This isn't really an update; it's more like another version of the story. Specifically, if it was Souji's birthday. I just thought it'd be easier to put in under the aptly named "happy birthday" title.
As always, enjoy.
Naoto ducked between the kitchen and the calendar she had pinned securely to the hallway wall, muttering quietly to herself at the date circled in a bright red. Plucking a decent-sized serving spoon off the kitchen counter, she checked the pot that was simmering on the stove and stirred experimentally, nodding in self-satisfaction at the pleasant aroma. She checked her watch as she carefully placed the spoon down and picked up a smaller one, sampling her cooking as she watched the minute digit go up one increment. "Hm. That should do nicely."
Casually tossing the spoon in the sink, she undid the apron tied snugly around her waist and hung it over one of the dining room chairs. That would go in the laundry later. Reaching into a cabinet to grab some plates, she grunted irritably as she stood on her toes, a noise that turned into a triumphant smile as she got what she needed with no incident. A decent serving of rice was placed first, followed by a thin layer of the freshly-completed curry. Placing both on the table, she put her arms on her hips and grinned proudly at her handiwork. It was simple, and there would be quite a few dishes to wash afterwards, but it was her work and hers alone. In her mind, that made the whole thing worth it.
Tora jumped on the table and sat on the edge, tilting his head in an inquiry that boiled down to 'feed me, too'. "Of course I didn't forget you, you silly. Come."
The striped cat scampered after her happily as she made her way back to the kitchen, picking a cutely designed little plate from the cupboard that held various kinds of cat food. Placing a neat portion of the meal on the plate, she put it on the floor next to the patient cat. He nuzzled against her leg and curled his tail affectionately around it, purring lazily as he settled down to eat. Naoto bent down to stroke his ears, smiling as he twitched them irritably.
Straightening up, she tossed the messy ponytail she had tied over her shoulder so it landed just above the small of her back, sighing as she did. She really needed to cut that.
There was no more time to dwell on that, as she heard the lock to the front door turning. For a moment, Naoto's breath hitched as she noted that only one other person had a key to their apartment. Running to the door, she skidded to a stop as she saw Souji walking in, his heavy grey coat draped over a shoulder. His eyes lit up as he saw Naoto standing by the doorway. She must've heard him coming. "I'm ho-"
"W-what are you doing back so early? I had just finished with...er…I-…I mean, not that I mind that you're back…early, but- agh…" The flustered detective sighed at Souji's curious smile, taking a deep breath and bowing politely as she chose to start from the top. "I'm sorry, just…pardon my antics. Welcome back, Souji-kun."
His smile grew into a sappy grin as he dropped his school satchel near his shoes and pulled Naoto into a warm embrace, hands clasped gently at the small of her back as he hummed his greeting. She chuckled at the now-routine gesture, slowly returning the hug with her own arms around his shoulders. "I'm home. Are your classes done for the day?"
"Yes. I was hoping you'd be free for the rest of the night."
"Well, when you ask like that, how can I say no?"
Naoto smiled, content that whatever the day had tackled Souji with did nothing to dampen his spirits. "You seem happy."
"I'm just glad to be back. Long day."
"Well, let me take your jacket. Go take a seat at the table, I…made dinner."
"Thank you. What's the occasion?"
Naoto stopped at the coat hanger as she watched him wander to one of the two mats at their admittedly small dining table, pausing after she hung his jacket by the collar. Does he…really not remember?
"Err…do you not know what today is?"
Souji looked back at her and stroked his chin reflectively, habitually stroking the small layer of fuzz that was growing. "Hmm…our anniversary passed already…your birthday is also a pretty long way off…"
Naoto was puzzled by his failure to recognize the very word she was looking for, reaching out with a hesitant hand as Souji grew more and more lost. "Umm…holidays. There's-"
"Souji. It's…it's your birthday today."
"…Ah."
She was shocked by how his face fell, but a small smile remained as she came forward in concern, clutching his lower arm in a small act of reassurance. She did not realize this was a touchy subject. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Fine, it's just…it's been a while since I last celebrated."
"O-oh. I…I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-"
Souji wrapped his other arm around her and brought her close enough for him to kiss the top of her head. Naoto stayed silent, hugging his arm as he rested his chin against her shoulder. "You didn't do anything wrong. I'm grateful."
"…Are you sure? We can do something else. I'd rather not disconcert you in your home. On your birthday, of all days."
"Mhm. You don't have to worry about me."
Naoto let go of his arm and let him sit, getting some cups for the tea she had made earlier. "Let me know what you think?"
Souji sampled the dinner, smiling and nodding appreciatively. "It's good. You're getting as good at this as me."
"I still have a long way to go before I'm at your level."
"For what it's worth, I believe in you."
He thanked her as she handed him a cup, taking a seat herself at the other end of the table. They dined in a comfortable silence, Souji breaking it every so often to make jokes or ask about her day. There were no frills; just enjoying one another's company. "Wow…that was great."
She blushed slightly; praise from a master chef tends to do that, it would seem. "You're just trying to flatter me."
"No no, I'm not. I found it better than getting something from outside or cooking myself. Self-made food just starts to taste boring after a while."
Naoto sensed there was more to his reasoning, but let it go. Reaching under her chair, her hand found something small, though not what she intended. Tiny fangs bit playfully into her hand before releasing and lapping gently. The slight pain still lingered, however, and her brought her hand back up with a small yelp. Souji raised an eyebrow before reaching for her hand in concern, but a cat jumping on the table and Naoto insistently waving him off. "Oh, there's the kitty. How's it goin'?"
The cat meowed proudly and flopped next to him as he moved his plate, purring madly as Souji rubbed his fur. Naoto sighed and shook her hand, reaching under the chair again and grasping a small package. "This, er…this is for you."
She handed it to him quickly, tapping Tora lightly above his nose, something he shook his head at in annoyance. Souji looked mystified as he carefully undid the simple blue wrapping, leaving the ribbon off to the side; he already thought of a way to reuse these. He pulled a small, practically designed digital watch from the box, clean numbers telling him the time and a distance in meters. "This is…"
"It's…an upgraded version. O-of the old watches. I was thinking that…" Naoto blushed a bit and scratched her cheek with a finger, looking away as Souji removed his old one, set it gingerly on the table, and slipped on new one. "…since we've been together for a few years now…I wanted to do something that would benefit us in the long run. Um…this seemed like the best solution."
"And…do you-"
"Of course, I made my own. I-It was only logical that I do, and…you understand, right? "
"I get it. This is great…thank you."
Naoto let out a breath she didn't know she was holding as Souji smiled brightly, his thumb gently stroking the face of the watch. "You didn't have to get me so many presents…"
"Huh?"
"Good dinner, beautiful watch…"
He stood and circled around the table, palming something from his side of the table as he did. Reaching over, he stuck the ribbon to her hair like a faux hairpin, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "…and you. I'd say that's pretty solid."
He laughed awkwardly and made a 'surprise' motion with his hands. "Ta-da?"
Naoto simply looked surprised for a second before she gave way to an incredibly warm smile, nodding happily as she stood up and hugged him again. "…Happy birthday, Souji."
Rather than go on a city-wide adventure that might be ideal to other, more extravagant couples; Souji and Naoto settled for simplicity; catching up on their backlog of movies. They both made themselves comfortable on their couch, Naoto snuggling close to him as they wore a warm blanket. The television droned on as they shared a laugh every now and then, and Souji would smile as she hugged his arm and rested her head on his shoulder. When they hit the mystery genre, they mused at the parallels and perpendiculars to their lives in the lore while the detective pointed out logical fallacies, much to the amusement of her partner.
They were in the middle of the most recent Sherlock Holmes reboot when he felt the grip on his arm relax; a quick drop in the TV's volume allowed her soft snores to reach his ear. Leaving the volume as is, he gently nudged her off his arm and scooted to the end of the couch, leaving her ample room to rest her cheek on his lap. He watched her tense her muscles and stretch her legs out as Tora jumped on the cushion next to his hand, his other playing with her hair as she sighed contentedly. The small cat squeezed into the small gap between Naoto's leg and the couch cushion, yawning at Souji as he watched with a measure of curiosity.
With the two other residents of the cozy apartment now asleep, Souji took a swig of his water and relaxed, his free fingers ruffling Naoto's hair and smoothing it out afterwards. Hiking up his sleeve, he gazed at the upgraded watch before humming quietly and going back to brushing her hair. He nudged some hair off her face so he could lean down and kiss her cheek, murmuring quietly, "Thank you for the gift. And everything else."
She smiled in her sleep and nuzzled deeper into his leg.
Y'know…I was going to write something halfway profound here, but I forgot exactly what that was.
So, uh…thanks for reading.
