お誕生日おめでとう~!

[sumarusfinest]

A day planner laid out on Katsuya's kitchen counter has a big red circle over the date.

October first.

The officer wipes his glasses clean with a cloth and removes the apron he'd been wearing until moments ago. Changes back into his suit and tie and resolves that his kitchen will just have to be cleaned when he gets home.

He has gifts for a very special someone to go deliver. He scoops up the cake box and his keys and leaves his apartment for the Nexus. A certain magi's tower in the Nexus, to be exact. He does have the courtesy to text her to let her know he's on his way.

Still feels weird to announce 'I'm here to see Miss Verity Willis' to a wall of solid crystal though. Would it still open if he spoke in Japanese? Experiments for another time.

"Verity?"

Comments

[brave_heart_verity]

Verity's been waiting by the door since she got his text. She's wearing a t-shirt and jeans, as usual; it's as much her uniform as his suit is his. The large bandage on the inside of her left arm, just below her elbow, is new. Very new. And he's never seen her with epic Viking braids before.

When the door opens for him she's smiling and almost immediately launches herself into a hug.. "Hello Katsuya. Do you have time to come in?"

[sumarusfinest]

"Careful!" He laughs and holds the box over his head, as well as a flower arrangement which gets passed gently into her hands after she gets a chance to hug him.

The bandage is noted and his smile falters. He looks from it to her and down again, but says nothing about it.

"Those are for you. White chrysanthemums stand for truth in my country's flower language."

[brave_heart_verity]

"Sorry." She sighs softly and takes a step back after his warning. The flowers get a little smile when she takes them, and she takes a moment to enjoy their perfume before she turns to put them down on a table. Nice and safe.

"They're very pretty. Thank you. It's a new tattoo. I'd show you but I need to wash it first, and you probably have to get back to work." Yes, she noticed the look.

[sumarusfinest]

"Ah." All the explanation he needs, really. Katsuya shifts to set the cake box down as well before scooping Verity up into a warm embrace, careful not to jar her arm.

"Happy Birthday, Verity." He smells like powdered sugar and coffee.

[brave_heart_verity]

Mm, that's better. She relaxes into his hold with another sigh, this one sounding more content. She nuzzles into his shoulder a little bit to enjoy his warmth and the good smells. "Thank you."

The gratitude is for a lot of things really. "Don't worry, it'll be very subtle once it heals. You probably won't even notice it."

[sumarusfinest]

"I wouldn't mind even if it wasn't. I like you the way you are, ink, dye, and all." She wouldn't be Verity if she were any other way.

"Would you like your other half of your present for today?" He's not moving to let go of her yet, so there's no need for concern.

[brave_heart_verity]

She smiles up at him, reassured and happy again. "Thank you." He's getting a kiss now. On the cheek, but still. It's a start.

"What, you mean seeing you isn't the present?" She's so earnest about that. Getting to see him is the best part of any day.

[sumarusfinest]

It makes him blush, but he only leans forward slightly, touching his forehead to hers with a pleased smile.

"I'm not that narcissistic, I'm afraid." He chuckles in reply before turning her around so she can open her cake box. Inside is a cake frosted in all white, matching the flower arrangement he'd brought her. It's simply finished, but well executed.

"Would you like some?"

[brave_heart_verity]

She can live with making him blush, so long as he's not pulling away or chastising her again. He's cute when he blushes. "Would it be narcissism to know what I like and let me have it sometimes?" She doesn't think so.

And then there's cake. It certainly looks good. She wonders what kind it is... "Mm, yes please. I'll get some plates."

Into the kitchen they go. He may recognize some of her dishes. The green crystal is definitely not hers. But nothing's out of her reach here, since Naugus is even shorter than she is. Her coffee maker isn't anywhere in sight (gasp! shock!), but since there's no electricity...

"You want some coffee with it? Or tea?"

[sumarusfinest]

"Coffee would be nice, thank you."

It's a good thing that they can both agree that the other one looks quite adorable when they're blushing.

Katsuya carefully disassembles the cake box so they can remove it without marring the frosting job he'd done on it. He's happy to place it on a green crystal cake stand and wait for Verity to finish preparing.

The real treat is when Verity cuts into her cake.

[brave_heart_verity]

She can make coffee. She's got a new flip coffee pot and she's been practicing. It's not going to be quite the same, but change isn't always bad. It certainly looks impressive.

When she sees the design in the cake she gives him a smile. "A flag cake, cute. Thank you." She knows how much work can go into the fussy little things and she is truly grateful for the effort. "You realize I'm going to have to retaliate for your birthday, right?"

[sumarusfinest]

"It's your birthday. I wanted to celebrate you." Katsuya replies simply.

"Flowers that express your unique talents. A cake celebrating your heritage. Everything that makes you, you, I wanted to put on display. Be proud of who you are, Verity. You're a wonderful woman."

[brave_heart_verity]

It's a good thing he thinks she's cute when she's blushing because boy, is she blushing now. She isn't sure what to say or what to do, but he's getting another hug now. It's an instinctive move and he's going to have to deal with it. After all, hugging him should be her safe place in the world.

"Thank you." That's not enough, not nearly enough. "I think you're being too nice to me, but I don't want you to stop."

[brave_heart_verity]

Saturday for lunch. Verity knows what that means, but that didn't stop her from calling Katsuya earlier in the morning. She had a good excuse, though! She had to know the weather report so she could dress appropriately. Early autumn is always a tricky time of year.

He'd said to dress casually and she took him at his word, layering her favorite giant cardigan over a blouse and jean and leaving her hair down. Being early, like she usually is these days, she waits near his portal for a few minutes before sending him a text.

You sure it wouldn't be easier for me to come to your apartment?

[sumarusfinest]

It's a completely valid concern. Fall weather can shift at the drop of a hat after all.

If his portal wasn't quite so conspicuous these days it would almost be easy to miss the officer when he does show up. His hair is fluffy rather than styled, and he's wearing a pair of khaki slacks and a short sleeved dark blue polo shirt.

And normal glasses?

Did Verity stumble into an AU portal of some kind?

"Sorry, I'm here now." The officer apologizes, despite being early for their scheduled meeting time. It's still not early enough to have kept Verity from waiting. "You weren't waiting long, were you?"

[brave_heart_verity]

Give her a minute. She's just.

What happened to her boyfriend?

Is he a Skrull? This is a valid concern in her life.

"Not long. You have new glasses?"

[sumarusfinest]

"Uh...no good?" Katsuya looks rather self conscious at her reaction. He fiddles with the frames slightly and averts his gaze. "Uhm..Y..yes."

He was trying to be casual.

[brave_heart_verity]

"No, I like them." She smiles and reaches up to take his hand away from them. "It's a surprise is all. You look very handsome." That fidgeting hand is better off resting on her waist, right? Because that's where she's putting it, and then she's giving him a hug. He's just going to have to deal with this. "I'm sorry, I'm not good at surprises."

[sumarusfinest]

There's something to be said that Katsuya in casual wear is that much of a surprise. The officer nods a bit and hugs her back.

"Well, I did say casual wear." He gives a nervous chuckle before inclining his head toward his door.

"Ready to go?"

[brave_heart_verity]

"I didn't think that included new glasses. I feel unprepared now." She's in her regular boring glasses. Tragedy. Someday she's going to wear her contacts and really freak him out.

"Mm-hmm." She has to bite her lip to keep from asking where they're going, but she'll manage to restrain herself. For a few minutes.

[sumarusfinest]

"Well I..." Katsuya looks down at his outfit. "It didn't match." He blushes slightly at the admission. That was his reasoning. And verity always looks so well put together. He thought he should try to look less stuffy.

Especially for her birthday.

She wouldn't get a peep out of him if she asked. Other than perhaps.

"Himitsu desu." A smile, and then. "It's a secret."

[brave_heart_verity]

"Well, I like them. And I like your outfit. And mostly, I like you." She likes making him blush, too, but that's for her to know and him to figure out.

She'd say he's the put-together one. Tees and jeans isn't exactly a hard combination to pull off, and it's easy to put things together when half your wardrobe is either black or denim.

"You know I could look that up, right?" But she'd rather hold his hand than fuss with her phone. But if he's not going to tell her, she'll have to bore him with small talk while they go... wherever it is they're going. She's very proud of herself for finally getting a tamagoyaki right. She got one of those special pans and everything. And it means she's figured out the heat settings on the magic stove.

[sumarusfinest]

"Nono, 'himitsu desu' literally means 'it's a secret'. I was translating for you."

Katsuya is content to lead her down winding side roads, back toward the Aoba shopping district they had passed by before on their way to the shrine.

It's less bustling than the downtown areas, but still close enough to be thrumming with life, especially on a Saturday.

"I had thought you might grow tired of my using Japanese, so I've been attempting to translate when I slip up."

[brave_heart_verity]

"Oh." Well, now she feels silly. But this is not going to stop her from trying to learn. "No, I like it. So long as you keep translating until I understand it."

The winding side streets are lovely and she enjoys the walk. There aren't many landmarks for her to recognize, but that means a chance to learn new ones. And she does want to learn her way around. Someday she wants to be able to surprise him by knowing the way.

"I know I won't ever really fit in here, and to be honest, I'm not sure I'd want to, but I am trying to meet you halfway."

[sumarusfinest]

The obligation culture of expected responses and half-lies of tradition can be maddening for people who don't have Verity's powers. Katsuya understands.

"It is difficult for foreigners to adapt to Japanese culture." Katsuya looks annoyed by that. "Even moreso for women. And acceptance is usually hard to come by. Xenophobia is a drawback of my culture." He sighs, shaking his head.

He can't fix it, but he doesn't have to like it.

"I can't blame you for not wanting to. Hopefully visiting isn't too terrible though." Okay Katsuya. You've trained for this. Done the recon. Taken half a bottle of allergy medicine. That have arrived at their destination.

An adorable cat shaped sign beckoning them inside. It's a cat cafe! There are adorable kitties everywhere, and the hostess is quick to get them a table close to the play area where several Scottish fold kittens are batting around their toys.

The food here is adorable and cat shaped. And you get to play with the kitties. And there are health codes and it's clean. And Katsuya's wardrobe change makes sense on another level now. He would never be able to breathe again if he went in here in his normal clothes.