As Eli slowly emerges from the heavy haze of sleep, she notices at once that she feels unusually cold.
She opens her eyes and jerks forward, ignoring the feeling of nausea that occurs when she sits up too fast. Clutching the sheets tightly, she does a quick survey of the room. A cool, dim light filters through the half open window shade and bathes the room in a gray hue; it must still be early morning. The dresser drawer is slightly agape, her and Nozomi's laundry still entangled on the floor where they forgot to finish putting it away yesterday. But her girlfriend of three years is nowhere to be found.
"N-Nozomi?" Eli calls out, meekly at first, a rising fear of loneliness beginning to build up in her chest. "Nozomi?" She calls again, louder this time, not caring that she probably sounds childish. Anxious beads of sweat begin to form on her forehead. Wasn't Nozomi just here? Where could she possibly have gone?
Finally, the door creaks open, and a pair of concerned green eyes peer in from the crack.
"Elichi? What's the matter?" The door opens more, and Nozomi peeks her head around the corner.
Eli heaves a sigh of relief. "I-it's nothing. Just tell me before you leave next time, okay?"
"Oh my, did Elichi miss me?" Nozomi quips playfully before finally stepping fully into the room, both hands behind her back as if she's hiding something.
Eli cranes her neck in an attempt to see. "What you got there, Nozomi?"
"Close your eyes~"
She frowns, but does as she's told. Having been the subject of many of Nozomi's 'surprises' over the years, Eli knew her well enough to know they weren't always pleasant ones. "Please don't draw anything on my face this time."
Nozomi only giggles, which does little to quell her concern.
"Okay, hold out both hands!"
Eli braces herself for the worst.
"And...open them!"
Her eyes are immediately met with the fattest, largest, and most scrumptious looking piece of chocolate cake she has ever seen. A decorative candle burns in its center, accompanied by a small cup of hot cocoa and marshmallows that Nozomi has taken the time to carefully cut into little heart shapes.
"Happy birthday, Elichi!"
Eli can hardly contain her excitement; she was so caught up in Nozomi's absence that she failed to remember the date. "Chocolate cake for breakfast? Are you really okay with spoiling me this much?"
Nozomi prepares a large bite for her girlfriend and spoons it into her mouth. "Say 'aaah!'"
"Mmf!" Eli's eyes light up instantly upon the first bite. "Dewicious!" That's all it takes for Eli to disregard her early morning sweets intake, and she begins to shovel it into her mouth with ravenous ambition. As she does so, Nozomi settles on the side of the bed, watching Eli with a satisfied smile.
"That was incredible, Nozomi!" Eli beams as soon as she's finished. "What sort of spell did you put on it to make it taste so good?"
"No spell," Nozomi leans forward and wipes a piece of chocolate off of Eli's chin with her thumb, "just a lot of love!"
Eli sets the plate on the nightstand and leans forward to capture her girlfriend in a tight hug. "I don't deserve you, you know?"
"Don't be ridiculous, Elichi," Nozomi starts to say, but Eli grabs her chin and pulls her in for a kiss before she can finish. Nozomi can still taste the chocolate on her lips.
"So, is there more cake? Can I have more?" Eli says instantly upon pulling away, looking akin to an excited puppy.
Nozomi stifles a laugh. "There's plenty more. But you have to wait awhile, or you'll get sick."
She pouts, but doesn't argue.
"So, what would you like to do today?"
Eli blinks. "What do you mean?"
"It's your birthday, obviously!" Nozomi shoots her a pointed look. "We both have the day off, so I want to make it as memorable as possible for you. I'll take you anywhere you like. It looks like it might rain today, so most outdoor options are out... but we can go to the aquarium, the mall, that one bakery you love, anywhere! You name it, and we'll go."
Eli only stares at her, expression unchanging.
"W-why are you looking at me like that?" Nozomi furrows her brow, quickly growing flustered.
In a slow and rather awkward movement, Eli wraps her arms around her girlfriend's waist, pulling her towards her with some difficulty until she is facing her in her lap. Nozomi is still wearing her nightgown, decreasing the space between them and allowing Eli to feel the softness of her skin underneath the thin fabric. "I want you to stay with me like this today." Eli tries to act calm and cool, but she can't hide the sheepish grin that spreads across her face.
A blush rises to Nozomi's cheeks, and she averts Eli's gaze. "What are you talking about? We can't just waste your whole birthday lying around in bed!"
Eli buries her face in the crook of her girlfriend's neck, inhaling the scent of fresh shampoo in the long purple tresses that cascade around her shoulders. "I missed you earlier, you know," she whispers against her neck, and Nozomi shivers.
"I was only gone for a couple hours, and I was just in the kitchen!" Nozomi whines, and Eli revels in how cute she is when she's embarrassed.
"It's hard to sleep without you," Eli admits, drawing back a little to peck at Nozomi's cheeks and nose. "You should have brought me with you."
"I was preparing your cake," a smile finally cracks Nozomi's lips, and her hands find their way into Eli's tousled bed hair, "and besides, you're not very good at waking up in the morning."
"Just bring some blankets into the kitchen, I would have been content."
Nozomi just rolls her eyes, and Eli presses their foreheads together, pushing a lock of hair behind her girlfriend's ear and allowing their eyes to lock for a moment. They're so close that Eli can see herself in Nozomi's big green eyes and feel her even breaths on her face. Her breath catches in her throat. "I love you. I don't want anything but you for my birthday this year. Is that fine?"
The bridge of Nozomi's nose connects with Eli's before her lips capture her own, clumsily, at first, until Eli deepens the kiss and traces Nozomi's cheekbone with her thumb. Nozomi's lips are full; soft, and kissing her feels every bit as magical as the first time she did it.
Before long, Eli succeeds in pulling her girlfriend back to bed with her. Their legs entangle under the covers as Eli cradles Nozomi close to her chest, idly twirling her hair between her fingertips and exchanging lazy touches and gentle kisses.
Just a few years ago, she never would have thought it was possible to feel this...complete. The tender way Nozomi looks at her is enough to make her heart melt; and she's still in total awe that someone so breathtakingly wonderful can be called her own.
"Best birthday ever," Eli remarks, and Nozomi sighs in contentment, nuzzling against her shoulder in response. After a long pause, she makes eye contact with Nozomi and licks her lips. "I can only think of one thing that would make it even better~"
"Mmm? Wait, E-Elichi, you can't mean—" Nozomi gasps.
"More cake!"