Disclaimer: I claim no rights to Yu Yu Hakusho, nor any related characters or merchandise, and I make no profit from the writing or distribution of this work of fiction.
Kuwabara can't ever remember having a normal birthday. He's always woken up to Shizuru ripping the covers off gleefully – well, with as much glee as she can bring herself to muster – and, as Kuwabara flails in surprise, grunting something that – in some language – might be construed as "Happy Birthday".
Breakfast follows, and Shizuru always bakes him a cake. But while Shizuru excels at many things, baking isn't one of them. Kuwabara always manages a few bites out of respect – or fear, but who's keeping track? – and then spends his day lounging about the house. Not quite normal, but nice enough.
Things only get odder as the years go by. Once Urameshi starts coming by, Kuwabara learns to be prepared. Yusuke's presents are always one of two things: either so odd they set Kuwabara's psychic awareness howling, or so wildly inappropriate that he starts running out of places to hide them. To be completely honest, he's not sure which he appreciates more.
And all bets are off with Kurama and Hiei. Kurama always drops by to offer his best wishes, and Kuwabara enjoys that, because the fox-demon seems to have this inexplicable knack for delivering gifts both handy and practical. Of course, sometimes Kurama brings Hiei, too, and that Kuwabara doesn't enjoy quite as much. He figures Kurama's bribed the fire-demon with something, because Hiei holds his tongue (which is nice enough), but apparently the bribe doesn't extend to looks of utter contempt, because he spends the entire visit lurking in a corner and glaring (which is really not something Kuwabara thinks he should have to deal with on his birthday).
The one thing Kuwabara forgets about, though (and he berates himself for this later, as he stands under the unforgiving lights before his bathroom mirror and stares with utter disbelief at the faint lines on his hands and face), is the fact that he is the only one of the odd mish-mash of friends who is fully human. Sure, something about his aura, or his exposure to so much demonic energy, or something is obviously slowing the process, but there's no denying it: he's aging. And really, that all boils down to one thing.
He's dying.
This time, when his old friends stop by, he looks closer. And now he sees what he must have noticed before – noticed and denied without ever being aware. Yusuke, Kurama, even that smug little bastard – not a one looks a day over twenty. And he can see the surprise flash briefly across they eyes as they see him for the first time in a year – registering, he supposes, that he has changed. They recover admirably though – as they always have – and then it's just like old times.
He supposes it doesn't matter. It doesn't change how they act around him, and he finds that even as the years creep steadily by, it's easy enough to slide back into his comfortable spot among them, and they can be a team again.
To them, he's always going to be Kuwabara Kazuma: self-proclaimed number-one delinquent of Saryashiki Junior High, trustworthy friend, lifetime member of the Reikai Tantei.