Headpats
One day a young boy of five years old by the name Kai Kaiyami is playing at a park in modern day Japan while minding his own business with his mother watching him when an eagle suddenly swoops down to try and grab him, probably seeing the little boy as prey of sorts, startling him and causing him to fall on his backside in fright so the eagle narrowly misses him, but tries again when suddenly...
"Hey! You big meany eagle! Get away from that boy you're trying to catch, come on, shoo! Go away! Shoo!"
Kai hears the voice of a little girl a metre away from in front of him, he looks up at the voice to see the little girl, similarly aged to himself, brandishing a sharp branch half her own height, the eagle caws loudly as the girl's loud screaming, while running at it as fast as her little legs can carry her all while swinging the sharp stick around causes it to flee back skywards, off towards the horizon, Kai looks up at the girl in awe.
"Hey, are you alright, stranger? Rest assured that mean eagle won't be coming back for seconds, here, let me help you up."
The little girl extends her hand down towards Kai, he has unshed tears in his eyes, but he smiles and takes hold of it.
"Thank you, uh, stranger? You sure were brave standing up to that eagle for me, you're my age, yet you are so cool!"
Kai says as the girl, with surprising strength pulls him back to his feet with minor effort, his eyes sparkle in amazement.
"Hehe, that's silly, isn't it? We can't just keep calling each other "stranger" forever, let's introduce ourselves, I am Aiko Aizawa."
The girl says giggling, then, surprising Kai and his mother, Aiko reaches out and pats Kai's head, ruffling his hair in the process.
"Wait, did you just... pat my head? That's a first for me, in any case you're right, "stranger" sounds dumb, I am Kai Kaiyami.'
Kai asks in his surprise, nevertheless he agrees with Aiko and introduces himself to her, causing her to grin toothily at him.
"Aiko, why did you...?!"
An adult man exclaims as he reaches Kai and Aiko, looking somewhat worried about the latter.
"Why hello there, are you this little girl, I mean Aiko's father? As for the why, she was protecting my boy from an eagle ambush."
Kai's mother enquires, also filling the man in about what just transpired, as she fawns over the little girl who saved her boy's life.
"Yes, I am Aiko's father, my name's Haruko Aizawa, so my little girl saved your little boy huh? Atta girl, just like I taught you."
The man, now known as Aiko's father, Haruko introduces himself and proudly bends down to give Aiko a high five.
"Oh my, you seem to have taught little Aiko well, she's truly adorable, and so nice, I'm this boy, Kai's mother Haruka Kaiyami."
Kai's mother introduces herself while still fawning over the man's daughter Aiko, beaming at the man and the girl.
"Mister, your name's almost identical to my mommy's, that's so cool! Also Aiko seems very nice, can she be my friend?!"
Kai exclaims excitedly, winking discreetly at Aiko in a "blink and you'll miss it" kind of way before addressing Mr Aizawa.
"I can not see why not, you and your mom seem to have been meant to meet me and my little angel, I approve little man."
Mr Aizawa gives his blessing for Kai and Aiko's friendship, smiling down at him while showing him a thumbs up.
"I do agree too, they look like such naturals when conversing with each other, I am sure that these two will become besties!"
Ms Kaiyami exclaims in excitement, anyone could guess where Kai learned to be so enthusiastic about making friends.
"Oh I know! Let's remember this day forever with a photo! My daddy has his tripod and camera in his camera bag!"
Aiko then suggested with an unmistakable joyousness in her voice and on her face, causing Kai's own face to light up just as joyously, Mr Aizawa laughingly rummages around inside his camera bag and pulls out his tripod and camera, setting them up a metre away from their group, the four then go to sit in front of a flowering cherry tree, Aiko then exclaims "Say headpats!" Everyone does and smiles, "click".
Time skip to around five years later, age 10.
"Kai! It's time for you to wake up, we're going to be late for school, sleepyhead! We probably shouldn't miss our first day."
Kai groans half-heartedly, no actual heat in the action as his best friend of five years, Aiko bursts into his room, waking him.
"Aiko, five years you two've lived with us, but I still dunno where you get the energy to be so cheerful so early in the morning."
Kai says, again no heat in his voice, he really did adore his childhood friend, but she didn't seem to have an energy limit.
"Don't be silly, Kai, we are best friends, besides, I know you adore me, otherwise you wouldn't always let me headpat you."
Aiko counters teasingly, but Kai also knows the girl means it, that she wouldn't say it if she didn't mean it, she is sincere that way.
"Yeah you're right, Aiko, as always, how could I dislike the person who saved my life five years ago? You're my best friend."
Kai concedes, no plan to disagree with Aiko in the first place, the Aizawa's & Kaiyami's had moved in together within a month.
"Then come on, silly, or I won't be giving you any headpats until tomorrow morning, doesn't that just sound so awful?"
Aiko playfully and good nurturedly jokes, but Kai hasn't known her for five years for nothing, he knows she's somewhat serious.
"I'm up! There's no need to escalate things to that extreme, I'll be dressed in five minutes, so, uh, please leave so I can do so."
Kai says, jumping up in alarm, he hasn't matured for nothing, he's three years from being a teenager, he knows he loves Aiko.
"Alrighty, but do understand that I will be making good on the no headpats threat if you take longer than that, ciao for now!"
Aiko says cheerfully, sometimes Kai thinks the girl just says that to mess with him, he also knows if that's true it isn't malicious.
"Man, what am I going to do with that girl? I know very well she's mostly serious when she threatens with no headpats."
Kai grumbles under his breath, he knows very well she'd deny him headpats if she heard him complaining about that threat.
Five minutes later.
Kai just sits down at the breakfast table, greeting his mother, Haruka Kaiyami(now Aizawa) and his step father, Haruko Aizawa when, having waited for her chance to pounce, Aiko sneaks up behind the still somewhat groggy and sleepy Kai and covers both his eyes with her hands, startling him a little bit, causing him to jump a little in his seat, after that he laughs joyously, knowing Aiko got him again.
"Guess who, sleepyhead, I know for a fact that you know for a fact just who I am, don't fail me, Kai, hehe."
Aiko playfully quips with her hands still covering Kai's eyes, he knows she's testing him, as girls often do with close guy friends.
"It can only be Aiko, my best friend since five years old, five years ago! So do ya think I did well enough, my lady?"
Kai "guesses" correctly, he loves it when she tests him in such a playful manner, it does help that he likes to go along with her.
"Hm-mh, good guess, Kai, El Grandé best friend of mine, you are correct! So you get a headpat... and also one of these."
Aiko replies, flourishingly, Kai's confused momentarily, then Aiko doesn't just headpat him, she kisses him on the cheek.
"What the...?! You... you, I, uhm, you just kissed me on the cheek, didn't you? I like it, but... what in the world was that for, Aiko?"
Kai stuttered, totally and utterly caught off guard, his heart racing, he was not expecting a kiss on the cheek from Aiko.
"Uh-oh, you're in danger now, Kai, you might want to run away before she overwhelms you with her affection, haha!"
Aiko's father, Haruko jokingly "warns" Kai, the words leaving his mouth in a teasing tone, he always enjoys Aiko's effect on Kai.
"Oh my, a "shipper on deck", you're such a detective, Haruko dear. I second your deduction, they're so adorable together!"
Kai's mother, Haruka, gets in some of her own teasing, if you asked her she'd say she's "meta aware" about things like that.
"Why do you...?! Mom, Mr Aizawa, please don't tease me like that, it is so lame... ah who am I kidding? Please do carry on."
Kai protests, groaning in the process, going from confusedly embarrassed, to pleading, to hilariously sarcastic all in one go.
"Oh, you're so funny, Kai, hehe, you did say you liked it, you just went through what I call "The three phases of embarrassment".
Aiko boards the teaser train, leaving Kai secretly overjoyed, knowing she secretly took his side as she winked at him.
Three years later, age 13.
The hurried sound of two sets of feet hitting the pavement could be heard down the quiet street, no hard breathing was heard, anyone before rounding the corner would realise the two individuals doing the running were no slouches and in fact were very fit and healthy, the scene pans to a boy and a girl, both clearly thirteen years of age as they slow down to a jog to make conversing with each other easier.
"Wow, are we in sync or what? We're exactly the same amount of fit, if that isn't totally awesome I dunno what is!"
The boy, Kai Kaiyami, enthuses his words, breathing perfectly normal, for someone who just ran a quarter mile nonstop.
"We sure are, we haven't been exercising together every day a half hour after school, homework and meals for nothing!"
The girl, Kai's best friend, Aiko Aizawa also sounds enthused, also breathing normally despite running so far so quickly.
"Well, time to take the other quarter of this half mile around back home, you know the drill, the next run back is a cooldown jog."
Kai suggests, although at this point it's more a formality than suggestion, they have been doing this half mile run for three years.
"Well now, you got it pecked straight, this is such a great routine, isn't it, Kai, we have gotten so fit and healthy from it."
Aiko concludes in her findings, they did both deduce that earlier that year, but she just felt like stating the obvious, it's a thing.
As they start their jog back towards home Aiko reaches out and ruffles Kai's hair before also patting his head up and down, that was the full headpat experience in her opinion, and knowing Kai as well as she does she knows he agrees with her, this "full headpat experience" started three years ago on their walk to school when Aiko was feeling extra affectionate, she called herself a revolutionary afterwards.
"Heh, that really hits the spot, since "revolutionising" your patented headpat you've been nothing short of perfect at it."
Kai praises his one and only childhood best friend, he really meant it, his feelings only having grown since that point in time.
"Aww thank you, Kai! You're so sweet! You know how to flatter a girl, granted, I'm the same age as you, I am still a girl though."
Aiko lights up under all the praise from her best friend and unbeknownst to Kai himself, the love of her life.
The next day, Sunday morning at church.
The Aizawa household had just gotten out of church, they had been going there ever since Mr Aizawa introduced(the at that point still Kaiyami family) to the Christian faith eight years ago, he'd been going there years earlier before his former wife died when Aiko was still a baby, with the former Ms Aizawa having introduced the young dad to Christianity when they got together, now it's the new family's favourite place.
"That sermon was so good! Every day I seem to learn something new about the Christian faith, you all do as well, right?"
Kai exclaims, filled with love for the Lord and saviour of Earth, the sermons feeling so fulfilling to him.
"It was excellent in fact. Christianity is such a thrilling experience, getting to praise the Lord, listening to the pastor, all of that!"
Aiko enthusiastically replies as well, she and her dad had been going to church together ever since her mother died.
"Yeah the Lord works in ways we can only hope to comprehend, but as you all know it's our job as Christians to have faith."
Mr Aizawa agrees without any doubt in his mind with the two kids currently in their first year of being teenagers respectively.
"I was slightly sceptical at first about switching to another faith, but here we are eight years later, fully fledged Christians."
Haruko Aizawa reveals and breaths a sigh of relief, as if she just lifted a massive weight off of her own shoulders.
"Daddy, and Ms Kaiyami, saying that, me and Kai have a big surprise for you both, we think you'll both really like it!"
Aiko suddenly pipes up, sounding really excited, her and Kai were both practically vibrating excitedly next to each other.
"Yeah, you're gonna love it, Mom and Mr Aizawa, prepare to be totally amazed by this surprise, ready? Well, here it is!"
Kai exclaims just as excitedly as Aiko, their respective parents were going to be thrilled, he could feel it.
"(Simultaneously) We finally accept that both of you are both the parents of both of us, we are officially a family unit!"
The pleasant surprise and shock on Haruka and Haruko Aizawa's faces had Kai & Aiko cheering as they high five'd each other.
Monday morning at school.
Kai and Aiko were sitting in class next to each other, as they had the same class for all classes and they had them together.
"Hey, Aiko, do you think if I hadn't been ambushed by that eagle at the park we'd have ever met each other at all?"
Kai suddenly asks, causing Aiko to turn to him with a closed eyed, open mouthed smile, other students suddenly very silent.
"I'd like to think so, if we didn't, I'm sure we'd have met somewhere else, sometime else, at some other age, eventually."
Aiko says with a tone of surety in her voice, then, as is her habit she reaches out and headpats Kai with a hair pat+ruffle combo.
"I'd also like to think that, and, knowing our faith in the Lord I'd even go as far to say he'd have brought us together regardless."
Kai puts things in further perspective for them both and then does something he has never done before, he headpats Aiko back.
"Aww, that's the first time you've headpat me back! Hehe. Proud of you. I am also proud of you for grounding it in our faith."
Aiko says, at first exclaiming, her eyes opening in delight at Kai's reciprocal act, and then she giggles and praises his faith.
"Why, thank you my lady, I am nothing if not happy to give you a headpat back and stay strong in my well gotten faith."
Kai says, beaming, internally his heart beat very fast the moment she opened her eyes again, he'd never seen them that beautiful.
The bell rang for the class to start.
Two years later, age 15.
Kai and Aiko were at a sports festival, they were participating in a mixed gender two person relay race, they smirked at each other as Aiko walked past Kai, the reason they were smirking is because they knew they were going to win the relay race, they've been super fit ever since age ten and super competitive too, this was going to be the first ever relay race either of them have competed in, they were excited.
As Aiko was passing Kai with both of them still smirking at each other out of confidence of their sure win, they both reached out and gave each other their pat+ and ruffle headpat, exchanging that "Full headpat experience". After making eye contact in the meanwhile, they felt themselves sync on an emotional level, game faces on, ready to win, Aiko went and took up her spot five hundred metres away.
Then the whistle was blown. Kai took off like a bullet, rocketing past his opponent, focused fully on winning, within a few minutes he reached Aiko, he held out his relay stick as he reached her and she took a hold of it, if he was a destructive thunderbolt, she was its echo, same speed as him, just more graceful, finishing in no time. A bit later Kai was by Aiko again and they hugged and cheered in celebration.
Three years later, age 18.
The two best friends were walking back home on the way from their last ever day attending high school, they had passed their final year with flying colours, so they decided to go straight home to celebrate their matriculation, with the parental duo, suddenly a car came screeching around the corner, Kai yanked Aiko onto the sidewalk he was on, pulling her flush against his chest, her head tucked against his chest.
"Aiko, are you alright?! I almost lost you there, whoever that was, I hope they're okay too, wherever they were in a rush to."
Kai exclaimed and then sent the driver his well wishes after seeing that Aiko is unharmed, he felt her trembling.
"Yeah I'm alright, I, I just saw my life flash before my eyes, but you came to my rescue just in time, guess you're my hero now too."
Aiko says as the terrified trembling of the incident stops after a few seconds of being held, Kai can feel her heartbeat and she his.
"Now we're even I guess, I feel somehow... we were fated to meet each other no matter what so we could save each other's lives, it's rather poetic, really, the little girl saves the boys life as kids, as adults roles reversed."
Kai reflects on their meeting, sounding nostalgic, the whole moment seemed nostalgic, he mentioned neither Aiko's heart, beating loudly beneath her ribcage against his chest, or his against hers.
"Hehe, don't think just because we are even now I'll let you walk out of my life, nope, not happening at all in this life as long as we both draw breath, even when one day both heavenly, we'll be together evermore."
Aiko giggles heartily, never having felt so safe in her whole life, even when living with her dad and the Kaiyamis in their home and becoming family to Kai, she forgoes mentioning both's heartbeats too."
"When I'm ready in three years I want to tell you something, I just... I need a little more time to pluck up the courage, Aiko"
Kai basically confesses to Aiko, holding her tighter so she can't look into his eyes and see his love for her, he wasn't ready yet.
"There's no rush, Kai, I will wait for as long as I need to, and if it takes three more full years for it to happen, I'll wait patiently."
Aiko says, taking hold of Kai's hand and places it flat atop her own head, his eyes widen, he really can't hide it from this girl.
Three years later, 21 years old.
Three days after Kai's birthday and a few hours later the next day after Aiko's own birthday the two were on their way to a famous restaurant in the city, when it suddenly started drizzling water drops from the heavens causing the two to look up at the sky, the sky was coated white with clouds, not a sliver of blue in sight, with the weather downcast, Kai and Aiko looked down. Only, slowly their eyes locked.
"Aiko, I told you I'd wait only three years to tell you, and I know you know already, but, and I wanted to thank you for the patience you showed me, I really like you, in fact, I love you, Aiko Aizawa.
Kai finally confesses, sixteen years in the making, finally he gets his feelings across to her, he's loved her since eight years old.
"Kai, I have known all along, ever since after our eighth birthdays, I've liked you since then too, after seeing you blush at me the first time, I realised your feelings for me then, I love you too, Kai, love of my life.
Aiko gave quite a few confessions of her own, the last one making Kai tear up in joy, her calling him the love of her life? Icing.
"I really can't hide anything from you, can I? Never could, in saying all that, Aiko, will you become my girlfriend?"
Kai finally asks the second biggest question he will ever ask Aiko, in his life, Kai waited, breath bated as she leaned up at him.
"I thought you'd never ask, I'd be ecstatic to become your girlfriend... and if God spares us, one day, finally your wife."
Aiko, after they had both procrastinated for thirteen long years, an extended wait, finally kissed Kai's lips.
