Author's Notes:

I don't own Citrus or any of its characters, no copyright is intended.

This story is set when Mei and Yuzu have finished their last year of highschool and are around the ages of 20-21 now.

Italics - Means the person is thinking.

This chapter is set a little over a week after the previous one just so you all know.

This story contains 'Science babies', don't question it, just enjoy it. ^_^

Warning: This contains yuri (girl x girl) pairings, don't like? Don't read simple otherwise enjoy. ;)

...

Mei sighing deeply to herself as she sat at the dining table seeming to be lost in thought, while she was taking a break from planning for today's preparations as she sat waiting for Harumi and Matsuri to show up, having already called them both, asking if they could help her out with getting everything ready for the celebration taking place later on in the afternoon.

Tapping her fingernails on the wooden table as she let a frown form on her lips, glancing around the room before tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear and stood up from her chair, deciding it was better to try and get things started for today while she waited for the young couple to come knocking at her door.

'With Yuzu being home so much lately...I almost forgot how lonely this place can be without her here,' she thought as she tried to distract herself from the current lonely feelings she was having at the moment, but it looking like she wouldn't have to be on her own with her thoughts for much longer as the sound of the front door being opened soon caught her attention.

"Mei, are you here? We're to help get this party started!"

Hearing Matsuri's cheery voice calling out to her, causing her to soften her expression when she could hear Harumi scolding her girlfriend about just walking into someone else's house without even knocking first. The dark haired girl walking over to greet her two friends, as they both greeted her back, Harumi still giving the younger girl a slight stern stare, before looking to Mei and turning her attention on to her instead.

"So where's Maiya-chan?"

The brunette asked as Matsuri just nodded along, seeming to definitely be excited about today, it being clear that she was looking forward to having another get together with everyone after Mei and Yuzu had been away on their Honeymoon along with their daughter, and everyone else had been rather busy in their own lives since returning from the wedding in Las Vegas a little over a week ago.

"I put her down for a nap a little while ago; she'll probably wake up soon," Mei simply stated as she folded her arms and sighed again, it being obvious that she had maybe been waiting quite a while for the other two to show up, looking like she hadn't really known what to do with herself until they arrived and they could all start putting everything together for today.

"And where's Yuzu? I thought she was going to be here," the younger girl questioned as she was looking around, wondering why she hadn't seen the blonde at all just yet, when she would normally be the first one to greet any visitors at all.

The dark haired girl raising her eyebrow in response to Matsuri, seeming to be questioning why she had asked her something that she thought would have been obvious to her. Glancing to Harumi for a bit more info and just getting a shrug from her in reply, "She's in work," Mei answering after a short pause, causing the younger girl to look a little confused as she looked between the other two, while her girlfriend just shook her head with a slight sigh.

"I already told you she was going to be working,"

"Oh I mustn't have been paying attention, but it's good she's getting some hours in after all that time she's had off because of the wedding and all. Will she be home before the party's meant to start?" Matsuri smiling innocently to Mei, ignoring the stern stare she was currently getting from the brunette standing beside her at this moment. This causing Mei to just give out a slight chuckle as it seemed she was glad to see that the young couple were still the same as they always were, making her guess that she really had missed their friends while her and Yuzu had been away from them.

"Yeah...she's only working until the early afternoon, and should be back a while before the party...it's only a shame she couldn't help put this together with us as well, she really wanted to be here after all," walking off into the lounge Mei let another heavy sigh leave her lips, having spoken in a low tone, causing the other two to glance to each other with concerned gazes, seeing that something must be troubling the dark haired girl, and it being pretty clear that she wanted her blonde wife to be here as well at this moment, but knew that Yuzu had to work in order to still provide for her family as much as she could just like she had wanted to keep doing.

Harumi soon just shrugging her shoulders as she walked into the lounge, having her girlfriend following close behind her, as the brunette soon caught Mei's attention again, causing her to take her mind off of her own thoughts for now luckily.

"Hey I know it probably won't be the same without Yuzu here...but I'm sure the three of us can band together on this. So let's throw Maiya-chan the best first birthday party ever," giving Mei an encouraging smile as she rested a comforting hand on her shoulder, causing the dark haired girl to lift her head and glance to the other two, seeing them both smiling to her caringly and knowing that they were trying to cheer her up by being here for her when Yuzu couldn't.

Taking a deep breath and softening her expression again, before soon nodding her head and giving the other two a small smile in return, "You know Maiya most likely won't remember today all that well when she's older right?" she pointed out causing Harumi to just shrug her shoulders with a slight chuckle, while Matsuri spoke up with a more confident tone in her voice.

"Well even if she doesn't remember it, let's make today a first birthday that we all won't be forgetting about anytime soon," she stated with a reassuring smile to Mei and causing her to just nod her head, before the two led the young Mother into the kitchen and began with all the preparations for today.

"Oh by the way, since we haven't seen you or Yuzu since you left over a week ago, how did your Honeymoon go with Yuzu? Did you two actually get the chance to have some 'fun' together...or did Maiya-chan keep you two busy the whole time?" the younger girl asked, with a slight smirk beginning to creep on to her lips, causing Mei to just roll her eyes in response, having a feeling she knew just what Matsuri meant by saying 'fun'. While Harumi gave her mischievous girlfriend a warning glare, Matsuri just ignoring her in response.

"It was...actually really relaxing, Yuzu didn't drag me around as much as I thought she would, and we all had a pretty enjoyable time while we were all away together," Mei simply explaining, as she caused the younger girl to just rest her hands on her hips and raise her eyebrow to the dark haired girl, while Mei just looked like she was going to question why Matsuri was making that smirking expression at her, before Matsuri just spoke up again instead.

"I'm sure you and Yuzu 'enjoyed' yourselves especially," she winked to the dark haired girl, as she just shook her head and turned away from the younger girl, Matsuri looking like she was going to keep up her teasing act, but Harumi putting a stop to that soon enough.

"Alright that's enough, come on you can help me with the food while Mei works on the decorations," the brunette said as she rested her hands on Matsuri's shoulders and pushed her to the kitchen counter, giving a smile to Mei and causing her to just mentally thank her, hearing the younger girl whine and groan in response to her girlfriend for 'ruining her fun' as she often did.

Before Mei just soon turned and left the other two to start on the party food together, while she went off to go and decorate the lounge with colourful balloons, banners and streamers that they had brought earlier in preparation for little Maiya's first birthday that would be taking place later on in the afternoon today.

...

It luckily looking like the three young girls were able to band together and soon had almost everything ready by the time that Yuzu and her Mother had returned home from their workplaces, before the party would start in about half-an-hour or so from now. Mei seeming glad to have her blonde wife back at home with her, as she was the first to greet them both when they walked through the front door, while Matsuri and Harumi were keeping little Maiya entertained in the lounge, the cheerful infant not long having woken up from her nap.

"How was she while I was gone for most of the day?"

The blonde asked as she stood with Mei in the kitchen, while their Mother left to go and see her young Granddaughter, Yuzu looked a little nervous, hoping that all had gone well for Mei with caring for their young daughter by herself again after she had to go back to work today.

"If you're talking about Maiya, she was a little fussy, but was fine once I put her down for a nap. However Matsuri...well she was more of a handful I would say," leaning over the counter Mei softened her expression when hearing Yuzu chuckling in response slightly, knowing what Matsuri can be like when spending time with Mei, especially without having Yuzu there to help Harumi in distracting her from constantly trying to tease the dark haired girl.

"Sorry, she wasn't too much trouble...was she?" Yuzu apologizing, having a nervous look on her face, as Mei just soon shook her head and let a small smile form on her lips instead, shrugging her shoulders as she started to walk into the lounge and the blonde followed after her.

"Actually having both Matsuri and Taniguchi-san here was...nice, they helped out with all the birthday preparations more than I thought they would at least,"

"So you're saying it was a good idea for me to convince you to call them for help after all?"

Smirking with a slightly raised eyebrow to her wife, Yuzu clearly being glad that their two friends had actually helped out like they had said they were going to, but just causing Mei to roll her eyes a little in response, before they both entered the lounge and were greeted by the other three with cheerful smiles.

"Hey look whose back,"

Harumi looking to her best friend as she stopped playing with little Maiya. Her, Matsuri and the joyful infant sitting on the floor at the moment, while Yuzu's Mother sat on the sofa behind the three. Yuzu just smiling and greeting the brunette back as she nodded, and came to sit down beside her, having her young daughter jump up from the floor and happily reach both of her arms up to her blonde Mother, obviously wanting to be picked up by her.

"Mommy up!" the excitable infant called up to her blonde Mother, smiling to Yuzu as she just beamed back to her daughter and picked her up, tickling her and causing her to giggle in response, clearly being more than glad to have both of her Mothers back at home with her now.

"Wow you guys really did an amazing job with all this...I'll admit I was a little afraid that you three might not be able to work together all that well, but I can see that you've definitely proved me wrong this time," the blonde thought out loud as she looked around at the lounge, seeing all the decorations covering the room and making it look all bright and colourful, most certainly fitting for Maiya's first birthday. Matsuri just nodding proudly in reply, looking like she was about to agree with Yuzu and brag; however Harumi seeing this easily and cutting her off before she was able to get a single word out at all.

"Well Mei did most of this really, I was in the kitchen just making the food and keeping Matsuri from getting herself into trouble," the brunette stated with a slight smirk to her girlfriend, causing the younger girl to frown and glare back to her in response, while Yuzu just smiled back to the other two, showing that she guessed as much but was happy their two friends had been here to help Mei out even if it was just a little.

"Hey I helped with the food too," Matsuri folded her arms across her chest, pretending to look offended by her girlfriend, causing the brunette to just roll her eyes and smile back to the younger girl, leaning forward and resting a hand over Matsuri's now.

"Yes you were 'very' helpful with how much you kept eating the food we were making for the party, even when I told you not to," Harumi teased as she caused her girlfriend to pout back to her, mumbling how 'she couldn't help it', before cuddling up to the elder girl and put on her classic 'innocent act' so that Harumi wouldn't stay mad at her, while all of others just smiled to the young couple.

"How was your first day back in work Yuzu?" Ms Okogi asked as she caught her blonde daughter's attention and caused her to turn to her Mother, looking like she was thinking to herself for a moment before just shrugging her shoulders slightly.

"It was good, not too busy luckily enough, but...I did miss not being here helping to set up for Maiya's first birthday along with Mei like I wanted to, so I'm grateful that you two were here to take my place for the time being...really," she explained, lowering her tone, glancing back to her two close friends, while they both just nodded back to her simply.

"It was no problem really," Harumi and Matsuri both nodding back to the blonde in unison, before Mei came to sit down beside her wife on the lounge floor, sighing slightly as she lowered her voice, causing Yuzu to look back to her instead and just grin to her happily.

"You know...I missed not being able to have you here with me as well, Yuzu," the dark haired girl having more of a hesitating tone in her voice, causing the blonde to widen her eyes a little, before smiling brightly and resting her head on her beloved wife's shoulder, nuzzling into her neck lovingly.

"Well I'm here now right, so..." pausing Yuzu looked to Mei as she just nodded her head, before making a gesture to the kitchen and agreeing to let the blonde help her with the finishing touches on the party.

"Come on then,"

Mei simply replied to Yuzu's delight, before they embraced each other and then left their daughter with her Grandmother and the other two in the lounge, while they went to go and make their way into the kitchen together, getting everything ready for the party that would be held a little over half-and-hour from this moment as the others guests would no doubt be arriving soon enough.

...

Within only about twenty minutes more everyone else had arrived and the party was near enough in full swing it seemed, as little Maiya's family and friends were all soon gathered around her, while her two Mothers sat beside her on the lounge floor, helping to open her gifts as all the others were sitting on the two sofas and patiently waiting to see little Maiya's face once she opened the presents they had given to her.

Himeko's gift being opened first as she smiled when Yuzu and Mei helped their daughter to unwrap the present, pulling out what seemed like quite the classy looking little black and purple sundress, a checkerboard pattern going all the way around the chest and skirt, along with a green ribbon going around the torso. The dress causing the two young Mothers to both be pleasantly surprised in response.

"What a pretty dress, do you like it Maiya-chan?"

Yuzu asked as she looked to her daughter with a smile, causing the infant to happily just throw her arms up in excitement, it being pretty obvious that she likely wouldn't mind what kind of gift she got, she was only one year old today after all so having all these people fussing over her was making her joyful enough it seemed.

"Petty dess!"

Maiya just repeating what her blonde Mother had said, as she looked to the dress held up in her hands, while Himeko just sighed with a bit of relief, seeming to be a bit nervous but glad to see Maiya did indeed enjoy her gift nonetheless.

"I had it especially made for her; after all it is her special day, and I'm glad to see she seems to like it," Himeko stated as it seemed like Mei was still a bit taken aback by this gift, wondering if they should accept a dress that definitely looked like it was quite...'expensive'.

However refraining from doing so when she saw her close friend just wave her off and clearly warning her that she would refuse to take it back at all with that simple gesture, Mei thanking her instead with a softened smile, causing Himeko to just nod back to her in reply, before they soon moved on to their daughter's next birthday gift.

"Maiya really has been learning a lot more words recently; I'm impressed how fast of a learner she is," Harumi spoke up changing the subject, causing the others to all nod in agreement, while Mei and Yuzu just smiled back to the brunette, it definitely seeming like they knew where she was coming from.

"Yeah surprisingly she started speaking much more once we took her along with us on the Honeymoon, and you all know there's a reason why I always call her, 'our clever little girl'," Yuzu obviously agreeing as she turned her attention back on to her young daughter, ruffling her short black hair, causing little Maiya to cheerfully giggle back to her, wiggling away from her blonde Mother as she was making a move to tickle her again and make her laugh louder.

"So maybe it was a good idea for her to have gone along with you two after all," Matsuri smirking as she folded her arms and caused all the others to chuckle and nod along in agreement, while Yuzu smiled, seeming to also agree and Mei just shrugged her shoulders in response.

"Well I know if we did end up leaving Maiya and going away without her, we most likely would have just been worrying about her instead of enjoying ourselves. So maybe that decision was beneficial for both of us and Maiya," she explained as she glanced to Yuzu and caused her to just nod back to her happily, beaming brightly while everyone else just agreed as well, definitely seeing that the married couple were clearly their happiest when they were together with their adorable daughter, and it actually indeed seeming to be a really good decision for the two Mothers to having taken Maiya along with them on their Honeymoon rather than having left her at home away from them both for that long.

The act of opening all the other presents continued, as little Maiya ended up getting a soft, yellow blanket from Nene, a small toy drum from Suzuran that she clearly loved banging her hands on. A brown rocking horse from Yuzu's Mother that Maiya definitely enjoyed riding on, some colourful pyjamas from Shō. A pair of cute, black shoes from Mei's Grandfather, which Mei and Yuzu were most surprised about, only thinking it was a shame he hadn't come to the party and had Mei's Dad give his gift to Maiya in his place.

Matsuri and Harumi having gotten a huge yellow teddy bear that was easily the same size as Kumagorō (Mei's big teddy bear from her Dad), Mei and Yuzu definitely being taken aback by the size of the bear, but knowing they maybe should have expected something like this from the other couple. Their only reply to them being; 'Well now the bear we got Maiya for Christmas can have a buddy', as the two Mothers decided to not fuss over it from there as they just suggested putting it with Maiya's other teddy bear that would always be in the infant's cot, since it was still one of Maiya's favourite toys obviously.

Finally it coming to the last present being left to be opened, this one being from both Mei and Yuzu as they were clearly excited to give this gift to their precious daughter, helping her to unwrap it and lifting out a small, woollen yellow hat. Maiya seeming to love this hat right away just like she had with all her other gifts, smiling brightly when Mei put it on her head and nodded when seeing that it luckily just about fit her, before Yuzu soon showed the others just what was on this very special hat.

Once it being pointed out everyone else seeing that Maiya's name was stitched on the front in green thread, and on the back read the words 'Our little treasure' stitched in purple thread, this causing all of them to start fussing over the hat and clearly loving it as much as Maiya did.

"How did you get it personalized like that?" Harumi asked as they all seemed to be pleasantly surprised still by the gift, causing Mei to just gesture to her blonde wife slightly, while Yuzu just shrugged in reply, before answering after a short pause as she saw that they all wanted some sort of explanation from the two young Mothers.

"I saw a website about these little hats that can be personalized while Mei and I were thinking about what to get Maiya for her first birthday, and after seeing how cute they were we both agreed we just had to get Maiya-chan one of her own," the blonde explained with a bit of a nervous smile, causing most of the others to just shake their heads and smile, thinking how they should have guessed that the two young Mothers would most certainly spoil their adorable daughter if and when they got the chance to.

"It is a little big on her, but she should grow into it soon enough, and plus...I think it suits her really well," Yuzu added as Mei just nodded along, clearly in agreement as she picked Maiya up to be sitting on her lap now, causing the little infant to just happily nuzzle into her birth Mother, while all the others just chuckled slightly soon after hearing Yuzu's explanation.

"Well it certainly does look cute on her, and we can all see that she loves it as much as she liked all of her other gifts," the blonde's Mother stated as she just smiled to her daughter and daughter-in-law, causing them to just smile back to her, while all the others soon enough did the same, it not being long until they were fussing over Maiya and how adorable she looked surrounded by all her birthday gifts that she clearly enjoyed getting, although that not being a surprise at all since that's just what her little personality was all about.

The party carrying on from there as soon enough everyone had moved into the kitchen and dining area, where they all gathered around the table, singing 'Happy birthday' to Maiya as her two Mothers blew out her number one shaped candle for her. Before they all sat down at the table and ate all the party food together, all having a slice of Maiya's yellow, sponge birthday cake, as they all talked late into the evening as it was easy to see that this party was definitely a success and it really couldn't have turned out any better than how it did today.

...

Everyone spending the rest of the afternoon talking together, as little Maiya was happily enjoying all of her birthday gifts it seemed, while the party continued on until the early evening, maybe going on for longer than Mei and Yuzu had originally planned, but the two not minding all that much and almost looking disappointed to see all the others having to leave and return back to their own homes for the night.

Mei and Yuzu soon enough having a late dinner along with their Mother and daughter, before they just decided to head to bed not long after they had both put Maiya into her cot as she slept soundly, all of them having quite the enjoyable, yet tiring day and so the young married couple now laying in their double bed together contently.

Already being dressed in their pyjamas as they lay talking with each other, while settling down together and holding one another close, "You know it's still crazy to think that Maiya's already a year old...it only feels like a few weeks ago that she was being born and was just barely the size of my arm," Yuzu stated as she seemed to be thinking out loud at the moment, looking over to their sleeping daughter with a gentle smile, while Mei nodded, glancing to Maiya with a softened smile as well.

The blonde having her arms wrapped around the younger girl as she rested her chin on top of Mei's head, while she just nuzzled into her and sighed under her breath, "Kind of makes you want her to stop growing for a bit...doesn't it?" she asked looking thoughtful, causing Yuzu to widen her eyes and seem concerned for a moment, before just softening her expression, nodding her head in reply and cuddling Mei closer to her.

"Yeah. You really did well with putting everything together for her birthday today," she smiled brightly, causing Mei to just shrug her shoulders slightly in response, letting her hand rest over Yuzu's, while the blonde just tightly held the younger girl's hand in her's and interlocked their fingers.

"Matsuri and Taniguchi-san were the ones that helped me with it all, I don't think I could have done it all on my own while you were at work," Mei replied as she let a small smile form on her lips, gazing back to her beloved, blonde wife while she lightly pecked the younger girl on top of her head, hearing a sigh come from Yuzu a few moments later.

"Sorry I couldn't be here to help you with it all though," she spoke in a lowered voice as she frowned slightly, definitely seeming disappointed just as the younger girl had been earlier, however Mei soon just shaking her head and caught the blonde's attention, causing her to glance back to her now.

"It's okay, you can be here for the next one," the younger girl simply said with a shrug of her shoulders, causing Yuzu to seem taken aback at first, before she soon just smiled and nodded back to Mei, The blonde pulling her into a warm embrace and stroking her long, black hair gently.

"And every one after that!" she replied in a more confident tone as she nuzzled into Mei, resting her forehead against the younger girl's and causing her to just nod in reply with a softened smile, before bringing the blonde into a loving kiss.

The two melting into this blissful moment, embracing each other for a little while longer, before they soon rested their heads on their pillows, and were drifting off to sleep together in only a few minutes. Still having their arms wrapped around one another as they slept just as peacefully as their young daughter did that night, knowing that there would be many more exciting and eventful birthdays to come for them and their precious little treasure.

...

A bit of a shorter chapter this week, but the next one should be longer, plus it will be the last one so look forward to it! (also I will say that there will be a timeskip between this chapter and the next since it will be more like an epilogue just so you all know)

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter and thank you for reading as always. ^_^

Killerchainsaw ;)