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It was a temperate morning. Aoyama woke up hours ago, and sat at his desk working on research for his environmentalism project. He figured he could get some work in before Ichigo woke up. Of course he adored his girlfriend, but he found himself always wanting to be by her side. It was to the point where he would spend the day doing nothing with her instead of working on homework or any of his hobbies. He loved spending time with Ichigo, and he hated being away from her, but he really liked moments like these where he could focus with her around since she was asleep.
Aoyama was focused intensely on his work, the only sound in his room being the typing of his keyboard. That was, until he heard a groan from under the covers.
“Nnnnnnnnnnnggghhhh…”
Turning around, Aoyama was met with a large shape hidden under his blanket, curled up into a huge ball. He couldn’t help smiling a little. Every sound Ichigo made was absolutely adorable in his eyes. Aoyama made his way to the edge of his bed, kneeling so he could be face to face with his girlfriend. Pulling the covers off slowly, he beamed as he bid her good morning. Ichigo, however, couldn’t agree with him.
“Aoyama…” she whined, her eyes glassy. “My stomach hurts~”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Ichigo. Do you want medicine?”
She nodded, curling her body more under the covers.
“Let’s get you out of bed,” Aoyama said, his hands traveling under the blanket to reach for hers. Ichigo whined even more, putting up a fight to stay in bed. She could be the most stubborn thing sometimes. Aoyama only smiled, taking his time for Ichigo to follow his movements. After a few light tugs of her arms, Ichigo was able to sit up and slowly make her way out of the bed. She wasn’t too happy about it, but she was standing.
Feeling bad for her, Aoyama pulled her in for a hug. “My silly kitty,” he coped, his hand brushing against her back. “I’ll get you some medicine, you go use the bathroom, okay?”
Ichigo silently nodded in agreement. Slowly, she trudged her way over to the bathroom, leaving Aoyama alone in his bedroom. As she left, Aoyama made his way back to his bed to fix the covers when he noticed something on his sheets. He saw blood.
Ah, no wonder she’s acting like that.
Getting his spare sheets, Aoyama quickly changed the bed and put the old ones to wash. He then went to his closet and grabbed an extra pair of lounge pants and a pair of his boxers, putting them in a neat pile outside his bathroom door for Ichigo. They may be too big, and not something she’s the most comfortable wearing, but it was better than her having to stay in her soiled garments. As he headed to the kitchen, Aoyama thought that maybe it would be better to make Ichigo breakfast, too… Taking medicine on an empty stomach isn’t usually the best idea, either. Plus, Aoyama liked cooking for Ichigo. It was a way he could show his love for her without words.
Figuring he had a good amount of time left, Aoyama decided to spoil Ichigo a little bit. Girls liked to eat sweet things when they were on their period, right? Ichigo did work at a cafe, after all. She often talked about all the desserts she got to eat for free, and how delicious they all were. Maybe being greeted by a yummy breakfast could cheer her up!
Aoyama decided to make strawberry waffles for her. Ever since he met Ichigo, he became a lot more fond of strawberries. Seeing their red color just reminded him of her because of her hair. Not to mention how they were sweet, just like her. He remembered Ichigo mentioning she liked waffles one time. Surely she would enjoy this, right?
Even though he wanted to make this for her, Aoyama had never made waffles before. He was a bit nervous, but as long as they tasted good, that’s what mattered, right? This was for Ichigo to feel better. So, he was determined to make them to the best of his ability.
As he used his tablet to pull up a recipe for waffles, Ichigo waddled out of the bathroom and into the kitchen. She wasn’t whining, and she wasn’t crying, but she looked far from being happy and in a good mood. Aoyama could barely hold in his excitement seeing her in his clothes. They were a bit large, and baggy around her ankles due to her being several inches shorter than him, but she looked so adorable in them. Whining softly, Ichigo slowly made her way to Aoyama and hid her face in his shoulder.
“I feel awful~” she whined, her voice muffled from Aoyama’s tee.
“I know, I’m sorry, Ichigo. How about you lay down on the couch for a bit?”
Without another word, she made her way to his couch, plopping down on it and cuddling his throw pillow. It was like she was back in bed, curling into a ball and hiding her face. The poor thing…
Aoyama was more determined to make sure he didn’t mess up these waffles. As adorable as he thought she was, seeing her so upset and not her usual cheerful self really upset him. He couldn’t imagine what her cramps felt like, or how lethargic she felt, or even what her mind was thinking. Hearing her soft groans from the room over made his heart sink.
After about fifteen minutes, the waffles were done! Topping them off with whipped cream, maple syrup and strawberries—just how Ichigo liked them—Aoyama added a glass of milk and some pain medicine onto a tray and carried it into the living room.
“Here you are, my love!” Aoyama said in a cheery tone. “A special breakfast for my special girl.”
Poking an eye out from behind the throw pillow, Ichigo’s face lit up once she processed what she was seeing. Sitting up, her lips curled into a sweet smile.
“You made all of this for me?” she asked, her voice soft and in awe.
“Of course!” Aoyama said. “Least I could do. I know you aren’t feeling well. I thought this would cheer you up.”
She nodded, her eyes growing softer. “This is so nice. Thank you.”
Not wanting to wait any longer, Ichigo took a big mouthful of waffle, practically shoving it into her mouth. Immediately, her eyes widened and her entire face lit up. “Aoyama! This is delicious!”
“Really?!” Aoyama beamed at her. “I’m so glad you like it!”
Nodding, Ichigo continued to eat her breakfast. “It’s really good!” Her grin spread ear to ear, and Aoyama couldn’t be more relieved. His girlfriend was back to her normal self. And, his waffles turned out really well despite his nerves and inexperience. Patting her head, he beamed at her even more.
“I’ll be right back.”
Ichigo was in her own world, nibbling on a strawberry and swinging her feet. As he walked away, Aoyama was just so enamored with her. He truly loved her. So much, that even just her sitting on his couch in clothes way too big for her made him the happiest person in the world. Her hair was messy, and she had bags under her eyes, but Ichigo was still breathtakingly stunning. To him, her beauty was still present even when she probably felt vague, not particularly attractive, or even plain ugly. But, her beauty came from her soul, and just made her appearance even more radiant. And, he wanted to be a man that was worthy of being the boyfriend of such a wonderful lady.
So, Aoyama headed to the bathroom, looking for Ichigo’s discarded clothes. He found her shorts and undies folded and laid upon a towel to keep the bathroom clean. Carefully carrying them, Aoyama put them in the washer with his other bedsheets. Then, after washing his hands, he grabbed his hairbrush and went back out to the living room to sit next to Ichigo.
When he returned, Ichigo was mostly finished with her waffles, her glass of milk nearly empty.
“Do you want any more milk?” he asked.
Ichigo shook her head. “That’s alright! It was enough.”
Despite her words, Aoyama got up and filled her a glass of water. He handed it to her and said “Better for the pain medicine.” Feeling a tad awkward on how much he was waiting on her, Ichigo took the water and uttered a thank you.
Once she was finished with everything, Aoyama took her tray of dishes and put them in his sink. He would wash them later, but right now he just wanted to be as close to Ichigo as possible.
Finally, Aoyama was able to sit next to her. It was like they had all the time in the world. Taking her hand, Aoyama’s voice softened. “Is everything feeling alright?” he asked her.
Her fingers curling around his, Ichigo nodded. “Mhm. I feel a lot better. But my lower stomach still hurts a little…”
“Do you want to go back to bed?”
“Mhm.”
Gently, Aoyama guided her back to his bedroom, leading the way, and holding onto Ichigo’s hand tight. Once they entered, he let Ichigo climb in first to get herself comfortable. After she got in, she turned towards Aoyama, silently telling him that she wanted him to join her and cuddle. He could tell by her eyes alone. Aoyama slid in next to her, letting Ichigo lay her head on his lap. All he could do was chuckle at her.
“My kitty.”
Feeling Ichigo smile, Aoyama took this opportunity to gently brush her hair. If they ended up taking a nap or cuddling, her hair would probably get messed up again. But, he didn’t want it to get too messed up. It probably felt good to have it brushed by someone else. Plus, long hair needs more care. Aoyama wanted to take care of her. Ichigo was so relaxed she nearly purred, letting out small nyaaa~’s every so often.
“That feel good?” he asked her.
“Mhm~”
Aoyama brushed her hair for a while. He slowly and gently ran his hair brush through her red locks over and over, waiting to calm her down and make her feel at ease. As he brushed, he hoped she felt good, and forgot about any of the cramps she was feeling. Once he couldn’t feel any tangles and the brush swept through her tresses with ease, he set it aside.
“Aoyama?~” Ichigo whined, pouting a bit.
“Yes, Ichigo?” he responded, knowing that no matter what she asked, he would say yes.
“Can we cuddle?”
You didn’t even need to ask. “Of course, Ichigo.”
Adjusting themselves, Ichigo moved from Aoyama’s lap to his chest, her head right above his heart. She took his hand, holding it and laying it next to her face. Aoyama took his other hand and ran it through Ichigo’s hair, his fingers combing through it. Even though he just brushed it, he loved feeling her hair. He knew she liked the feeling, and he loved pampering her. Hearing his heartbeat, Ichigo started to doze off. Her belly was full of a delicious homemade meal, and she had white noise, as well as being in the arms of her beloved boyfriend.
“I love you, Aoyama.”
“I love you, too, Ichigo.”
Whether she was a human, a kitten, or a Mew Mew, Ichigo was the love of Aoyama’s life. And that meant that he would protect her from anything and everything. Even her period.