A/N: This oneshot is my submission for Kyoko's birthday and is the result of an ask sent by PrincessGumballWatterson777, taking place before "Trick-Or-Treating With Hiro and Kawako!" Please read, review, and enjoye!
The Ultimate Detective and The Ultimate Hope Gaiden: What to Get for Kyoko's Birthday?!
Makoto hummed contently as he continued to cook in the kitchen. The man couldn't help a nervous smile as he flipped the last pancake onto the plate and turned off the stove.
"Alright, now just one final touch…" Makoto murmured as he walked over to the fridge and pulled out the bottle of syrup.
Once he closed the door and walked over to the counter, Makoto set down the plate and uncapped the syrup before angling the nozzle downward and squeezing. Makoto bit his lip nervously as he moved and angled the bottle meticulously until at last, he closed the bottle, placed it on the counter, and admired his handiwork. On top of the pancakes read a syrupy message reading "Happy Birthday Kyoko!"
"Alright, now I just have to get the silverware…" After opening the drawer and taking out the silverware, Makoto announced to himself "Alright, now to start the day!" before he took the plate and walked into the dining hall.
"Kyoko, breakfast!"
Kiki and a heavily pregnant Kyoko glanced in Makoto's direction as he beamed at his two favorite girls while he walked over to the table and set down the plate of pancakes.
"Happy birthday, Kyoko!"
Kyoko beamed at her husband and kissed his cheek before she cooed "Thank you, Makoto. I can always count on you to be so thoughtful about my birthday…both of you." She amended as she glanced at her daughter.
"Well, don't just stare at it, honey!" Makoto teased as he sat between them. "Make a wish and dig in."
Kyoko briefly closed her eyes before she opened them and chanted "Itadakimasu."
"Gochisosama." Kyoko muttered as she rubbed her belly. "Thank you, sweetie for the wonderful breakfast."
Makoto beamed before Kiki asked "Hey, can I go visit Tsumugi's house before the party tonight?"
"I don't see why not." Kyoko agreed before glancing at her husband.
"Sure, I'll walk with you there once we get your mother on the couch. Kiki, can you call Maki on the landline and ask if she and Kaito can help to…"
"To keep Kyoko company on her birthday?! Of course!"
The three of them turned to see Kaito and Maki walking into the dining room, presents in hand.
Kaito beamed while Maki looked to the birthday girl apologetically and explained "The idiot wanted to surprise you, so he decided that we'd just drop by unannounced."
"It's fine, thank you both for visiting on my birthday." Kyoko replied with a small smile.
"Perfect timing!" Makoto exclaimed as he took the gifts from the two babysitters. "I'll take those up to the surprise closet. Can you two help Kyoko out of her chair and walk her to the sofa in the living room? She's due in a few weeks, so physical activity has become a lot more difficult for her lately."
Maki nodded before she and Kaito moved to Kyoko and held a hand on her back. As Kyoko slowly pushed into a standing position, Maki and Kaito pressed against her back, helping her build the momentum before they each wrapped an arm around her back to support her.
"Leave it to us!" Kaito cheered. "We'll make sure Kyoko is taken care of on her birthday!"
"Thanks, Kaito." Makoto replied before he told his daughter "Alright Kiki, why don't you head outside and I'll meet you there once I put the presents away."
Kiki nodded and walked to her mother, kissing her cheek before she hugged her mother around her portly belly.
"See you later, Mommy! Have fun today!"
"You too, Kiki. Have fun with Tsumugi." Kyoko giggled as Kiki turned around and walked out of the room.
With a bundle of presents still in hand, Makoto awkwardly walked over to his wife and pecked her lips, cooing "Have fun with Maki and Kaito, okay? I love you, Kyoko. We'll celebrate properly tonight, okay?"
"Don't worry, I'll be fine." Kyoko assured him. "You have fun taking Kiki to Tsumugi's, and I love you too."
With a smile, Makoto powerwalked away, only to yelp as he tripped over his shoe and fell causing the presents to scatter.
"Owww…" Makoto groaned as his wife sweatdropped and sighed in amusement.
"So, Kiki…" Makoto began with a nervous smile as they walked down the sidewalk. "Daddy needs your help with something…"
"…You forgot to get Mommy a birthday present, didn't you?"
"…Clever, just like your mother…" Makoto sighed before he admitted shamefully "Yeah, I just couldn't think of what to get her. So I could really use your help. Any ideas of what you think your mom would want for your birthday?"
"Hmm…" Kiki hummed before her eyes flashed and she realized "Well, Halloween's coming up, right? Why don't we get her a costume for her birthday?"
Makoto smiled and asked "That's a great idea, pumpkin, but where are we gonna find a costume on such short notice?"
Kiki smirked and told her father "I know just the place."
"Tsumugi!"
"Kiki!"
Makoto and Tsumugi's mother smiled as the two girls embraced each other.
"Thanks for coming over, I got a new anime DVD that I'm really excited to watch with you!"
Kiki smiled at Tsumugi's enthusiasm and replied "That sounds really fun…but we really need your help, Tsumugi."
Tsumugi cocked her head, confused as she asked "Okay, but what do you need help with?"
Kiki elbowed her father playfully and explained "My dad forgot to get Mom a birthday present. I said maybe we could get her a Halloween costume for her birthday this year, and since you're a cosplay expert, I figured…"
Tsumugi's eyes sparkled as she exclaimed "I see, so you want me to use my cosplay skills to make her a Halloween costume. Alright, we'll even make costumes for the two of you while you're here." She turned to her mother and asked "Right, Mom?"
Mrs. Shirogane nodded and agreed "Of course. Tsumugi's been so much happier since she befriended Kiki at school, so helping you with this little emergency is the least I can do in return." As Makoto nodded gratefully, she stipulated "We will need more materials, though, if we're going to make full costumes."
"Money is no issue!" Makoto exclaimed, assuring Mrs. Shirogane "Just tell me what to buy and I'll get it right away!"
Tsumugi nodded and asked "Very well, what costumes did you have in mind for the three of you?"
"Okay, so there's this old movie I liked watching as a kid, so I was thinking…"
Kyoko hummed contently as Kaito rubbed his thumbs into her aching soles. She subconsciously leaned backwards embracing the soothing sensations and letting them distract her from the strain of her pregnancy.
"Hmm…not bad, Kaito." Kyoko complimented. "I have a slight preference for when my husband massages me, but you might have a future as a massage therapist."
Kaito grinned and replied "I'm glad you think so! I brought up the idea to Maki Roll a while back, you know, as a way to contribute to the household income, but she was concerned about me having one of my episodes during a session, so I relented."
"Ah, shame, though I understand Maki's motivations." Kyoko admitted as she pondered how she would act if Makoto were in Kaito's shoes.
"Believe me, it's for his own good."
The two of them turned to see Maki carrying a plate of food as she walked over to the nearby coffee table.
As she set the plate down, she told the pregnant vice-headmistress "Sorry it took a while, but I'm not totally used to your kitchen. Anyways, enjoy your meal."
"Thank you, Maki." Kyoko replied before she picked up her chopsticks and picked up a bite of food. As she politely sucked the nourishment from her utensils, she hummed "Mm, you're a good cook, Maki."
"Thanks…" Maki muttered before she continued "Well, I'll go make more food for all of us."
With that, she turned around and walked back into the kitchen, leaving Kaito and Kyoko alone to resume the gentle massage.
"Thanks, Mom." Makoto sighed in relief as Hana came in with a bundle of fabric in her arms.
"It's no problem, dear." Hana assured him with an understanding smile. "Anything to make Kyoko's birthday a day to remember." She turned to Mrs. Shirogane and asked "Would you like me to help you with the sewing? I have a fair amount of experience making clothes from scratch."
Mrs. Shirogane nodded and agreed "Of course, I'll get out the spare sewing machines. Tsumugi, do you have the blueprints drawn up?"
"Right here!" She exclaimed as she held out three sheets of paper, which her mother quickly snatched up.
Hana peeked over Mrs. Shirogane's shoulder and smiled, praising "You have quite the artists hand, Shirogane-chan."
Tsumugi blushed, smiling bashfully as she stammered "Oh, th…thank you…"
As Mrs. Shirogane finished looking them over, she announced "Alright, I'll go and get the sewing machines set up in the dining room. Mrs. Naegi, would dyou be so kind as to help me move them?"
"Of course, I'd be happy to!" She then turned ot the others and explained "We'll call you when we're ready to start, alright?"
As the others nodded, Makoto suggested "Wy don't we go watch some of that anime while they get things set up?"
"Okay, I'll go get it!" Tsumugi exclaimed before she ran off.
Hana and Mrs. Shirogane smiled before they turned around and left, allowing Makoto to supervise the two girls while the two mothers got to work.
"Okay, all done!"
Makoto and Kiki stared in awe as the three women held up the costumes.
"For Makoto, an authentic Jiji the Cat costume!" Hana grinned as she held out a black cat costume complete with pointy ears.
"This Kiki the Witch costume is for you, Kiki!" Tsumugi exclaimed as she held a black dress in one hand and a red bow in the other.
Finally, Mrs. Shirogane held up a green dress and white apron as she exclaimed "And for Kyoko, an Osono costume, properly altered to fit her pregnant figure, thanks to your and your mother's measurements."
"Wow, thanks you guys!" Makoto breathed as he collected the costumes from the three women. "This is perfect! Kyoko's gonna love it! I'll get these clothes in a gift bag in my car. The other two costumes I'll put in my trunk until tomorrow."
The others smiled before Hana walked up to her son and kissed his cheek before announcing "Well, if that's everything, I should probably head back home and cook for your father. Tell Kyoko we wished her a happy birthday, okay?"
"Don't worry, we will." After Makoto watched his mother walk out of the house, he turned to his daughter and asked "Alright Kiki, ready to head home so we can prepare for the party?"
Kiki nodded before she turned to Tsumugi and apologized "Sorry Tsumugi, but it is Mom's birthday after all. Maybe we can watch more anime another time."
Tsumugi smiled and assured her friend "It's okay, you have a main quest to complete. This side quest isn't chapter exclusive, so go ahead."
Kiki smiled gratefully and embraced her friend while Makoto nodded at Mrs. Shirogane and told her "Thanks again for everything. I'll see you later, Shirogane-san."
"Of course, don't be a stranger." Mrs. Shirogane replied with a smile as Kiki removed herself from her embrace. "See you soon."
"Bye Kiki! Bye, Naegi-san!"
"Bye!" They called back before they turned around and left the house, eager to return home and celebrate Kyoko's birthday.
"Hi honey, we're home!" Makoto called as he quickly snuck the gift bag into the nearby closet.
After a minute, Makoto saw his wife waddle into the room, aided by Maki and Kaito. Makoto swiftly moved to embrace and support his wife, bringing smiles to both their faces.
"Welcome home, you two. I trust you both had fun at the Shiroganes' house?"
Kiki nodded and exclaimed "You bet, Mommy! But we can talk about that later; we've gotta celebrate your birthday!"
"Yes, of course." Kyoko giggled before she turned to Maki and Kaito. "Will you two be staying?"
"You bet!" Kaito cheered, causing Maki to roll her eyes.
"I suppose if we're not intruding…" Maki sighed, barely hiding a small smile at being invited.
Makoto smiled and assured her "Don't worry, we'd love to have you here. Can you two help Kyoko to the table? And Kiki, can you stand at the front door and greet the others when they come?"
"Of course!"
"Very well."
"You got it, Daddy!"
Kyoko sat at the dining table, smiling and resting her hands on her belly as she was surrounded by her friends, sandwiched between her husband and sister-in-law. Hiro and Toko sat across from her as Toko held the smiling Kawako. Meanwhile Byakuya and sat across and to her left, both of them smiling at the birthday girl. Meanwhile, Kiki sat on Makoto's other side, grinning at her mother.
As Kyoko quickly glanced at Maki and Kaito who sat on Komaru's other side, she told them "Thank you all, it's so nice to have you all here to celebrate my birthday." She glanced at the stack of presents sitting against the wall as she commented "And I see you all brought gifts…" She glanced down at her belly and smiled, feeling the baby gently kick before she muttered "Let's just hope this precious gift decides to stay wrapped tonight."
Everyone chuckled and giggled at her half-jest before Makoto clapped his hands and announced "Alright, let's get this celebration started! I'll go and get the…cake…" Makoto's eyes widened in horror as everyone realized the truth.
"…You forgot the cake, didn't you, Makoto?"
"Daddy, we can't have a birthday without cake!" Kiki complained, making Makoto's face turn even paler.
Oh crud! Crud crud crud! I knew I should have asked Mom to come and bring…
"Did someone say cake?"
Everyone turned to see Hana and Shingi walking in the entryway, a sizable cake with pre-lit candles already sticking out of the top.
"Hey son, forget something?"
Hana smiled and explained "When you called me to help with Kyoko's birthday present, I had a feeling you might forget about the cake too, so I made sure to run and grab some ingredients to bake a cake too."
Mom, you're a lifesaver! Makoto exclaimed in his mind.
"Thank you, it smells delicious!" Kyoko complimented as she smiled at her in-laws. "Well, since you're here, come and join us."
"Of course, we wouldn't have missed your birthday, dear, not for the world!" Hana replied as Shingi approached the table and placed the cake on top.
"Alright, since that crisis has been averted, let's sing for Kyoko!"
As most of the guests burst into a chorus, Kyoko smiled bashfully and thought Thank you, everyone. Just having you all here is all the present I need… She glanced over to the present stack before she thought Though I'm sure I'll love what you all picked out for me!
"Alright Kyoko, make a wish and blow out the candles!" Makoto urged before Kyoko closed her eyes and let out a single breath.
As the candles were extinguished, a single thought ran through her mind.
I wish that we have a healthy baby.