Bayushi Tenma and Ryuhei's apartment wasn't on the artificial islands, of course. No, it was in one of the high rises surrounding the area, on the side of the building perpendicular to them and looking out over the city. Having been appointed a city magistrate Tenma had managed to get a decently sized apartment for the area, some 480 square feet on the 49th floor.



The apartment had one bedroom with office space that had been converted into a walk in closet, an entertaining space where there had been a second bedroom, a small kitchen and bathroom, and a patio looking out over the city.

For now, the space had a lot of unopened boxes in it, boxes Bayushi Tenma had had to weave her way around before she went to the kitchen to start cooking some omurice for Ryuhei's breakfast.

Fortunately, she had a strong man there for the unpacking; while her husband was slow to get to it, once he would, he'd do that with power and flare and just enough sensitivity not to break things. Music was not optional for this, both sung and played from the audio system.

Ryuhei would love an independent shower for reasons, but a tub would do.

"I bet you like the dressing room!" He shouted from where he was right now, box in hand.

"Mmmm... you bet. Nice having access to everything."

Speaking of everything, currently Ryuhei would notice his wife had slipped out to the kitched wearing one of his shirts; The black baggy thing was too big for her and came down to her mid thighs, short sleeves to her elbows even as one side hung off her shoulder. She hummed as she cooked, swaying softly, in time with the music.

"Breakfast'll be ready in less than a minute here, if you can finish with what you're doing."

"Will be right there! All this unpacking can wait. I've got my priorities right."

True to his word, he would soon be hugging her from behind, looking over her shoulder to the pots.

"And what are we eating?" He nipped her neck gently.

A small frown, "I'm afraid I'm not to much of a cook of course, but I think I can handle omurice here. I'm making one for each of us."

Indeed there were two pans on the stove, one on each electric burner. Nothing super fancy, but neat and simple.

"I am fine with that, as long as you keep adding the love spice." He sniffed over the omurice and leaned back to help lay the table.

"Mmm... of course!"

Soon the two omelets were done and Tenma picked up a pan with each mittened hand, carrying them over to the table and sliding one each on to the plates her husbands had laid out. She gave each pan a deglazing before pouring the rich sauce over each omelet.

Setting the pans in the sink, she grabbed a couple yogurts from the small fridge and brought them with her, setting one little bowl at each spot.

"Sorry I can't add any love to the yogurt... but I managed to find a Moto brand at the corner store made with real mare's milk."

"How caring about my gut bacteria is not love?" He chuckled, regarding the becauced omurice with appreciation. "Itadakimasu, my cherry!" He glanced at her attentively, as he was still testing various 'sweet names' for the best appeal.

"You know," He continued after a few satisfied munches and a slurp of the preferred diary. "Once you're more busy and can't cook, I may try my hand in that. But also, I'd like to go out more around here, restaurants and bars and movies, as much as duties allow. I don't feel like we've been on dates enough. Hmmm, there's some cool movie tonight, for example."

His gaze invariably kept slipping toward her exposed shoulder.

Tenma turned a chair around at the counter and sat next to Ryuhei, leaning over the back of the chair as she picked up her chopsticks, "I mean, you're definitely not wrong. I dunno though... with everything that's been going on, I might prefer a staycation, break in the condominium here, as it were. Or at least go some place where we can relax more. Not that I'm opposed to a movie, but I can't really get the chance to talk and pay attention to you."

With the way she sat forward on the chair and leaned in it left the bare shoulder facing away from Ryuhei actually. Then again, with her being next to him he would now notice that sitting like this made his band shirt ride up a little on her back as she ate.

"When you put it like this, I am discovering I have never wanted anything else in the first place. Staycation, mmm? I have some ideas how to avoid monotony. With lots of talking and attention-paying." His gaze wandered to the next visual incentive his wife was practically built from. The curvature starting at the small of her back, especially in that position, was enough of a reason to lean back from the omurice for a moment.

She looked over at him with a smile, "Fortunes know I wouldn't take it. Both you and I have been up to enough in the past few months to last a lifetime of work and accomplishment for some. And far apart, might I add."

That got a bit of a frown, "It was... well, it was hard to get used to after Asakaze, I will admit. To you only though and no one else."

That got his attention. Was there a reason to be startled? He sought her eyes, leaving other parts of her for later consideration.

"Mmm?" It was a 'what do you mean by that' question asked in an non-presumptive manner, a curious, stifled growl.

"We spent so much time together when you were courting me, darling."

A small sigh.

"I mean, I knew following my Duty and allowing you yours was the Right thing to do, but there was still something lonely about it after all the love and attention."

"I'd rather have spent all that time with you, love, rather than in the jungle with tropical diseases and sadistic gunso. But now that I am here, being with you, eating your omurice and sneaking peeks at your butt, I feel like everything that was well worth it. I've learned that breaking some sweat to be where you want to be in life makes sense in the grand scheme of things."

Hu chuckled. "Though I was cursing everyone every day for making me leave you for so long. Was practically boiling on the inside. No fucking calm until I saw you again. You joke about my addiction to you, but if that shitty time wasn't withdrawal, I don't know what it was."

His words were followed by a tender stroke of the side of her face that took away a strand of her hair, probably so that he could see more of it while sitting beside her.

"Ok, I know it was love and longing." He added quietly, spoiling his own junkie metaphor.

Tenma nodded and leaned up a little, sitting on her knees on the chair to lean over and kiss Ruhe's nose, "I'm sorry my being gone made you feel that way. You know how important my promotion and Duty are to me though. Even if my father still hasn't deigned to acknowledge any of it."

She leaned with her elbows on the table, looking at him thoughtfully, "You know I'd do almost anything for you to make it up to you though, right?"

"Oh, I don't blame you! Samurai life is what it is, it's not like you had much choice. Neither did I. But we used well the time when we had a choice, didn't we? And now that we're finally here together, we can keep doing that!"

He kissed her nose back, smiling wide at her smoochy outreach.

"Still, I'd like to see you start doing this making-up. Because I like how it sounds." His gaze followed her body line in this arched position. "And looks."

Tenma giggled softly and reached up with her hand that wasn't busy helping her balance on her knees, playing with Ryuhei's beard playfully.

"Of course dear. Why else would I cook wearing nothing but one of your band shirts?"

She leaned in, nipping his earlobe, "Absolutely nothing else, neh?"

Sitting back before he could react Tenma was back in the chair, sitting on her feet and taking a bit of her omurice while giving her husband a very obvious faux innocent look.

He raked his hair off his face and looked at her intently, swallowing. To say that her faux innocence turned him on was like saying that World of Dreams just dabbles in entertainment.

"I think you've just doomed that band shirt. I can't see it surviving."

She stuck out her tongue briefly before taking another bite of breakfast but said nothing else, just looking at him with her big, bright red eyes. Seemingly focused on breakfast she chewed thoughtfully, though she did give a small wiggle where she was sitting seiza on the chair at least.

"It's almost as if you didn't want me to." He teased, taking a bite of his own, chewing slowly.