"Hey, Rima-chan, do you know what day it is today?"
Rima twitched. Hadn't her friend noticed that this was exactly the question she had been avoiding this whole shopping trip? She shook her head. Seeing how her best friend was a pink haired spaz, it was highly unlikely. She decided to play dumb.
"No."
Amu squealed delightedly. "It's Nagi's birthday!"
"Oh." She said passively, her expression blank.
Amu peered at her like she had grown another head. "Didn't you know?"
"No." Liar. She knew full well just what day it was. Like she hadn't been secretly counting down the days on her calendar in her bedroom for weeks beforehand and losing sleep over this day. This day, this awful day, was the reason she had been agonizing and spacing out lately.
"What are you getting Nagi, Rima?"
"I don't know."Another lie. She knew what she was getting him; in fact, his gift was ready and wrapped in a far corner of her bedroom's closet. The stupid present was the reason going to bed around 11 o'clock each night this week, it was the reason Kusukusu had been stuffed at the bottom of a basket from 9 to the time she went to bed, it was the reason she had spent all her allowance in a single day.
But it was ok. Today was special.
Amu sighed. She had tried so hard to get Rima to like Nagi, she really had. But Rima was so stubborn! Rolling her eyes, she tried again.
"What are you wearing to the party tonight?"
"Fishnets and hotpants. Why do you ask, Amu?" Amu snorted.
"Come on, Rima! Be serious! You have to dress up tonight!"
Now it was Rima's turn to roll her eyes. Amu didn't know, of course, but Rima had spent all morning trying on all her clothes to create the perfect outfit, and she still didn't know what to wear. It frustrated her to no end. "What are you wearing, Amu?"
"I'll think of something," Amu replied. "Hey, I have an idea! Why don't me and Yaya go over to your house to dress you up? We can do your hair and stuff-"
"No."
Amu sighed. "Come on, Rima! I mean, no offense or anything, but look at this!" She began playing with Rima's hair. "You're still wearing it the way you wore it in grade school. Honestly."
Rima patted her hair back into place. "I don't see the problem with it." She said huffily. "It's still cute."
Amu rolled her eyes. "Just try to change it a bit, ok? Make it a bit- I don't know- more elegant. Or something."
Rima laughed. "Me? Elegant? Amu, I'm anything but."
"You could be if you tried! Please please please?" Amu made big, sad puppy eyes. Internally, Rima groaned. She'd have to resort to her secret weapon. Her eyes began to fill with crocodile tears. "Ri-Rima-" Amu became nervous. "I'm so sorry, Rima, I never meant-"
"She's faking it," interrupted a masculine voice behind them.
Shock waves almost sent the rosette flying, but instead, she turned around eagerly. Was Fujisaki Nagihiko standing behind them, waiting for her to disappear so he could confess his undying love to Rima? The romance of it almost made her squeal. That is, until she turned and looked into the face of the aforementioned masculine voice.
"Ikuto? What are you- when did you- aww, darn, why isn't it Nagi?" She hyperventilated, her cheeks pink. Stupid hentai cosplaying neko no mimi.
Rima, on the other hand, looked totally cool. "Hey, Tsukiyomi," she said, her face expression neutral. Amu spazzed.
"How did you know it wasn't Nagi, Rima?" Rima pointed. "See there, Amu? The pretty writing says 'masculine'. Fujisaki is anything but masculine."
"Oh," Amu managed disappointedly. She had been hoping for something fluffy to soothe her shocked spirits, like Rima recognizing Nagi by his voice or his scent or something...
Ikuto pulled her into a tight hug. "Aren't you glad to see me, Amu-chan?" he breathed into her ear. Rima rolled her eyes and muttered "Gag me," as Amu screamed, spazzed, and turned a brilliant shade of pink. "I have to go now. Bye, Amu. Later, Tsukiyomi." Casually waving, she began walking to her house, ignoring Amu's cries.
"Rima! Don't leave me here alone with this pervert!"
Rima's hands were shaking slightly as she knocked on the door. Kususkusu was already here, of course, so she had no reason not to go in. The house was huge, and she was gripped by a sudden urge to run away. But alas, it was too late. The door opened and she was immediately glomped by an over excited Yaya. "You made it, Rima-tan~!" She yelled excitedly. "Yaya is having fun… Ahahahahahahahahahahahahaha-" Yaya's mouth was suddenly covered by a very flustered looking Fujisaki. "Sorry," he said, now hoisting Yaya over his shoulder. "She's high off of soda and pop rocks. Come in," he now smiled graciously.
Rima felt her face flush and immediately bent down to remove her shoes. How stupid of her! Head held high, she walked into a big room where the party seemed to be taking place. Everyone was already there- Tadase, Kukai, Utau, Tsukiyomi, Amu, Kairi, and, of course, Yaya, who was now rambling on about unicorns. The charas were floating about, playing games and eating snacks. A small pile of presents was stacked in the corner, and so here she deposited her gift.
"Rima!" Amu yelled out, looking very pleased, "you dressed up!"
Rima flushed slightly, looking down at her outfit. She hadn't really dressed up, just put on a nice magenta dress with some lace at the neckline and some white ballet flats. "You look nice," offered Utau. She smiled slightly. "Thanks."
"Of course Rima-tan looks cute~!" Kususkusu giggled and sat on Rima's shoulder. Miki nodded her approval of the outfit, while Suu floated over and offered Rima a plastic cup of soda.
"Yaya thinks that you look like a pink teddy bear! Come huggle snuggle ahahahahahahahaha-" Yaya waved Pepe around drunkly. Kiseki rolled his eyes, muttering "Commoners" under his breath. Rhythm, Yoru, Ran and Daichi were playing basketball in a remote corner, while Temari and Miki dicussed the fine arts and such. Dia, Iru and Eru were in a corner, playing with fortune cards. Musashi was reading a book.
"But your hair, Rima, seriously, you should put it up in a ponytail or something," Amu was saying. "It would make you look older!"
"I like my hair like it is," Rima said, nose in the air. Amu tossed her hair.
"Of course, its fine, but it would look way better in a ponytail! Right, Nagi?"
Rima almost choked. This was one opinion she wasn't sure she wanted to hear. She clenched her fists, thinking up a good, scathing retort to any stupid witty comment he could make-
"I think Rima's hair is cute the way it is." The sudden silence that befell this comment made Nagihiko's eyes widen. Holy crap, had he really said that? He cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to clear the obvious tension in the room. Even Yaya was silent as all eyes were on Rima, whose face couldn't be seen over the rim of the plastic cup, the contents of which she was now downing. Behind the rim, her face was flushed. His answer had completely disarmed her. She could feel everyone's eyes on her. Of course, her feelings for Nagihiko were no secret. Everyone knew. She could hear nervous chuckles filling the room, and even though she had finished the soda long ago, she still kept the cup to her face, casting her brain around for an appropriate response. Finally, she landed on what seemed a tactful and dignified answer.
"Thank you." She said, walking over to the other side of the room to refill her cup. Behind her, she could hear sighs of disappointment. "We-well, anyway!" Amu tried nervously to alleviate the silence, "a ponytail looks pretty good on anyone! Right, Yaya?" She looked over at Yaya, who, surprisingly, was now glowering. Yaya staggered drunkenly over to Amu, waving her fists in the air. "You-you dare *hiccup* talk to Yaya about ponytails *hiccup* when you know" she pointed an accusing finger at Amu, "that ponytails are a style that Yaya can't pull off?" Roaring, Yaya charged at Amu, who was pulled out of the way by Utau, leaving Yaya to faceplant into the floor and fall unconscious. This, thankfully, created a very distracting uproar.
After Yaya had been cleaned up, doused with water and dragged to a corner to sleep off her headache, the gift opening began. As each box was opened, oohed and aahed over, Rima's feeling over horror increased. She should have never given him anything, no; this was an awful idea-
"To the Crossdressing Kabuki Girly boy who runs around waving fans. From, Rima," Fujisaki grinned, "Love you too, Ri-chan." Everyone collectively giggled, infuriating Rima further. What had she been thinking? Fujisaki was now opening the box and began pulling out her gift, which sent her into the depths of despair. Oh-damn-no-going-back-now, she thought miserably to herself.
"A jacket? In July?" Tadase piped up. Feighning a casual air, Rima viewed the sweater with disdain. "It was on sale," she lied. "I wanted to get you this gay pride T-shirt," she informed Fujisaki, "but I didn't have enough money." Everyone sweatdropped and stared at Fujisaki, who just chuckled nervously and began to open Yaya's present "To Nagi, From Yaya,"
Settling herself into her bed that night, Rima groaned. It wasn't so much the fact that she felt bloated that made her groan, although now that she thought of it, she ate so much that she probably gained ten pounds. She blushed and hid under the covers. No, she had done something so embarrassing that she was quite sure she'd never be able to see Fujisaki in the eye again. But she really had no choice, she couldn't hide it anymore, and today was special.
Her cell phone buzzed, causing her to fly out and retrieve it. "Hello?" she asked nervously.
"Rima?" Fujisaki's voice came through the speaker. "Hey, Rima, I was wondering. I found a golden heart sewed onto the inside of the sleeve of the jacket you gave me. Is it- I mean, did you put it there?"
Rima now knew how Amu felt when she went into one of her spazzes, because she was pretty close to having a spazz attack herself. "….."
"Rima? Are you still there?" Fujisaki's voice was urgent.
"I didn't think you'd notice," she mumbled into the phone.
"So it is yours?
"Yes," she said now, her voice much clearer.
"Oh. Do you want it back?" He sounded disappointed.
"No," she said firmly. Clearing her throat, she tried to sound cool. "It's your now. Happy Birthday, Nagihiko."
Chuckling as the dial tone sounded in his ear, he closed his cell phone and put it on his nightstand. Turning the small gold heart over in his hands, he smiled at the surprise he had felt when he found it in his jacket and read the words engraved on it. Happy Birthday. I love you.