Spirits Of A Life Lived Once More.

The house was quiet in that comfortable sort of way that only came after years of sharing the same space. Morning sunlight spilled through the curtains, warming the kitchen floor while the tea maker hummed softly in the background. Hanako emerged from the bedroom, already halfway through rehearsing what sounded suspiciously like a stage introduction, when he was actually going to showcase an art piece at his workplace, one of his wife, Nene, in her traditional wedding kimono. Something along the lines of "the day I resurrected to spend eternity with someone I love." "I, Amane Yugi, have a heart full of room for her burdens, her joys, her sadness..." Nene looked up from where she was packing Hanako's lunch and smiled to herself, her white nightgown fluttering as she straightened up, resting her palm over her stomach. She was currently around eight months pregnant with a daughter, conceived under holy, steamy circumstances. Her swollen belly seemed to portrude like a sore thumb against her petite body, and her legs, dubbed as "daikon" by Hanako, seemed to resist standing for long periods of times. Even then, she turned around, clasping her hands in front of herself. "Good morning, Hanako-kun! Did you sleep well?" Hanako's eyes drifted over to Nene, who stood near the kitchen, waiting expectantly. Hanako's face broke out in a smile as he approached her, his feet moving almost automatically. "I always sleep amazingly with you around, you know that," Hanako was at Nene's side in an instant, his hands framing her face. "You're absolutely radiant today. You smell of breastmilk and jasmine." "Hehe, thank you. You're quite handsome with your glasses, too, Hanako-kun." "I like to think I'm quite lovable." "You are! Now, give me a morning kiss. I've applied something sweet just now." As he captured her lips in a kiss, she couldn't help but giggle. Even after all these years, it still amazed her how easily one quiet greeting could dissolve his composure. "My sweet toilet boy," Nene mumbled against his lips, tilting her head back. "Shut up... you know I'm not him anymore," Hanako chuckled, pulling back to clutch his sketch a bit tighter, just in case... "I'm assuming you loved me enough today to draw something in that canvas, right?" Nene suddenly asked. Great, Hanako thought he could get away before Nene even questioned it. "N-no... not necessarily," Hanako whispered, beginning to turn around until Nene grabbed his sleeve. "Come on, I wanna see! If you're this hesitant, I'm a hundred percent sure it's covered in me, me, and me!" "No.... ugh!" Nene managed to snatch the canvas a bit too hard, accidentally falling over, thankfully only on her bum. Nene didn't even seem to notice the pain as she flipped it over, her eyes widening at the canvas' content. "O-oh...!" "You know I would have tried to get it back if you weren't carrying our daughter," Hanako took a seat next to her, having a few minutes to spare. "And... if you weren't the love of my life, just beginning." "Just beginning?-" "You began as a curious student, right? Really fond of supernaturality and boyfriends," Hanako teased, earning a slap on the wrist, followed by Nene's hands clutching the canvas tighter, her eyes traveling over the attention to detail as Hanako began talking. "I started out as your spirit in a random toilet. To think you're my wife now... it's been..." He talked of the sacredness of his birth the moment he saw Nene from a distance in the shrine. He talked of the day they conceived their beautiful child, and, finally... how he'd love to meet her very soon. Breakfast passed peacefully, punctuated by idle conversation about Nene's due date, grocery lists, and whether they were running low on tea leaves again. It wasn't exciting by any stretch of the imagination. Nene loved it. When it was finally time to leave, Hanako slipped on his jacket with the confidence of someone about to step onto a stage. "I'll make today shine!" As always. As naturally as breathing, Nene stepped closer before he could reach the front door. "One moment, love!" "Hm?" She reached up, smoothing the lapel of his jacket before straightening his tie with practiced fingers. A stubborn strand of brown hair had escaped from where he'd tried to tame it that morning. She tucked it neatly back into place. "There. Please, try your very best today." Hanako blinked, smiling a little mischievously. "Was it that messy as to grace it with your thorough taming, Nene? Did you want to just touch me?" "Just a little." "I see. I've been enlightened!" He cleared his throat, suddenly finding the floor very interesting. Nene smiled warmly. "Hanako-kun is very adorable like this, too...!" "...Nene." His ears had already turned pink. Nene leaned back just enough to admire her work before giving him a satisfied nod. "There. Now you really look... alive. I will have to learn "Amane-kun" some time. A brief light swirled through Hanako's eyes. Nene hadn't really been willing to address him by the name he owned before he was deceased, until now. For a brief moment, all of Hanako's usual confidence vanished. "...Thank you." The words came out much quieter than usual. Nene's smile softened. "Have a wonderful day. I'd like to go lay down for a bit, the baby is quite active." "And you have a wonderful day as well, darling!" He took two steps toward the door before pausing, a smile crossing his face. "Make sure to use the new breast pump, dear. Tamaki-chan plans on turning our entire life around very soon." "That's right!" Nene beamed, feeling a kick that was a little too insistent. "I'll make sure to take care of myself before you're back. Again, have a wonderful day, my love." Nene came over and pressed a kiss to his jaw, standing on the very tips of her toes. Hanako rested a hand over her belly, the other coming up to cradle the back of her head. "If we persist in this good course, Heaven's blessing shall be ours," Hanako whispered into her ear. "I'll be off!" "I love you...!"