Undertaker33
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Five Buns Full: Chapter 1 (SFW Edit)
🕑 Added 2020-02-16 23:59:01 +0000 UTCDay 0
Most people don’t believe in fate anymore. They think that the universe is dictated by laws of complete random chance, like a pot of broth made from a bunch of ingredients all cooked together over a flame. There is this modern belief that there is a creator out there who has lost faith in his own creation, and that everything that remains is a swirling miasma of oddities and issues that are developing just because he really wants to get to the end.
In building number 2 of block number 5, Nino Uesugi knew that was untrue. The pot of broth was carefully managed, as much by its ingredients as it is by the chef who started it. The water was simmering over the meat now, and she had to skim and discard the waste of the chicken that rose to the top. Next, Nino added the vegetables, letting them cook into the soup while she went about prepping the morning’s baked goods, including three racks of donuts and several jelly-filled pastries. She took one for good measure, a baker’s treat, chomping down on it and glad that nobody heard her guilty moan of pleasure at the heavenly taste that spilled over her tongue.
When the timer finally sounded, she had white powder covering her hands and her red apron beneath her white chef’s outfit. The red-headed girl dusted her palms before straightening her pig-tailed hair and going to the front, opening the door and raising up the security shutter.
… And she nearly fell on her rear as five girls were revealed, screaming at the top of their voices, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BOSS!”
Nino held a hand over her thumping heart, gasping aloud. Her eyes snapped to the familiar wolf smile of the leader of the girls, her sister by marriage, Raiha Uesugi.
“Raiha!” she shouted. “Girls! You scared me half to death!”
Raiha giggled, even now at nearly 20 years old, like a small schoolgirl. Her black hair bobbed from side to side as she twisted her hands from behind her back. “We wanted to come by and drop off your present!”
Nino pouted, placing her hands on her hips. “I thought I said you didn’t need to do anything for me!”
“Yeah, well, that means I’d have to rely on my idiot older brother to get you a gift,” she grinned evilly. “That is, if he hasn’t forgotten.”
Nino felt her cheeks blush. “Fuu-kun wouldn’t forget!” she pouted. “We’re just busy, you know that. He’s got another long shift at the hospital today. We’re almost done paying off his med school, and the bills on this place!”
“Yeah, well, consider this a contingency,” Raiha grinned. She pulled a large royal purple and gold bag from behind her back, holding it out.
“What’s this?” Nino asked, reaching out for the bag. She was surprised by its weight, nearly dropping the straps when Raiha released them. “Oh wow, it’s heavy.”
“Well duh. It’s not every day you turn 25.”
Nino narrowed her eyes. She peered into the bag, spotting the dark brown wrappers, and slowly looking back up. “Whhhhhhyyyyyyy?” she moaned.
But Raiha was already turning away, taking the four other girls who worked at the café with her. “Anywho boss, we’ll be back later! I’ll see you when my shift starts!”
“Raiha!!” Nino shouted after her. “You little brat! You know I can’t eat these, I’m almost done with my diet!!!!”
She grumbled, staring after the five girls, watching how they all followed her sister like the leader of the pack. “She’s just like her brother,” she sighed to herself, reaching down and lifting one of the bars.
It was a chocolate bar, and a fat one at that. She looked around, eyeing the empty street before checking her watch. May 5th, 11:05AM.
Taking a few steps out onto the street, Nino turned about and looked upon her shop.
The Uesugi Café was written in English on a horizontal sign over the door. Through the windows she could see the prepared tables and chairs as well as her glass display cases, still waiting to be filled with fresh yummy cakes and chocolate pastries. The donuts hung from their rack behind the counter, near the brass colored coffee machine. Several stuffed rabbits looked up invitingly from the window, playing with smaller plush wolves arranged alongside them.
Just looking at them made her feel warm.
She ripped the back of her chocolate bar open, heading back into the shop. Silver foil gave way to a creamy brown, sugar filled treat. Nino had never seen the brand before, twisting it around to reveal a huge stamped N on the front wearing a little top hat. She was sure that there were 24 more sitting in the bag.
“I’m finally back down to a size 5,” she complained. “What’s with her and her brother constantly trying to feed me?”
She bit down on the chocolate bar with a soft, “Omm,” her body satisfying its craving for sugar while her brain hardly registered even the taste. Her mind wandered for a moment, thinking about Fuutarou.
She wished that she’d woken up before he had left for the hospital. They’d finally saved enough money that they could purchase a bed, and after years of sleeping curled up on a tiny shared futon, she’d found out how much she missed sprawling out and sleeping in.
She had to be careful, or else she’d grow soft. She couldn’t afford to do that as a business owner, and especially not until Fuutarou could establish himself more as a doctor. It’d be easier if Papa wasn’t giving him such a hard time…
The bell jingled and Nino turned toward the door. “Welco- oh, it’s just you. Good morning, Dad.”
“How’s my favorite daughter-in-law?” asked a broad chested man with sandy blonde hair. He grinned a sharp smile, flashing his canines.
“I’m your only daughter-in-law,” Nino reminded. “Unless Raiha has been getting feelings for one of the girls.”
“Heheh,” the head wolf’s grin sharpened, and Nino felt her heart beat just a bit quicker. He looked so much like his son, but his body was all wrong, his eyes weren’t as cute, and he was missing the adorable strands sticking up at the back that he let her keep when she cut his hair for him. But it was the severe jawline and a damnable smile that he passed on to his pups that was Nino’s favorite trait from the family.
He scooped one of the stools nearest the bar back, plopping down onto it as Nino retrieved his morning jelly donut.
“So, how’s the diet goin?” he asked.
“Why, are you here to ruin it just like your daughter?” she replied.
The smile turned dangerous. “Is that right? What’d she get you?”
Nino pointed to the purple and gold satchel filled with chocolate bars.
“That little brat…” he said it with pride. “That’s the candy shop we just put up over in the market, by that fast food joint. They ain’t even open yet.”
Nino raised an eyebrow. A hand went protectively to the chocolate bar she’d bitten into. “You don’t think she… stole them?”
He snorted, chomping down on the jelly donut. A red splash exploded onto his lips, coloring it in a way that Nino hoped didn’t happen when she’d eaten hers. She wiped nonchalantly with the back of her white sleeve. A slight red mark came away, but she couldn’t tell if that was her lipstick or jelly…
“I doubt it,” Dad finally filled. “She probably just charmed the folks who work there. She’d learned a lot from the old block, including how to be better.”
Nino shrugged. “Hey, you do a lot for them. You’ve helped take care of us, helped us find an apartment, and you’re not exactly charging me rent for the café.”
“Nah, you just inherited all the bills that came with it,” he chuckled. “I know I’ve said this before, but… she’d be real proud of you two. I think she’d have loved you just as much as he does.”
Nino blushed. She took a bite of her chocolate bar, actually noticing it this time.
It tasted wonderful.
“Thanks, Dad.”
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Raiha sighed as she approached the café, wishing she had more time in her day when something caught her eye near the door, a piece of black parchment that had been knocked askew. She was so used to it that she hardly read it, until she suddenly remembered what day it was. Scarlet cursive font above five golden stars. ‘Rated Five Stars By Famous Food Critic, May!’
She frowned, wondering what big sister Itsuki was doing in that moment.
Probably eating.
Well, it was summer. And it was her birthday.
She was definitely eating.
Raiha wished she could eat something. She had to go cook things, which wasn’t nearly as much fun. Having grown up in a house where food could be scarce, Raiha had a special appreciation now that it was always around.
She entered the shop proper, scarcely noticing the soft ambient music that played over the speakers. “Good afternoon, Mrs. Bartles. Good afternoon, Mr. Joyce. Hey, Kawashima. How’re the donuts today?”
If any of them replied, she didn’t hear them. She was already focusing on the day to come. Today was Thursday, which meant the soup of the day was chicken noodle, which meant that most people would probably order cheese biscuits rather than meat buns and-
A scrap of paper bonked her on the nose as she entered the back room. “Raiha, you jerk!” Nino shouted. “I’ve already eaten five of these bars! There’s 400 calories in each of them!! That’s already more than my whole daily limit!”
Raiha rubbed at her nose. “Hey, watch it! You could have hit me in the eye!”
Nino appeared before her, chocolate staining her lips. She was only two inches taller than Raiha, but that two inches felt like two feet with how wide and disturbing her blue glare was. “If I can’t button my skinny jeans tomorrow, you’re gonna be working double shifts all next week.”
Raiha shuddered, taking five steps back. “Alright, alright, geez. What happened to that indomitable willpower you were just bragging about? Back down to a size 5, right?”
“For now!” Nino pouted. “Your stupid father came in here and gave us a $75 voucher for a steakhouse. Do you know how long it’s been since Fuu-kun’s had a decent steak? And that means he’s gonna make sure I eat as much as he does, if not more!”
“This sounds like the ultimate first world problem,” Raiha replied. “I’ve gotta go wash my hands. Junko and Hina had us picking up trash for community service.”
“Well… good! I guess! Really helps out!” Nino huffed, obviously not knowing what to say to that, and so chose to head back out to the counter. She probably didn’t even notice herself snagging another chocolate bar from the pyramid she’d constructed.
Raiha grumbled in teenage angst, picking the discarded wrapper up off the floor and tossing it in the trash. “Back down to a size five. I wish I could leave a size five,” she lamented. “I still fit into my darn baby clothes, and she’s bragging about losing weight. And when’s the last time I got to have steak?”
She went to the sink and washed, feeling her spirits dampen further when she saw the amount of dishes that were waiting. Why couldn’t they just use paper crap like all the other cafés in town?
Her feet dragged as she wandered to the kitchen line, habitually checking for any dinner orders. She was surprised by a large cup that had been set directly on top of the white cutting board, with a metal spoon waiting on top and a small sticky note that sealed the lid. Signed in immaculate handwriting was, ‘Thank you for the chocolates. – Nino ♥’
Raiha felt her tired mood melting away. She opened the container, expecting chicken soup, and was pleasantly surprised to find it was actually a homemade serving of chicken flavored ramen, with a bit of egg and everything.
She looked through the gap in the wall and saw Nino talking with another woman at the register, making a cup of coffee in a ceramic mug. Raiha hopped up on the counter, letting her legs dangle, and enjoyed her lunch.
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10pm finally arrived. Nino yawned, stretching out her back after closing the security shutter. Raiha, who was finishing mopping the wooden floors, let her pass back toward the counter.
“I’m in a bit of a rush today,” Nino told her. “Can I trust you to lock up?”
“Hmmm, where are you running off to?” Raiha gave her a sly grin. “Got any plans tonight?”
Nino turned her nose up. “I-I just was hoping to get home before he’s asleep, that’s all.”
“Oh? …Oh!!” Raiha hopped, nearly dropping the mop. “I thought you meant something with your sisters.”
The owner let out a deep sigh. “I don’t think so… last time I checked her Instagram, Ichika was in Tokyo… Itsuki and Miku are probably already asleep, and Yotsuba… well, anyway, I dunno. They’re all busy, I’m sure. Everyone’s always busy.”
“I think you might just be too busy…” Raiha replied somberly, shaking her head. “It’s the middle of Summer, and it’s their birthday too. You’re a quintuplet!”
Nino crossed her arms. “It’s not like it’s a bad thing! It’s just been a while. You know how much this place cost? And our apartment, and our medical bills, and you’ve got your own bills coming soon!”
“Reeeelaaax. Dad didn’t hire you as an accountant,” Raiha chuckled. “If you let yourself get so high strung, you’ll end up getting chubby again~”
“I will not!” Nino demanded. She snapped into the chocolate bar with absolute gusto, only to feel a leap of surprise as the flavor hit her tongue. She stared in shock down at her hands, fingers so tight over the fat bar that they were cracking the surface.
She hadn’t even been aware that she’d been holding a bar, much less unwrapping it. She swallowed, feeling the chomp adding onto the several others in her tummy.
A deep sigh escaped her lips. She missed Itsuki. She missed Miku, and Ichika, and Yotsuba. She missed all her sisters, wishing they’d be around more often so she could share all her snacks rather than feel compelled to eat them all by herself.
Much more sadly, Nino nibbled on her chocolate bar, remembering the last time she’d seen her sisters all together. Out of all of the girls, she only saw Ichika’s updates on Instagram. The closest thing she had to seeing the others was looking in the mirror each morning as she did her makeup.
“You know what, don’t worry about it,” she told Raiha. “Just lock up the shop. I’ll close down the register tomorrow morning, okay?”
“Errmm… okay, boss. You sure?”
“Mhmm.” She raised a hand to her neck, aware of the tension in her muscles. “And thank your father for me when you see him, okay? I’ll bring over some snack cakes over the weekend for you both.”
“Alrighty…”
On any normal day, Nino would make herself a warm cup of tea as she went through her checklist and counted their profits. Today, she piled all the money into an individual bank bag, labeled it with a sticky note as needing counting tomorrow, and tossed it into the safe. A sharp glance around the kitchen made sure that the building wasn’t about to burn down, before stepping out the door to begin the long walk home.
She carried the purple and gold gift bag as well as her purse around her right shoulder. While it was much lighter now than it had been before, it was still a bit big and she had to maneuver her white leather purse around it to reach in. From her purse Nino withdrew her pink and purple smartphone. The case had a set of bunny ears that made the phone a little harder to carry, but Nino didn’t own a single piece of garment that had pockets and besides, it fit fine in her purse.
She flicked the power button and swiped her finger along the unlock screen in the shape of the number two. Her home screen was a picture Raiha had taken of Nino sitting in Fuutarou’s lap. He was wearing his rare, handsome grin.
Seeing it gave her a small boost, allowing her to open a chat app she hadn’t checked on in months. She tapped on the first and only group chat she was in, ‘The Nakano 5!’
Nino Uesugi writes: ‘Happy birthday, girls’
She couldn’t figure out why that had been so hard. Now that the message was sent, it seemed almost trivial, like the littlest thing. She felt her walking pace ease as the air of tension was chopped and melted away. The stars glimmered down from above, and Nino looked up to see the cute little bunny that lay on the moon.
She withdrew another chocolate bar from her giftbag.
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Nino was of the firm belief that her apartment was too far to walk to in heels. She also understood how good heels made a girl like her look and believed that business owners should look the part. So she suffered, strongly anticipating the day she could get a scooter… while fantasizing about the day he could get a motorbike.
The ache in her feet was all too familiar as she reached their building. The door was off the main street, opened with a tiny key that led directly to a skinny staircase. They couldn’t afford a normal apartment, not yet anyways, and so rented the second floor above an old woman’s flower shop.
Which was why today, as she kicked off her white shoes and ascended the wooden steps, Nino was surprised that the air didn’t smell overbearingly of lilies.
It smelled like frying pork.
“That man…” she sighed, shaking her head. He didn’t know the first thing about cooking bacon and would absolutely get grease everywhere. And heaven above knew that he didn’t know how to clean it all up. Yet, as she opened the door to their main room and saw the tiny candles set over their small dining table, with a pitcher of black tea sweating onto the wood, she couldn’t help but smile so big that it hurt.
And then the smoke alarm went off.
Nino snorted, shaking her head as a string of expletives thundered out from their kitchen. She passed through the partition, fanning her hand in front of her face and looking exceptionally pleased as her husband threw open the window with a loud, “Damn!”
“You haven’t burned it, have you?” Nino teased.
He glanced over his shoulder before turning back to the stove. He scooped up a pair of tongs. “I don’t think so,” he prodded the meat.
“You burned it, haven’t you?” she came closer. “Want me to check?”
“Hey, hey! Get outta here!” he moved himself to block her sight. “You’re not even supposed to see this. Go wait in the other room!”
Nino giggled. She reached out a hand, letting it only just barely touch the small of her husband’s back. He was still wearing his blue hospital scrubs. “How was today?” she asked.
“You’re trying to catch a glance, aren’t you?” he accused. “Other room! Go have some tea.”
“Alright, fine fine,” Nino proudly turned up her nose. “But just so you know, I like my bacon a little squishier, and with a bit more fat on it.”
“… So you did see,” his shoulder’s slumped.
“I know what bacon smells like, dummy!” Her arms crossed beneath her chest, hugging herself. “It’s too late for breakfast! I was coming back early so I could make dinner.”
“Yeah? Well you must have walked too slow then. I won, so now you have to survive my cooking.”
Nino rolled her eyes, trying to be pouty but unable to keep from grinning beneath his dark eyes. She looked up into his before walking forward and wrapping her arms around his middle.
She held him like that, fingers crossed over his waist, burying her face between his shoulder blades.
“Raiha said you might have forgotten,” she told him, looking up over his shoulder. More than just bacon could be smelled on the air. Something floury.
“Do I seem like someone who’d forget?” he asked.
Without saying a word, Nino raised her left hand up above his chest, holding it out where he could see. She waggled her ring finger.
“T-that’s not the same thing,” he denied. “I was under a lot of pressure that day, okay? It’s not like I forgot to get rings, I just forgot to bring them up to the altar.”
“Mhmm.”
“And you five had startled me! It’s more your fault than anything!”
“Of course.”
“Playing such a mean-spirited prank.”
Nino hummed, shaking her head against him and kissing his back. She tightened her hold on him. “I had every faith in you.”
Finally, she heard the small noise of his chuckle. She pulled back to see him glancing back at her, wearing his wolf’s grin.
“W-what?” she blushed.
“Nothing.” He turned back to the stove, still smirking. “Just thinking about how you were shaking like a leaf and couldn’t stop playing with your ears.”
“T-they were sensitive,” she pouted. “The earrings hurt, okay?”
“You were so nervous. Your hands were quivering when I read you my vows.”
The blush got deeper. She held herself to him, bobbing back and forth, sliding her tummy against his back. She tried to catch his attention, to make him see her smirk. “You’ve always given me butterflies.”
She had said it with such assuring control that she felt for sure he would be in her grasp.
Instead he seemed relaxed, at ease with her attempt. “Oh?” he scooped something off of the stove onto a nearby plate. He held up a hand near his shoulder, a fresh piece of bacon dangling from his hooked finger. It was soft and gooey and still dripping with grease. “Always, huh?”
Nino reached up on her tiptoes, nibbling on the meat before biting down.
He didn’t let go. “Even when we first met?”
Nino looked at him with wide, guilty eyes, hanging from the bacon. She felt herself lowering slowly back onto her heels. Memories of her haughty teenage attitude brought shame to her now. She had her reasons, and they had seemed like such good ones back then! But now, 3 years married and 8 years with her Fuutarou, she regretted her attitude.
He turned around, holding the bacon up above her. There was a spot of danger in his sharp eyes, holding his little bunny by greasy bait. “Even then?”
Nino swallowed a mouthful of salt and grease.
A true chuckle came from him then and he leaned closer. “You’re cute when you’re speechless, Snowball,” he whispered, releasing the treat.
Nino’s blush was scarlet, darker than her hair as he used her little bunny nickname. A bite of fire flared up from her tummy. She slurped up the rest of the dangling bait up before twisting upward and kissing him on the lips. She pushed him back heavily, thrusting toward him and bumping him into the stove. Then, as soon as he began to respond, she took a step back and flicked him on his nose.
Sense seemed to leave him and he gaped at her as she walked away. She went to a small carpeted spot near the door, leaning on the wall as she slipped her bare feet into a pair of pink bunny slippers. With one more twist and a taunting smile she said, “So are you,” and went to pour them each some tea.
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Pancakes and bacon were one of Nino’s all-time favorite combinations of food. It was the first dish she’d learned how to prepare as a little fledgling, excited to learn and help out around the house. She’d discovered her passion for cooking and found how much she enjoyed the responsibility back then.
But nights like tonight had become treasures to her. Ones where she could just let her hair down, sit in front of their small cooling fan, and not count a single calorie that she dumped into her tum.
She sagged back on her rear, resting her hand on her belly, trying not to think about all the chocolate from before. Three pancakes, six strips of bacon. Her unconscious mind had her reaching for a seventh strip, despite feeling as if she’d stuffed herself full, to make up for the numerical demand of the well-tended universe.
“They had me running errands for Radiology today,” Fuutarou told her. “The administration has been cycling me about every department the last few weeks.”
Nino knew by ‘the administration,’ Fuutarou really meant Papa. She swallowed the last of her bacon, sipping on a second glass of tea. “Well how was that? Better than the emergency center?”
“Much quieter, but not as interesting. It’s sort of like ‘spot what’s wrong with this image’ rather than ‘Help, I swallowed a lightbulb.’”
“Somebody swallowed a lightbulb??”
He nodded, looking out the window without much hope for the world. “It was a little one, but still. Some guy covered one in peanut butter. Said he swallowed is as a joke to scare his co-worker and had tied a little chord around the end to pull it back up. But he swallowed the side with the twine first, and it obviously couldn’t turn around without breaking.”
“H-how did he…?” Nino shook her head. “I don’t want to know.”
“The human mouth can open up to-” Fuutarou began.
Nino waved her hands in front of her, making a covering noise. “I don’t wanna know something that gross! Take your human anatomy lesson somewhere else!”
“Don’t you want to know how we got it out?”
“Absolutely not! It’s icky enough that it went in!!” she stuck out her tongue, hair waving from side to side as she shook her head.
Fuutarou chuckled, taking another piece of bacon for himself. “So how about you? Anything new?”
Nino grunted, leaning back. “Today, or this week?” she asked, bending an eye at him.
“Oof,” he grunted. “Sorry.”
The woman winced. It had come out rougher than she’d intended. “I didn’t mean that against you. It just feels like forever since we got to sit down together. It’s nice to just be able to talk.”
He nodded. “Personally, I’m looking forward to sleeping. Tomorrow’s probably going to be more Emergency Assistant, but they might have me doing surgery prep. I think he likes to keep me guessing.”
Nino frowned. “Do you want me to talk with him?”
He held up a hand. “Nah. It’s better this way. It means I’ll get to rub it in his face when I come out ahead.”
The set of his eyes, the dismissive look of his face, it was enough to make Nino break into a cheerful giggle. “Wow, if I didn’t know better, I’d think you’re turning into Dad.”
He huffed but didn’t look too displeased.
Nino felt a soft smile on her face. “Oh, actually! Speaking of which!” she reached for her purse. It was a little too far, and she had to strain awkwardly to get it. She noticed his eyes traveling down her body and it made her feel a little bit more. He must have been checking her out, now that she was sexy and slim again rather than all pudgy and… stuffed.
Nine chocolate bars at 400 calories each, plus three pancakes and seven strips of bacon covered in syrup, the bowl of chicken soup and granola bar for lunch and the cinnamon toast for breakfast all flashed over her taste buds.
O-okay, maybe not… maybe a little stuffed… She felt her eyes glance over at his.
He was looking at her tummy. There was no mistaking it, he was looking at her belly again, noticing it. No, no no, that was one of the reasons she’d started her diet, was cause she knew he’d seen she’d gained weight!
Nino seized her purse and pulled it onto her lap, covering herself. “H-here,” she tossed the card onto the table.
“What’s this?” he asked.
She tried to get his eyes on her middle out of her head. It was just for a day! Her birthday! She’d be better about her diet tomorrow! Or… or probably Thursday… when she was out of those stupid yummy chocolate bars.
“Umm… Snowball? You aright in there?”
Her heart thumped, recognizing the bunny rabbit nickname for her. She waggled her head, clearing her mind. “Sorry, yeah, just… uh… just thinking.” Her hand rested over her middle.
Fuutarou noticed that too. “Ahh, geeze… was it bad?”
“What?” Nino turned on him, saw him looking at their meal. “No!!” She shouted it, not caring how loud. “It was great! It’s just… um…”
A hand appeared on her thigh. He was looking at her with a muddled expression.
“I… I ate too much again…” she sighed, aware of the tension in her tummy. “God, being around you, I always end up doing this! Your sister got me chocolates and your dad got us a steakhouse card-”
“S-steakhouse?” Fuutarou chimed, breaking Nino off. He looked like he was about to start drooling.
“That’s not the point!!” she whined, weakly thumping him on the arm with both of her hands. “I feel like I eat so much more cause of you!”
He squinted skeptically at her. “Like… I force you?”
“Not like that! It’s like… like food just tastes better around you guys… and I dunno, it’s not like when I was growing up at all…” she reached down to her plate and began poking at it. “I used to have so many people to share it with, and if I’m not paying attention, I’ll start making these huge meals just for you and me. And it’s not like you’ve gained a pound, which is totally unfair!!”
“Ahhh, I think I see the problem…” he moved closer to the wall before patting his thigh.
Nino responded, moving and sitting next to him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
“When Raiha and I were younger, you know who cooked for our family?”
“Raiha, I know that.”
Fuutarou snorted. “Before that. It was our Mom.”
“O-oh… well, yeah…”
“After Mom passed away, Dad and I… well, we had no idea what we were doing in the kitchen. My little sister, just 11 years old and not even taller than the stove, was schooling us in food preparation. I ever tell you that?”
“She’s mentioned it. She’s said you burned everything, but she’d lie and say it was great for you.”
He hummed, squeezing her shoulder. “We didn’t have a lot of food growing up. Hardly enough to even get by, and had debt collectors beating down our doors. But it’s the time that we spent together. Mealtimes became sort of a big deal to us, you understand?”
“I… think so,” she replied.
“Now, we can afford to go out. One of the reasons I worked so hard to get through school, I don’t want to go back to the same pot of curry every night.” He chuckled at himself, rubbing his hand through Nino’s hair. “I’m not going to be upset about you eating more.”
Nino’s self-conscious pout was exceptionally deep. She pushed herself to say it. “I… I’ve noticed you… looking at my… my tummy,” she said. She shifted in his arms. “It made me feel like… unattractive. Fat.”
He snickered. “That’s really dumb.”
She sat up, crossing her arms and turning away from him. “It’s true! I had let myself go! And when’s the last time we’ve even made love? It’s been like two months!”
“Nino-”
“And I know that I… well, I decided that I should face it myself.” She turned her nose up. “And I did. I’m all the way back down to a size five, so you don’t have to look at my tummy anymore!”
“Nino, you’re not-”
“And I’m gonna keep up my diet too! After today, it’s right back to granola bars and yogurt until I’m even smaller th- Aiiee!!!!” she was suddenly taken by the shoulders and pulled backward. An arm tucked beneath her leg and lifted her bottom, bringing her into Fuutarou’s lap.
“Shut up.” He said it without any heat or maliciousness. Nino felt her chest thumping, reflexively tucking her legs toward her chest. “You can be a real moron, even now. Nino, what am I attracted to about you?”
Nino swallowed. “Is that a real question?”
“Of course it is,” he rolled his eyes.
“Umm… well…” she began running through details about herself in her head. “My body?”
“There are four other girls who look almost exactly like you. If it was anythingabout your body, why would I choose you over anyone else?”
Nino blinked at him. “Then… my hair?”
He just looked at her. “Do you hear yourself?”
She frowned, feeling herself getting angry. “Well then what is it?” she demanded.
“That you’re you,” he said, his words hanging on the open air. “And you’re mine.”
Her mouth suddenly felt very dry. Her heart was beating loud enough that he must be able to hear it, and he lifted her up just a touch closer, touching his nose to hers.
“The sexiest thing about you is how sexy you know that you are. You understand that?”
Nino found herself flustered, unable to talk.
“We haven’t made love in two months because you’ve been dieting all that time, and we’re getting home all exhausted. That doesn’t mean you’re not attractive to me. Heck, I think your belly’s…” he blushed, looking down at her stuffed middle. “I think it’s cute. You said it yourself, food tastes better with the people you love. And you were enjoying it. Watching you do that, that’s sexy.”
Nino looked past her small breasts and down to her tum. Beneath her white chef’s shirt, she was still soft. Her diet had been just eating less rather than actually exercising, but there was a tiny swell in her tummy from the food. Fuutarou surprised her by slipping his hand through the golden buttons and pinching her sides. It made her gasp, but rather than push herself away her hands tightened over his arms.
He began kneading her side, pinching her and pushing into her in a way that was instantly getting to the girl. He sighed. “I was gonna save this for after cake,” her husband admitted, “but would you like your birthday present now?”
She looked from him, to the pancakes and bacon, then back. She blinked.
“I’ll take that as now,” and he flashed his wolf smile.
Nino yelped as he dipped her forward, struggling to get to his knees. “Ahh! Fuu-kun! You can’t lift me up from down here.”
“Would… you… be quiet,” he stammered, straining to lift her out in his arms. She began giggling, holding herself tight to his chest as he got his feet under him. She yelped again as he began walking.
“Fuutarou~! Ahh! My slippers!” she called as the pink bunnies tumbled free. “Put me-”
The call died in her throat as they passed into their bedroom.
The pair shared a queen-sized bed, with money they had gotten as part of a New Years gift. It looked exceptionally out of place in the apartment, which had leafy green walls and sliding paper doors, and didn’t match any of their furniture save for the vanity Nino had gotten after their wedding. They were the nicest things that the couple owned, and both were decorated with piles of rose petals. Their special place turned into a garden of love.
“F-Fuu-Kun,” Nino whispered, staring at the beautiful crimson flowers, basking in their fluttering scent. Her eyes were naturally drawn to the bed, where a white box with a tiny red bow lay waiting.
He was breathing harder and she could feel his weaker muscles shaking as he moved forward, placing her at the foot of the bed. She looked up, saw him gasping but grinning, dribbles of sweat forming on his face.
She took the small package in her hands but he stopped her, standing her up and moving behind her. “What is it?” she asked, shaking the box.
“Oh, some special jewelry. Just for you,” he kissed her neck, sending shivers down her spine. Desire swelled within her.
Nino opened the box. Set into twin divots of fine black fabric were two white leather straps with golden chains dangling off of the sides. She blinked at them, not understanding what they were until she very suddenly did. “Are these…?!”
With a bestial grunt, Nino’s top was suddenly ripped open from the middle. Golden buttons pinging off as Fuutarou’s hands tore the fine clothing to either side. Nino dropped the box on the bed, looking down at her now partially exposed body.
“W-what are- that was- Hey!! That was my cooking shirt!”
She spun around, her heart hammering, about to shout into his face when she was met with the strong, hungry grin. The complaint died in her throat, his hands moving forward and gripping her sides. And then they were kissing, a deep, long, and heavy kiss shared between husband and wife.
She fell backward onto the bed, sending rose petals flying up and rocking Nino’s full belly. She coughed, laughed, then clawed him closer, lifting her legs to wrap around him.
She was abruptly slid forward, tugged along with him as he stood up. “Don’t you want to try your new toys?”
Nino blushed with hesitant desire. She looked back up at the straps, then down to her wrists. She swallowed, then nodded.
“Look at me,” his voice taunted her.
She did.
“Do you want to?”
She nodded again.
Fuutarou reached forward, resting a hand on her breast and leaning on her to grab the box. He withdrew the pair of cuffs and the long leather strap that Nino hadn’t seen. He was looking at her like she were his treat.
He pushed her legs down, taking her arm and lifting it to the first cuff. Straps with golden clasps closed over her wrists, pushed back to her forearms. He then tugged her arm, pulling her to him before taking her other wrist.
“You know, I think this is something nobody else knows about you,” he whispered.
Her chest was pounding, and no air seemed to be enough as he tightened the buckles around her wrists.
******************************************************************************
It took a while for the pair to come to a rest.
The moment they were done, they were cuddling beneath rose petal blankets, muttering ‘I love you so much’ and ‘You mean the world to me.’ She pushed him up towards the headboard, now laying on his bare chest. Her neck felt appealingly sore.
“You ripped my cooking shirt open,” she pouted, poking him in the chest and not even slightly upset.
“Sorry,” he apologized, not even slightly sincere. “I thought you’d like something… spontaneous.”
“I did…” she purred, pulling herself tighter. She could smell the sweat, the male exertion on his muscles. She tightened herself around her wolf in a soft bunny hug.
They laid like that for a little bit, just breathing. She focused on the sound of his heartbeat, knew that it was her own.
“Sorry about the condom,” he said quietly, flexing his arm around her back.
Nino rose up, poking him in the cheek. “Dummy,” she smiled. “I dunno why, but for some reason that made it really hot. We’ve never made love without protection before. It’s sorta like we were doing something naughty.”
“The cuffs and necklace wasn’t enough?” he replied.
Nino stuck out her tongue. “You know what I mean. Unnn,” she stretched out her back, collapsing into his arm. It reached down, squeezing her bottom. “That was wonderful~” she purred.
“I love making love to you.”
Nino blushed. “I love making love to you, too. And you know what else?”
She walked two fingers over his chest.
“I love eating with you, too. Did you get chocolate cake?”
He snorted. “Of course not. I got double chocolate.”
“Yaaay,” she pressed her cheek to his chest, nuzzling him. “I dunno if I can stand up yet. Can you bring it here?”
“Cake in bed? Won’t we get crumbs everywhere?”
“We’re laying on top of hundreds of rose petals.”
“… You know, that’s fair. Alright.” He rose from the other side, leaving Nino to stretch and to yawn and scratch at her belly.
They’d been sexually active before, having started making love before they were even married. Their first time had been remarkably awkward, with neither even knowing how to put the condom on and getting into a fighting match over who would be on top first. Nino won, successfully arguing that gravity was on her side. But never before had they had sex without one.
It felt spectacular. Warm, soft, and it was almost orgasmic just to think about the sensation. It was entirely different, and world’s better. She knew that it wasn’t something they should frequently try. But still… for her birthday, she had to give it to him. It was a pretty wonderful present.
He returned a moment later with two tiny plates with two chunky pieces of cake. “Happy birthday, Snowball,” he said, smiling.
“Thank you,” she wiggled her bare bottom on the sheets, happily taking her sweet. “You’ve made me the happiest girl on the planet.”
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Day 14
Nino was the happiest girl on the planet.
And the most upset. And the most baffled, and dismayed, and agitated, but by far, she was the most anxious. She blinked down at the tiny white stick, about to rub her hands through her hair before deciding that was disgusting and so running her hands through the sink.
A happy pink smiley face looked back up at her, telling her she should smile, telling her she shouldn’t panic, that things were all going to be alright.
A knock on the door. “Hey, boss? Big brother called, he said he’s almost here. Are you feeling okay?”
She wiped her eyes, blew her nose, and looked at herself in the mirror. She’d expected her mascara to be running, or for her cheeks to look splotchy. Instead, she found herself taking a deep breath, nodding, then giggling, then nodding again. She looked almost as if she were glowing.
“Yeah, Raiha! I’m fine! Just make us some hot tea, would you? I’ll be out in a second. And go ahead and close the front door! No other customers, okay? I’ve got to talk with you guys about… something.”
“Oh… oh, dear. Are… oh my gosh! Okay, yeah!” Raiha sounded excited, her feet pattering away like she was skipping.
Nino swallowed a laugh. Raiha was going to make such a good aunt.
She reached into her purse and opened an app. ‘The Nakano 5!’ stared back at her. Only a couple messages had been posted in the last few weeks, mostly by Itsuki and Miku and one from Ichika. There wasn’t anything from Yotsuba.
Nino scrunched her eyes shut, looking away from the group, feeling the butterflies dancing all through her body. She stared at her reflection in the mirror.
Four other girls were each staring back.
She wondered what they saw.
