Archive of Our Own ^beta

It's a struggle to get through the doorway of the apartment while balancing the boxes in her arms, but Miku manages to make it inside without dropping everything.

“I'm home,” she calls out as she nudges the door shut with her foot, and then carefully takes her shoes off. There's a moment when she almost tips over, but she saves herself just in time.

“Welcome back,” Chisato replies.

It sounds like she's working at the computer again, like she has every day for the past week when Miku arrives home. Miku had no idea that editing photos took so much time until they started living together.

But Miku doesn't mind Chisato working so hard right now because she has a plan to surprise Chisato with some holiday cheer, and she can set it all up while Chisato is distracted.

She carefully leans forward to set the boxes down on the living room floor. Almost there… almost there...

One of them topples out of her arms and onto the floor with a crash.

Miku yells automatically, hoping that the breakable stuff isn't in that box. And in her panic, she somehow ends up falling over too, crashing to the floor with the rest of the boxes.

“Miku, are you okay?” Chisato rushes into the room.

“Don't look,” Miku shrieks from under the boxes. “It's supposed to be a surprise!”

Chisato digs her out of the pile, and frowns with concern. For a moment, Miku forgets all about her plans because Chisato's hands are warm as they press against her cheeks, checking for any cuts, bumps, and bruises.

“What's all this?”

“Christmas stuff,” Miku pouts. “I was gonna secretly put everything up while you were working, and then you'd be so surprised and say ‘ahhh, Miku, you're so cool and thoughtful!’”

A small smile crosses Chisato's face. “I already think you're cool and thoughtful.”

Miku's heart skips a beat, and she tries really hard not to blush. She's not in high school anymore after all, so it'd be silly to act like a teenager with a crush now.

Even if that's how she feels.

“I'll help you with the decorating,” Chisato says, pulling Miku out of her thoughts. She holds out a hand to help her up off the floor.

“But you have so much work left to do!”

“It'll be fine to take a break,” Chisato says, turning her attention to one of the boxes. “This is something I'd rather do together with you.”

“Are you sure?”

The photo editing had seemed really important, and Miku doesn't want to be the reason Chisato misses out on something she needs to do.

“I'm 100 percent sure. I can finish it tomorrow,” Chisato replies, and then drops a Santa hat from the box on top of Miku's head.

Miku laughs, adjusting the hat so that it's not covering her eyes, and then she nods. There's no arguing with Chisato when she's this determined.

“Then let's decorate!”

Despite the hard landing on the floor, the assortment of decorations are mostly intact, if not a little shaken up.

Miku and Chisato start first with a miniature silver Christmas tree to be placed in the corner of the room. In between conversations about their day, they take turns hanging tiny ornaments that glitter when the light hits them just right.

Next, Miku pulls out a colorful bundle of Christmas bows that she ties to anything she can reach, including all the lamps and doorknobs. Chisato says it looks a little tacky, but Miku catches her giggling at the sight.

Miku even drapes a bow on top of Chisato's head just for good measure, and Chisato leaves it there even as she rolls her eyes.

There's a string of indoor Christmas lights they decide to hang above the couch – though it's not without some difficulty. Chisato tries to balance by standing on the edge of the couch, but Miku ends up having to hold her steady so she doesn't fall. It's nice to be able to wrap her arms around Chisato… even if it's only Chisato's legs.

The results are slightly lopsided but Miku says it looks better that way. The lights still cast a rainbow of color across the room regardless.

“Where did you even get all this stuff?” Chisato asks after she unearths some glittery snowflakes. She tries to find a good spot to stick them on the wall.

“Kenta gave them to me.”

“I'm not even going to question why he had all this stuff,” Chisato laughs.

“I didn't ask,” Miku admits.

The last thing they pull out of the boxes is a string of green artificial garland, which is probably supposed to be hung outside. Miku looks around the room, but there's nowhere to put it.

“How about the balcony?” Chisato suggests.

“Perfect!”

A cold blast of wind hits them both as they open the door, and Chisato dashes away for a moment to grab their coats. Once they're appropriately bundled up, they venture out to the balcony to complete the decorating.

Miku helps Chisato wrap the garland around the balcony rail, but she keeps looking out towards the city stretching out below.

Their city. The one they fought so hard to protect as Megarangers. From here, she can see so much, and even when tall buildings block the view, she knows what lies beyond them. INET facilities. Kenta's family grocery store. The university where Shun takes classes. The park where Kouichirou calls them all to meet up sometimes.

But, perhaps even better than the view, is the balcony itself. Where Miku has so many nice memories together with Chisato. Eating snacks in the lounge chairs. Watching the sun set below the horizon in a dazzling display of color. Scrambling frantically to grab their drying laundry whenever they're surprised with a sudden rain shower.

Just little things, but they mean so much to Miku.

“There. I think it's done,” Chisato says, stepping back to observe the greenery.

“I don't think it's gonna blow away,” Miku nods.

“Good! Let's go back inside then. It's freezing.”

“Yeah, I think my lips are turning blue,” Miku says as she follows Chisato inside. “Are they?”

She puckers her lips for a better view, but Chisato just laughs and tells her she's fine. Miku is a little disappointed until Chisato follows up with an offer to make some hot chocolate for them.

It's not long before they're snuggled on the couch together under some blankets, mugs in hand as they drink the hot chocolate under the glow of their new Christmas lights. It's so cozy that Miku thinks she could fall asleep right there beside Chisato.

But she can't do that yet. Miku still has one more Christmas decoration up her sleeve.

“This was fun,” Chisato says. “I really needed the break from work. I feel like I've barely even seen you lately. It's just been photos, photos, and more photos.”

“Maybe you should take a photo of me just to remember what I look like,” Miku teases.

Chisato laughs. “Oh, I'd never forget you, Miku. Plus, a photo would never be as good as the real thing right here.”

Miku smiles and snuggles closer, happy and content.

Maybe… now is the time for that last Christmas decoration.

It's not something that was in the bundle of boxes from Kenta. Miku had snagged it herself when the idea popped into her head.

She sets her hot chocolate down and reaches into her pocket to pull out a little plastic sprig of mistletoe.

“Hey Chisato,” she says, holding it over their heads. “Can I kiss you?”

She's a little nervous that Chisato will say no. Her heart is suddenly pounding so hard even though she'd already prepared herself for the possibility of rejection. Or that Chisato might just think she's joking, like usual.

But Chisato just looks up at the mistletoe for a moment – surprise turning to consideration – and then leans close enough to press a soft, gentle kiss to Miku's lips. When she pulls away again, she looks a little unsure, like maybe she’s second-guessing her answer.

So Miku is the one who leans forward again instead, kissing Chisato just a little less gently, hoping maybe she can convey just what she feels for her through actions instead of words. She's never been as good with words as Chisato is.

All her worries melt away because Chisato reaches out to pull her even closer as they continue to kiss. Miku drops the mistletoe.

Her heart is still pounding, but for a different reason now.

“All this time… have you…?” Chisato stutters out as she tries to catch her breath afterwards.

“Yeah,” Miku admits. “You mean so much to me, Chisato.”

“I really care about you too.”

They kiss a few more times, until Chisato remembers that their hot chocolate is getting cold. Miku laughs, and looks around the room once more, happy to see how their decorating work turned out.

This is their space – their home – and Miku loves every bit of it.

But she loves Chisato most of all.