Congratulations!

The late morning sun lazily shone through the curtains of the bedroom. A soft breeze rustled the fabric, carrying the scent of the mountains from outside. Inside, Nitsuki lay in bed, her eyes closed and her breathing even, as if she were asleep, but her mind was wide awake. She was completely surrounded in the comforting warmth of a certain man who had his arms wrapped around her, as well as the fluff of a hundred plushies.

She nestled against Tachibana in the overcrowded bed, feeling the rise and fall of his chest beneath her. His breathing was steady and even, and the drum of his heart was strong and reassuring. It was likely he had dozed off again after they'd woken up earlier and decided to cuddle some more instead of getting up for the day.

She indulgently rubbed her cheek against him before pressing her lips against the crook of his neck in a kiss.

She'd been doing stuff like this all morning. Enjoying the feeling of his body. Listening to the sound of his heart.

Technically, they should've been working about now. It was a Monday, so the shop was open, but neither of them had really wanted to go. Tachibana had called Koji earlier, and while she didn't know exactly what he'd said, the old man had let them stay home.

The workaholic in her was screaming at the moment, and she knew they'd probably both have a busy week to make up for everything that needed doing, but she didn't really care right now.

The events of the prior evening had taken a lot out of her. And even though they'd had a wonderful time afterward, she definitely needed a nice, quiet day to decompress.

Speaking of decompressing…

You know, you can get even more touchy-feely if you just wake Tachibana up. Why not go for it?

Nitsuki blushed, squeezing a nearby Shiba Inu plush that she'd dubbed Tachibana Jr. the previous night.

"Hush, brain."

Hmmm, nope! I don't think I will~

She rolled her eyes. "Why are you always like this?"

Don't say that as if we're two separate entities. I'm merely the manifestation of your subconscious desires~

"Subconscious desires, eh? What, do I have the subconscious desire to humiliate and embarrass myself on a daily basis?"

Maybe~. You're a pretty masochistic girl, after all. Admit it, you like getting all hot, bothered, and flustered~

"…" Nitsuki groaned and pulled Tachibana Jr. to her chest. She wasn't going to dignify herself with an answer. Instead, she focused on the warmth of Tachibana's arms around her. The sound of his breathing, the feel of his skin. His scent.

She couldn't help but sigh wistfully. After last night, she felt even closer to him than ever before. Even if it was only for a few moments, the way he'd stood up for her and then the way he'd acted after, just trying to get her to smile and laugh…

It meant everything. She loved him. She loved him so much that it hurt. There was no other word for it.

"Thank you for everything," she muttered as she pressed her face into his shoulder.

She could almost hear the words, 'I love you too,' in return, but they were only in her head. Tachibana still appeared to be fast asleep, blissfully unaware of her inner turmoil.

"…" The sudden urge to kiss him swelled within her. Slowly, she propped herself up on her elbow and leaned over him, staring at his peaceful expression. She admired his handsome features, and the gentle curve of his jawline.

…And gave in.

*smooch* A kiss to the cheek.

*smooch* Another to the other side. Her face blushed.

*smooch* His forehead this time. The blush grew deeper.

Her pulse was racing now, and she felt a fuzzy rush of adrenaline spread throughout her veins. Her cheeks burned hot, and her hands trembled.

She knew that she shouldn't be doing this—it was soooo embarrassing—but she didn't want to stop. She wanted to keep going.

She wanted to show her appreciation for all that he did for her.

She closed her eyes to regain focus before leaning in for one last kiss. This time, however, it wouldn't be on his cheek or forehead. It would be a real kiss, right on those soft, waiting lips.

*smooch*

It was a quick, fluttering kiss, and she quickly retreated in fear of being caught. There, she'd done it—got away with the perfect crime.

Nitsuki settled back in, getting comfortable as the giddiness diffused through her—ooh, that felt good. She probably had a little bit more time before he'd stir again, so until that moment came, she'd just continue to bask in their closeness. Maybe she'd even sneak in a few more cheek and forehead kisses if she was really feeling bold—

"Aw, did you have stop?"

She tensed, her entire face curling in on itself as the sleepy voice of her boyfriend reached her ears.

"…How long have you been up?" she asked hesitantly.

"Since you rubbed your cheek against me." He chuckled and pulled her closer to him.

"…"

"Don't worry, it was very cute."

"…"

"I didn't mind at all, you're fine—"

"Noooooooooo…" Nitsuki's face burned like a furnace, and she buried it into Tachibana's side, desperate to hide herself from his gaze.

"You're so adorable when you're like this~" he teased, hugging her tightly.

"Shut up!" she hissed, her voice muffled by the fabric of his shirt. "Stop embarrassing me in front of my army."

He exhaled loudly through his nose. "So, you've accepted my suggested name for them then—"

She tossed Tachibana Jr. at his face.

***

The savory aroma of freshly cooked rice filled the kitchen, mixing with the salty smell of grilled fish and the sweet-sour scent of pickled vegetables. It was a little past noon now, and the two of them had finally pried themselves away from the bed and started to make a late brunch.

Nitsuki had been in charge of prepping and cooking their food while Tachibana set up the dining room table and kept the kitchen clean. Now though, the bounty of food sat upon the table: two bowls of miso soup, two servings of grilled mackerel, steaming rice, and a plate of assorted pickled veggies.

It had to have been the most traditional, homestyle Japanese spread either of them had had in a while. Tachibana had nearly dropped everything he was holding when he first laid eyes upon it all.

Nitsuki smiled to herself. She might not have been able to cook a huge, elaborate meal, but at least her simple dishes were appreciated by him just as much as Maya had once used to.

They sat down right next to each other at the table, and Tachibana eagerly grabbed his chopsticks and a bowl of rice. Nitsuki did likewise, but a little more composed and with a hint of confidence.

"Thank you for the meal," they both said in unison as they began to dig in.

Tachibana started off with the mackerel. He delicately broke off a small piece of the grilled fish and took a bite.

"Man, I love you so much." His voice quivered in awe as his eyes fluttered shut. "You're the best girlfriend ever."

A small smile tugged at a corner of Nitsuki's lips. She didn't respond, only giving a slight nod as a faint, rosy color crept onto her face.

The conversation quickly fell off into a comfortable silence, the only sounds coming from the occasional clink of chopsticks or the scrape of ceramic against wood.

Eventually though, Nitsuki broke the quiet with a question.

"Hey, Tachibana? I'm curious. How did you get Koji to let us have the day off today?"

He raised an eyebrow at her as he gulped down a mouthful of rice. "I told him that we had to skip work today. Simple as that."

Her brow arched. "Really?"

"Yeah."

She gawked, a little taken aback by his answer. "No, like, what did you say exactly? The old man is accommodating and all, but he's still pretty serious about the shop." She sighed, remembering how many times the old man had scolded Tachibana in the past. "Especially with you. What kind of magic did you have to use to get him to agree with this?"

"Magic?" Tachibana shook his head. "I'm telling you, I just told him the truth."

"Hm." Nitsuki pursed her lips. "I don't buy it. Just spit out exactly what you said to him, and nothing else."

He shrugged. "I don't see the big deal, but alright." He finished chewing some of the pickled vegetables before clearing his throat and speaking.

"I just said that we were really tired after our date night. I explained that it was really intense, and that you probably wouldn't want to get outta bed for a while."

"!" Nitsuki nearly choked on the piece of fish she'd been eating. Her face instantly lit ablaze, and her chopsticks clattered onto the table.

"Wh-wh-what?!" she stammered.

"Hmm, something wrong with what I said? I was careful not to get too much into detail since it's a sensitive matter and all—"

She leaned forward, her voice lowering to a harsh whisper. "T-Tachibana. Think just a bit about how that sounds. How do you think the old man is going to interpret it?!"

He tilted his head, his gaze shifting to the side as he pondered the question…

Then abruptly smacked his face into the table.

"…Crap." He just laid there, his cheek pressed against the wood.

Nitsuki sighed and gently patted the top of his head. "There, there. It's okay." Her expression was full of pity. "I know you didn't mean to convey that my wonderful, lovely idiot boyfriend—"

"So that's why he said 'Congrats!'…"

"…" Nitsuki's hand froze in mid-pat as the world slowed to a snail's pace.

"He also laughed and hung up on me. I was wondering why he sounded weirdly happy and was making quips about us probably not being able to walk properly. Even said something about how proud he was of us. Hm…"

"…"

His chest deflated, and he scooched his head over so he could better look at Nia. "Well, I guess it's not that bad." He chuckled weakly. "We'll only have to live with this for another twenty to forty years, max. And it's not like he's going to sling this at us every time he gets the chance to—right? N-Nia…? W-wait, no, where are you going my dear!?"

She'd gotten out of her seat, and he'd quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her into a hug.

"Please don't leave me," he whimpered, sounding genuinely distraught.

"…" She hugged him back.

They stayed like that for a while, the two of them trying to comfort each other, the only sounds coming from occasional sniffs. After a while, however, she had to speak up.

"You can let go now." She patted him on the back. "I promise, I'm not running away or doing anything drastic. After all, I am a responsible, grown woman. I can deal with this."

He reluctantly released his hold on her, but she could tell he was still nervous. "Are you sure? I don't want to lose you, especially because of something like this. We can always run away if you want. I-I'll go pack my bags right now."

She sighed and smiled at the over exaggeration. "Tachibana. It's fine. I'm fine. We are not running anywhere, and you are not packing any bags. I'm just going to get us some drinks of tea and then I'll be back. We're going to need it."

Tachibana nodded slowly. "Alright. Alright! Sorry about that, just a little antsy. Erm, but why would we need tea?"

She shook her head and headed toward the kitchen. "Just something to take the edge off."

"Ah, I mean, I guess that makes sense."

"—Before we kill ourselves."

"…Huh?! Wait, Nia, what the heck did you just say?"

She smiled at him with as much faux okay-ness as she could muster.

"Don't worry, my love, we'll do it together."