Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

‘Progress!' Ari thinks as a smile spreads on her lips. The cathedral is slowly coming together! The construction cats finished cleaning and fixing up the sanctuary last night. And this morning they brought in chairs and tables but didn’t have time to set them up. Those catnip treats she bought really get those fluffy balls of adorableness moving!

Due to the cats being unable to set up the tables and chairs, Ari had to call in reinforcement. And that came in the form of Lucas Errant. The Frostheim ghoul currently has a big circular table easily lifted in the air with one hand. Geez! She always forgets that the ghouls are, in fact, not human and are capable of extraordinary things. Even with how many missions she’s been on with them. Sometimes she wishes she could siphon a bit of their strength for herself. The thought makes her laugh softly. 

Her gaze tracks up to the hand-made banner—something she’s been working on for two weeks—hanging from the rafters above. 

Happy Birthday Kaito!

Her grin widens, hand unconsciously coming up to touch her ear. The cool stone of her new tanzanite earrings meets her fingers. She bought them just for him. Just to be reminded of her boyfriend whenever she touched them. They may have only been dating for a couple months but it was by far the best time of her entire life.

“Ack!” Ari stumbles forward in her absentmindedness, not seeing the big box of decorations on the floor. Her face grows hot as she quickly looks over to see if Luca had seen that. Phew! His back was still toward her. But apparently not for long.

“Arabella, where do you want this one?” Luca turns to her and so does the table. OH SHIT! Ari quickly jumps back to avoid the thick piece of wood while the ghoul quickly shifts back away, eyes wide. “I’m so sorry!”

Ari laughs despite how her heart hammers behind her ribs. She waves her hand dismissively. “It’s okay, Luca! No worries! Let’s put the table more in the center of the room. And how many times do I have to tell you that you can call me Ari?” She can’t help but tease him.

Luca smiles sheepishly. “Sorry, I always forget. But your full name is just as beautiful as your nickname.”

Ugh! He’s so sweet! “Thank you, Luca. That’s very kind of you to say.”

He gives a nod before turning away to set the table down where she instructed. As he begins to arrange the chairs around it, Ari’s phone buzzes in her back pocket. She fishes it out and sees a notification at the top. 

Checklist! Final Steps!

Ari unlocks her phone and taps on her notes app. Number 1 - invitations. She hand delivered invitations she wrote herself two months ago to give everyone a fair heads up. She even asked the Professors to keep this week free of any missions so no one was off campus when the party happened. She had invited everyone that Kaito had a good connection with and would actually make today happy and fun. Emphasis on the “good connection”! Which means Romeo was left off the list and was never even considered. Moving on!

From Frostheim … Luca, obviously. Gotta have the other half of the Chaos Combo. Tohma and Jin as well,  though they are the only ones that haven’t replied. From Hotarubi, Subaru and Haku. Which meant that Zenji was most likely going to follow after them ... and with Saburo, too, no doubt. From Obscuary, Rui was the only invitation at first but once Lyca caught the scent of Subaru going, he asked to attend. From Jabberwock, all three ghouls. Though Ren is most likely going to be dragged here against his will by Haru … Anyway! Save for the Frostheim Captain and Vice-Captain, everyone said they’d be coming!

Next … tables, chairs, and eating utensils? Luca is setting them on the table right now. Games have been set out. Two blank faces are taped to the opposite wall, a box of facial features waiting to be pinned on them by blindfolded players. Streamers have been hung along the walls and balloons are tied down for the decorations. The food should be on its way, according to Sho’s text message a few minutes ago. And lastly, Subaru called and said the cake would be done in the next hour or so. Ari claps with a broad grin before pushing her phone back into her pocket. Almost there!

“Arabella, I’m done with the tables.” 

“Thank you, Luca!" The tables all have a light blue tablecloth with small snowflake cutouts on top. The plates and utensils are placed nicely, almost like at a high-end restaurant. Which isn't surprising given Luca's upbringing. "It looks amazing!”

Ari raises her hand for a high-five, Luca gently hitting his palm to hers. Footsteps echo through the sanctuary, making Ari turn towards the front doors. A familiar bandana-wearing ghoul walks into the cathedral. He looks around, eyes wide. “Oh dang. You really cleaned this place up. It doesn’t look like a crap fest anymore.” 

“Sho!”

“Yo, Senpai. I have everything in the truck out front.”

Ari beams. “Thank you so much for doing this!” She had asked him a month ago if he would be willing to cater for the party. He had agreed, but when she started discussing payment, he had shut her down. No matter how much she insisted. He really does have a kind heart, even when he tries to hide it behind that tough, seemingly aloof exterior. “Are you sure you won’t let me pay you?”

She had to try one more time. Sho shakes his head and smiles. “You really never give up, Senpai. I’m completely sure.”

“Fine, fine. At least—” A happy squeal cuts Ari off before a solid weight slams into her, almost tackling her to the ground. But strong arms keep her up, squeezing around her. Pink eyes and a fluffy mop of white-lavender hair engulf her vision. Ari laughs as Towa smooshes their cheeks together. She pats the top of his head. “Hi Towa!”

“Oi, Towa! How many times do I have to tell you to not tackle Ari when you see her?!” Haru comes running in, arms waving around. 

“Boo! Boo!” Peekaboo chirps in response. 

Ren follows slowly behind the two older ghouls, scowling and tapping away on his phone. Already looking like he wants to be anywhere but here. Towa squeezes Ari a little tighter and pouts at Haru, making unhappy whines and grunts. The air leaves her lungs.

“Towa … can’t breathe!” Ari squeaks out. The taller boy finally releases her, beaming once more. Ari inhales deeply, catching her breath. “I’m glad you guys could make it! Would you mind helping Sho bring in the food?”

“You got it!” Haru gives her a thumb’s up. He gently deposits Peekaboo into her arms as he turns and drags a protesting Ren back outside with Towa skipping after them. 

“Some things never change.” Ari giggles to herself, hugging Peekaboo closer to her chest.

“Boo! Boo!”

“Exactly, Peekaboo!” Ari nuzzles the little anomalous rabbit. 

As the ghouls start to bring the food in, Ari directs them on where to set them on the long table along the right wall and how to arrange each dish. She’s going for a buffet style “build your own ramen bowl” theme with a bunch of different options to choose from. The stale, dusty air of the cathedral gives way to the delicious aroma of meats, broth, eggs, fresh vegetables, and different sauces. Ari’s stomach rumbles quietly at the whole spread laid out. She couldn’t wait to see Kaito’s face when he sees everything! And she really couldn’t wait to eat. She skipped breakfast for this exact reason. 

"That's the last of the food!"

"Thank you, Haru!" Ari gives Peekaboo back to him and walks outside to find Sho. He’s loading up some empty boxes into the trunk of the car. “Thank you so much for doing all of this. I really mean it.” 

“It was nothing, Senpai. I’m just glad you like my cooking enough that you trusted me with something like this.” 

“Are you sure you can’t stay? You’re more than welcome to!”

He waves her off but smiles. “I already have other plans with Leo. And he’d be an even bigger pain in the ass if I ditched him last minute.” 

Ain’t that the truth. While Sho does some final checks to make sure everything had been taken out of the trunk, Ari secretly pulls out her wallet and grabs the money she had taken out of her account yesterday. When Sho turns back towards her, she shoves the bills into his chest. 

“You aren’t leaving until you accept at least this. This isn’t even close to what I think I owe you. But I want to show that what you’ve done for me is truly appreciated.” Sho looks down at the money for a moment. Ari’s eyes narrow. “I will shove it into your pockets if you don’t.”

Sho chuckles before finally grabbing the money. “You really are stubborn, Senpai.” His smile softens. “And too generous.”

“You’re the one who’s too generous! You prepared all this food for me for free.” They share a laugh. “I’ll try to save a piece of cake for you.”

“You better. See ya, Senpai.” 

Ari waves him off as Sho gets into the truck and drives away. Once he’s out of sight, Ari turns and walks back into the cathedral. Not two seconds after stepping inside, Towa is shoving a messily wrapped present into her face. An inquisitive whine leaves his throat. Oh! Yes, presents! Ari shows Towa over to the table next to where all the food was laid out. A small empty cake pedestal is in the middle of it. 

“Everyone can put any presents they bought here. The cake will go on the stand.” Everyone in attendance proceeds to drop their gifts off. Ari takes a moment to move them around to look a bit more aesthetic. Oh! She needs to grab her own gift! “I’ll be right back, everyone.”

Ari runs up to her room and heads for her closet. Hidden inside one of her jacket pockets is a little wrapped box. She makes sure the wrapping paper isn’t ripped before heading back down to the sanctuary and placing her gift on the table with the others. Everything is ready. Her heart thumps against her ribs at the thought of Kaito seeing everything soon. This is his day and he deserves to be loved and celebrated.

“Hey, Ari.” Haru’s voice cuts through the happy haze of her thoughts. “How did you get Kaito to stay away? You two have been glued at the hip recently! Gahaha!”

“We have been pretty inseparable lately, huh?” Ari giggles. “I actually got Ishibashi-san to help me out with that. He said he was going to pull Kaito in for a long lecture about his grades or something.” 

Poor guy … She’ll have to apologize to him later for that. 

“What about the cake?” Ren points to the empty cake stand.

“Oh! Subaru was making it. Him and Kaito love talking about sweets together so I thought he’d be the perfect ghoul to ask. He should be bringing it soon.” Towa taps her on the shoulder and points to the table of food, whining. “We can’t eat yet, Towa. We have to wait for Kaito to show up. It is his birthday party after all.”

Towa immediately perks up and cheers while running back over to Haru. 

“Oh! Looks like we aren’t the first ones to arrive!” Rui’s cheerful voice flits through the air. 

“Uwah! It smells so good!” Lyca walks in behind the blond reaper. “Is that Sho’s cooking?”

“It is! I’m glad you two were able to come!” Ari beams as she directs the Obscuary ghouls on where to set their presents. 

“Do you need help setting anything up, Ari-chan?”

Ari smiles at Rui. As expected, always wanting to help with something. “Everything is pretty much set up! But thanks, Rui!”

“You’ve outdone yourself, Ari-chan! I don’t even recognize the sanctuary anymore! It looks crazy good!”

“You think so?” Ari twists a piece of her hair, biting the inside of her cheek. A weight suddenly settles in her stomach. “You think he’ll like it? It’s not too over the top, is it?”

“Of course he will!” Rui’s voice pitches louder. “If I had a cute girlfriend who did all of this for my birthday, I’d be over the moon! Like, seriously! I would ask her to marry me on the spot!”

Ari breaks out into a fit of giggles, the pit in her stomach dissolving instantly. “Thanks, Rui. Right then! All we need now is—”

“Sorry for being late!” The cathedral door bursts open as Subaru walks in briskly, a box carefully held in his hand. 

Haku walks in after him. “I told you, Subaru, we aren’t late.” He shoots Ari a playful wink. “But it does seem like we’re the last ones to arrive.”

Zenji suddenly phases through the wall. His eyes brighten behind his round glasses. “How marvelous! You’ve really outdone yourself, my dear!”

Subaru walks over immediately. “It took me longer to get the cake just right. I apologize.” 

“He spent nearly two hours picking out the strawberries.”

“H-Haku!” A pink-faced Subaru turns back towards Ari. “You put your faith in me to make it for someone dear to you. I wanted it to be perfect.”

He opens the box and inside is a cake with blue frosting and white piped snowflakes decorated all over it. A whiff of strawberries and cream hits Ari’s nose. ‘Happy Birthday Kaito’ is written in beautiful handwriting in the center of the cake. 

Ari smiles, to the point that her cheeks ache a little bit. “It’s beautiful! You’ve really outdone yourself.” Subaru opens his mouth, most likely to deflect, but Ari holds up a finger to shush him. “And I won’t hear a word otherwise. There’s a cake stand for it to go on over there.” 

She points to the present table. Subaru smiles and nods, walking over to place it down carefully. Just then, her phone buzzes in her pocket. She pulls it out and sees that it’s a text message from her boyfriend. 

💚Kaito💚
Please save me! Ishibashi-senpai won’t stop lecturing me!
He even gave me a time limit on using the bathroom!
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Her poor baby! Though, she can’t help but giggle. Tohma must really be taking his role as distractor seriously. She turns to the others and claps twice to get their attention. “Alright! Everything is set up and everyone is here! I’m going to go “save” Kaito from Ishibashi-san and then make an excuse to come back to the cathedral. When we come inside, I want everyone to cheer and shout “Surprise! Happy Birthday, Kaito!” Is everyone okay with that?” The ghouls nod back at her. “Great! Haku, you’re in charge while I’m gone. I’ll text you when we’re on our way back.”

The green-haired ghoul rubs the back of his neck but smiles anyway. “I’ll try my best.”

“Thank you!” Ari sends off a message to Kaito, saying she’s coming to rescue him. To which he spams her back with a bunch of heart and kissy face emojis. She smiles. What a goofball!

Phase 1 is officially complete. Now it’s time for the true birthday celebration to commence!

Chapter Text

Ari is so glad she grabbed a jacket before heading to Frostheim. Not only does she have to deal with the chill of the dormitory, now it’s everywhere due to winter setting in. She pulls her jacket closer to her body and speeds inside, though it’s not much warmer. The air still bites at her fingers, making them go slightly numb. She should probably buy an electric hand warmer soon. 

The vault comes into view finally. She pushes the heavy door open and is immediately met with Tohma’s voice droning through the air. She follows it until she finds the two Frostheim ghouls. Tohma is perched almost reverently on his chair, one leg crossed over the other with his hands folded in his lap. While Kaito is slumped over, head resting on the table between them. Her echoing footsteps draw their attention. Kaito immediately starts to cry.

“Ari-chaaaaaan! Save me!” 

“And what exactly do you need saving for, Fuji-kun?” Tohma adjusts his monocle.

Kaito sits up straight, tears drying instantly. “NOTHING, SIR!”

Ari covers her mouth to suppress the giggle bubbling up in her throat. She walks over and stops beside the table.

“What brings you here, Ms. Fortunato?”

“I’m actually here for Kaito.” Sparkles are practically shooting off the blond ghoul right now. “Professor Hyde sent me to come get him for a meeting.” Gotta play up the role, right?

Tohma makes a show of thinking, even cupping his chin. Ari can see Kaito holding his breath before the Frostheim vice captain finally relents. “Alright.”

“YES!” Kaito jumps up from his chair, punching the air. He immediately runs to her, his warm hand grabbing hers, and practically drags her out in his hurry to get out of there. She barely has time to wave to Tohma in farewell and see his smirk and nod as they leave. Kaito doesn’t slow down until they’re outside the dorms. His fingers move to interlace with her own as he breathes a sigh of relief. “I thought I was never getting out of there.” His crocodile tears are back. “Thank you for saving meeeee.”

Ari gives Kaito’s hand a squeeze, using her free one to wipe away his tears with her sleeve. “Of course. I wasn’t going to let my boyfriend’s special day be wasted on being lectured.” Even if she was the one who put him in that situation to begin with …

His face turns a bright pink as she dries his tears, though his eyebrows scrunch together for a moment. How cute! “Special …? Ah! You remembered my birthday?!”

“Of course, I remembered! I’ve had it on my calendar since we started dating!” Ari smiles at him. “I was actually planning to treat you to an early dinner!”

“REALLY?!” Somehow she’s become used to him screeching right into her ear. It’s okay. She doesn’t need to hear out of both ears anyway. Kaito quickly tries to cover up his excitement. “I-I mean … You really don’t have to, Ari-chan!”

She bumps her shoulder against his. “Yes, I really do! And I’m not taking no for an answer.” Ari makes a show of patting down her pockets before widening her eyes. “Dammit! I forgot my wallet at the cathedral. Would you mind if we stopped by to grab it?”

“A-Ari-chan, you really don’t have to!”

“Oi! Let me spoil you. Do you not want me to spoil you?”

“N-No—I mean yes—but I don’t—what I mean is…” Her smile softens as he becomes so tongue-tied. Kaito’s shoulders finally slump. “Of course, I want you to spoil me …”

“Good. Then let’s go get my wallet!” Ari leans in and kisses Kaito’s cheek before tugging him in the direction of her solo dorm. 

Kaito has a giant grin on his face despite his cheeks darkening a few shades. At least he doesn’t faint from her kisses anymore like he did the first several times early on in their relationship. The blond ghoul starts to ramble excitedly about his day, what new rumors and theories he saw on WickHive, and where they could go for dinner. While he was debating, mainly with himself, about either going to the diner or Sho’s food truck or even to the general store on campus, Ari sneaks out her phone and sends a message to Haku, saying she was on her way back with Kaito. Once that was done, she actually gave her full attention to her boyfriend.

The walk back to the cathedral is shorter than Ari expects. When the building finally comes into view, her stomach flips. It’s finally time. Kaito steps forward to open the doors, still chattering about a new rumor he had read about centering around Professor Moby. But a cacophony of cheers drowns him out instantly.

“SUPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KAITO!”

“AIEEEEEEEEE!” Kaito practically jumps 10 feet in the air. “W-What’s going on?!”

“It’s a birthday party!”

“For who?!”

“For you!” Ari steps in front of him with a wide smile. “I said I was going to spoil you, right? Well, this is me spoiling you! Happy Birthday, Kaito!”

Luca steps forward and places a hand on Kaito’s shoulder. “Arabella planned everything and asked us to come celebrate this special day.”

Kaito stills. Falling silent for a long moment. “Kaito?” 

His breath hitches as tears fall down his cheeks, a small whimper leaving his throat. They aren't like the big crocodile tears from before. Kaito rubs at his face with his sleeve, hiccuping. Ari’s eyes soften, heart aching.

Luca’s head tilts. “Did we do something wrong? Are the decorations not to your liking? We can rearrange them if you want.”

Kaito shakes his head and manages to wipe the last of his ears. “N-No. Everything is perfect. Thank you so much for coming, everyone.”

The others cheer as Kaito tugs Ari into a tight hug. She wraps her arms around him and nuzzles into his neck. He chants “thank you” over and over again, each breath ruffling her hair.

“Of course, baby. You deserve to be happy on your special day. Surrounded by friends who care about you.”

His arms tighten around her for a moment before he slowly pulls away. A big grin pulls at his lips now, teal eyes still glistening. Ari’s heart does a little flip. God, she loves that smile so much. Loves seeing him happy.

“Oi, can we eat now?” Lyca calls out. “I’m starving!”

“Lyca! Don’t be rude!” Subaru reprimands gently.

“Why? Aren’t we here to eat?”

Ari laughs. “Yup! Let’s dig in! The birthday boy gets to go first!” She gently pushes Kaito forward. “Go on! Lead the way!”

Kaito walks into the cathedral and takes everything in. Ari smiles and watches as the other ghouls congratulate him, some slapping him on the back. Towa even launches himself at Kaito and gives him a hug, almost tackling the poor guy to the ground. But Kaito is nothing but smiles and full of laughter.

When he sits down at the table after making his bowl of ramen, Ari places a makeshift crown on his head. She sits down next to Kaito with her own bowl and once everyone is seated, they all dig in. 

“Uwah! This is delicious!”

“Sho really outdid himself this time!”

“The chashu is perfectly seasoned!”

“I think the steak is even better!”

The praises keep coming. Ari will have to make sure to send a long list of what everyone said to Sho afterwards. Ramen was definitely the perfect choice. Nothing beats hot broth, soft noodles, and tender meat on a cold day today! Everyone was too preoccupied with stuffing their faces to make much conversation. Once everyone had their fill—Ari is pretty sure that Lyca had at least 3 bowls—they move onto the game. 

Luca walks over to the box of facial features. He picks up a singular squinting eye. “What exactly is this game? I’ve never heard of it before.”

“It’s Fukuwarai!” Kaito exclaims while running over, digging through the box.

“Fukuwarai?”

“You take the facial features and stick them onto the blank faces while blindfolded.” Kaito pulls out a pair of lips and waves them around. “You’re trying to put them in the correct spots on the face.”

Ari joins them. “I read that it was mainly played during New Year’s celebrations, but I thought it’d be fun to play together!”

“I think it’s a great choice.” Haku ambles up to Ari’s side. “The birthday boy should go first.”

Kaito beams and nods. They pull over a small table and lay out the different facial features. Ari grabs the blindfold and walks over to Kaito. “Are you going to try to get the correct placement or try to make something funny?”

“Of course I’m going to try to get the right placement!” Kaito dips slightly to give Ari a better angle to tie the blindfold around his eyes. “If you can get the placement right, you’ll be lucky for next year!”

“Really? I didn’t know that.” 

“Well, maybe not for the full year but I’m manifesting it.” 

Ari giggles as she finishes tying the blindfold on. She presses a kiss to his cheek. “Then I’ll manifest too.”

“Hehe!” Kaito puffs out his chest. Ari maneuvers him to the starting point and then steps back. She takes out her phone and starts to record. Kaito starts with the eyes, the left ending up higher than the right. The eyebrows are decently placed but the nose and mouth end up being way too low. Laughter fills the sanctuary as Kaito rips off his blindfold. He joins in with the others, pointing at the face. She zooms the video on Kaito’s wheezing face, wanting to capture every moment.

Luca steps up next to take a turn. He somehow is able to create a perfect face … only it somehow ends up being complete upside down. Ari’s stomach starts to hurt from laughing so hard at Luca’s confused expression when he takes the blindfold off. Kaito grabs the blindfold from him and walks over to Ari. 

“Your turn, Ari-chan!” Kaito’s hands are gentle as they tie the cloth around her eyes, making everything go dark. She grabs his hand and squeezes as he leads her over to the starting line. “Don’t worry. I’ll catch you if you stumble.”

“My knight in shining armor.” Ari teases. 

Kaito’s voice drops to a whisper. “I’ll always try to be. I’m just glad you give a coward like me the time of day.”

“You’re brave when you need to be … that’s all that matters.” Ari smiles when she feels Kaito bump their foreheads together. 

His warmth then pulls away and everyone starts to cheer her on. One by one, she grabs a facial feature and sticks it onto the face where she thinks it should go. When she’s done, she steps back and pulls the blindfold off. She immediately doubles over in a fit of laughter. The eyes are too far apart, the eyebrows have formed a unibrow, and the nose somehow ends up below the lips. 

She spins around and walks over to Kaito, being pulled into a hug right away. “That was the best face so far!”

“Luca’s is good too.” Ari giggles into his shoulder. “But I like yours the most.”

“You’re just saying that!”

“So? You’re my favorite person in the world. Of course, I’m going to have a bias towards you.”

“Ah! Don’t say things like that!” Kaito whines as he buries his face into her neck. “I’ll seriously die of happiness! Like, I’m being 100 percent serious!”

Ari laughs and rubs his back. “We can’t have that then. I’d be too lonely without you.”

“AHHH! You’re so cute!!” 

At this point, they’ve become the too lovey-dovey and almost cringey couple people see in public that are disgustingly in love. But Ari could care less about that. While the others are taking their own turns, Ari pulls out her phone and taps on the camera icon. 

“Let’s take a picture!” 

Kaito pulls his face away just enough to look at her phone. He presses his cheek against hers and smiles, throwing up a peace sign. She does the same thing and snaps a few different photos. Smiles, goofy faces, her kissing Kaito’s cheek, him kissing hers. She ends up picking the last one to make as her wallpaper. 

“Ah! Are you taking pictures? Ari-chan, take a picture of me during my turn!” Rui waves at her with the blindfold in hand.

Towa squeals and waves his arms around, probably wanting to take a picture as well. Everyone starts to come over and to push their way into the frame. To the point that they all almost ended up in a dog pile from the pushing.

Ari steps away before she can be brought down and claps. “Okay, okay! Let’s take a group picture and then we can cut into the cake and sing Happy Birthday to Kaito!” 

Everyone agrees while Ari runs up to her room to get a tripod. While she’s rummaging through her closet, her boyfriend’s voice drifts up to her.

“Kamurai-senpai?! Ishibashi-senpai?!”

Oh! They actually showed up! Ari finally finds the tripod and rushes back down stairs. Tohma and Jin are setting their gifts down on the table. She beams at them. “You both made it just in time! We’re going to take a group photo and then cut into the cake.”

“Apologies for not being able to come sooner.” Tohma offers his normal, calming smile.

Jin grunts. Ari can only guess that it's his way of agreeing with his vice captain. Well, at least he actually left his room. That’s all that matters! 

“Thank you for coming anyway! Now let's get this group picture taken so we can cut into the cake!” Ari sets up the tripod as everyone gets arranged around Kaito. He still has his crown on and is holding his cake. He keeps glancing at Jin, as if expecting him to say something about the implications of him wearing a crown. But Jin remains silent. Like always. Ari frames the picture and makes sure everyone is visible before setting a countdown. She taps the button and speeds over to stand next to Kaito. “Say cheese!”

“CHEESE!”

Click! Ari grabs her phone and looks at the photo. “Awww! It’s perfect!” She shows everyone else and once they agree, she texts them a copy of it. “Time for cake!!”

Ari leads Kaito over to the table and has him sit down. She grabs the candles and places them on the cake while Haku lights them. 

Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday to you!

They begin to sing to Kaito, the blond ghoul unable to stop smiling the entire time. Warmth blooms through Ari’s chest. 

Happy birthday dear Kaito!
Happy birthday to you!

Kaito closes his eyes, quietly making a wish, and then blows out the candles. Ari claps and cheers with the others. Subaru cuts the cake and Rui hands them out. 

Kaito is the first to take a bite and his eyes brighten. He shovels another forkful into his mouth. “Thish ish sho good!!”

“Kaito, it’s not polite to talk with your mouth full.” Luca reprimands. “The cake is delicious though, Kagami-san.”

“O-Oh, it’s nothing!” Subaru once again tries to deflect the compliment.

Haku shakes his head with a chuckle. “Subaru-san, you really need to learn to take a compliment.” 

“He’s right, Subaru!” Zenji floats above the table. “Embrace your marvelous talent!”

Ari takes a bite and her eyes widen. The tartness of strawberries and the sweetness of home-made cream explodes on her tongue. She covers her mouth as she chews, savoring the light and moist cake. “Kaito and Luca are right, Kagami-san. The cake is delicious! Thank you so much for making it!”

“You should make cake like this more often, Suba.” Lyca adds in, his plate already empty.

“W-Well … thank you.” Subaru finally relents, shoulders slumping slightly. “I enjoyed making it.”

A splatter of cream hits the table right in front of Ari’s plate. Towa squeals, waving around his fork full of cake. 

“Oi, Towa! You’re making a mess!” Haru yelps as he shields Peekaboo from a fly-away piece of cream.

Ren yells as some hits his phone screen. “Hey! Watch it, you airhead!!” 

Tohma chuckles lightly. “What a rambunctious group you brought together, Ms. Fortunato.”

“I just did what I could to make Kaito happy.” A warm hand finds hers under the table. Ari smiles at Kaito, leaning over to kiss his cheek. 

“Just being with you is all the happiness I need.”

Her stomach flips pleasantly. Ari’s cheeks grow warm. “I feel the same way.”

“How cute!” Rui teases them. “You should take couple photos!”

“We’ll take more photos later!” Ari waves him off, cheeks even hotter than before. “For now, let’s do presents!”

“Actually, Ari, we don’t generally open presents in front of those who gave.”

Ari turns towards Haku, tilting her head. “Really?”

“It’s considered impolite.” Subaru chimes in. “We just make sure to show our appreciation when accepting and open them at a later time.”

“Oh …” 

Kaito squeezes her hand and smiles at her. “You can help me open them later. How about that?”

She brightens. “Okay!”

“Well, we should start cleaning up. We don’t want to intrude for too long.”

“Rui is right.” Haku nods. “Besides, some of us have exams tomorrow that we should do last minute studying for.” 

“We’ll help clean up!” Haru is already standing and collecting empty plates.

Ari quickly follows. “Oh, you don’t have to! I can clean up!”

Luca pats her shoulder, making her jump. Geez! He moves so silently sometimes! “You’ve already done so much, Arabella. The least we can do is help you clean up.”

“Are you sure? Most of you already helped me get things set up …”

Lyca waves her off. “It’s fine. It’d be wrong if we left you with all this trash to clean up anyway.”

Ari smiles at the group of ghouls. “Thank you so much for helping out. I really appreciate it.”

Kaito suddenly stands and takes a step forward. He bows deeply to everyone. “Thank you all for doing this for me. I really don’t deserve it but I’m happy that people care enough to want to celebrate my birthday. Really … thank you so much for coming and thank you Ari-chan for planning everything. This is one of the happiest days of my life. I’ll treasure today for the rest of my life.”

The sting of tears hits Ari’s eyes. She laughs quietly while bringing Kaito into a tight embrace, the others clapping and cheering. 

With the help of everyone, everything was cleaned up in record time. The trash was taken out, the tables dismantled and the chairs folded and stacked to the side. Ari made sure everyone got to take home leftovers of the last of the ramen options and even managed to slave a slice of cake like she promised Sho. 

One by one, the party members start to leave. After being hug-tackled by Towa once more, the Jabberwock ghouls are out the door, Haru waving happily while Peekaboo chirps in his sling. Rui and Lyca are next, followed by Haku, Subaru, and Zenji. Jin’s next, though he stops to take Kaito aside for a moment to say something to him. He speaks too quietly for Ari to hear, though it must’ve been important with how seriously Kaito looks and how he nods after. Tohma follows after Jin and once Luca pats Kaito on the back, it’s just the two of them left.

Ari wraps her arms around Kaito’s shoulders, his own finding her waist. They take a moment to just be. Hugging and enjoying the presence of each other. She listens to his heart beat. Slow. Steady. Calm.

A soft sigh escapes her. “Did you like my surprise?”

“I loved it, Ari-chan. Only my gram has ever celebrated my birthday with me. Maybe a friend to two at one point. But this year will be one I remember forever. I’ve never … I’ve never felt so seen. So appreciated and loved before. And to know that you did all of this for me on your own …”  Kaito pushes a strand of hair behind Ari’s ear, his warm hands cupping her face after. He chuckles wetly, eyes filling with tears. “Thank you. Thank you for everything.”

They smile at each other before slowly leaning in. Their lips meet, warm and gentle. Ari melts against Kaito, cupping his face. The tension of the day, of planning everything and getting things set up and worrying about Kaito’s reaction, finally eases away. Her muscles relax as she leans more into Kaito. Feeling his warmth seep into her. It was just what she needed. When they pull apart, she bumps her forehead against his in a love tap, earning a chuckle.

It was the perfect ending to the surprise birthday party.

Chapter Text

The floor of Ari’s room is scattered with presents. A new phone case, a cat phone charm, gift cards, coupons to Sho’s food truck, and a new set of very comfy feeling—and very expensive— pajamas to name a few. Though, that last one has Jin written all over it. At least Kaito won’t be cold in the dormitory for the winter this year. But if Ari had a say, her favorite gift is already being used by Kaito. Her own to be exact. He traded out his normal silver hoops for the garnet studs she bought for him as soon as he had opened her gift. 

After opening the presents, they moved to her bed, legs tangled and speaking in soft voices. They had long since changed into more comfortable clothes. Kaito now wearing flannel pants and a t-shirt while Ari pulled on sweats and a hoodie. 

Ari hums softly. She smiles as her finger glides over the cool stone. “I knew they were going to look good on you. The red suits your eyes.”

“They’re garnet, right? Your birthstone?” She nods. Kaito wiggles his eyebrows at her. “Oh? Did you want me to think about you every time I touched them or something?”

 “Guilty.” Ari laughs. “I thought it’d pair nicely with my own.”

“Your own?” Ari pushes her hair back to show off her tanzanite earrings. “Oh! Those are beautiful on you.”

“Do you recognize the stone?”

“Of course! It’s tanzanite. My birthstone …” Kaito trails off as he stares for a long moment. His face suddenly turns bright red before he buries it into her shoulder. His arms squeeze around her waist tighter. Ari laughs softly and strokes his hair. He barely manages to whisper out, “You’re so cute and thoughtful.”

“I try to be.”

Kaito pulls away slightly. Teal eyes meet gentle blue ones. Warmth spreads through Ari’s chest, stomach fluttering. In this moment, she wouldn’t be anywhere else in the world. Kaito has become her home. Her safe place despite everything that’s happened.

They lean in at the same time, lips meeting in the middle. Ari sighs against him and sinks deeper. Her eyes flutter shut as her fingers curl into his hair. His lips are slightly chapped but warm. They move together in a slow, content rhythm. A soft gasp leaves Ari when Kaito’s tongue teases at the seam of her lips. She opens without hesitation, allowing him in, tilting her head to deepen the kiss. He still tastes faintly of strawberries and cream. Kaito groans quietly, making Ari’s thighs clench together. 

A hand glides from her hip to her ribcage. It squeezes gently, thumb brushing the underside of her breast. Ari pulls away with a mewl, panting in time with Kaito, face warm. 

“Ari-chan …”

“Do you … want to go further?” They hadn’t taken that step yet. Promising each other to take things slow as it was both of their first serious relationships. His eyes darken, and not in that sexy, teasing way. His fingers are trembling against her side. She can practically hear the self-deprecating thoughts running through his head. Of wondering if he’s good enough for her. If he could even make her feel good. Her chest tightens. So, slowly, she moves her hands up to cup his face and presses her forehead against his. “I love you, Kaito. Nothing is going to change that. Unless you’re secretly a crazy serial killer, then we may have to have a chat.”

Kaito breaks out into laughter. His muscles visibly relax and his hand stops shaking against her. Mission accomplished. “I love you too, Ari-chan. And I promise, I’m not leading a double life or anything like that!”

“Well, that’s good.” She teases. “I didn’t want to become an accomplice to anything you may have done.”

They smile at each other. Kaito squeezes her side again. “I want to go further with you. Only you.”

Their lips meet again. Ari follows Kaito’s lead, allowing him to go at his own pace when he is ready. It doesn’t take long for his warm fingers to find their way under her hoodie, grazing the skin of her hip. She sits up and lets him slowly peel the fabric off. His face is bright red as he stares. She’s not wearing anything fancy, just a regular blue bra, but she can guess it’s probably the first time he’s seen a woman like this … up close that is. She grabs his hand and presses it to her breast.

“Don’t be afraid to touch me, Kaito. I want you too.” The blond ghoul nods slowly. Almost transfixed. He squeezes the soft mound, making Ari bite her bottom lip. Kaito sits up suddenly. Ari gasps as his other hand comes up to grope at her other tit. His lips find her neck. Kissing, nipping, and licking. Her skin prickles with warmth, soft mewls leaving her mouth. “Just like that.”

“Your skin is so soft. And you smell good ... is that weird to say?”

"No, it's not." Ari hums. Kaito's lips pull into a goofy grin before travelling further down. Over the swell of her breast. “W-Wait.”

He instantly pulls away. His warmth going with him. “Are you alright? Did I do something wrong?”

“No, no!” Ari chuckles quietly. She pecks his lips before pressing a hand to his chest. She pushes until he lays back down. “You’re the birthday boy. Let me take care of you.”

“W-What? Ari-chan … are you sure?” 

“I am. Just enjoy yourself, baby.”

She coaxes his shirt off before moving down his body. She gets between his legs and slowly pulls his flannel pants off. His boxers are already tented slightly. Ari presses a kiss to his half-hard cock, making him gasp and squirm a little. Ari peels his boxers off next. Her hand wraps around the base and one stroke is enough to have Kaito already moaning. It only takes a few strokes to get him fully hard. She leans forward and drags her tongue along the hard shaft. From base to tip. 

“Ah! A-Ari-chan! That feels-oh!” Kaito’s fingers fist into the sheets. His eyes are shut tightly. 

She wraps her lips around the tip and swirls her tongue. Teasing … tasting. He’s hot and heavy on her tongue. She slowly gets the hang of it, able to take more into her mouth. Once she relaxes her throat and gets used to the sensation, she begins to bob her head. Taking him down as much as she could while stroking what she couldn’t with her hand. She deliberately sets a slow pace. Savoring every inch of Kaito’s cock. She pulls back enough to swirl her tongue around the tip before sinking back down. Her chest swells with pride when Kaito’s hips buck slightly. 

“Ari-chan! A-Ari-chan!” He chants her name like a prayer. His fingers find their way to her hair, holding it back from her face. Moans and whines spill from Kaito’s throat. Every sound he made went straight to her core. But he gets a little too enthusiastic. Ari gags when his cock hits the back of her throat and she pulls off with a gasp. “S-Shit! Sorry!” 

“It’s okay.” Ari takes a moment to catch her breath. “I really like how vocal you are.

Her boyfriend’s face somehow is able to deepen in color. “D-Don’t say embarrassing things like that.”

Ari giggles before going back down. It’s easier now. Taking him into her mouth and finding a rhythm. Stroking and sucking, licking and swirling. She finds his sensitive spots and focuses on them. How his hips buck when she presses her tongue to the underside of his tip. How his stomach flutters when she twists her hand just right at the base. How he throws his head back into the pillows, crying out, when she does both at the same time. He’s a beautiful sight and Ari keeps her eyes on him the entire time. 

“You feel s-so good! Don’t stop! Please don’t stop! I-I’ve never—oh shit!—felt this good before!”

Kaito’s sweet praise meets Ari’s ears. Her free hand dips down between her legs. She’s already wet and aching. And just from listening to Kaito’s moans and whines. Her fingers find her clit and rub slow circles into it. Pleasure zaps up her spine, causing her to moan around Kaito’s shaft. 

His thighs twitch, the grip on her hair tightening. “I … I think I’m—nngh!—I think I’m close!”

Ari pulls off him with a wet pop, lips glistening. Her hand still strokes him. “Yeah? Are you going to cum for me?”

She tightens her grip a fraction. His cock throbs, tip beading with pre-cum. She smears it with her thumb, pressing into the underside of it. 

Kaito lets out a high-pitched whine. “Yes! Please! I’m gonna—ah!!” Ari pulls her hand away before he can finish. Teal eyes snap open. “No! No, no, no! A-Ari-chan you can’t just stop like that! I was so close!”

Ari smiles and kisses his inner thigh and moves up. Over his hip, stomach, chest, neck … ending at his lips. This kiss is different from their previous ones. It’s frantic. Needy. With roaming hands groping at what they can reach. Ari unlatches her bra and throws it to the floor. Gasping into Kaito’s mouth as his hands immediately replace the fabric. His fingers pinch and roll her nipples until they’ve hardened. 

She moves to her sweats and Kaito quickly joins her, helping her take them off. And not once did their lips part. Ari’s fingers find their way back into his hair, tugging on it gently as she straddles his hips. 

“I love how you touch me, Kaito.”

Her head falls to the side as her boyfriend drags his tongue along her neck. “I need more of you, Ari-chan. Please.”

"I need you too." Her entire body is buzzing. Aching for more. Ari pulls away just long enough to reach over to her nightstand. She opens the drawer and feels around until she hits a box. She pulls out the pack of condoms and rips one open with her teeth. She rolls it onto Kaito’s cock before throwing the wrapper to the side. 

Her heart slams against her ribcage as she positions herself over Kaito. His hands grab her hips before sitting up. “A-Are you sure you don’t need me to … p-prep … you?” 

Ari takes his hand and presses it to her core. Kaito’s eyes widen as he runs his fingers through her slick folds. 

“You did this, Kaito. All your moans and words of praise …” She shudders when the blond’s fingers dip inside her. “I’m aching for you. I need your cock inside me.” 

Kaito’s hand falls away. Ari looks down and sees him staring up at her in a daze. Face a bit too red for her liking. She gently peppers his warm cheeks with kisses, giving him a few moments to calm down. 

“Okay … I’m ready.”

She nods. With one hand on his shoulder to keep balance, Ari uses the other to line Kaito’s cock with her entrance. She takes a deep breath and slowly sinks down on the exhale. There’s a stretch and a slight bit of discomfort at first, Kaito’s arms wrapping around her tightly as his mouth opens in a silent moan. Ari focuses on breathing and relaxing her muscles … until finally she’s fully seated. Kaito is already twitching inside her.

“Oh fuck,” Ari whispers.

Kaito squeezes her tighter, burying his face into her shoulder. “You f-feel so good. I feel like I’m going to pass out.”

Ari giggles. “You can pass out later.”

She gives an experimental roll of her hips and shudders. Kaito moans right into her ear. Hearing him so close makes her clench around him, earning a louder whine. Ari gently pushes Kaito to lay on his back fully. She's going to cum way too quick if she allows him to keep moaning right next to her ear. She lifts her hips and then lets them drop. It takes her a few tries but she finds a rhythm and pace that doesn’t kill her thighs right away. 

Kaito’s head is turned into one of the pillows. Suddenly feeling bold, Ari reaches up gently and turns his head towards her. “Kaito, keep your eyes on me. 

His teal orbs widen, freckled cheeks growing redder. “I-I can’t. That’s too much input for my dumb brain to handle! I’ll cum too soon!”

“I don’t care how fast you cum, Kaito. I want your pretty eyes on mine.”

Ari’s pace quickens. The lewd sound of skin slapping against skin fills the room, accompanied by Kaito’s whine. 

“Saying something like that … I’m seriously going to die because of you, Ari-chan!” Hearing him moan so sweetly lights a fire inside Ari. She wants more. Needs more. She plants her hands on his chest and pulls her knees up more. She lifts her hips and slams down. Kaito is chanting her name now. But his eyes stay on her like she had asked. The connection seems to heighten everything. Makes Ari more aware of all the points of contact they share. She watches Pleasure ripples through her entire body. She can even feel the tips of her fingers tingling. His hand squeeze her hips harder. “I-It’s too much! Slow down! I’m—ngh! I’m cumming!”

A full body shiver goes through Kaito. His head throws back and his thighs twitch uncontrollably beneath hers. Ari slowly her pace, grinding down on him in circles, before coming to a stop. Kaito's chest heaves, face bright red and glistening with sweat. 

She smiles and leans down, pressing soft kisses all over his face. “You did so well, Kaito.

“I came too fast though.” He pouts.

“I don’t care about that. All I care about tonight is making sure you feel good.” She nuzzles her nose against his, earning a breathless chuckle. She slowly slides off of him and grabs another condom. “Here. Put a new one on.”

“W-What? But I …” Ari looks down at cock, Kaito’s gaze following hers. He’s already hard again. Ari smiles as he eventually nods. She rolls off of him and gets comfortable on his back. When he notices her position, his eyes widen. “You want me to …?”

“It may be your birthday, but I think you should put in a tiny bit of work too.” Ari opens her arms, and legs, to him. “Come here.”

After rolling on a new condom, Kaito crawls over her on shaky arms. He settles between her legs and takes a shuddering breath. This time, when he presses inside, there’s no resistance. Ari mewls at being filled again. But Kaito freezes when he’s hilted inside fully. His eyes are closed, head dropped forward, panting slightly. 

“S-Sensitive … I can’t move, Ari-chan.”

Ari gently tugs him down into a kiss. “Yes you can. Just take it slow, baby.”

Kaito whines but he eventually starts moving. His upper half almost immediately gives out and falls on top of her, his arms winding around her waist and holding her close. Face buried into her neck. But he keeps thrusting his hips. Faster. A bit more frantic. Ari wraps her arms around his shoulders, digging her nails into his slick skin. Moans pour out of her throat, matching Kaito’s. 

“You feel so good. So tight and warm! It’s too much and not enough at the same time! I’m going crazy!” Kaito keens. His hips stutter for a second. “Are you feeling good?”

“Ye—ah! Yes!” Ari chokes on a moan when her clit is brushed against. “You’re filling me so well, Kaito! I couldn’t be happier, making love to you right now.” A gasp tears through her throat as Kaito’s pace picks up again. Harder this time. “W-Wait—”

“I wanna make you feel good.” Kaito grunts as he pushes himself up onto his knees. He grabs the back of her knees and pushes them up more. Ari throws her head back as his cock drives deeper into her now. “I wanna make you cum!”

“Kaito!” Her back arches sharply. She swears she sees stars when his fingers find her clit and start rubbing tight, quick circles into it. Matching the speed of his hips. Her toes begin to curl. Thighs shaking. Pleasure pulses constantly throughout her whole body, making her mind go fuzzy. “Oh fuck! Just like that—nnngh!”

“Please cum for me, Ari-chan.” Kaito whines. “I wanna feel you cum around me. I wanna watch your face as you do. Please? Please cum for me.”

His begging and beautiful moans are the last push she needs to be thrown over the edge. She clenches tightly around Kaito as her whole body shudders. Kaito’s weight drops on top of her a second later, keening loudly as his own orgasm hits. They hold onto each other for dear life as they ride their waves of their highs together. 

They lay, entangled, for what seems like forever. Their breathing eventually evens out. The shockwaves pulsing through Ari’s body recede and leave behind a hazy glow. Kaito’s lips find Ari’s. Moving and sliding together in a perfect dance. 

But as the sweat cools on their skin, it becomes slightly uncomfortable. They move at the same time, minds seemingly attuned. Kaito pulls out of her and disposes of the used condoms while Ari grabs two damp washcloths. They help each other wipe down, both unable to stop smiling and giggling in their post euphoric states. 

They fall back onto the bed together once they’re cleaned up, cuddling close under the blankets. Ari presses her ear against Kaito’s chest, listening to his heart beat steadily as she traces random designs onto his skin. His fingers comb through her hair, his other arm wrapped tightly around her waist. Keeping her close. Keeping her warm. 

“Thank you.” He kisses her forehead. “I’ll never forget this day.”

“You’re welcome.” Ari snuggles closer. “Just don’t wager the memory of today for an anomaly, okay?”

“That was one tiiiiiiime!”

Ari giggles and interrupts Kaito’s whining with a kiss. “I love you, Kaito.”

“I love you too, Ari-chan.”