A/N: Finally, it's Yuuta's birthday. Happy birthday, Yuuta! This story is a bit shorter than the others, and for that, I must apologize. However, today, I'm suffering from... Something. Some sort of stomach virus, or whatever, I don't really know, it was just a bitch. I'm glad I even managed to write this one, considering my day. It's been 15 hours of sleep, eating, some more sleeping, having a school test, even more sleeping... And now this. Needless to say, I'm going to bed immediately.
Which means no long author's note, as I usually do. Just a short one on the speaking mannerisms in this fic: I use "aniki" and "nee-san" because I feel it is important to show of their relationships with each other. Otherwise, I think it is silly to include Japanese glosaries in English texts, no offense.
Warnings: Un-beta'd text, written under the influence of painkillers and a huge cookie-crave. You have been warned. Oh, and a slight reference to Perfect Pair. Can be ignored, though.
Disclaimer: Do. Not. Own. Anything. Not even sanity.
Special
"Happy birthday, Yuuta!" Shusuke sang as he danced through his little brother's room, carefully balancing a tray of cocoa, toast and chocolate chip cookies. Yuuta, tangled in his bedsheets and none too happy about the merry awakening from his older brother, groaned and buried himself further into his pillow. It was that day again. February 18th. He almost regretted coming home for the weekend, but then remembered what Mizuki would have made him go through if he stayed at St. Rudolph. He shuddered at the thought.
"Now, now, you shouldn't be sleeping in at your own birthday, Yuuta," Shusuke said, pouting, as he put down the tray and sat down at the bed. "You don't have to get up yet – I brought your breakfast! And you know, there's a gift for you downstairs."
"Yeah, thanks, Aniki," Yuuta said, the sound muffled in his pillow. "But you suck at waking people up, and I'm - "
"Sorry, can't hear you," Shusuke chirped merrily. "You need to take away that pillow, first."
"I said," Yuuta repeated, and carefully lifted his face from the pillow, wary of any new moves Shusuke might attempt while he was still waking. "That you suck at waking people up. It's Sunday, I should be allowed to sleep in. And right now, I'm really sleepy. Can you please go?!" The last came out more like a bark than Yuuta originally intended, but hell, he was too tired to care.
"No need to get so grumpy," Shusuke smiled and ruffled the younger Fuji's already messy bedhair affectionately. "I'll be waiting downstairs. Maybe we'll see each other again in a few hours."
"Haha, very funny," Yuuta sighed as he collapsed back on his bed, to tired to even acknowledge the warm chocolate chip cookies on his desk.
"Good morning, Yuuta," Shusuke greeted as Yuuta slowly made his way down the stairs. "I almost thought you died up there."
"Shut up, Aniki," Yuuta grunted in response as he sat down at the kitchen table next to his brother. Shusuke only smiled back. "Where are the others?"
"They went shopping," Shusuke said with a shrug. "I said it would be okay."
"Sure..."
"..."
"..."
"That won't do," Shusuke said thoughtfully, still with that god damned smile on his face. Yuuta decided it would be a good idea to do something about it. He was just to sleepy to really figure out what. "It's your birthday, Yuuta. Happy birthday!"
"It's not so happy at the moment," Yuuta yawned, desperately trying to turn his head upside down so that Shusuke's smile would look like a sad mouth. Needless to say, he failed.
"Why not?" Shusuke pouted. "And what are you doing? Do you have a kink or something? I could massage it out for you, you know."
"No thanks."
"'Mitsu says I'm good as massaging."
"... Good for you."
"Could be good for you."
"Might've been, until you said that."
"Hm?" Shusuke tilted his head curiously sideways. "You do know I only try to make your birthday really good, don't you?"
Yuuta sighed.
"Yeah, I do," he said tiredly. "Thanks for the breakfast, by the way. The cookies were awesome."
"Oh, good," the older boy said. "I got up early to make them. Frozen cookies are no good, you know."
Yuuta flinched for a second as he realized he had just eaten something his brother had cooked from scratch without throwing it back up. Maybe it was just a question about time.
"... Thanks. But you shouldn't make such a big deal about it." Yuuta rubbed his neck nervously.
"Oh, but I want to," Shusuke replied merrily. "It's not every day my little brother is celebrating his birth."
A sudden thought struck Yuuta.
"It's not every year you celebrate yours either," he said with a hint of remorse. Shusuke chuckled.
"No," he agreed. Still smiling. Damn him.
"Is that why you're making such a big deal about mine?"
Shusuke bobbed his head curiously, as if thinking it over. "Could be," he replied eventually.
"Aren't you jealous?" Yuuta asked, frowning.
"I would rather be envious, Yuuta," Shusuke casually brushed him off.
"Why envious? Isn't that like same difference?"
"No, silly," Shusuke chuckled, as if Yuuta had just made an insanely stupid joke. "Jealousy is over something you feel you're loosing. Envy is when you want something you don't have, but someone else do. I can't be jealous of you, it's not as if I'm loosing my birthdays to you."
"Fine, envious, then," Yuuta sighed. He was, after all, never known for his patience. "Aren't you even slightly bothered by it?"
The older Fuji stayed silent for a minute, pondering his answer.
"Occasionally, I am, of course," he shrugged. "But really, the fact that I only have my birthday once every fourth year only makes it more special. Would you be as excited for your birthday if it was once a month instead of once a year?"
"No..." Yuuta admitted with a frown. Shusuke nodded, satisfied.
"See?" Suddenly, he magically produced another plate of cookies. Yuuta restrained himself from immediately grabbing one. They were, after all, terribly good.
"There's not many other middle-schoolers that can brag about being three years old, you know."
Yuuta choked slightly on his cookie.
"You're not bragging about that, are you?"
"No, I'm just pointing it out with a smirk."
"Same difference."
"We really need to work on your vocabulary, Yuuta. You sure you don't want me to help you with your homework?"
"No."
"Fine, but don't come running back to Mazuri when you fail your next test."
"His name is Mizuki and I would never run to him for homework help."
Shusuke smiled affectionately and stared at Yuuta.
"I'm surrounded by all these fantastic people," he sighed dreamily, earning a raised eyebrow from Yuuta. "Those three birthdays have been the best of my life, thanks to everyone. I could never remember any other moment when I've been even remotely close to that sort of happiness." He frowned slightly. "But none of you seem quite as happy on your birthdays..."
Yuuta copied his frown. "So you try to make my birthday amazing..."
"... So you could experience that as well, yes," Shusuke finished. "Even though your birthday is once a year. It's the best replacement I could ever have for a birthday, you know. Seeing you happy."
Although his older brother did not say so out loud, Yuuta knew instinctively that he felt as if he had failed at his self-proclaimed mission. As far as he could recall, he had not met Shusuke's attempts at making his birthday special with any particular joy, at least not the later years. He mostly found him slightly annoying, but that was just the way Yuuta was. And he still loved his brother.
"Hey, aniki..." he said slowly, making Shusuke look at him. Still smiling, for crying out loud. Though Yuuta could, after years of practice, easily see through it. "I hope you know how much I appreciate what you're doing each year. I might be slightly annoyed by you, but... That's just the way I am..."
"I noticed," Shusuke mumbled, and chuckled yet again. Yuuta ignored him.
"Well, just so you know, my birthday last year was a complete bore. You weren't there..."
This stopped Shusuke's insane smiling.
"There was no one else there to make it special.." Yuuta continued. "Although you phoned me and stuff, it wasn't quite the same... I wanted to tell you to come, but..."
"I would have come, had you asked me to."
"I know."
"Well, happy birthday, Yuuta. Is today going to be a good day?"
"... Yeah, I actually think so."
"Great." Shusuke smiled as he stood up and grabbed his little brother's hand. "Come on, let's give you your present before Mom and Dad and Nee-san come home."
Yuuta smiled, a rare and sincere smile. He absolutely loved the way that little smile brought out so much joy in his older brother's eyes. "Yeah, sounds great."
Phew, glad that's over with. Good night, and please review!
PS: Sorry for possible suckiness, I'm to drugged to really see it.