Happy Birthday – An Acheroncest Oneshot

Summary: Maia may have forgotten about her birthday, but her brother certainly hasn't – and this year Gol has a surprise up his sleeve. Things will never be the same again for the Acherons.

Dawn broke crisp and frosty over the home of the Acheron siblings. Gol's crimson eyes snapped open as soon as the weak sunlight touched them. For a moment he was disorientated still from sleep, but soon enough a giddy smile overpowered his features as if he were a child as he remembered what day it was. Silently levering himself up in bed, the thick sheets protecting him from the cold dropping to his waist, Gol gazed across his and his sister's shared bedroom as Maia's still sleeping form, her golden hair fanning out across her pillow like a halo, a small smile playing on her lips. Gol's own smile faded when his eyes slipped to the inhuman blue discoloration flowering up from her white streak of previously golden hair, flowering across her cheek, and finishing in almost decorative swirls. It was the toll their studies with Dark Eco had taken upon the siblings. The elder Sage's fingers subconsciously traced over his own marks thoughtfully.

Gol watched the sleeping form of his younger sister for a few moments, before quietly slipping out of bed and out of the room. He had some preparing to do before Maia awoke. He had been planning for this day for months – now he just hoped everything went according to plan.

Some time later, Maia blearily slipped into consciousness, subconsciously unwilling to leave her dreams. When she ascertained that she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep, the young Sage's eyes alighted upon something on the small wooden table beside her bed. It was a small cluster of snowdrops, still wet with dew, and almost sparkling with a pearly aura. They were Maia's favourite flowers, but they didn't grow nearby so far as she knew. Gol must have put them there for a reason, and Maia wondered vaguely if there was something special about the day – but try as she might, she couldn't think of anything. Plucking the cluster of blossoms from the table, Maia fixed them into her hair, just behind her right ear with a smile. Her brother could be so spontaneous sometimes, although he generally did have a reason. As she stood and smoothed her hair – whilst also admiring the snowdrops – in the mirror on one wall, Maia scoured her thoughts for a reason for Gol's behaviour. After a few moments she gave up again and sighed contentedly. Perhaps there was no reason.

Gol bent further over the book he was reading (Eco Theory – incomplete with regards to Dark Eco, something he hoped to amend, but the book was interesting all the same) to hide his smirk as Maia walked in, the snowdrops he had left by her bed a pearly contrast to her golden hair, looking a little bewildered by the gift. He'd suspected that she would entirely forget what the day was; being so caught up in their studies of Dark Eco as they had been, but there had always been the chance Maia would remember it was her eighteenth birthday.

"Hello, sister." He greeted the younger Sage amiably, managing to keep his excitement about his plans out of his voice.

"Good morning, brother." Maia replied, going over to a large table, and pulling a roll of parchment towards her. Selecting a quill, she began to write. For a while, the only sounds were the rustling of pages and parchment, the scratching of a quill, and occasionally Maia muttering scattered sentences aloud before she wrote them. Gol glanced sneakily at his younger sister every so often, restraining a chuckle at her expression of intense concentration. It was one of the many things so incredibly endearing about her.

By lunchtime, Gol had to go outside to prepare the next part of his plan. After glancing around to make sure Maia hadn't followed him, he strolled down into the forest surrounding their home with a feigned air of disinterest. He had told his sister that he was going to meditate, and by now she knew that he needed to be left alone for that. Of course, Gol was going to do no such thing – but he did still need to be alone.

Reaching a small clearing that only he and Maia knew about, Gol sat cross-legged, and evened his breathing, accessing his stores of Dark Eco. The Eco slipped into his control with an accustomed ease that made the Sage slightly uncomfortable – he knew Samos and the other Sages were wrong when they said Dark Eco could not be harnessed and controlled, but that didn't mean he shouldn't be wary when drawing upon it. The marks emblazoned upon his skin were testament to Dark Eco's disfiguring powers. Concentrating, he channelled the power into the space between his hands, and within seconds a large Dark Eco crystal began to form, sparking with bolts of lightening formed by the Eco. Gol allowed it to grow until he was satisfied with the size, and then cut off the Eco, allowing the now large crystal to drop onto the grass. Reaching into the pocket of his jacket, the Sage drew out a carving knife and began to chip methodically at the crystal.

Maia sighed and glanced once again out of the window she was stood before, biting her lip worriedly. Days were short this far north at any time of the year, but in winter dusk came in all the quicker. Gol had left hours ago, and there was still no sign of him. The younger Sage knew her brother knew better than to stay out after night had completely fallen – Lurkers were abundant in the area – so why hadn't he yet returned? And why had he been acting so strangely all day? This behaviour, which made her worry so much, along with the gift of snowdrops she had found by her bed that morning were certainly not helping Maia to ignore the feelings she had for her older brother. No matter how much the Sage tried to tell herself that she shouldn't feel these things for her brother, the fact remained that she didn't love Gol as a brother – she was in love with him.

Suddenly the door to their small cottage was closed with a bang, making the younger Sage drop the quill she'd been holding – and scattering droplets of ink all over the parchment in front of her.

"Blast it." She cursed quietly. At least the words she had already written were still legible – though the rest of the parchment was ruined. Unexpectedly, a hand stroked her hair, and a voice whispered in her ear.

"Sorry."

Maia turned her head to face her brother, and quite without warning found his lips covering her own.

If Gol had said the first thing he felt when he kissed his sister was worry of rejection and hate, he would be lying. The first thing he felt was exactly what he'd realised whenever he even looked at Maia – love and devotion. The small voice that told the elder Sage to stop and apologize was promptly told to go screw itself. After a few hesitant moments where Maia was simply shocked – Gol felt the bottom drop out of his stomach repeatedly – his younger sister tentatively reached up and entwined some of his golden hair in her pale fingers.

Is this happening? Gol wondered fleetingly. Or am I in some wonderful dream?

When they finally broke apart, Gol pressed the rose he'd carved from the Dark Eco crystal into Maia's hand.

"Happy birthday, sister."