Yeaaaah, this is a thing.
April 25th, Nighttime.
"I'm afraid I won't be able to make it home in time."
"Ah? Another little twist in the case, huh."
"Mm. So much for that vacation."
"Haha. We'll figure something out, don't you worry."
Souji paused from his typing when he saw Naoto yawn, covering it with her hand as usual. He smiled gently as she blinked, the cat sitting on his lap looking up at him and doing the same. "What?"
Tora simply blinked again and stretched, and he could hear Naoto giggle at the sight on her end. "He misses you."
"Only him?"
"Nope. But I'll live, don't worry."
"Thank you for your patience, Souji."
Souji hummed a bit as he skimmed the travel site for tickets, nodding judiciously as he found the perfect arrival time and date. He quickly booked it before turning his attention back to Naoto, who was simply reading what looked a file and sneaking glances at him every so often. "Should I shave?"
"Hm?"
"I think my beard's growing. What if someone mistakes me for a sage?"
Naoto laughed to herself at the thought, and Souji smiled widely before adding, "That, and you've been looking at my face a lot. Renewing your mental picture?"
She took the teasing in stride, shaking her head and smiling again. "No, I was just thinking that you're already starting to look like one."
He scoffed and pretended to look offended, but Naoto could still see through his little acts. "You can stop pouting now."
"Okay."
She stifled another yawn and leaned back to stretch her arms behind her head. Souji went back to typing and snuck a look at her; the ring on the necklace she was wearing glared a bit from her lamp light. He chuckled to himself and smiled; there was something genuinely satisfying about how she bothered to keep it all these years. "You should get some sleep."
"I'll go to sleep when you do."
"No, I'll be up for a while. We can talk later."
"We can also talk now."
Souji looked at her coy smile and raised Tora up to the camera. "Meow-meow-kun says we can talk later. Soon, I promise."
Naoto put the file down and smiled as the cat covered Souji's camera with his paw. He jumped out of Souji's hands soon after, leaving the silverette slightly bewildered. "Okay, I'll get some sleep. Don't stay up to late."
"Don't tell me what to do. You're not my mom."
"I'm not, but I know you'll listen to me."
Souji gave her a look, one she returned as she rested her chin in her palm. Finally, he relented. "Fine, we can both go to bed now."
She smiled again. "Goodnight, Souji-kun."
He waved at the camera before smiling and ending the call. Just then, Tora jumped on his lap and laid down. "Bedtime."
"Meow."
Souji stroked his fuzzy back and sighed, leaning back in his chair and looking at the ceiling. The only sound in the room was the cat purring until he spoke again. "Tora? My trusted confidant?"
The tiger-striped cat simply looked at him with mild interest before nuzzling against his knuckles affectionately. "I think a visit is in order."
April 27th, Afternoon.
What a long day.
Naoto stumbled up the stairs to her temporary home, fishing the key out of her pocket and stopping in front of the door. Her forehead bumped against the door, but what surprised her was the sound of paper crumpling a bit under her head. Looking up, she quizzically read the note stuck to the door.
Present's waiting for you, Princess.
Happy Birthday.
Curiosity overwhelmed her, and she unlocked the door as quickly as she could manage, ducking inside as soon as the lock was undone. She took care to take the note, as well; she didn't need any passerby seeing that. As soon as she shut the door, a heavenly smell attacked her senses and she found herself walking into the small kitchen that was thoughtfully included for her stay. When she saw the source of the smell, she was stuck between laughing and grinning like a fool. So she did both.
Souji turned his head at the sound of his fiancée laughing happily, reaching an arm out to pull her close as soon as she scampered to him. He kept one hand on the skillet that he was holding over the stove, shaking it slightly before tilting his head as Naoto hugged him and curled her head into his neck. "Did you really fly out here just for me?"
Souji pretended to think about it when she looked up at him with shining eyes. "Maybe. I did say we'd talk soon."
Naoto nuzzled against him again as he lifted the skillet a bit and turned the heat down. "You're just in time for dinner. Another little combination."
"What would it be this time?"
"Karaage and fried rice." He paused to pick up a teaspoon, scooping up a bit of the rice and chicken while still keeping one arm lazily draped around Naoto's shoulders. "Wanna taste?"
Naoto brushed some of her hair back and leaned down to accept the bite, resting her head against his chest as she chewed reflectively. The texture of the fried chicken went surprisingly well with the softness of the rice, and she found that the strange fusion of dishes was a very pleasant one.
Souji put the spoon down and put a lid on top of the skillet as she sighed blissfully; the weeks she had been gone had only made her miss Souji (and, by extension, his cooking) even more. "You sound happy."
She let her arm circle around his back and waist so she could squeeze him a bit, and they pulled away so he could see her smile cheerily. It was as if the day's fatigue had melted away. "It's delightful, Souji-kun. Thank you."
"Mhm. I set the table already. And I threw out the trash. You've been having too much Junes food lately."
Now that was a little embarrassing. Naoto blushed and looked away, murmuring something under her breath. "I know you're busy, but I'm so gonna be a mother hen here."
He put his hands on her hips and lifted her up onto the counter, grinning as she squeaked in surprise and threw her arms around his neck. "Junes food is unhealthy. Did you see Teddie after they offered him a run of the buffet?"
"Yes?"
"I have pictures."
"Don't show me them."
"You want to see the pictures?"
"No!" She laughed at the mental image as she pushed him gently.
Souji smiled and kissed her forehead, letting his lips trail down past her cheek and onto her neck. He carefully undid her tie and watched her take a leisurely breath as he nosed her jaw gently. She chuckled softly when his arms went around her waist, and she met his eyes when his own gleamed with a bit of mischief. He half-lidded his eyes as she leaned closer to him, and just when their lips were about to meet…
"Junes food is a no-no."
She smirked and grabbed his collar, shaking her head and whispering, "Whatever you say, leader. Now be quiet and kiss me."
Souji complied and let himself be pulled against her, leaning over the counter as she snuck her arms tightly around his shoulders. He kept his hands on the counter to balance the two of them, shutting his eyes completely as she let her hands tangle in his hair. The kiss didn't last long, and as Souji pulled away she smiled softly. Her hands slid from his back to his face, and she brought him close for another chaste kiss before bracing herself on his shoulders and hopping off the counter. "Would you mind if we had dinner first?"
Souji watched her back for a moment and let his gaze wander before catching himself and nodding when she looked back. He mentally chided himself as he said, "Sure. Have a seat."
He found a decent sized platter stored in one of the cabinets, wiping it off and carefully putting the rice and chicken on it, Steam rose cheerily from the food, spreading into the kitchen and then the small dining room as he walked over to the table. Naoto kept her eyes on the platter for the whole time he was carrying it, prompting a soft laugh from Souji as he set it down. "Feel free, birthday girl."
Naoto needed no other motivation, taking the serving spoon offered by him and taking a serving of the dinner, Souji helped himself afterwards, hiding a small smile as she took her second bite if the food and sighed happily. "Good?"
"Very."
He kept quiet as Naoto dug in with earnest, taking in his own food at a slightly slower pace. After a good three minutes, Naoto had finished her first bowl and was shyly taking another serving. When he gave her a teasing look she blushed and muttered after taking another bite. "I-I'm sorry...I didn't have breakfast, a-and it's been so long since I've had your cooking…"
Souji simply smiled and shook his head, pushing a cup of water towards her as her cheeks retained the rosy color. "Don't be embarrassed. Healthy appetites are good."
Naoto smiled thankfully and took another bite.
Before long, the platter was empty, and Naoto blew out a satisfied breath as Souji took their plates back to the kitchen. "You sound happy."
"I am. You're here- wait. What did you do with Tora?"
"Meow-meow-kun? Well…"
Somewhere else.
"Yosuke, he's trying to EAT ME!"
"...Meow.'
Tora sat at the base of the lamp that Teddie had somehow balanced on, looking over at Yosuke quizzically when he heard footsteps. Yosuke simply shrugged and set a small plate filled with Tora's dinner next to the cat. The cat in question nuzzled against his leg and committed to eating. Yosuke watched with a small smile until he heard a creaking noise.
Then a lamp cuddled by a bear-boy fell on him. Tora heard the screams of surprise and blinked before going back to eating.
And back to the story!
Naoto slapped the table a few times as she tried to catch her breath, with Souji resting his chin in his palm and chuckling softly at the thought of Teddie's face when Souji held Tora in front of him. "Yeah, needless to say, Yosuke's gonna have a fun time living with both of them."
She wiped a tear from her eye as Souji stood up from the table, walking over to the kitchen fridge and picking up a small case. Naoto had breathed out her last laugh and was watching him and he fetched a small knife, two forks, and two plates. "Once again, small enough to have after a meal."
He placed the case on the table and pulled the top off, revealing a pure white cheesecake. It was one layer, and a strawberry sat cheekily on the white plateau, surrounded by the same number of candles as her age. "It took a while to get all those candles just right."
Souji reached over to the counter and plucked up a small matchbox, striking one and carefully setting flame to each of the candles. Naoto watched, mystified, until Souji blew out the match and set both it and the box aside.
"Souji, you didn't have to…"
He responded with a soft smile the complemented his twinkling eyes well. "I know. But I can. Did, too."
He held his arms wide and grinned as Naoto raised an eyebrow. "Make a wish?"
Naoto watched him for a moment, but nodded when she saw there was no joke in his eyes. Still as sincere as ever. She closed her eyes and thought for a moment before leaning forward and blowing out every little flame. When she opened them again, Souji was holding a small package, complete with sky blue bow, close to his chest. The smile he was wearing told him it was for her. "You're spoiling me."
"It's been two months and it's your birthday. Let me have this."
She stood from the table and went over to kiss his cheek, accepting the new gift when he pressed it to her stomach. "Cake or present first?"
She smirked and reached down, dabbing some icing on his nose and kissing it off soon after. The gesture left Souji bewildered for a moment, but he caught on by the time she sat down again. "Cute."
"I assumed so."
Naoto glanced up at him quickly, then started to carefully unwrap the present. Souji watched for a moment, placing the knife closer to her for when she wanted to cut the cake. Her eyes widened when she saw a soft gleam, and she mouthed silent words when she carefully lifted up a pair of tickets. "These are…"
"Tickets to Okinawa."
Naoto reverently put the tickets down and looked across at him, trying and failing to speak for a few moments. "B-but...I thought…"
"I've been saving up since you left. Call it a hunch, but I figured a big case like this one would take a while."
"I'm sorry...I-I don't know when I'll be able to go with you."
"The dates are flexible. We can go whenever you're ready."
Naoto leaned back in her chair and stared at the tickets for a moment before a soft chuckle escaped her, and Souji raised an eyebrow as she looked away and laughed softly. His eyes followed her as she stood up from her seat, walking over to him and sliding gracefully onto his lap. She straddled his leg as he adjusted himself to make her more comfortable, linking his hands at the small of her back to secure her. She pressed her palms to his chest as she murmured a soft thank you against his mouth, pressing their lips together for a second before pulling away and hugging him tightly. Souji returned the sincere embrace as she thanked him again, glancing at the forgotten cake sitting on the table. "What did you wish for?"
"It's a secret."
Admittedly, it feels kind of weird writing another one of these. It was also kind of tough thinking of a decent present that made sense, so I guess it's a good thing I started this with an actual idea in mind.
Also. Total cop out on the wish part. I'll leave it ambiguous.
That's all from me! Happy Birthday, 4/27'ers, and here's hoping you have a good day.
Till next time.
