The surprise party was a success in Momiji's eyes. He was able to make sure everyone made it and had a fun time. By the end of it, they were all good and tired. Hatsuharu left with Kisa and Hiro to make sure they got home safely. Soon after, Tohru and Yuki decided to leave to walk Machi home before heading home themselves, leaving Momiji and Anzu alone.
"Don't worry too much, okay?" Machi smiled at Anzu as she put her shoes on. "I hope you enjoyed your Christmas."
Anzu gave her a hug out of sheer appreciation. It was nice to have a friend like her. Pulling back, she whispered teasingly. "Hopefully you'll be able to get some time alone with Yuki."
Machi's face immediately tinged red. "W-Why would you say that?" She immediately shook her head, causing her best friend to laugh. Seeing as Anzu was joking, Machi quickly frowned, a pout forming on her face. "Don't do that! I'm trying my best, so you just do the same."
Once everyone had left, Anzu started putting away the leftover food in the refrigerator. In the back of her head, she kept reminding herself to check her phone since she hadn't heard from Kureno the entire day; hopefully his mother was able to be discharged from the hospital.
"Did you really enjoy yourself, Lola?" Momiji asked as he helped her clean up. Over time, he'd noticed her go into the kitchen a lot and she didn't really look in his direction throughout the party. Perhaps she wasn't into surprises. "Maybe I should've-"
"No, everything was really nice." Anzu assured him. "I probably would've just sat in front of the Christmas tree all day if you all hadn't come over."
Momiji frowned as he watched her walk past him and sit down in the common area after grabbing her phone. She was on the floor in front of the coffee table, crossing her legs so she was sitting Indian-style. It had gotten dark since the sun went down, so the Christmas lights on the tree and her phone's screen were the only things illuminating her facial features.
"Kureno won't be coming home tonight. Hatori-san said he's making sure his mother is okay at the main estate." Anzu spoke up as she put her phone down on the table. "I guess I'll just give him his present tomorrow."
"Are you sure you'll be okay by yourself?" Momiji asked. "The weather report said it was going to storm later on tonight."
"I bought some headphones while I was out with Tohru, so I'll be okay."
The blond frowned again and slowly approached her in the dimly lit room. Her tone of voice had become a bit more somber as if she was going to cry any moment now. "I can stay if you want me to. I know you don't like thunderstorms..."
Anzu didn't answer him as she focused her gaze on the blinking lights of the Christmas tree in front of her. Pulling her knees to her chest, she rested her chin on her arms. It was all finally settling in and a stray tear escaped from her eyes.
"What's wrong, Lola?" Momiji immediately sat down next to her. He could see her tears reflecting in the light. "What hurts?"
"This was my first Christmas without Mom." She answered quietly with a slight sniffle. "It was her favorite holiday, aside from my birthday. I never realized how different it would be without her because I'd been distracting myself. I never thought she'd leave me behind like this."
The boy listened closely to every word she said. He'd always gained a sense that she was close to her mother, but he didn't realize how dependent she was on her. One thing he could do was understand her sentiments. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her in his embrace and laid his head against hers.
"I like when you talk about your mom because you make her seem so warm and inviting." Momiji started calmly. "It sounds like she had a lot of love for you, so she'll always be with you. My mother was scared, but I'm sure if things were different, she would've been just like yours."
Thunder clouds rolled in the distance, but Anzu was too stunned to process that she'd heard them. This was the first time Momiji had mentioned anything about his family to her. She didn't know whether she should try to ask him something in case he would shut down. Deciding she'd try anyway, she responded to him.
"Is she...?"
"Nein, nein." He answered, immediately understanding what she meant. "She just forgot about me. It was for the best because she was hurting a lot, but sometimes I just wish... what if, you know..."
"I'm really sorry, Momiji." Anzu sat up, looking him in the eyes. "I was really upset with you because you wouldn't tell me anything about your family and I thought you didn't trust me. I was being really selfish and I wasn't thinking and-"
"Lola." The blond cut her off with a pained smile. "My mom forgot about me a long time ago, so I've had time to cry and process. Even though it's not ideal, I still have my father and an adorable little sister I hope I can get closer to one day. You lost your mom - someone who was basically your whole world - just a few months ago."
"But-"
"I just wanted you to be able to focus on one thing at a time. My parents are still here so they can wait as long as you need." Momiji sighed before a teasing smile appeared on his face. "Besides, I don't want to share you with anyone anyway. You're all mine, Lola."
A sharp clap of thunder sounded and Anzu immediately dove into Momiji's chest, wrapping her arms around his torso. "Please don't leave me here alone!" She shrieked, although it came out like muffles against his body.
With a slight chuckle, he obliged. "I won't."
° ∆ -------- ••• ------- ∆ °
The next morning, Kureno came by the apartment to change his clothes and check on Anzu. He had meant to call her last night but between getting his mother situated and seeing Akito again, he'd had his fair share of distractions.
A soft click was heard as the male turned the locks and opened the door. Confused by the ambush of Christmas decorations that covered the room, his attention shifted from that to the light snoring coming from the common area. When he walked over, he saw Anzu laying on the couch and Momiji sitting on the floor, his head leaning against her abdomen.
Not wanting to disturb them, Kureno pulled an envelope from his back pocket and placed it on the coffee table. His eyes caught sight of the framed picture of her parents by the table top Christmas tree and he lingered on the smiling face of his brother before changing and leaving the apartment.
It wasn't for another hour when Anzu woke up first. She felt completely exhausted, and it was probably because she slept on the couch all night. If it wasn't for the space heater in the corner of the room, she probably would've froze. Feeling something pressing against her stomach, she looked down to see Momiji was still asleep. He was even holding onto her hand with one of his own.
Reaching out with her free hand, she carefully pet the top of his head and played with his bangs. She felt like she'd gotten a lot closer to Momiji yesterday and it made her very happy. She wasn't going to ask him about his family anymore for now, but it was nice to know that her fears had no substance.
"That tickles, Lola."
Anzu's eyes widened in surprise as she wasn't expecting for him to be awake. He seemed a little too awake as he immediately graced her with his usual cheerful smile. Her red face was more than enough to amuse him this morning.
"W-Were you even asleep?"
"Maybe. Maybe not."
The crimsonette relaxed and pushed against his forehead with two of her fingers with an audible sigh. "You're always teasing me."
Momiji laughed and leaned forward, kissing her sweetly. "Because it's fun."
She would've retorted, however the envelope on the coffee table caught her eye. Sitting up, she opened the envelope and pulled out the card that was inside.
'You've been cordially invited to the Sohma's New Years Banquet.'
Momiji eyed the envelope curiously, however he knew exactly what it was. He'd received one the week before, as well as in previous years. Looking up at her, he tried to assess her facial expressions to see what she was feeling. After everything that had gone on, he wasn't completely sure what her reaction was going to be.
"Haru mentioned something about this when we were together a couple of days ago." Anzu read the card over repeatedly. "This kind of stuff is manadatory to go to, right?"
"Well... figuratively speaking, yes." Momiji thought about it. "Last year, Yuki and Kyo skipped out so, technically, you don't have to go."
Anzu pursed her lips as she thought about it. On one hand, she felt like she should go so she could try to reconcile with the other members of the zodiac and get to know them more. The only problem was the more she thought about it, the more she dreaded the fact that she would have to see Akito again. The reported information that they were betrothed was corrected immediately, but she hadn't seen or heard from Akito since then.
"Lola, you don't need to push yourself."
The blond watched his girlfriend worriedly. While she may not have said anything, her facial expressions said that she was stressed. He also knew exactly what that feeling was too - the bond.
"I want to go." Anzu said definitively. "I have to face Akito and the rest of the Zodiacs."
Momiji looked up at her and noticed the focused look in her eyes. It put him at ease to know that she felt comfortable with going and he was going to be with her every step of the way. "Wow, Lola, you looked really cool when you said that."
"You think?" She giggled and stood up from the couch to stretch. "I have a new goal at hand."
"What's that?"
"I'm going to make Akito accept us."
Momiji continued to look up at him from the floor with a concerned look. "...Are you sure?"
"I can do it. I know I can." She looked at him, determined. With a quick smile, she turned around so she could head into the kitchen. She wasn't sure what time it was, but she did know that she was starting to get hungry.
The assurance was enough for him. Standing up, he immediately wrapped his arms around her from behind and rested his chin on the top of her head.
"I believe you."