"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear SQUIRREL!!!!!!! Happy Birthday to YOU!"

Hehe, Take a guess who this is for and why... lol.
Happy 16th BDay Squirrel! I dont know how good this is, but Lambchop didn't mind it... And its YAOI! So it cant be too bad... lol.

Enjoy Everyone!!

Sat upon a small fountain, 17 year old Max sat staring at the Sunset. Not 6 hours earlier, the Blade Breakers had arrived in France for Olivers 18th birthday, courtesy of said French Blader.

Inside, he could hear the chaos that was Takao at the dinner table. Oliver and Enrique were laughing, while Robert was trying to be heard over Kai's yells of disgust as Takao talked with his mouth full.

Normally, the vivacious blonde teen would be in there; laughing along side the European Bladers, but tonight… he just wouldn't be able to put his heart into it. And he wasn't hungry anyway.

As the Sun sank lower and lower over Olivers spacious garden and the sky turned darker, Max sunk lower and lower to the ground and soon, he was sitting in the grass in front of the fountain.

Oliver snuck out his back patio door and sighed when the door shut behind him without a sound. As much as he loved the bundles of joy inside that were he best friends, sometimes, he just couldn't take them all at once. He had a hard enough time with just Enrique some times; never mind Takao and Kai. (Kai was annoying cause the only time he'd talk was when he was yelling at Johnny or Takao) He had seen Max come out here almost and hour ago, and highly doubted that he would be inside with all that racket.

"Max?" he called out softly wondering if the American had drifted off somehow. As he moved further and further through the garden, a bright yellow head caught his attention. Max was staring up at the colored clouds overhead, his arms wrapped loosely around his waist, and his knee up in the air, bracing him. "There you are. Mind if I sit with you?" he asked, noting that the teen seemed… odd.

"Go ahead." Max answered, shifting slightly and cringing when his back snapped. Oliver sat on the rim of the fountain like Max had about 45 minutes ago and for a few more minutes, they sat in silence.

"Is there something wrong, Max?" Oliver asked as just the peak of the sun shone in their view.

"Not really." was the short answer. Oliver knew then, that something was bothering the blonde. He had never seen him so… serious outside of a battle, and he was never this.. well… the only thing Oliver could think to call him was, well: Blah. The Blader seemed so dead compared to his normal self.

"Alright…" Oliver was unsure that everything was –in fact- alright, but it wasn't his place to argue. Johnny used to get like that: Lazy and vacant when his parents wouldn't be home for weeks at a time. Oliver knew that look: He was depressed.

"Oliver," Max sighed, shifting and -yet again- cringing when his back cracked. "What's your greatest regret?"

"My… greatest regret?" Oliver asked in complete surprise. He'd been asked many odd in his time, but never that one. "Well… I suppose not spending as much time with my parents as I'd like too. But they aren't around much." He explained. "What about you?"

"My grandfather died 6 years ago, my Nan died 4 years ago and my uncle died last November." He started. "I hadn't seen my nan for ages before that, because she had altimers and she forgot me. My uncle had MS, and died from pneumonia because his body wasn't strong enough to fight it. I never went to see him when he was sick either. And my grandfather… I'd always seen him as being so strong. I didn't have the heart to see him wasting away on a hospital bed. I wanted to remember him as being strong… " Max kept a straight face, but Oliver could see the tears in the younger bladers eyes. "I never said good bye." He finished softly.

It was then that Olivers heart shattered. Crystal tears fell down Max' cheeks and harsh sobs wracked his body. Oliver scooped him up in his arms and simply let his cry for all its worth. He felt horrible for never being able to tell that this poor boy had been hurting so much. And he thought he could read people well.

"I never said good bye, Oliver! I just let them go, I wasn't strong enough to buckle up and see them. They must hate me!" He cried, latching harder on the the Frenchman. "I don't know ANYONE who deserved to die more than them! Nana and Gramp lived through the war. They still had emotional scars that no one could ever get rid of! And my uncle had been suffering since I was born! They deserved it and I just stayed at home, hoping they'd get better."

"Max, they could never hate you. They must have known how scary something like that was, they wouldn't be made for you being scared. You were a child." Oliver soothed. "They love you, and I'm sure that they are so honored that you still remember them." Max looked up at Oliver and he almost cried himself. "I'm sure that they want you to remember them the way you do. Strong. I know I wouldn't want someone to remember me only as I was when I was dying. They still love you Max."

He sat up and rubbed his eyes clear of his salty tears.

"Thank you Oliver…" he said, sighing and looking at the Dark sky.

"No problem, Max." he assured. "Want me to wait with you until your face clears up?"

"Nah…" he said. "I'll be in a little while." Oliver nodded and walked into his cottage (coughhousecough) sparing only a small glance at the blonde, before closing the door behind him.

"Thanks Oliver…" he muttered again.

The next morning, Max was back to his vivacious self, laughing and playing along with the other people in the house and when he took the birthday by aside, to give him his gift in private, he kissed him softly on his cheek.

"Thanks Oliver. Happy Birthday."

So, any good? Sorry if it's crappy, Squirrel. Love you!!! -Hugglez -

Max: Happy Birthday Squirrel!
Oliver: Bonne Fete!