Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed and Gundam Seed Destiny or any of its characters.

A/Note: Androgynous - request granted.

Raor! My brain is itching to write a fiction about warfare, land conquest, and love… but I got no solid plot yet. Sad… I guess, other pending fics must come first.

Similar to the prequel, this fic too started off short at first; then it just got longer and longer and longer. Man… I can't write a short one-shot to save my own life…. Sorry if the fic seems rushed because it was. I'll try to make it better by fixing the faults after I find the time to reread this.

Happy Birthday to Flay!

I apologize for bad grammar.

A Cake for Her

a = (Delta v)/t.

= (46.1 m/s - 18.5 m/s)/(2.47 s)

= 11.2 m/s2

d = vi*t + 0.5*a*t2

= (18.5 m/s)*(2.47 s)+ 0.5*(11.2 m/s2)*(2.47 s)2

= 45.7 m + 34.1 m

= 79.8 m

Yzak Joule neatly wrote those answers down on paper when Dearka Elsman called; suddenly, dropping a hand on top of the table with a smack.

"Hey, Yzak." Dearka took the vacant seat right in front of his best friend.

Busy answering problem set number fifteen, "what is it, Dearka?" Yzak asked not looking up at him.

"Well… I just wanted to let you know that the guys and I will be skipping soccer practice this coming weekend." The blond grinned.

With that said, Yzak being captain of the team was forced to put his pen down. This certainly got his attention.

"If you lazy idiots think- I will just allow you guys to skip and go karaoke again! Then-"

"Hey, that day was a lot of fun, but it's different this time. It's because March 15 is—"

"Flay's birthday?" Yzak finished for him. "What's that got to do with missing…."

"How did you know, it's Flay's birthday?" Dearka interrupted.

Yzak simply shrugged. He knew no other distinct occasion fell on the said date, and when you like someone you made it your business to know these little things. Not that he ever told anyone he had a serious crush on Flay Allster.

"I overheard it from those girls talking over there." He lied, pointing to some girls chatting by the window towards the school hall; and by great coincidence, those girls happened to be Miriallia Haw and Meer Campbell…. Flay's friends.

Dearka frowned. "Man, those girls really need to learn to keep their voices down… And I thought this was supposed to be a surprise….. Anyways, the guys and I already agreed to help the girls throw a surprise party for her."

Yzak had a skeptical eyebrow raised. He was listening…

"Want to come along?"

00000

And so came March 15. It was a lovely sunny weekend morning when Coach Mu La Flaga stood outside the deserted school soccer field.

The coach scratched his head, wondering where on earth his team was.

…. His boys may seem to have forgotten to tell him.

00000

Meanwhile, at the Argyle residence located right across the Allster's that was next door.

"Okay, everyone, listen up! Mr. Allster will be out on a business trip today but we've already got permission to throw the surprise party on their backyard." Cagalli Yula Athha announced after gathering everyone around her.

How the blonde end up being in charge of the party was the least bit surprising as the girl happens to be one of Flay's closest friends. It appears that ever since Flay transferred to their school… the two became instantly close.

"I had Milly take Flay out this morning, and they wouldn't be back until much later. This gives us plenty of time to set everything up. This is the first time we're throwing Flay a party so there should be no mess-up, got it!"

Everyone simply nodded their heads in agreement.

"Okay then." Cagalli continued, "Kira, Sai and you guys over there." She pointed at a random group in front of her. "You guys will be setting up the tables and chairs. The van I sent with the stuff will be coming here shortly."

Don't be surprise about the van... Cagalli Yula Athha is from a rich family.

Pointing to another set of people, "and you guys there will help me with the decorations." The blonde finished and made her way to the door. Stopping halfway, she looked back at the people still lazing in the room. "Well, what are you guys waiting for? Let's go!" she hollered causing everyone to scatter.

"So what about us?" Dearka asked Cagalli, pointing to himself while Yzak who was right beside him simply had his arms crossed.

She seemed to be thinking about it. "You two can help Meer in the kitchen."

00000

"Hey Meer, come welcome your new helpers!" Dearka announced and laughed as he entered the kitchen confinement of the Argyle residence with Yzak close behind.

The funny thing about getting assigned to help out in the kitchen was neither of them knew how to cook. Okay, maybe only Dearka didn't know how to cook, but both of them certainly didn't know how to bake, which was—what Meer was really in charge of- Baking Flay's birthday cake.

"Hi Dearka!" Meer greeted with joy, ignoring the other completely.

"Cagalli said we could help out." Dearka said.

Meer could only beam with joy.

"So… is there anything we could help around here?" The blond glanced around the kitchen, searching for something he could to do…. "Yzak and I never actually baked before." He scratched his head awkwardly.

"Oh, that's not a problem. There are plenty of things you could do to help." She said, going over to the counter where two large paper bags were positioned then shuffled the bag, taking out content after content.

They had been in the kitchen for only five minutes when they were faced with their first problem.

"Oh no." Meer frowned.

"What is it?" Yzak asked.

"I forgot to bring the strawberries…"

"Is that bad?" It was Dearka who asked this time.

"Yes, this is very bad. The cake would be ruined without strawberries…"

"Well, I don't see what the big fuss is about… Yzak and I could just run to the market and buy some…"

"How will you guys know what type of strawberries are needed?" Meer asked.

There were types? Yzak and Dearka confusedly looked at each other.

"This is no good." Meer shook her head. "I should be the one to go but I'm not familiar with this neighborhood…"

"I'll go with you then." Dearka offered.

In hearing this, Meer bolted up with glee in an instant. "Really?" Taking note of the girl's obvious crush in Dearka, her reaction was not at all surprising. "Let us hurry then." Meer brightened at the opportunity of going out with the blond even if going out meant grocery shopping.

"Wait! If you're leaving then who's going to bake the cake?" Yzak had stopped them before the two could actually leave.

Meer turned head, forced to meet Yzak's hard gaze. "Stellar is more than capable of taking over." She said and with that… They excitedly left. By excitedly— he meant Meer.

Stellar?

Yzak turned around, almost jumped, completely surprised to see the blonde girl behind him. The girl had been so quiet that, honestly, he hadn't noticed her since entering the room.

Yzak looked at Stellar Loussier, who was inaudible peeking through the bag of ingredients, and folded his arms a bit worried about the sudden change of plans.

"Hey, are you sure you can handle everything while Meer is gone?" Yzak wanted to make certain. He didn't really know Stellar. And he didn't know whether or not she was really capable of taking over. Furthermore, considering that she was sporting this strange absentminded look on her sweet face, just like now, made fact difficult to sell.

Stellar tilted her head and smiled at him. "It's no big deal. Stellar loves to bake." She said.

However, Yzak was still not convinced, but then again, there was nobody else.

Graham cracker crumbs, butter, Neufchatel cheese and some more others… Yzak and Stellar started off by separating the ingredients from the paper bag they were kept in onto the counter.

"Could you please past Stellar's apron?"

Yzak passed her the apron.

"Could you please pass Stellar the eggs?"

Yzak passed her the eggs.

"So why didn't you guys just buy a cake from the store? It would save the trouble of making one…" Yzak started flatly after noticing too well of the party foods that were already nicely prepared on another table.

"Store cakes are good but homemade ones are more special."

Yzak took another look at the pack of cracker crumbs on his hands. Okay, he couldn't argue with her there.

And just as Stellar was really about to start baking, the craziest coincidence had to happen… Her mobile phone rang. She answered it, of course. And there came a voice of an angry woman screaming so loud that even Yzak, who was only standing beside Stellar, could almost make out what the woman on the other end was saying.

She was yelling something like: her crazy cat got out from its cage again… Yzak had figured it must have been urgent because Stellar's usually hazy eye color was suddenly flashed with alertness.

"Stellar has to go!" The girl announced, immediately, upon turning off her phone. The blonde seemed so distraught that she hadn't even bothered to take off her apron as she sprinted her way to the door.

"Hold on, you're leaving too?" Yzak was aghast. What happened to Cagalli's No Mess-Up speech?

The girl was forced to run back into the kitchen. She had totally forgotten that she was the only one left in the room who knew how to bake… but her cat… and then the cake… but her cat… She was mentally deciding back and forth… before seriously running out of the kitchen yelling, "Stellar will come back fast!"

And so just like that she was gone….

Great… just great….

Yzak walked himself across the kitchen, and sat on a stool near a window overlooking Allster residence backyard as he waited for either of the two girls to return.

That's when he noticed from the twenty-something of teens this morning, only fifteen were left helping out at the yard. Silently, from the deserted kitchen, he wondered where the others have gone.

Soon enough, all became clear. He had heard one of them scream, "I forgot my present at home!" And the next thing he knew- the girl was gone. And about ten minutes later, two more guys disappeared from the scene. Talk about bizarre… What a way to set up a party.

Yzak looked up at a wall clock hanging above the kitchen door. Another ten minutes had already passed, and Meer or Stellar has yet to come back. Maybe he should just leave… It's not like you can't have a birthday party without cake, right? In fact, cakes were nothing more than some fancy privilege. He would probably do more help by helping the others set up the tables and chairs anyway.

Yzak stood up to leave… then again… as he was about to, he couldn't help but notice the book of recipes simply laying there on the kitchen counter. The color, the figure, the size all seemed to pop out all of the sudden as if it was mocking him from afar for his inability to take over.

"The girl you like is celebrating her fourteenth birthday and you can't even grant her a little bit of privilege." Insert evil laugh here.

Yzak glared back at it, hand fisted on his side. That certainly had stuck a nerve.

This book dares to challenge him?

Who the hell does that book think its dealing with? For crying out loud, he is Yzak Joule aka captain of the soccer team and a constant honor student! He was excellent at everything he does! … Except painting, drawing, sketching, or whatever it's called… he can't freakin' sketch to save his own life, but that obviously got nothing to do with baking anyway…

He'll show this good for nothing book that he CAN provide the girl he secretly likes with a little privilege for her birthday!

With eyes set ablaze, Yzak stridden angrily towards the counter. He roughly grabbed the recipe book Meer and Stellar had left there, and began skimming through recipes after recipes until he stopped on a page with a bookmark.

Strawberry Cheesecake huh.

Mix crumbs, 2 table spoon. sugar and butter in small bowl; press on bottom of 9-inch spring form pan. Set aside.

Place cottage cheese and 1/2 cup egg product in electric blender; cover. Blend until pureed. Etc… Etc… Etc… the instructions went on.

Yzak was thoughtful for a moment. This looks simple enough.

He looked over the counter, comparing the ingredients there to the ones listed to on the book. As expected, except for the strawberries Dearka and Meer left to buy. All the necessary ingredients were right there.

So what if he never baked before? He could simply relate this to a complicated math problem where the givens are all ready there. Yes, that's right…. This is just like math.

Plus, if this goes well, he might even earn some points from Flay. Yzak grinned. Suddenly, daydreaming of the day Flay would undeniably confess to him.

At that time, his team would have won the inter-junior high championship. As they celebrate on the victory, Flay would shyly yet boldly approach him with flowers on her hands until both of them would be the only ones standing at the center of the soccer field, surrounded by the silent crowd who are left to watch in admiration.

"Congratulations!" She would say formally before deciding to throw herself at him into embrace with her forehead leaning against his chest. "Yzak, you have always been my number one… you are so cool, handsome, smart, athletic and so wonderful in the kitchen… that I-... You… You are so close to a dream that I can't help but fall in love!"

He would respond by tilting her chin gently upward. He would look into her lovely angelite blue eyes and say something like "You have always been the only one who had ever captured my heart."

And then he would press their lips together and kiss her.

Cheesy… Yes. But so what? Let the guy dream! Because in reality, he would never dare say anything that would make himself vulnerable like that. Luckily, there was no one in the kitchen to see him absentmindedly grinning to himself.

After snapping out from it, Yzak found himself inflamed with a brand new sense of motivation. Ohhh… he definitely has to bake this cake now!

Okay… Yzak reached for an apron hanging so innocently on the rack, and started following the recipe book step after step.

Besides, how can baking be any different from the dishes he made during home economics? And those, by the way, were dishes he had aced with flying colors.

00000

Meanwhile, somewhere downtown...

"Milly, we've been walking around for hours. I'm really tired…. I want to go home!" Flay whined, pausing on a street lamp to rest her tired legs.

"But there's still so much stores I want to check out…" Milly lied. Actually, she was tired as hell as well, but she was under strict orders to lead Flay away from her house until everything for the party was prepared. Thus, she had to forcefully put up an energetic front in order to convince Flay otherwise.

Cagalli, what's taking you so long to call? …

Milly scanned around, looking for anything that they can do to waste several more hours. "Aw! That stuff animal is so cute… I want it!" Milly pointed to an arcade with a crane machine before dragging Flay along by the hand with her into the store.

00000

Approximately four and a half hours in the kitchen later…

Yzak sat on the same stool, letting the cake refrigerate for three hours. He had already cleaned up the mess; washed the utensil; and was now simply wiping his hands clean with a towel when Dearka and Meer finally came back.

"Well, it's about time! And so, where have you two been?" He welcomed them demanding.

Dearka could only shrug, tired. "Sorry Yzak, Meer was very picky with the strawberries… She had to drag me from market after market unable to decide which ones to buy before finally deciding she wanted the ones from the first one."

"Well, look at the bright-side we bought wonderful strawberries." Meer gently placed the grocery on the counter. "So how's the cake, where is it?"

"Chilling inside the refrigerator for about two and a half hours now... No thanks to you…" Yzak muttered, but Meer simply let the little comment slide through. She was confident of Stellar's baking skills so she felt no guilt for being absent for so long.

"I'm sure Stellar did a fine job. By the way, where is Stellar?" She asked missing her.

And as of on cue, Stellar came back running from whatever it was that she had to do with the cat.

"Stellar is very sorry! Stellar will start on the cake right away!" The girl yelled before running through the kitchen door causing those who had heard the girl's outburst to gasp in realization… except Yzak who knew.

"Stellar, you were away?" Meer was left agape. "When did you left?"

Stellar honestly yet apologetically nodded her head. "There was an emergency at home and Stellar left a few minutes after Meer left."

"But Yzak said, the cake is in the refrigerator… If I didn't bake the cake and you didn't bake it then….."

After individually doing the math, everyone turned their attention to Yzak. And all three: Dearka, Meer, and Stellar all seemed to be frozen with disbelief of what they have concluded.

Discomfited by their stare, "What?"

"You- you baked the cake all by yourself?" Dearka was all wide eyed.

"So what if I did?" Yzak had no clue what was so shocking. Wasn't he supposed to? "Meer and Stellar were gone for hours…. Someone had to make it!" He tried to explain, but that apparently wasn't the issue since Dearka's expression of shock was replaced with a grin, in a matter of seconds.

In no time, the blond was excitedly running next door. "Hey, guys! Did you know Yzak baked Flay's cake all by himself!"

And with that, everyone, who was decorating the yard, was put into that very same momentary pause from disbelief.

00000

Flay would never understand why Milly decided to buy her a potted plant for her birthday when they had seen so many other things out there like: a shoulder bag, a dress, or a hairclip that would make better presents. Nonetheless, she was simply thankful Milly was done with her intense window shopping.

All Flay wanted to do now after a tiring day was to plop down on bed and sleep. Admittedly, going out with Milly had been fun at first…. That was until she started dragging her to who knows where to buy her a plant….

Flay sighed. Plant or not, at least Milly bothered to buy her a present. The plant is actually a something… considering— that Sai, Cagalli, Meer, Stellar and so many others had not even bothered to even text her a little happy birthday.

"Be sure to give it a lot of sun, okay?"

"Okay…. Milly."

Flay placed the pot down on her doorstep as she searched her bag for her house keys when she stopped.

"Oh no…." Mirillia was left only to watch as Flay shuffled her bag in and out. "I'm seemed to have misplaced my keys…" Flay said suddenly troubled.

Miriallia's eyes grew terribly wide. "You lost your house keys!"

By now, Flay was holding her bag upside down, dropping the contents of her bag to the floor, but there was no key. Nothing. Zilch. Nada. Rien.

Flay looked up at air, trying to remember where she had possibly and forgetfully left them. "I think… I accidentally left them in my room this morning…. Milly, I'm so dead… Daddy wouldn't be back until tomorrow." Flay explained in a panic. "This is bad… I usually only forget when Daddy's home!"

With face agape, "It's a habit!" The brunette couldn't believe it.

Two minutes later…

"Milly, what are you doing?"

Miriallia was searching around the threshold under the rug; in between plants.

"You must have a spare lying around here…."

Flay shook her head. "Daddy didn't want strangers lurking around the house, so there isn't one." This made Miriallia stop looking.

The two got quiet.

"Milly, can I stay over at your place?" Flay asked. George Allster must have flown hours away from the country by now.

Miriallia was still silent… It was not like she wasn't okay about Flay staying over at her place. Actually, it could be quite fun, she thought. But she knew Flay wasn't really locked out of her own house. In fact, Cagalli and the others are waiting for them at the back.

She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket; It was Cagalli.

"What's taking the two of you so long?"

Miriallia moved away from Flay, hovering her freehand over her mouth, trying to prevent her from overhearing the conversation… "We are already in front of the house but we got locked out…"

"… Is that all? I'll send someone over to unlock the door… Just make sure to lead Flay away from the front door." Miriallia heard Cagalli instructed before realizing Flay was already no where near the door. To be precise, she was right beside her.

"That's Cagalli, isn't it…" Flay said surely after recognizing the blonde's voice over the phone. "Let me talk to her…" She added causing Miriallia to simply handover the device.

As Flay was telling Cagalli of what had happened, Miriallia took this as an opportunity to casually walk back over to the front door, waiting for that someone to open it from the inside. In no time, through the light curtained window, she saw Kira Yamato quietly making his way through the living room; gently, he unlocked the door before quickly making his way back to the back.

Miriallia turned the doorknob, pretending she had just discovered it to be unlocked.

"Flay, …. the door is unlock." She said looking over.

Flay who was still on the phone had to look up, surprised at the news. "Really?... Cagalli, I'll call you back." She hanged-up. "Strange… I could have sworn I had checked the doorknob…" She told Milly, but decided to simply let the issue go. She picked up the potted plant on the ground, and, eventually, followed Miriallia into her own living room.

"I still can't believe you ended up buying me a plant though…" Flay sighed.

Miriallia simply laughed. "Just remember to give it a lot of sunshine, okay?"

"Yes… Yes…. I remember…." Flay replied a bit irritated after being reminded of it for over a dozen times already. She shook her head; it's been a really long day. And Milly wanted her to quickly replant her gift on her backyard. "I'll be at the back!"

"Okay!" Milly yelled back.

And the moment Flay opened the back door, BOOM! She was met with an explosion that had caused her to unconsciously drop the potted plant that was on her fingers in an instant. It smashed.

"Surprise! Happy Birthday, Flay!"

00000

"Happy birthday!"

"Happy birthday, Flay!"

"Thank you, everyone!" Flay smiled, walking around her own backyard, amazed at everyone's effort of decorating it. She stopped; however, after spotting Yzak at her party, and couldn't help but stand in front of him a little surprised. "Wow. You're actually here too?" Flay said, raising a hand near her mouth, only a chuckle escaping her as she fought not to giggle. She had always thought Yzak as someone who wouldn't bother.

Seeing him there… could she have been wrong about him?

"This is just because….Well…" Just being that close to her, Yzak caught a breath. He tried his best not to blush by looking away from Flay as she if she was the most annoying thing in the area. "… You can thank those troublesome teammates of mine."

"Aww… Yzak. Don't be like that…" Dearka came from the back and seized Yzak by the shoulder. "Don't you believe anything he says, Flay… because our dear Captain here was the one who baked your cake." Dearka grinned. The blond always did like to tease… Entirely better, if the one being teased was his best friend.

Yzak felt his cheek redden. "Would you stop broadcasting it!"

"But its true isn't it…" Dearka, who was still behind him, pouted.

"Just because I did, doesn't mean you should go running around telling everybody!"

"So you made my cake…." Flay smiled impishly, fiddling with a lock of her hair with her hand.

Yzak blinked a couple of times, trying to suppress whatever emotion had just overcome his mask. Especially, as soon as he realized why everyone was making such a big deal out of who made the cake.

"Homemade ones are more special..."

Yzak gulped as his heart started to beat quickly, and he felt the same confused emotions that he'd experienced the first time she had kissed him.

"Aww! Who knew our captain could be so sweet…" One of the guys said causing the rest of the team to laugh amongst their own.

"From Yzak, with love!"

Yzak had never imagined he could ever go red so many times in one day. "Shut up! The cake doesn't mean anything!" He tried to convince them, but everyone simply continued to laugh teasingly anyway…

Thankfully, all those stopped the instant Cagalli burst into the yard with Meer with the said cake with candles. Everyone sang the birthday girl happy birthday; the girl in turn made a traditional wish, and then happily blew out the candles.

Hurray! It was now time to eat.

Everyone gathered around, taking out paper plates and disposable utensils, and helped themselves to the food presented like a buffet table. One of those happens to be the cake.

Next to the barbecues, the cake was the craze of the party. It had looked so good that everyone wanted to have slice. All that changed, of course, when they finally had one.

Upon taking their first bite, the males from the soccer team squinted their eyes shut; their face turning from green to purple in mere seconds. The boys had looked as if they were about to throw up. However, out of kindness or fear, they all force-swallowed anyway… thinking altogether that if they didn't and told Yzak the truth…— their captain was going to fry them comes next practice.

"Wow. Yzak, it's not bad at all."

"Quite good…"

The rest could only nod with their fork-sealed mouths.

Yes. Everything was going swell until Flay made a face. Somewhat astounded,

"This cake….. tastes like shit…"

**End.