habbby bdayy (closed to hamuko, ichinose and morning)

[takutomaruki]

-----> 23rd may, in maruki's apartment

It was the 23rd of May.

Maruki had been keeping an eye on the dates for weeks now. A small, red circle marked the number neatly on the calendar that sat atop his study desk, drawn in with the same meticulous care he applied to nearly everything else in his life. He’d told himself—promised himself—that he’d come up with something thoughtful for Ichinose’s birthday. Something more than the usual gestures. Something that said he’d been paying attention.

There had been a few complications, of course.

Ichinose said she had arrived in summer, and there was always the chance she’d already celebrated her birthday before meeting them—quietly, or not at all. He had tried watching her closely on the 6th, just in case. But her expression hadn’t shifted. No sign of expectation. No sulking. No joy. Nothing that screamed "this is a day for me."

Maybe he should’ve wished her a happy birthday then and there. But back then, he had been swamped—tangled in his research, consumed by the ever-growing list of patients, papers, the mess of his project. And of course, Morning.

Morning had taken priority.

It hurt him to keep the boy in the dark for so long—the Akira from another universe who was his son inadvertedly, one he never expected to meet. Every instinct told him to protect, to nurture, to give. So that’s what he’d done. The kid had already missed too much. Maruki couldn’t let him miss anything else.

So yes. Life had been full. Bursting, even.

But today was for them.

-----

He had taken Morning along with him to the lab under the pretense of needing help with a light calibration test—some throwaway excuse he knew Morning wouldn’t question too deeply. Ichinose was already there when they arrived, nose-deep in her work, and Maruki only smiled faintly before excusing himself.

“Sorry, I’ve got to run a quick errand. Won’t be long,” he said, grabbing his coat. “Just don’t let Morning fall asleep in my chair again, yeah?”

Then he slipped out, coat flaring slightly behind him, and headed straight to the place where the real work was already underway.

-----

Back at his apartment, the lights were dimmed low to hide the still-in-progress decorations. Modest balloons, two cakes waiting in the fridge. There was even a small hand-made banner hung clumsily above the kitchen archway that read: Happy Birthday!!—with the letters slightly crooked in their tape. Not his best visual work, but it had heart.

Maruki stood near the window now and occasionally peeked through the peephole of the entrance door at every small sound from the hallway, every shuffle of feet. He spotted them just a block away. Not yet. Still a little time.

He turned back into the room, brushing off his hands and checking that the candles were still tucked safely in their packaging.

"Hamu—uh, Hamuko-san?" he called out softly toward the kitchen. "They’re on their way here. Just got the text." He had messaged them that he's out to get groceries.

He moved to adjust one of the streamers that had started drooping again—tape failing, or humidity, he couldn’t tell which.

“I think this might actually work,” he murmured, almost to himself. A faint, nervous smile tugged at his lips as he looked over everything one last time. The table was set. The gifts- to an extent, the food, the soft jazz in the background.

Now all that was left was for the door to open.

And the moment of surprise to land.

Comments

ooc

[takutomaruki]

possible talk about hamuko popping in to help Maruki with celeberations

Surprise!!

[wipingallout]

"This'll be great," Hamuko whispered back, all smiles - she was hidden and tucked away behind the couch with a party popper in hand, practically radiating excitement.

She rarely celebrated birthdays like this, whether her own or other people's - there was a little bit of nostalgia, getting to make a fuss and celebrate happily! Morning especially would love this...

[takutomaruki]

He really hopes they like it. Grievances and hiccups offered by this place aside- without coming here he would have never met any of these people and right now with Hamuko giggling as they prepared for the surprise- he glanced at her for a moment with a quick grin.

Sometimes it was really difficult to fathom that this girl died in his world.

"Wait wait- need to kill the lights!" He pointed out all too quickly as he left his previous hiding spot and bumped his knee against the table. "Ow-" he cried out as he limped over to the switch and turned it off. He heard the sound of keys turning, probably from Morning as he fumblrd behind the corner of the wall and remained quiet there- grabbing a potted plant to hide behind with his back firm against the wall.

[paradisefraught]

Today's been a weird day. A twisty, turny day, even down in his stomach.

It's his birthday! And he isn't a kid anymore, but c'mon! Birthday! And he posted about it a few weeks ago...online...

...but isn't his birthday kind of, um, intrusive? It isn't like he knows this Not-Dad very well...expecting him to celebrate his birthday is probably too much...who's to say he even SAW that post...

Hmmmm. Life is hard and confusing. To birthday or not to birthday...what would he even ask for, anyway?

Morning pouts when Dr. Maruki tells him to not nap in the chair again, but he hasn't done that since Dr. Maruki and Dr. Ichinose started getting...close. He doesn't wanna interrupt them at all!

Anyway. He hears a bonk and lets out a sigh as he opens the door. "Everything ok, Dr. Maruki?"

[takutomaruki]

Maruki stayed hidden, now squeezing himself between the adjacent shelf that was a little ahead from the entrance- squeezing himself in the gap with the pot up. Just a few more steps...

1/2

[dollmaxing]

"Hmm, I thought he said he was out getting groceries?" Ichinose mentioned skeptically, looking up from her phone just as...

[wipingallout]

...The moment that Maruki flipped on the lights from where he was (poorly) hidden, Hamuko jumped out from behind the sofa and popped her celebratory popper.

"SURPRIIIIISE! Happy birthday!" she cheered loudly and proudly, laughing a little at Ichinose almost jumping back through the front door in surprise.

[takutomaruki]

Right on the heels of Hamuko’s excited cheer, a second pop! echoed through the room—Maruki burst out from behind the shelf in a flurry of confetti and glitter, grinning far too wide for his own good as he launched his own party popper into the air.

"Happy birthday!!" he echoed, voice full of that bubbling, unfiltered joy that came from pulling something like this off.

He didn’t even hesitate as he dropped the popper and pulledout his phone. One tap, then two—click! click! The shutter captured the exact moment Ichinose’s and Morning's surprised expressions all too mischieviously. Delighted even until he realized the potted plant that he had tucked under his arm in a rush. "Haha, you two should have seen your faces just now-!" He quickly set the plant on the shoe rack and peeked at the picture on his phone.

"Adorable. I was so sure my groceries excuse wouldn't work!"

[paradisefraught]

"AAHHHHHHH!!"

Morning's first reaction is to flinch back with a shriek, but once he calms down...

"You guys remembered...my birthday..."

And there's the tears. Of joy! But tears nonetheless.

main after party top level (personal interactions)

[takutomaruki]

For Ichinose:
Maruki took one last glance at his gift- watching the cute face smile with eyes closed as he clutched the pot in his hand and peeked through the balcony door to make note of Hamuko and Morning busy with the games and the snacks. Grabbing his phone from his pocket, he sends a quick text:

Meet me in the balcony when you are free. Tonight's real breezy :D

For Morning:
Once things had settled into a cozy hum—snacks on the table, laughter bouncing off the walls- Maruki quietly slipped away toward the cabinet by the TV. He crouched down, fumbling for a box tucked behind old files. It was small, wrapped in indigo paper with a little gold ribbon crookedly taped to the side. His handwriting was a little rushed on the tag: "To Morning – From Not-Dad"

Clearing his throat, he turned, gift in hand, and caught Morning’s eye with a hesitant smile. "Hey," he said, nodding toward the balcony area just off the living room. "Got a sec? Thought we could, uh... talk. Just us for a bit."

For Hamuko:

The clink of plates followed as Maruki set the last one on top of the file and turned off the faucet, wiping off his hands on the towel. It's getting pretty late...should he ask Hamuko to stay the night over? This time he's sticking to the couch no matter what anyone else says and hey- its almost 11. Any bit longer and it will be the dark hour...though he's sure she could easily protect herself given everything.

Might as well go ahead and talk to her in person. Wherever she is right now. He turns to do just that.

[wipingallout]

While she spent most of the time with Morning and encouraging and nudging him, Hamuko doesn't mind one bit in participating in the clean-up. While Maruki had gotten into the dishes, she found the broom and swept up the confetti from the poppers and any crumbs from all the food and snacks, getting the floors tidy and nice.

Before he has a chance to stop her, too, she'll tie off the trash bag and pull it out, setting it by the door so she can take it on the way out. It's such a cozy way to wind down after everything, tidying up.

[takutomaruki]

And sure enough, he's all too late to stop her from doing just that. "Hamuko-san-! Come on, you have already been working hard the entire day," he nudges as he looks at the set aside bags.

"...but I appreciate it. And my back does too if that's any reassurance."

[wipingallout]

"Naw, I like tidying up - it's a nice way to wind down after an energetic party, don't you think?"

Hamuko paused to stretch her arms over her head, a few subtle pops coming from her shoulders and elbows - nothing dramatic, and probably a sign of her fighting for the past year and a half.

"I had a lot of fun. I'm glad I got invited."

[takutomaruki]

"I am a messy soul, Hamuko-san. Like literally, I think you are the first person I have heard who's claimed that." Usually he prefers working on the mess the next day and if Morning wasn't living with him- he would have left the actual cleaning for after he wakes up.

That said...the neatness of it was nice.

"I am glad you had fun," Maruki said with a smile. "And honestly I owe you- if anything. You have been a great help, Hamuko-san. Overall so...thank you."

[wipingallout]

"Friends don't keep tally!" Hamuko reminded him, chuckling a bit as she stretched. "I'll come to your party too - depending on how long 'till then, I might be able to make something really fun in time."

[takutomaruki]

"Right...friends don't do that," he recounted like he had forgotten which in retrospect, it didn't come easy when he attached the rule to himself.

What especially catches him off guard is what Hamuko says next- making his eyes widen. "My party...ah, I almost can't believe it's that time of the year," he blinks like he genuinely did not keep up with the timeline. "I don't remember the last time I celebrated my birthday actually."

[wipingallout]

Well, she knows the feeling, at least.

"So you're a summer birthday! I did hear that most adults don't really bother after a while, but you threw a party for Ichinose-san, so why not have one for you, too?"

[dollmaxing]

Ichinose didn't mind indulging the teens for a while - Hamuko was very good at being considerate and polite and was probably much better at hiding her true intentions, just like Maruki himself, wasn't she? But eventually she did spot the text from the aforementioned doctor and decided to take a break from games to go enjoy the night air.

Quietly, Ichinose walked through the balcony door and shut it behind her, letting out a relieved 'whew!' before leaning against the railing.

"What an energy! Reminds me of high school," she breezily remarked.

[takutomaruki]

The faint drawing of the balcony door made Maruki turn around in anticipation, a careful expression in his eyes as he moves away from the centre to let Ichinose join his side. "Busy night tonight, isn't it?" He teases with one arm leaning against the railing.

"I was hoping the celebration would be a little theatrical," he answers honestly. "So I am satisfied- you should have seen how dedicated Hamuko-san was on teaching me how to bake. I have always been the type to cook and I realized baking can be surprisingly precise-!"

"Oh, oh!" He turns to her, excitedly like a puppy. "How was the cake? I thought you couldn't go wrong with strawberry shortcake and a decent chocolate cake- and then Hamuko-san really helped me with fixing the icing...but just, I am not sure what the general feedback is."

[dollmaxing]

"It was tasty - but why did you really decide to rope me into the celebration, Maruki?" Ichinose asked, quirking an eyebrow and sliding her hands into her pockets casually.

The last time she had a birthday party thrown for her was...

"I understand why Morning, since he's under your care and sees you as a father figure."

[takutomaruki]

Maruki didn't really even get to beam at the praise, already getting roped into another question. Which...confused him a little.

"...you don't like it?" He asks instead, brows sinking in worry.

[dollmaxing]

"I didn't say that. I just don't get what made you think to do it. Or even how you memorized my birthday after one glance at my ID - it even took me a bit to figure out that's where you'd seen it," Ichinose replied smoothly, tilting her head a little.

"I've been thrown celebratory parties for meeting deadlines and the successes of EMMA. But it's been quite a while since someone's thrown me a birthday party."

1/2

[takutomaruki]

If she didn't say then yes...she does like it then. Even with her flat smile he can tell she has been enjoying herself, that's as good of a news as it can get. He visibly became relieved before her, like a spring toy winding down.

"Honestly...it's been a while since I have celebrated anything with anyone back in my world because of my research and a rather tight schedule," he finally answers after a bit of silence- carefully regarding her. "Here...things become different. Being busy forever is virtually impossible and if I have a dear friend who's company matters to me- why shouldn't I celebrate their birthday? Especially when I already missed wishing them once."

2/2

[takutomaruki]

"Your existence is the most marvelous thing in this world after all."

[dollmaxing]

Your existence is the most marvelous thing in this world, after all.

The words were gentle, kind sounding. She wasn't always good at telling if someone was being deceptive, but... he seemed sincere. Part of her wanted to think he was.

But he also had a bad habit of saying things that sounded very different than his intentions behind them.

"You shouldn't say things you don't mean, Maruki," Ichinose clicked her tongue a little. "There's got to be things you find much more marvelous."