I wanted to make this the first chapter for the series related to Fragile where it’s all flashbacks of Sam’s memories with Mika, but then I wrote the end of this fic and said to myself, “Yeaaahhhh maybe not.” You’ll see why I changed my mind. Enjoy!
Summary: Tipsy Mika and steak eater Sam enjoy a night out together.
It was a comforting and delightful thought to know that even after two years of marriage, Sam was still captivated with his wife like the very first time he realized he fell for her. Her smile, her laugh, her blush. Every quirk she had he loved, because it all unequivocally defined Mika Anderson.
As he listened to her talk about her day now, he couldn’t help the smile creeping at the corners of his lips at her enthusiasm.
She stopped suddenly and narrowed her eyes. “Why are you grinning? I’m talking about waiting in line for three hours just to get my driver’s license renewed.”
He chuckled. “You just look really great tonight, is all.”
And she did. She was wearing her lace plum dress, a recent favorite she bought a few months ago. He loved the way the skirt swished around her legs like a princess he saw her as. Her long black hair was swept in a loose ponytail, a few strands framing her face. Picturesque and effortlessly beautiful.
Any man would worship the ground she walked on and Sam didn’t mind swallowing his pride to do so if given the opportunity.
“W-wha—” There it was: that famous blush he enjoyed causing so much. And that cute stammering she did when she couldn’t find the right words to say.
“Sorry. Go on, I’m listening.”
“How am I supposed to continue after you caught me off guard like that!”
He smirked. “You thank me for being the best husband in the world and compliment me back.”
She huffed, lips in a pout.
“What else did you do today?” He changed the subject for her sake. Because he was the best husband in the world.
“I went grocery shopping because we were out of eggs.”
“Thanks again for buying it.”
“I didn’t mind,” she grinned. “It was a good excuse to also go out with my friends and try this new gelato place Suzu showed us. We need to go back so you can try it! The key lime pie flavor was very light and refreshing.”
He narrowed his eyes. “They were supposed to be getting ready for their flight to Italy today.”
Mika waved dismissively. “Naomi made sure Suzu packed a few days ago.”
Sam chortled. Suzu wasn’t exactly the type to plan anything. At all. Luckily her fiancée was a lot more responsible than her and kept her important dates in check.
They postponed their conversation momentarily when a waiter came to their table. He ordered well done steak (which always made his wife grimace at his “lack of taste”) and she ordered garlic shrimp pasta. She took a glance at the alcohol menu, and he grinned at how her eyes sparkled once she found white wine to pair with her dish.
“How was your day?” Mika asked.
“Don’t get me started,” Sam grumbled.
“Hey, I had my chance to rant about my day, so it’s only fair you do the same.”
He smiled briefly before it soured into a scowl. “A lot of paperwork. Again. That’s why I was late coming over here.” He paused. “Sorry for that, by the way.”
“It’s no problem. You don’t have to apologize.”
“You sure? How long did you have to wait?”
“Sam. I’m sure now and I’ll always be sure the next time you ask. And it was just five minutes.”
His expression twisted in guilt. “If I’d been here at least five minutes earlier—”
She let out an exasperated chuckle. “Sam. I’ve known for quite a while that your job makes you incredibly busy and I understand that you’ll be late sometimes. Don’t worry about it, okay?”
He measured her with a stare, taking in her relaxed smile and green eyes with an earnest gleam, and then conceded with a sigh.
Mika’s smile brightened knowing she’d won.
Their dinner and wine arrived then and, because Sam knew she always did this when it came to food and Instagram, he leaned back in his seat so she could take a couple pictures of their dishes. Or ten. She made sure to take them at different angles, even though it was the same freaking thing in every shot. He would have laughed at her ridiculous positions and silly expressions scrunched in concentration, but he was getting hungry the longer her photo session dragged on.
“Take your last shot right now or I’m going to eat your shrimp,” he threatened.
“Alright, alright,” she chuckled before she frowned at her screen. “Wait, that was a little blurry. Let me do it again—hey!”
He warned her, but she didn’t listen.
She finally put away her phone with a glare that lost its edge as she pouted. “If your steak wasn’t so charred I’d do the same.”
“Sounds like a you problem,” he cut a piece while snickering.
They talked a bit about their favorite band’s album that had been released recently while they enjoyed their food. There were rumors that one of their new songs would be featured in a video game Sam liked to play and he hoped it was true.
She showed him the pictures she took this morning for Sammy’s Instagram and he chuckled at how adorable the Rottweiler was curled up in his new bed. Once in a while Sam heard the sound of a camera snapping, but when he turned to his wife she acted like he was just hearing things. She was probably taking more pictures again. He let it go with a shrug and kept eating.
After they had finished a delectable chocolate mousse cake, Sam was quick to pay for the bill before Mika could reach for her wallet. Luckily she was tipsy enough to thank him with a noisy kiss instead of insisting she should take care of it like she always did.
He suggested they do a night stroll to gaze at the city lights and she happily agreed, giggling to herself at a joke only she could hear. When she was in this state it was best to have her walk around a few minutes until she had a clear head. He wasn’t planning to repeat the last time she drank too much.
She tripped a few times and he threw his head back and laughed while helping her up. To his relief she was able to walk like a normal person after ten minutes, but then she took out her phone and randomly recorded them together for reasons that were lost on him. He took note to keep an eye out for her newest post later.
Sam heard her light snores as he parked his truck in their driveway and he chuckled to himself. As much as he loved the sight of his wife asleep, he couldn’t let her anywhere near the bed with her dress and her makeup still on. Reaching over to unbuckle her seatbelt, Sam swept her in his arms and made his way inside. Their Rottweiler perked from his sleeping position when his owners entered the bedroom and yipped in an energetic greeting.
“Sammyyyy,” Mika groaned, opening her bleary eyes. “Inside voice.”
Sam placed her in their bathroom and motioned her to shower. “Going to take him outside. Don’t fall asleep in there, okay?”
She mumbled her response and closed the door. He made sure to hear the sound of the showerhead turning on before carrying Sammy to the backyard. It only took a couple minutes for him to relieve himself, and Sam spent an extra few minutes to clean it up and chase him around to expend all that excitable energy. It made feeding and refilling his water dispenser much easier that way.
He made sure Sammy’s paws were clean and dry and then let the little rascal run up the dog stairs at the end of their bed and over to where Mika lay, snuggling up to her side on the left. Eyes half open but still aware of what was going on around her, she cooed and petted him as Sam left to take a quick shower as well.
“Still up?” He asked when she glanced at him as he climbed into bed.
“I wanted to stay up until you joined me.”
“I’m here,” he lazily rested his arm around her waist. “Get some shut eye.”
She hummed her assent, leaning in to kiss him. “Tonight was lovely. Thank you for being the best husband in the world.”
“Because you paid for dinner and I need to return the favor.”
“Mika, you don’t have to.”
“I want to,” she looked so determined that Sam didn’t have the heart to argue. “How about I bring you a home cooked meal at lunch time tomorrow?”
Oh, okay. He was fine with that. “Sure thing. Text me when you’re there?”
She nodded, closing her eyes. “Yup. Night, Sam. I love you.”
“I love you,” he pressed a kiss on her and Sammy’s forehead and turned off the lights, hoping to get enough sleep for tomorrow’s shift.
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