Hey guys! I know that I usually update my other GE story around this time of the week, but I'm putting it on hold just a little longer until I have time to write more. In exchange for the holdup, I'm posting this special oneshot that I worked on... like... maybe a month ago? Or two maybe? Well, at least it's here now and on the same day (according to my timezone) as the GE2 protagonist's birthday!
The story takes place some time after ReO's timeline at year 2083, so there characters will be aged up here. I can't read Japanese much so I unfortunately can't put some of ReO's story elements that I can't confirm, so yeah... and there's something else I want to mention about the timeline, though that's gonna be a bit of spoiler for the games. One more thing I can say though is that the relationships are already established.
The ever exciting disclaimer: I don't own GE, because if I do, the events in this story will most likely be in the game, the spinoffs, or any other canon media content.
Now, on with the story!
Birthday Surprise
An audible sigh was heard coming from the vice captain of Blood, getting her teammatesʼ attention. The team was only a group of four people for a few days of survival missions and the unusual loud sigh had prompted the three members to stop the camp preparation they were doing.
Ciel had finished her report to the Den when she got the news of another emergency that her team had to stay out for another day. She had wished to return as soon as she could, but she couldnʼt let her personal desires get in the way of her responsibility as a God Eater. Rushing through the job wouldnʼt be a good option either after a rough battle that day.
The silver-haired God Eater looked down at the tablet in her hand with the content of a recent message still shown on the screen.
"It's okay, I understand. Be sure to come home safely, okay?"
A sudden touch on her shoulder had almost made her drop the phone from surprise.
"Is everything okay, Vice Captain?" Holding on to the device firmly, the vice captain turned to see Livie looking at her in worry. "If thereʼs something I can do to help, please donʼt hesitate to ask."
Ciel looked over her shoulder and saw the two men in the team were also looking at her direction. Gil was in the middle of tuning his God Arc when he stopped and Julius was putting up a tent. The looks on their faces had told her what was on her mind, which made it harder for her to ask.
"Itʼs gotta be because of his birthday tomorrow, right?" the dark brunette asked before he continued tweaking his Arc. "All of us have been in the same team for years that itʼs getting pretty obvious that you want us to be back in time."
"T-Thatʼs–"
"You clearly looked disappointed when you told us that we have another emergency mission to take care of," Julius let out a chuckle as he finished the setup. "The captain certainly wouldnʼt mind if we come to the party a little later tomorrow when we have important duties to attend to."
They had duties, yes. It was her responsibility to finish the mission, but she couldnʼt help but feel disappointed. She wanted to be there to celebrate his birthday for most of the day. It was one chance of spending some rare quality time with him.
The scythe wielder noticed the growing frown on her face, prompting her to think of an efficient plan for a quick return. Leaving the vice captain in her thoughts for a moment, Livie reached for her own tablet as she reviewed the additional mission details. It only took her a few moments before she looked up once more and checked her surroundings as an idea came into her mind.
"I might have a good plan for the next mission to cut down the operation time."
It was no longer an early morning for him anymore. The day starting without his wife by his side to wake him up early even during his days off had allowed him to sleep in longer, though much longer than he had expected. He would've been still rolling in bed after staying up late to play old video games that Kota had found, but his rumbling stomach had pulled him out of the covers.
His drowsiness made him fail to notice as he walked through the unusually empty lobby and towards the lounge to get something to eat. The usually most well-lit and lively room in the entire Den was dark as he entered, which had finally got his full attention.
"Wait," the brunette stopped in his tracks and looked around the quiet and dark room. "Is there a blackout–"
"SURPRISE!"
He jumped in surprise from the shouts as the curtains opened, allowing the daylight to shine on the crowd in the lounge. Confettis popped on his left and right sides as a banner was spread above the curtains when they opened.
"W-What…?" Hiro left speechless with the crowd of people in the room, but the letters on the better had glued a smile on his face. "Is this supposed to be my birthday surprise?"
An arm around his shoulder had prompted him to turn, meeting face-to-face with the grinning blond of his team. "Well, who else is the Blood Captain named Hiro whose birthday is on November 14?"
Hiro let out a laugh, confirming the answer to his previous question, though the answer itself was obvious enough without asking. His identity was already on the banner next to the 'happy birthday' greeting, though with his name and his title being written alternatively and crossed out until the banner maker settled on having both his name and his title as Blood Captain on it. He hadnʼt expected the surprise party, but he had no intention on cancelling it in any way.
Familiar faces he didnʼt get the chance to see very often were in the room, giving him birthday wishes as they enjoyed the party. Lindow had brought over his entire family including Ren, who was pretty attached to basically anyone. Yuu had returned from his Cradle business as well for the party with Alisa clinging to his side most of the time. Other than his friends and people he had met in the Den, other veteran God Eaters were also present even if he had never seen them before.
What surprised him more was the presence of the manager and singer pair whom he hadnʼt met in months due to their busy schedules by the bar. He responded to the singerʼs shy wave with another wave as he walked over to them. He could see that Yuno was about to start a conversation with him as he approached the pair, only to be interrupted by her manager.
"Long time no see, Captain!" Satsuki had stood up and gave the captain a light slap on his shoulder. "I hope youʼre happy that I cancelled all of Yunoʼs concerts today just so that we can both come to your party!"
"S-Satsuki! Please donʼt tell him that!" Yuno scolded, though nervously, earning the laughs of both her manager and the captain.
"You donʼt really need to come if youʼre busy, but I appreciate it that you two take the time to come all the way here," Hiro took the seat next to Yuno with a smile. "Or I guess… Romeo kinda forced you to come and sing here?"
The singer nodded and smiled before she looked over to the couch area where some of the guys were gathering to play games. "It was both Romeo and Kota who asked me to hold a small concert here, for your birthday."
"I donʼt think spamming your inbox with more than ten emails counts as asking," Satsuki added in a sarcastic tone as she was looking around the lounge. "Other than Romeo, whereʼs the rest of your team?"
"Well, theyʼre–"
"Captaaaiiin!"
The faint sound of footsteps coming from behind him had caught the captainʼs attention as he turned around mid sentence. Just as he was about to find out who was calling for him, he was tackled back into the bar table with the hammer wielder of his team glomping him in excitement.
"H-Hey! Nana!" Hiro was struggling under Nana as she couldnʼt contain her own excitement. The captain wasn't upset with her gesture, judging from the smile he had as his face was forced onto the bar because of the extra weight on his back.
The scene had brought laughter to the singerʼs face, completely obvious to the absence of her manager. While he liked making jokes on a daily basis, he wasnʼt actively trying to make Yuno laugh at that moment. The two assumed that Nana was being her energetic self and acting like she and the captain were siblings playing around until the excitement had him turned around to face the hammer wielderʼs cheery look.
"Guess whoʼs coming back soon?" It was a question that Nana had asked him, but as he opened his mouth to try and guess the answer, she continued, "Gil told me by mail that theyʼre on their way back and will be in time for the party!"
Hiro couldnʼt hold back a smile after hearing the news, but he did recall that Ciel had told him about the extended mission. Had they finished the mission already? He was still happy to have his whole team, especially his wife, present on his birthday, but he wasnʼt sure how to feel if they sacrificed a mission just for his sake. But knowing Ciel, messing up a mission objective was almost impossible.
It had been a rather quiet ride in the helicopter for the past hour as the four members of Blood were recovering from the adrenaline rush they had. The mission had gone quickly and efficiently, though their stamina was put into a test as their target, the Kyuubi, kept on moving around. With the plan Livie had thought up before, the mission was a quick success with no casualties.
A single beep came from Gil's phone, breaking the silence in the helicopter. The sound didnʼt distract the three from the activities they were doing, as Julius and Livie were keeping watch around the helicopter and Ciel was working on the report on her tablet.
A smile formed on the dark brunetteʼs face as he leaned back on his seat next to Julius. "Nana finally replied after I told her that weʼre heading back soon. Romeo was probably too busy with games or something in the party that he didnʼt bother looking at his mails."
"That should be good enough. Some way or the other, we need to report our early return to the team," the vice captain responded with a smile. "I shall take care of the report once we return to the branch, so all of you can go ahead to the party."
Just as they mentioned about the report, the three looked at her almost in unison. The sudden stare had become unsettling until Julius broke the silence with a chuckle.
"You didnʼt read through the entire mission application form, did you?" the blond asked and as if on cue, Livie had handed him the mentioned form. "You signed the form not as the person in charge, but rather as the vice captain who agreed on the authority transfer for the mission."
The vice captain stared at him with a puzzled look. He handed over the form without another word and she read it thoroughly. She realized that it wasnʼt a mission application form, but it was an authority transfer form. Despite how she was thorough in everything, she was ashamed of herself that she couldnʼt tell the difference between the two types of forms.
"This… this was actually my plan," the scythe user admitted. "You have been spacing out for the past few days as his birthday was drawing near, so I guess it's best for me to take over your duties in this mission."
Ciel was left speechless, though she couldnʼt deny that she hadnʼt been feeling like herself for a while. She was both excited and anxious about his birthday, as it would be the first time celebrating it after their marriage. She was trying to come up with a gift other than her usual crafted bullets, but she couldnʼt figure out anything good enough for him.
"Letʼs just everything over it and get to the party quick," Gil sounded impatient as he leaned against the helicopterʼs window. "I still owe Romeo a rematch in a billiard game."
Julius nodded in agreement, "Yes, although I need to check on the crops before heading for the party. Director Sakaki told me that he needed me to check something in the fields."
"I shall head to the party as soon as Iʼm finished with the report," Livie gave Ciel a warm smile. "You and Gil can go ahead without us. Iʼm sure that our captain is looking forward to seeing you back for his party."
The vice captain had avoided the othersʼ gazes as she was still feeling embarrassment whenever the topic of her relationship was mentioned. Even so, she was happy that her team was considerate enough to think about their personal lives.
"Y-Yes, thank you and Iʼm sorry for the trouble."
The team of four made their way through the Den, separating into their own ways for their own business they had. Julius had taken another helicopter to the fields once he had stored his God Arc and Livie had left for the directorʼs office for the report. Ciel and Gil were the only ones left as they headed for the lounge silently with some music being heard louder and louder as they were approaching the lounge.
The dark brunette had made his way towards the door, but the vice captain was standing still. She had made it back, but her days of thinking for a gift only ended up with empty hands. He had never asked anyone, not even her, for a gift, saying that their well-being had always been a valuable gift for him.
He had been so kind to everyone he met and it was his kindness which made her fall for him in the first place. She wished that she could give him a good gift to show him how much she loved him in return, but she still couldnʼt think of anything. Worse, she was afraid that he became disappointed in her when she found out that his own wife was the only one who hadnʼt given him a present.
"Hey," Cielʼs train of thoughts were interrupted abruptly as Gil popped his head from the loungeʼs doors, "You coming?"
The vice captain quickly nodded, following him to the unusually crowded lounge. Most God Eaters of the Far East were present, knowing that her husband had helped many people of the branch. He cared for many people and he was getting the same treatment in return. Their biggest present for him would be the birthday party.
She looked around the lounge, which was decorated for the party, though she was a little disappointed that she hadn't been a part of it. Romeo had insisted that he and Kota handled the party preparations themselves and she admitted that they had done a good job at it. It was a lively party and everyone was having a good time either dancing, playing games, or having a billiard match by the pool table.
The vice captain was planning to enjoy the party, though she wanted to find the birthday person to say her greetings directly, even if she could just do it later when they went back to their room. She looked around for her favorite brunette and her search came into a stop when she heard his laugh. With a smile on her face, she turned to the direction where the voice had come from, but her heart sank at the sight in front of her.
He was dancing with Yuno along with other God Eater couples, laughing as they did so. She had nothing against the singer and she had always considered her to be a close friend, but she couldn't deny how much it hurt her to see how they were enjoying each other's company. She was aware of Yuno's affection towards her husband, but the singer had told her that she would no longer think of being with him once he already had someone else in mind.
So many questions about how they got into that situation ran into her mind, but it never crossed her mind to bring up any of them. Her heels had turned away from them as she sped through the room and towards the door. So many questions were left unanswered, but the pain in her heart was too unbearable for her to stay and listen to what they had to say. She couldn't understand why she felt that way, but it hurt so much.
"H-Hey, uh…" Hiro had stopped following the singer's dance steps as his eyes were fixed on the door. "I thought that I saw Ciel just now…"
Yuno had looked around the room, seeing that most of the Blood members were already present in the room. Gil and Romeo were having a heated match by the pool table as Livie and Yuu were keeping watch of the match. Julius was talking with the other members of Cradle as they were enjoying their drinks, while Nana was filling herself with various dishes by the bar area. Ciel, however, was nowhere to be seen.
"I can see the other Blood members are already here," the singer told him about her finding. "Didn't you mention that she was supposed to be back today by noon?"
The brunette responded with a nod and let go of her hands, "Yeah, and I can see that Gil is already back too… Did she go out for some fresh air or something? I thought that Livie was going to handle the report for her so she can come here a bit earlier…"
Yuno went back to look around the area and saw that the lounge door was closing. Someone had just left the area, but it didn't look like someone in the lounge had gone missing. She could assume that Blood's vice captain had been there for a moment, but left for reasons she couldn't think of. Once she looked back at the confused brunette, a possibility, which might not be a good one, came into her mind.
"I think I'm gonna look–"
"I-I'm sorry, but I need to go somewhere else for a moment," Yuno quickly interrupted before giving Hiro a light bow. "Please wait here and enjoy your party, Captain."
Before the captain could respond, the singer had run from his side and headed for the door.
"I haven't got the chance to thank her…"
She couldn't understand why she was feeling both upset and hurt at the same time when she saw them. Yuno was her friend and not just her, but she was also a good friend to everyone in Blood. When she had seen them enjoying a moment together, she couldn't help but feel hurt and that she wanted to run away, even if she couldn't completely comprehend the reason for how she felt. Was this kind of feeling a normal occurrence in a married life?
The vice captain looked back at the elevator across the room as she tried relaxing herself by the couches of the Den's lobby. She had initially looked forward to seeing him and spending his special day together, but now she didn't feel like going back to the party. She felt that she wanted to be on her own as negative thought started clouding her mind. She didn't want to think badly of her friend or her husband, but she just couldn't remove the scene she had seen before from her head.
"C-Ciel? Are you okay?" the sniper looked up from the mention of her name, looking up at the singer standing in front of her with a worried look. "Um… The captain is looking forward to seeing you."
Ciel turned away to avoid her gaze as she put on her stoic face, "I can still see him later tonight. There's no need to see him immediately."
"Is… is that so?" the singer sounded disappointed hearing her response, but instead of leaving the vice captain to herself, Yuno took a seat right across her. "He looked excited when he heard the news that your team was returning early from your mission."
Ciel still refused to look up at her, turning her head to the side as she was insistent on avoiding the singer's gaze, "I'm sorry Yuno, but would you please leave me alone for a moment?"
She could probably bear other people's presence nearby, but not Yuno's or Hiro's. There was something within her which made her uncomfortable being with the singer presently, but Yuno had no intention of leaving her alone. She had stolen glances and she could see that the singer was still sitting across her, refusing to move. She wouldn't want to act rude just to keep her away, especially when she couldn't understand what was bothering her in the first place.
"Is that jealousy I sense here?"
The sound of a different woman nearby had surprised both of them, realizing as they weren't the only ones in the lobby. An older woman with short dark hair and a green dress was standing by the couches, giving the younger women a smile.
"Ah, it's been quite a while, Sakuya," Yuno stood up and greeted politely. "Did you come for the party as well?"
Sakuya gave her a nod and casually took the empty seat next to Ciel, "Of course, Romeo and Kota invited everyone to the party, after all. I was going out for a bit to tell Director Sakaki to be a little more strict with the beer rations, especially when Lindow is involved."
"Ah, I see…" Yuno joined the older woman in a small laughter.
The vice captain turned to the older woman next to her as the question she asked before was still lingering in her mind, "Excuse me, Sakuya, but would you mind repeating the question you asked before?"
"Oh, you mean about the jealousy part?" Sakuya responded with a smile. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but after hearing many things surrounding the two of you and the Blood Captain from a trustworthy source, I think you're just feeling a little jealous."
Ciel had heard about the term as she had tried learning about relationships through various books, but she didn't expect that would be feeling it as well. She had learned that it would cause problems in a relationship to the point that it could even break one. Would it mean that her jealousy had started causing cracks in their new married life?
"I don't know what you're thinking, but from the shocked look on your face…" Sakuya was looking at her as the older woman looked like she was trying to read her, "I don't think it's a bad case… Well, at least you're handling it a lot better than most women…"
Yuno looked like she had expected that kind of answer as well, especially when she was aware of the possible cause, "I'm… sorry… It was my fault…"
"Yuno…?" the vice captain finally looked at her, though with a puzzled look.
"I'm… he… told me not to tell you everything, but I can say that he really cares about you," the singer gave Ciel a sad smile. "I asked him to think of a topic for us to talk about as we waited for your team's return, but for me, it was a rather awkward conversation when he talks so much about you."
That was something the vice captain hadn't expected to hear. He would have some other topics to talk about, so why did she become the main topic of their conversation?
"He was grateful to have you by his side," the singer continued. "I have to admit that I feel a little jealous for a moment when he spoke so highly of you both as a vice captain and a wife. He said that he couldn't ask for a better wife than you."
It was almost like a confession, but he said it behind her back. He often told her how much he loved her, but he never told her why he thought about her that much. Perhaps it was because she had never asked him about it and she didn't really feel the need to question him. He had never betrayed anyone and she believed that he wouldn't turn his back on her for any reason. Yet, that jealousy had taken over and knowing everything up to this point would make it harder for her to face him.
She knew that he had done so much for her, even before she knew what friendship meant to her and the rest of Blood. He was willing to become her very first friend without question, to the point that he would even risk everything just to save her life. He was the first person to give everything for her and he was also the only person who would sit down and listen to her talking all day about bullet customization.
He had given her attention when others wouldn't and he was her bridge to connect with the rest of Blood and eventually, the entire Far East Branch. She could no longer imagine how her life would turn out if she hadn't met him, or even if she could still live until present day. He had given her so much, but she couldn't think of anything she had given him in return.
Even if he wasn't expecting anything in return from her, it didn't feel right to her.
A comforting hand on her shoulder had snapped her back to reality and Ciel looked at the older woman as she was smiling at her, "It's normal to be jealous, okay? It's another part of living as a person and it's not always a bad thing. Maybe it's just showing you what you truly want or the important things you're forgetting in your life with him."
The vice captain only responded with a silent nod as the slight feeling of relief wasn't enough to cover for her sense of guilt. Even if feeling jealous was still a new experience for her, it didn't erase the fact that she wasn't thinking straight. She might've been exhausted that her mind went where it wasn't supposed to be, but she didn't feel like she had the right to blame anyone but herself.
"Well," Sakuya had clapped her hands together rather loudly, surprising the younger women. "I think my job in resolving this misunderstanding is done by Yuno in the end, so I'll take my leave and make sure my husband's drinking habit is under control."
The older woman left without another word, leaving the two back in temporary silence. The air between them had lightened up once the misunderstanding between them had been cleared up, but Ciel had no plans on moving from her seat just yet. Yuno, however, had decided to stand up.
"You should go and see him," the singer told her. "I'm sure he's going to be very happy to see you there."
It would still feel awkward for her to just walk in and go over to him after what happened, but she was planning on making it up to him in some way.
The vice captain shook her head as she responded with a smile, "It's fine. I'll see him later to celebrate his birthday, but I need some time to prepare… and perhaps someone else from the lounge to help."
"If it's fine with you, I can offer you my help," Yuno's sense of guilt had been washed away as the vice captain had softened compared to the look she had before and the smile had returned to her face. "I can call that person to meet you here."
Ciel gave her a nod in response, "Thank you. If you don't mind, would you please call Mutsumi for me?"
The sun was setting in the distance, turning the blue sky into an orange color. The party was already over and the people were heading back to their own dorms or to hang out around the lobby as a few left were cleaning up the leftovers. The captain himself wasn't an exception to this, despite earning the protest from the other God Eaters as he was supposed to be the one celebrating his special day rather than being in cleanup duty.
As he was cleaning up the floor, Hiro would look back at the door, expecting a certain silver-haired God Eater to come through the door and greet him. He wouldn't complain if she was busy with her work, but he was a little sad that while everyone came to celebrate with him, his wife was nowhere to be seen. While he could see her in their room later on, but he wished to spend more time with her on his birthday.
A pat on the back had snapped him back from his thoughts as Romeo walked past him, "Hey, we can take care of the rest of the cleaning here. Why don't you head back to your room and get some rest?"
Hiro looked back at the people left in the room, which basically consisted of the other Blood members along with Cradle. There were enough people on cleanup duty before dinner, so it wouldn't be too much of a burden if he left early. Gil had taken the mop of his hands, giving him the ticket to go back to the dorm without complaints.
As the brunette was walking through the lobby, his eyes wandered around for any signs of his wife. Ciel was nowhere to be seen all day even after her deployed team's return hours before. He was afraid that he had done something wrong and that she was upset with him, though he wouldn't think that she was the kind of person who would keep her anger to herself. Or at least, not anymore.
He stopped in front of the room he shared with her, sighing as he couldn't find her. When he entered the passcode for the door, he realized that the keys weren't responding to his input and that the door wasn't locked. He rushed into the room and he was met with the blue eyes which had belonged to the one person he had been looking for all day.
"Y-You're early…" Ciel looked shocked at his unexpected arrival as she slowly stood up from her seat on the couch.
Hiro quickly ran over to her side and wrapped her in a tight hug, "Where have you been all day?! You didn't show up at the party when the others came!"
The brunette didn't want to sound too upset, though he felt a little disappointed to see her alone in their room when she could've come to his party. He wanted to hold her for a few moments longer, but her small hands had gently pushed him away as she hung her head low.
"I'm sorry… but…" the vice captain held her arm nervously as she kept avoiding his eyes. "I… I want you to meet me in the lounge tonight, after everyone has left the room."
"What–"
Ciel quickly took his hand for a quick squeeze before she left the room, leaving the brunette in even more confusion. One thing he was certain was that she was most likely not mad at him, but it would be nice of her to tell her what was going on.
Hiro didn't see his wife the entire dinner time anywhere. He quickly finished his meal, which was the usual ration pack, as Mutsumi was also missing from the lounge. Once the rest of his team members bid their goodbyes after dinner, the brunette stayed in the lounge until everyone finished their meals and left the room.
It was quiet, completely different compared to the lounge during the day. From how much the others enjoyed the party, he could tell that they had pretty rough times with the missions and didn't get much chance to relax. He could understand the situation though, as his team was also busy for most days and parties like his would be their rare chance to take a break and wind up from their risky work.
The brunette could count by hand the quality times he had with Ciel before they were married, with the fact that they were the ones leading the team. He had sometimes wished that they had some more time to spend together as a couple outside of work, but it couldn't be helped when there were a lot of people still needing their help. He couldn't just put his personal wishes over people's safety and he knew that Ciel would have the same thought.
He had been looking forward to his birthday for that reason, though he didn't even have the chance to talk to her that much in the end. He let out a disappointed sigh as he leaned back on the couch, closing his eyes as he was trying to get some quick nap and ignored the shuffling sounds he heard.
A pair of soft hands suddenly grabbed his face and when the brunette opened his eyes, his smiling wife was standing behind the couch he sat on.
"I'm sorry for the wait," Ciel spoke softly before she walked around the couch and made her way towards the bar, which had something he remembered not being there moments ago. "Please come over here. I have something to give you."
Hiro stretched out his arms with a yawn as he followed her and sat by the bar. The vice captain sat closely next to him and slid a plate to his side, "Is this chocolate cake?"
"Yes," she responded shyly as her usual nervous gesture of putting a hand on her arm came into play. "I-I asked Mutsumi to teach me how to make it a-and it's my first time making it, so… I'm sorry if it doesn't taste any good…"
The brunette had watched her as she lowered her head, trying to hide her face from him. He decided not to bother her for the time being and tried the cake she had made for him. He hadn't expected her to make something other than custom bullets for him, but he was happy enough that she took the time to make it.
Hiro took the first bite as Ciel was trying to see his reaction and apparently, a single bite wasn't enough to satisfy him. She watched as he devoured the whole cake within seconds with a smile on his face. The plate was left clean and the brunette was happy with what he had just eaten.
"It was so good!" he told her in excitement. "I like how it's not too sweet, but I can still feel the taste of the chocolate itself!"
The vice captain let out a smile, feeling relieved that her birthday present turned out to be better than she had originally thought. It was the least she could do for him after the misunderstanding that he had better off not knowing, but she was still feeling curious about one more thing. When she looked at him, she could tell that he had picked up that something was off with her.
"Hey, something wrong?" the captain asked with a slightly worried tone. "If you're afraid of me being upset for you not showing up to the party… I guess the cake is enough to make up for it."
She didn't respond immediately, but the silence she was giving him had made him more worried that he had said something stupid. He gently took her hands in his as he tried looking into her eyes, only for her to look away from him.
"I… saw you dancing with Yuno earlier today…" Ciel spoke up softly. "You two looked like you were having fun…"
"Oh…"
Was that the reason why she was avoiding him for almost the entire day? He wasn't planning on cheating on her at all when he had a reason for the dance. Especially when he wasn't even a dancer in the first place.
Ciel refused to look at him for a moment, but Hiro got her attention when he slid off his seat. He gave her a bow, which had both surprised and confused her, "I know that I can't dance, so I wanted Yuno to teach me how," He offered her his hand as he looked up at her with a smile. "I'm still not too confident with my dancing skills, but I want to learn how to do it so I can dance with you."
The vice captain looked at him in surprise with some more added spice of guilt. She had thought that he was having fun with the singer when she wasn't around, when he was actually trying to learn to dance. Neither of them could dance, so she had never thought that he was trying to learn just to have a dance with her. While she was happy for keeping her in his thoughts, she still had a hint of guilt from her unwanted jealousy.
Ciel looked back and forth between his face and his hand, thinking that she would feel more guilty if she didn't take his offer. She ignored the rising temperature of her face as she took his hand with a shy smile, "I-It would be my pleasure."
The clicking sound of her heels and his shoes echoed in the empty room as they danced without any music to go along with their dance. Their eyes never left each other as they twirled around the room, feeling like they had the world to themselves. The quality time they spent together was short, but it was meaningful.
Their dance ended as they held their hands together firmly with their eyes locked in loving gazes. Their faces were only inches apart as they were giving into each other, but a quick realization hit the vice captain as she gently pushed her husband back. The gesture had him puzzled as she looked around the room while still blushing madly.
"W-We're in a public place," Ciel stuttered nervously as she turned her face away from him. "I'm… still not comfortable enough for a public display of affection more than this…"
Hiro was still holding her firmly as he looked around the lounge, though he was very much aware that the two of them were the only ones left. He gave her a smile as he gently held her face, turning it so that she was looking at him once more, "We're the only ones here, so doesn't the lounge right now count as a private place?"
The look in her eyes told him that he was correct, even though he knew that she wished to have a moment with him in their dorm instead. It was that thought which gave him an idea to tease her a little bit.
"If you're worried about something else, then I guess I'll assure you that in private places outside our dorm, it won't get farther than a few kisses," Hiro could see that his teasing had got her face even redder, giving him the sign that she was aware what he had meant, "Unless you want to go a bit–"
Before the brunette could even finish his sentence, the vice captain had pulled him into a kiss. His lips still had some traces of chocolate flavor on it, but it wasn't the only thing she had felt. His warmth around her was enough to tell her how much she meant to him and how he would never let her go for anyone else. She was his only love and she was happy to know that fact.
They slowly broke apart and put their foreheads together as they gasped for air while staying close to each other. Hiro had put a hand under her chin, lifting it up slightly so that their eyes met once more to give her a loving smile, "I can't ask for a better wife than you, Ciel."
The brunette's hand slowly went to cup the side of her face and she responded by putting a hand over it, "The feeling is mutual… Happy birthday Hiro…"
The two shared another quick kiss before they slowly let their hands fall to their sides. Ciel closed the distance between them once more, hugging his arm as she leaned against his shoulder.
"Come on, let's go back to our room. You must be tired from the long missions for the past few days," he told her in a whisper, getting a nod in response.
The vice captain took a shy glance at him before she let his arm go and walked a few steps ahead of him, "T-There's still some work to be done…"
Hiro paused in his place, seeing that Ciel also did the same thing in front of him. He could slightly see her blushing face before she started walking again, but at a faster pace. It took him a few seconds to register what she had meant and his face turned red after realization finally hit him.
"S-So that's… what you mean…"
Author's note:
I'm leaving the ending just like that, even if it's pretty obvious what's going to happen next. I'll just leave it like that so I don't need to increase the rating even more.
So, that's pretty much everything I have for an idea I suddenly had in the middle of the night and I remember writing everything from start to finish until it was like 4 in the morning. It was until either Saturday or Sunday morning, though I don't really remember.
I feel like writing more like this, like birthday stories or probably just the daily life of God Eaters around the same timeline, just... probably not this month. I do have yet another GE2-centric stories, which is another AU and the other one is in GE universe, but I can't promise you guys when I'll start with those. The AU might come sooner, along with my ongoing military AU and editing the story I'm currently writing for this year's NaNoWriMo. It's not for GE because the new idea came a few days too late that I've decided on another fandom, but I guess I'll do another special WriMo to write another GE story.
Well guys, I hope you all enjoy this story and I'll see you guys next time!
Additional but unimportant comment: have I mentioned how much I hate having to confirm the guidelines for every new story? It's not that much work, but I just don't like how I need to confirm every time I post a new one because I don't post new stories that often when it can be limited to every update to the guidelines.