Baby Fat
Nothing is ever easy with Michiru. Dad Shirou shenanigans.
Hyperactive, stubborn, teenager: The perfect disaster cocktail. And sooner or later, it was bound to get served.
"I told you it's like wearing high-heels!" Michiru gripes, squirming as Shirou wipes blood off her face with a wet towel. She had busted her nose while shooting hoops in human form. It was something he had insisted-on to get her used to living as a Beastman, as counter-intuitive as it seemed to her. The incandescently white bathroom was littered with towels, tissues, and medical kits that she had strewn-about following the incident. He'd have to clean her mess up later…
Shirou grumbles in return, "it's not my fault you're an infant."
She simply sticks her tongue out at him in retaliation, seemingly not caring about the blood she's licking-up, and certainly not helping her case.
Applying a plaster to the bridge of her nose he states, "you should have come to me first. I would've found-out anyway."
"I'm not a baby, I can take care of myself!" Of course, she can't help but whinge at the most reasonable of requests.
Genuinely not wanting to hurt her any further, he flicks her on the cheek rather than the tip of the nose, finished with his handiwork. I doubt that. Getting-up, he reminds her, "no shifting while it heals."
"Yeah, yeah. I know." She admits, getting back on her feet.
Turning to the sink to wash his hands, he casually adds, "and you're grounded."
"Ugh, whatever dad." She sarcastically huffs, heading to leave.
Then just as she's at the door, he reciprocates, "OK, pup."
That's it, that's the final straw. Michiru is going to give this old man a piece of her mind and-
"MEOAWWWGRRR-" She instinctively screeches back, much to her own shock. Her hands shoot-up to cover her mouth in a panic. Not understanding her spontaneous display, she flushes. Her radiant red face stands-out against the room far better than her blood ever did, despite her best attempts to cover it.
Shirou raises a fist to hide a small smirk, amused by her sudden development.
"Wha- What was that…?" Michiru meekly asks to Shirou.
Clearly enjoying this, he lectures her: "A Beastman's animal instincts will manifest in both their human and beast forms, it varies from species to species/person to person, but considering you're a Tanuki, well…"
Now across the room from each other, the two just stand in silence.
"OK…" Michiru muffles under her breath, finally moving to exit the room. A tinge of sadness and acceptance in her voice.
Confined to the flat for the rest of the day, Michiru is antsy.
She is running laps around the living room, specifically around the couch Shirou is resting on, attracted to him like a magnet as usual. Or more aptly in this case, like a planet around its star.
Reading a book and trying to ignore her to best of his ability, he simply states: "You'll break your nose again if you keep that up, take a break."
"No way! I'll gain weight if I don't do something, can't have that." Michiru replies as a matter-of-fact, continuing to run orbits around Shirou.
Why did he even try, Michiru's trademark persistence is not easily broken. Fed-up, Shirou puts his book down and muses. Then, hatching a smug smile, "hm, real shame. You'd look cute with some baby fat."
Squeaking, she comes to a dead-stop. With no fur to hide it, a deep blush makes a way across her face. The Tanuki was not expecting that.
"Ah-" She weakly starts before cutting it-off, deciding to briskly retire for her room instead.
Satisfied, Shirou returns to his book. Finally, some peace and quiet.
But for some reason, he wasn't any-more restful.
The sky and stars, having long-since taken-role of the sun, dimly illuminate the room through large observatory windows, providing an excellent view of the city lights high-up on the penthouse-like apartment. Shirou had moved Michiru in with him here shortly after taking guardianship, wanting to give her more space and privacy than what the Co-op provides. It's expensive, but he's been saving for hundreds of years, so it doesn't exactly break the bank.
Plus, she deserves it. Not like he would ever admit such a concept, or even get her to accept it. Shirou still remains laying on the couch, moonlight shining onto him, frozen like a gargoyle.
He wasn't surprised by her presence; neither of them gets any good sleep this time of night. Finally moving after what feels like another millennia, he shambles upright to give her some space to sit.
She wore a bright red hoodie bearing the same striped-markings as her iconic jacket, a black skirt, and leggings. Her asymmetric bob-cut reached-down to shoulder-length now, with a loose tuft of hair lightly bouncing as she plops herself-down. Brown irises lock at the Anima City skyline, highlighted by starlight.
She looks cute. Shirou erroneously thinks, before quickly discarding and incinerating the thought.
Neither exchange any words, this had become a semi-regular occurrence, staying-up in the dead of night to look-out at the shining lights together. It was… Cosy.
Despite this, he reaches-out anyway. "Can't sleep?"
"Hm." Michiru expectantly hums in affirmation, eyes static.
Hands at his lap, he narrows his eyes, primarily at himself. "Sorry."
"Hm?" She hums again, but now in curiosity, breaking her gaze over to Shirou.
He doesn't turn to face her. "I never care about what you think, as usual."
Michiru projects an unfazed demeanour.
Dropping his head down to the side, he gives Michiru a quick sideways glance, and carefully enunciates his next words. "You're a free Beastman, do what you want. Just… Be careful."
It might've been a trick of the light, but Michiru could swear that the ruffs on the front of his hair drooped like the ears of a dog. Oddly, that image fills her with warmth. Tucking her legs-in, she scoots-over towards Shirou, directly facing him with a sudden pensive expression.
But it disappears just as quickly as it appears when she launches her hands under her face's cheeks and squishes them forward, squeezing her eyes closed in forced concentration.
"Mmmmmmmmmmmm-" Michiru struggles-out with great determination.
Shirou blinks several times at the exhibit in front of him, utterly dumbfounded for once; it's not easy to stump this old wolf.
What are you doing? "Wha- What… Are you doing?"
"Tryin'- to look- chubby…" She manages to rhythmically babble.
Sure-enough, Michiru mushes through her cheeks, desperately searching for any fat hiding underneath her sleek complexion to make prominent. She's coming-out empty-handed, obviously.
Shirou can't help but offer a chuckle to the effort.
He follows it with another.
Then another…
And soon-enough, he's in full-blown laughter.
Michiru pauses her performance, hands falling onto her lap, stunned at the rapturous volume she's receiving.
Shortly, Shirou grasps at his abrupt hysteria, and awkwardly cuts himself off mid-guffaw. Fragments of joy litters his expression as he gawks-back with rosiness at Michiru. Now the shoe was on the other foot.
Moments pass as Michiru just watches him endearingly. About all Shirou could manage in response was a hesitant, "go to bed, Michiru…"
Defying his feeble orders, she just continues beaming at him. Then before he could do anything, she lunges like a praying mantis, wrapping her arms around him into a hug.
Shirou, evidently growing soft, caves-into the embrace. An arm wraps around her back, squeezing her into a cuddle, and a hand props itself on the back of her head, tucking her under his chin. Caressing her hair, a loose tuft seemingly wags excitedly, brushing against his nose.
"Goodnight, dad."
"Goodnight, pup."
Nuzzling against stubble, Michiru pecks Shirou on the underside of the chin. Shirou stops ruffling her hair and drops his hand below her neck, encouraging Michiru to look-up at him. Craning her neck-back to face him, Michiru's eyes meet Shirou's again. They exchange the most genuine of smiles.
Having gotten her fill, Michiru opts to return to her bed, to get some good night's sleep.
But this was Michiru. So instead of getting-up off the couch like a normal person, she chooses to vault over the back instead. Of course, she trips, her aghast face meeting the floor at alarming speed. An audible crack and crash breaking-and-entering the gentle atmosphere of the night.
"AGHHHHHH! SHIROUUUU!" Michiru howls.
Shirou sighs. She's so, fucking, stupid…
Nothing is ever easy with Michiru.