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It was the perfect day for a picnic, really. It was warm, but not too hot or humid, and the spot that Sonia had chosen was shaded by a lovely tree with its pink flowers in full bloom, a comfortable looking blanket resting on the grass with two bento boxes already prepared.
Admittedly, Peko found herself taken aback by the scene. She hadn’t expected something so… extravagant or romantic, or really much of anything at all. “This is-“ she began.
“Oh no…!” Sonia interrupted softly, lifting a hand to her mouth. “Is it too much? I really wasn’t sure, but-“
“Oh, um. No, not at all. I’m just… Not used to this kind of gesture,” Peko stammered, still staring at the amazing sight. She wasn’t used to being the object of affection, even now that they were dating.
Sonia smiled sweetly, giving her a small nod as she motioned to the blanket. “Well that’s alright! You’ll get used to it soon enough. Why don’t we sit?” She offered, lowering herself down.
With careful precision, Peko followed suit, sitting down beside Sonia with her legs beneath her and her hands folded across her lap. Even after all this time she still wasn’t quite sure how to act, either - around anyone, really, but especially Sonia, though she was making good progress. “T-Thank you,”
Not detoured by her awkwardness, Sonia offered her one of the two bentos, “Are you hungry? I tried my hand at cooking this time, so I hope it’s not bad,”
Peko shook her head, “It is no worry, I will eat it regardless,” she insisted. She wasn’t sure what to expect, but when she opened it she had to suppress a surprised gasp. “It’s all so cute, I almost don’t want to eat it.” She muttered with astonishment, staring down at the collections of food, all with cute animal faces and shapes made from various foods.
She lifted up an onigiri made to look like a rabbit face, and another that looked like the face of a cat. How was she supposed to be expected to eat it when it looked so cute? But… Sonia made it for her. Trying to ignore its cute smiling face, she took a bite, finding herself pleasantly surprised. Truth be told, Peko would eat just about anything given her survival mindset, but… Even then, she could appreciate good food.
“How is it?” Sonia asked, watching her with a curious but nervous smile.
“It’s quite good,” Peko replied easily, finding a smile gracing her lips without her even needing to think about it. It was strange how often that had been happening around Sonia, but surely that had to be a good sign, right?
Clapping her hands together, Sonia let out a relieved sigh. “Oh, thank goodness! I was worried it wouldn’t turn out well. I am happy to hear that!”
Peko nodded, continuing to eat despite the cute designs all the foods were in as she and Sonia chatted about how their days had been or what they’d been up to. Admittedly, it hadn’t been long since their last discussion, but Peko was more than happy to listen to Sonia talk, and it seemed vice versa.
In a strange way, Peko considered midway through, they were kind of perfect for each other, weren’t they? Sonia was always very direct with her emotions and words, there wasn’t much room for misunderstanding. And she was patient, able to take the time to comprehend Peko’s emotions when she couldn’t understand them herself. She was curious and intuitive like that, mostly for Peko, but for others, too. She could make friends easily. Peko herself only seemed to make friends when other people approached her, the opposite rarely happened.
Pausing the conversation for just a moment, Peko glanced down beside her at a few stray petals and flowers that had since fallen from the tree. Carefully picking only the most pristine one, she reached forward to brush Sonia’s hair behind her ear, delicately placing the flower with it.
“Oh-!”
Taking a step back, Peko glanced away, blushing. “It suits you,” she explained quietly. Such acts of fondness were not common for her, she was barely sure why she’d even done it.
Glancing up, however, she could see Sonia’s surprised expression shifting to a different one. Affection, if Peko was correctly identifying it. “Why thank you, Peko! I will cherish this flower for as long as it lasts. I will preserve it if I have to,” After a brief moment of pause, she continued. “You know, the flowers kind of remind me of you.”
“Me?” Peko echoed.
“Yes! They’re so pretty, just like you!”
Peko blushed, finding herself smiling again, almost against her own will. “Oh.”
“And despite their delicate appearance, they are actually quite strong! They persevere even through strong winds and storms and use them to grow.”
“W-Well, thank you,” Peko replied again, still as bashful as before.
Another pause as this time Sonia reached down, searching for just a moment or two before holding out a pink flower of her own. “You should take one, too,”
Peko couldn’t help it as the smile faded from her expression slightly as she took the flower as carefully as possible, worried she would somehow break it or rip one of its petals. “But… I don’t know how to care for it,”
“That’s okay,” Sonia continued, reaching her hand out and placing it atop Peko’s free hand, “I can teach you how to preserve them, so you don’t have to worry about it.”
Peko nodded slowly, glancing down at the flower in her hand. She really wasn’t used to feeling this loved. It was… A strange feeling, for sure. A good one, yes, but a strange one regardless. She wished she were better with words so she could know how to express it aloud, but she just couldn’t. Instead, she looked back up, making sure to catch Sonia’s eyes. They were so enticingly blue, like an aquamarine stone, the sun reflecting off of the water. “Thank you.”
Despite not using the words directly, there was a deep understanding in Sonia’s gaze, as if she knew what Peko was trying to say. She smiled, and while her words weren’t anywhere near extraordinary, either, Peko could feel the emotion they were trying to convey deep within her. “Of course,”
There wasn’t much else to do on their picnic now that they were done eating, but they still stayed seated in the shade of the tree for quite some time, just holding hands. It was nice.
But, as the sun began to set over the horizon, Peko realized that they would soon have to bring their picnic to a close. It was a shame, really. Even though she knew they could do this any other day once more, she had really been enjoying herself. Spending time with Sonia was freeing in a strange way. Despite being a princess, she didn’t seem to have any expectations for Peko - or anyone else, really - apart from human decency. And, strangely, Peko found that she had that. She’d always had it, it was just hard to tell, especially when working so closely with the Yakuza.
In a way, their relationship wasn’t unlike the flower, she supposed. They were both growing, and all it took was care and time. It was hard to see the progress directly, but it was there, even if it was slow.
Though it was almost overwhelming, once they had packed up and began their way home, they held hands. With the sky darkening, Peko still felt like there was more to say. “Sonia… I- I really appreciated today,” she began slowly, trying to find the words before she said them. “I just- I wish I could do more for you. I realize you’ve been doing all of these things for me, and yet…”
To that, Sonia stopped, turning to her directly. “What do you mean?” She asked, “There’s nothing more you need to do for me! Just being here is more than enough.”
“Are… Are you sure?” Peko couldn’t help but ask. Her entire life her self worth had been calculated based on her relative usefulness. It was almost impossible for her mind to shift away from that no matter how long it had been since then. It felt strange to just… Be wanted to be wanted. Not because she could serve some kind of purpose.
“Of course! I couldn’t do this without you, could I?”
Peko chuckled lightly, though it was barely audible. “I guess you’re right,” she agreed after a moment. A picnic alone wouldn’t be as fun as a picnic with each other. Another soft smile formed on her lips. With a bit more confidence than before, her spirits now lifted, she took a few steps forward, urging Sonia to follow. “Thank you, now let’s get you home. I shall guide you.”
Sonia smiled, and despite how the sun had already set, it was as if it never had with how bright her grin was. Peko just wished she never had to look away. "Thank you, Peko! That sounds lovely."
