[A/N]: This one may make more sense if you have read the VN/manga. (Meakashi-hen in particular).

Midnight Disturbances

Satoshi rolled over in his bed and tucked himself tighter into the covers, an instinctive attempt to block out the chill of the room. He tried to fall back asleep, but the longer he tried, the more awake he became. When he realized he was consciously telling himself to stop thinking and just go back to sleep already, he knew that his efforts were only doing the opposite. He sighed through his nose and opened his eyes slightly.

Winter had once again come around to Hinamizawa. The dark room was faintly outlined by the night sky peeking in between the curtains, the light softly enhanced as it reflected off the snow outside.

The lack of Shion's breathing had already informed him in his half-awake state, but seeing her side of the futon empty confirmed his wife's absence. Not that it caused him to worry though. Among many other "side-effects", Shion's pregnancy completely disregarded her convenience and could urgently send her to the bathroom no matter the hour. Satoshi had suggested several times they slept downstairs for her sake, but she would only scoff at the idea.

Impulsively, Satoshi reached his hand on her bed. It was still warm. She hadn't been gone long, and would doubtlessly return soon to catch as much rest as she could before the alarm would go off in the morning. After all, she was not quite yet ready for maternity leave – according to herself – working at the clinic as some form of secretary-slash-general maintenance assistant to Irie and his staff. Satoshi was impressed with her for continuously working such long hours, but he trusted that Irie of all people would give her no more than she could handle.

He rolled over again. His gaze fell on the door, a subtle warm light framing its edges. Closing his eyes, he listened in mild anticipation for her footsteps.

But to his surprise, a sudden clattering rose from the kitchen then, as if something had been knocked down or maybe even shattered. He sat himself up straight, more awake than he'd felt in a while, staring at the door and focusing his hearing.

However, no further noise came. A part of him quickly thought he must have drifted off to sleep and imagined it. But the other part of him wasn't satisfied with that explanation, and it sent him to his feet.

Satoshi hastily slid the door open, the light from the hallway blinding him. He winced and squinted as his eyes adjusted, going down the stairs guided more by habit than sight.

Confusion and disbelief then stopped him dead in his tracks the moment he entered the kitchen. What he saw was a scene utterly incomprehensible to him, and he stood for a few quiet seconds as he took it in.

"Shion?" Satoshi finally called breathlessly, looking every bit as puzzled as he felt.

Freezing at his voice, a heavily pregnant Shion lifted her head in his direction, cheeks stuffed with peaches. Her right hand was grasped around a fork, halfway down... a can.

They blinked, both looking at each other in stunned silence. For all the time Satoshi had known her, she had had a vehement opinion on all things canned, to the point that the idea could make her nauseous. He had witnessed her take on three different punishment games simultaneously, an offer by herself just to avoid the one that had her take a bite from a can. He had even seen it all come back up when she'd accidentally eaten a meal that turned out to consist partly of canned ingredients. She had scolded him any time she'd seen him put cans in the basket when they went shopping, and so, he had learned to shop alone and hide away canned foods if he wanted something that just so happened to be conveniently sealed as such.

He had never quite understood why canned foods made her feel so sick, but at least he had come to accept and respect that that was just a part of her.

But here she stood. In the dead of night, with several cupboards left open from her hunt, with a can of fruit that he had bought for himself.

Shion finally frowned and chewed down on the sweet fruit. "Shut up."

"I… didn't say anything–"

"Silence." Shion turned her head away from him and pulled up another half peach with her fork, throwing it in her mouth with no apparent qualms.

"Um… Are you okay–"

"Not another damn word." Shion hissed at him with her mouth half-full, while she tilted the can over the sink, draining it for the last few drops as she'd finished its contents. She then put the empty can beside the sink as a problem to deal with later and closed the cupboards.

She turned on her heel and went in Satoshi's direction without looking at him.

"But, Shion. You've always been so against canned food," Satoshi said as she passed him and he turned to follow her.

"Yeah, well," Shion muttered, getting onto the stairs. "Your son clearly has bad taste."

A wry smile curved Satoshi's lips as he chuckled softly to himself. He wasn't sure if it made him a tad callous, but he couldn't help finding her sullen moodiness amusing. They didn't speak as they went back up to the bedroom, and Shion dismissed his wordless offer to help her down onto the futon. Carefully, she got herself into bed, laying on her left side with a supporting pillow under her swollen abdomen. Satoshi joined her, facing her as he did, and both were once again tucked under their warm blanket.

He reached his hand out to her, and she calmly accepted his gentle caress as he petted her head. She was soon lulled to sleep in his comfort, Satoshi silently beaming with love and bliss. The cold of winter couldn't diminish the peaceful warmth they shared.

The new chapter of their life wasn't far away now.

[30. September 2021] Thanks for reading. 3
I hope you enjoyed this little piece. Let me know if you have any thoughts or feedback to share, I always read and reply.
Have a good weekend.
- Xanquine