Chapter Text
"Tanaka, could you bring me the steamer?"
Cleaning was not something Tanaka excelled at. He didn't particularly excel at anything productive - he never had - but he never spent any length of time worrying about it prior to getting married. Still, he did try and help Ohta clean when he could, even if it was executing effortless tasks like grabbing the handheld steam cleaner that was a mere three feet away from his husband.
"Sure." Tanaka answered with the resolution of someone who'd just been given a mildly dangerous job. He slowly got up from his position lying under the warm stripes of sunlight on the porch, yawned, picked up the steamer, and walked the few measly paces to hand it to Ohta. Taking it from him, Ohta offered up a grateful smile.
"Thanks," he said, turning back toward the hanging futons strung up on the clothing line. Tanaka watched him begin to steam their futon, the mid-day breeze blowing the excess steam lazily back toward the house. The warm, moist cloud hit Tanaka in the face, making him close his eyes and sway on the spot. It felt so comfortable, like a nice warm bath.
Ohta turned toward him, laughing through his nose. "Tanaka, you can go sit back down and take a break if you want," he said.
It was a long moment before Ohta's words aligned correctly in Tanaka's ears. He attempted to right himself. "No, I'm fine. I want to help with the New Year's cleaning." Tanaka finally answered. Ohta glanced at him with perked brows and a vaguely impressed expression.
"Ah, really? Well then," Ohta picked up a bamboo futon beater and extended it to Tanaka, who took it in his hands as though he were exerting all his energy just holding it. "You can beat the other futon, if you think you can manage."
Tanaka offered a slow nod, and gripping the beater with purpose he padded to the other futon and began working. Ohta watched him from the corner of his eye, amused. Tanaka's technique was more of a light pat than a beating, but Ohta had known Tanaka long enough to expect no less. (Or no more, depending on how you looked at it.) Tanaka weakly smacked the futon until Ohta was finished steaming and until his arm had begun to drop along with his eyelids. Ohta switched off the steamer and set it on the porch. He touched Tanaka's shoulder and the shorter swayed under his fingers and fell easily into his chest. Ohta took the futon beater from Tanaka's hand before it fell from his slender fingers.
"Sorry, Ohta. That's all I can do."
"That's fine, Tanaka. Thanks for helping." Ohta set the beater next to the steamer and wrapped his arms around his smaller husband. "The futons are done, bathroom is next. Let's take a break before we do any more."
"Mm. Sounds good." Tanaka murmured into Ohta's chest.
Ohta laced his fingers against Tanaka's lower back, effortlessly lifting him a few inches off the ground. Tanaka was just as light and weightless as he was in highschool, which was a blessing considering Ohta had to lift and carry him just as often now that they were married and living together. Ohta took two careful steps backward and sat on the porch steps, taking Tanaka's limp form with him as he plopped on his back, his legs dangling off the porch. He held Tanaka tightly against him, his chest swelling and dropping with a deep, calming sigh. Tanaka nestled comfortably into the crook of Ohta's neck, soft breaths ghosting past his lips.
It was ten minutes before either of them spoke. Ohta caught himself dozing and squeezed Tanaka gently, gaining his husband's sleepy attention. "Tanaka," he coaxed softly, and Tanaka answered him with a gentle hum. "It's time to clean the bathroom. We have to get everything cleaned before 6."
Tanaka yawned hugely. "What's at 6 again?"
Ohta smiled. "I have to start New Year's Eve dinner, remember? I'm making toshikoshi soba and mochi."
Tanaka sighed sleepily. "Mochi is so much trouble. You should have bought it from the store, Ohta."
"I enjoy making it, so it's not a problem." Ohta kissed the top of Tanaka's head and spoke softly against his scalp. "And at 9, we're meeting Echizen, Miyano and our sisters at the shrine."
"I hope I can stay awake long enough to hear the bells this year." Tanaka said wistfully.
"I'll try and keep you up." Ohta promised. "Shiraishi and Shimura will both be back in town tomorrow. We'll get to see them when we go to Miyano and Echizen's New Year's party."
Tanaka buried his face more determinedly into Ohta's neck and uttered a soft groan. "The holidays are so busy. It's so tiring."
Ohta ran his hands comfortingly over Tanaka's back. "Hang in there, it'll be over in a couple of days."
"It's not that I don't like it. It's just tiring. After the holidays I feel like I can barely move for a week after all of the festivities are over."
"I can understand that," Ohta said.
"Ohta, what time is the party tomorrow?"
"Noon. Why?"
"Don't you have to work?"
Ohta gently sat up, continuing to hold Tanaka gently against him to swing the man into an upright position. "It's New Year's day, Tanaka. The bakery isn't open."
The mental gears creaking into motion was almost visible from the outside. "Oh… Right." Tanaka blinked slowly. "Sorry."
Ohta smiled and held Tanaka's face in his hands, kissing his mouth gently. Tanaka sighed contentedly, slipping his hands over Ohta's shoulders as they kissed soft and slow, four years familiar with each other's lips. They parted, breathing against each other's mouths, Ohta threading his fingers through Tanaka's soft, dark locks.
"Ohta," Tanaka started, his half-lidded eyes downcast. Ohta tilted his head questioningly in reply. Tanaka lifted his gaze and locked his dark eyes on Ohta's. "I want to try and get a job."
Ohta blinked at his husband in surprise. "A job?" He continued to brush his hands through Tanaka's hair. "Tanaka, you tried that before. We both agreed that having a part-time job just wasn't for you, didn't we? And I told you I don't mind. I make enough money at the bakery for us to get by. You don't have to push yourself."
Tanaka's lips twitched by the smallest of margins, but Ohta had grown to identify a frown when he saw one.
"I want to help. As much as I love how accommodating you are to my innate laziness, it isn't fair that you should be the only one providing for us."
"Why not?" Ohta asked sincerely. "It isn't unusual for one half of a partnership to be the provider, I thought."
"That's for couples who have children to look after," Tanaka responded grumpily. "When you're at work, there's nothing I can do to improve our lives. I can't clean without immediately giving up, and trying to cook is a serious health and safety hazard."
Ohta's face went slightly ghostly in color at the memory. "I remember when you tried surprising me with dinner. I came home to find the frying pan on the stove, completely on fire, with you napping serenely in the next room." He shivered. "No, cooking is absolutely off-limits."
"See my point?" Tanaka sighed, his long lashes drawn downward again. "There isn't a single thing I can do for you as your husband. I'm utterly useless. Maybe if I found a job, then…"
"Tanaka." Ohta scooped Tanaka's face into his hands, rubbing his thumbs gently over Tanaka's cheeks. "Listen to me. I didn't marry you because I expected you to do things you didn't want to do. You've been against getting a job since high school, right? You're fine the way you are, I have no complaints. Every day with you is wonderful, and I wouldn't trade even one of them for anything." His fingers grazed the back of Tanaka's head as Ohta touched their foreheads together. Tanaka could feel the cool metal of Ohta's wedding band against his skin, and became acutely aware of his own identical band on his finger. He absently ran the pad of his thumb over its smooth surface, his heart stirring with emotion in his chest though it didn't show on his face.
"Tanaka, I love you." Ohta breathed.
Tanaka hummed contentedly. He could never believe that he was fortunately enough - or deserving enough - to hear those words. "I love you too, Ohta."
Ohta pecked his husband's lips affectionately. "Alright then. Time to get up. The bathroom isn't going to clean itsel-" Tanaka limply fell against Ohta, his head falling onto the man's shoulder. He was asleep in an instant. Ohta patted his back, smiling to himself. "Maybe you should just keep napping. I'll see to the bathroom."