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[ The content smile on Ayaka's face shows that she really doesn't mind what their names would be like, in the end. It is traditionally the woman who takes the last name of the man in marriage, but she also understands that Cloud would be marrying into the family, and not the other way around. What matters more to her is that she'd be spending her future with him, and no one else.

She rolls to her side to face him, some of her longer hair following her movements and framing her face from how she's laying down. ]

Knowing my brother, I think... he would like that more.

[ But... she thinks that's okay, so long as Cloud is amenable to it. And one thing she's learned from all this hiding, is that she doesn't have to be afraid of putting pressure on Cloud and keeping things to herself. She can tell him anything, and so long as her intentions are made perfectly clear, then he would understand. No more worrying about how he might react, when it hasn't even happened yet.

Unless Cloud says something, there is silence on Ayaka's end. She's just looking at him in admiration, basking in this feeling of how lucky she truly is. How tomorrow, when she wakes up on her birthday, Cloud is the first person she sees. That's already a gift in of itself. ]

You truly do have such lovely eyes... Zack once told me that I should look into your eyes more, after I had complimented his.

[ Cloud finally settles down with her, grunting a little as slips underneath the covers, on his back with his hands behind his head. He tilts his head so that he can continue to watch her, prepared to roll over to meet her just as she was already on her side in turn. The way her long hair frames her face...she really was stunning. Even moreso when this content smile of hers was for him alone. ]

Just feels right to me, too.

[ After all, he's starting to feel a sense of duty and obligation to the Kamisato Clan as well. But it's something he wouldn't dare shirk or shy away from. Matter of fact... ]

You know...back home, some people have a middle name. Even if most people just use their first and last. [ A beat. Mm. ] Kamisato Ayaka. Middle name, Strife?

[ That is, if they keep the Clan's name alive and well but she takes a piece of her beau with her when the time comes. ]

[ As he says all this, that smile of his hasn't left his face. ]

Oh. Ah... [ There he goes again, cheeks dusted pink. ] You think so?

[ And there goes Zack again, being his wingman. ~~Guess he got his wings after all.~~ ]

Y'know, my eyes used to be more blue...

I'm afraid I can't quite imagine what you mean... [ A "middle" name. That's the first she's heard of it! Her name has just been Kamisato Ayaka all this time. But she's definitely open to suggestions, especially when Cloud is the one making them. ] Then, would "Strife" be in the middle? Kamisato Strife Ayaka?

[ That gets her to laugh a little. Not at the idea, but because she's reminded of something! How bright her eyes seem to look, her excitement showing. ]

Like Kamisato-Strife Art Tachi Jutsu!

[ Clearly it is the same??????

When they start talking about his eyes, she inches a little closer to him. ]

Mm... I think I know what you mean. Little Cloud's eyes are very blue. [ The one in the photo with Claudia, she means. That's Little Cloud!! Though... that was because he wasn't exposed to mako then yet, right? It's a touchy subject. . . and she doesn't want Cloud thinking about bad memories now, so she does not say anything more about it. ] But... that is not what I mean.

[ The more she tries to think about how she wants to say what she's thinking, the redder her cheeks get. And she rolls closer to him until she can hide her face under his chin, or by his chest. Just away from his gaze at this time, because of how embarrassing this all is. ]

They're so expressive... and I think when you first looked at me, when we met... That is when I started to fall in love with you.

I just did not know yet.

[ He takes his time, patiently waiting for her to figure it out. Luckily it doesn't take very long! And that's enough to get him rolling onto his side for her, face resting against his hand with a little, ] Bingo.

[ "Like Kamisato-Strife Art Tachi Jutsu!" ]

Hope you know that's what my technique's getting introduced as.

[ As she inches closer, he finds himself instinctively laying down a little lower next to her, unable to keep the smile off his face when she speaks about his younger self. Little Cloud, huh. The fact that his eyes have changed due to mako exposure hasn't really bothered him. In truth? Regardless of the experiments done on him, if he'd successfully made it into SOLDIER on his own, that would have been a foregone conclusion anyway. Then she tries to elaborate further, nuzzling in closer until she hides her face under his chin. Her hair feels so soft and smooth against his skin, his arm draping over her until he's shimmied in close enough to embrace her. ]

Ayaka...

I like mine, but... S'pretty hard to keep mine off yours. Pure and bright... When you're happy about something, it's like they shine.

[ It's like she said to him before. "Keep your eyes on me." Right? ]

Something or someone, hehe. My eyes must always look so bright when I am with you, then.

[ Don't mind her, Cloud! Now that he's embracing her? She's going to take the chance and embrace him back, one arm wrapping around him while the other stays tucked close to her. ]

I love you, Cloud. Thank you for listening to me and catching me once again. And... now I know what you think, too.

[ u///u It's like he read her mind again, and they're on the same page. They always are. ]

All it takes is a thought... [ A single thought of her. ] And I'm already smiling.

[ "I love you, Cloud." ]

I love you, too.

[ He'll always be there. He's always going to catch her. Just as she brought him back to his own two feet so many times before. ]

Always will... [ And suddenly, with Ayaka nuzzled in against him and all, he feels relief wash over him. So much so that he can't help but quietly yawn, blinking heavier than before. ] I was thinkin' of waiting till midnight to say Happy Birthday...

[ Oh well. If he has to get up to pee or something in the middle of the night, he can whisper it to her then. adflkjs ]

Hm? What time is it?

[ Hopefully it's just a couple of minutes before midnight! Ayaka shifts a little so she can look at him as they talk. ]

I do not mind waiting.

[ It's just so he could greet her, but there's something exciting about that? She's never waited until midnight for her birthday before! It is yet another new experience for her if they did do that. ]

Then...

[ Cloud temporarily leans away from her after she's already shifted, flopping his hand around for his phone behind him. And when he finds it? There's a few minutes left. He doesn't feel like watching his phone the whole time. He'd rather keep his eyes on the birthday girl, so. Holding down the power button, the voice command icon pops up in the bottom of his screen. ]

Set an alarm for midnight.

[ "Alright. Your alarm is set for 12 a.m." ]

[ Cloud can't help but smile to himself before he puts the phone over his head where they lay for now. So he can grab it when it goes off. ]

There. [ A beat. ] Don't feel like watching the time.

[ He wants to watch her. Or more importantly... It's a few minutes to cuddle and let the two of them stay in their own little world for a while longer. A few more minutes. He's going to make them count, leaning in to land a kiss on Ayaka's lips. Only this time, he doesn't pull away just yet. ]

[ Will they be spending the rest of the time before midnight kissing? Ayaka certainly has no complaints about that. She wants to be close, always. Moments when they're apart, whether it's to do errands during the day, or if Cloud is away on a quest and Ayaka's at the tea house, they're bits of separation that makes Ayaka more fond of her beau all the more. Getting to see him again, even if he was just doing something else in the other room, is always so exciting. To Ayaka, there is nothing she could ever ask of him but his company. Anything else is a bonus, and one that she treasures so deeply.

And so, she kisses him back. Soft, sweet, warm. Almost as if she's not giving him any reason to pull away. He can, of course, if he truly wanted to or needed to. Ayaka would not fault him for that. On her end though, she said she never wishes to lose a moment in showing that she loves him. Of course every second he decides to spend with her is going to be worth it for him. ]

The mochi you'll get tomorrow is a special one, [ she whispers to him in between kisses. ]

Mm...

[ Like velvet on the tongue, his words soon reach her once he lets her words stew in his head a little longer before he returns to kissing her. It's like embers being stoked, never turning into a raging fire of desire. But warm... So very warm. ]

Like Snow on the Hearth?

[ Cloud's smile grows before he kisses her again. ]

Well, that's one.

[ She made two for all! Everyone gets two Snow on the Hearths! But Cloud is the only one who gets a different set. ]

Do you remember the black sesame one?

[ They can take their time talking in between kisses. Ayaka sure is, getting one phrase in before going back to showing Cloud some love. Her voice is slow, almost lazy, but never a drag to listen to. Who knew you could have trouble deciding whether you wanted to talk to someone or make out with them? ]

[ When she mentions the black sesame, he slows down, resting his forehead against hers. No kisses yet. ...maybe in a second or two. fdasjkl ]

Yeah. You really went all out for that one. [ A beat. Two beats. ] Something like that?

[ She lets out a little laugh, remembering that this was all supposed to be a surprise for him. Oops! There she goes again... ]

Hehe, I meant to keep it a secret. But that's okay.

[ It would have been fun to see his reaction when he opened the box, but this is okay, too. ]

Eh. [ If Cloud could shrug in this position, he would. adsfjkl ] I'll still feel like getting it for the first time.

It came from you.

[ Instead of going in for another kiss this time, he closes his eyes, smiling as he gently butts his head with hers. Taking a deep breath in through his nose, and humming softly as he exhales. ]

[ Suddenly, Cloud's alarm goes off, ringing over his head where he put his phone down the first time. Without even opening his eyes, he lifts his hand up and over, feeling around for it a couple pats before finally snagging it. Tapping the screen, he succeeds in turning off the alarm before sighing in relief to put it back down.

When he opens his eyes again, with that same life and brightness she'd come to cherish so dearly... It's about time. He can finally say, from the bottom of his heart, ]

Happy Birthday, Ayaka.

[ Ayaka cups her beau's cheek and pushes herself up a bit to give him a quick kiss. He's her first greeter, right at the stroke of midnight! ]

Thank you, my love.

[ He said so earlier, about how her eyes shone whenever she was happy. They're twinkling now as she looks at him, just so content in this moment. It is yet another new experience that Cloud has given her! There's nothing that could ever top this. ]

I'm excited for our dinner date.

Mm...

[ A quick little kiss right back. He's not exactly tired, but they both have a bigger day ahead of them tomorrow too. Give him enough time and he'll get comfortable enough to want to conk out and get some rest before he helps her get prepared in the morning. ]

Can't wait to pick you up later.

[ On the most badass ride ever. He still can't believe Ayaka went through with buying him something like that... Honestly? He's gonna take damn good care of that scooter. It doesn't matter what it is. Cloud's going to make it work. ]

[ They really should go to bed soon. Ayaka needs all the energy tomorrow, especially since she'll be out and about the whole day! The last thing she wants is to be so tired that she wouldn't be able to keep up with Cloud when they see each other.

And so, she brings herself even closer, until she can hug her beau again and tuck herself in like that. Of course, she'll give Cloud whatever space he needs to get comfortable, but she wants to fall asleep cuddling one another. ]

Let's get some rest now.

[ She feels so light. Whatever worries she may have had when the evening was coming to a close, all those she shared with their moms... they're gone now. Not because they vanished into them air, but they weigh so much less after telling Cloud. It may not have been something she planned on doing, but the outcome was still good. Yet again, there's nothing to fear because Cloud is always supporting her.

Upon waking up, Ayaka won't eat anything for breakfast. Just a cup of tea! She'll be saving her appetite for wherever Ayato brings her, so most of her morning will be spent preparing breakfast for Cloud and packing the mochi in boxes. Someone's coming over to pick them up and deliver them to her friends, so she'll just be relaxing and waiting for Ayato once she's freshened up and gotten ready after that.

How truly lucky Ayaka is, to be celebrating her birthday with her brother and her beau. The best part is that she can celebrate it as herself, Kamisato Ayaka, and not as a public figure of Inazuma. ]

Yeah, got a big day tomorrow.

[ If Ayaka feels so light, her cage open leaving her free to fly away, he'll stay. He'll make sure that no matter how far she drifts, or how high she may fly with her wings spread, that she may return to her perch. Freedom to soar as she sees fit, but always having a place to call home. That was his promise to her beneath a sea of stars and rainbow-tailed meteorites. Kissing her on the forehead one more time, he closes his eyes and gets comfortable, yawning one last time contently before he does his best to let sleep take him. ]

🌸❄️🌸

... got here way too early.

[ But Cloud isn't so anxious. The fact his day started so early with Ayaka, helping her prep her boxes of mochi and starting his day right with a nice pot of tea, meant that he had ample time to get his own proverbial ducks in a row. Her present was waiting for her on the living room table, wrapped in deep navy blue wrapping with gold-trimmed ribbon. But until they did come home, Cloud had to make sure he rolled up in time for Ayaka by the time she was finished spending the day with her brother. As for Ayaka?

Whenever she did come up to meet Cloud, she'd find her beau~~nny~~ relaxed on his gifted scooter, wearing his sunglasses while the sun set in his eyes. They have a little birthday date night to go on!! ]

[ The day is absolutely great! It almost feels like there's nothing that could ever bring Ayaka down today. The memories she's made are ones she'll hold dear and treasure forever, and she hasn't even gone to meet her beau yet.

By the time she says goodbye to Ayato as she moves on with her day, the smile she's wearing remains to be the one she put on when the day began. Her cheeks are going to start hurting later on, but she'll worry about that later. ]

Cloud!

[ Ayato likely stays and watches Ayaka leave. Bowing to say goodbye to her brother, Cloud might notice that the elder Kamisato's waving a hand at him to say hello before he goes his own way. The younger Kamisato, on the other hand, looks like there are flowers blooming around her from her happiness as she runs to Cloud. ]

I hope you were not waiting long. [ It's almost automatic, how her hands rest on his chest and she tip toes and leans in to kiss him on the cheek and greet him. ] You must see what Ayato gave me!

[ Once her feet are back on the ground, she takes his hand so she can place her palm on his. There's a cute sakura themed ring on her finger. And if Cloud does a little bit of observing? He'll notice she's wearing a matching necklace and earrings, too. ]

Doesn't it look lovely? I was so excited I had to put these on right away! Hehe. I'm so lucky they match my choice of clothes today.

[ It's a mostly blue and purple outfit, so the pink gems add a nice touch! ]

[ Just as Ayaka's been practically smiling all day, Cloud's own smile lifts up the moment he sees her with Ayato. Waving from his scooter, he takes his sunglasses off and hangs them from his collar. ]

Heya!

[ He leans down after swinging off the parked scooter, letting the engine quietly rumble in idle for Ayaka to give him a kiss on the cheek. His hands already clasp over hers on his chest, giving them a little squeeze before holding them between the two. He's already feeling lighter by the second with her, and it's only been over half a day. ]

Nah. I got here early.

[ Letting her maneuver his hand in hers, he gently raises it a little bit so that he can get a better look of the sakura ring on her finger. There's a calm sense of wonder in his eyes as he takes a genuine interest in her day. How could he not? After Ayaka did everything she could to give him back the same feeling. To make him wish to cherish his own birthdays again. ]

Your bro knows you too well.

[ Sighing wistfully through his nose, he looks down at her with gentle admiration. ]

You look beautiful.

Thank you, my love.

[ Ayato made her beautiful today, Cloud!! She's just so delighted. And it's a miracle she's able to contain all the excitement she feels! ]

I received the photo you sent! Hehe. I could not respond right away though, and before I knew it, we were going to meet already.

[ They're in public, but Ayaka just can't help it. She hugs him tight! They spent most of the day doing their own thing, but she missed him a lot. Seeing him again has made her birthday an even better day. ]

How was your day? I hope you had your meals on time.

[ Nope. Birthday girl hasn't let go yet. ]

No sweat. It's been a big day for you.

[ And because it's her birthday, despite the fact he wasn't so big on public displays of affection (or at least blatant displays), Cloud doesn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her right back. Enough that when she hugs him tight he even starts swaying with her for a brief moment. ]

Yup. Thought I'd go light on lunch and just had a chicken salad while I was out.

[ ... Nope. He's not letting go yet either. He won't let go until she's ready. ~~Cloud you might be there for a while no. FDSHJKLA~~ ]

Ready for supper?

[ Because they're going to take their sweet time riding together on the way there. ]

Saving your appetite for our date, I see.

[ She gets it! Ayaka is giggling when she finally (!!) lets go of him, and she covers her mouth with her fist for a moment until she's done.

Sorry, she thought she made a funny observation. :( ]

I'm ready. Where are we headed?

Just wanted to enjoy the best parts of your day.

[ Which also means their dinner date food. Home cooked meals are great and all, but the little indulgences of going out from time to time were worth remembering too. That being said, it's also a good excuse to let what Cloud has cooking at home sit just a little longer. He worked really hard on it... Just as Ayaka gifted him with her specialty and personal mochi, he has his own return gift for her. ...a couple gifts, really. The first one is a little taste of home, Nibelheim style. ]

Just a sushi restaurant we've scouted out before.

[ Because while they're there? He wants her to enjoy the best unagi that she can have. Or anything she wants off the menu, really. But now that she's let him go, the sun is still hanging high enough that he's going to need his shades for a little longer. Until they at least got to their first destination, that is. They won't be out for long. Enjoy the dinner, then return home.

Stepping towards the scooter, he mounts it first and looks up to Ayaka with his hand extended for her to take. ]

Let's scoot along.

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