Work Text:
"...And we need to leave in the next fifteen minutes or we won't make it in time. Should we skip breakfast today? That could help. And maybe I could swing by somewhere to buy lunch. That would save us some time, too. Oh, why do they even schedule important meetings so early in the morning? It's a pain, is what it is—how's my makeup? Does anything look off?" She angled her head towards Kaito to give him a better look.
He blinked owlishly, still trying to process all the words she had fit into the last twenty seconds. "Uh, no. You look fine, as far as I can tell."
She gave a curt nod, relieved. Her makeup brush fell into its bin with a clatter, but she was already reaching for her comb and paid it no heed. "Anyway, as I was saying, we have to leave soon if we want to make it. And I hope there's no delays on the way there, or else we'll really be in trouble. That said, I—"
"Meiko," he cut in, stepping closer to lay a hand on her shoulder, "relax. We'll be fine."
Her thoughts ground to a sudden halt, the frantic sense of chaos swirling around inside her at last coming to rest. A degree of clarity returned, and with a start she realized she must have been spiraling.
She deflated. "You're right. Sorry."
He smiled sympathetically at that, and his fingers tightened a fraction against her shoulder before they released their grip. "Come on, Meiko. Let's get some food."
She nodded, and together they exited the bedroom. She trailed several feet behind him as they made their way towards the kitchen, passing by Rin's room on the way where the girl must still have been fast asleep. Kaito said nothing more to Meiko, and he didn't stop to scold her at all, and not for the first time she took a moment to appreciate his natural calmness and easygoing demeanor. In times like this, they grounded her.
She was shaken back to reality when, lost in her thoughts, she nearly bumped into him from behind. Kaito had frozen mid-step as he entered the kitchen, and frowning, Meiko drew back and then craned her neck to peer over his shoulder. Her eyebrows flew halfway to her hairline at what she saw.
"Len?" she said, baffled. "What's going on?"
Their son stood by the countertop, dressed for school but his hair still a mess, and sheepishly he gestured toward the lunchboxes he had arranged next to one another. "I made lunch," he explained with a nervous shrug. "Well, for myself, but also for you and Dad to take to work with you. It's not much, but, um..." He trailed off.
A sudden tightness took hold in her chest, and Meiko's expression melted. "Oh, Len—my sweet, thoughtful boy," she managed, crossing the room in several quick strides to pull him in for a hug. "Thank you." He made a quiet noise of surprise, but after a moment's hesitation settled into her hold.
"It's really not much," he tried again, his voice muffled from the way his mouth pressed up against the fabric of her shirt. He seemed shy at the sudden display of affection, but Meiko could hear exactly how pleased he sounded. "It's just, I overheard you saying to Dad how you're busy with your newest project at work, and I thought maybe I could help by making you lunch, at least a little bit. Sorry it's such a small thing." A tinge of self-consciousness crept into his voice.
"No. It means everything to me." And it was true—although Meiko was embarrassed that Len had picked up on her stress from work, she couldn't help but feel touched. She imagined Len overhearing her conversation with Kaito and devising a plan to make things just slightly easier on the two of them, and then she tried to picture him waking up early—no small feat in itself for a teenaged boy—to stand at the kitchen counter and make them lunch. He was still young, and like all children his age he was unfortunately prone to mischief, but he could be so incredibly considerate and so unbelievably kind. She and Kaito truly didn't deserve him. The thought was humbling.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a flash of red against his finger, and she drew back to take hold of his hand and lift it towards her for a better view. Len blinked, surprised, but her attention was entirely focused on the narrow line running across his skin. "Did you nick yourself while cooking?" she asked with a frown.
His eyes flickered to his hand, as though he himself hadn't taken notice, and then he nodded. "Y-Yeah." He watched her, as if wondering what she might do in response.
Briefly, she hesitated. There were only a few minutes left before they absolutely had to leave if she wanted to make it to her meeting in time. And yet this was her son, who loved her deeply, and whom she loved fiercely in return.
In light of that, the choice was obvious.
"Let me see that," she said, not a hint of uncertainty shadowing her voice, and he relaxed. Keeping one hand wrapped around his, she pivoted on her heel to retrieve the first aid kit from its cabinet, and then with practiced ease she applied antiseptic to clean the cut. She murmured a soft apology at his reflexive wince, but he made a quiet noise and shook his head to reassure her. To her side, Kaito unpeeled a band-aid from its wrapper and passed it to her without prompting, and gently, Meiko wrapped the bandage around Len's finger before giving his hand one final squeeze.
At last, she stepped back. "Look after yourself the next time you cook," she said, suddenly finding herself struggling for words. Oddly enough, her throat closed up, and she forced herself to swallow.
"Thanks, Mom." His voice was quiet, but he met her eyes and smiled.
Several feet away, Kaito stood waiting for her, something almost soft in his eyes as he fiddled absently with the car keys. She glanced up.
"And what are you looking at, mister?" she challenged playfully, nudging his shoulder with her own. "Scrub that silly look from your face and go start up the car engine, why don't you?" They shared a laugh at that, both of them aware her annoyance was merely in jest.
He threw his hands up in mock surrender and went to do as she asked, and Meiko paused to press a quick kiss into Len's hair before scooping a lunch box under each arm and hurrying after Kaito.
"Have a good day at work, Mom, Dad!" Len called after them, his face glowing with warmth.
Meiko paused to glance over his shoulder, and his smile widened as he waved at her. He was so precious, she realized, and she was so, so lucky to have him.
"You too, Len," she said, inclining her head. "See you tonight."