#tomo: im not gonna cry. im not gonna cry. im not gonna- *cries*

[visionkept]

looks like a card has "sneakily" made its way onto tomo's room just as the girls have started to prepare for school. on the card were several doodles and a heartfelt letter that read:

To: Tomo-nii, Happy Birthday! Thank you for always taking care of me and Tama-chan.  I wanted to get you a cake like you’d always do on our birthdays but um …  I don’t have the money to buy it yet. Is it okay if i’ll get you the cupcake once i grow up and start working and earning money? Until then, here’s a drawing instead! A cake all for you!  We love you! From: Chihiro

HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY TOMOYA !

On that bright and warm Wednesday spring morning the girls had school like any other day, which meant waking up early to prepare the bentos and help them get ready in whenever aspect they required. Not to mention a six hours shift awaiting them afterwards. A pretty BUSY DAY for a family of three yet it had been that way for a while now. At least they have learned to manage things, feeling comfortable knowing that the girls weren't missing anything essential for their growth.

Alright, first thing in the morning: breakfast. Well, waking up ON TIME should be first but that's not really a problem. . . until TODAY.

Somehow their alarm didn't go off at the granted hour and this act of defiance had imposed a chain of events that would go down in their memory lane for the rest of their life.

Initially the older opened their eyes at seven instead of five. They hadn't suspected a thing throughout it, stretching peacefully in bed and feeling refreshened by the added hours to their sleep. Before searching for a shirt, Tomo held up the tangled mess of blond locks in a ponytail like they tend to, yawning on their way to open the curtains just to find an uneventful surprise; The sun was already out.

Under any other circumstances, this would be a good thing; in their current case, however, it meant they were running late. Normally when they wake up there's still a dark mantlet in the sky welcoming the early birds, meaning that Tomo had an hour or two to shower, make breakfast, clean the house and wake up the other two. But this spare hours were far too gone at this point and a quick check on their clock confirmed the evident: it was 7:05 A.M. without a doubt.

Shit, OKAY, it's not THAT BAD. ( It is ). I'll simply not shower today ( YIKES ) so I can focus on the bentos. But would I have time to cook some breakfast ? Maybe a fast sandwich- AH ! Today Tama asked for some fish though, that will surely take some time. Chihiro isn't as picky but she did crave some strawberries yesterday so maybe I could-

Their shirt gets put right on, the cellphone is thrown to the side and one slipper gets lost on their way to the door. They are in a rush and the stressed look said it all. Their steps are sloppy, desperate and they almost slip and fall down thanks to a piece of paper left on their room. ❝ Who left this here- ❞ Of course they know the answer to that, who else would come here to play and doodle with crayons if it wasn't them ? Ah, those kids really need to collect their things after playing. . .

Crouching down to fetch the paper is easier said than done. The stabbing pain in their lower back came as consequence of their continuous play times with the girls ( the older those two got, the harder it was to keep up. Acting out tea parties was one thing, playing horsey for two hours straight was another ). Their tiredness however, vanishes the moment violet hues gaze upon the card.

A cake all for you!  We love you! - From : Chihiro.

Their eyes scattered around the page with meticulous precision, analyzing every stroke of crayon and marker done by the child. There's a small snort coming out of turned up lips when their gaze situated on the drawing, it was ten times better than anything they could accomplIsh and the portrait of the smile gave them a warmth soothing feeling in their heart. A picture perfect family smiling and enjoying a cake together to celebrate THEIR BIRTHDAY. Ah, she sure was a better artist than them as well.

Gods, they had almost forgotten, today was supposed to be THEIR DAY. Little had it crossed their mind with how busy things have been lately. The few reminders given by Chihiro and Tama weren't properly noted and the marked calendar hadn't been consulted the previous night. . . or week on the matter. Unless it's one of the girls' birthdays, they don't really estimate in costs when it comes to their parties and gifts though when it is THEIRS, it's clearly another story.

For a split second they forget about any uneasiness in their life, pausing time to enjoy a brief yet sweet reminder that they are truly LOVED. For many, this was an ordinary piece of paper, for Tomo, this paper was their whole world. It's impossible not to feel sentimental about it, their eyes suddenly seeming a bit more watery than they recall. Perhaps the message alone, the effort of a portrait crafted with colorful crayons, and the intention of giving them something "better" in a nearby future - was far more VALUABLE than any cake. They don't have much but this, this was enough.

Those two had made them soft, there's no doubt on that. Almost tearing up like a baby because of a letter might not be what they planned on a day like this. In any case, there's no one present to judge them ( if Chihiro and Tama had been there to witness this side of theirs, they might have teased them endlessly ). Tomoya ends up wiping the tears building up in their eyes, and a laugh escapes them abruptly —becoming this sentimental has never been easy to deal with.

Right, yeah - today's their BIRTHDAY. But most importantly, they are running late on the girl's breakfast !

Their following moves are done on a fast sequence : Getting their missing slipper, adjusting their shirt and ponytail, fetch their phone ( open the chat with their boss in preparation ), retake a confident demeanor and step through the door to begin a new day. And it goes that way, with the difference that when Tomo opens the door, there's another surprise unfolding right in clear view.

Chihiro was making their own breakfast while Tama arranged the table with meticulous care. Two independent young ladies ( as independent as a toddler and a kid could be ) taking matters into their own hands. Properly dressed in their respective uniforms, attempted hairstyles and big determined smiles. They have been awake for a couple of hours by now or so the blonde assumes. Now they get it. Realization hits them like one cold shower, a sigh of defeat backing up their resignation. It was THEM who messed up with their alarm - they did it to let Tomo rest and in return they solved everything themselves ! Gods, those two are far more intelligent than many people give them credit for.

SMALL NOTE FOR FUTURE REFERENCE : change the phone's password. It seems those two have guessed it correctly . . . again.

❝ And to think I was just wondering where that burning smell came from from. ❞ Their approach is done casually, walking towards the brunette before lightly ruffling her hair. A mild tease is thrown in the mix and the huff doesn't do more than to make them laugh. The fried eggs in the pan WEREN'T overcooked though they would be if left for longer. ❝ Messing with my alarm was one bold move, kiddo. You're lucky I woke up in a good mood. ❞ On the contrary, they had woken up in a panic right until her letter turned that around in record time. Light, eager steps are heard as the smallest in the family draws near. As she finally catches up with the conversation her arms spread wide to embrace her parent. Her own proper way to say 'Happy birthday'.

Picking the child up is done with so much ease that doing it with one arm comes natural to them. Tama obtains a smile out of it, adjusting rather well on the new view from up above. ❝ Now that I got your attention. Allow me to share that I plan to take the day off from work. ❞ If their boss lets them to begin with. ❝ Maybe we could go and get some ice cream after classes to celebrate. How does that sound ? ❞ This wasn’t exactly how their younger self had imagined they’d be at twenty-six. Their whole world now revolving around those two and the Gods from above knew Tomoya wouldn't have it any other way.

❝ Oh and Chi - chan, if you keep the eggs there for another second they will ━━ ❞ BURN. Just like right now.