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It takes far too long to push Sae out the door; only mostly metaphorically, of course. Makoto promises to rest, relax, and hydrate before Sae slinks out. Warmth fills Makoto as she steps away from the door. Even though she’s had time to get used to it, she’s pleased that so much has changed since high school.
Makoto sits on the couch, sighing. It’d been just her luck to get ill over Golden Week. There’d been a trip planned to Fuefuki to visit Joker, but Makoto had to settle on experiencing it over the phone. The Phantom Thieves hadn’t been happy about leaving her out, but she’d made it clear that they were going. Or else. Just because she had an illness didn’t mean everyone else couldn’t have a little fun.
At least she wasn’t coughing as much. She still had a throat ache from the abuse it’d been under the past week and a headache. Grabbing the remote, Makoto flips through the channels.
The television lands on a documentary about the ocean, not really something Makoto would usually just sit and watch alone, but soothing enough. She starts to drift, the television’s blue glow smearing and scattering as her eyes flicker open and shut.
When a loud knock echoes through the apartment Makoto almost falls off the couch, blinking wildly. She grabs her phone. It’s only been around half an hour and there’s a text from Ann around fifteen minutes ago saying she’s ‘on her way’.
Confused, Makoto rightens and heads to the door. Despite the fact that she’s in her pajamas, she opens the door.
Ann stands there grinning. “Girlfriend delivery,” she cheers, waggling the bags she’s holding. Makoto closes her mouth and steps back. Ann strides right in, giving her a peck on the ear.
“Are you feeling any better?”
“I’m much better, actually.” Makoto goes in for her own before realizing she’s probably still contagious and instead giving an aborted headbutt to Ann’s cheek. She snickers.
“Oh, maybe I should start calling you Panther.”
Makoto stifles a groan. “Not that I’m not happy to see you, but I thought you were in Fuefuki?”
“Left early, wanted to see you.” Ann walks into the kitchen and gives the stove a considering look, “I brought soup,” she says, dumping her bags on the counter, “Or well— soup ingredients.”
“You didn’t have to—”
“No, no it’s fine. I have a shoot tomorrow afternoon anyway. Plus I’ve seen those guys all week, they aren’t getting in the way of my Makoto-time.”
Makoto finds herself flushing. She smooths her pajama pants down before feeling ridiculous.
“H-how is everyone, by the way? I heard Haru tried hiking.”
“She did, she was so good at it too. Poor Yusuke, though. He kept stopping for inspiration. I thought Ryuji was going to strangle him by the end of it.”
Ann divides up the vegetables and broth. “Oh sorry, where’s your pots?”
Makoto shows her. “I’m sorry to have missed it. Did Futaba join you?”
“Oh no,” Ann draws it out, snickering a little as she gets the pot, “She stayed back with Mona. I think you would’ve really liked it, though! Maybe this summer we can go again, or like, a different mountain. Maybe just the two of us?” She ends with a blush, focusing on chopping.
“Oh,” Makoto says, blushing to herself, “That sounds nice.”
“Yeah! We already decided on the next Golden Week trip too, so summer is all ours.” She dumps the ingredients in the pot and seasons it.
“The whole summer? Are the plans that crazy?”
“Yeah! One of the Jazz Jin singers that Joker likes is going to play Takatsuki Jazz Street next Golden Week. Haru decided she wanted to surprise him and all of us agreed.”
“Oh wow.” No one could really spend an extended amount of time with Joker without appreciating Jazz, so it does sounds pretty exciting. Makoto has never been. “Isn’t that a big festival, though?”
Ann sets a lid on the pot and presses the timer. “Like you wouldn’t believe. Futaba wants to try, so we’re taking her lead. I think Yusuke might take her to an anime convention? He sounded interested in the doujinshi, at least.”
Of course he would. Ann bustles over and starts herding Makoto to the couch. “Sit, sit, sit. You’re sick.”
Makoto allows herself to be bundled up on the couch, Ann plopping right beside her. She leans over, putting her head on Makoto’s shoulder. “The ocean, huh? Lotta weird stuff down there.”
“It’s soothing.” She reaches out, squeezing Ann’s hand. “You’re going to get sick.”
“Nuh-uh.” Ann blows a raspberry. “It’s my special kickass girlfriend powers.”
“If you say so,” Makoto replies wryly, sighing despite the smile creeping up, “But don’t complain to me when you get a cold.”
Ann just hums, staying just where she is. The jellyfish on screen dance as the calm voiceover describes their anatomy.
“I missed you, you know? Well, we all did, but this is the first trip I’ve been on since we started dating that didn’t have you.” Ann’s breath ghosts against Makoto’s collarbone. Giving up on not infecting Ann, Makoto turns and hugs her.
“Sorry, I just wanted you all to have a good time.”
Ann squeezes back. “I did. We all did. But I still missed you, Makoto.” She pulls downward, and Makoto finds herself laying in Ann’s lap. She grins, combing through Makoto’s hair. “But I’m here now, and I’m totally taking care of you.”
Makoto relaxes. She takes in Ann’s long fingernails lightly pressing against her scalp, the smell of soup slowly cooking, and the gentle burbling from the television. She’s on the cusp of drifting again, held safe against her girlfriend.
Then the timer goes off.
“Oh, shit. Sorry, did that scare you?” Ann’s all sympathetic and wincing. It makes it hard to stay mad.
Makoto grumbles and sits up. “This is the second time you’ve startled me.”
Ann laughs, heading into the kitchen. “Sorry, again, But I promise this soup is gonna make it worth it.”
She brings a bowl and a cup of new water. Makoto spares a moment to feel bad about once again eating at the couch and not the table.
“Is this… kenchinjiru?” It looks and smells like it, at least. Ann is already heading back to the kitchen for her own bowl.
She shrugs. “Sorta, kinda. Lazy woman’s kenchinjiru, I call it.”
It tastes delicious. Slightly plain, but with how sore Makoto’s throat is, that’s a good thing. Ann settles in beside her and starts eating as well. Makoto doesn’t want her to leave after this. It’s selfish, perhaps, but as much as Makoto pushed Sae to go out and get errands done, she doesn’t want to be alone.
“You can…you can stay over. If you want.” Makoto says into her bowl. “You might get sick, though.”
Ann’s grin is wide. “Well, even if I do, you can just make me something. But I won’t, because of my—”
“Your special girlfriend powers, yes.”
“Kickass girlfriend powers.” Makoto can’t hold her giggle in anymore, especially at Ann’s pout. “But yeah, I’d love to stay.”
Makoto finally gets herself under control. Ann nudges Makoto’s ankle with her own and she lets Ann cross them. A blue whale swims across the television screen. While this Golden Week has been disappointing and miserable, at least it’s ending on a high note.