"It's Christmas Eve today," he stated, his hair drifting softly in the wind. It made Ryoma wonder how much time he took to tame that mess in the morning.
Then the older boy looked at him with a gentle smile, "Aren't you happy?"
"Mhm," was Ryoma's only response. He wasn't excited nor annoyed.
The sun slowly rose, filling the surroundings with a warm light. The snow was glittering.
"Maybe," began his companion, looking at the sky,"maybe you should go and talk with the others. Don't worry, I'll be waiting here."
Despite that Ryoma didn't want to, despite that he was better off staying with the older boy, he did as told.
He stood up, leaving two swings behind. One was empty, the other wasn't.
The first person he met was his father. The man looked at him with brown, playful eyes.
"I thought you were meeting someone," he asked, his voice gruff but warm.
Ryoma didn't answer, there was no reason to. His father would only laugh it off, like countless times before.
After minutes passed, his father sighed,"Your brother is here."
As Ryoma walked away, he could make out a, "Merry Christmas." It left Ryoma wondering why he even tried.
The next person he saw, wasn't his brother, but his cousin, Nanako. She smiled at him, and handed him a little, black box. "Happy Birthday, Ryo-kun," she said with a kiss on his forehead.
She was more family to him than his father. Because whenever he needed someone, she was there.
"Ryoma-kun!"
Turning around, he saw the brown eyes of his mother. They were filled with a lot of care, as she saw him. She came to him, and hugged him.
"Would you mind staying for some hot chocolate?"
He shook his head as a sign, that he didn't and only seconds later he was sitting at the kitchen table, decorated with baked cookies and a cup hot chocolate on it's way.
On his lap, laid Karupin in all her might. She appeared only a moment later, after he sat down.
His mother was opposite of him, looking happily at him, "Happy Birthday, Ryoma-kun."
She looked as lovely as always.
On his way out of the house, with a blue scarf in his hands, he met his older brother, who was grinning at him.
"Hey," he started, his grin never leaving,"missed me?"
"No," Ryoma replied, but both knew it was nothing but a mere lie.
And after looking at each other for some seconds, Ryoga's grin changed into a smile, "Happy Birthday, little brother."
Ryoma wanted to throw the orange he got from him away, but he didn't. Instead, he silently continued his way.
He starred into, surprisingly, open, sapphire eyes.
"You never told us," a bitter voice said.
"I didn't," Ryoma agreed, not really caring.
"You never told us and we have known you for three years now," he added.
Ryoma blinked, then shook his head.
"You're better than my father, senpai."
He could feel a hand on his head, "Happy Birthday, Ryoma-kun."
Both walked away without looking back. There was no reason to.
"Happy Birthday, Echizen."
Ryoma wondered how Tezuka knew, but then he realized, that it didn't matter. He always knew.
He left with a nod.
After countless encounters with his teammates asking him if he would come to the Christmas party on the 26th, Ryoma felt tired.
He walked into the direction of the old playground, every intention to meet again with his friend, but he was stopped by the sound of steps walking into his direction.
"Brat," a voice spoke, filled with authority.
"Monkey King," he said, sounding exhausted.
The elder boy pressed a bag into his arms. Ryoma looked at it with curiosity in his eyes.
"I can't accept this."
"Too sad," was the older's reply, before he left.
Ryoma stood there in silence for a moment, before he continued his way.
"Ryoma!"
He glanced behind him, to see Kirihara Akaya running to him, with a box in his hands.
"Akaya... What?"
Suddenly the box was in his arms.
"Happy Birthday!"
"... Thank you."
Akaya blinked, before he grinned,"I think there are stars in your eyes."
For some reason, Ryoma didn't think he was stupid.
"You're back," he said, the gentle smile still on his face.
"Yeah," Ryoma replied, before shoving the scarf into the other's arms.
Said person only chuckled,"I thought today was your birthday, not mine."
Ryoma only looked away, without answering.
The elder boy sighed, "Are you happy now?"
"No,"he muttered before standing up and sitting into the other's lap, "but thank you, Seiichi."