Title: Incomprehension
Fandom: Magic Knight Rayearth
Rating: General
Length: 450ish words
Content notes: None
Author notes: Marriage of convenience!au, Umi&Clef
Summary: Her husband – that was still strange to think – was sitting on their taped-together sofa like he’d started off sitting properly and had slumped further and further into the actual slouch he was now.


oOo


Umi came home still frowning about her last meeting of the day, only for the vague irritation to fade the moment she got through the door and into the genkan; she could smell something that she strongly suspected was going to be delicious wafting through the house, and her husband – that was still strange to think – was sitting on their taped-together sofa like he’d started off sitting properly and had slumped further and further into the actual slouch he was now in as he frowned at a piece of paper in one hand and his phone in the other.

She wanted to walk over and pet the ruffled mess of his hair, as it fell about his face. It was such a mess, like he’d been running his hands through it repeatedly, and it looked so soft…

“I’m home!” she called, shoving the thought aside to unbuckle and kick her shoes off with glee. She didn’t always wear heels – and didn’t mind them that much when she did wear them, given she refused to buy shoes that wouldn’t strap onto her feet well enough she could run in them – but she’d been on her feet a lot today, and the buckles had caught her tights, trying to start a run in them.

The wooden floor was a little precarious just in tights, so she actually shoved her feet into slippers for once, and by the time she’d looked up again Clef was saying “Welcome home!” and had snapped upright on the sofa.

“Interesting post?” she asked, seeing the envelope on the table beside him.

Clef sighed, shoulders slumping again. “I wouldn’t know,” he said, sounding forlorn. “I can’t make out what it’s about.”

“Ah. Kanji?”

“Lots. All together.” He shook his head, setting the letter aside. “I’m not getting anywhere with it – if you could have a look after dinner, I’d appreciate it.”

“Of course.” She’d headed straight for the kitchen, and was staring with interest at the pot bubbling on the stove. Some kind of stew, she thought, with – dumplings in it?

“I’m sorry. It’s taking so long to start learning to read anything here-“

Umi blinked, and turned around to stare at him. “Clef, you’ve only been here a few months! We keep on learning kanji all the way through school here!”

“Yes, but- it’s just taking so long to read anything I’m not expecting.” He shrugged, smiled at her, and pushed himself off the sofa. “But dinner’s ready! How was your day? You had a couple of important meetings this afternoon, right?”

She might have pushed a little harder, but dinner smelt very good, and she was very hungry. So she let the topic go.

At least for now.