Author's Note: My apologies for the delay with this chapter. I hope it's worth the wait, though!
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Title: Album
Rating: K+
Chapter 7: The Little Things
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The sixth page of the album shows a picture of a Christmas tree set up in the living room, with a few presents beneath it. Kiyoran is sniffing at one of the presents, as if he smells something interesting inside.
Natsuki was feeling spoiled today. She hadn't celebrated Christmas in a long time, and so she'd almost forgotten about it. She was just thankful that Shizuru had recommend that she and Natsuki get a gift for Chisato and her dogs. If that incident hadn't jogged her memory, it was quite likely that Natsuki would have been caught completely unawares by the holiday, and more importantly, by the need to get something for Shizuru.
Coming up with even one gift for Shizuru was difficult, but since her birthday was so close to Christmas, Natsuki had already used up all of her good ideas for it. Thankfully, Shizuru seemed to pick up on this fact, and she'd let Natsuki know that she didn't need to go all out for Christmas. Even so, Natsuki felt a bit guilty about not doing something special, and so she'd gone on a search of every shop in Fuuka until she'd found something Shizuru might like: a small, purple, four-headed stuffed hydra. It wasn't quite Kiyohime, but it was frankly a miracle to get even this close with a plushie.
Shizuru had practically squealed in joy when she unwrapped the plushie. The way she immediately hugged it to her chest caused Natsuki to smile despite herself. Shizuru was indeed silly, but Natsuki found herself loving Shizuru for it. She leaned over and planted a kiss on Shizuru's cheek, whispering words of love to Shizuru, which were soon returned.
Kiyoran was up next. Chisato (and apparently her own puppies) had bought him some new toys, which were labelled as "stuffing-free." Given the way the teething puppy worked through everything he could get his mouth on, this seemed to be perfect for him. Also included with the toys was a new rawhide bone, which would probably last him two days at most, by Natsuki's estimation, but that was fine; it was Christmas after all. Shizuru and Natsuki had gotten him a more practical present for Christmas: a new, adult-sized collar, plus some winter-wear for the coming cold days. Shizuru seemed quite happy with the gift, and proud of how their puppy was growing up, even if Kiyoran seemed to care more about his new bone.
It was Natsuki's gifts that really made the day, though. The first was a brown stuffed puppy, which made Natsuki chuckle at the fact that Shizuru had had a similar idea to her. The second present from Shizuru was a copy of the video game she'd been gawking at for months, and had only avoided buying after some not-so-subtle hints from Shizuru. Natsuki grinned at this, and leaned over to give Shizuru another kiss in thanks. It was the present after that that really made her feel spoiled, though: A brand-new smartphone. Natsuki's eyes opened wide as she stared at it, thinking about just how expensive it must have been. "Shi... zuru... you didn't have to..."
Shizuru smiled softly at Natsuki. "I believe that one's from my parents, actually," she said. "My father can get good deals on new phones that his company makes parts for, so he always likes to spoil me with the newer models. This just means he now considers you part of the family as well."
"...O-oh..." Natsuki said weakly, staring at the phone. She'd only met Kenichi Fujino a couple of times, when he and his wife had come to Fuuka to visit Shizuru. She hadn't really thought she'd made that much of an impression on him, but it wasn't as if she was paying that much attention to his reactions. She was mostly just trying to get through the visits without embarrassing herself or Shizuru, and so she didn't waste any effort trying to try to gauge the reaction of Shizuru's parents.
She must have done a good job though, and impressed them somehow, if they were considering her family now. Family... Natsuki blinked, trying to keep tears from coming to her eyes. She turned back to the Christmas tree and pulled out the final present, needing some distraction before she lost control of herself. It was a small box, and Natsuki didn't have any idea what could be in it. The thought of a ring briefly crossed her mind, but Shizuru probably would find another occasion for that if that were the case.
Natsuki blinked as she opened the box. A key? She pulled it out of the box and looked at it, reading the tag that had come attached: "Fujino residence."
"Shizuru...?" Natsuki said, her heart beating in her chest as she stared at this key.
"It's for my parents' home," Shizuru said. She moved over and wrapped an arm around Natsuki's shoulders, then leaned down and planted a kiss on Natsuki's cheek. "My mother wanted me to tell you, you'll always have a home with her and my father. She says – and these are her words – she knows how happy you've made me, and she can never thank you enough. This may not be much, but..."
"No," Natsuki said. It was no use now. Tears had begun to flow from her eyes, and there was just no stopping them. She forced herself to keep her eyes open and looked at Shizuru. "It is. It's everything. I... I have a family again..."
Natsuki wrapped her arms tightly around Shizuru. She wouldn't let go for anything at this moment, and if she had her way, she'd never be without Shizuru for the rest of her life. In the back of her mind, the decision was made.
