Work Text:
“Mizuki? Are you okay?”
Ena’s voice broke through Mizuki’s trance. She blinked a few times, her tense muscles loosening as she looked up from the chunky pink tablet in her lap, its screen informing her that she had failed the minigame she’d been playing. It was an inevitable loss; although the game wasn’t the hardest in the world (its target audience was, after all, preschoolers), this was the final level, so it did demand a tad more attention to oncoming enemies than “immediately dropping the device the second the level starts”.
Mizuki didn’t seem all that upset about her defeat. Embarrassed, perhaps; her cheeks did go a bit red, and she giggled sheepishly as she pressed “OK”. There were no tears to be seen, though, and her smile persisted. Ena was surprised for a moment— had it been her, she would have screamed, and probably thrown the device, and perhaps this was why the great majority of her baby toys were durable and non-electronic.
Mizuki, on the other hand, was surprisingly mature while regressed. Shrugging off minor letdowns like this was normal for her. What wasn’t normal, however, was… Whatever that was. Suddenly dropping her toy and staring off into space, with her cheeks puffed and her eyebrows furrowed, like she was thinking hard about something.
“Princess,” Ena leaned forward, ruffling Mizuki’s hair with a concerned tilt of her head. “What was that about?”
“Oh! Um…” Mizuki held up her tablet. “I think this needs new batteries. And I was trying to remember which ones it uses!”
That was all? Thank goodness. Ena breathed a sigh of relief, then held out her hand, motioning for Mizuki to hand over the toy. “Can I see it? I can open up the back and check for you.”
Mizuki, however, did not take her up on her offer, instead placing the toy on the ground, then standing up, declaring “It’s okay! I got it! Be right back!” before bolting out of her room.
♡
Incredibly proud of herself, Mizuki couldn’t help but do a little twirl as she slipped down the hallway. She was the sneakiest girl in the whole world. Ena had totally bought her lie!
To tell the truth, Mizuki had no idea whether her tablet needed new batteries; that was just the first excuse to leave that came to mind. Her silence, in reality, had been her response to her stomach, which had grown very demanding, very quickly. She hadn’t felt particularly hungry all day, and it seemed that her body had made the sudden decision to make up for it all at once. She had considered, for a moment, asking Ena if it could be lunchtime, but quickly decided against it— there was no need to trouble her, not when she could fix this problem by herself!
She continued her journey towards the kitchen, turning around every few steps to make sure she wasn’t being watched. Every look back assured her that she was totally undetected, a fact that she attributed to both her spectacular tiptoeing abilities, and her new socks— they were soft, and fluffy, and most importantly, printed to look like kitty paws! Maybe she was imagining it, but she swore it felt like she was walking even more silently than usual. This was no doubt due to the kitty powers her socks were imbued with.
Mizuki could practically hear a chorus of angels as she opened the pantry door, and what she was looking for came into view. It was just as beautiful as it was the day she’d bought it… A family-sized package of cookies, impulsively purchased as part of a buy-one-get-one free deal. These were filling, and yummy, and easy to eat, which meant it would take her no time at all to scarf down enough of them to calm down her tummy! Carefully, she tore open the package, going as slowly as possible to minimize the crackling…
… Mizuki didn't know what happened. She certainly didn't feel like she'd just eaten about half the package in one sitting, but there it sat, sporting a sizeable gap in the rows of cookies. The crumbs that stuck to her hands and face (and the shelves, and the floor…) made it clear that she really had just done that.
She felt like she could have eaten a lot more, and briefly considered doing exactly that. Time was of the essence, though, and she was sure she'd already spent way too long in the kitchen. Ena would realize something was up soon! Grabbing one final cookie and stuffing it in her mouth, she briskly headed back to her bedroom.
“There you are!”
Mizuki's journey back was cut short in the hallway, by the appearance of a very frazzled-looking Ena. Her caregiver rushed over to her, pulling her into a tight hug. “Baby, where did you go? You had me worried!”
Mizuki scrambled for an answer, thankful that Ena’s hugs lasted as long as they did. The panic that had flooded her expression had mostly faded by the time Ena pulled away, and she’d settled on a decent enough excuse.
“Was in the bathroom.”
Ena hummed, her eyebrows furrowing. “You weren’t in there when I checked, though? And you didn’t come from that direction…?”
Rats. Not decent enough after all. Mizuki should’ve known Ena had already searched for her in a room so close to hers. But she could still save this!
“The other one! In the master bedroom.”
Ena gave her a quizzical look. “Why, though? It’s so much further away.”
“Because that one—” Mizuki jabbed an accusing finger towards the end of the hallway. “Has a loud flush. An’ it’s scary, an’ it hurts my ears, an’ I don’t like it.” (This part was actually true, and she hoped that her feelings would lend some believability to her act.)
“Ah…” Ena’s expression softened in understanding, and her hand, as it so often did, found its way into Mizuki’s hair. “Poor baby. It would be nice if the world was a little quieter, wouldn’t it?”
Mizuki played her role beautifully, pouting and mumbling a little “Yeah…” as she leaned into Ena’s touch, sniffling for good measure. Much to her relief, Ena seemed to buy her performance wholeheartedly, pressing a kiss to her forehead, the way she always did when Mizuki was upset.
Unfortunately, Ena wasn’t quite finished speaking, and the question that followed wasn’t one she could worm her way out of.
“Did you remember to wash your hands?”
Mizuki froze. A “no” would make Ena mad for sure, but a “yes” could be disproved in seconds, and that’d also make Ena upset! What was she supposed to do?
She settled for the latter, praying that Ena would take her words at face value. “Yes!! ‘Course I did!” she scoffed, throwing a hand over her chest. “What kinda woman do you take me for?”
Ena tried and failed to stifle a giggle. “I take you for the kind of woman who forgets to wash her hands unless I remind her to. Let me see yours?”
As Ena took her hands, Mizuki braced herself for a scolding. Instead, though, she was met with confusion.
“Huh…” her caregiver muttered, squeezing one hand, then the other. “I didn’t expect them to actually be cold. You really did wash them, huh?”
(Mizuki never thought she’d feel particularly thankful for how cold her hands and feet had become since starting hormones, but here she was. Thanks, estrogen!)
“And yet, you’re also sticky.”
(Curse you, sugar.)
“That tells me you didn’t wash them for long enough.”
Mizuki did not have an answer for this, and Ena didn’t seem to expect one. With a sigh of equal amusement and exasperation, she began to lead Mizuki towards the bathroom. “Come on, baby girl. Let’s fix that, okay?”
This wasn’t the worst price to pay for her crimes. Her supposed failure to wash her hands effectively was enough to convince Ena that she couldn’t be trusted to do it by herself, so this “second” attempt was done with Ena’s help. Her caregiver stood behind her, gently guiding her hands with her own. She rested her head on Mizuki’s shoulder as she did so, softly humming a song that was, given the situation at hand, probably “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”, though the sound of running water drowned her out a bit too much for Mizuki to be absolutely certain of that.
Ena turned the faucet off, then pulled the hand towel off its holder, taking care to dry every last square inch of Mizuki’s hands before moving over to her side. “All done! Can you turn and face me, baby?”
Mizuki took a moment to register Ena’s words, her brain having grown a little fuzzy from how utterly tiny she felt in that moment. She did, eventually, follow the instruction, to which Ena brushed her bangs out of her face, and pressed a kiss to her forehead with an overexaggerated “mmmmwah!”
Words failed Mizuki in that moment. She was simply too small, too stunned to speak. All she could do was giggle, bringing her hand to her mouth to chew on it, and perhaps hide the blush that came to her cheeks.
To this, Ena scoffed, gently pushing Mizuki’s hand down. “Baby girl, you just washed that. Don’t get it all yucky right away!”
The urge was strong, though, as was the desire to hide her face. She stubbornly put it back in her mouth, mumbling something incomprehensible. Ena reached out to push it down again, but stopped short, knowing that continuing like this would get her nowhere.
After a moment of thought, she took Mizuki’s free hand instead, giving it a little squeeze. “Mizuki… If you need something in your mouth, let’s at least get your paci instead, okay?”
Mizuki grumbled, and while she didn’t mean anything by it, it seemed that Ena took it as a no.
“Okay, you don’t want your paci, got it. Then…” She fiddled with her braid, looking up towards the ceiling. “Ah! Could it be… That you’re hungry?”
Ena couldn’t have been more wrong. Mizuki was already starting to regret eating as much as she had. But she couldn’t just say that! Her brain still wasn’t quite keen on forming words, and more importantly, she didn’t want to get in trouble…
“Ohh? I’m not hearing any cranky baby noises. Does that mean that I’m right?”
She absolutely wasn’t, but what could Mizuki do? She knew the kind of caregiver Ena was— a worrier. If she said no, and Ena somehow didn’t suspect she’d gotten up to mischief, she would absolutely assume she was feeling sick. And that, of course, would make her sad! Which Mizuki was absolutely not willing to do!! She supposed she could force herself to eat a little bit…
She nodded, and Ena smiled, ruffling her hair. “That works out nicely. I could eat too. Let’s go see what we can do about that!”
♡
Ena closed the pantry door. “Mizuki, how do you live like this?”
Mizuki, perched atop the kitchen counter, removed her hand from her mouth. “Like wha’?”
“Between both of these,” Ena gestured at the fridge, then the pantry, “there was a grand total of one lunch option that was easy to make.”
Mizuki tilted her head. “Really?”
“Yes, and I’m not sure how much I want to feed you something as unhealthy as instant noodles.”
“... Help me get down?” Mizuki made grabby hands at Ena. She obliged, watching as her charge shuffled over to the pantry, inspecting its contents.
After less than a minute, Mizuki turned to face her. “‘Nanan, I think you needa get your eyes checked? There’s plenty of stuff that’s easy.”
“Like what?”
"Liiike… There’s curry blocks, an’ pasta, plus sauce to go with it, an’ I think I have everything we’d need for… Uh. You’re making a face. You don’t like any of those?”
“Ahh, no, that’s not it!” Ena threw her hands up defensively, sucking in a breath through her teeth. “I just… Think we have very different definitions of ‘easy’.”
“Ohhh. Otay!” Mizuki nodded. “So the only kitchen thing you know how to use a mico… mercro… that!” She pointed at the microwave. “Is that what you’re saying?”
Ena’s face flushed. “Wh— No! Of course I know how to cook.”
Mizuki giggled. “If you say so, ‘Nanan!”
Ena huffed. “Mizuki, how old are you?”
Mizuki considered this for a moment, eventually holding up four fingers.
“Cool! Cool. So I’m being teased by a four-year-old. Anyway!!” Ena pulled her phone out, eager to change the subject. “How would you feel about ordering delivery?”
“Sounds good! Lemme get my card to pay for it!”
Mizuki made to dart out of the kitchen, but Ena stopped her. “Baby girl, it’s fine! I can pay for it.”
Mizuki pouted. “No! You’re already takin’ care of me, it’s the least I can—”
“ Mizuki. ”
Ena’s authoritative tone did not have the effect she hoped it would. Instead of relenting, Mizuki puffed out her cheeks, mirroring her as well as she could. “ Enananan…nan. ”
For a handful of agonizing seconds, they glared at each other. Ena was the first to relent, not particularly willing to fight with Mizuki while she was small. She let go of her, gently rubbing at the spot she’d grabbed. “Fine, fine, you can pay this time. I’ll do it next time, though, okay?”
She sighed as Mizuki scurried off. She was always doing this; putting everyone before herself, refusing favors. She’d definitely need to have a talk with her about this when she was big again…
♡
“Mine…” Ena placed one of the fast-food bags at a free space at the low table in the living room, then set the other down in front of Mizuki. “... and yours! Do we need a bib today?”
Mizuki shook her head. “Nuh-uh. Thank you, ‘Nanan.”
“Of course, princess!” Ena ruffled Mizuki’s hair, taking a seat next to her.
For the first time in her life, Mizuki hated the smell of fries. Carbs and oil were the last thing she wanted to be smelling when her tummy hurt as bad as it did. She felt like she’d eaten a brick. And also, like the brick was made of poison.
She needed to eat, though, or else Ena would get worried. She reached towards the bag, but lost motivation midway through, swatting at it instead of retrieving something. It tipped over, its contents sliding out. She supposed that worked, too. Scanning what had fallen out, she grabbed the tiniest fry she could spot, nibbling at the end of it. This counted as “eating”, right?
Ena glanced over at her. “And here I was, worried the kids’ meal wouldn’t be enough for you…”
Mizuki tried to force a laugh, though it came out as more of a huff than anything else. Ena furrowed her eyebrows.
“Mizuki…”
“Mmm?”
“Are you feeling okay?”
Before Mizuki could lie through her teeth, Ena held the back of her hand to her forehead, muttering a “Not warm, but you’re clearly not alright…”
Mizuki tried again to force a lie out, and was again intercepted, this time by a particularly painful clench of her stomach. She winced, her breath growing shaky, her throat tightening. The pain, the guilt of spilling lie after lie after lie, it all seemed to hit her at once. Try as she might to stay composed, her vision grew blurry with tears.
“Sweetheart…” Ena pulled her into a hug, stroking the back of her head as she buried her face in her chest. The second Mizuki’s face was obscured from view, she gave up on holding back, shuddering and sobbing, clutching onto Ena for dear life.
She wasn’t sure how long she remained like that, but it was long enough to tire herself out. As she transitioned from a total meltdown to exhausted sniffles, she grew aware of Ena’s hands, rubbing her back, and her voice, murmuring words of comfort that were too quiet to properly make out.
“Enanan…” With some effort, Mizuki pulled herself to a sitting position. “‘M not sick.”
A stark contrast from the gentleness she’d displayed a second before, Ena snorted. “Are you sure about that?”
“Not sick! But… I did a bad thing,” Mizuki mumbled.
“What kind of bad thing, baby?”
Mizuki hesitated, steeling herself for Ena’s reaction. She’d be disappointed in her, for sure, or angry, or something. It was a terrifying concept, but better than Ena stressing out over the possibility of her having come down with something.
She took a deep breath. “When I disappeared! I wasn’t actually doing any of the things I said I was. I was in the kitchen. Eating snacks instead of real food. An’ I had too much, an’ now I feel yucky. So you don’t have to worry that I’m sick or anything. An’ I’m sorry.”
Mizuki shut her eyes in preparation for the storm, but there was no heavy sigh, no sentence to the time-out corner. There was only warmth, as Ena hugged her once again.
“Mizuki…”
“Mm?”
“You are a very silly girl, you know that?”
Mizuki blinked. “That’s all you’re gonna say? ‘M not in trouble?”
“You’re fine, baby.” There was Ena’s hand in her hair again, massaging her scalp, drawing the tension out of her body. “I think you’ve suffered enough. You’re not gonna do that again, are you?”
Mizuki shook her head. “Nuh-uh. Never.”
Ena pulled back, standing up. “Thought so. I’ll go get you some medicine, okay?”
Mizuki sniffled. “Thank you…”
Just before Ena left the room, Mizuki sat up. “Enanan?”
Ena turned around.
“Thank you for taking care of me ... Love you. A lot.”
At this, Ena nearly teared up herself. She walked back over to Mizuki, kneeling down to leave a kiss on her forehead.
“I love you too, princess.”