Valentine's Day Scavenger Hunt
"It started out as a feeling, which then grew into a hope. Which then turned into a quiet though, which then turned into a quiet word. And then that word grew louder and louder, till it was a battle cry."
~ Regina Spektor
Her head lolled into the crook of his neck and she sighed, closing her eyes as she listened to his fingers typing away on the keyboard of his laptop. She swiped her fingers through her har and hummed quietly to herself. He'd promised that he wouldn't be long, fifteen minutes or so, but it had already been an hour.
"Takumi," She murmured, sounding a little more impatient than she'd meant to. "are you nearly finished?" She rolled over and wrapped her arm around his shoulder, burying her nose into his shoulder. She pressed little kisses here and there and brushed his blonde locks back from his eyes. He didn't seem to notice so she leaned her face in front of his, obscuring his view from his laptop screen. He blinked as she furrowed her eyebrows and frowned at him. "Hello? Earth to Takumi? Hello?" He poked at her forehead gently and smiled.
"Sorry." He replied as she pulled back, happy with her diverson.
"Are you going to be finished anytime soon? I'd cook dinner but I swore I wouldn't touch the oven." He closed his laptop and stood, dusting his hands off on his black jean. He took her hands and pulled her up from the couch, leading her into the kitchen.
"Well, let me make something for us, huh? What would you like?" He opened the fridge and gestured with his hand towards the items in the fridge. Misaki pulled herself up onto one of the bar stools and shrugged.
"Surprise me." She grinned as he leaned over the counter and caught her lips in his slowly, breaking away to meet her eyes.
"Don't I always?" Her hand came up to cup his cheek and she pressed her forehead against his, her thumb tracing over the edge of his lip. She bit her lip with a small smile and pressed her mouth to his, his arm coming up to steady her other arm which was resting elbow first on the marble bench top. With the utmost restraint, he pulled away and kissed her nose. "I'll never be able to make anything for dinner if you stop me," She rolled her eyes. "as pleasing as that was." With a smile, Misaki pondered a thought. She hopped off of the bar stool and made her way into the kitchen.
"Is there anything I can do?" With a sly smile, Usui popped open a cupboard, pulling back just to shake a box of cat nuts in front of her face.
"You can feed Licht if you're that desperate to do something," Her face fell somewhat and he let out a bubbly laugh as she took the box from him. "Chin up, honey. It's not your fault that you're a kitchen's worst nightmare."
"I'll bloody be your worst nightmare in a minute." She whacked his hip with the box and shot him a daring smile. "Hurry along then my little perfectionist." Misaki made her way around the counter and crouched down near the glass sliding door which stood half open, a small breeze fluttering into the house. "Licht," She clicked her fingers and whistled softly. "here Litch." The dark blue cat they'd had for years now came bounding up to Misaki, stroking gently against her leg affectionately. Misaki scratched Licht's head and ears before the cat meowed impatiently. "Yeah, yeah." Misaki mumbled, filling the cat's bowl which was situated under the counter, tucked into the corner just a little a ways up from the curtains hanging by the sliding doors.
"How does spaghetti bolognese sound?" Usui asked as Misaki pushed up from the floor in order to return the cat food to the cupboard.
"That sounds great." She smiled, placing the cat nuts in the cupboard behind him.
"Grab the pasta sauce while you're in there, would you?" With a nod, she grabbed the pasta sauce and handed it to him. "Thanks." He kissed he cheek as the doorbell rang.
"Coming!' Misaki called, shooting a quizical look at her boyfriend as she headed off down the hallway. The mailman was on ther doorstep when she opened the door, a cardboard box in his hands.
"Delivery for Usui Takumi." The mailman said, handing her the box with a smile.
"Thank you." He tipped his hat towards her.
"G'night ma'am." She closed the door with a polite smile and weighed the box in her hands, careful not to jostle whatever was inside it in case it was fragile.
"You got a package," Misaki mumbled in interest as she came back up the hallway. Her hands found the corner of the box and she looked up at Usui curiously. "can I open it?" He looked up from where hiseyes had previously been focused on the pan in front of him and placed one of his hands over hers, shaking his head slowly.
"You can open that tomorrow." Her eyebrows raised.
"Tomorrow? What's tomorrow?" She peered up at the calender hanging on the kitchen wall. "February fourteenth? Isn't that-,"
"Valentine's day." He finished for, turning off the two elements he'd been using. "Just leave it there. Dinner's ready." She stepped onto the linoleum of the kitchen and grabbed two bowls as Usui grabbed two forks from the cutlery drawer. They dished up their own bowl full each and Usui took both their bowls and their cutlery to the glass coffee table where his laptop still lay while Misaki grabbed a bottle of wine and poured two glasses before putting the bottle back into the fridge. Holding both glasses, she made her way to the couch and sat down, handing Usui his glass as she took a sip and set her glass on the coffee table. She ate a mouthful of spaghetti bolognese and hummed appreciatively.
"Thank God you can cook."
"Is this your proclamation of your undying love for me?" He asked cheekily.
"This," She flourished her hand around the room dramatically. "is my proclomation of my undying love for your cooking." She explained with a sideways look at Usui. "But good try." With a laugh, Usui picked up the television remote and pressed the 'on' button, the tv humming to life in front of them. As slowly as she could, Misaki shuffled closer to Usui and rested her head on his shoulder as they are in silence, completely at peace in each other's presence. When he was finished, Usui stood and grabbed Misaki's empty plate from her hands. "Thanks." She smiled. She grabbed the wine glasses and joined him by sink where he was turning on the top.
"You okay?" He asked, nudging her hip with his own. She smiled up at him slowly and nodded. "Misa."
"I'm fine. I just felt bad that I forgot it was Valentine's day tomorrow and I didn't get you anything." He laughed as they dried off the last of the dishes and left them on the bench, his arms coming around her waist.
"I'm pretty sure my gift will suffice for the both of us." She buried her head in his chest and stiffled a yawn.
"What do you mean?" Misaki murmured.
"That would ruin the surprise, darling," He smiled softly as she yawned. "let's just go to bed, hmm?" She nodded against his chest and they headed down the hallway into their bedroom.
"I'm just going to take a shower." Misaki proclaimed with another yawn.
"Okay." And with that she disappeared into their en suite bathroom. She returned in her white singlet and pajama bottoms not ten minutes later and slipped into their bed. Her hands found their way around his torso and she looked up at him with a sleepy smile. "What?" He asked when she said nothing. She shook her head.
"I'm just getting wary thinking about your present. You know I'm not good with surprises." He shrugged.
"You'll like this one. I promise." She cuddled into him and rested her head against his bare chest.
"I'll just have to trust you on that one then." His arms curled around her waist and he bent down to place his lips on hers.
"I guess you will." And with that, they fell into a peaceful sleep in each other's arms.
When Misaki awoke the next morning, she awoke to the realization that her alarm had not gone off. She'd had a half hour sleep in. Curiously, she pushed back the bed sheets and hung her legs over the bed frame until they touched the wooden planked floor below. She made her way out into the lounge and spotted Usui sitting on the couch.
"Morning." She murmured, draping her arms around his neck as she kissed his cheek. "Were you the one who stopped my alarm?" Misaki asked, walking around the side of the couch to sit by him. He glanced at her.
"You deserved a bit of a sleep in. You looked shattered last night."
"Mmm," She mumbled. "thanks." His hand came up to thread through hers, lacing their fingers together.
"Would you like part one of your present now?" Her eyebrows raised.
"Part one? Of how many?"
"It all depends on what you clarify as a 'part'. Come along." He pulled her up from the couch and showed her to the cardboard box. "Open it." Warily, she pried open the cardboard lid from its cellotape prison. Inside was a dozen of her favourite chocolates from England.
"Aww, that's so sweet." Misaki smiled as he kissed her hand, his lips touching each knuckle in turn.
"If that was sweet then I don't know how well this will end." He laughed. "Let's play a game, Misa. You have all day to find the fifteen pieces of paper hidden around the house."
"The interior motive for my sleep in?" She guessed. He flashed a breezy smile.
"Exactly. Good luck." And with that she began her hunt. The first few were easy, hidden in places such as between the couch cushions and on the kitchen bench top amongst the fruit in the fruit bowl, but, once she had found seven pieces, she started to run out of ideas for places to look. So she took to opening the seven bits of paper that she had found thus far. Each had a letter written on them. W. M. A. Y. L. R. L. She knew she had to find the others as her eyebrows furrowed and her brain whirled. Half an hour later and Misaki had found the last piece of paper in Usui's bedside drawer. She laid them all out on the bed and read each one in turn. W. M. A. Y. L. R. L. Y. M. R. O. A. E. I. And finally she blinked at the black, cursive question mark. She rearranged the letters countless times before she cracked it. A tear rolled down her cheek. Laid out on the bed in front of her was a message. WILL YOU MARRY ME?. Her hands came up to her mouth as she turned around.
"You idiot." Was her initial reply to the blonde-haired, green-eyed male that was before her on one knee, a ring box open in his hands. He grinned at her.
"Does this qualify as part three?" She swiped hastily at her tears and nodded.
"You are such an idiot," She murmured, dropping to her knees and throwing her arms around his neck, dragging him closer for a kiss.
"Misaki," He pulled back and took the ring out of the box. "will you marry me?" She nodded silently.
"Of course I will." He slipped the silver ring onto her finger and grinned.
"Happy Valentine's day, Misa." And he sealed his promise with a kiss.
