An Unusual Anniversary

Prompts: Gift and Laugh
Rating: T
Length: 2,100 words
Description: Modern AU set ~10 years after An Unearned Gift. After a hectic morning, Chizuru comes home ready to tackle the list of things she needs to get done. The problem is someone else has already beaten her to it.

Chizuru set her keys on the counter as she took and released a deep breath.

That morning had been more than a little crazy. To start, her alarm hadn't gone off when it was supposed to. It had gone off of course, but only just in time for her to get Sachiko and Natsumi up so they could get ready for school. That in and of itself would have been fine, but Natsumi had "forgotten" to do the last few problems on her math worksheet. So in between the normal school day rush of breakfast, lunches, and backpacks, Chizuru had been trying to help her daughter finish it without outright telling her the answers. As it was, they had only just made it to the bus on time. Thankfully with the homework completed.

With the girls and Souji gone for the day, she could now focus on the things that needed to get done around the house. She usually liked to get an earlier start, before the girls and Souji got up, but clearly that hadn't happened. By the time she'd gotten up, Souji had already been gone.

Chizuru decided that since she was in the kitchen, she might as well start with the dishes. She walked over to the sink, starting to roll up her sleeves, but stopped in surprise. While the bowls and spoons from breakfast were there, the previous night's dishes were clearly not where she had left them. Maybe Souji had moved them to the dishwasher?

Frowning, she checked the dishwasher but it was empty as well. What was going on? She made a quick circuit of the kitchen, checking for and finding each of the items she had used the previous night clean and put away in their correct places. Slowly she made her way back to the sink and absently began hand washing the bowls as she tried to figure out what was going on.

It was clear that Souji had done it, but had he also changed her alarm? While she was touched that he had thought of her and taken the time to do the dishes, it also bothered her slightly.

After the initial wave of joy at finding out she was pregnant with Sachiko, she and Souji had discussed at length what that meant for their lives. It had been non-negotiable that one of them would have to be home full time. While Kodo had been a caring father figure for her, he had also been gone frequently due to his work at the hospital, and Souji's childhood had been even more chaotic than her own in terms of parental figures. It was important to both of them that any children they had would always have access to at least one of their parents. It made finances interesting to balance, but they were stable and happy and that was all either of them cared about.

Of the two of them, Chizuru had known without a doubt that it would be her who stayed home. Not because of any traditional roles, but simply because Souji was far more established in his job than she was in hers as a consultant. With the secrets shrouding her family gone, she had been ready to move forward with her life, and for her that had meant focusing on being a mother. Of course everyone had been sad to see her go, but they had also understood and given their full support.

That wasn't to say she had stopped consulting entirely. Since Natsumi had started school, she had been able to use some of her free time during the day to do an occasional analysis for the team, even if it was still from home.

What nagged at Chizuru about Souji taking the time to do the dishes was that she didn't know why he had done it. Even if it was just simply to make her day easier, it wasn't fair for him to add work to his already busy schedule.

It took Chizuru a moment to realize that she was staring at an empty sink with all of the bowls and spoons neatly set out to dry next to it.

Shaking her head, she dried her hands on the nearby dish towel. There was nothing to be done about it now and there was certainly no use worrying over things she could just ask him about later. Chizuru pushed aside the little nagging voice and instead focused on the happier feeling of knowing that it was his way of letting her know he cared. Besides, there was still plenty left for her to do.

The laundry was next on her list, but again she was forced to stop and stare in disbelief. There was definitely something going on that she didn't know about. Not only was the basket of dirty clothes empty, but everything had been washed, dried, and either folded or neatly laid out to be hung up. She was glad Souji had at least left her something to do this time, but that still didn't explain why he was doing all of this in the first place.

When she stepped closer, her eye caught a post-it note with Souji's handwriting on it.

Hope you didn't mind a little extra sleep. You looked tired last night.

See you tonight.

~Souji (aka Your Fabulously Handsome Husband)

Chizuru couldn't help a small giggle as she rolled her eyes. Fabulously handsome indeed…

Had he done all this simply because she had looked tired? Admittedly, she had been, but that only accounted for her alarm.

As she began mechanically placing clothes on hangers, she fought back a slight feeling of worry. Was it her birthday? It wasn't Mother's Day was it? Chizuru discarded each idea as impossible. She was pretty sure she would remember her own birthday and Mother's day was in the spring…

Chizuru accidentally dropped the shirt she was holding as a horrifying thought occurred to her. Had she somehow forgotten their anniversary?

She quickly discarded that idea as well as she picked the shirt up off the floor. Now she was just being ridiculous. Souji liked to do little things like this for her around their anniversary, which was probably why she had thought of it, but their anniversary was in March… not October.

With all of the major suspects ruled out, Chizuru had no idea what she was left with. Souji had changed her alarm to allow her to sleep in, done the dishes, and now he had done the laundry too… and all of it before she had woken up. Chizuru couldn't shake the feeling that she was missing some critical piece of information.

As soon as she had finished hanging up the last of the clothes, she walked back to the kitchen and pulled her phone out of her purse. She couldn't leave a mystery like this unsolved and what better way to do that than to ask the source? She didn't want to disrupt whatever he was doing with a call, but a text probably wouldn't hurt.

C: What's going on?

She hopped up onto one of the stools at the breakfast bar to wait, but it didn't take him long to respond.

S: Nothing ;)

C: The dishes and laundry aren't nothing.

She hesitated a moment before adding,

C: And neither is my alarm for that matter -.- but thank you for the extra sleep :)

S: Admit it, you needed it. Be ready to leave at 4. Kondou is picking up the girls.

C: Why? Where are we going?

S: It's a surprise :P

No matter what she asked or how many times she asked it, Souji refused to give up any new information. When his responses became cat gifs, she finally gave up. His cryptic answers had only made her more curious, so when her eye caught Saito's name just below Souji's, she couldn't resist.

C: Do you know what Souji is doing?

S: He is working.

Upon first inspection, it seemed Saito was simply taking her question at face value and giving his usual form of succinct answer… but Chizuru couldn't help but feel that he was dodging her question. After so many years of knowing him, she had gotten much better at reading his reserved personality, even over text.

C: I meant do you know what he's planning.

This time the pause before his response was longer

S: I have been asked not to tell you… but I would suggest you do as he asks.

C: ...all right. Thank you.

If Saito was in on it, then she could probably assume the rest of the team was too. Flipping back over to her conversation with Souji, she grinned as she began typing.

C: Okay Fabulously Handsome, I'll be ready. But I would like some answers when you get home.

S: Will do :) and that's Mr. Fabulously Handsome to you.

C: :P

The hours until four o'clock came seemed to drag by for Chizuru. She ran the errands she needed to, but her thoughts were elsewhere, constantly trying to puzzle out just what was going on. To distract herself, she began mixing up a batch of cookies. She knew the girls and Souji would appreciate the sweet treat.

In the end, her plan for distracting herself worked better than Chizuru had anticipated. She was just wrapping up the dough to chill in the fridge when she heard the sound of Souji's keys in the door. Hurriedly she put the cookie dough in the fridge and wiped her hands before she grabbed her purse and went to meet him.

By the time she had rounded the corner, Souji had already closed the door behind him. A smile pulled at his lips as he held out a light jacket for her.

"You ready to go?"

Chizuru couldn't help but smile as she nodded and slipped on a pair of flats.

As she took the jacket from him, she asked, "So do I get some answers now?"

Souji chuckled as he put a hand at the small of her back and began ushering her toward the door.

"We're going to dinner and everyone is meeting us there. We decided it had been far too long since we all got together."

Chizuru looked up at him in surprise, halting them both as she came to a stop. She hadn't expected the source of all her worry and confusion to be so… normal.

"Then what about everything else? You didn't have to do all that you know."

"Yes I did."

When she looked at him quizzically, Souji let out a small sigh as he turned to fully face her, his smile slipping into a more thoughtful and serious expression.

"Everyone was talking yesterday about how it's right around the time you first showed up all those years ago. It made me think about how grateful I am you didn't just turn around and leave after what a jerk I was." She tried to speak, but he put a finger over her lips. "I just wanted to make sure you knew that, other than our daughters, you are the single most important person in my life."

Chizuru tried to filter through the flurry of emotions rushing through her. She was relieved to finally understand why Souji had done everything, but his reason for it also touched her deeply. It wasn't that she had ever doubted how he felt about her, but to have it displayed so earnestly and completely… well, it was safe to say it left her more than a tad emotional.

Despite her best efforts Chizuru couldn't keep the tears from the corners of her eyes as his hand shifted to cradle her face and his thumb traced a path over her cheek.

Her voice cracked slightly as she said, "Oh… I thought I had forgotten our anniversary or something."

Souji laughed as he pulled her closer until her head came to rest against his chest and his arms wrapped tightly around her. That carefree, honest laugh, untouched by any teasing, sarcasm, or cynicism was one of the most beautiful sounds to her. It didn't matter that hearing it from him was normal now, she still treasured and stored away each one.

When his laughter turned into chuckles and faded away, the only sound breaking the comfortable silence between them was her occasional sniffle as she blinked back the tears that had gathered in the corners of her eyes.

Finally Souji rested his cheek against the top of her head as he said, "So are we going to stand here all night, or can I take you to dinner? At this rate Shinpachi and Heisuke will probably be drunk by the time we get there."

"In a minute," she mumbled as she wound her arms tightly around him.

She did want to go to dinner and spend time with everyone, but more than that, she simply wanted him to hold her for just a bit longer.