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Mumei patted the pockets of her coat, checking and double-checking to make sure everything was as it should be.
“I didn’t forget anything this time, I have everything,” she said.
“Are you sure? You said that right before you left ten minutes ago, too,” Kiara replied from another room. She giggled as she walked into sight and planted a kiss on Mumei’s forward. Kiara took Mumei’s hand with care and held it for a moment, interlacing their fingers for a moment before she broke the hold to place Mumei’s phone into her hand instead. Kiara laughed again.
“Oh! Right, thanks. I might not have needed it?” Mumei smiled as she put the phone in her pocket. “I’m gonna take the bus to the store today. I shouldn’t be gone for that long unless I die in a tragic car accident.”
“Try not to, okay? I don’t think Calli would like me asking for favours out of nowhere because you died,” Kiara said. She smiled at Mumei, but her gaze steadily fell off to the side. Kiara wasn’t sure such a joke was in good taste, for several reasons. Mumei’s hand rested against Kiara’s cheek, breaking Kiara away from her concentration. Mumei’s smile was all she needed now.
“The bus is really safe anyway, so I’ll be fine. Bus accidents are a really small percentage of accidents.” Mumei spoke with confidence.
Kiara laughed again. “Where did you even hear that?”
“Uhm… I feel like I probably saw that online.” Mumei reached into her pocket and pulled out her wallet. She then put her wallet away, reached into her other pocket, and pulled out her phone.
“Oh! I’m gonna look that up real quick too, then.” Kiara nodded in agreement, and pulled out her phone too.
More hands meant less work, so she started looking up to see what she could find. Her searches only lasted a few minutes, as she soon came across her answer, confirming Mumei’s earlier statement.
“Found it! Looks like you were right. I guess there are just many more cars too, huh?,” Kiara said. She held her phone up, but then lowered it again when she realized Mumei would have seen the answer on her own phone too.
“Wait, I wasn’t done reading that. Found what?” Mumei leaned into Kiara to try to continue reading her phone, much to Kiara’s confusion.
“How many bus accidents there are per year. Did you not find anything about that?” She held her phone back up for Mumei, who continued leaning against her as she read. Kiara appreciated the closeness, as much as her suddenly moving so close embarrassed her.
“Hm? No, I was looking at how those metal lids on bottles are made. This show is really cool, I like all the funny machines that are worthless for anything other than pressing the lids down.” Mumei chuckled as she showed Kiara her phone. Sure enough, she had an episode of Wow! It’s Made playing, detailing a production line’s process of filling and sealing bottles.
Kiara looked on in stunned silence for a brief moment before bursting out in laughter. Of all the videos to see, that was not one she expected. Mumei’s occasionally dry humour and frequent jumps in topic never ceased to entertain.
“Why would you even look that up?” Kiara couldn’t help but be curious as to what Mumei thought at any given moment.
“Well, accidents per year kinda sounds like it would be a Snapple fact on the lid like they do, but like… One that makes you sad? Some sort of Dark Snapple.” Mumei smiled. Snapple facts could use some spicing up, anyway. Most of them were boring, and some were outright wrong.
Kiara figured she should have guessed that Mumei would have found some odd connection to start searching for. Kiara pecked Mumei’s forehead and gently pressed her own forehead into Mumei’s afterwards.
“Hm? What is it?” Mumei didn't react much to Kaira's affection, instead letting her smooch as she pleased. Mumei often didn’t understand why Kiara was so doting, but she didn’t mind either. Affection for the sake of showing affection was enough for her, there didn’t need to be a deeper meaning to everything. That said, Kiara seemed to have been extra affectionate today, and she wasn’t sure why.
“Oh, nothing. Am I not allowed to love on my girlfriend now?” Kiara teased. She nuzzled against Mumei a little, but her cheeks turned bright red when Mumei turned and kissed her on the lips. Kiara froze.
“Me too, then. I’ll also do that,” Mumei said. She was rather deadpan when she spoke, but her actions conveyed her feelings better than her words, as she left a series of quick pecks on Kiara’s face, moving down to her neck. Mumei liked to wait until Kiara didn’t expect any teasing, because watching her melt was funny.
And melt, she did. Kiara quickly became puddle as Mumei kissed her over and over again. She couldn’t help but giggle. Kiara’s hands came to rest on Mumei’s shoulders like she was ready to push her away, but if anything, it was more so she could brace herself in the event her legs gave out.
“Mumei, stop,” Kiara said, laughing all the while. She prolonged her words, and didn’t care if Mumei continued. “Didn’t you have to go shopping?”
“Oh yeah, that’s why I was going out, huh? I should probably go so I can still get to the bus on-time. I’ll see you later?” Mumei ceased her assault on Kiara to allow her a moment to breathe.
“Of course! I’m really looking forward to tonight, by the way,” Kiara said. She smiled as she recovered from her laughing fit. Kiara always looked forward to date nights, but she was sure their anniversary was going to be extra special.
***
Mumei returned from the store, groceries in-hand. She even remembered to pick up several drinks she wanted to try, mostly thanks to the list she made in-advance, then promptly left and had to return for. She walked inside the cozy flat she shared with Kiara, announcing her return outloud, then once more by bumping into the desk they kept in the entryway.
“Oh, welcome back! I see you’ve got your arms full, did you get a bunch more than you planned?” Kiara called to Mumei from the living room before walking into the doorway, whereupon she leaned against the frame. The day had moved enough into the evening for Kiara to have changed into her robe.
Mumei nodded. “Turns out there was a lot more there that I wanted to pick up, mostly so I wouldn’t have to go back again soon. I got everything you put on the list though, I think. Want to help me put things away?” She walked towards the kitchen, and placed the bags down on the counter so she could stretch before beginning the process of finding homes for all of the groceries she purchased.
“Sure! I hope you didn’t buy more seasoned salt though, we have three containers of it unopened from the last time you went to the store,” Kiara laughed, and then laughed harder when she saw Mumei freeze up as she reached for one of the bags.
Mumei slowly produced a bottle of seasoned salt with a label denoting it as containing ginger and orange, among other additions to the salt. She grimaced as she placed the bottle in the spice rack next to several other bottles of various herbs and spices.
“Well… It’s a different kind this time, at least, so it’s fine?” Mumei was sure it was fine, but her tone was not one that would convey confidence to the average observer. She shrugged, and began putting more groceries away.
Kiara hopped in and helped as well, placing food where she thought it needed to go. Together, they made short work of the grocery trip that had burdened Mumei on her own, but they remained standing in the kitchen to talk.
Kiara stood expectantly, waiting for Mumei to tell her that she could leave. As much as she bought, and with what they already had on-hand, there were any number of dishes Mumei could prepare for tonight. Kiara was sure it would be something they’d both enjoy, no matter what. Kiara could hardly contain her excitement as she danced in place.
“What’s up? Gotta pee?” Mumei was rather blunt in her questioning of Kiara’s shimmying. She had no sense of excitement to speak of, this was a rather normal evening as far as Mumei was concerned. She leaned against the counter.
“No! I’m just excited, is all. Curious too, I wonder what you’re planning on preparing, hmm?” Kiara ceased her dancing, feigning irritation before remaining still, or as still as she could be.
“Uhh, I dunno, maybe a taco? We probably have leftovers in the fridge too, I always forget to eat mine. Why? Was there something you wanted me to make?” Mumei asked. She tilted her head to the side as she tried to understand what Kiara was getting at.
“Wait, what do you mean, ‘Why?’ Are you really not planning anything?” Kiara didn’t think Mumei was joking, which irked her. Of course Mumei forgot, she should have known. “Did you seriously forget our anniversary?”
Mumei paused, and hummed under her breath as she thought. She didn’t remember forgetting their anniversary, but then again, if she forgot, then it stood to reason that she wouldn’t remember.
“I don’t think so. I wrote it down so I’d know when it was, even if I forgot,” Mumei said. She opened the fridge to look for food, but closed it right after. She didn’t want to make Kiara more upset, she seemed like she was getting mad.
“You don’t think so? Okay, where did you write it down?” Kiara crossed her arms and stared at Mumei. And to think she had prepared chocolates and everything for after dinner. So much for all of that work, she thought. Not that she wanted to take any of it down, either.
“I think I put it on the calendar, that way it’d be in plain sight.” Mumei nodded, pleased with herself for remembering where she kept that information. She looked in her phone, to see if she wrote down the date in the calendar there too, but saw nothing for today. Mumei held her phone out to Kiara
“So, did you forget to put it there too?” Now, she was plenty mad, but more disappointed. It looked like Mumei did forget, after all, which wasn’t surprising. Kiara could have sworn Mumei would have put more effort into remembering though. An alarm or two, or something! A reminder that just never went off would have made her feel better, but there was nothing.
“No, I-” Mumei started to speak, but Kiara cut her off.
“I really wanted to spend a nice evening together, even if you didn’t have anything planned. Or at least, I thought you’d come up with something. I guess I shouldn’t have hoped for that much.” Kiara turned away and walked back to the living room. She threw herself onto the couch, and laid out across the cushions to continue watching the show she put on. With the TV blaring, she hoped to drown out her thoughts of disappointment.
Mumei wanted to follow her, but lingered in the kitchen a moment longer. She didn’t think she messed up, Mumei knew if the date was that important, something would have popped up on her phone. Reminders on her phone were too convenient to not have enabled for any and everything she possibly needed. Despite not feeling like she was in the wrong, she still felt bad. Kiara’s excitement was killed, and she wasn’t sure where to start to bring it back. A shower might clear her head, she thought, so she retreated to the bedroom.
Upon reaching the bedroom they shared, Mumei found the door closed, which was unusual. Neither of them bothered to close their door most of the time, and leaving the door ajar never proved to be an issue. The handle turned, so no one locked the door. Mumei walked inside and turned the lights on, but she was surprised by what she found.
The bed, freshly made, was covered in silken sheets. Rose petals were scattered across the bed like Kiara had simply thrown them about, but to great effect. Candles sat on the nightstands on either side of the bed, with more on top of the dresser on the opposite side of the room. Even unlit, their aromas filled the air as earthy scents greeted Mumei the further in she walked. The centerpiece of it all was the tray on top of the pillows, which held a variety of chocolates.
Forgetting she intended to change clothes, Mumei walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, feeling the sheets. They felt brand-new. At the very least, she hadn’t seen them before. None of this was set up the last time she was in their bedroom. She glanced around again, seeing everything Kiara put out while Mumei was out for the day. No wonder she was disappointed, she put in all that effort, and only received a blank stare in return. Mumei pulled out her phone and made an order. The least she could do was try to recover the evening.
***
Mumei returned to the living room in time to hear a knock at the door. She forgot when the order was supposed to arrive, so she was glad when the timing worked out well for her. With the boxes in-hand, Mumei entered the living room, only to find the show paused, and Kiara asleep. Kiara was cute, even asleep, but Mumei thought she still looked a bit sad. Mumei knelt on the floor in front of the couch and gently shook her shoulder.
“Hey, um… I got pizza. You haven’t eaten yet. I know you’re normally the one telling me that, but… Well, you know.” Mumei did not elaborate as she waited for Kiara to stir.
“Hm? Oh. I guess I fell asleep in here, thanks for waking me. You didn’t need to get anything though, it’s okay. I should have reminded you earlier in the week.” Kiara sat up as she rubbed her eyes. She would have been lying if she said it didn’t upset her, but she didn’t blame Mumei. Well, not anymore.
Mumei shook her head and set the pizza out on the coffee table. She opened the second box, leaving a cookie cake visible next to it. They both smelled freshly-baked, and the sweet and savory scents intermingled in the air as they talked.
“I wanted to, though. It’s a little late to be cooking something from scratch, anyway. I can do that some other night. Something easy that you’d enjoy sounded good though, and we both like pizza, so that made sense to me. Do you… not want any?” Mumei fanned the box lid to waft air towards Kiara. She intended to make Kiara hungry, and while she couldn’t be sure of her own success, Mumei did succeed in making herself hungry.
“Oh, sure, alright. I should eat something, yeah. You can stop that though, I think I got hungry the moment you first opened the box,” Kiara said. She laughed, and took a slice, savouring her dinner. She had a light lunch anyway, having expected to eat earlier, but her hunger soon faded. Kiara sat content on the couch, and patted the spot next to her.
“Oh, let me go get napkins for us first.” Mumei left for the kitchen, leaving Kiara to eat in the quiet living room.
Quiet, until Mumei’s phone started buzzing on the floor. It continued to vibrate over and over again, showing no signs of stopping. Kiara tried to ignore the phone, but the more she tried to avoid thinking about it, the more she couldn’t help but focus on the buzzing. Fed up, she finally called out to Mumei, asking if she could open her phone and turn off the notifications.
“Oh, sure. The password’s the same as usual,” Mumei said from the kitchen. She was having difficulty finding their napkins.
Knowing Mumei didn’t have a password on her phone, Kiara opened her phone and checked the notifications. The ringing must have been from the delivery, her Little Creachurs app sent multiple notifications in the span of a few minutes. Kiara cleared several of them, but when another one came through, she got mad and swiped especially hard to tell the phone to stop. When she did, the screen switched back to Mumei’s calendar. Kiara had half a mind to close the app for Mumei, but curiosity bade her to press on.
There really wasn’t any notification set up in there for today. None on the previous few days, either. Kiara didn’t intend to annoy herself, but wound up doing just that. She swiped back to the current date, then went too far and wound up viewing Mumei’s calendar for tomorrow. As she swiped through the next few days, she remained in her mildly sour food, until she swiped once more, and froze. There was a reminder set for their anniversary, then another, then even more. All of them put the anniversary as a little under a week away.
Kiara pulled out her own phone, and searched for the calendar like a madwoman. No notifications today either, but next week, there were several that placed their anniversary on the same day Mumei had it set to. Kiara felt like her heart was going to pop out of her chest, but she couldn’t decide if it was because of relief or frustration at herself. She slapped Mumei’s phone down on the couch cushion beside her.
“I couldn’t find the napkins, but I did find the hand towel from the oven. That’s good enough, right?” Mumei offered the hand towel to Kiara. “You look upset again. Is the pizza bad?”
Kiara shook her head. “No, it’s really good. I, uh… How do I even start to apologize for messing up the dates, when I thought you did…” Kiara couldn’t bear to raise her gaze to meet Mumei’s.
“Oh, did we miss it?” Mumei sat down on her phone, then checked it herself. She laughed, and put her phone back down. “Maybe we should set a reminder for you, saying it’s not today.”
“Ohh, my god… I’d really like it if you didn’t remind me about this, I already feel so bad.” Kiara sank down into the couch, and sank further when Mumei laid on top of her. Between her robe, Mumei, and her own burning embarrassment, Kiara felt a little too hot, but she wasn’t about to complain now.
“Nah, it’s fine. Now I get to say you’re the forgetful one.” Mumei grinned as she rested on top of Kiara. Food sounded nice, but she could always reheat it. What Mumei wanted even more was to tease Kiara for something Mumei could potentially see herself doing. She worked her hands under Kiara’s robe and wrapped her arms around Kiara’s back.
“Ah, cold! Actually… On second thought, that feels good. I’m gonna die if you tell anyone about this though,” Kiara said. The amount of relief she felt knowing Mumei didn’t sound angry at her was immeasurable.
“Just a few people? Maybe if you’re lucky, I'll try to make a joke about it, then get distracted on something else.” Mumei said. They both laughed as they laid in one another’s embrace, enjoying the back-and-forth. After a nearly-disastrous evening, both were glad for a return to normalcy.