Disclaimer: This chapter contains a section that has a lot of Japanese terms. I'll try to add little explanations as I go, but in case you're still confused, I'll provide links at the bottom to my research sources. For those of you reading this on Fanfic, please go to the conversations tab on my Wattpad page for the links. Enjoy!

P.S.: This chapter was co-written by me and Sylvi! :D

December 27th

Today's another day to find you

Shying away

I'll be coming for your love

Okay?

A-ha

Mirio had been a lifesaver during the nightmare after Christmas. But even so, after the whole ordeal, Amajiki's nerves were shot. When he requested the week off, Aizawa didn't protest. He planned to spend it alone in his apartment. He wouldn't even talk to Nejire. He binged film after film on his couch, wrapped snug and cozy in three different weighted blankets. He ordered in food. Sushi. Calamari. Pizza. Whatever he felt like. He took a warm bath to help him fall asleep. He did everything within his power to forget the horrors he'd endured. But during his self-care detox, there was someone he couldn't stop thinking about.

And it didn't help that Nejire wouldn't shut up about him.

Amajiki laid on his side on the couch, watching his phone blow up with texts from her. He kept the chat open so she'd know he'd seen the messages, but he never typed back.

Nejire: Mirio's working 2day. U should go down & see him!

Nejire: Mirio asked about U. I sai meanie who doesn't text back :P

Nejire: If U Rnt gonna talk, at least order food.

Amajiki's eyes widened. That possibility never occurred to him before. Hooters is too crowded to eat inside…but I can order food from Hooters.

He backed out of his chat with Nejire and looked up the phone number. Then he thought better of it and decided to use the Doordash app instead.

At exactly that moment, another text banner showed up at the top of his screen. Don't be a weenie and use one of the delivery apps.

Amajiki ignored her advice, proceeding as planned. After ordering the Alaskan snow crab legs, fish and chips, and shrimp platter, he went to checkout. He paused at the notes box.

Any special instructions for this delivery?

After staring at the empty box, he finally typed in a message, poking one letter at a time.

Thank you for your help yesterday.

- T

Amajiki submitted the order. Part of him wanted to say it to Mirio's face, but he was still recovering from all the social interaction he'd been assaulted with three days ago. He wasn't ready. I don't have the energy for something like that. But I hope he gets the message.

~.~

Moments before the app notified him of his impending delivery, Nejire texted again.

Nejire: A handsome boy's got a nice big package for you ;D

Amajiki narrowed his eyes, trying to understand. "What is she talking about?"

Someone knocked at his front door three times.

He flushed. Part of him wanted to stay inside and avoid the interaction altogether, but his empty stomach was starting to eat itself. Bundled up in his three blankets, he shuffled to the front door and cracked it open.

"Tamaki?"

Amajiki squeaked. MIRIO?!

"Hi, there! Sorry if I startled you."

Amajiki hid behind his door, not even bothering to look at his deliveryman.

"I tried to get here fast so your food wouldn't get cold." He carefully set the back on the floor and scooched it into Amajiki's apartment with his finger.

He looked down at the stack of takeout boxes, bagged and bundled just like him.

"Nejire said you have off this week," he mentioned cheerfully. "Would you like to hang out sometime?"

Amajiki glanced at his living room. It didn't look too terrible, but it was a facade. The only reason his apartment wasn't covered head to toe in clutter was that he'd shoved every last bit of it into his bedroom. He closed it off and locked it like a tomb so he wouldn't have to deal with it. It was part of why he'd never let anyone set foot in the apartment.

"We could see a movie. Or do dinner. Maybe go ice skating?"

Amajiki's heart raced with excitement. But when he thought about getting out of his pajamas, going out into the cold, and being around people, it killed his desire to accept. "I…I usually stay inside," he muttered quietly.

"Oh, okay! A quiet night in. That sounds nice."

Amajiki tried to picture it. Hanging out in his apartment with Mirio. Showing him his movie collection. Sharing popcorn. Maybe…if we stay in the living room…it wouldn't be so bad. "Maybe…tomorrow."

He could hear the smile in Mirio's voice. "Really? Awesome! What time?"

Amajiki absently wiggled his toes around in the carpet. "Noon…I guess."

"Sounds great! I'll see you then!"

Amajiki sank down to the floor and reached for his takeout boxes. Sometime in the middle of his third crab leg, he realized he's just agreed to have a boy over his apartment. He gobbled his food down faster as his anxiety increased. WHAT ON EARTH HAVE I DONE?!

~.~

December 28

The next day, Amajiki was a nervous wreck. He spent his first hour awake shuffling back and forth in his living room, still wrapped in his blankets. What do I do What do I do What do I do What do I do What do I do What do I do?!

He wanted to text Mirio and tell him he changed his mind but he didn't have his number. If he asked Nejire to pass on the message, she wouldn't do it. She'd just call him a weenie and tell him to grow up. I'm doomed. I'm doomed! I'M DOOMED!

Before he knew it, there was knocking at the door. The same knocking from yesterday.

Amajiki whined in fear.

"Tamaki? It's me! Mirio!"

I'm not ready. He shyly shuffled to the door and sat on the ground.

"Are you there?"

Amajiki hugged his legs. "Yeah."

"Are you okay?"

He closed his eyes and tensed up. "I'm…I'm really nervous."

Mirio's voice softened. "Hey…that's okay. Want me to stay out here for a little while?"

He leaned against the door. "Would…that be okay?"

"Yeah, totally! How about…you tell me what you wanna do today?"

Amajiki moved so he was talking into the crack of the door. "Um…I was thinking we could make caramel corn."

"Mmmm that sounds good! What else?"

"And...maybe watch some movies."

"Oh, awesome! What kind of movies do you wanna watch?"

"Well…Um - "

" - Hey, wait! Let's play a game. Describe a movie and I'll try to guess what it is."

"Oh. Um…Okay." That doesn't sound so bad. "Well…one of my favorites is this one where a bunch of people get stuck in detention on a weekend. They don't like each other much at first, but by the end they become friends."

"Breakfast Club?"

Amajiki smiled. "Yeah."

"Cool! This is fun. Give me another!"

He flushed. "Okay. This is a bunch of movies, but a guy is an archeology professor and he fights Nazis. Although in one of them he fights Russians instead, but not many people like that one."

"Indiana Jones!"

"Yeah. Seems like you know your stuff."

"Give me a hard one. Really try to stump me."

Amajiki thought long and hard for a moment. Then he finally came up with one. "Okay. This one takes place in Florida. It's got scandal and affairs and political rivals. A man is on his death bed, and his dying words are the driving force of the plot."

Mirio was quiet. So quiet, Amajiki wondered if he'd left. But then he answered. "Is it…Citizen Kane?"

His jaw dropped. He guessed it. Most people haven't even heard of Citizen Kane, let alone seen it. "You…you got it."

"Sweet! You had me stuck for a minute, though. I haven't seen that film in a long time."

Amajiki slowly and carefully cracked the door open, peeing into the hallway. "Would you…wanna watch it?"

~.~

Mirio sat on the couch watching the film while Amajiki fluttered around in his kitchen making caramel corn. The popcorn maker did half the work for him. All he had to do was cook up a caramel sauce over the stove and fold in the popcorn. He did this until there was a sizeable container. Then he quietly placed it on the side table next to Mirio and sat on the floor.

The next few hours were not dissimilar to a cat warming up to someone. Amajiki stared at Mirio from a distance, waiting for him to make a wrong move. For every half hour Mirio didn't, Amajiki rewarded him by creeping ever so slightly closer.

By five o'clock, the distance between them had shrunk from twenty-five feet to ten.

But then his stomach growled.

Mirio paused the movie, which had evolved from Citizen Kane to the eighties' Dune, to Frequency. "The caramel corn was delicious! But I think we should have dinner. You like sushi?"

Amajiki nodded shyly. "Yeah. My favorite is…the taka nigiri roll. And…unagi."

He beamed. "Sure! I'll place an order for us." Mirio sat quietly on the couch, poking his phone screen in a food delivery app.

Amajiki finally felt brave enough to sit on the sofa next to him. He sunk down on the complete opposite end, but it was the closest he'd been all evening. He dug out his wallet and pulled out a twenty. "Here. This should cover the cost of my - "

" - What? Oh no, keep it," Mirio assured.

He flushed. "Are…you sure?"

"Totally! Save it for a rainy day."

Amajiki tucked it back into his wallet. He stole glances at Mirio every chance he got. This actually feels like…a real date. And…I'm having a good time.

When the sushi came, Amajiki's instinct was to bring it into the living room. He felt bewildered when Mirio took the food and walked into the kitchen to sit at the table.

I can't remember the last time I actually used that thing. Amajiki felt silly all bundled up in a blanket while he sat down for dinner, but he was too self-conscious to take it off. Mercifully, Mirio didn't comment on it.

Amajiki quickly realized their eating styles were different too. He was used to gobbling down his food while he binged a set of movies or a tv show. But Mirio ate one piece of sushi at a time, savoring each one.

He finished eating way before his date. "Sorry. I ate too fast."

Mirio laughed. "Don't apologize! You must've been hungry. I should've suggested dinner sooner."

Amajiki frowned. I'm the jerk who finished first but he's apologizing to me?

"Do you want some of mine? There's no way I'm gonna finish all this," he assured with a laugh.

He held his hands up in front of his face. "No, I can't do that."

"Sure, you can! Here." Mirio grabbed a California roll piece and held it out to him.

With a bright red face, Amajiki slowly grabbed his chopsticks again and took the piece from Mirio's He blushed redder when his chopsticks bumped into his date's. His mouth was there. When he ate the piece of sushi, he savored it, chewing slowly. This one tastes the best.

They spent the rest of the night in silence, getting through one more film before Mirio went home. Amajiki didn't say a word. Not once during the entire night had they ever touched, except for the chopstick moment. But by the time he closed the door behind his date, he'd fallen head over heels.

I want to see him again.

~.~

"You have to see him again!" Nejire gushed.

Mirio leaned wistfully on the counter of Juice It Up while he waited for her to make his smoothie. "I dunno. I don't think he likes me very much."

"WHAT?! You're crazy!"

He shrugged. "The most talking we did was when a door stood between us."

"What happened after that?!"

Mirio sighed, trying to summarize the evening. "He made caramel corn for me, we watched a few movies, and then got sushi for dinner. But nothing happened." His shoulders sank with disappointment. "He barely looked at me. Or said a word. I just…don't think he's interested, Miss Hado."

Nejire's jaw practically fell to the floor. "Wait…you're saying…he had you over?!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"HIS APARTMENT?!"

Why…is she saying it like that? "Is that…bad?"

She shrieked with excitement. "That's amazing!"

He smiled sheepishly. "Um…would you mind explaining? I'm…feeling a little lost."

Nejire squealed, jumping up and down. "Mirio, I've been his friend since middle school and he's never had me over to hang. He must really like you!"

He perked up. Wait. Really?

She rested her thumb on her bottom lip and stared at the ceiling. "Come to think of it…I don't think he's ever had anyone over. Tom Tom's got insane anxiety when it comes to being around people."

I'm starting to realize that. Mirio could understand why Amajiki had been scared on the twenty-sixth. The environment in the mall became so hostile, there were even shootings. It made sense for Amajiki to be scared. But he's not just nervous when things are dangerous. He's…always anxious. "I was worried I did something wrong."

"Trust me, he really likes you. He's just shy." A sad look showed up on her face. "It's not easy for him to trust people. But it's obvious he's starting to trust you."

Mirio thought about how cute Amajiki looked, all wrapped up in a blanket like a really adorable burrito. How sparkly his eyes got when he ate something he really liked. "Do you think…he had fun?"

She nodded with a wide smile on her face. "Just give it some time. He'll come around."

Nejire scooted Mirio's smoothie across the counter, complete with whipped cream and sprinkles. It gave him an idea. "Does Tamaki like these?"

~.~

When Amajiki heard a knock at the door, his chest flooded with excitement and joy. It wasn't the sort of reaction he was used to having to a visitor, but it happened all the same. He smoothed down his sweater, electing to leave his blanket on the couch, and tiptoed over to the front door. "Hello?"

"Hi! I'm sorry to stop over so suddenly! I just…saw Nejire after I got off work and…thought you'd like a smoothie!"

Amajiki undid all four of his locks and bolts. Then cracked the door open, peeking through. "What kind?"

Mirio held it out to him with a warm smile. "Acai, blueberries, strawberries, and kiwi with almond milk and honey."

He gasped. My favorite. Amajiki reached his hand through the door and grabbed it, blushing madly when his fingers accidentally brushed past Mirio's. He sucked down a few gulps, beaming when the fruit and honey hit his tongue. So good.

"Whachu up to today?" Mirio asked.

Amajiki stared down at his feet. "Not much. I'm just gonna binge The Deep Blue and order calamari from a restaurant down the street."

"Oh, wow! Sounds fun."

Amajiki shrugged, still nervous about looking him in the face. "If you're not…doing anything…you could…um…stick around for a while."

His eyes lit up. "Really? That'd be totally awesome!"

~.~

The second day was easier than the last. Amajiki was still on the quieter side, but he shared the couch with Mirio the entire time without feeling nervous. He volunteered trivia during the documentary episodes and even asked Mirio questions.

"How'd you end up working at Hooters?"

"I was going to grad school for business and restaurant management. My mentor was supposed to set me up with a job after graduation…but sadly, he passed away. So I came to the mall and looked for job openings. Hooters happened to be looking for an assistant manager, and Mr. Yamada was impressed by my Masters' degree and customer service skills. He also said I'd be a sight for sore eyes, but I don't really know what he meant by that."

"Do you like it?"

"Totally! I get to meet all kinds of interesting new people every day, I get to put a smile on their faces, and make sure things run smoothly for Mr. Yamada and the girls. It makes me feel good to know I'm helping out."

Amajiki bristled. I feel like the opposite is true for me. Mr. Aizawa…Shoto…everyone accommodates me when I should be making things easier for them.

"How about you?" Mirio asked. "What made you work for Mr. Aizawa?"

Amajiki flushed awkwardly. "Nejire applied for me. By the time I knew what she did, it was too late. I was already getting a call from him, saying I'd been hired."

He smiled warmly. "I'm sure if you wanted to quit, Mr. Aizawa would understand. He may seem rough around the edges, but from what I've heard Mr. Yamada say, he's a big softie."

Amajiki fiddled with his hair nervously. "It's not so bad. Normally he lets me work surveillance. I don't deal with people much. Besides, if I quit, I'd be violating the terms of my program."

For the first time since they met, Mirio's smile disappeared. "Program?"

He nodded. "If I want to stay in my apartment, I have to keep a steady job."

Before Mirio could ask any other questions, Amajiki quickly began eating the calamari. He ate it so fast he barely gave himself time to chew. Mirio got the sense he'd accidentally made his date uncomfortable. Without being asked, he cleaned up Amajiki's dishes when he finished, and draped a blanket around his shoulders while being careful not to touch him.

Amajiki snuggled into it, calming down when he refocused his attention on the documentary. The episode they were up to featured emperor penguins, and how, during the coldest months of winter, huddled together to keep warm.

He flushed pink when the thought crossed his mind to do the same with Mirio. Maybe I can try that. Shyly, he inched his leg to the right and booped Mirio's foot with his toe. It had taken every ounce of his courage to do so. But Since Mirio was wearing steel-toed boots, he didn't even notice. Amajiki cleared his throat. Loudly.

Mirio looked over.

Amajiki stared at the screen, too scared to look at his date. "Those…penguins. Um…they look…cozy." His voice cracked on the last word.

Mirio laughed. "Yeah, they do. It's a good thing they have each other to keep warm." Then his gaze looked far off. "We're not so different from penguins. People thrive when they band together. Rely on each other for strength. Connecting with others is really important. If we shy away from them, we could end up out in the cold."

Amajiki paled, hugging himself tighter under the blanket. "Sometimes baby penguins try that. But their parents leave them out in the cold anyway."

Mirio eyes Amajiki up and down, suddenly understanding. "That's true. But that doesn't mean all penguins are like their parents."

Amajiki met eyes with him, then blushed and quickly looked away. "Yeah," he mumbled. "Some penguins are nice."

He smiled. "And some penguins are extra cute." Mirio winked.

Yeah. They are. Amajiki turned his head away, but, from the other end of the sofa, stretched his arm out behind him until his knuckles brushed against Mirio's hand. His date tentatively rubbed his thumb over them. In response, Amajiki rested his pointer finger over Mirio's knuckles. They played this shy game of finger-footsie until Mirio had placed his hand over Amajiki's.

Finally, Deep Blue's last episode ended. The screen flashed the title menu, and the sound stopped. It was late. It got dark outside. Neither of them had work the next day. The question hung in the air. Amajiki's heart pounded. Ask him to spend the night.

"It's late," Mirio whispered.

"Y-yeah. It is."

Mirio gently squeezed his hand. "I should probably get going."

Don't be a weenie don't be a weenie don't be a weenie don't be a weenie don't be a weenie. "Or…you…could - "

" - I shouldn't," Mirio murmured softly. "I think that's a bit fast for us."

No. I can do this. "We don't have to do anything," he mumbled quietly. "We can just…be like the penguins."

Mirio interlocked their fingers. "I don't want us to do that if you're not ready."

"I am," Amajiki insisted.

"Are you sure?"

Silently, he nodded.

Mirio sat quietly for a moment, rubbing his thumb comfortingly over Amajiki's. Gauging his sincerity. Then finally, he stood up, pulling Amajiki up with him. "Okay. Where do you want us to sleep?"

Amajiki's heart stopped. Oh no. He looked down at the sofa. Of course. It's not big enough for both of us to sleep on. That means we'd have to go to -

" - Is this door your bedroom?"

He quickly ripped his hand out of Mirio's and blocked the door with his body. "NO!"

Mirio didn't move. Or even look shocked. He just gave him a sad smile.

Crap. "I - Wait, that's not - I'm sorry. I thought I was - "

" - It's okay."

I was ready. But if he sees my room…"It's…really messy."

"Tamaki, it's alright."

"If it was cleaned up, I wouldn't be so - "

" - You don't have to explain yourself to me," he said gently. "It's not the end of the world if I don't stay over tonight."

But I really wanted you to. I wanted to be like the penguins. "It's not fair to you," he retorted. "You've been so nice to me. So patient - "

Mirio laughed. "Uuuum ... .if I wanted a reward for being nice to you, then that's not actually being nice, silly."

Amajiki flushed awkwardly. It's been three days and all we've done is hold hands.

"Tamaki…I've been having an amazing time with you. If all we ever do is sit together and watch movies, I'd be happy as a clam. Don't think at any point you owe me for anything."

He stared down at his feet dejectedly. "If I can get my room clean…then…maybe tomorrow - "

" - It's not a race, little penguin," he whispered. "There's no rush."

Amajiki flushed pink. Little…penguin?

"That being said…I would love to see you tomorrow," he said warmly.

Yes. "Yes."

Mirio beamed. "In that case…I've got someplace I wanna take you."

~.~

December 29th

Normally Amajiki wasn't a morning person. But he was so excited and terrified of what Mirio might have planned that he didn't get any sleep at all. When Mirio came to pick him up at seven-thirty in the morning, he was bright-eyed and trembling with nerves. The worst part about Mirio's plan was it involved going outside. I know he said I don't owe him anything…but…he's worked so hard to make me feel comfortable. Even though I'm scared…I'll do this. For him.

Mirio stepped out of his car and opened the passenger door. Amajiki sat down, buried in his coat, which was essentially a blanket with sleeves.

"Good morning!" Mirio said in a chipper voice.

Amajiki groaned. Of course. The human ray of sunshine is wide awake and ready to start the day. I bet he didn't even need coffee.

He watched out the window, trying to collect some clues as to where they could be going. He paled when Loav & Sechz Mall came into view. "Um…I don't know about this - "

" - Don't worry," Mirio whispered. "I think you'll like it."

Mirio parked close to the movie theater, then turned off the car. He got out and walked over to Amajiki's side.

Panic already began to set in. "Mirio - "

" - If you hate it, we'll leave and do something else," he promised. "But…will you trust me?"

Amajiki stared at him through the window, feeling unsure. But then he thought about what Mirio said a few days ago.

New things can be scary sometimes. But sometimes it's important to try new things, even if it scares us. That's how we grow.

He nodded and unlocked his door.

~.~

Amajiki didn't realize he'd been doing it, but all through the process of buying tickets, getting popcorn, and walking to the right showing room, he clung to Mirio's arm like a scared cat. He never thought he'd be thinking this way, but in the theater, out in public, Mirio was the comfortable and familiar. Which was why he maintained a vice-like grip on his date.

He felt anxious the entire time. Even after they took their seats, which were smack in the middle of the theater, he couldn't stop shivering.

"Are you cold?"

"N-nervous," Amajiki corrected. "This room is huge. It's got so many seats." He felt so freaked out he didn't even know what movie they were seeing. He'd been too busy internally panicking to notice.

But before he knew it, the curtains slowly began to rise and the lights in the theater dimmed until the room was completely dark. Trailers started to play, but Amajiki kept looking around, expecting more people to show up.

I don't understand. How are we the only ones here?

"Do you hate it yet?" Mirio asked with a chuckle.

Amajiki turned to him. "Where is everybody?"

Mirio beamed. "Well, since it's early in the morning on a weekday…probably work or school."

His jaw dropped. He planned it like that on purpose. He knew we'd have the theater to ourselves. "That's why…we came here so early?"

"Yep," he assured. "Sometimes kids like to play hooky from school…but usually, they like to sleep in first. Plus most of them aren't old enough to drive, which means they'd have to take the bus here. The first bus doesn't come to the theater until ten o'clock."

Wow. He really thought things through. I can't believe he did all this…just so I wouldn't be nervous. Amajiki looked down at his ticket with a flushed face.

MATRIX: RESURRECTIONS

8:10 AM WED 12/29/2021

Showroom 8

$7.25 EARLYBIRD

WE'RE SEEING THE NEW MATRIX MOVIE?! Amajiki let out an involuntary gasp of excitement. It only came out like…a week ago! I haven't seen it yet! He couldn't remember the last time he saw a movie that wasn't on a VHS tape, DVD, or streaming service.

Finally, Amajiki felt completely relaxed. He enjoyed sharing his popcorn breakfast with Mirio, blushing when their fingers touched. He blushed redder when he drank after him, both thrilled and anxious of the indirect kiss. He even got up the courage to resume their game of finger-footsie from last night.

By the time their movie ended, Amajiki was laying his head on Mirio's shoulder, comfy and calm. As they interlocked fingers again, he wasn't afraid. They stayed and sat together in silence as the credits rolled. Only when the screen went black, and the room was completely dark, did Amijiki have the courage to ask.

"Mirio?" He whispered.

"Uh-huh?"

He squeezed his hand. "Will…will you be my penguin?"

Mirio carefully lifted his arm and wrapped it around Amajiki's shoulders and snuggled him. "If you'll be mine."

~.~

I tell myself I can't hold out forever

I said there is no reason for my fear

Cause I feel so secure when we're together

You give my life direction, you make everything so clear

REO Speedwagon

Shinsou started his day off by getting woken at six and filling all of the cats' food bowls. Since it was winter, there was a lot less coming and going. Most of them cuddled together under the couches, by the fireplaces, on top of shelves, and even on the couch. Then he made coffee and fit in a shower before Eri shuffled out of bed.

He took swigs of his coffee in between tasks. Washing the dishes his fathers left in the sink the night before, wiping down the counter for food prep, and peeling apples for his "world-famous" apple jacks. Eri hugged him good morning, made herself a cup of hot cocoa with their Keurig, and sat down on the couch to watch My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.

Shinsou expected his day to be uneventful, save for spending time with his sister. Mashirao's going to that shrine with his parents for New Year's. But he'll be back in time for…He flushed red when he thought about Ojiro's promise.

Since you hate surprises, I'll tell you now. New Year's Eve, I'd like to stay the night with you at your house. I don't want anyone else to hear you when I make love to you, watashi no ai.

"Why's your face all red?"

Shinsou flinched. When he glanced over his shoulder, he realized Eri had been watching him from behind the back of their couch. All he could see was her wide eyes, staring him down.

He cleared his throat. "It's not."

"Is it cuz you're thinking about Mashirao-sensei?" She asked excitedly.

Shinsou couldn't help smiling. "Maybe."

Eri gasped. "I knew it!"

His smile melted away. "I won't get to see him today," he said sadly. "But that's okay. At least I get to spend the day with you, Er-bear."

She frowned. "Don't be sad, onii-chan."

Shinsou didn't answer. He turned away so she couldn't see his melancholic expression as he flipped pancakes. It's dumb to miss him. We've been spending every waking second together. But that made Ojiro's absence all the more poignant. It would've been selfish to ask him not to go. It was bad enough that there were aspects of Ojiro's culture he was missing out on living in the United States. Shinsou wanted him to take every opportunity he could get to celebrate his annual traditions. But…why did the nearest Shinto Shrine have to be three hours away?

He got snapped out of his thoughts when their doorbell went off. Eri jumped off the couch and began running to the front door. "COOOOMINNNNG!"

Shinsou flushed. "Um, Er-bear, we don't know who's at the - " He trailed off.

Standing there was Ojiro and his parents in traditional Japanese garb. Ojiro in particular looked devastatingly handsome in his black and gray Kuromontsuki haori hakama.

His frown immediately morphed into a smile. "Mashirao."

His boyfriend beamed. "Ready to go, Hito-kun?"

Oh…crap. "Go?"

"To Granite Falls for our hatsumōde (Shrine Visit for New Year's)," Ojiro clarified. "Did you forget?"

If Shinsou had been a computer, his screen would have a big fat loading symbol on it, spinning endlessly in circles. "But…I thought you were going with your parents."

Mr. Ojiro waved. "He is! We invited you!"

Shinsou paled. "I…oh. I didn't - "

Mrs. Ojiro swatted her son. "Kuso! You didn't tell him? BAKA!"

"OW!" Ojiro rubbed the side of his face. "Chikusō." He walked up to Shinsou and cupped his face. "I said we'd be going on the twenty-ninth."

Shinsou blushed. "Yeah, I know. I said I hope you have a good time."

Ojiro sighed. "I see. I wasn't clear." He brushed back Shinsou's hair from his face. "When I said we, I didn't mean me and my parents. I meant my parents and us."

What? Son of a bitch.

Why didn't I realize that?

Oh, right. I'm stupid.

"I…appreciate the invite…but both my parents work today. I have to stay home to watch Eri."

Mrs. Ojiro squealed. "Eri-chan!" She rushed past the boys and scooped her up. "How are you today?"

Eri beamed. "Good. Do you like my new pajamas?"

She looked down at Eri's fluffy pajama pants and gasped excitedly. "Hai! Totemo Kawaiiiii!" (Yes! Very cuuuute!)

Mr. Ojiro walked up to Shinsou. "Have you ever been to a Shinto shrine before?"

He shook his head. "No, sir."

"HA! That's funny." Mr. Ojiro immediately went into teacher-mode. "A shrine visit for the New Year's celebration is called a hatsumōde. Hatsu translates to new, and mōde means to worship at a shrine. But since it would be your first visit ever, you'd call it your hatsu-hatsumōde!"

Ojiro rolled his eyes. "Dad, that's not funny."

"What are you talking about? That's hilarious!"

Mrs. Ojiro looked between Shinsou and her son. "Dear, why don't we watch Eri so the boys can go together?"

Shinsou flushed with embarrassment. "What?! I can't ask you to do that!"

"You're not," Mr. Ojiro pointed out. "We're offering."

Shinsou stared awkwardly at the floor. "I did some research into the traditional ways that the Japanese celebrate New Year's. It's a time of year you're supposed to spend with your family. Mashirao can't celebrate the way he's used to, surrounded by his cousins and grandparents, and…" his shoulders sank. "I can't take him away from you too."

When he looked up, Mr. Ojiro was already sitting on the couch next to Eri, partaking in the applejacks. "If this is my little pony…why is there a dragon?"

"That's Spike. He's Twilight Sparkle's assistant," Eri explained.

"Oh, I see," Mr. Ojiro replied, although this answer seemed to cause further confusion on his end.

Mrs. Ojiro winked. "I'll help you get dressed."

~.~

Mrs. Ojiro went with Shinsou into his room after she grabbed her spare kitsuke set (kimono set) from the car. She turned her back while he got into A nagajuban (garment worn under a kimono). When he was ready for dressing, she turned back around. She gasped, clapping happily. "I knew it! We're practically the same size!"

Shinsou flushed. I guess that's convenient, but…what does that mean?

She carefully opened a huge case and folded back the tissue paper protecting her kimono. It was beautiful black silk. When she pulled it out and held it up, Shinsou saw the back was decorated with giant chrysanthemum flowers.

He flushed awkwardly. "Won't that be…a little…girly?"

Mrs. Ojiro giggled. "I think this will suit you better than something from Mashirao," she answered.

Shinsou stared at the kimono, feeling unsure.

She smirked. "I meant that as a compliment. Besides, you'll look so cute!"

Mrs. Ojiro guided his arms through the sleeves and wrapped the sides around him so they fit snuggly. Then she tied his waist in a half-bow with a koshi himo (hips tie) to keep it in place. Shinsou lifted and lowered his arms as she tucked things in, folded, flattened, and adjusted the fabric, and tied on his other himos.

But he couldn't shake the feeling of guilt he had of Mrs. Ojiro taking such care to help him. With her own kimono and kitsuke set, no less. "Mrs. Ojiro…I really feel like Mashirao should go to the shrine with his family."

She shrugged. "It's not as if he can't. We can always go at another time." She clasped on his obi ita (obi board) and turned it towards his waist.

He furrowed his brow. "But…it's my responsibility to watch my sister. It's rude to push it onto you both."

"You're not," she assured. "Eri-chan is a sweet girl. Spending time with her is not a chore. Besides, the point of family is to look out for each other, right?"

His eyes widened. "But…she and I…we're not your - "

" - If my son has his way," she whispered with a smile, "You'll be family soon enough."

~.~

Shinsou's obi (silk sash tied around your waist) was decorated with Takaradukushi (means adorned with treasures. It is a type of kimono pattern work specifically for the new year that represents good luck). Because of all the layers, he felt surprisingly warm. Mrs. Ojiro let him borrow a pair of tabi (socks) and zori (formal sandals). Since there was still snow on the ground, Ojiro carried Shinsou to the car and sat him down in the passenger seat so his tabi wouldn't get wet.

The whole thing made him feel self-conscious. He's treating me like I'm his…his…

Ojiro buckled them both in and set off for their three-hour drive to Granite Falls. Every once in a while, he would glance over at Shinsou and smile to himself.

"What is it?"

Ojiro laughed softly. "My mother has…an interesting sense of humor. That's all."

What is he talking about? "I don't think I'm in on the joke."

He grinned. "She gave you one of her Kurotomesode. That kind of kimono can only be worn by married women."

Shinsou blushed pink. "Then…why did she - "

" - It's her way of saying she approves of you," he murmured with a wide grin. "Not that I needed her to tell me. I already knew. She's not subtle."

Shinsou hid his face behind his kimono sleeve. "She said…this kind of kimono suits me. It was a compliment, but…I'm a man. Won't I look silly like this?"

Ojiro took his right hand off the wheel so he could lay it on top of Shinou's. "She wasn't talking about your appearance. She meant it suits your energy."

"My…energy?"

He nodded. "My parents look at us and see a man and a woman. A perfect balance of kana."

"But…I'm not a woman."

Shinsou could tell from Ojiro's facial movements he was straining to find the right words. "When I say you are the woman, I'm not talking about your gender. I mean your role in our relationship."

"I…don't understand."

A v formed between his brows. "I'm…not sure how to explain it in English."

"Then don't," Shinsou encouraged.

He sighed. "Um…Shizen-kaide wa, sōhansuru enerugī ga chōwa o umidasu tame ni issho ni naranakereba narimasen. Anata no enerugī wa josei-tekide, watashi no enerugī wa dansei-tekidesu. Watashitachiha otagai o home aimasu."

Shinsou tried to translate in his head. In nature, opposing forces must come together to achieve harmony. We complement each other because my masculine energy and your submissive nature are in sync. "You mean like…yin and yang?"

Ojiro smiled, sighing with relief. "Yes. Exactly. Up, down. Push, pull. Left, right. Light and dark. We keep each other in balance."

Shinsou cleared his throat. "So…you're saying…I…fulfill the…girl's role?"

"Sort of, but that doesn't make you a girl physically. It just means it's my job to protect you and provide for you."

It's so weird but…kind of hot when he talks like that. "Then…what's my job?"

At a red light, Ojiro looked away from the road and softly kissed Shinsou before answering. "To let me love you."

~.~

When they finally arrived at the shrine, Ojiro guided Shinsou on what to do and how to behave. They bowed before entering each torii (shrine gate) and walked on the side so as not to disturb the path of the kami (gods). He showed him how to wash his hands and rinse his mouth at the temizuya (water basin). Then they both dropped a coin into the offering box. Ordinarily, Ojiro would've used a goen (five yen coin) but in this case, they used nickels. Then Ojiro showed him how to clap and bow before entering the shrine for prayer.

Shinsou didn't think he'd be praying to the kami for anything, but he found that there was something he wanted help with. Mashirao does so much to care for me and make me feel loved. He's been so active in our relationship. In comparison, I feel like I haven't been doing enough to…fulfill my role. If you're listening…please show me how I can do that. Tell me what I can do to be worthy of him.

After they finished praying, Ojiro took Shinsou's hand and led him to a vendor table. It was covered in different kinds of omamari (good luck charms). For all kinds of things. Success. Love. Happiness. Family. Health.

Ojiro whispered against Shinsou's ear. "Normally, you'd give the vendor your old charm from last year to burn in exchange for a new one. But since this is your first time, you can pick one out and I'll buy it for you."

Shinsou looked at the small little bins filled with tiny silk pouches and pointed to one for love.

Ojiro kissed his cheek. "Of course. I should've known." He handed three dollars to the vendor and took one love charm, as well as two others.

He handed the love omamari to Shinsou, as well as a second one that had kōtsu anzen stitched into the back.

"What's this one for?"

"I got us both one. They're charms for safe travel." He beamed. "We'll need them for our flight to Kyoto."

Shinsou's eyes misted. He's always thinking of me.

Ojiro nuzzled him. "Come. There's a few more things to do."

Shinsou looped his arm with Ojiro's and let him lead them to another vendor to get their omikuji (fortunes/oracles). They paid with coins and reached into a bin for their oracles. Then they unrolled them.

Ojiro gasped excitedly. "You got dai-kichi!"

Shinsou furrowed his brow, trying to remember. "Big…gift?"

He laughed. "Great blessing," he corrected. "It's the highest form of luck you can get!"

Shinsou smiled. "This is my first shrine visit. It's probably just beginner's luck."

Ojiro unrolled his. "I got shou-kichi. Little blessing." His gaze filled with love as he bent down and kissed Shinsou, slow and deep. "That's you, Hito-kun. My little blessing."

They kissed until other shrine-goers began to whistle at them. Then Shinsou pulled away and shyly hid his face in Ojiro's back.

Last but not least was going to a wall of wooden plaques and picking a blank one for writing his wish. Ojiro wrote his in kanji, so Shinsou had no idea what he put. He tried not to worry about it and focus on his own. What do I wish for?

What I wish for is…

Good health for my family

Safety for my man

He did wish for all those things, but it wasn't what he wanted the most. I hate how selfish I am. But he couldn't lie to himself. Shinsou picked up a plaque and began writing with his marker. My wish is that time will go faster, so I can finally make love with Mashirao.

Two days was an agonizingly long time to wait.

"What did you wish for, Hito-kun?"

He flushed. "Not what I should've," he admitted. "What about you?"

Ojiro hugged him close. "I wished for three things. One, that I will become prosperous enough to support you. Two, that my family remains in good health. And three…" he hugged him tighter. "That someday…you will love yourself as much as I do."

Shinsou teared up, snuggling into his embrace.

I'm sorry, my love

I don't think that can happen

But for you, I'll try

~.~

Please forgive me, I know not what I do

Please forgive me, I can't stop loving you

Don't deny me, this pain I'm going through

Please forgive me, if I need you like I do

Bryan Adams

Sitting on the couch in the living room, Yumi listened to Keigo on the phone, gushing over Dabi's birthday plans.

"And then after the bar, we didn't make it to the car right away. He was so turned on -"

"- I would expect nothing less from the sex fiend," Yumi said as she opened a box of Pocky.

Keigo went on. "It was kinda hot...even though it was cold."

"Glad to hear your dick didn't freeze off."

He coughed. "Then he took me to this hotel. I won't go into details -"

"- My ears thank you."

"But it was one of the best nights ever. I haven't even told you the best part." Yumi could hear the smile on his face.

"What? He put a collar on you?"

"Funny. No. Turns out he booked the same room at the same hotel where we had sex for the first time."

Yumi frowned, although her voice didn't reflect it. "Sounds like he put a lot of thought into your birthday plans."

"He did! Same room, same bed. Our initials were still carved into the headboard. It was perfect. I can't believe he remembered!"

It felt like there was a stone sitting in her stomach as Yumi set down the Pocky. I can't be upset with him just because his boyfriend actually had something planned. It wasn't Keigo's fault her birthday had been awful. She didn't like to think about it. All that day represented was the dark period in her relationship with Sero.

"Koichi's still covering for us at work, so Dabs is gonna take me to my favorite restaurant."

She raised an eyebrow. "KFC?"

"To start."

Yumi sat back on the sofa. "I'm sure Dabi is going to wanna peg you again before you do. Make sure you both work up an appetite," she teased.

"Yumi!" he said, sounding flustered. Yumi could hear Dabi laughing in the background.

"Sounds like a plan. Thanks for the suggestion," Dabi told her.

"I'll bring your gift later when you get home."

"Don't wait up. It could be a while," Dabi said. She could hear the smirk on his face.

"Dabs!" Keigo said before the line went dead.

Setting her phone down, Yumi laid across the sofa cushion. Staring at the ceiling, she tried ignoring the heaviness she felt in her heart. With the bet and holidays going on, it had been easy for her to forget about her birthday, but now that everything had calmed down she realized that she wasn't truly over it. Closing her eyes she let out a sigh.

Sero, coming out of his mancave, stopped in his tracks when he heard the sigh. "Everything okay, gorgeous?"

Yumi stuck a pocky stick in her mouth. "Yeah everything is fine," she said, chewing on her treat.

"You sure?" he asked, sensing there was more.

"Just got off the phone with Keigo. Turns out Dabi made pretty elaborate birthday plans," she said as she stuck another pocky stick in her mouth.

He froze. "Oh. Did he?"

"Mhm," she grumbled. "Pretended they were strangers so they could roleplay a first date, spent the night at the hotel where they made love for the first time and now he's gonna take him restaurant-hopping to all of his favorite food joints."

Sero gulped nervously. "Oh. That sounds…really nice."

Yumi scowled as she snapped a pocky stick clean in half. "Yeah. It does."

Sero wanted to run. Then why does she sound so angry?!

"In fact," she snapped, aggressively chewing another pocky stick, "That's probably the most romantic shit I've ever heard."

Sero frowned. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Fine," Yumi lied.

Looking at the floor for a bit he made his way to the door. "You know what? I'll be back. I'm gonna…meet the guys for some drinks downstairs," he said, slipping on his shoes.

She glared at him. "Hanta, it's barely twelve-thirty."

Crap. She's onto me! "Love you!"

"Have fun," she grumbled from her spot, putting another stick in her mouth.

Grabbing his keys, Sero tried to appear casual as he exited the apartment. But the moment the door closed behind him he darted down the hall and speed-dialed Kirishima.

"Hey, man! How's it - "

" - Bottom's Up. Now. I've got an emergency!"

~.~

The three boys sat along Bottoms Up's bar counter, at a loss.

"Dude, her birthday was almost two months ago," Kiri pointed out. "If you were gonna make it up to her, you should've done it a lot sooner."

Sero gripped his hair, overcome with frustration. "I wasn't even thinking that way," he admitted. "I was mad at her, then I was mad at you, then I was mad at Pony - "

" - Why so mad, bro?" Kami asked.

Sero scowled. "I'm not mad anymore. But then the bet happened with Target, and the blackout, and Christmas - "

"Then December twenty-sixth," Kiri said with a sigh.

Sero shrugged. "Actually, I didn't work that day."

Kiri's eyebrows went up. "Oh yeah. How come you didn't do anything with her then?"

He cleared his throat. Well…we did lots of things…but uh…"We spent it doing something else."

Kiri rolled his eyes. "You mean each other?"

"Hey! She liked it too!"

"But she's not a guy, man," Kiri said. "You can't just give her sex for her birthday and call it good."

Kami jumped out of his seat excitedly. "I got it! Take her to an anime-con!"

Sero squinted at him. "What?"

"Yeah! Or throw her a pizza party at an arcade! All you can eat pepperoni, laser tag - "

" - You're just suggesting what you'd want to do," Sero pointed out.

Kami scoffed. "Dude. You can't stay mad at someone after shooting them with lasers."

Kiri took a gulp of his Kahlua coffee. "Are you sure she's still mad?"

Sero paled. "Positive. You should've seen her, man. If I stayed one more minute she would've ripped my head off."

Kiri furrowed his brow as he thought for a moment. "Hey, I know! Why don't you bring her to Build-A-Bear? We're restocking on supplies soon, and I can give you a good deal!"

Sero rubbed his temples. "No. The last thing my girlfriend needs is another plushie."

"But has she ever gotten to build one from scratch?"

Sero scowled. "No offense, man…but you're part of the reason her birthday tanked."

Kiri flushed uncomfortably. "Oh…yeah. Sorry."

"It's okay." Sero sighed deeply, feeling hopeless. "I can't just buy her flowers and a card, guys. I gotta figure this out."

Kami winced. "Yeah…that'd be like trying to heal a broken bone with a gummy vitamin."

Sero pouted. "It has to be something special."

Kami beamed. "An amusement park!"

"It's winter. They're shut down until spring."

"Take her out for drinks?"

"We own a private bar."

"Dave & Buster's!"

Kiri smiled. "Yeah! She loves to play games and Ojiro would hook you up with discounts."

Sero's shoulders sank. "I've got a hundred bucks to work with. Yumi can blow that in the first twenty minutes on skee ball alone."

"A movie?"

"There's nothing playing that she wants to see."

"Take her on a shopping spree?"

"She does that on her own. It's not very special."

After an hour of tossing ideas back and forth, all three men came up empty.

"I'm sorry, man," Kiri said. "I got nothin'."

Kami shot Sero a sympathetic look. "It's official. You're completely screwed."

~.~

Sero sent a text to everyone he knew. Begging for advice on how he could possibly begin to make it up to his beautiful, terrifying, very angry girlfriend. The responses were…varied.

Momo: Oh! I can't speak for Yumi, but I would love a romantic boat ride. Or horseback riding on a beach. Or perhaps a lovely tea party!

Izuku: Take her to McDonalds!

Dabi: Use what your momma gave you and rock her world, tiger ;)

Shoto: Row her around a crystal blue lake in a boat you built yourself. Then ride horses together on the beach.

Aizawa: How did you get this number?

Ojiro: Bring her home to meet your family and recite romantic poetry.

Yamada: Just stand there and chop wood for an hour. Shirtless.

Shinsou: Why do you have my number?

Aizawa: Hi this is Eri and you should get her a bouncy castle :D

Aizawa: This caller has blocked you.

Jiro: You deserve her wrath. I'm not helping.

Mina: Get her a membership to a boxing club so she can hit people.

Yamada: Just…get all sweaty and -

Sero threw his phone down and collapsed face-first on the bed. I'm fucked.

Ten minutes later, he got another text.

Izuku: I bet Kacchan would know.

Sero glared at his phone. No. I refuse.

Izuku: You'd be surprised, but they've got quite a few things in common!

He gritted his teeth. I won't do it!

Izuku: They've both got a great fashion sense, they like the same kind of manga, and they're both athletic!

Sero scowled. Shit. They do have a lot of things in common. Whatever. The last person I want to ask for help is the rabid, grumpy, sarcastic -

His train of thought got interrupted by a death metal song Yumi began to play in the shower. She screamed along to it at the top of her lungs. In addition to her yelling, he heard loud banging sounds that echoed, as if she were throwing things down into the bathtub. "Hanta, you idiot!"

A sick feeling sat in his stomach. Maybe…after a few days, she'll get over it. That was what he had to do. Put some distance between them, give Yumi her space, and let her have time to herself. After a week or two, she would cool down and forget all about -

"I will never forgive you!"

Sero glanced in the direction of their bathroom door, his eyes wide with fear. If she never forgives me…she won't let me tie her up again. Even worse…no more dinosaur kisses. His eyes grew misty at the thought. I have no choice. I must…consult…the enemy.

~.~

Sero stood outside Bakugo and Izuku's apartment door for fifteen minutes. He'd raised his hand several times with the intention of knocking, but every time he jerked it back. He felt as though he was trying to place his hand on a stove burner he knew was hot.

He tried it again. Come on. Do it. Man up. It's for your girl. UGGHH! Sero pulled his arm back to knock.

At that moment, the door swung open. Bakugo had an unlit cigarette in his mouth while he tied the drawstrings of his sweatpants. He also wasn't wearing a shirt and his hair looked even more unruly than usual. His demeanor was unreasonably calm when he looked up and saw Sero.

Sero froze. Shit. "We aren't allowed to smoke in here."

Bakugo rolled his eyes. "You think I don't know that? Why else would I be heading outside?"

His voice lacked the irritated growl that usually sat at the bottom of his words. He kinda sounds…normal.

"Izuku isn't seeing visitors right now," he said with a smirk. "He's…tired."

Sero scowled. "If it were Izuku's birthday, what would you do to celebrate?"

Bakugo didn't hesitate. "Buy him a new outfit, take him someplace he's never been before, and cook his favorite meal." He shrugged and brushed past him on his way to the elevators.

Sero's jaw dropped. WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT?!

~.~

Yumi retreated to her office after taking a shower. Playing GTA V on her computer helped relieve some of the anger. She calmed down enough to think rationally.

It's been almost two months. It's pointless to get mad about it now just because it was Keigo's birthday.

Looking at her clock, it was a little past four. Sero had been gone for a while now.

I wonder where he is. I probably scared him off.

She sighed just as she heard the front door open and close. She spun back in her chair. "Hanta? Is that you?"

There was a moment of silence.

"Yeah, gorgeous. It's me, just going to get started on dinner," Sero shouted from the kitchen.

"Do you need any help?"

"N-no. I'm good. Don't worry about it." He sounded nervous.

Yumi sighed. I must have scared him. I'll have to apologize later. Grabbing a box of pocky off her cart, Yumi turned her chair back around and went back to playing her game. It was another hour before Sero peeked his head through the door.

"Dinner is ready," he said before leaving.

Turning off her game, Yumi got up and walked out of the room. Going down the hall she could smell something good coming from the kitchen.

"Whatever you made smells great," Yumi said as she took a seat at the counter.

Sero smiled. "I hope you like it," he said, setting the white porcelain bowl in front of her.

She squealed. "Curry rice! I love curry rice!"

"Thought you'd like it."

~.~

After eating two bowls of curry, Yumi pushed the bowl. "That was too good."

Sero chuckled as he grabbed the bowl. Putting the bowl in the sink, he reached under the cabinet and pulled out a birthday bag. "This is for you," he said, handing her the bag.

Yumi was surprised as she took it. "You didn't have to," she said, setting it in the stool beside her.

Yes. Yes I did. He cleared his throat as she pulled the tissue out of the bag. "I thought I'd get you something nice," Sero said as he started putting the leftovers away.

Yumi tilted her head as she pulled out a folded-up black hoodie sweatshirt. Unrolling it she squealed. On the front was Kirby jumping up with a star wand in hand while the sleeves were covered with different foods printed on the sleeves. "Oh my god!" she exclaimed, holding it to her chest. "I've wanted this forever! How did you know?!"

He cleared his throat and averted his gaze. "Oh, I was just…browsing, and I saw this on the rack. It looked like a Yumi-hoodie to me."

She hugged it. "Awe! Well thank you, I love it!"

"I'm glad." He was secretly glad that her Amazon account had been left open, and that they had it at Hot Topic. Luck must be on my side. I just hope it doesn't run out.

Putting the hoodie on, Yumi smiled. "It's so cozy," she said, snuggling into it.

Setting the dishes to soak, Sero grabbed his keys. "I'm glad you like it. You can wear it when we go out tonight."

Yumi looked at him confused. "What are you talking about?"

Walking around the counter, Sero wrapped his arm around her waist. "Oh? Did I not mention? We're going on an adventure."

Her eyes widened with surprise. "We are?"

He kissed her forehead. "Yep. So saddle up, gorgeous."

~.~

By the time they got to Portland, the sky was dark. The streets were bathed in lights coming from various stores and businesses. Yumi stared up at the building that Sero had brought her to. The bright blue neon sign said 'Ground Kontrol.' Through the windows, she could see several arcade machines.

Not saying anything, she looked up at her boyfriend. He looked down at her.

"What?" he asked.

"I'm confused."

Sero smiled as he looked up at the building. "This place has been around forever. Kami and I used to come here all the time as kids. The second we got our allowance money. We'd always have to beg one of our parents to bring us. Sometimes we managed to talk Kiri into coming so that his dad would bring us. His dad always paid for the first few rounds," he said, his eyes glossy.

Yumi could see on his face he was reliving these good memories. It was nice to see this soft side of him sometimes. "I bet it was a fun time," she said smiling.

"Yeah, it was. But when our mall put in the Dave & Buster's, it became impractical to come here. D & B's is a lot closer, and since we could take a bus to the mall, we didn't need to bug our parents to drive us. So we stopped coming." He took her hand. "Eventually, we got vehicles…but by then, we'd forgotten about this place."

Yumi smiled as she tugged on his hand. "I bet they'd like to come back again."

Sero shrugged. "Probably. But tonight, they aren't my priority. You are," he said with a grin as he led her inside.

Paying the ten dollar fee each for free play, Sero led Yumi through the various rows of game machines. Because it was after five o'clock, only adults were on the machines, which left a few open options for them to pick. "What do you want to play first? We can play a game or they got pinball."

Yumi pursed her lips a bit. "I dunno. I've never played these kinds of games before."

Sero looked at her, dumbstruck. "What do you mean? You play video games all the time."

"Well yeah, like on my Playstation and Xbox. When I'm feeling nostalgic, I break out the Gamecube. But I've never played arcade-machine games like these as a kid. Besides…" she got a sad expression on her face, "There wouldn't have been much time to for it. Not between my Russian Lessons and Ballet practice."

Sero stared at her. Oh shit. It was easy for him to forget at times that Yumi hadn't had a normal childhood experience. He'd made a similar mistake several years ago when he'd taken her ice skating. Way to fuck up the surprise. Idiot.

Expecting her to be upset over this blunder he was surprised when she smiled. "Come on. Take me to your favorite game. You get to teach me how to play."

He blinked. "You sure?"

"Yeah. I wanna see what your favorite game was," she said, tugging on his arm.

"Alright, alright," he laughed, leading her down the rows. Looking for a machine he stopped when they got to it. The machine wasn't like most of the others, there was a seat in front with a wheel and pedals. The top of the machine said 'San Francisco Rush 2049'. There was an identical machine right next to it. "Here it is."

She raised an eyebrow. "Why is there a steering wheel on it?"

He grinned. "Cuz it's a racing game."

Yumi gasped. "Wait…We can't race these when there's all this stuff around. What if we crash into something?!"

It took a moment for Sero to calibrate his brain. "Um…they don't move."

Confusion etched itself on her face as she pointed downwards. "But it's got pedals for stopping."

Crap. How do I explain this? "It's a lot like Mario Kart. Except your chair, the pedals, and the wheel are all like…one big controller."

She stared at it blankly, still not understanding. "I don't get it. Let's play."

He sighed with relief and helped her sit in one. "Denki and I always hogged these machines when we'd come. He kept losing and always wanted a rematch."

Yumi giggled. "Did he ever win?"

"Only when it was time to leave."

"Really?"

"Well….I might have let him win so we could leave," Sero admitted as Yumi sat at the other machine.

"Hanta Sero purposefully losing. I'm shocked," Yumi teased, fake gasping.

Sero smirked. "Yeah, but don't tell him that. He always got excited when he won. Never had the heart to tell him otherwise." He laughed. "I'm glad I didn't. Now he's better at gaming than all of us. This is the only game I could probably still win against him."

"Your secret is safe with me," Yumi said before grabbing the steering wheel. "Although, I'm not Kami, so I hope you don't mind if I kick your butt."

Sero smirked. "Big talk from a little girl who doesn't know how to play."

Yumi gave him a wide smile. "I'm a quick learner."

~.~

The couple spent several hours playing various games from Dr. Mario to Donkey Kong to Ms. Pac-Man and Mortal Kombat II. Sero only left Yumi's side once to use the restaurant and came back to find her on Bubble Bobble.

"Hanta, look how cute the little dinosaurs are!" Yumi said, pointing to the screen when he came back.

Sero smiled as he checked his watch. It read five past nine. "Yeah, they're pretty cute. Are you enjoying yourself?" he asked, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Definitely."

Watching Yumi get timed out by the clock and losing the round, Sero leaned against her. "As nice as it is watching you have so much fun, Let's head out."

"What?!" She whined. "Why?"

"I wanna grab some dessert before heading home."

Yumi tilted her head, contemplating her choices. "That sounds good, but can I try again before we leave?"

Sero chuckled as he rested his head against her neck. "You could….but the place could be closed by the time you finish playing."

That made Yumi perk up with curiosity. "Where are we going?"

Sero grinned. "A place. With stuff."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "My expectations aren't very high."

Sero shrugged. "I think you'll like it."

"What are we getting?"

He grinned. "Oh…just a little something. Nothing major."

~.~

Reading the marquee on the building, Yumi gave Sero a side look.

"What?" he asked, biting his lip trying to keep a straight face.

Yumi looked back at the marquee then back at him. The sign read 'BJs. Pizza, Grill, Brewery.'

He snickered. "What?!"

"Really?"

"I don't see a problem," he admitted, still trying to contain his laughter.

She looked at the sign again then back at him. "Really?!"

He cleared his throat. "Just go in. Trust me," he told her, taking her hand.

Walking into the restaurant, Sero let go of her hand and walked over to the hostess. Yumi raised an eyebrow as they talked in a low whisper. Before she could say something the hostess walked away and Sero came back to her. "Come on," he said, taking her hand. They followed the hostess to the back of the restaurant, which seemed empty. Seated at a booth Yumi got in first before Sero slid in next to her, draping his arm around her shoulder.

Things were silent for a bit before Sero let out a sigh. "Yumi. I'm sorry about how your birthday went down this year. It should have never happened like that, and you sure didn't deserve it," he said, looking at her shamefully.

Yumi frowned a bit. "It was a bad time for us. To be honest, I'd like to just forget about it."

Sero looked down at the table. "Yeah, I know. Still, it wasn't fair to you."

Laying her head on his shoulder she looked up at him. "It's okay, I forgive you."

Could have fooled me earlier. "You sure?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah."

Sero shook his head. "Even if that's true, you deserved so much better."

Yumi kissed his cheek. "As long as I got you, I'm okay."

He looked down at her and smiled. "I hope you're having a good time. Sorry it took me a while to make it up for you."

She shrugged. "We've been busy. We're just finally able to breathe after that stupid bet." Looking around Yumi noticed that a waitress hadn't stopped by their table yet.

At that moment, a waitress came over with a large serving tray. Yumi didn't have time to react before she was setting down several small iron skillets with cookies covered in ice cream. There were 21 small trays and 1 large tray with twenty-two candles.

"What's this?" she asked, confused about what was happening.

"They're pizookies. I thought you'd enjoy trying all the flavors," Sero said, kissing the top of her head before pulling something out of his pocket. A lighter. Leaning forward he lights all the candles on the pizookie. "Happy birthday."

Yumi stared at the candles and smiled. "Hanta."

Sero grinned. "You want me to ask the staff to sing?"

Yumi giggled. "Nah."

"You sure? I thought you liked the praise and applause," he said, recounting what she had told him years ago.

"Yeah, cuz it was the only positive attention I got as a teenager," she said, rolling her eyes. Yumi snuggled up close to him, taking his hand. "But now I know what real love feels like."

Smiling, Sero brought her hand to his lips, kissing it softly. When he looked back up, Yumi's smile looked sad.

"What's wrong?"

She shrugged. "Nothing. I'm okay."

He looked deeply into her eyes. "Tell me."

She sighed. "There's a lot of dessert here. I wish we could share this with our friends."

He nodded. "Yeah. I thought you might like that," he said with a smirk. "Which is why I called them."

Yumi blinked. "What?"

At that moment their friends popped up from behind the booth. Yumi turned around to see Kiri, Mina, Jiro, Kami, Bakugo, Izuku, Tokoyami, Kuroiro, Dabi, and Keigo there.

"What are you guys doing here?!" she asked, confused about what was going on.

"Sero gave us a call while you were at Ground Kontrol," Kiri said as he and Mina sat in the opposite booth.

Dabi smirked. "I called Bakugo. I knew he'd never pass on a BJ."

"Go to hell," Bakugo snapped.

"COOKIES!" Izuku shrieked.

"Pizookies," Tokoyami corrected. "I admit…I was intrigued to see all the different flavors."

Kami pouted. "Why didn't you tell me you were going there? I would have gone too," he said, sounding disappointed.

Jiro ran a hand through his hair. "Next time love," she told him as they had a seat.

Dabi pulled over some chairs from a nearby table for him and Keigo.

"These look good," Keigo said, looking at the pizookies. His mouth watered.

"Down, Keigo," Dabis warned him.

"But Dabs, we gotta dig in!"

"Not yet," Sero said looking at Yumi. "We gotta sing her Happy Birthday."

Yumi giggled as, all together, everyone started singing to her.

"Happy birthday to you."

"Cha cha cha," Kiri and Kami said, hitting the table.

"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday Yumi, happy birthday to you."

Yumi laughed. "Thanks, guys. I really appreciate you," she said smiling as she looked at everyone.

Sero kissed the top of her head. "Might want to blow out the candles before the ice cream melts," he whispered in her ear.

Leaning forward against the table, Yumi blew out all the candles. "Now it does feel more like a birthday."

"Glad you're happy. Now let's dig in!" Keigo said before grabbing one of the skillets and shoving a spoon into it.

"I swear I can't take you anywhere," Dabi teased as he grabbed a spoon to dig into one of the pizookies.

The table was abuzz as everyone dug into the pizookies, taking pieces from the skillets to try the various flavors available to them.

~.~

"I'm so stuffed," Keigo complained as they got off the elevator.

Dabi smirked. "From the cookies or from -"

Keigo flushed. "Dabs!"

"I'm sorry baby," he said, smirk on his face, as they got close to their apartment.

Keigo shook his head when he noticed something. There by the door, was a gift wrapped in shiny red wrapping paper. "What's this?" he asked, picking it up.

Dabi stared at it cautiously. "Dunno."

Keigo looked at the tag. "'To Keigo. From Yumi. Happy birthday. Enjoy ;D' Awe, it's a birthday gift."

"Why didn't she give it to you earlier?" Dabi asked, eyebrows raised.

"You told her not to wait up," Keigo said flatly as he started unwrapping the gift.

Dabi chuckled. "That's right."

Unwrapping his present, Keigo went pale while Dabi busted out laughing. In his hands was a cookbook. On the cover was a cooked chicken on a plate. The part that really concerned Keigo was the title. 'Fifty Shades of Chicken by F.L Fowler.'

"I...I…"

Dabi took the book and skimmed through it. "I wonder if these instructions could work with the shibari rope you got for Christmas."

Keigo flushed a brighter red than the wrapping paper.

Dabi's eyes lit up like they did when he looked at his Cadillac. "Mmm. Page thirty looks good."

Keigo flushed, seeing that it was a picture of a chicken tied up and bound with string. Something tells me he's not talking about the chicken.

Dabi rubbed his lips together as he took a closer look. He began muttering to himself. "Huh. Never thought of that. Hmm…oh, that could work, I'd just need…we'd have to practice before we did this one - "

" - You know that's a cookbook, right?" Keigo asked.

Dabi finally looked up with a devilish smirk. "Yeah."

"And… it's for cooking…chicken."

Dabi bit his lip and looked Keigo up and down. "And?"

Suddenly Keigo's throat ran dry and he wanted their clothes off.

He slammed it shut in one hand. "Well…I gotta tell you, baby…I'm feeling inspired."

Keigo flushed. "To…cook?"

Dabi grinned. "Definitely." He grabbed the waistband of Keigo's jeans and tugged him forward against his torso. "Let's get cooking."

Keigo moaned softly, instantly turned on. "D-Dabs - "

" - I'll be damned if you aren't the finest piece of meat I've ever known," he growled. "So let me truss you up like the delectable little bird you are."

Keigo was both nervous and excited for what his boyfriend had in mind. I've seen that look before. I know what it means. I'm not getting any sleep tonight.

~.~

Research Sources

/omamori-charms-amulets-japan

^ source for omamari

/education/japanese-new-year

^ Japanese house & family customs for New Year's

^ article explaining Shintoism

.uk/discover/introducing/japanese-new-year-traditions-kites-and-kumade/

^ symbols, motifs & customs for celebrating the New Year

.

^ seasonal colors, motifs, & kimono patterns & which time of the year they correspond to

/know-different-kimono-types/

^ going over the many different types of Kimonos

/en/article-a0004703/

^ the types of men's kimonos

watch?v=c2Ly0RpaSX8

^ how to put on a kimono (women)

watch?v=RjHhFgvq_co

^rules & customs for visiting a Shinto shrine for new year's

/wiki/omikuji-fortune-telling-paper-strips/

^ omikuji fortune-telling strips