So, I had to edit chapter 9, but I hope it went well for you guys it was tough for me, and I modified it a bunch even after posting.

I know some of you guys don't like what I did with Udagawa, but that's not the last we'll see of him. He's Hideki's dad; I want him to be a part of the little dude's life.

He's not responsible for all of it and if you guys didn't figure out how he learned about Mei's feelings for Yuzu...we'll get more in-depth at some point. Not much but you'll get a definite answer soon.

I'm gonna have chapter 11 up very soon. I was gonna have this be one long one chapter with some smut, but next chapter I PROMISE WE WILL OFFICIALLY HAVE MEIDOM! YES, YOU WILL GET MEIDOM AFTER 7 LONG CHAPTERS!

Thanks to Rolex, Alcor, McMulch, Bella and all the others in the Discord group for helping me with this idea. You guys gave me some good ideas for the story and for some artwork to get commissioned.

Oh and SMXMUFFINPEDDLING ON TUMBLR DID ME SOME FANART OF CHAPTER 8'S ENDING! Ummm I don't have the link, but if she's willing to let me put it up on DeviantArt or something or has a link, I'll be sure to get it from her.

That was a can of worms we opened though in the lit club...HOLY SHIT lol.

Chapter 10

"I'm bored."

Mei sighed and set down her book and looked at her son as he stared listlessly out the train window as the buildings blurred past them.

"When are we gonna get there?"

"We'll get there soon," answered his mother as she put her book into her bag. "The trains are running behind due to maintenance. That's why we had to make two transfers; we told you this when we got to the station."

"We coulda got a cab," whined Hideki as tapped the glass in frustration. "If we got a cab, then we coulda been there already."

"We could have." Mei was beginning to grow tired of her son's whining. "But this is cheaper, and you always say how much you like the train more than taking a cab."

"I do," huffed Hideki before blowing on the window and drawing circles in the condensation. "I just wanna get off the train."

"Come on," grunted Udagawa as he picked Hideki up and sat him down between them. "I brought some of your books with us so why don't you read one of them."

Hideki watched as his father pulled out four books from the backpack he'd brought and held them out for his son.

"Pick which one you want, and you can read it to Mommy and me. Sound good to you, Mei?"

"I wouldn't mind seeing how much he's improved." Mei gave her son an adoring smirk. "Remember to take your time and sound out the characters."

Hideki nodded and picked up the thickest of the books and opened it.

"That looks pretty difficult," chuckled Udagawa. He placed his hand on his son's head and ruffled the black hair. "Are you sure you can read it or are just trying to impress us?"

"I haven't read this one," declared Hideki with a snort. "I wanted to read something new."

"Good boy." Udagawa moved a bit closer and pointed at the first word of the story and said," So why don't you tell me what it's about."

As her son read to them, Mei slipped her phone out of her purse and with an almost Yuzu like efficiency, snapped a picture to share with her lover later.

Stories like the one in the had never really interested her; she preferred books with a bit more substance and a basis in reality. But after reading Hideki to sleep almost every night over the years, Mei had gained an appreciation for the stories and, more often then not, she found herself enjoying them.

This particular story revolved around a young boy living in a hut in the forest with an old warrior and a wizard whose daily routine involved taking care of a pig and learning to shoe horses. It wasn't a horrible story, but Mei did grow concerned at how Hideki would sleep that night after reading about a man with a skull head and antlers. He didn't seem fazed but seeing as he would be going back home with his father, she wagered she might get a call about a bad dream, but she wouldn't take the book away from him.

The series had been a gift from Shiraho, and despite hearing him struggle and ask about names, Hideki managed fine on his own and Mei couldn't be prouder. His pronunciation was on point, and he rarely faltered despite the advanced level of the book, and Mei ended up getting lost in the story.

Both Mei and Udagawa got so lost in their conversation that they nearly missed their stop and had to rush to depart the train.

"That was close," laughed Udagawa as he put the book back in his backpack.

"It was." Mei began checking her belongings. She had a small moment of panic where she thought she'd lost her phone but calmed when she realized it'd been placed in the wrong pocket.

"Are you okay, Mommy?" Hideki walked up and squeezed her hand. "Are you nervous?"

"A little," answered Mei as she returned the squeeze, feeling calm. "What about you?"

"Same," answered Hideki as he walked hand-in-hand with the parents. "Are you nervous, Daddy?"

"Me," asked Udagawa with a huge grin. "Not really, I'm excited."

"How come?" asked Hideki as his parents waited for him to jump the last two steps of the stairwell they used.

"Because," grunted Udagawa as he and Mei let Hideki swing between them for a moment, "I get to see you and Mommy act all weird."

"Have you always been this much of a sadist?" Mei thought he'd be serious about answering their son's question, but she should have known better.

"Maybe," Udagawa smirked at Mei's eye roll before heading out into the street. "But you're never going to know."

Mei would have remarked about their divorce, but instead gave him a small disinterested grunt and said, "Nor would I ever want to."

"What's a 'sadist'," asked Hideki a little too loudly and drawing the attention of a few passersby.

"It's someone that enjoys hurting people," answered Mei without much thought.

"That sounds weird," grunted Hideki as he hopped over a few pieces of trash. "Why would you like hurting people?"

"It's just the way some people are." Udagawa hoped it would curb his son's curiosity, but he should have known better.

"I've seen Mommy bite Mama sometimes when they think I can't see them kissing." Hideki looked up at his mother and asked, "Does that make you one?"

"Hideki, it's best to keep questions like that to yourself when we're in public." Udagawa gave his son a stern look when he saw the number of stares they were getting.

"Why?"

"Because it's inappropriate and can make people uncomfortable." Udagawa gave Hideki a strained, pleading smile and hoped his son wouldn't ask any more questions.

"Okay." The boy gave his father a familiar blank stare and after a few steps asked, "Did Mommy bite you, too? Is that..."

"Hideki," snipped Mei, finally growing tired of her son's questions. "Remember what I told you about asking too many questions at once?"

"Yes." Hideki nodded and kicked a pebble that was on the sidewalk. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." Mei felt her ears burning and hoped anyone who saw them thought it was because of the heat. "I should have been more careful with how I answered. Please

After Hideki's failed attempt at trying to dig into his parent's past, the three of them continued their trip in almost complete silence. Hideki would still ask questions, but not nearly as many as he usually would have much to the relief of his parent's. Neither of them was keen on discussing those few encounters they had engaged in and were content with letting that part of their lives remain in the past.

But they did indulge him by answering all of his other questions.

They were more than happy to tell him about the cars and the shops they passed. They even indulged in his curiosity about a pet store and spent a good thirty minutes letting him play with some of the animals. He did, however, start whining when they denied buying him a kitten and after a few minutes of quiet, but intense discussion, he surrendered and left the store begrudgingly.

"We're not going to think about getting him a cat are we," asked Udagawa as Hideki ran a few feet ahead to look in the window of an electronics store.

"Maybe when he's older." Mei wasn't against him having a pet, but with how their visitation schedule was set up, it meant the cat would have to live with one set of parents permanently. "I want him to be able to handle leaving it behind, and I don't think he can manage that right now."

"I don't either." Udagawa gave a heavy sigh but smiled all the same. "I still think it'd be nice of him to have one, but you're right, and I don't mind waiting."

"We can still discuss it." Mei watched as Hideki began browsing at all the televisions before settling on the one furthest from them. "We can talk to Rena and Yuzu about and have a family vote."

"Somehow I think I'll get outvoted," laughed Udagawa as they reached their son. "You three tend to gang-up on me when I disagree."

"That's because you like spoiling him more than Yuzu," scoffed Mei as she watched Hideki stare intensely at a superhero show on one of the store displays.

"I don't spoil him that much." Udagawa tugged on the collar of Hideki's shirt, gaining the boys attention. "Do I spoil you more than Mama?"

"I dunno," answered Hideki with a shrug. "I thought I was a person, not food."

"That's not what I meant," Udagawa coughed trying to hide his laughter and failing.

"Why's he laughing," asked Hideki with a confused stare at his mother, worried he was the butt of some joke.

"Don't worry about it, Hideki. Daddy's just acting silly like Mama." A small smirk graced Mei's lips, and she could see the tension leave her son's shoulders.

"I don't think it's silly," sighed the boy and pointing at a plane in the sky. "Is that the plane Mama's on?"

"I don't think so," answered Mei as she reached for Hideki's hand. "Mama's plane isn't supposed to land for another hour."

"Kay." Hideki took his father's hand, and the three of them continued their journey down the street, chatting quietly about what Hideki wanted to do when he finally saw her. While his parent's quietly thanked people for the compliments they paid Hideki and them, the boy was more concerned with how he'd show Yuzu how much he'd missed her over the past month.

Though Udagawa's return had helped to calm the boy significantly, Yuzu's absence had affected their entire family. Ume and Shou had invited Hideki, Mei, Udagawa, and Rena over for dinner several nights in a row, and for the most part, the four of them had agreed.

Even though Udagawa and Rena felt out of place, Shou and Ume had welcomed them with open arms and Mei had spent the night a few times just to avoid going home to an empty house. It always felt strange to sleep in her and Yuzu's old bed. Remembering all those false kisses and uncomfortable memories didn't help her sleep, but the ability to speak to her father and step-mother and video-chat with Yuzu helped to counter-balance her anxiety.

Udagawa and Rena always went first as their conversations were the shortest. Rena and Yuzu chatted about some of the fashion that was popular in Europe and began planning a return trip in the coming years with Harumin while Udagawa just wanted to hear about her work and how she was doing. Ume and Shou didn't spend much time on the chat either, satisfied with knowing that their daughter was safe and healthy, though both of them complained that she was going to run herself in the ground.

Hideki dominated most of the calls with his excitement about his upcoming birthday trip to the zoo, of which he made sure Yuzu knew that he'd invited his new best friend Yui, and about her birthday party. Mei and the others all watched proudly as he talked about all the friends he'd made and how he was handling school, and it didn't take much for to bring Yuzu to tears.

When it came time for Mei to speak, Yuzu typically didn't have too much time left to talk, but they didn't mind. Most of the time they spent the call out on the terrace, chatting quietly about work, and how they'd spent their time apart, but mostly it was about work.

Thanks to some hiring issues, Yuzu had to extend her trip because the manager she was supposed to train to replace her had been fired go for reasons Yuzu couldn't discuss. The new manager had caught on relatively which they were both glad about since his training was what dictated how long Yuzu's trip lasted and it only took three weeks to get him caught up to speed and another week to finalize the opening of the hotel.

Yuzu could have come home earlier, but she'd asked Mei if she could stay for the grand opening party and Mei didn't bother arguing. Yuzu had earned her right to be there, and while she was disappointed that she couldn't be there, Mei was satisfied with all the pictures Yuzu had sent her.

When she first saw them, Mei had been amazed at how lavish the hotel was.

Given her status, Mei was used to dining or vacationing in such extravagant surroundings; they were par for the course. But when she looked at the pictures, she felt immense pride at seeing Yuzu standing there in one of her suits, a bow resting against her chest. Mei's chest swelled as she flipped through the pictures of Yuzu greeting guests and investors, talking happily with her friends and enjoying the irony that Yuzu was wining and dining a few people that had denied her joining Mei and Hideki to similar parties.

However, despite Yuzu's smile, it wasn't difficult for Mei to tell Yuzu was ready to come home.

As much as she could see Yuzu enjoying herself, years together had taught Mei to notice when the blonde was feeling lonely. Whether it was the strain of her smile or the fact that she didn't bother to hide her ring, the pictures told Mei where the blonde's mind and heart were. If that wasn't bad enough whenever she spoke to Yuzu, Mei could hear the strain in her voice and the ache she felt for home.

By the time Yuzu had told her she was coming back, Mei didn't know how much longer she could stand it, but finally, Yuzu was coming home, and do whatever she could do to help ease her lover's pain.

"I wanna give her a big hug first," said Hideki as they approached the entrance to the airport. "Is that okay, Mommy?"

"What was that, Hideki?" Mei gave turned her attention to her son and gave him an apologetic smile.

"I said the first thing I wanted to do was give Mama a hug, can I do that?"

"Of course." Mei stopped their procession and bent down to touch her forehead to his. "Just make sure she's past the gate, so the guards don't yell at us."

"Yep!" Hideki kissed her on the forehead and smiled. "Are you excited, Daddy?"

"I'm very excited," said Udagawa honestly. "I haven't seen your Mama since my layover in London."

"You saw Mama?!" Hideki scrunched up his nose and stuck his tongue out at his father. "How come you didn't say anything?!"

"Stop yelling," warned Udagawa as he gave a quick scan around the terminal for any possible security guards. "You gotta watch your voice, Hideki."

"I think it's a valid question," snorted Mei as they entered the airport. "Neither of you said anything about this meeting and to be honest I'm rather upset that you didn't tell me."

"It was dinner, drinks, and a movie," sighed Udagawa as they headed toward a gift shop. "Nothing happened, and you know nothing will, so what's the issue? I had six hours to kill, and I wasn't gonna pay for a hotel when someone I was going to sleep on the plane."

"I still would have liked to have known you two were together," snorted Mei as she began looking through the bookshelves. "Hideki would have liked to talk to the two of you."

"Are you sure about that," asked Udagawa with a low chortle when he noticed the pink around Mei's ears. "Or are you jealous that I got to spend time with her when you didn't?"

"Yuzu can spend time with you if she wants." Mei set her book down a little too fast, and it fell to the floor with a slam.

"I got it," shouted Hideki as he jogged over and handed the book to his mother.

"Thank you," she whispered before looking at something in her son's hand.

"Mei." Udagawa placed a hand on Mei's shoulder and smiled. "I'm sorry I lied to you and you know Yuzu is going to tell you all about it. I just happened to land on a day she had an evening off, that's all."

"I didn't need the explanation," snorted Mei as she looked out at the terminal and sighed. "But thank you for telling me."

"Just make sure you go easy on her, and we'll call it even."

"I make no promises," smirked Mei as they approached one of the seating sections closest to the exit Yuzu was supposed to use.

"Make no promises about what," asked a familiar voice.

"Auntie Harumin!"

Mei hissed as Hideki's foot collided with her shin as he rocketed toward the suit-clad brunette and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Hey, Hideki," grunted Harumin as she took a step back to catch herself. She picked the boy up and spun him around, laughing as she hugged him. "How are you?"

"I'm good," laughed the boy as he gave her another hug. "Are you here to see, Mama?"

"Yeah." Harumin held up a small wrapped item and handed it to Hideki. "We had an early release day, and I'm all caught up on my work so I thought I'd come and tell her 'hi' before heading home."

"Where's Aunt Matsuri?" Hideki stuck his head around Harumin's waist and began looking for the familiar flash of bubblegum pink hair. "Are you two fighting again?"

"No, we're not fighting right now." Harumin patted his head and smiled. "We're doing a lot better. She just had some meetings today, so she's swamped."

Harumin looked up gave Mei and Udagawa polite nods. "How are you two?"

"I'm doing well," answered Mei returning the nod. "I'm happy to hear you and Matsuri dealt with whatever unpleasantness happened the last time we saw each other."

"Thanks." Harumin gave Mei an appreciative smile. "Yuzucchi told me about what happened when she left. Are you okay?"

"We're in a similar situation," answered Mei. She knew the question was more for Yuzu's sake than hers, but she appreciated the gesture. "It's an adjustment, and we had a few long talks about it since she's been gone, but we're working on it."

"Remember what we told you." Harumin pointed at her eyes then aimed them at Mei.

"I remember," snorted Mei, wondering when Matsuri and Harumin would finally get off her case.

"What about you, Udagawa-san?" Harumin took the present away from Hideki and allowed the boy to lead her toward his parents. "Are you and Kudo-san doing okay?"

"It's about the same as Mei and Yuzu," laughed Udagawa as Hideki hopped into his lap. "We're getting used to having Hideki back in the house, and you know, I was gone for almost four months. So, it's mostly just getting used to living with another person again. We missed each other, and we're happy to be back home together, but we got used to having the bed all to ourselves, so sleeping is a bit of a challenge."

"I couldn't do that," laughed Harumin as she stretched her arms above her head. "Matsuri has a difficult enough time when I go away on school trips; she'd go out of her mind if I was gone that long."

"I'm sure she'd find a way to cope," answered Mei as she checked her watch. Her heart pounded when she saw that there were only ten minutes left until Yuzu's plane landed. "Matsuri is resourceful, and you two are fairly independent. But like Yuzu and me you sometimes have difficulty talking."

"More like we talk too much," chuckled Harumin before sending a text on her phone.

"Said something you shouldn't have?" Udagawa winked and allowed Hideki to try on his glasses.

"Yeah," sighed Harumin as she scratched the back of her head. "Commented on a dish Matsuri made and said something about how Yuzucchi used to make it and we just had this huge fight."

"What was the meal," asked Mei curiously.

Mei and Harumin were both well versed in how good of a cook Yuzu was, having received lessons from her over the years, and she could see Matsuri getting upset at being compared to her best friend.

"That curry soup Ume-san taught her to make." Harumin shrugged and shifted uncomfortably. "All I said was Yuzucchi made it a bit spicier, and before I could finish she went off on me, and we had a big fight. I mean I like spicy, but Yuzucchi is on a whole other level."

"That's true," said both Hideki and Mei in unison, before giggling at what they'd just done.

"At least you two talked it out," grunted Udagawa as he handed Hideki to Mei. "That's the important part."

"Yeah," sighed Harumin as she received another text and growled. "Seriously? Can you guys give me a minute."

"Of course," answered Mei as she tried to keep Hideki occupied. "Yuzu will be here soon, so try and be quick."

Harumin nodded and wandered off, phone in her ear.

By the time it came for Yuzu's plane to land, Harumin hadn't returned, and Mei's attention split between her watch, Hideki and the gate. She was well aware of how difficult it was to deplane, but she prayed Yuzu would push her way through the crowd. As she stared at the gate, Mei suddenly felt a warm hand on hers and jumped.

"Relax, Mei," said Udagawa quietly. "She'll be here."

Mei looked down and for the first time realized her hand had balled up into a fist. Bits of her skirt stuck out between her fingers and Mei could feel her fingernails pushing into her skin.

"I'm sorry," she exhaled as she felt her heart continue pounding. "It's the first time we've been apart this long since we got back together and..."

"MAMA!"

Mei stopped talking, and her head snapped toward the gate, and she felt her heart race at the sight of Yuzu walking toward them, smiling happily.

She was in a tee-shirt, jeans and had a hoodie wrapped around her waist while her hair shimmered in the sunlight. She looked rested and had a spring in her step, Mei hadn't seen in a long time, and as much as she wanted to run to her, Mei allowed Hideki the honor of the first hug.

"Hi, Sweetie!" Yuzu bent down and was nearly knocked off her feet when Hideki collided with her. Her arms wrapped around him and she sat on the floor, kissing him all over while the boy laughed.

"Stop," he giggled as Yuzu began tickling him. "That tickles!

"I know," she laughed as she continued kissing him. "That's why I'm doing it, Little Man. It's been forever since I tickled you and I want to hear your laugh."

Hideki tried to protest, but he was laughing so hard that he could barely get a word out.

"Go," urged Udagawa, jerking his head toward Yuzu and Hideki. "She's waiting."

Mei turned back to Yuzu and Hideki and noticed that despite how focused her fiancee was on their son, she kept shooting the occasional glance in her direction.

Climbing shakily to her feet, Mei began walking toward the two people that made up their world. She watched as some people smiled at them, and others scoffed in annoyance but all Mei wanted was to take both of them in her arms and hold them close.

When she reached them, Yuzu pulled one arm away from Hideki and was ready to welcome Mei into the fold and as the younger woman bent down a loud screech could be heard, accompanied by the sound of thundering feet.

"YUZUCCHI!"

There was a blur of brown and black, followed by the sounds of Yuzu and Hideki screaming as Harumin's body sent them sprawling into the floor while Mei could only watch in shock and amazement.

"Ha...Harumin," gasped Yuzu as she tried to disentangle her and Hideki from the brunette's clutches.

"Yuzucchi, you're back," sobbed Harumin as she kissed Yuzu's cheek and squeezed her tight. "I missed you!"

"Yeah yeah, I'm back," coughed Yuzu as she managed to get Hideki free and hand him off to Mei while she hugged her best friend. "I missed you too, now can you please let me stand up? My butt's getting numb."

"Right," sniffed Harumin as she helped her best friend off the floor and proceeded to hug her again.

"Come on, Harumin," blushed Yuzu as she realized just how much attention her friend's cries were getting them. "This is embarrassing."

"It's embarrassing to hug your best friend after she's been gone for over a month?" Harumin stepped back and crossed her arms in a huff, the gift she'd purchased gripped tight in one hand.

"You know what I mean." Yuzu gave Harumin a gentle nudge with her elbow and smiled. "It's good to see you too. How's the job?"

"Students are a pain in the ass," sighed the brunette with a smirk. "Though I'm pretty sure we should do well on the national exams, but that's still a bit of a long shot. Still, I'm confident in them, they've improved a lot."

"Sounds like you're kicking butt," chuckled Yuzu as she cast a nervous look at Mei, relieved to see her fiancee was occupying herself with their son.

"What else did you expect," chuckled Harumin haughtily as she stuck out her chest, before realizing she was still holding the package. "Oh, yeah, this is for you from Matsuri and me."

"Where's Matsuri," asked Yuzu as she took the package and began examining it. "She at work or she doing something with her parents?"

"Work," shrugged Harumin as Yuzu began tearing into the package. "She's following yours and Mei's lead, throwing herself into her job right now, but she makes sure to come home for dinner every night."

"Good," smiled Yuzu as she removed the last bit of paper to reveal a small wooden box. "She liking her job? I haven't had a chance to ask her much about it."

"It's a social media job designed for her to manipulate people into buying stuff," laughed Harumin as she waited anxiously for Yuzu to open the box. "So you don't need to worry about her."

"I'll take your word for it," laughed Yuzu as she finally opened her box.

Her mouth dropped open at what was in there, and she stared up at Harumin tears forming in the corner of her eyes.

"Harumin? This is...this is lovely." Yuzu pulled out a silver watch and began turning it over in her hands.

"We meant to give it to you when you got hired, but it took us a bit longer to pay it off than we planned." Harumin pointed at the watch and smiled when she saw how enamored Yuzu was with it.

"It's not an everyday watch," coughed Harumin as Yuzu began rubbing the band with her thumb, "but we figured you could wear it when you go to a work party or something like that."

"It's perfect," smiled Yuzu as she rubbed her nose before hugging her best friend. "I'll treat you two to dinner; we can make it a double date if you guys want."

"Sure," smiled Harumin as she hugged Yuzu back and gave her a gentle pat.

"Thanks," sighed Yuzu when she pulled back so she could put the watch back in the case.

"Just keep working your ass off, and that'll be thanks enough." Harumin gave Yuzu another quick hug before saying, "I'm sorry I gotta do this, but I gotta run, the school needs to have a quick emergency meeting about something, I'll call you soon."

After a quick goodbye, Harumin ran off out of the airport, leaving the small family standing in the middle of the terminal.

Mei remained close to Hideki, unsure of what to do. She wanted to run to her, but after what had happened with Harumi, Mei decided that it was best to let Yuzu determine what to do. So she waited, occupying herself with talking to Hideki while stealing a few awkward glances at her lover. Finally, after a couple of minutes, Yuzu put the box into her rolling carry-on and made her way toward them.

"Hey, Hideki," said Udagawa so quietly that Mei almost didn't hear him. "Do you want to come with me to get Mama's suitcase?"

"Okay." Hideki turned to Yuzu and pointed at his dad. "Mama, I'm going with Daddy to get your stuff, is that okay?"

"Yeah," answered Yuzu with a small nod at Udagawa. "Thanks for bringing him."

"Of course," smiled Udagawa as he stepped up and gave Yuzu a quick hug. "We both wanted to see you, and I'm glad to see you're home safe."

"Thanks," replied Yuzu giving him a quick but warm hug before handing him her carry-on. "We'll see you in a bit. Hideki, be good."

"Yes, Mama," said the boy happily before taking his father's hand and disappearing into the crowd.

When they were gone, Mei raised her hand and waved smirking when Yuzu responded in kind, giggling all the while.

"I'm home," said the blonde sheepishly as she took a few steps forward.

"You're late," huffed Mei as she stepped forward as well. Her knees were shaking, not from nerves, but from excitement.

"Sorry about that." Yuzu reached out and took Mei's hand and pulled her closer, locking their fingers together. "I missed you."

"I know," smirked Mei as she used her free hand and cupped Yuzu's cheek. "I missed you too."

Mei's heart skipped a beat when she felt Yuzu's cheek rub against her palm; her eyes half closed in content.

Unable to resist any longer, Mei pulled Yuzu forward and felt nothing but fulfillment when Yuzu's body collapsed into hers. Mei released Yuzu's hand and wrapped it around her waist while the one on her cheek buried itself in her hair. She inhaled the familiar floral scent of Yuzu's shampoo and placed soft kisses on her lover's neck and cheek, and Yuzu returned the gestures in kind, though her hands remained firmly bound to Mei's waist.

"I'm sorry," whispered Yuzu after an unusually long kiss on Mei's neck. "I'm sorry I left you alone."

"It's okay," whispered Mei as she held Yuzu closer. She wanted to cry, but just having Yuzu back in her arms was enough to suppress that desire. "I'm so proud of you, Yuzu."

"I'm proud of you too," sniffed Yuzu as she lifted her head and kissed Mei full on the lips.

Mei felt her ears burn, and she heard a few people whisper, but she didn't care. She had Yuzu and her son back in her life, and there was nothing anyone could say that could ruin her mood.

The familiar taste of Yuzu's lips was enough to drive away any discomfort the words could cause, and Mei didn't want to let go. She wanted to stay in that spot forever listening to the quiet moans that escaped from Yuzu's throat.

When they did manage to separate, they were both panting heavily and silently wishing that Mei had stayed home for their reunion.

"Excuse me, ladies."

Both turned to their attention to the security guard who was standing there looking a bit nervous as she spoke.

"What," the couple asked in unison, annoyed but humored that they'd managed to make her look so flustered.

"I need you to move," the woman pointed up at the arrival screen, and Mei and Yuzu's eyes followed. "We got a few flights coming in, and I need this area as clear as possible."

"All right," snorted Mei, upset that the woman had interrupted her fun. "We'll be moving shortly."

"Thank you."

"Come on," whispered Yuzu as she slipped her hand into Mei's, "we'll have plenty of time alone when we get home. Unless Hideki wants to stay the night."

"He might." Mei spread her fingers and smiled when she felt Yuzu's fingers do the same. "But I think he's going to want to stay with his father a bit longer."

"He needs to," agreed Yuzu honestly. "Udagawa-san was gone way longer than I was, so if Hideki wants to stay, let him stay."

"Are you sure there's no other reason," asked Mei with a debauched grin.

"There are a few." Yuzu's cheeks turned red, and Mei wondered what kind of activities the blonde had in mind. "But I wanna spend some time with you before we head home if that's okay."

"Of course it is," answered Mei, squeezing Yuzu's hand. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Yuzu kissed Mei's cheek just as they approached the baggage claim to find Hideki sitting on the top of Yuzu's rolling suitcase, smiling happily while Udagawa smirked at them.

"What took so long," whined Hideki with a small kick of his feet. "We've been waiting forever?"

"Oh you have," laughed Yuzu, letting go of Mei's hand so she could poke playfully at her son. "I'm sorry you had to wait, but Mommy and I had to talk about a few things."

"What'd you talk about," asked Hideki as tried avoiding Yuzu's pokes, nearly falling off the suitcase.

"That's none of your business," chuckled Yuzu before hugging her son.

"Fine," whined Hideki as he hugged her back. "Are you going home?"

"I don't know yet." Yuzu turned her gaze to Mei and asked, "Are we going home?"

"That's entirely up to you," said Mei as she fiddled with a few strands of her hair. "You said you wanted to go out and we can, but if you want to go home and rest, we can go home."

"I slept on the plane," laughed Yuzu. "I had one of those chairs that's practically a bed, so I'm wide awake."

"Then we'll go out."

Yuzu noticed that Mei seemed to smile at her answer and wondered what her fiancee had planned.

"Umm, Mama." Yuzu looked down when she felt Hideki's hand tug at her shirt and noticed he looked nervous.

"What's the matter, Hideki?"

"Umm," Hideki pointed down and waited until Yuzu was eye level with him before continuing. "Is it okay if I go home with Daddy?"

"Of course" smiled Yuzu as she brushed some hair out of her son's face.

"You sure," Hideki chewed on his lower lip as he spoke and Yuzu could tell he was worried about playing favorites.

"Of course, Sweetie." Yuzu kissed his cheek and gave him a warm smile. "I'm not gonna tell you not to go with Daddy if that's what you want."

"Okay." Hideki pulled his mama close and pressed his forehead against hers. "I love you."

"I love you too." Out of reflex, Yuzu closed her eyes and smiled at the contact.

"Everything okay," asked Udagawa as he appeared alongside Mei.

"Everything's fine," smiled Yuzu as she kissed Hideki on the cheek. "So what are you two gonna do tonight?"

"Well since you and Mei are going out, we're gonna take your stuff back to the apartment before going home for dinner with Rena." Udagawa then shrugged and said, "After that, I dunno, probably just hang out."

"Make sure he's doesn't stay up too late." Mei gave Hideki's hair a quick tussle and smiled as the boy pulled away from her. "He's got school tomorrow."

"Thanks, mom," chuckled Udagawa as he helped Hideki down off the suitcase and handed him the smaller of the two. "You ready to go?"

"One sec," grunted Hideki before running over to his mother and began tugging carefully at her shirt. Mei bent down and allowed her son his customary forehead rub and hug before letting him help his father pull the suitcases toward the exit.

"I love you," shouted Hideki one last time and joined his father in waving goodbye.

Mei and Yuzu returned the wave, and when he was gone, they both became aware that several people were staring at them.

Deciding it was best to leave before gathering too much attention, they made their way to the door, their hands slipping casually to their sides. Yuzu felt Mei's fingers brush against hers and Yuzu immediately took her fiancee's hand.

A warm feeling spread throughout her body as they crossed the thresh hold and as Mei waved down a cab, Yuzu couldn't resist asking, "So what do you have planned for us?"

Mei chuckled at the bubbly laugh Yuzu had incorporated into her question. After brushing some hair behind her ear, the taller woman stroked Yuzu's cheek and pulled her in for a quick kiss and said, "You're just going to have to wait and see."