Because Rob Lucci's birthday simply MUST be celebrated.

Call it LuccixKaku if you want to, but I only meant it to be friendship.

Disclaimer: You know the drill.

The Cat in the Hat

It had been a while since they had disembarked on their quest to kill Spandam. They weren't in any particular rush to reach him. What could be more entertaining than biding there time, and allowing him to start feeling comfortable again?

Despite being criminals wanted by the World Government as a whole, the former members of CP9 were having an easy time of getting around unnoticed; the irony being that it was thanks to the very same organization that hunted them. Due to having been operatives of the hidden Cipher Police, none of them technically existed. There were no photos or records on any of them, and the government couldn't very well tell everyone that a rogue band of disgraced, former secret agents was mucking about, it was beyond bad for publicity.

All in all, now that there were no hospital bills to be paid, life was easy.

Newfound lifestyle aside, Rob Lucci was sour. He was just naturally a sour person anyway, but not only was he missing the hat he'd lost at Enies Lobby, but the town they had stopped at was chock full of people terribly far-gone down the path of peppiness; it was June 2nd, a day he cared nothing for, but one that never meant good things; and Kaku, that long-necked, ungulate bastard… He was planning something, damnit.

Lucci could tell, he could feel it in his bones, in every fiber of his body. His killer, leopard instincts were telling him to be on the alert. Another hint was that he knew for a fact that somehow, years prior, Kaku had learned that Lucci's date of birth was June 2nd, and in times of relative boredom, had tried to celebrate it before.

Lucci absently stroked Hattori's feathers as he walked about aimlessly, scoffing amusedly at the fact that the children on the street had ceased romp and play the moment he set foot on it. Lucci didn't like kids; he didn't really have anything against them, he just didn't like them, like most things in the world. One of the few things on the planet Lucci did feel fondness for was Hattori. And his suit.

One thing Lucci hated, that didn't wear a Straw Hat, was summer. June 2nd may not technically be summer, but it was close enough for the leopard-man. He certainly didn't like winter either, or spring (autumn's okay), but he loathed summer. The long, brightly lit days pissed him off, and the heat only increased the feeling. In spite of having had lived for years on Justice Island, Lucci to date hated those eternal days. Perhaps it was the nocturnal leopard inside him that made it drive him up the wall so, but whatever the reason, it was just another one of those facets of life Lucci would've been happy to do without.

As he walked, Lucci wound up strolling next to the long window of an old little shop of knick-knacks, and found himself looking in as he passed. There were small silver trinkets framed by an overabundance of lace both black and white.

Now, ex-agent status aside, even Lucci can get caught up in his thoughts and zone out on a hazy day. He would never admit it, but he knew himself as often doing so. It was because of this that, just as he was coming to the end of the window, he walked smack-dab into Kaku. Almost shaken from his shoulder-perch, Hattori issued a disgruntled "Kuropoo!" at the collision, and flapped over to Kaku's head.

Not entirely pleased about the situation himself, Lucci's eyes trailed down from Hattori, to Kaku's face, to the package in his hands – his gaze became wary at that point – and back to Kaku.

Inclining his head slightly, Kaku looked straight at Lucci's face, grinning that stupid, overly friendly little grin of his. "Here." He said amiably, holding out the box out to the leopard-man, as if receiving gifts was a normal part of Lucci's agenda.

Lucci didn't move to take it; he simply stood stock still, and raised a noncommittal eyebrow.

He was gestured at with the box again. "Come on, take it!" Kaku spoke again. "I'd have gotten you a tie, but I couldn't find any good ones with matches for Hattori." The redhead grinned up at the pigeon seated on his be-capped head. "I saw this in the window there, and thought you might like it."

His eyes not moving from Kaku's, Lucci reached his hand out and took the package. At last looking down again, he lifted the box top – one that was mercifully lacking in obnoxious bows – and peered inside.

Peeking back out at him was a black top hat, complete with a simple white band, and looking like an almost exact duplicate of his old one. His eyes widened for a split-second, then returned to normal, and he half-glared accusatorily at Kaku. Lucci wasn't entirely sure what he was accusing him of, but it felt necessary.

His annoyance was met only with a carefree shrug. "Happy birthday Lucci." His fellow ex-CP9 said, and turned and began to merrily stroll away. Hattori returned to his shoulder. The little feather-ball had a thing for Kaku. It was weird.

Soundlessly, Lucci watched him go. Then he removed the hat from its resting place, calmly placed it on his head, and tossed the box in a nearby trashcan. He spent the rest of his day in a slightly better mood.

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