Boop.

"…Good. I’m not planning to share with Hyde, so have your fill." Something amazing like that. He can make his own cake. Not this one. Its a special day and he’s not here to celebrate it. Shame on him and his fish hair.

But to be honest, he didn’t want to be around himself when he was that down on himself. “… I want to apologize if I act a little strange. It’s been a while since I’ve done this sort of party.” Or a party at all. The last one was for a rather grumpy white hair schoolmate who… didn’t like his gift. But it didn’t matter. It’s his party, and he was going to enjoy it with a friend. “Take a seat, where ever. I’m sure he doesn’t care.”

He leads her to the living room and that couch he’s called his ‘bed’ for the past few weeks. “I’ll get what’s left of the cake. Just wait right here, please..?” He says, walking into the kitchen to get what he had left of a heartfelt cake. It was still three slices, decent size, kept together to save space in the fridge. “… I should be happy to be born, huh?” That was a thought that circulated around for a little while. It was a nicer thought that ‘Be a weapon, act like one’. Far better. But really, cake stops that thought easy enough. And a friend like her makes it way more bearable. As promised,  he comes back with two plates with two slices of cake. Placing them on that coffee table and joining her on the couch. Well, its a start, there was a song and cake.

♔"I'm glad you're not sharing any with him, more for us!"♔And then she quietly listened to his "apology" as he called it. A laugh escaped her lips as she lightly patted him on the back,♔"Don't worry about it! You wouldn't be the first person I know to be awkward during celebrations!"♔Taking his advice, she just plopped herself right down onto the couch in the living room. Comfy. Thankfully she was on her best behavior, so nothing disastrous would happen as he left her alone for a few moments. Her eyes lighting up as he came back with the cake. 

{Stop… Don’t finish that.}

She said something true. Another person wouldn’t meet him. Trading insults with that vulgar upper-classman, seeking a friend in Hyde, and now with this woman. Who made him a cake and gave him a picture. One of the few exciting moments in this city. Where he legitimately enjoyed himself. Albeit, fighting people and killing monsters but… It was fun.

"No… Celebrating one’s birth… Its been forever since then… I should be happy that I have a friend who went through all this trouble for me." The boy tried to seem at least grateful under that ‘permanent’ stoic and serious attitude. It was hard, but far from impossible. "… For that, I guess this birthday feels… legitimate."

♔"Everything would be a little different if you hadn't met certain people or if certain people hadn't met you. Being born and living are both pretty amazing things!"♔

It wasn't very often that you heard Nora say very profound things, but she had her moments.

"Well, its good that someone remembered my birthday..!" Unlike a trusted ally and friend who said nothing or made nothing to commemorate this day. Too bad, he wasn’t getting the rest of cake, then. At least  this optimistic girl knew enough to not only bake a cake, but sing a rather ad-libbed but well-meant birthday song. Still, the best present he’s gotten in years. That pat on the back from Waldstien is a close second. 

{Still, a sloth is a little weird to add to a song, right? Well, considering who this is… It fits…}

♔"Of course I'd remember your birthday! We're friends, aren't we? I mean, we were even partners for that weird maze thingie!"♔

In her eyes, he was just about on the same level as her JNPR family, if not just a little less.

More like falling! With a startled noise, he instinctively poised himself to catch her and—

"OOF! "

—successfully caught her in his arms! 

“G-got you——o-w-wo-aaaaaaAAAGH?!”

But the momentum of her fall caused him to lose his footing, and he found himself falling backwards. He tucked the girl’s head quickly to his chest with one of his hands, and secured her waist before landing flat on his bottom.

♔"Whoawhoawhoawhoa!!!!"♔

Now, Nora had plenty of experience in finding different ways to land, but not many of them included another person being on her landing area. She braced herself for impact and was a little surprised by how little impact she felt. Well, she supposed she had to thank the person who caught her for absorbing most of the shock from their collision. 

He was excited to say the least. Between the meal, a new friend, and the promise of some good fights, the boy was raring to go. He leaped back, sweeping the flag pole around him with wondrous (and practiced) flourish. Smashing the end into the ground, fabric unfurling in one swift motion to flutter behind the boy, baring the banner of his home, he grinned at her.

"Alright! You and me, Nora! Let’s go to the underground and beat its ass even further down underground! Like straight into the core!!"

Even if she said that though, Nora had the tendency to get a little out of hand... okay maybe a lot out of hand. Many a time had she been scolded by others in her team or pleaded that she not do the same thing next time. Geez, some people just couldn't handle fun sometimes.

♔"Aye, Aye, Captain! Let's go do this!"♔

"…… A cake?"

"She…. She made me a cake…" He takes the cake and photo inside the apartment. Of course, no one would actually remember today, save for two people. But… He wasn’t expecting her to know. Place the cake in the kitchen and the photo on the wooden coffee table, and goes back to the kitchen for a slice of that cake.

{This actually looks like something out of a bakery. She really made it herself…?}

"Well, a slice or two won’t ruin the day." As long as Hyde didn’t get any of this cake, he didn’t care. Shame on him for not telling Seth about the nosebleed and bruises. Seth takes one of the sharper kitchen knives and fork and slices into the cake. The boy takes a bite, expecting something mundane. Linne once made him a cake but-

"………………"

{………..}

{Is… I can taste the labor in this…..}

One bite. One simple bite. And that was all it took  to understand what he was missing out on. “Is this…. This is what I was missing out on..?” All the years. Gifts, cake, everything. Alone, just thinking it was another day to be alive. But this…. This was a good reason to make that special. She made that special.