2025-08-06: Welcome Home
- Cutscene: Welcome Home
- Cast: Ayame Watanabe, Ikkaku Watanabe
- Where: Watanabe Residence, Flower Castle Apartments, Aoba Ward, Sumaru City
- OOC Date: August 6, 2025
- IC Date: June 21, 2012
- Summary: Another late night at the Watanabe residence...
A victory fanfare plays as Ayame Watanabe finishes another battle in her game. The screen is the brightest thing in the room at the moment, the lights dim but not out so that in theory, someone can see his way to coming in. Her bedroom is neatly kept, and she's on her side of the bed, though not yet under the covers. Instead, she's playing her portable game console while she waits for her husband to finally make it home.
The kids are all in bed, varyingly difficult tasks. The living area's lights still shine into the open door of the bedroom, the apartment ready for the other family member to arrive. But he's not here, and he was hours late an hour ago. So, Ayame looks down at the dual screens of her console and button presses through her menus. "...Hm," she says. "Almost ready... this way, her kid gets Galeforce..."
She is of course playing Blaze Symbol: Waking, but her heart isn't entirely in watching the romantic confession scene of the two characters. In fact, she makes a face at the blushing anime girl on the screen and closes the console. With a sigh, she puts it on her nightstand with the lamp, her alarm, and a glass of water. For her part, her brown-black hair is down, her green eyes a little baggy with sleepiness. But just as she debates turning out the light and going to sleep, she hears something.
The front door of the apartment opens, keys in the lock, and closes again a moment later. "I'm back," comes Ikkaku's voice, quiet so as not to wake the children but audible to Ayame.
"Welcome home," she answers. It's a small ritual, but she's relieved to have been awake to complete it. Ayame slides her legs off the bed and stands up, coming around to meet her husband at the bedroom door. When she does, he steps in, his jacket over his arm, his tie a little loose, his dress shirt and slacks rumpled from a long day.
Ayame smiles at Ikkaku and extends her hands to his. "You're late," she says gently, but takes his hands and squeezes them. "Koume-chan asked to stay up to wait for you..."
"Sorry," Ikkaku says, a lopsided look of apology on his face. "There's so much work lately. I can't let my colleagues down." He puts on a small smile. "But it's worth coming home, you."
Ayame's smile remains, even if it feels fragile to her. "Oh?" she asks, and steps back, letting go of his hands and letting him into the room. She hopes that he notices what she's wearing--a lacy red nightshirt that comes to about mid-thigh, with her hair down.
But Ikkaku doesn't comment on it. He just smiles at her. "Thanks for taking care of them," he says, like he so often does, and steps into the room. Undoing his tie is the first order of business, unbuttoning his shirt, and not noticing Ayame's attempts to will him to look back at her. He says, "I'm kind of tired. I think I'm going to take a shower and get to bed."
"...A shower is important," Ayame answers. She steps forward to help him shrug out of his shirt to leave the undershirt. "I could join you?" she offers.
"I'm really tired," he reiterates, a flash of something like guilt on his face, pre-emptive to the disappointment Ayame can't hide.
"Oh," she answers. "...All right. I'm pretty tired myself..." Stepping back, she turns to go around to her side of the bed again, stopping at the covers. "Ikkaku, I..."
Ikkaku looks up from where he'd sat down to take off his socks. "Yes, dear?"
"...Nevermind," Ayame says. "I'll be here."
"Of course," Ikkaku answers. "...I won't be long."
And he isn't. But Ayame finds herself thinking back to the stammering knight proclaiming his love for the mage, in her game, and as she gets into bed, she finds herself gloomy. "...Welcome home," she says again softly, once he's in the shower. "I miss you."
Ayame is still awake when Ikkaku comes to bed, sliding into the covers with a tired sigh. Ikkaku's brown hair is still a little damp against his pillow, his purple eyes closing. "Mm..."
"...It's been a lot," Ayame says. "Of extra work, I mean. For you, since..."
"Since the Prinicipal," Ikkaku confirms. "I'm doing a lot of Okamura-san's previous work now," he explains. "It's... a great opportunity." He speaks softly; he's obviously very tired.
But Ayame continues, "I see. Then. ...Good luck, you." A pause. "I'm happy you made it home for Koume-chan's birthday, at least. So was she. ...Even if that book was a bit less expensive than it should've been..."
"Heh," Ikkaku answers, and reaches out to place his hand on Ayame's upper arm. "You're the one who arranged things so nicely. ...I'm sorry, though. I'll try to be home more. Soon."
"...It's fine," Ayame answers, a smile in her voice that she doesn't really feel. "Do what you need to do." A pause. "...I'll make you breakfast in the morning."
"I'll look forward to it," he answers. They're silent for a while after that, but for breathing; the lights are off. The whole apartment is quiet.
"...Ikkaku," Ayame starts again, turning to look over her shoulder.
But Ayame's husband is already asleep.
"...Mm," she vocalizes, and rolls back over to try to sleep, too.