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What was married life if not to enjoy stupid B movies with your beloved? That was the kind of life Nobara could settle with anyway.
She and Maki had been together since high school, but only recently got engaged a year ago. Chaos with the Zenin family was enough to make them both hold off on anything like that for a while, though they both knew, government certificate or not, they would be together.
Spending time with Maki, even doing something as simple as having watching a shitty movie at dinner with her, was enjoyable. She loved hearing her laugh and glimpsing her soft smile whenever the other saw her smile. The atmosphere was one Nobara would trade for nothing else.
Finally, a commercial came on, and something about people choosing what pets they want from a shelter started playing. Probably an emotional trap to get people to donate.
"These commercials are so guilt trippy," Nobara complained, leaning on her hand, then added, "Plus, getting a cat would obviously be the better choice. It'd be easier to deal with. We should get one, one day," She mused lightly.
"Wouldn’t a dog be better? We have enough space for one too," Maki said in response.
Her response was said easily, and maybe that's what made Nobara pause. Because, surely, her ears had misheard? A tense silence filled the air between them, and Maki raised an eyebrow as she seemed to noticed it.
"A dog? Wouldn’t it bump into everything?" The orange haired woman said with a dry chuckle, a challenge in her tone.
"A cat would just claw on everything though," Maki met her with an equally challenging tone.
Both of them acknowledged that the other was stubborn and headstrong. It was what made their friends half surprised, half not at all surprised, that they'd gotten together in high school. But still, they were as different as could be on many levels, and both cherished whatever differences the other had. This difference, however, had started a lighthearted(yet serious all the same) war between the two of them.
"Maki, my beloved, I cannot believe you truly think a dog would be a better pet for us,” Nobara scoffed.
"Nobara, sweetheart, a cat would cause more trouble than it’s worth. Litter boxes sound gross and a nuisance to deal with," The green haired woman defended, nose scrunching up cutely and Nobara was tempted to smile-
'No- not the time to think about that.'
"As if picking up dog shit doesn’t sound gross?"
"At least that's outside. You can walk with dogs."
"You can come home from walks to cuddle cats."
"Cats need a lot of attention not to claw at the wrong things or people."
"So do dogs- I'd say they need even more if you're thinking of getting a bigger one. Just visit Megumi if you wanna pet one."
"Then I suppose you could just visit Junpei if you'd like to clean a cat's litterbox," Maki refuted calmly, and Nobara gritted her teeth.
The commercial break had long since ended, but neither paid mind to the ongoing movie. It had a shit plot anyway. Their debate only ceased when a compromise was made.
"Two pets. Then we can really prove which one's better," Nobara said with a determined smirk.
"Sounds like a plan," The other agreed, her face set in an equally determined expression.
A couple months flew by, both Maki and Nobara overly excited despite their initial debate that had prompted the two to do extensive research.
"Wait, so you're getting pets, because you want to prove which one's better?" Yuuji had questioned when Nobara untimely arrived at their apartment to bombard Junpei with questions.
"Yes, and I'm going to win no matter what," Nobara said simply.
She paid no mind to the pink haired man's confused expression, and Megumi simply placed a hand on his boyfriend's shoulder and shook his head.
"Their fights are beyond our comprehension," Was all he said, and Yuuji nodded in agreement.
His only real question was how to save his other boyfriend from Nobara's "list of questions she didn't trust the internet to answer correctly" about cats. Junpei looked all too ready to pass out.
"Your cat's laying on my clothes again Nobara!"
It had been a month into bringing pets into their lives. Nobara could say with one hundred percent certainty, she didn't know how her other idiot friends handled four of them.
"Cloud likes your clothes! Can you blame her? They're comfy," Nobara said teasingly as she got the room and indeed saw her fluffy white companion laying peacefully on her wife's jacket.
Maki gave her a halfhearted glare, and Nobara simply pouted. Knowing she had lost, the green haired woman simply sighed aloud. The ever petty cat she was, Cloud yawned, and a vein seemed to show on Maki's forhead.
"Cloud can stay so long as you don't mind the next time Tomo eats one of your shoes," Maki said with a challenging smile. Those smiles were both a nuisance and the hottest thing ever to Nobara, not that she'd admit either.
"The ones she chewed up last time were designers Maki! I was in mourning over them. Cloud's just being a peaceful little baby," Nobara complained.
"Tomo's a big baby, cut her some slack too," And as if on cue, the dog came running down the hall. She licked Maki's already outstretched hand before quickly going over to Nobara, and even though this wasn't the first time, it was still a shock each time-
Tomo jumped up on her, licking her face as they barreled to the ground with a thud.
"Nice to see you too, Tomo," The orange haired woman grunted as she managed to sit upright again. Being covered in dog slobber was a highly unfortunate, yet normal, part of her weekly proceedings at this point. Maki's laughter made her heart flutter and her teeth grit all the same.
"Oh laugh it up. I hope Cloud sits on your bag when you're going to work tomorrow," Nobara said, sticking her tongue out.
"I hope Tomo hides your running shoes again," Maki countered.
Marriage life and pets was turning out to be more interesting than watching shitty B movies together.
"Did you guys ever settle your whole debate on which pet's better?"
Yuuji had come over to help with a project for work. How they ended up working on the same one was beyond her. She'd expected Megumi or Junpei, given the intricacies of it, but Gojo had to know what he was doing. Even if she truly doubted it at times.
The question had caught her off guard, and she realized what may have prompted it. Tomo had sat on the floor next to where she sat at her desk and laptop, and she had begun to mindlessly give her head scratches.
"Hmm, I guess we never did. They're both great pets," Nobara said with a shrug.
"Maki keeps talking to our other coworkers about them like you guys have kids," Yuuji told her with amusement in his eyes.
"I'm painfully aware. I don't even think she realizes it yet."
The amount of times Nobara had to awkwardly explain(if she could even manage) that no, she and Maki do not have two kids at home, was beyond what she would've imagined. Who would name their kids Cloud and Tomo anyway? She supposes any gossip is good gossip when you're at an awfully eccentric office firm.
"Yuuta and Inumaki have a bet for how long she'll take to realize."
This made Nobara break out into giggles, and she completely lost focus on her work. Tomo seemed to sense the amusement in the air and started barking along with her. Yuuji's encouraging the dog didn't help, but she should've known by now that he would be a sucker for animals.
"Do people just tell you everything?" The orange haired woman asked as she settled down, playfully pinching his cheek, to which he pouted at.
"I think they do without meaning to. Like one time, Nanami accidentally told me about him and Haibara- wait, I probably wasn't supposed to share that one," Yuuji stopped himself guiltily.
"Awww, you're too nice," Nobara teased him, and he only rolled his eyes.
Work had ended and Nobara was thankful to all things that led up to this moment that she could lay on the couch with her wife, secured in her very well toned arms. She'd heard about the height of luxury, but explanations of it never mentioned this. Truly, no amount of money or promotions could top being with Maki.
The TV played on, and although Nobara had been focused in the first half of the game show, it was getting too predictable now. She'd been scratching Tomo behind her ears since then, and she didn't seem to mind.
Her conversation with Yuuji came back to her. The whole debate that had started this had really faded from their minds just like that? Were their lives that so far in domestic territory?
Nobara leaned up to give Maki a kiss on her cheek, knowing it would get her attention. The green haired woman's face still flushed whenever she kissed her. It was one of the many endearing things about her. Nobara snuggled closer as Maki made a 'hmm' noise in response.
"Remember the stupid debate that made us get pets in the first place? Who do you think won?" Nobara asked.
"I think we both lost. Look at us," Maki said, amusement sparkling in her eyes.
And it was true. Nobara was petting Tomo and Cloud was curled up behind Maki's head on a couch cushion, her tail laying over her shoulder.
"Worth it. It's cute seeing you play with Cloud when you think I'm not there," Nobara teased, closing her eyes to fully lay on Maki's lap. She could tell her wife was blushing from how she tensed slightly.
"You take Tomo on walks when I'm busy without asking. Both of us developed attachments to the other's pet," Maki reminded her, and she made a small hum of agreement. It's not like either of them are too surprised by this development anyway.
"Maki?"
"Yes?"
Nobara smiled, tilting her head slightly and opening her eyes to meet Maki's equally adoring gaze.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
Married life was completely fine when it was just the shitty B movies. But there was so much more to life in general she wanted to spend with Maki. The pets, now permanently integrated into their family, had just been a reminder of that.