Marisa didn't actually need to hold onto her hat as she made the drop down to the Hakurei Shrine courtyard: there was no breeze to speak of, and her landing was so soft she could have safely balanced a basket of eggs on her head. Still, ingrained habits died hard.
As she sauntered over to where Reimu was waiting on the porch, she took the opportunity to look at the skies. They had been blessed with the perfect conditions for observing a meteor shower: no clouds, no wind, not even the thinnest rim of the moon to spoil the view. The shrine wasn't the very best spot in Gensokyo for watching the night sky, but it was the very best spot for watching the night sky together with Reimu, which tilted the scales inexorably in its favour.
Marisa leaned her broom against the steps and tossed her scarf back over her shoulder. "Where's everyone?"
Reimu's shrug was nigh imperceptible. "Out."
"So it's just the two of us?" Marisa grinned. "Throw in some tea and snacks and it's just like old times."
"You know where to find them."
"I'll be right back." As she stepped past Reimu, Marisa slowed down to press a quick kiss against the top of her head.
The kitchen was even more cluttered than usual — in other words, Marisa was right at home. She hummed a tune under her breath as she got everything together, and as the water began to boil, she nabbed an extra rice cracker for herself. Again, ingrained habits died hard.
Reimu hadn't budged an inch by the time Marisa returned to the porch with the tray of snacks. She did, however, hold out her hand as Marisa offered her a steaming cup of tea. "Thanks."
Marisa sat down next to her and helped herself to another cracker. "Seen any meteors yet?"
"Not one." Reimu sipped at her tea, then frowned at the dark sky. The previous January, there had been an ominous grey film clouding her gaze, but thanks to some helpful magic, the eyes were once again as sharp as they had ever been. "With our luck, they'll only show up on the other side of the barrier this year."
"If it's our luck, we should prepare for a real show." Marisa glanced at Reimu and saw that her breath was misting in the chill. "Aren't you cold?"
"Not really. I've barely felt the changes in temperature lately."
Marisa tried to smile. "Sometimes I worry the currents're just gonna carry you off one day."
"Who knows?"
Marisa wished it had all been a joke, but the truth was that Reimu seemed to become more and more one with the wind with each passing season. Still, worrying about it right now wasn't going to help. Instead, she focused on the cracker and did her best to live in the moment.
She hadn't paid much attention when the first strands of Reimu's hair had turned white. After all, hadn't her own hair sprouted rainbow hues before fading back to gold when she had become a magician? Hair was weird, even when you were human.
From there it had been a soft descent, so smooth Marisa had barely noticed it at first. Gradually, lines had filled Reimu's face and her movements had slowed down. It wasn't until all of Reimu's hair was the colour of driven snow that Marisa had stood by her side and felt her heart skip a beat as she realised she was now taller than Reimu.
She shook her head to shed the needless thoughts. Reimu was right there next to her, and that was what counted. "Y'know, it's gonna be our fiftieth anniversary soon."
"So it will."
"Wanna do something special for it?"
"Does flying across Gensokyo together count as special?"
"Works for me." Marisa reached for her cup when a living light shot across the night sky and she snapped her eyes towards it. "There's one!"
Without tearing her gaze from the sky, she inched closer to Reimu and wrapped half of her scarf around her shoulders.
Reimu's hand felt like it was composed mostly of air, but her grip was still surprisingly strong. Marisa squeezed her back as they huddled together to watch the dance of shooting stars just like they always did. Just as they would for years and years to come.