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Ever since the Trash tribe had started using the princess hotel as their "base", Miu and Jio had been sleeping on the same room; this is to say Miu was used to any noises made while she slept—or tried to sleep— only today seemed to be different. It wasn't only noise, but a persistent, although gentle, hand shaking her awake, and a faint burning smell.
She woke up with a startle, eyes still half closed with heavy sleep, her first instinct was to wake up Jio, so when she palmed the space besides her and felt only a cold emptiness, her heart began pounding, rushing blood through her body—blood that grew colder with the fear of having lost Jio. It was only when she turned around in her panic that she saw the same Jio standing there, holding a tray.
A dazzling smile quickly took over his face. "Happy birthday, Miu!" he said, as if he had his own shining effect around him, with a singsong tone of voice. "I brought you breakfast in bed, thought you might appreciate it."
Miu felt her blood hot again as the fear slowly melted off her body and finally left in a relieved sigh that she would disguise as an annoyed one, her heart settled down slowly, only then, she whispered: "You scared me, I forgot it was my birthday, for a second I thought-"
She didn't finish that sentence.
Jio moved to place the tray in her thighs. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Here." He sat down beside her, and Miu took a moment to see the breakfast he prepared. The tray was full of food, everything seemed light and fitting, except for the big piece of cake with a candle on top, she could see that the candle had been lit recently—though the reason escaped her—but aside from that, the cake was beautiful, she even noticed that Jio had cut this part because it had her name. As she analyzed the contents, Jio grabbed the fork and dug into the cake, taking a small portion. "Say "ahh" for me."
Miu's face soured. "Absolutely not." Her tone was sharp, but not hostile. "In any case, don't you think it's a bit too early for cake?"
He shrugged, eating the portion himself and humming in appreciation of his own work before setting the fork down. "It's your birthday, I think you shouldn't worry about what you eat or don't eat, or when or where. But maybe you're right, before we eat the cake..." He took out a lighter, lighting the colorful candle once more.
Neither of them were used to singing happy birthday, but they were used to making a wish before blowing out the candles—or the singular candle, most of the times anyway. "Wish for anything, I'll be sure to make it happen."
Under Akajin, they usually wished for basic neccessities, such as razor blades, soap, or socks; the smaller kids usually wished for a cake they could put their candle on, but what broke Miu's heart the most was when they would wish to stop killing people, and so she would take their missions for the day, or even the week, when Jio caved and helped her.
Noticing her brooding and the darkness nesting behind her eyes, Jio softly placed his hand in hers, a reassuring gesture. "We don't have to wish for that anymore. Ask anything of me like a normal woman would- like the normal woman you are now. Makeup, clothes, for me to throw a party in your honour, ask for my body or my servitude, even though you know they here lay with you." As he went on, his eyes shone brightly into hers, making its way into the dark of her eyes. "Or wish for ordinary things, good health, money, a bright future. Wish, and I will grant it to the best of my abilities."
Though her brooding was effectively halted, Miu kept processing Jio's words, she took him seriously, of course she did, but a part of her wanted nothing more than to tease him for his sudden beheavior. "Jio thinks he's the genie of the lamp. I bet Tsuruko would be inspired by this sudden revelation." She smiled, but her hand didn't move from under Jio's, instead, she closed her eyes, deciding on her wish.
She didn't want something depressing to be her wish today, she'd have plenty of time for that later.
A simple wish, that's what she wanted.
"I wish for Jio and I to live a long and peaceful life together"