A Game for Two

Ei stops her game and gives Miko a big smile when she comes home, like usual. And Miko does her usual fawning at the cat headphones she wears, pulling them down to slather kisses all over Ei’s forehead and crown.

“Welcome home, Miko! Was work tolerable today?” Ei hums when Miko finishes up, only to get a dramatic groan from her.

“As tolerable as drinking a glass of gasoline” she grumbles and moves to put her briefcase in her office.

“So the usual?” Ei calls and looks back to her game, trying to finding a safe spot to save. She’s so focused she doesn’t notice Miko moving back into the room.

“Yes the usual, Ei” she sighs and folds her arms around Ei’s neck as she leans against the back of the couch.

“Anything I can do to make the day better?” Ei hums and leans all the way back so Miko can rest her head on top of hers. Miko hums some as she watches the silly character run around on screen, doing twirls with his sword anytime a threat comes up.

“What game are you playing now?” she mumbles now, narrowing her eyes at the possibly familiar character.

“Witcher 3. I forgot about the dlc so I’m going through it all to get it. I’m not doing a 100% this time though” Ei says with Miko only understanding the name of the game and that, yes, Ei has played it before. Miko watches the character run around some more before moving to look at Ei.

“Do you think I could play with you?” she hums and Ei gives her a suspicious glance out of the corner of her eye.

“What?” she mumbles and Miko looks to the tv again.

“Any game for the two of us?” she asks and sees the pause screen take the tv. She looks back to Ei to see her eyes have narrowed at the out of place question.

“Who are you?” she rushes out and Miko gives a smile.

“Your wife” she chirps and Ei frowns some before crossing her arms.

“My wife would never really mean a question like that. So who are you?” she huffs and Miko doesn’t resist the urge to roll her eyes.

“Your wife trying to see how you enjoy seeing these little characters run and twirl around” she mumbles and Ei only narrows her eyes even more, to the point she’s squinting up at Miko.

“Are you sure?” she presses and Miko leans in a little closer.

“Do you need a kiss to make sure it’s me?” she drawls and Ei’s eyes immediately light up.

“That sounds like a good test” she hums out in a rush and Miko can’t help but chuckle before starting the ‘test.’ The kiss is a perfect as all the others she’s had with Ei. Ei was quick to cup Miko’s cheeks and pull her into a few more before Miko could escape her grasp, panting lightly with an adoring smile.

“So am I really your wife?” she hums softly, turning to kiss at one of Ei’s palms. Ei gives a thoughtful hum as the other hand runs through her hair.

“After the few runs of the test, yes you are” Ei chirps before saving her game and going to her game library, flicking through so many titles it leaves Miko feeling dizzy. Ei eventually stops at a title that looks cute enough.

“Here we go. Overcooked should do it” Ei hums with a smile, letting the little trailer play out.

“What is it about?” Miko mumbles, seeing what looks like chefs dart around.

“Going through levels together as cooks in a restaurant” Ei says and Miko tries her best to stop the groan at hearing cooks.

“Ei, why would I want to do something I already have to do? I don’t even get to eat the food I cook in here” she huffs and narrows her eyes, one of the cooks slipping off a boat and into the waves.

“It’s an easier game to understand though” Ei mumbles and Miko raises a brow at her.

“But would you even like playing it? It looks like you only have a total of ten minutes ever spent playing it” she mumbles, hoping that number there is what it means. With the way Ei shuffles, it seems Miko was right.

“I wouldn’t mind playing it with you” she hums with a little pout. Miko sighs before giving a small smile.

“How about you choose a game you would enjoy playing” she pushes and Ei thins her lips cautiously before scrolling through the library again.

“Then let’s try wizard of legend. That has always been fun for me” Ei eventually mumbles out and stops to show the trailer.

“Alright what is this one about?” Miko hums and is quickly overwhelmed by both Ei’s explanation and the barrage of colors the trailer shows. She gives Ei a timid smile when she finishes explaining whatever this wizard of legend game is. Roguelike or something like that?

“That sounds way too much for me” Miko mumbles and Ei gives a big sigh.

“Do you see why I said overcooked?” she grumbles and Miko clicks her tongue as Ei flicks through the library much slower than before.

“But that sounds very boring” Miko sighs, actually able to read all the titles Ei bough over the years.

“There’s nothing I can think we could play then” Ei mumbles with a pout before Miko perks up at one particular title.

“Wait what is that? Fox’s Wedding?” she rushes out and points at the screen before it flicks out of it. Ei blinks some before going to it.

“Oh, that must be one of the bundle games I bought. Let’s see… a co-op bundle! Does this look like something you want to play?” Ei chirps out, excited at seeing something she hasn’t before. Miko squints, trying to figure out what the game is about other than foxes and a wedding.

“Where’s the description?” she eventually mumbles and Ei lets the trailer play as she read is for her.

“Two foxes are about to have their big day but the wind kami blew a storm to ruin it. It’s up to the b ride and groom to fix it in this youkai filled journey” Ei mumbles and Miko is enthralled the moment she saw the two foxes, dressed in traditional Japanese wedding garbs race after a crow with a little tengu mask on it’s back.

“Oh my god, this looks adorable. Ei we need to play it” she gasps and pats at Ei’s leg in excitement. Ei chuckles as she gets up to grab her spare controller.

“Okay okay. Here you can have this controller” Ei hums out softly, an adoring smile plastered on her face to see Miko this excited for a video game. She might even be able to get Miko to play more games if she likes this one. Though she’s going to have to find more like this one and not overcooked.

The game opens with a gong sound before a calm melody plays with the title screen. The two foxes were on there in a room while holding each other’s hands before Ei clicks new game. The foxes open the door in front of them before they move out and to the sides of the screen. A small prompt comes to the screen to pick which character and the color for them.

“It says the bride is easier so you should have that one” Ei hums and keeps the player 1 cursor over the groom, trying to make sure Miko doesn’t click it once Ei shows her what button does so.

“Think I’m not good enough to be the groom?” she huffs out and tries clicking it, only to be denied with the game seeing both cursors over him. Ei gives Miko a sheepish smile as she scratches her cheek a bit.

“You couldn’t play wizard of legend so it might be better for you to do this. It’s your first game after all” Ei mumbles and Miko gives a pout before moving her cursor over to the bride. They click their roles before they can choose what colors their foxes could be.

“Alright fine. Oh my god I can be pink” she says before gasping in joy and not hesitating to say she was ready. Ei scrolls till she finds the purple fox and says she’s ready, the two foxes now walking with the camera panning behind them. They were able to run around the forest path, able to get a feel of the controls till they pass underneath a tori gate.

A cutscene plays out with a tiny man on a cloud comes in, a hat so big it was nearly the size of him. He laughs at the foxes before pushing a storm cloud to them. The groom shakes a fist to the tiny kami who only sticks his tongue out before flying in the different direction than the wedding. The groom slumps before the bride points after the tiny kami and a little tune plays as the foxes race after him.

The couple finds their first friend, a tengu too scared to fly in the storm, cowering and shuffling in a bush. After gathering three slips of paper, one to fly against the wind, another to push through the rain and the last brave the lightnings glow, does the tengu fly. Miko laughs and jumps after her, seeing if her little bride could jump high enough to be with the tengu.

Next they run into a tanuki who magically sealed the path the couple needs to pass through. Splitting up they both track down the tanuki, playing a game mixed with calling to each other and hide and seek. When they corner the tanuki he gives them the key to pass through, giggling a jumping in being able to play with the foxes.

Their last challenge before finding the tiny kami was an oni, seeing the groom and challenging him to a duel. The groom tries his best to avoid it but the oni smashes the ground into a little arena before he could do anything. The bride is tasked on moving a log to the middle of the arena where the oni always goes back from his attack. Miko nearly messes up the little puzzle with how much she was laughing at how frantic Ei was, the groom barely fast enough to get out of the oni’s attacks. Ei pouts at Miko once the log lands onto the oni’s head, grumbling about how Miko would be the same if she was the groom.

When the couple finally arrives at the kami’s shrine, they are nearly blown off of it from the tiny kami who laughs at them still. But their friends, tengu, tanuki, and even the oni come to help them! The groom teams up with the oni, directing him to hit rocks into incoming storms which breaks them apart. The bride goes around the shrine, picking powerful offerings to the kami to diminish his power till there was only rain left.

A cutscene plays with the tiny kami stomping his feet before another, slightly taller kami comes in with a ring of drums behind her. She looks between the youkai and the kami before taking his hat. The tiny kami cries out and runs after the other, the storm becoming a light rain. The couple takes the empty cloud and waves to their friends before flying off to their wedding, a rainbow over them.

Ei stops paying attention when Miko puts a hand on her leg again, palm up and waiting to hold hers. Ei doesn’t waste anytime and their rings glint from the cutscene still playing out. Miko pulls Ei into a soft kiss right as the foxes do the same, the melody swelling both of their hearts.

“It’s almost like ours. Remember the sudden rain” Miko hums when they pull apart and Ei gives a big sigh, remembering their own big day.

“You were lucky to have an umbrella” she mumbles and Miko laughs while squeezing at Ei’s hand.

“But that rainbow was amazing. Like the universe was even saying we’re gay” she chuckles out and Ei rolls her eyes with a smile.

“That’s because we are Miko. We’re gay enough to be married to each other” she drawls while holding up their hands, rings on full display. Miko softens at seeing them before pulling Ei close.

“I love you” she whispers softly into Ei ear, nuzzling into her cheek.

“I love you too” Ei says just the same, but kissing Miko’s nose before kissing her wife again. Ei will definitely need to find more games like this one if Miko gets like this. That has become a high priority for her.