#; Hold onto Your Heart - it's the Most Important Part of You { Makoto Musings }

[heart-ruled]

{ Makoto and Junko Tags } 

[heart-ruled-moved]

{ Makoto tag dump ! Just a few for now }

[tickle-bugs]

Extraordinary

Summary: Makoto’s a bit haunted by the lack of normalcy in Hope’s Peak--at least, whatever shreds of normalcy could survive in a place like that. Hina, Sakura, and Kyoko bring him some measure of peace. 

@naegiristan Here’s your TOC fic! I apologize for it being so late, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless :) Thanks to the lovely @peachytickles for hosting this with me. I had a blast. @ticklesofcolor 

There’s a lengthy conversation about food/healthy eating in the beginning, so TW/CW for food. 

Living at Hope’s Peak had forced Makoto to severely recategorize the way he viewed himself. Being ordinary was just...who he was. There was no word for it before. Makoto was himself, and that’s all that he ever needed to be. School life, if he could even call it that, had wrenched that comfort away from him. 

How was he supposed to be ordinary amongst the world’s foremost geniuses? What was the point of being ‘just Makoto’ when everyone else was so much more? 

“Heads up!” The call snapped Makoto out of his thoughts. He turned and caught a facefull of frosting and sprinkles. He narrowed his eyes at Hina, not exactly annoyed but not exactly happy either. 

“Oh my god, are you okay?” Hina wheezed, not even bothering to hide her giggles.

“I’m fine.” Makoto wiped a bit of frosting from his nose and popped it in his mouth. Hm. Strawberry.

“You looked like you could use a donut. I take my friends’ donut deficiencies very seriously.” Hina took a seat by his left, sliding the dozen box to sit between them. Sakura sat on his other side, graceful as always, and took a glazed donut from the box. 

“Sakura!”

“Hmm?” She looked up, donut in mouth, and Makoto stifled a chuckle. 

“You’re...having a donut?” Hina stared in open-mouthed wonder. 

“I can have cheat meals sometimes.” Sakura averted her eyes, uncharacteristically bashful. 

“I thought you hated donuts! I feel betrayed!”

“It’s reverse psychology, Hina. It makes cravings easier.” 

“Next you’re gonna tell me you actually love cake.” Hina huffed, and when Sakura stayed quiet, she threw her hands up in exasperation.

“We’re soulmates! I’m supposed to know these things about you! My whole life is a lie!” Hina whined, dropping her head in her hands. Sakura leaned around Makoto to pat her back, chuckling at her dramatics. 

Kyoko drifted over with perfect timing, taking a graceful seat before Hina could declare a divorce. 

“Hey, Kyoko.” Makoto smiled. Her eyes lingered on his face for a while, longer than usual, and it occurred to him that he still had frosting on his face. He pulled napkins from the dispenser on the table and dipped them in his water glass, choosing speed over discretion as he scrubbed at his face. 

“Hina. Sakura. Makoto.” Her lips quirked up on his name. 

“Do you have plans, Kyoko?” Hina slid the box to Kyoko, but she didn’t take a donut.

“Why do you ask?”

“Sakura and I were gonna go up to the art room. Wanna come?” 

“I suppose.” Kyoko smiled.

……………..

“Guys, look!” Hina gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. 

“Is that...Celeste?” Sakura wrinkled her nose, slipping past Hina to get a better look. Nearly every surface in the room was covered in images of Celeste, from paintings to sketches--even a sculpture or two sat at the back of the room.

“Hifumi must have drawn these,” Kyoko sighed, thumbing through a discarded sketchbook--unfortunately, also filled with drawings of Celeste. 

“What makes you say that?” Makoto looked over Kyoko’s shoulder. The drawings were good--no, great, actually, if one could get past the creepiness of it all. Did Celeste know about all of this?

“He’s obsessed with her.” Kyoko held up a more tame drawing of Celeste looking out a window. Something at the back of Makoto’s mind stirred upon seeing it, but the feeling fled as quickly as it came. 

“I think he’s a little more than obsessed.” Sakura gestured at an easel with an Elizabethan-style portrait of Celeste on a throne, revelling in excessive jewels and finery. Celeste had to know, then. This was the kind of thing she’d force Hifumi to make, anyhow. 

“I want a creepy portrait now! Let’s make them for each other!” Hina giggled, appraising the portrait of Celeste with open amusement. 

“I’m not an artist, Hina.” 

“Who cares? It’ll be fun! You and I can do each other. I won’t judge you. Makoto and Kyoko, why don’t you guys swap as well?” Hina shoved brushes and palettes into everyone’s hands, leaving no room for argument. Though Makoto really wanted to argue. There was no way Kyoko would--

“Alright.”

“Y-Yeah. Sounds good.” He coughed, dumping his supplies at the nearest station. Sakura came around with canvases for them, delicately setting them on the easels. 

Painting was rather relaxing, once Makoto got into it. Some of his anxieties melted away as he meticulously blended the paint, trying to capture the lavender undertones of Kyoko’s hair. He cut the line of her easel across the canvas with a thick brush, and in one fell swoop, outlined the curve of her head peeking out behind it. The creepy piece of the activity was lost on Makoto from the moment he started--he had to do Kyoko justice. 

He leaned in close for the most important part: Kyoko’s eyes. They both weren’t visible, but her right eye peeked out just enough for him to capture the gentle violet. He dabbed tiny reflections into the iris, giving her eyes the shining life that he’d always admired. He wondered if his eyes looked like that. Probably not, anymore. 

The sensation of something light and fluffy sweeping across his nape rudely interrupted his musings and nearly sent him onto the floor. The feeling zipped along the side of his neck and hopped up to his ears--he tilted out of his chair at that point, and Sakura’s sharp reflexes were the only thing saving him from an untimely demise. She righted his chair with him still in it and smiled.

“Hina!” Makoto slapped a hand to the back of his neck, cheeks blazing red. Hina’s grin told him all he needed to know, but the paintbrush dangling between her fingers told him more. 

“Sorry! Had to snap you out of it. We’re going to go get dinner, if you want to join us.” Hina squeezed his shoulder and it only tickled worse. He tried to discreetly pry her hand off of his shoulder but there was no room left for playing natural. 

“You guys go ahead. I’m not hungry.” He cursed himself for the way his voice cracked. He saw Kyoko glance at him from the corner of his eye and he cleared his throat. Real smooth, Makoto. 

“I’ll pass as well.”

“Oh, okay. Bye!” Hina looped her arm through Sakura’s and dragged her out of the art room, leaving Makoto and Kyoko silent and alone. 

“I finished your painting.” Kyoko turned her easel to face him. What’d she painted certainly looked like him, if he squinted. The colors were all there, and she’d perfectly captured the one tuft of hair on his head that would never lie down. His face was a little lopsided, looking more like an emoticon than anything else. He adored it more than words could describe.

He needed words, though, because Kyoko was staring expectantly. 

“I….it’s…” Would cute sound patronizing? Maybe endearing was alright. No, that would be worse. 

“You can say it’s horrible.”

“It’s perfect, Kyoko.” He ran his thumb over her signature in the bottom corner. 

“Can I see yours?”

“Oh, uh. Sure.” He turned his easel towards her, eyes fixed on a point in the middle distance so he wouldn’t have to look at her.

“Makoto.” He looked up, expression neutral. 

“This is wonderful,” She whispered. Tears glistened in her eyes, threatening to fall, and Makoto frantically passed her tissues from his pocket. 

“Kyoko, hey--”

“I’m just grateful, that’s all. Thank you.” She dabbed at her eyes. 

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing to me. Thank you.” She took the painting from the easel and held it protectively. 

“You’re welcome.” He smiled.

………………………………..

“I want what they have. Sakura and Hina, I mean.” Makoto unlocked his door and held it open for her. 

“A lesbian relationship?”

“Wh--no, of course not. Wait. They’re together?” Makoto’s jaw dropped. 

“Makoto, your lack of perception worries me sometimes,” Kyoko huffed, slipping past him with the paintings. She rested them against the wall near the door as Makoto worked his jaw, trying to remember how to speak. It made sense,  but how could he not notice?

“Listen, my point is that I want normalcy. I want to laugh with someone who means something to me. As messed up as it is that we’re trapped here--” He gestured to his room-- “I’d like to at least have friends like everyone else.” He flopped on his bed. She sat more gracefully beside him. 

“I’m not very funny.” Kyoko shrugged. He squinted confusedly at her for a moment. 

“That’s okay, Kyoko. You don’t have to be. I’m just complaining about something stupid.” He sighed deeply and fiddled with his jacket sleeves.

“I may have a different way of making you laugh, though.”

“Oh?” He looked up. 

“You might hate it. Just...tell me to stop if you do.” She made eye contact with him, and if he didn’t know any better, he’d say she was...nervous? He’d never seen her like this. It was equally endearing and unsettling.

The skittering of nails around his collarbones stopped his train of thought dead in its tracks. 

“K-Kyoko! Wait!” He squealed, giggles bursting from him before he could even think to hold them back. She withdrew her hands as if she’d been burned, watching him intently. 

“You didn’t have to...I mean...I-It’s okay if you…” Makoto waved his hands around, well-aware that the stammering was losing him any cool points he may have had with her. 

“You like this.” A statement, not a question. 

“I think so? Y-Yeah, I do. It’s fun, and you’re fun, and--”

“Makoto.” Kyoko silenced him with the tenderness of his name. “It’s alright.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes.” She smiled--smiled!--at him, and his heart flipped in his chest. They gazed at each other for a moment, warm and inviting, and it would’ve been great if Kyoko didn’t ruin it by tickling his ribs. Makoto squawked and fell backwards on the bed, giggling at machine-gun speed. He grabbed at her arms to have something to hold and she chuckled at him, sliding her hands down to his sides. She moved languidly, calculating every move before Makoto could react to her last one. 

“Just so you know, Makoto, you mean something to me, too. So in a way, we’re both getting normalcy.” She hummed and scribbled curiously at his stomach, laughing softly at his attempts to curl up. He wondered if she knew how awful her nails were, even through his shirt. His survival instincts advised against telling her, though--she’d likely never leave him alone. 

If Makoto could see through his mirth-squinted eyes, he might’ve seen Kyoko staring down at him fondly, smiling wider than she had since they’d arrived at Hope’s Peak. Instead, he cycled between swatting at her hands and hiding his face, absolutely overwhelmed on all fronts. 

“Yeah,” she whispered softly, applying enough pressure to make Makoto shriek, “Ordinary is just what I needed.”

If he wasn’t giggling so hard, he’d’ve told her that she was what he needed, too. 

[lynneshobbydomain]

Date Night (OwaMiki 2020 Day 3)

Prompt: Date/Kiss

Rating: T 

Summary: It’s always nerve wracking on the first date, but surely something good will come out of it.

You read under the cut or at my AO3

Mondo was leaning against his motorcycle as he waited for Mikan to come out of the girl’s dormitory, his heart thumping wildly in his chest. He wasn’t sure what he was doing, he wasn’t sure if she was going to appreciate this...he honestly hadn’t expected to get as far as he did. Of course asking her out had been a disaster, and he forgot that she had been a victim of a different kind of yelling. Of course, it ended it tears, misunderstandings, and a belief that it was never going to happen. He was just shocked when she approached him with her phone number and told him that it would be easier. It had been. She didn’t stammar so much and was easy to read, and she couldn’t tell if he was yelling or not. It didn’t mean that they didn’t call each other. The call log was full of their conversations. He would get excited and his voice would be loud, and she was quiet and forced him to strain his ears to understand what she was saying. They learned. They figured it out...and now he was leaning against his ride, trying to breathe normally as he waited anxiously for his woman to show up.

How long did it even fucking take to put on a dress? Mondo wasn’t about to rush her. She was probably in much of a panic as he was standing outside her dormitory. He wasn’t willing to fuck this up. He wasn’t willing to make this night turn into another disaster. He was just about to see if she was still taking her time or if she forgot when he heard the door creak open and he looked up.

God she cleaned up nice. That lacy pink dress was form fitting, showing just enough of her chest to get an idea. She didn’t wear heels, which was a huge sigh of relief. Her hair was pulled back in a half ponytail and had uneven curls. Someone must have done her make up, they only did a little bit with making her lips pinker than usual and lined the eyes. She grinned at him and rushed towards him. Mondo, already foreseeing what was going to happen, jogged towards her and caught her just before she tripped. “Hey babe.” He grinned as he steadied her. “You look sharp.”

“Hahah. Th-thank you. Yo-you look go-good too.” He was wearing the Crazy Diamond’s jacket, but he decided to wear something underneath rather than nothing. He wanted to be able to take the jacket off and still look like a king. She peered over his shoulder and she went still as a toothpick. “We’re riding?”

“Yeah! It’ll be fun! Trust me.” Mondo grinned, gently wrapping his arm around her. Don’t fuck up, don’t fuck up, he chanted in his mind as he guided her over towards the ride. It was one of his favorites. The Kawasaki was custom made to his tastes, and Kazuichi didn’t seem to mind fixing it up for him from time to time he thought of an new idea. The dark sleek paint reflected the lights around the courtyard like stars in the night sky. He couldn’t wait for her to see what those lights could look like underneath blue and red.

Not that he planned on getting caught with her. That’d ruin the date and his pride. But he could at least show it to her through the neon of the city.

Nice save.

“M-maybe I should’ve wo-worn pants or som-something?” Mikan mused. “I didn’t th-think.”

“You’re fine babe.” Mondo assured. “You look good and we ain’t goin’ do anything crazy, alright? Breathe. Nothin’s gonna happen.”

She grinned, a pretty pink on her cheeks and Mondo felt his own cheeks burn in response. Her smile was always the one thing that could freeze and melt him all at the same time. “Th-then I’m in your han-hands.” She proclaimed and he helped her onto the back of his bike. “Do I, do I need to know anyth-anything special?”

“Lean the direction I’m leaning but don’t do it too much.” Mondo instructed. “Just balance with me.” He normally didn’t ride with a helmet on, but with his girl on the back there was just no way he was going to take a chance. He went into the back of the bike and popped the small storage unit to take out the helmet. He shoved it onto her, making her squeak and he adjusted it so that it would stay snug against her. “Sorry for ruining your hair.”

“It-it’s ju-just hair.” Mikan protested. “I’ll be f-fine. Sh-shouldn’t y-you be wearing this th-though?”

“Nah.” Mondo grinned at her, “I’m not the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader for nothing! Let’s go!” He tossed his leg over the side of the bike and grinned as Mikan immediately wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing herself tight against him for balance and security. He revved the bike up and without another word, zoomed off into the night.

X

The date went as smooth as butter, in Mondo’s mind. He wasn’t willing to spend money on anything extravagant, and Mikan didn’t mind going to some of his favorite places either. She was more than willing to hold his hand or his arm, and he made sure to keep it open and free for her to claim so that she would at least have something to cling to if she was going to fall. The conversation was easy too. All in all, Mondo had a very good feeling about this. 

He parked the bike up against the railing of the bridge. No one was heading anywhere, and the view was fantastic. They were able to see the city and the lights, and watch them glitter on the river’s running current. The breeze picked up and a couple of strands brushed against Mikan’s face, framing her cheeks and catching the light from the streetlamps. 

For just one moment, Mondo truly thought he was staring at an angel of sorts. He never thought he’d see a girl look good like this. There was just...something about this scene and this moment he swore brought something out of her that he didn’t see in the school or at the restaurant.

She was really, truly good looking.

“Yo-you kn-know I woul-wouldn’t min-mind meeting your friends one day.” Mikan spoke after a moment. Mondo had to strain to hear her through the river rolling underneath them. “You se-seem to be a very good le-leader.” She beamed at him. “Yo-you take a lot of responsibility. It’s not e-easy.” 

“I don’t mind it.” Mondo shrugged as he wrapped his arms around the railing and leaned forward. He glanced at her again and she kept that smile on her face. She looked peaceful. Relaxed. She wasn’t stressed out and timid like she was during school. “I’m sure as hell they wouldn’t mind meeting you.” Considering how often they ribbed him about having a crush on the girl, he didn’t doubt it. Not once.

Mikan giggled and she brought her hands together in front of her chest, pleased as punch. “We sh-should do this again.” She said after a moment. “I didn’t th-think I would li-like riding so much. Yo-you made it a lot of f-fun!”

“Really?!” Mondo perked up a little as he pushed himself back up to standing. “Sweet! There’s so many places where I can take ya then! There’s a few places that I know that are just kickin.”

“Th-then we have a date.” Mikan grinned at him. “Ho-how did you ge-get into riding anyway? If! If I can ask!”

Mondo’s good cheer damped slightly, but if she was going to be his girl then there was no point in lying. He went back to leaning against the railing, trying to think on how to word. “My brother Daiya got me into it. The Crazy Diamonds were his first. He had a good head on his shoulders. He was faster than me. Stronger than me. I admired him. He was a fucking luantic though sometimes. The things he could do on the bike...I can only dream of doin’ now.”

“I-I’m sorry.” He felt a light touch on his shoulder and he glanced up to see that Mikan approached him on her own. Her hand gently rested on his shoulder, and her other hand was gripping her chest like she was trying to keep her heart inside. Was she nervous? About being so close to him, or was she just...trying not to panic and wonder if she had said something wrong? “Yo-you seemed sad.”

“Yeah. It’s hard to talk about. It doesn’t matter now. Bro’s dead and gone...and….now it’s up to me to make sure our gang still holds together. It’s been a damn good blast. Nothin’s gonna change that. Not graduation, not nothin’.” Mondo assured as he stood up. “I was talkin’ to Makoto the other day about what I’d do after graduation. Most of the gang’s gonna be outta high school then. We all got things we gotta worry about. The fuckin’ future and shit. You know. The stupid things.”

“Is it really that stu-stupid?” Mikan questioned and Mondo looked at her curiously. “Priorities ch-change yes. Bu-but that doesn’t mean you sho-should give up what ma-makes you happy. The-there are probably still y-younger kids tha-that’ll want to be ap-part of your gang.”

Mondo blinked slowly.

“Yo-you can hold a jo-job and st-still have fun!” Mikan continued. “D-do something fo-for a job an-and do the bik-bikes at ni-night or something. Yo-you can-can’t live on just a j-job alone. It’s not mentally healthy and you’re going to get physically sick if you only focus on one aspect of your life. There’s a reason why hobbies are such an important thing to those in the hospital and for people outside of it.”

“That wouldn’t bother you?” Mondo asked firmly as he turned his attention completely onto her. She gasped a little and stepped back. “Me doin’ my bikes and holdin’ down a job? That wouldn’t bother you?”

“N-no.” Mikan looked a little confused, but she was sincere in her stance. “I-I think that you should do what makes you ha-happiest.” She nodded after a moment. “I do medicine as a job y-yes, but I do ot-other things too. One p-part of you shouldn’t de-define the whole you. Hajime-kun ta-taught me that when I was s-starting Hope’s Peak. I was….I was so much wo-worse than I am n-now. I was so s-scared of other people’s op-opinons of me. I sti-still am! But...I’m ge-getting better.”

Mondo remembered when he saw her trip in the courtyard during lunch. How she fell and her friends didn’t bat an eye at her misery. How she didn’t mind the mockery or the teasing. She was still friends with them, oddly enough. Mondo doubted he understand their dynamic completely, but he trusted Mikan with her own decisions and friendships. He just had to be there for her when things went south as they sometimes did.

“I got real lucky with you.” Mondo concluded, and Mikan blinked. “Most girls wouldn’ want their man out ridin’. Too dangerous and it’s easy to get yourself fucked up if you ain’t careful.”

“W-well…” Mikan trailed off. “If you got h-hurt somehow...I’ll be able to tr-treat you.”

“Seriously?! You’d do that? Mikan you’re a doll ya know that?!”

“Hahaha I’m not do-doing anything spec-special!” Mikan laughed, a little nervously but Mondo pulled her into a tight embrace anyway.

“Nah, you’re pretty fuckin’ special.” Mondo disagreed as he let her go. She had such a pretty smell. Floral of some type. It wasn’t sickly sweet or overly strong either. He wondered if it was perfume or her own natural scent. She smiled up at him and for one moment the world just stopped turning. The conversation no longer really mattered.

She was….

Really pretty. She had a good heart. She was caring, compassionate. She wanted to support and he wanted to support her. He cupped her cheek with his hand and allowed the moment to push him forward. To kiss her like he should’ve done when he saw her underneath the street lights the first time. 

She didn’t pull away frightened or shocked. She pulled herself into the kiss too, as though she was also underneath the night’s spell. When they pulled away, Mondo felt like there was something new just right there. His heart never raced so fast since a bike race or a good ride. “Let’s get ya back.” Mondo said softly.

“Okay.” Mikan grinned at him and he reveled in the feeling of her arms wrapping around his waist again, holding him close. But this time, Mondo swore there was something different in the grip and the way she leaned against him. It made his heart burst into his chest.

Yeah. He gripped the handlebars tight. This was much better than any fuckin’ race.

[thecorpulentbeagle]

Okujima Week 2020: Spring

This fanfiction is my second challenge of the Okujima (Makoto x Haru) ship. There was a challenge in 2019 on Tumblr, and people liked it so much, that a 2020 version was announced!

Similar to last time, the author or artist must post their work during one week, with a different prompt each day. This year, the week will start on March 16. Go and search #okujima week if you are curious and want to see other works – I know I will be doing that again! 

Since the 2019 challenge, Persona 5 Royal has become a thing. This means that some of the creations of my fellow authors/artists could contain spoilers for that game, so be cautious when searching! We are supposed to let others know if our creations contain spoilers or not, so I want to clarify that my stories WILL NOT CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR PERSONA 5 ROYAL! I have not played the game yet, as I live in the West, and this challenge was specifically timed to be right before the release. If you leave comments, please make sure to identify if your comment will contain a spoiler for Persona 5 Royal.

I also want to clarify that these stories WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR PERSONA 5, so if you have not finished the original game, please wait to read this until you do! 

The first day is Spring, so here we go! 

Here is the fanfiction.net link.

Please enjoy this first part of the Okujima Week 2020 Challenge!

Okujima Week 2020 Challenge:

Perfect Celebration:

Spring

-Haru- 

“Happy birthday, Mako-chan!”

“Thank you, Haru.”

Haru was currently sitting in her apartment, on the phone with Makoto. It was early in the morning, but Haru knew that her girlfriend was an early riser, so she had no apprehension about contacting her.

It was April 23rd, which meant that it was Makoto’s birthday, and Haru didn’t want to waste a moment of this special day. Makoto had insisted that she didn’t want Haru to go out of her way with any birthday celebrations, but Haru had insisted for the opposite. Eventually, as most things were with the two, there was a compromise for something in the middle. 

Makoto’s birthday celebration would be in two parts. The first part had been walking through the local park to look at the cherry blossom trees in full bloom a few weeks prior. Haru had suggested it, even though it had to be before Makoto’s actual birthday due to the short amount of time the cherry blossoms would be around.

Makoto had readily agreed to the idea. She said it was something that she used to do back with Sae and her father when she was a child. Haru changed her mind then, not wanting to do something that Makoto had done several times before, but Makoto had stopped her, saying that engaging in an activity from the past with someone new whom she cared about would mean a lot to her. Of course, after a heartfelt declaration like that, Haru couldn’t refuse.

Now that today was Makoto’s birthday, part two of the celebration could begin. Unfortunately, Makoto had classes up until the evening, while Haru had none for the day. The gardener wished it would have been the opposite, but it couldn’t be helped.

Fortunately, that meant that Haru could spend the day getting ready for Makoto to come over. The two had decided that they would spend some quality time together for Makoto’s birthday in Haru’s apartment, but they hadn’t planned any details. 

Haru had a few ideas.

For now, though, she kept those a secret, wanting to surprise her girlfriend. They weren’t extravagant by any means, but she wanted to have this day be a little bit spontaneous. 

“So, are we still on for today?” Haru asked, confirming that Makoto was available. 

“Of course, Haru,” Makoto murmured. “I’ll see you at your apartment after my last class today.” At that point, Haru thought she heard Makoto stifle a yawn behind her hand. 

“Did you have trouble sleeping last night?”

“I didn’t mean for you to hear that.” Makoto sighed. “It’s not that I had trouble sleeping.” She hesitated. “I’m just tired because I stayed up most of the night studying. I have a pretty important exam today.”

Haru understood the reason for her reluctance to share that. Though she wouldn’t necessarily nag the other girl, she had talked with her many times about how resting was just as, if not more, important than studying. The former student council president wouldn’t be able to graduate from university if she collapsed from exhaustion.

But it was her birthday, so Haru decided to relent for today. “Well then, we’ll have to make sure that we take it easy and have a good time today.”

Makoto gave a soft laugh. “Yes, that would be much appreciated.”

“Great! Then I’ll see you tonight.”

“Okay. I’ll see you then.”

“Happy birthday! I love you!” Haru giggled.

“Thank you. I love you too.”

“You don’t have to thank me when I say that I love you, you know,” Haru teased. She knew that she was thanking her for wishing her a happy birthday, but she couldn’t help herself.

“I-I know that! I meant for the… n-nevermind. Goodbye!” Haru pulled her phone away from her ear to see that Makoto had abruptly ended the call.

“Oh, Mako-chan…” she mused. She slipped her phone into her pocket and stood up from the couch she had been laying on, double-checking and making sure that she had everything that she would need for today.

She rearranged the pillows that were on the couch, making sure that they were neat and tidy. She didn’t need Makoto running around straightening up her apartment. As much as Haru would like to say that she wouldn’t do that on her own birthday, the fact that she could see that happening motivated her to make sure the place was spotless.

Luckily, Haru kept everything relatively well-kept on a regular basis, so she didn’t have to do much. She gave a few of her potted plants a quick watering before looking around once more.

Satisfied, she reached into her pocket to double-check the time on her phone. Barely an hour had passed, so she still had plenty of time to go shopping for the rest of the supplies that she would need for today.

Haru nodded her head. Quickly picking up her purse from the couch, she slipped her phone inside and departed, making sure to lock the door behind her.

--

A few hours later, a soft knock on Haru’s apartment door had the girl look up from her task of fluffing a pillow for the thousandth time.

“Coming!” she announced, dropping the pillow unceremoniously onto the couch and rushing over.

Opening the door revealed the face of Makoto, who was looking at Haru with a smile. “Good evening, Haru.”

Haru launched herself at her girlfriend, wrapping her arms around her shoulders. Makoto had obviously not expected her welcome to be quite so enthusiastic, as she stuttered slightly before slowly wrapping her arms around Haru’s back.

Giggling at Makoto’s awkward behavior, Haru moved her head so that her lips were positioned a fraction away from the other girl’s ear. “Happy birthday, Mako-chan,” she whispered. She pulled away slightly to press a brief kiss on Makoto’s cheek before pulling away.

Or at least, before she tried to pull away.

Makoto’s grip on her hadn’t lessened in the slightest. In fact, she seemed to be holding on even tighter now. Surprised but delighted, Haru readjusted her grip and went back to hugging her, snuggling into her shoulder.

“Oh uh… sorry!” Makoto immediately let go once Haru had eased her hold, but now Haru was the one pulling her back.

Haru laughed at their exchange. “Mako-chan. I’m happy to stand here hugging you all night, but then you’ll miss the rest of what I have planned!”

“I-I… apologies, Haru.” Makoto stepped back, and Haru realized that she truly did want to pull away this time. Tucking a strand of hair back behind her ear and looking down at the ground, Makoto continued, “I just had a long day, and seeing you so happy to see me… well, it made me…” She cleared her throat.

Haru titled her head, not quite sure what the other girl was trying to say.

Seeing that Haru wasn’t going to rescue her from her rambling, Makoto powered on. “It might sound silly to say, but it made me… desperate for affection. For yours, specifically,” she added, looking back up at Haru.

Haru blushed. She always loved how sincere Makoto was, but seeing her so earnest about something as trivial as receiving attention from a loved one was adorable.

“Mako-chan…” Haru placed a hand on her cheek. “You never have to apologize for your feelings. I’m happy that I can give you the comfort that you need.”

This time, it was Makoto’s turn to blush. “Thank you, Haru.”

The two stood like this for a few more moments before Haru pulled away. “Now why don’t you come inside and put that long day behind you?” She grabbed Makoto’s hand and guided her into the apartment.

“Well, technically the day is still going on,” Makoto teased, closing the door behind her.

Haru laughed. “The day is over and the night is starting now!”

“Of course, how silly of me to argue with your flawless logic.” Makoto squeezed her hand.

The couple made their way over to the couch that Haru had painstakingly prepared. She was glad to see that Makoto evidently approved, seeing as she wasn’t making a fuss about straightening the pillows.

“You just sit down and I’ll get your first present.” Haru patted a spot on the couch and let go of her girlfriend’s hand.

Makoto took a seat, removing her shoes and placing them on the floor. She gave a shy smile up towards Haru. “You really didn’t have to go out of your way with presents.” Her face reddened slightly. “Besides, you’re already the greatest present I could ever ask for.”

Haru could feel the heat on her face in addition to her heart beating a little bit faster. Makoto was always so earnest, even if it sometimes edged into cheesy territory. Though Haru wouldn’t have it any other way. “If it were anyone other than you saying it, I would have a hard time believing someone would say that.” She giggled.

“I-It’s true though!” Makoto stammered, tucking her hair behind her ear and looking down at the floor.

Not wanting to give her girlfriend a heart attack on her birthday, Haru relented. “I know,” she murmured. Ensuring that Makoto was indeed comfortable, Haru nodded before turning to walk over to her kitchen. She opened the fridge and pulled out the fruit that was to be the first in a long list of presents.

Walking back over to Makoto with a bowl in her hands, she noticed her girlfriend’s furrowed brow and head tilt.

“Grapes? I know that I try and eat a healthy diet, but that seems like a strange present.” Despite her confusion, Makoto moved over to make room for Haru on the couch.

“It’s not just the grapes, Mako-chan!” Haru sat down and placed the grapes at her side. Looking back over at Makoto, she patted her lap. “Make yourself comfortable,” she said, winking.

“R-Really?” Makoto spluttered. If her face had been red before, it was nothing compared to her complexion now.

“Yes, really! It’s your special day and I want to treat my special someone,” Haru insisted, patting her lap again.

“Now who’s being cheesy?” Makoto joked. The two laughed.

Makoto slowly situated herself so that her legs and feet were up on the couch, with her head towards Haru. She seemed to make sure every part of her body was accounted for before ultimately laying her head in Haru’s lap, doing so with a gentle ease. She looked up at Haru, meeting her eyes despite her earlier reluctance.

Haru couldn’t help herself. Despite wanting to feed grapes to Makoto, she decided that part of the plan could wait. Instead, she leaned down and gave her forehead a quick kiss, which caused Makoto to squeak in surprise.

Of course, Haru wanted to elicit more of these adorable reactions. She went a step further and rubbed her nose against Makoto’s, feeling the heat rising off of her face. To her delight, she realized that Makoto was taking the lead in their interaction, and was slowly tilting her face so that her lips could meet Haru’s.

Their kiss lasted for a few sweet moments before Haru pulled away. Though Makoto seemed reluctant to do so, it appeared she was just as eager for the next part of her present to begin, as her eyes flicked over to the bowl of fruit as she relaxed in Haru’s lap.

Not wanting to keep her waiting, Haru plucked a grape out of the bowl and held it over Makoto’s mouth.

“Now say ‘ah’.” Haru giggled as Makoto did so immediately. She gently placed the fruit into her mouth, smiling as Makoto chewed and swallowed it, her expression delighted.

“That’s delicious! Did you grow these yourself?” Makoto asked once she had finished.

Haru shook her head. “I haven’t moved on to grapes yet, so these are from the supermarket unfortunately. I’m glad that you like them, though!” Haru fed her another grape.

“Mm. They’re just as sweet as you.” Makoto kissed Haru’s fingers, which had been hovering over her mouth. The other girl blushed and thanked her.

The two sat (or in Makoto’s case, laid down) on the couch, slowly depleting the bowl until it was empty. Haru was happy to see that Makoto had completely relaxed, and that whatever stress had occurred earlier in the day was nothing more than a distant memory at this point.

Haru began to slowly weave her fingers through the other girl’s short hair, butterflies fluttering in her stomach as Makoto hummed in approval and moved her face towards her abdomen, nuzzling her there.

It almost seemed like a good stopping point for their night, but Haru wanted to enact the rest of her plan. Her fingers stilled. “Now let’s move onto something that I did make,” she murmured gently.

Makoto didn’t move an inch. Her words muffled slightly due to her position, she mumbled, “But I’m too comfortable to move.”

Haru tilted Makoto’s head back so that they could look at each other. Making a playfully-stern expression, she said, “It’ll just be for a moment. I’ll be back before you know it.” She waited for Makoto to move her head, which she did after a few beats.

Getting up from the couch, Haru picked up the bowl and deposited it into the sink, intending to take care of it later. She pulled a package out from where she had been hiding it in a cupboard and brought it back over. Makoto immediately lifted her head for Haru to sit, placing it back down on her lap just as quickly.

“Here we are!” Haru placed the box on Makoto’s stomach and pulled open the lid, revealing the sweet treats within.

“Cupcakes?” Makoto looked at the baked goods before looking back at Haru.

“Yes!” Haru picked out a cupcake, moving the box to her other side so that she wasn’t using her girlfriend as a human table. “I ask Boss to teach me how to make all different kinds every time I visit LeBlanc. I made this one since it’s still sort of cherry blossom season.” She peeled the pink wrapper off of the cupcake, which itself was vanilla cake with pink cherry blossom icing.

“That sounds wonderful. Though I might have to sit up and eat this myself. Cupcakes are bit messier than grapes.” Makoto chuckled as she sat up. Haru missed the warmth, but she figured that Makoto had a point.

Handing her cupcake to Makoto, she exclaimed, “Dig in!”

Haru watched as Makoto took a bite of the baked good, her eyes sparkling. Seeing as Makoto was not as much of a fan of sweet food, Haru took her following excited bites as an enormous compliment. She had made sure to make the icing sweet, but not too much so. It seemed that she had hit the mark.

She went to work on her own cupcake, and she had to admit that it tasted delicious. The two went through around two cupcakes each before a ringing sounded.

Makoto fished her free hand into her pocket, extracting her phone. She smiled at the caller ID.

“Who is it?” Haru asked, curious.

“Sis. Do you mind if I take the call?” Makoto’s finger hovered over the button.

“Of course not! I’ll get your next surprise ready!” Haru was delighted that Makoto accepted the fact that there was more to her birthday surprises, rather than express disbelief and insist that she didn’t need anything more. It was a nice feeling to be able to spoil her girlfriend sometimes.

Haru stood up and walked back over to the kitchen one final time, hearing Makoto exchange pleasantries with her sister.

She carefully pulled out something she had been working on for a while. She hoped that Makoto would like it.

Haru glanced back at Makoto, who was laughing about something that Sae had said. The gardener merely watched her girlfriend for a few moments, enjoying how happy she was. She wished she could see her carefree expression more often.

Once it seemed that the call was wrapping up, with Makoto promising something or other to her sister, Haru made her way back over to the couch, hiding her present behind her back.

Makoto hung up her phone and placed it back in her pocket. She noticed Haru was standing next to her, and she waved her down, indicating her vacated spot on the couch.

“Sis wished me a happy birthday. She said that she’s planning on coming up sometime soon for us to spend a day together,” Makoto answered Haru’s silent question.

“That’s wonderful!” Haru smiled at her girlfriend’s bright expression. Makoto tended to guard her more childish emotions, so it was a pleasure to see her so excited at the prospect of spending time with her big sister.

“So, what’s this next surprise?” Makoto asked, noticing that Haru was hiding something. She leaned over to try and sneak a peek.

“Nothing much.” Haru moved her hand out in front of her, revealing a ruby-red rose. “For you.”

Makoto smiled pleasantly as she took hold of its stem, raising it to her nose.

“A rose! It’s lovely, Haru. Did you grow this?” She moved the flower away from her nose and examined it. Haru hoped that she saw how immaculate the petals were.

“I did! I’ve been practicing to grow a suitable one for you. I wanted to give you one last year, but I didn’t have the conditions nailed down then. This was the result of a perfect batch!” Haru smiled, proud that something she made had turned out so well.

Makoto smiled too. She then placed the rose in Haru’s hair, right behind her ear, which the other girl hadn’t been expecting at all. Honestly, she had been planning to do so for the other girl, but it seemed that Makoto had her share of surprises as well.

Makoto stroked Haru’s cheek before moving in to kiss her on the lips, which Haru eagerly returned.

“I love it, Haru. And I love you,” Makoto murmured as she pulled away, her lips replacing her hand on Haru’s cheek for a brief kiss. She grasped Haru’s hand and kissed her there as well.

Haru had to admit that she herself was growing increasingly flustered at the sheer amount of affection that Makoto was expressing. It was moments like these that reminded Haru just how much the other girl had charmed her.

Before they lost themselves in the rest of the night’s activities that were sure to follow, Haru made sure to respond to her girlfriend’s earnest declaration.

“I love you too, Makoto. Happy birthday.”

--

Well that’s that! One story down, six more to go!

This story is significant in that it shares birthdays with two important people in my life: my mother and my sister – and it’s not because they share the same birthday. My sister shares Makoto’s birthday of 4/23 (so jealous!) and my mother’s birthday is today/first day of this challenge, 3/16. I knew I had to make a birthday story to celebrate those two coincidences!

Hope you enjoyed, and I will see you tomorrow!

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( Makoto tag fix ! )

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{ Makoto Tag fix ! }

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{ Tag dump part 3 }