Work Text:
Nene dug herself from the tangle of limbs both reluctantly and with a little difficulty. How she had not been suffocated by the twins and their lanky starfish sleeping habits she would never know.
She detoured to the bathroom to brush her hair and teeth before wandering into the kitchen to get the day started. First was the coffee pot, enough for at least four cups, and a saucepan for milk with a generous heap of the cocoa mix from the jar on the counter.
She pulled out all of Tsukasa’s prep work from the night before, setting up the three bento boxes before she turned to the gurgle of the coffee maker with a mug. She liked their French press better, but Amane was the only one who could get the coffee/water ratio correct with his five years as a barista from when he was in college.
She set herself in motion once half her cup was empty; rolling tamagoyaki, sautéing carrots for Tsukasa in butter and brown sugar, and zucchini for Amane with sprigs of dill.
She rolled onigiri in the shape of kittens for one twin, and carefully formed two roundish star shapes for the other. She piled their lunches with snacks and treats, putting the sticky notes with her 'I love you!' on each box before wrapping them and tucking them into the fridge.
A glance at the clock showed that at least one of them would be up soon, so she cleaned up a bit, finished her coffee, and started on breakfast. She was on the third set of pancakes when arms snaked around her shoulders and a cheek pressed against her own.
Nene giggled and reached up to thread her fingers through the dark hair caught in her lashes, full-on laughing as he snuggled closer and purred.
"Good morning, Tsukasa."
There was a rumble she assumed was his response, and she tugged one arm free to flip the pancakes before they burned. Tsukasa was always extra clingy in the mornings, winding around her and getting underfoot as though the few hours they spent apart at their jobs would make him forget her.
She dropped the finished pancakes onto the plate with the others and poured another round before she reached for the little saucepan and the purple kitten mug.
"Cocoa?"
She laughed at the sleepy hopeful voice that was partially muffled in her shoulder and wiggled from his grasp to direct him to the table. His hair was flat on one side and ruffled on the other, only a peek of amber visible through his drooping lids.
"I told you to go to bed early. How late were you up on the computer?"
He pouted as he took the mug from her, slumping over the table before she turned to rescue the pancakes. They were a little darker than she wanted but were salvageable. She angled herself at the counter so she could still see him.
She and Amane had gone to bed around eleven, and Tsukasa had said he'd be asleep before midnight, but the circles under his eyes told her a different story. Nene shut off the burner and dropped the pan in the sink before she moved to the table.
She leaned down and brushed the hair away from his forehead before pressing a kiss to his temple.
"Silly boy."
His smile made her laugh as she wandered off to wake the other twin. Amane was still tangled in the sheets, snoring softly with his arms thrown over his eyes. She climbed into the bed, sitting beside him before she reached out and ran her head over his head.
He hummed and leaned into her touch immediately, rolling to find her and sprawling over her lap.
"Come on, Amane. Breakfast is ready. And no; I'm not breakfast."
There was a sharp huff against her hip bone, and she smirked as she untangled herself to head back to the kitchen.
"You have five minutes or I'm sending Tsukasa in here and I will ignore all whining about bruises."
Amane scrambled up, nearly bouncing her off the bed before he scooped her in his arms as she shrieked and hauled them both to the kitchen. Tsukasa lifted his head briefly as they entered and dropped it back down with a thud that made them both laugh.
He set her to the floor before wandering over to his brother to ruffle his hair, scooting his chair right up against the other. Nene watched with a soft smile as Tsukasa folded against his big brother, Amane dropping his head to rest against the dark hair identical to his own.
It was moments like this that made Nene the happiest person alive.
She set the pancakes and the rest of breakfast on the table, bustling about to make Amane's coffee and her own, reheating Tsukasa’s cocoa before she finally dropped into her own chair. It was silent except for the click of cutlery across plates, and the soft humming as Tsukasa drizzled syrup over each pancake with laser focus.
Nene curled her cup to her chest with a contented sigh, letting the warmth sink into her skin, letting it radiate with the joy that tumbled through her. How had she gotten so lucky? To find a best friend in one twin and best boyfriend in the other.
It still upset her sometimes, when people would assume things about their relationship; when the girls at work would give her coy smiles as the twins stood side by side to pick her up. She'd learned to ignore it though, because it only upset them when she was upset, and then they were all unhappy.
And she wouldn't exchange their weird little relationship for the world.
Nene finished her breakfast as the twins bickered over the plans for the weekend, picking up plates and cups to drop in the sink. Then she looped her arms around both of their necks, planting a kiss on the side of both their heads. They went silent immediately, twisting to wrap their arms around her as she giggled and wiggled away.
"Dishes and showers or you're both gonna be late. And I'm not calling and lying to Tsuchigomori-sensei that you're running late because of an incident again."
The ensuing tussle had Nene clutching the counter to keep herself upright as she tried to see through the tears her laughter brought, giving up and sinking to the floor as Amane slipped and Tsukasa darted off with a triumphant yell.
"You cheated! No biting! Save that for your girlfriend!"
The only response was the bathroom door slamming shut. Amane sighed and moved to loom over her, and she lifted her hands to him with a smile.
"He's like this because you baby him, you know that, right?"
She laughed as Amane dragged her up and into his arms, swaying them gently as she curled her hands into the back of his tee-shirt.
"That's rich coming from you, Mister. Who pouted for three hours when I went out with Aoi last weekend?"
His answer was to kiss her, correctly assuming that she couldn't argue if her mouth was otherwise occupied. She pushed herself to her tiptoes, deepening it briefly before she broke away with a smile.
"Help me with the dishes, or you're actually going to be late."
He kissed her again before he turned to the sink with a nod. Halfway through Tsukasa slid into the kitchen to trade places with his brother, smelling of her strawberry shampoo as he took to drying the dishes she handed him.
They talked quietly about his lesson plans, about the projects he was excited to get started with the first-year elementary kids he had this year. She couldn't help but grin up at him as he went on about glitter, and macaroni, and the hamster of hers that lived in his classroom.
It was a surprise sometimes to see this bright wild boy so happy. To know that his and Amane's childhood had been dark and cruel, and to wonder what might have happened to them if Tsuchigomori-sensei hadn't stepped in and stolen them away.
He dropped the last dish into the strainer as Amane came back into the kitchen, draping his coat over the back of a chair as he towel-dried his hair. She pulled their bentos from the fridge and tucked them in their bags, made sure they had their keys and wallets as they finished getting ready.
It was the thing she liked most about going into work after them. That she could stand in the doorway and see them off, just like they'd be waiting for her to come home in the evenings.
Nene tugged Tsukasa down, pressing a kiss to his forehead and cheek as she reminded him to behave, before he did the same to her with a cheeky grin. Just because she'd tried to stab one of her coworkers once didn't mean she'd do it again.
She laughed as Amane pulled her in, kissing her forehead before setting his mouth to hers. It was brief and chaste, but it filled Nene with love from the tips of her toes to the top of her head. She set her own kiss under his fringe, just as she'd done for Tsukasa, like she'd done for both of them for the last several years.
They hurried off when she told them the time, and she smiled as they disappeared down the stairwell with a wave. She pulled the door shut and headed back to the kitchen, startling as a knock echoed through the apartment.
She pulled the door open, and before she could ask them why they'd come back, both twins dipped to kiss her on her cheeks.
They raced off before she could swat them, their laughing calls of "See you later, Nene!" and "Bye, Nene-nee!" bringing a happy flush to her face. She leaned over the banister to watch them leave this time, waving as they hurried for the train they were probably going to miss.
She headed back inside, humming as she hunted for her cellphone and clicking the little spider icon for a call.
"Hi Tsuchigomori-sensei, they're going to be late. But I put a bag of bekko candy in Amane's bag, so only yell at them a bit."
The quiet chuckle on the other end of the line made her giggle and they talked for a minute more before confirming that yes, he would be there for dinner tomorrow, before he let her go.
Nene stood in the kitchen for a minute, letting her happiness soak through her before she headed to the bathroom to get ready for her day, laughing at the smiley faces and little hearts left in the foggy mirror.
She drew her own little hearts in the mist as she waited for her shower to warm up. And she decided as she stepped into the spray, toeing the at little non-slip stars that dotted the bottom of the tub, that there was nothing she could possibly hope for more.
Yashiro Nene was blissfully unaware of the little moonstone engagement ring tucked away in the bottom of her own dresser; which was, in fact, the only thing that could have made her any happier than she already was.