It was another early morning, the sun was still rising, and the sky was a beautiful shade of pink and orange, with the occasional cloud drifting by. Maki Harukawa, the muscular fisherwoman, was already up and getting ready for another day of fishing out by the lake. She lived with her wife Kirumi, in a small but cozy house on the lake shore. Maki loved nothing more than the peace and quiet that came with living out in the countryside.
Maki tied her now shorter dark hair up into a ponytail, got dressed into her fishing gear, and headed to the bathroom to wash up. she thought about how lucky she was to have found Kirumi. Even after being married for over twenty years, Maki's love for her was still as strong as ever. She couldn't wait to get back home later after fishing and hang out with her beautiful wife.
Maki smiled to herself, remembering how they had met back when they were younger, Maki had been so closed off and cynical back then. But Kirumi had showed Maki what it felt like to truly be loved and cared for. She was Maki's entire world.
After getting ready, Maki headed out to the dock with her trusty fishing pole and tackle box. Her constant companion, a rare south Asian wild fishing cat named Sakana, hopped along beside her. Sakana was just a tiny kitten when Maki first brought her home. Now the cat was sleek and muscular. Sakana was no ordinary feline, she was a skilled hunting partner. Maki had spent countless years training the cat.
As the sun continued its ascent, turning the sky a bright shade of blue, Maki set to work. She cast her line out into the shimmering water. Sakana sat poised on the edge of the dock, tail swishing back and forth as she scanned the lake's surface with her piercing eyes. It wasn't long before a fish broke the surface.
In a blur of motion, Sakana launched herself into the air, mouth opening to grab the thrashing fish in her teeth before splashing down into the water. She emerged a moment later, dropping the catch at Maki's side. Maki reached down to scoop up the fish, and then gave the cat an affectionate pat on the head. "Good girl, Sakana," Maki praised. She continued this process for hours, reeling in all sorts of freshwater fish, By midday, they had quite the impressive haul.
The sun beat down relentlessly, and Maki felt the sweat trickling down her face and back. She was utterly filthy, smelling like fish and lake water. But it was a good kind of tired and dirty. The kind that came from a job well done. After reeling in one last fish, Maki called it a day and headed back to the house.
Sakana followed along behind Maki as she trudged up the path to the house, arms laden with the day's catch.
Maki couldn't suppress the grin that spread across her face as she caught sight of Kirumi standing on the porch, waving at her. Maki felt her heart swell with affection for the lovely woman. Even after all these years, the sight of Kirumi still made Maki so happy.
As Maki drew closer, Kirumi's smile faltered a bit. Her nose wrinkled. "Phew, Maki! You stink! Smells like you and Sakana rolled around in the lake," Kirumi teased with a giggle.
Maki rolled her eyes but chuckled. "What'd you expect?"
"I expect you to at least wash up before coming to kiss me, smelly" Kirumi retorted. Maki let out an exaggerated whine. "Fiiine, I'll go shower. But you better have a big kiss for me afterwards, Kirumi!"
Kirumi blew Maki a kiss. "Oh, I'll give you more than just a kiss later. But you stink too much for me to get close right now."
Maki made a show of trying to lean in to kiss Kirumi anyway, causing the other woman to squeal and dance back out of reach. Still grinning, Maki headed inside to clean up.
After showering and changing into fresh clothes, Maki made her way to the kitchen. The heavenly smell of fish sizzling in a pan hit her nose and made her stomach rumble. Kirumi stood at the stove, flipping the fish with a spatula.
"It smells amazing in here," Maki said as she slipped into the room. She wrapped her arms around Kirumi from behind and nuzzled into the crook of her neck. "My beautiful wife, cooking up my catch like always," she murmured.
Kirumi leaned back into Maki's embrace. "You know I love cooking for you, Maki. I'm so proud of all your hard work." Maki pressed a soft kiss to Kirumi's cheek before reluctantly releasing her and moving to sit at the kitchen table. "Why don't you join me for a bit until the food is ready?"
Kirumi smiled and came to perch on Maki's lap, draping her arms around Maki's neck. Maki instantly felt more at ease with Kirumi in her arms. The muscular fisher was so very in love with her sweet, nurturing wife.
As they cuddled, Maki felt a swell of emotion. Tears began to prick at the corners of her eyes. Kirumi must have felt Maki's change in demeanor because she pulled back to look at Maki's face. "Oh Maki, what's wrong?" Kirumi asked, reaching up to tenderly cup Maki's cheek.
A few tears slipped down Maki's cheeks as she met Kirumi's gaze. "I'm not crying," Maki tried to protest, but it came out as more of a watery whisper. "I'm... I'm so happy, Kirumi. Happier than I ever thought I could be. I love you so much," Kirumi's eyes shimmered with tears of her own that matched Maki's. "I love you too, Maki. You make me so happy."
Maki buried her face in the crook of Kirumi's neck again, shoulders shaking with quiet sobs. "I was so lost before you... so alone and angry. But you fixed me, Kirumi. You saved me," Maki whispered. Kirumi stroked Maki's hair soothingly. "Shh... I'm here now, Maki. I'll always be here for you,"
As they were wrapped up in each others arms, fish continued to cook on the stove. This was true happiness.
