Work Text:
Day 1: Meeting/Reunion
“Thanks for your hard work today, Miss Takamaki! We’ll be in touch with your agency with the proofs by the end of the week!” A short and portly man offered her a towel.
Ann could feel the warm sun begin to set behind her. The week had been exhausting -- two commercials, a photo shoot, a magazine interview, and a teleconference for an upcoming project. Filming just wrapped for an upcoming airline commercial.
She had forgotten how warm it could be in Honolulu. How long has it been since she was last here? Could it really have been that long ago? Ann noticed her thoughts were drifting. She began to address the producer in front of her.
“Thank you for everything today!” the blonde replied, carefully blotting the sweat from her brow with her newly accepted towel. “If you have any specific questions for me, feel free to contact my assistant. I really enjoyed working with you this week!”
Though she hadn’t given much thought to her words, the blonde couldn’t help but feel her words were delivered with impersonal automaticity, and with it a certain insincerity. She’d worked tirelessly for years to get to where she is now. So much so, that Ann realized she hadn’t taken a vacation in over a year -- she'd been on autopilot off an on for the past few weeks.
With every step back to her hotel room, Ann could feel her public persona begin to fade. Funny, she mused, it feels like it was just yesterday when Ren brought me here on the school trip. Ann looked at the date in disbelief. That was five years ago, almost to the day… She remembered how the cool breeze felt against her bare skin and how the sand warmed her feet. So much has happened since then, it almost seemed like Ann was a different person.
A violent buzz interrupted Ann’s musings. It was her assistant Ayaka.
Ayaka: Sorry I wasn’t able to meet you after the shoot! I wanted to give you some space after a long week. Your parents sent you flowers. Did you get them?
Ann: That’s very thoughtful of you! I was too tired to notice them when I first walked in, but they’re here in my room.
Ayaka: Great! They called earlier, but I told them you were on location. They asked that you call them back, but they also wanted to make sure you got settled in first. Your mom said they’re staying at the same resort and expect to check in tomorrow afternoon.
Ann: Thank you for that, Ayaka. Did anyone else call?
Ayaka: No, but Shiho emailed saying that she sent a gift basket to your hotel. I picked it up and left it next to the minibar. She seemed really apologetic about missing out on your annual trip.
Ann: You didn’t need to do that, but I appreciate that you did!
Ayaka: It’s not a problem at all! I let everyone know that you’ll be unavailable for the next few days, so enjoy your time off. I fly back to Tokyo tomorrow, but please feel free to let me know if you need anything!
Ann: Thanks, Ayaka! I can’t imagine how I’d get through this week without you! Safe travels!
With a long sigh of relief, Ann turned off her work phone. Her personal phone had a few notifications, but she wanted to enjoy the walk back to her resort. She still had a couple of hours before sunset, so she figured she could freshen up before starting her hard-earned vacation. Washing the hairspray and makeup off of her body left Ann feeling liberated and free of a weight she’d carried for so long. When she fully felt like herself again, Ann decided to open the gift basket her best friend sent. As usual, Shiho never missed a beat. The gift basket was filled with her favorite sweets, some sheet masks, some pineapples, and a bottle of pineapple wine.
A faint ringing in the next room distracted her. Her phone revealed a raven-haired man with a wry smile. He’d cut his hair a bit shorter since high school, but it was still long enough for Ann to run her fingers through his curls. She missed how long his hair was when they first met but thought he was handsome regardless.
“Why hello, Joker,” Ann cooed. This was the first time she was able to talk to her lover in what felt like ages. She couldn’t help but smile.
“Good evening, Panther,” Ren echoed playfully. “How was work?”
She sighed, collecting her thoughts. “Warm. But eventful.”
“Sounds familiar.” Ren chuckled. “I wish I could be there.”
“Me too,” Ann lamented, “Are you on the way home? It’s super loud.”
“Yeah. Sorry about that. I couldn’t wait to call you. I’m about to step inside someplace quieter.”
Ann chuckled. “That’s alright. I’m done talking about me. How was your week?”
Ren sucked on his teeth a bit -- a subtle tell Ann learned that meant that he was trying to figure out how to express himself. “I’ve been invited to attend a board meeting tomorrow. It’s a pretty big deal for us.”
“Wow. That’s great! You sound nervous, though.”
“Yeah, well some really important people are going to be there. I’d hate to mess up. Oh, that reminds me… did you get the thing I sent you yet? Shiho and I wanted to save on postage, so it came in the same parcel.”
“I didn’t. What was it? I can check with the front desk to see if it’s here.”
“That’s okay, love. It was just a card.”
Ann anxiously searched the gift basket for a card. Behind the bottle of pineapple wine was a bright red and black card with a stylized print that read, “TAKE YOUR HEART.”
“You’re hilarious, Ren,” Ann muttered. She gave an exasperated sigh and began to read the card aloud:
MISS ANN TAKAMAKI,
WE HOPE YOU ARE ENJOYING YOUR TIME IN HAWAII. REGRETFULLY, WE CANNOT JOIN YOU AND HOPE YOU CAN ACCEPT THIS GIFT AS RECOMPENSE. PLEASE ENJOY THIS GIFT CERTIFICATE FOR A MASSAGE, AND TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING ALL ABOUT YOUR ADVENTURES AND SEEING YOU REFRESHED AFTER A WELL-NEEDED VACATION!
WITH WARM AFFECTION,
THE PHANTOM THIEVES OF HEARTS
“Ren, you guys didn’t have to do that.”
“Sure we did. We all miss you over here." As usual, Ren was quick to lift Ann's spirits. "That reminds me... the other half of the gift was supposed to be left on the veranda.”
Ann raised an eyebrow. “That’s a strange place to put a gift, isn’t it?”
“Let me know if you got it, okay? It took a lot of work to get it there.”
“If you say so. I’d rather you were here, though.”
“Me too. But you’ll just have to make do.”
Ann opened the glass sliding door and stepped outside. “Wait. How did you know I had a veranda?” Her eyes eagerly searched the beach below for any sign of Ren, only to be disappointed to find her laptop precariously perched on the small table between two well-padded brown chairs. The webcam was pointed to the beach below.
“Because I spent the afternoon watching you work from it.”
“You know, you really shouldn’t make Futaba do any work for free.” Ann was starting to get annoyed. “I thought this was going to be some big surprise.” While she did appreciate that their friend’s skills as a hacker made it easier for Ren and Ann to cope with the distance, Ann wasn't in the mood to have her emotions played like this.
“Yeah, well…” Ren trailed off.
“Well, what?” Ann snapped, frustration and disappointment starting to surface from within.
“I do what I can.” The man appeared in the doorway, drink in each hand. He was wearing a floral printed shirt, which almost distracted Ann from that mischievous smirk that never failed to melt her heart. Ann stood slack-jawed, her fingers starting to tremble and her eyes starting to water.
Almost instinctively, Ren put the drinks down on the table next to them and pulled Ann in for a tight embrace. Ann’s mind ran a million thoughts a second, the guilt starting to slowly settle in. She squeezed a little tighter and nuzzled into his chest before managing to stutter, “R-Ren… I’m sorry I-I...” Ann sighed, unable to put into words the whirlwind of emotions she was feeling. “I’m sorry I yelled at you.”
Ren kissed her on the crown head and reciprocated his girlfriend’s embrace. “It’s okay. You had a long week. I’d be out of patience too.” He tucked a flaxen lock behind Ann’s ear. “I’m sorry if I upset you.”
Ann looked up to find a pair of concerned dark eyes framed by a furrowed brow. Ren isn’t always keen on showing his emotions to the world, so seeing any expression on his face really let his intentions (and concerns) be known. Ann leaned in for a kiss. She'd almost forgotten how soft and intense these were.
She broke it off before Ren had a chance to beg for more. “Well, you’re here now.” Ann picked up the wine glasses and handed one of them to him. She couldn’t help but be distracted by something on her hand.
Ren knew she was staring at her new engagement ring. “What do you think?”
Ann gave her glass a couple of swirls and took a sip. “It’s a bit brighter than I thought it would be,” she winked, a playful grin starting to tug at her lips. Ren’s eyes stayed fixed on her lips since she kissed him. Seeing him like this still gave her butterflies, even after five and a half years together.
“The wine or the ring?” He flashed a coy smile before taking a sip out of his own glass. Though it had been a few months, Ren and Ann hadn’t had much time together since their engagement. The thought of one day calling Ann his wife still sent Ren’s heart aflutter, even years of planning.
Ann stepped away from her fiance to admire the sunset. “Both. But I am curious about something.”
“Yeah?” Ren moved to join her at her side. He grasped her newly adorned hand and pressed it to his lips. “What would that be?”
“You’re going to have to explain how you got into my room... Joker.”
Ren chuckled, “First of all, it’s our room. But if you must know, Panther…”
And so began their ritual. Every reunion had one. Sometimes Ann would be the one to surprise Ren, other times it’d be Ren that surprised her. Regardless of what happened, they always found themselves falling back into this routine. Neither of them could quite explain exactly why it happened -- only how. Every reunion bore the magic of a first date seasoned with the intimacy that could only be cultivated after years of partnership. For the next four days, they’d be practically inseparable, spending every waking moment catching up on each other’s exploits and celebrating every accomplishment in between.