Chapter Text
It was early morning on the Arronax; everyone was still asleep, except for Will who was lying awake and smiling to himself. Kaiko was curled up next to him, her head resting on his shoulder. Will couldn't help but chuckle fondly when he looked at her. Apparently, the motion disturbed her; her eyelids fluttered open and she lifted her head to smile at him.
'Morning, sweetie,' she murmured sleepily.
'Morning, Kaiko. Happy Birthday.'
'Thanks.' She kissed him on the cheek before sitting up and stretching. 'I should probably go and make breakfast.'
'Don't be ridiculous. It's your birthday, let me do it.'
Kaiko looked at him with an awkward expression. 'No offence, Will, but you're not exactly a master in the kitchen.'
Will laughed. 'Okay, if you insist.'
During breakfast, the family gave Kaiko her presents. Will had gotten her a necklace but he also had a huge surprise for her that he had been planning for a while. He just needed the opportunity to put it together. Fortunately, said opportunity came a little later that morning. They came across a coral reef teeming with sea life and stopped to take a look.
'Hey, I was gonna take the kids out to explore the reef,' Kaiko told Will. 'Are you coming?'
'I would love to but I actually have something I need to work on.'
He couldn't miss the slight falter in her expression. 'Oh, okay, sure. I'll see you later then.'
Will winced internally. He hated to make Kaiko feel disappointed on her birthday but he told himself he would make it up to her later. The second she was gone, he began gathering everything he needed for the surprise. By the time she returned, everything was ready. He found her on the bridge, staring out of the window, and hugged her from behind.
'How was the reef?'
'It was beautiful,' she replied a little stiffly, 'I wish you had been there to see it.'
'I'm sorry. But I think I might be able to make it up to you. Come on, I want to show you something.'
'What is it?'
'Just trust me.' He placed a hand over her eyes, despite her protests, and carefully guided her up to the top deck.
'Okay, you can open your eyes now.'
Kaiko opened her eyes and gasped. There was a blanket laid out on the deck with a basket sat on top and some candles positioned around it.
'Aww, Will. Is this what you were working on all day?'
'Yep. I even got all your favourite snacks.'
'Sweetie, you didn't have to do this.'
'I know, but I wanted to surprise you. Besides, I know how much you miss having picnics.'
This was true. While they were dating in college, they would often go out for picnics on the beach. It was one of the things Kaiko missed most from their time on land. The two of them sat close to each other on the blanket and snacked and talked until the sky turned a beautiful pinkish-orange.
'Will?'
'Mm?'
'Thank you for doing this for me.'
'Of course. I know I can sometimes spend too much time in the study -'
'It's okay.'
'No, it isn't. I promise from now on I'll try to dedicate more time to you.'
Kaiko sighed contentedly and leaned into him. 'I love you.'
'I love you too.' He leant down and gently kissed her on the lips.
'Happy birthday, Kaiko.'