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A faint jiggle sounds off down the hall, its subtle melody barely audible over the merry tones of festive music waltzing in the kitchen. Mother Tenma's humming drifts and mingles with the noise, hard at work crafting many a batch of cookies, though it's soon drowned out by the rapid thump of footsteps flying towards the front door.
The door itself—a humble, wooden thing, bearing quite a few scratches—swings open in a jolly arc, stopping just shy of the wall. A pair of pristine leather boots graces the entrance, their owner booming, "Everyone! I've—"
There comes, in place of words, a sharp bang, and a startled yell of, "AGH!! EMU!!!"
"Tsukasaaaaa! You're hooooome!!" Emu cries cheerily in return, unaffected by the forceful collision of her body into that of her husband's; multiple bags drop to the floor in a heap due to the resultant flailing of his upper limbs. "I missed you!!"
At once, his expression softens. "Emu," he breathes fondly, subdued in the little space between them. His arm curls around her back, a tender hand sailing up to cradle the curve of her cheek. "I've missed you too."
She beams at him. He beams back, flooded with that familiar tide of earnest warmth that his wife seems to carry wherever she goes. Consequently, something starts to unravel—a knot tangled at the center of his chest, a routine burden due to his frequent travelling for work.
He adores his job, no matter what it throws at him—he's worked harder than he'd ever thought possible to achieve his current level of notoriety, after all—but he does on occasion bemoan the distance, yearning more than anything for the steady presence of his family. A brief project featuring beside Nene had kept him afloat whilst he was away, but now he craved home.
His mouth opens once more, but before he can speak another word, another body comes barrelling down the hall, pulling him into a tightly packed threeway hug.
"Big brotherrrrr!! You're back!!!"
"Saki!" He chuckles into her hair. "So I am! I hear you've been missing me?"
Saki nods vigourously, energetic as ever. "Of course we have!"
She steps back after a final, prolonged squeeze, becoming wary of crushing Emu—not that his wife pays it any mind, content and smiling wide at the both of them. Instead, she tugs at his arm, beginning to giggle as she whispers eagerly into Saki's ear. Left to wait, he fixates on her, his guiding light—his wife.
Her laugh enchants him, tinkling like tiny bells, bright and unencumbered; she reminds him of a fairy, spreading her happy magic to all she meets, raising their spirits to heights seemingly impossible. She'd taken him to Wonderland, over a decade ago; he's yet to leave it, and he knows he never will.
Spellbound, it takes him a moment to regather his bearings; only then comes the beleaguered realisation that Saki has taken hold of his other arm. Not only that, he's actively being dragged into the living room, where various lights twinkle pleasantly from every corner, ornaments sparkle along the shelves, and his father sits sifting through a loaded box atop the carpet.
Ichika chirps a greeting from the sofa, entranced by a jumbled mass of tinsel. Likewise, the Otori crowd offers a chorus of hellos. His brothers-in-law are notably too engaged in conversation to pay him further notice, as are Emu's parents. However, Hinata grants him an affectionate pat on the head, expressing relief for his safety before her attention is snatched up by the glimmery fabric slowly snaking over the cushions.
Down towards the ground, a hand beckons for him. "Tsukasa! Welcome!" His father cheers, sharing his propensity for fanfare of the blared variety. His fingers scrabble around the box, eventually surfacing with an aged, wooden pegasus attached to a fraying string; the other hand claps at his shoulder. "We've saved you the tree, so come and have at it! Now the family's all here!"
His mother addresses him next, serene as ever where she's stationed in the kitchen doorway. "Welcome home, dear. We've been waiting for you. I'll be with you in a minute—fresh cookies are in the kitchen."
Peering around at everyone, spirited and joyful as they grin at him from all sides, their hands warm on his arms and shoulder, he feels a well of soothing contentment rising from his chest, lighter than he's felt in weeks.
He shifts Emu's hand downwards to hold it, gently intertwining their fingers. Her eyes glow lovingly at him, gorgeous as the sunset shining from the peak of a beloved ferris wheel. All is right in the world—and how grateful they are for its blessings.
Without further ado, Tsukasa decides it's time for his announcement.
"Everyone!!" He lets out with a hearty roar, "I'm hoooooooome!!!!"