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It felt silly to be so nervous. She was only moving her things from one room of the co-op to another. Even so, it was a big step for Michiru and Shirou. They had been living under one roof for years. From that day forward, they would be in the same room.
Michiru carried another box into Shirou’s room. Well, her and Shirou’s room. With every step the ponytail she’d grown over the years bobbed behind her. Every time she brought another box in, she eyed the big bed Shirou had bought for the two of them. Michiu finally gave into temptation and dove in. The springs creaked beneath her weight. Despite the noise, the cozy pillowtop protected her from all those coils. She sighed in content and rolled from side to side, appreciating how every spot felt like laying on a marshmallow. The slick silk sheets made it all the more comfortable. Shirou really went all out for their comfort.
Once Michiru spread herself out across the mattress, she caught sight of Shirou in the doorway.
“How long have you been there?”
“I just got here,” he lied. “Did you get everything.”
“Not yet. I couldn’t help myself.”
“At least keep your claws tucked away if you’re going to roll around like that. Those sheets were expensive.”
Michiru rolled her eyes, but did shift to her human form. She sat up, a cheeky grin on her lips.
“I thought you said you just got here,” she teased. Shirou pretended not to hear and moved to one of her boxes to start unpacking.
“Hey, don’t go through a girl’s stuff!”
“I’ve already seen your underwear. I’ve seen it every day for the past three years. I don’t think you have much left to hide from me.”
Michiru huffed, but left him to it. She wasn’t exactly looking forward to unpacking everything by herself, after all.
She ran her palm along the bedsheets. With her bare skin, it was easier to feel their silky smoothness. It gave her a pleasant tingle along her skin.
“Why did you get such fancy sheets, anyway? And you could have gotten a smaller bed.”
“One that would fit both of us?”
“One size down would’ve been more than enough. Seriously, what’s the deal? You don’t usually like spending your money on stuff like this.”
“I like giving you nice things. Don’t question it.”
Michiru wasn’t satisfied with that answer. She knew Shirou had a hard time being vulnerable. Hell, she did, too. But she knew she’d have to offer her own feelings to get the same from Shirou.
“Are you as nervous as I am?”
“About?”
“Moving in together, of course!”
“No.”
“O-oh.” That wasn’t the answer she was expecting. Shirou continued unpacking for a minute, hesitant to have A Talk. But he ultimately relented. He settled down on the edge of the bed, and Michiru moved forward to join him.
“Are you having doubts?” he asked.
“Same ones I had when we first started dating. ‘Is this moving too fast?’ ‘What if this doesn’t work out?’ ‘What if I break his heart?’ ‘What if he breaks mine?’ Things like that.” Just talking about her concerns was frightening. Michiru had shouldered all of those worries silently when they first got together. She hoped that over time they would just go away. But during big moments, like moving in together, they appeared again.
“I want to savor every moment with you,” he responded suddenly, taking Michiru by surprise. He took a breath before continuing, his eyes forward. He couldn’t imagine looking Michiru in the eye while saying this.
“Whether you break my heart, or if you’re with me until the day you die, this isn’t forever.” It wasn’t something Michuru often thought about. Maybe she was trying to protect herself. No matter what, she was going to leave this world before him. Long, long before him. “No matter what happens, I’m grateful that you considered me worthy of your love for even a second. That’s why I don’t hesitate. I’m taking every second you’re willing to give me. And I want to make those seconds as comfortable for you as possible.” He was talking about her as if she was terminally ill. From his perspective, she may as well have been. Only then did Michiru realize that, for Shirou, it must have seemed like they had so little time together.
Shirou felt Michiru move. The next thing he knew, a pair of furry arms were around his waist. How could Michiru hide her tail when Shirou said such bittersweet things? She laid her head against the back of his shoulder.
“This is forever,” she insisted, her voice cracking. “I won’t stop loving you. Even when I’m dead in the ground, I won’t stop. I swear.”
It was a lie. That’s what the cynical old wolf tried to tell himself. The only “forever” he believed in was his own unnatural life.
But that was before Michiru. When such an amazing woman offered such a beautiful lie, how could he believe in such a soulless truth? He placed his hand upon her arm, fingers gently sifting through her fur.
“You’re right. Congratulations. You win the first fight in our new home.”
“Heh. Fake tears work every time.”
“Liar.” They both let out a short laugh.
“Since you don’t want to waste any time, maybe we should get married?” Michiru offered. If Shirou was going to be fearless in moving forward, she wanted to match that bravery.
“Let me save up for a ring. This bed was expensive.”
Michiru wasn’t sure if he was joking or not. But she had to admit, she was tickled by the idea of getting engaged on the first day they started living together.
“Now, I told you to keep your claws off the bed.”
“It’ll be fi—” Michiru was interrupted by a ripping sound that seemed to echo across the city.
“Whoops.”