Moonlightjinko

5 May, 8:07pm

“Finally home!” Atsushi sinks into the sofa,letting out a contented sigh. He hears his girlfriend busying herself in the kitchen, the clinks and occasional thuds the only sounds in the apartment.

“Kyouka-chan?” He calls softly. The noise stops momentarily and he hears her soft “yeah”.

“Can you come here first?”

“Mm, one minute.”

Atsushi pushes himself off the sofa. Kyouka’s soft humming fills the little space between them, pulling him toward her, a note by a note. He reaches her and in a swift and gentle motion, wraps his arms around her waist. So close to the nape of her neck, he inhales the sweet floral scent that she always wears - the perfume that he had given her for Valentine’s Day. He feels her relaxing into his embrace, and the bento boxes she has been washing slip to the bottom of the sink.

“I’ll do it for you later. Take off the gloves and come with me.”

Kyouka lets out a small chuckle and turns her head slightly to look at him. “I can’t make the birthday boy do this. I’ll come over soon, just be patient.”

At her words, Atsushi rests his head on her shoulder. “Please?” He turns his puppy eyes on her, hoping she would soften and give in.

Kyouka purses her lip, insistent. With a small “hmm”, he releases his hold around her and slips his hand into the gloves. He entwines his fingers with hers, a cheeky grin on his face.  Atsushi turns his puppy eyes on her again and finally, after a few minutes, she relents. Her rosy pink lips part in a sweet smile and taking her hint, he slips his right hand out to pull off the gloves.

With her fingers out of the gloves, she wove his fingers into his. A grin tugs the corner of his lips at the gentle squeeze of her hands, as she leads him to the sofa. He follows after her, his eyes following the sway of her hips as she waltzes through the room on the balls of her feet. A laugh bubbles out of her as their eyes meet, before he hurriedly turns away with a blush creeping up his face.

Atsushi feels her tender touch on his face, and her hands move ever so gently to turn his face back to her. She has pulled herself close to him; the silence and grace that she moves with always catching him off guard. Standing on tiptoes, her lips are just inches away from his.

There is a subtle tease to the way Kyouka’s lips move, the breath that comes from her a brush on his cheeks, painting them a rosy pink.

Did she drink too much at the birthday party just now? I thought she only had a bit...

His face crumpled into a confused expression at the wide grin on her face.

“Kyouka-chan?”

“Mm-hmm?”

“You’re … are you okay?”

Kyouka nods before narrowing her eyes at him. “Why?”

“Nothing.” Huh, okay.

Kyouka holds her stare for another moment before turning away. He follows after her, letting her lead him back to the sofa. The slight tugs from her pulls him to move faster and closer to her.

Atsushi sits next to her and pulls her close to him, leaving his arm loose around her waist. She rests her head against his chest, her eyes half-closed. Her fingers curl around his, the warmth of her hand radiating into him.

“I wish we had both taken the time off today.” Atsushi blurts out.

A giggle escapes her. “Me too.” She replies, in between giggles. “At least we have four hours together now.”

Atsushi lets out a small sigh. How’s that enough?

“You sound like a whiny child.” Her hands are on his cheeks, pushing his cheeks into a pout. “Maybe that’s why your birthday is on Children’s Day.” She teases.

He blinks, before realising that he’s voiced out his own thoughts. He gives her a sheepish grin and averts his gaze.

When he was a child, he used to hate his birthday. He hated the fact that he was born on Children’s Day and he’d thought it was the biggest irony in his life. That he was the loneliest child on Children’s Day, all chained up in the basement, spending the day wishing he was never born. But now, looking at how Kyouka is patting him, her face aglow with love and affection, he finds himself loving his birthday and wanting to spend every single birthday with her.

“What are you thinking about, Atsushi?” Kyouka asks, her eyes alight with curiosity.

“Mm, you.”

Kyouka tilts her head, a puzzled expression on her face.

“Kyouka-chan, can you make me a promise?”

Shs nods.

“Can you… promise… to always spend my birthday with me?”

With the words out of him, he realises how selfish he sounds. Yet, he still longs to hear her say “yes”. Moments later, she raises her pinky with a gentle smile on her face. Atsushi hooks his pinky around hers and bends his thumb to reach hers.

“There, Atsushi. No matter how busy or tired I am, we’ll always celebrate your birthday together.” She leans in and gently presses her lips to his. A blush brightens her cheeks. She quickly lets go of his pinky and nestles her head into the hollow of his chest.

Atsushi’s heart drums to a faster beat in his chest. He wraps his arm tight around her waist and laces his fingers through hers.

“Thank you,” he whispers into her ear. Thank you for the best gift ever.

With his free arm, he lifts her chin and kisses her tenderly on the lips.

“Happy birthday, Atsushi,” she mouths, her voice a soft whisper against his lips.