Valentine's Day
"...And I don't think it's even possible for someone to only technically be a miko in the first place." Miyu finished explaining. The two girls were sitting on Illya's bed.
"Okay, okay," Illya said, I get it. That had been a strange conversation that Illya had had with her girlfriend(and wasn't that still a strange thought?) "Um, Miyu?"
"Yes, my beloved Illya?" Miyu replied.
"Can I ask you about something?"
"Of course," Miyu said with a smile.
Illya took a moment to carefully think of how to go about this. "Have people given you some… Strange looks, lately?"
Miyu looked thoughtful for a moment. "I think another girl was checking me out while changing for gym class the other day," Miyu admitted bluntly, "but I told her that I was in a dedicated monogamous relationship with the most amazing young woman in the world," she finished more warmly, with a big smile.
Illya blushed at the compliment. "Uh, that's kind of what we need to talk about." Illya sighed. "I know that you're super happy that we're together now and want everyone to know it, and I don't really mind, but maybe you should tone it down a little?" Illya gave a sheepish smile. "People seem like they're getting the wrong idea."
"What do you mean?" Miyu asked, her head cocked to the side.
"I mean, it was cute at first," Illya said quickly. Admittedly Illya was actually a little embarrassed with how open Miyu was, but by now Illya knew how Miyu's mind worked. "But people are talking, and they seem to think that you're hiding something or trying to compensate for something."
"I don't understand," Miyu said in monotone.
Illya groaned and ran her hands through her hair. "Okay, like remember how, about a week after we got together, you kissed me in the middle of a crowded hallway to get that boy to stop trying to ask you out?"
"Yes," Miyu replied. "And our inexplicable fan clubs both expanded that day."
"Well," Illya said while trying to stay on topic, "some people seem to think that we're not actually together, but that we're just faking it to get people to leave you alone."
Miyu's eyes narrowed. "That's not… How can they…?"
"And other people seem to think that I'm manipulating or abusing you," Illya explained awkwardly.
"Huh?" Miyu gasped, "but, you'd never… How can? Why?"
"Because, apparently, people who don't know you don't believe that you're being genuine when you talk about how much you love me," Illya tried to explain, "some other people think you're cheating on me."
"I'd never!"
"I know," Illya said, "I know." Illya leaned in and hugged Miyu. "but most people don't know you as well as I do, or don't know me as well as you do, so they don't understand that we'd never do those things or why you're so open about our relationship."
"Why is it even any of their business?" Mitu asked bitterly. "What gives people to right to spread and share rumors about us?"
Illya blinked. "Miyu, when we were eleven you tried to climb into a cramped bathtub with me because you heard a rumor that taking a bath with me was good luck."
"I suppose I did," Miyu admitted with a small smile.
"Rumours and stuff is just part of being human," Illya said, bringing them back on topic. "And right now we're the most interesting thing to talk about. Eventually, they'll get bored and something else will catch their attention."
Miyu didn't answer with words, but she snuggled up close to Illya for a more intimate hug.
"I wouldn't have minded so much," Illya continued, "if they were just talking, but every so often someone gives me a dirty look and it's only a matter of time before someone tries to ask one of us what's going on, and… honestly, I figure that you'd be more upset if you stumbled into it on your own than if you'd heard it from me, so..."
"Okay."
"So… Maybe until the rumors die down a little, you should maybe lay off on the 'my beloved' stuff," Illya suggested. "Just a little bit," Illya said with her pinched fingers held up. Honestly, now that she thought about it, Illya wasn't sure if Miyu had referred to her as anything but 'my beloved Illya' since they'd gotten together.
"I guess," Miyu said.
"At least in public," Illya amended. "When we're alone, or maybe just with people who understand, then you can call me whatever you want," Illya let go of Miyu and looked her in the eye with a warm smile, "mein kostbares Kätzchen."
"I really love you a lot, Illya."
"I love you too, Miyu."
And then the two girls kissed. Gently at first, but soon more passionately. Five minutes later, Illya was flat on her back with a tongue in her mouth when she noticed that her door was wide open and her twin was staring at her.
"Mmmph!" She tried to exclaim.
Miyu let up, a brief look of worry on her face until she, too, noticed Chloe. "Good afternoon, Kuro," she greeted like it was perfectly normal to find her girlfriend's magical-clone-slash-original-self spying on them making out.
"K-kuro," a blushing Illya said as she sat up. "How long have you been standing there?"
"Since you called Miyu 'my precious kitten,' " the dark twin said with a cat-like grin. "You two are so adorable."
Within mere moments, Illya had crossed the room and was bopping her sister over the head with a pillow, babbling something about Chloe being a voyeur and a pervert for spying on something private.
"This scenario feels familiar," Miyu said with her usual deadpan. "Oh. Kuro, I've been meaning to thank you."
"For what?" Chloe questioned as she raised a hand to shield herself from her sister's assault.
"Illya is a rather skilled kisser," Miyu explained. "I can't help but feel that her regularly providing you with mana over these past years has given her ample opportunity to practice."
"Anyway," Chloe said, "Mama needs to talk to us, you and me" she gestured to herself and Illya, "about something."
"Okay," Illya said.
And so the two sisters went downstairs, with Miyu following due to a lack of anything else to do, to find Irisviel von Einzbern standing in the living room. Iris proceeded to run at the three girls and grab them all in a giant hug, as though she hadn't seen the two of them within the last hour. The maids, Sella and Lysette, were sweeping the dining room and lounging on the couch, respectively.
"Illya, Chloe," Irisviel said playfully, "I've got good news, more good news, and some bad news."
"Huh? Mama, what's going on?" Illya asked with a hint of concern.
"Oh, it's nothing major," Irisviel reassured as she released her children from her hug, "but Shirou is coming home for a few days, starting the day after Valentine's day, and he's bringing a guest so he's going to need his old room back." Shirou was coming home!? "But… Your father is getting back from his business in France the next day," Illya made a note to avoid international news for a few days, "so Chloe can't sleep with me like when she was younger."
"I don't think there's enough room in Illya's bed for two people to sleep comfortably," Chloe said. Then, suddenly, the look on her face became quite mischievous. "In fact, I'm not sure how Illya and Miyu can manage to do it when Miyu stays over."
Illya blushed. "K-kuro!" she stammered, "why do you have to go and say it like that!?"
"Actually, now that I think about it," Chloe continued, "if Shirou's bringing a guest then one room might not be enough. Miyu," she said as turned to the stoic girl, "you wouldn't mind letting Illya and I crash at your place for a few days, would you?"
"My home is always open to Illya," Miyu said without hesitation.
From the dining room, Sella called out: "I don't think that's a goo-"
"That's a wonderful idea!" Irisviel interrupted. "Thank you, Miyu."
'It's really no problem," Miyu replied.
"Now, Illya, Chloe, your brother gets here the day after Valentine's Day, so you have a little time to get ready. Oh, and that reminds me," Iris said before getting behind Illya and Miyu and hugging them from behind so that their faces were touching her own. "It's going to be your first Valentine's Day as a couple, isn't it? You two should make sure you do something extra special."
"Something extra special..." Miyu said quietly. Then she gasped. "I know just the thing!"
As Miyu freed herself from Irisviel's grasp, Illya's blood ran cold. "Miyu, I-"
"Oh no, Illya, I can't tell you," Miyu said in a complete misunderstanding of Illya, "it would ruin the surprise. I'm afraid I'm going to have to go home early today, I need to make sure I have everything I need. I'll see you tomorrow," Miyu finished. Then she kissed Illya on the cheek and left, leaving Illya stunned in her mother's embrace.
"...Mama," Illya said slowly, "why did you have to encourage her!? Am I the only one who remembers what happened when she panicked and over prepared for our first date?"
Chloe shuddered, and with a look of wide-eyed horror simply declared that: "It was like a zombie movie starring an Idol. And that was before the actual zombies showed up."
"And now I have to worry about whatever over the top things she's planning now," Illya complained.
"...And I'm still not sure which members of the first date protection Squad found out about Magecraft that day..."
"Oopsie," and a giggle hidden by her hand was the only response that Irisviel gave, and a pit formed in Illya's stomach as she realized that her mother had done it on purpose.
"...I almost died of mana deprivation twice with how many arrows I projected. Suzuka is a terrible emergency mana battery…"
Valentine's Day
Miyu had somehow managed to contain what it was that she was doing for the few days between formulating them and had even managed to convince everyone that Illya should start spending the night a day early, so there Illya was, walking across the street to her girlfriend's massive manor for their first Valentine's Day afternoon together as a couple.
She simply let herself, in as she was used to, and called out: "Miyu!?"
"Coming!" the other girl called back. Moments later, Miyu had appeared, but she wasn't what Illya was expecting. She's foregone her normal hair clips in favor of having her long, dark hair pulled back into a tail, and in place of her traditional blouse and slacks, Miyu was wearing…
...A maid's uniform. Not, like a fetishy maid's uniform, not an impractically skimpy french maid outfit, but a proper, practical adorable maid's uniform, not unlike the one that Miyu wore when she worked part-time for Luvia.
And like that, a switch flipped in Illya and the next thing she knew, all of her concerns about the evening had fled from her mind and she had Miyu pinned to the ground.
"I knew you'd like it," Miyu said happily. "I have one in my room for you, too."
Illya was undressed in Miyu's room within a minute. As she gently picked up and admired the super-cute outfit before her brain caught up with her and she started to wonder why Miyu was bringing out the uniforms now.
"Miyu?" Illya asked when her girlfriend entered the room, "what is it that you have planned that needs maid uniforms?"
"Nothing," Miyu answered. "The real surprise is in the kitchen. It's just, I know you like maid uniforms."
"Oh, okay." Illya finished putting on her uniform and then the two matching girls walked, hand in hand, to the manor's kitchen.
Upon the counter were slabs of cooking chocolate, a canister of cocoa powder, butter, some kind of juice, and an extract of some sort. While Illya looked it all over, Miyu retrieved a container of cream from her refrigerator.
"Miyu? What is this?"
"Did your brother teach you about what food and cooking could mean, for the people you care about?" Miyu asked. "My brother taught me how to cook, and told me that cooking was love-that one of the best ways to show your love for someone was to cook something special for them, or to share a meal together." Illya nodded. Her brother, her own Shiro, had told her something similar. "And the tradition for Valentine's day is for girls to make or purchase chocolates to be given to their loved ones, but we're both girls." Miyu gestured to a sheet of paper that Illya hadn't noticed. "I have a recipe for authentic chocolate truffles made from scratch that I haven't gotten a chance to use yet. I had to make some substitutions, because it's very difficult for someone our age to get liquor on short notice, even for cooking, but I figured that maybe the best way to make our first Valentine's Day as a couple together special would be if we shared chocolates that we made together with our own hands." Miyu gave an awkward smile, "Is that okay?"
Illya smiled back. After everything she'd been worried about, this? "This is just perfect, Miyu," she said as she closed the distance for a warm hug that Miyu eagerly returned.