The change in Kronii and Mumei's relationship had been less huge than Kronii had expected. Sure they kissed now, flirted openly, and changed each other's nicknames on their messenger to kinda cringe pet names that she didn't want people looking at over her shoulder in public, but otherwise things were pretty much the same. Though they had matched up schedules to a degree when Mumei had started taking later shifts, her streaming schedule meant that Kroniii still went to bed later every night.
Or at least she had done so, every night until now.
1 new message from Bane of my Existence
heyyy kronster
Hey Ame
What's up?
sooooo you know our collab tonight?
I know of it
iiii might have to cancel (-人-)
Define "might"
i gotta cancel :(((
Oh, you okay?
yea
well...
apparently i won''t be if i stream on valentines day night again lol
Uh oh
sorry!
I know we collab for 'singles awareness day' every year,
but...
Well.
I suppose since neither of us are single this year we can make an exception
Have a good time Ame
thanks kronii!
you still gonna stream?
Hm...
Nah
Can't be fucked to come up with a stream idea this deep into the weeds.
lmao
collab soon though?
Tomorrow good?
i can make it work :)
Cool. Have a good night.
you too~
Kronii stretched back in her chair and pulled her phone off of her desk. Valentine's day, huh? It was a bit too much of a hallmark holiday for her taste. Then again, she'd also not had a girlfriend on valentines for 10 years, so maybe it was just easier to be a bitter single person. She opened her DM with Mumei.
Hey Mumei, my stream with Ame tonight got cancelled.
Wanna do something cheesy and coupley?
Sure! I know just the thing!
Oh, what is it?
A surprise! ;p
Gonna be a little late home, need to swing by Bae's.
No worries. See you tonight.
"A surprise huh?" Kronii mumbled to herself, placing her phone back down on the desk, failing to not smile at the idea of her cute girlfriend getting her a surprise. "I'm gonna have to thank Ame's partners for disrupting my plans."
Any ideas about getting anything done that day were soon out of the window as Kronii's mind drifted constantly towards whatever this surprise could be. Eventually she decided that she ought to surprise Mumei back, though how was a different matter. It was at this point, far too late to go out... Maybe there was something she had in her room though she could surprise mumei with.
She set about rummaging through every door, drawer and closet, finding all sort of things she'd half forgotten she had, unplayed board games, unloved manga volumes, knick knacks that had seemed to important to chuck away. Nothing suitable. Eventually though, at the back of a draw, there was a cardboard box, sealed with brown packing tape and bearing ominous lettering.
"DO NOT OPEN" it shouted in black sharpie.
She didn't recognise it. She pulled the layer of tape from it and cracked it open. Another, smaller box and two notes, unmistakably written in her own handwriting, one labelled "Kronii" another labelled "Interloper".
"Dear Future Kronii." The letter began. "First of all, congratulations on forgetting about this. Second of all, condolences on finding it. Third of all, I highly recommend you put it back and start trying to forget about it again, lest you look upon something that causes you more major, lasting psychological damage."
Kronii blinked. How did she not remember this? She remembered everything. Frankly way too much.
Well.
Now she had to open it.
She pulled the box out, lifted the flaps and pulled the lid up. Lying there on a bed of tissue paper were a pair of identical lockets made of cheap polished nickel. Kronii knew what they were immediately. She picked one up, opening it up delicately and revealing the two pictures contained within, on the left, her younger self trying not to smile and throwing up a peace sign. In the other, Fauna, unafraid to smile, making the same sign with more gusto.
The pictures were from a camping trip the two of them had taken together in secret out to the mountains. One of the last things they ever did as a couple. Kronii felt a lump in her throat as she looked at her friend's smiling face and remembered the hurt that would soon come into their lives. The lockets were supposed to be a gift for their second anniversary.
But that day never came.
"You didn't deserve that." Kronii whispered to the photograph, her voice trembling a little.
She closed the lid and placed the locket back in the box, resolving to finally give it to Fauna when she returned, nine years late or not.
In the end, Kronii opted for the easiest surprise she could muster, throwing on her nicest underwear under a blue velvet robe, putting on lipstick and mascara for once and getting out the nicest wine they had in the house.
"It'll do" she shrugged, looking herself up and down in the mirror. Now it was just a matter of waiting until Mumei got home.
When the front door opened, Kronii was already saying "Welcome back" in her most sultry voice, only for her eyes to meet those of Hakos Baelz.
"Uh. Hey." She said, waving slightly and stepping aside to allow Mumei to pass, her arms full with a big box. "Lookin good Kronii."
Kronii felt her cheeks flush. "O-of course I am." She said, only stammering a little. "Mumei, you didn't say Bae was coming over."
"Oh I ain't stayin, just gave Mumei a lift back, it's a lot to carry from the shop." Bae shrugged, making a big show of not looking at Kronii.
"And what is it?" Kronii asked.
"The secret!" Mumei grinned, having placed the box on the kitchen table. "Ooh! You do look good!"
Kronii's cheeks went beet red. "T-thanks Mumei."
"Alright, I'm gonna leave you two lovebirds to it." Bae piped up, wandering over to the door. "Got a hot date tonight too."
"Have fun!" Mumei called, as they walked out of the door, giving a lazy, back of the hand wave.
The door clicked shut and the silence in the room became deafening.
"So." Mumei said.
"So."
"Nice undies."
"Oh my god, please don't call them undies haven't I been through enough?" Kronii laughed.
Mumei giggled. "Right, what's the term? Laundry?"
"Lingerie." Kronii corrected.
"Oh yeah. Nice Lingerie."
"Thank you, Mumei."
There was another moment of silence.
"Should I strip too? Is this like a valentines day thing I forgot?"
"Oh, no. I just thought I'd, surprise you." Kronii smiled, trying to regain her composure. "But I guess if you want to strip, I wouldn't mind."
"Okay." Mumei said brightly, pulling her shirt off, buttons and all, in one go. With the bottom half of her outfit taking a fraction longer. "There now we match!"
Match was a strong word. In contrast to the black lace and frills of Kronii's bra, hers was plain white, an entirely functional budget entity. It looked more comfortable than sexy. Still Mumei in underwear was Mumei in underwear and she was hardly gonna complain.
"Now we match." Kronii agreed with a laugh. "So, go on then, what's your surprise?"
"Oh! I borrowed this from Bae!" Mumei said, scampering over to the box and pulling out a pot.
"A pot."
"A fondue pot." Mumei corrected.
"Ohhhh."
Mumei pulled more stuff out of the box, a tabletop burner, some forks, a cheese wheel.
"Mumei." Kronii asked, seeing her pull the last thing out. "Whatch'a got there?"
"Fondue stuff."
"Not chocolate Fondue?"
"You wanted to do something cheesy."
Kronii blinked.
Mumei smiled sweetly.
"Mumei?"
"Yes Kronii?"
"Was all this a set-up for that gag?"
"Maybe."
The fondue was actually lovely, though Kronii wasn't sure to what degree it was enhanced by the fact they ate it in their underwear with good wine. Mumei was exceedingly knowledgeable about fondue eating methods, trivia and customs, sprinkling little factoids in here and there, having apparently researched it hard after first having it with Bae.
"Oh. speaking of Bae." Mumei gasped. "I forgot to say. It's Bae's birthday in 2 weeks and she's invited us to a party at hers."
"I got an invite?" Kronii was a little taken aback. Bae was nice and all, but she'd seen Bae maybe 5 times ever.
"Well, she seemed to know we were dating before anybody could have told her." Mumei said with a wry grin. "So, maybe she just knew I was going to ask for a plus one."
Kronii laughed. "I may have seen her the day I asked you out."
"I know." Mumei giggled. "She suggested I take my break earlier than usual."
"That girl." Kronii sighed. "I swear something is up with her."
"She notices everything."
"Too much."
"Maybe." Mumei shrugged. "Anyway the party should be fun."
"I haven't been to a party in ages." Kronii admitted. "How many people will be there you think?"
"Hmm, well, Bae only invites close friends." Mumei shrugged. "Probably about 8 people total?"
"Oh, that seems quite close knit, is it really okay if I join?"
"Yeah of course! I got included after not knowing anybody and they were all super friendly." Mumei smiled softly as she trailed off. Kronii knew the look, lost in memory, but she'd never seen Mumei wear it before. Bae and her friends meant more to Mumei than she was letting on, maybe, if she was anything like Kronii, more than she herself realised.
"Well okay then." Kronii smiled. "I'm looking forward to it."
Somewhere, not too far away from Kronii and Mumei, there is a shrine. Old, weathered, overgrown and almost forgotten among the suburban jungle that engulfed it. It is quiet, as it always is even rarely frequented at events.
A single figure walks through it's stone slabbed courtyard, the gentle sound of her steps seeming to be the only noise for miles as she approaches the altar. She rings the rusted bell, claps her hands together at the altar and whispers into her clasped hands.
"Hey. It's me. It's Bae." She says weakly. "Everything is going great. I mean. I'm sure you know. I just. It's valentine's day you know? It's valentines and I miss you."