Blueprint
(Chiba x Hayami)
Disclaimer: I don't, and never will I, own Ansatsu Kyoushitsu/Assassination Classroom.
A/N: Surprise! It's been too long and I unintentionally wrote a long drabble. I hope you like this one. Just to warn though, I was so excited to post this because it's the first time in a long while I've actually been able to finish a story even though this is more a drabble, so there'll probably be lots of typo errors. I'll try to correct them next time.
People, from Class 3E and beyond, can say a lot about how the only Chiba son and the only child Hayami likely communicated everything silently with just a look. That they likely decided to start dating with just a nod, and got engaged with just a note on their firm's schedule book. That a lot of things in the partners lives just came to be naturally, no spoken words needed, true to their mature and reserved personalities. After all, both of them were the actions speak louder than words type.
All of those are true, however there are some things that needed voicing out loud. There are some things, that even if they know each other's thoughts very well, still needs to be said to be solidified, including what they are. It goes a little like this:
Hayami knows where she stands in Chiba's life. They are partners in all aspects, even if her job practically entails being his P.A., still they are equal partners in their architecture firm. Even if it is Chiba's name the apartment lease is under, she is free to come and go and use any room and make any changes. But still, she doesn't move in. She practically lives there, and yet 3 days out of 7, she still goes to her listed permanent address, her family's residence.
The quarantine and work from home setup changed things a little. She decided to stay with him full time just so it is easier to conduct their business operations, after all, she can't let Chiba attend Zoom meetings on his own, or really, just let his bang-covered face be framed singularly on a video screen, lest they scare or worse, creep out, all their clients. (Even she can't deny it really looks like an eroge game, sigh.) But still, in the back of Hayami's mind, officially moving in isn't something Chiba doesn't have to ask her, it is something she has to hear from him directly, unlike all the other things she can just smile and nod at him for. Unlike what everyone thinks of them, even she has insecurities, not least of all in this relationship.
When Chiba does give her the spoken assurance that they are on the same page after all, it is natural and yet still gives her the surprise of her life not even his surprisingly romantic proposal a few years after can top.
One thing good that came from the forced quarantine for Chiba is that he suddenly has time. Sure, income would be a little slower now that all construction projects will be delayed and the next project would likely come months after unlike before when he's barely started with drafting the plans for one client yet they already have a new one lined up. But now he doesn't have to work all night for a drawing and instead can stop working when the clock hits 5 or 6, and he finds himself having time for himself at night.
He and Hayami eat dinner at the normal time and actually together, and he goes to sleep before midnight. Most of all, he has time to make some progress on his dream house.
"You know I've actually thought about it, how you should have a dream house that you will draw yourself just like any architect, but our schedule had always been tight and I never got to ask you," Hayami commented when she saw first saw him take it out. It was still mostly structural that he'd started way back college. There'd been a few changes over the years as they aged, such as the needed rooms and size of the kitchen.
Chiba started working on it most nights. And then he started asking her questions.
"Should the stove be nearer to the fridge?"
"No, it's better if there's counter space beside it to set groceries so that putting them away is easier."
"Bricks or wood accents for exterior?"
"Wood."
She didn't think much of it, didn't even fully register in her mind that it is Chiba's dream house, one he would live in the future. Until the gym came up.
They were just done with dinner, she was washing the plates, her back to him. He was seated at the breakfast nook facing her, studying the rough floor plan for the second level in his tablet.
"Are you okay with the attic being the gym? Originally it was going to be beside the master's bedroom because I thought having our work desks in the room will be fine, but with this pandemic I figured it is better to have a separate office in case we'd have to work from home again," there was no inflection on his tone, he didn't even look up at her, still studying the floor plan intently, trying to think of a way to fit the gym on the second level.
He had planned to make the attic a storage and cozy lounge area that can be transformed into another bedroom should there be a need.
Hayami, meanwhile, had frozen in her spot, a still wet plate in her hands. She easily recovered and set down the plate on the sink. She turned to him slowly, drying her hands with the hem of her apron.
He finally looked up to her when he realized she took a bit too long to answer, tilting his head a little in question.
She still didn't answer him, retaking her seat across from him instead and looking at the plan he was studying. That's when she noted that the bed dimensions were for a king, the closet space divided into two with a bigger portion labeled 'Rinka's', and there were 2 office desks aside from his drawing table.
And that's when she knew, when Chiba thinks of the future, it is with her, it is their future, their dream house.
"Why do we need that big a gym anyway? I'm fine laying out the yoga mat in the living room in the mornings," she finally answered.
"A space for you to dance, I know that's your most preferred workout," he then swiped the page to go to the attic layout. "But we can't put mirrored walls in the attic if we want it to be convertible into a room."
Hayami's eyebrows scrunched. She swiped back to the second floor plan and counted. "There's already 3 guest bedrooms here."
Chiba blushed. "I know we can plan them but well, it didn't work for my family," he averted his eyes, focusing on chipping at the edge of the table. "Dad said despite, uh, several preventions, both Hiyori and Kiyomi weren't planned. It seems to run in the family, my dad has several siblings too."
Now it was Hayami's turn to blush. She averted her eyes also and instead focused on the tablet once more. She then noticed another detail. "You included cat beds in the room."
"I'm sure the only thing stopping you from adopting cats right now is the pet ban in the building," he shrugged as if he was already resigned to the fact.
"But two beds?" her eyes narrowed at him.
"We're getting only two," he tried to be firm but then she pouted, her cat like eyes still narrowed. He sighed and conceded. "If we're getting more than two we'll place them in the other rooms."
She smiled, satisfaction present in the glint of her eye. Chiba had a sinking feeling that they will need serious pet planning more than actual family planning in the future.
A/N: So when I said this was unintentionally long, it's because this is actually a spin-off of a full fic I was working on. If you've noticed, I like clueless and confused Chiba and that's how that one is going until I thought how would it be if Hayami's the "are we dating?" one while Chiba's the "I've made peace with the fact that we'll probably own a hundred cats by the time we have grandkids" one this time around. I initially just thought of the scene where he just asks her where to put her gym but when I was writing it, I started with a long intro and I felt a bit lazy to try and rewrite it. I'm also still trying to get a handle on their personalities and I haven't had much practice writing Hayami's POV especially on canonverse (albeit an extension). Anyway, I was saying I was working on a full fic but I can't promise when I can publish it. I'm still working from home though and I'm goaling to finish it before I'm back to the office full time. That's all, stay safe wherever you are!