses the whole way toward their bedroom.
"W-wait what about the cake?"
There was a pause in Genji's step as he thought about this inquiry. At last, he looked down at him with a sly smile, "Ok, I lied about that one too."
"You are the worst."
"I mean, I tried. I just couldn't find any Swiss cakes and I remember what happened last time I got you food that wasn't Swiss."
"So you just stayed at home and pretended to be angry instead. You're the absolute worst."
"Doesn't it infuriates you to love someone like me so much?"
"Oh absolutely. Now prove to me you're worth having to put up with all this."
"Happy birthday, my angel."
"I love you too, my sparrow."
