Title: Wish on Birthday candles

Author: Lilya

Genre: Angst

Summary: Set during the SS Arch. Tatsuki POV. Birthdays can be pretty depressing when you best friend is not around…

Main Characters: Arisawa Tatsuki, Inoue Orihime.

Rating: PG for a bit of swearing.

Disclaimer: nor Bleach nor its characters belong to me.

Author's note: I'm not English nor American. Sorry if I made mistakes… Correct me if you find something (which I'm sure you will…)

Dedicated to all the people who were born in the summer and especially to all the other people in the world whose star-sing is Cancer – just like Tatsuki and me!

Wish on Birthday candles

Being born in the summer does suck.

Heat drains your energies. Shops close. Regular cakes are too dry and ice cream melts. Everybody is out of town.

I never get a real birthday party – it would be stupid celebrating one month or two past the event. If you wouldn't do it with Tanabata or Christmas, then why do it with Birthday? They come only once a year as well.

Don't get me wrong about the whole party-thing, mum and dad always get me loads of presents and my grandparents (on both sides) come for lunch or dinner.

It used to be enough – when I was a kid.

It's not that I don't appreciate their efforts, really – but I'd like to spend my birthday with my friends. Unfortunately, at this time of the year they're usually on vacation.

Except Orihime.

People call her an airhead, but, although she tends to lose track of time, she never missed my birthday.

Even if she went to visit some distant relative, she'd show up on time nonetheless.

But this year, I know she won't come.

When she told me so, I felt a chill run down my spine. I knew that she had lied to me, but when she told me she couldn't make it to my birthday party – I knew something was up.

And it must be something big and dangerous.

I bet the mysterious disappearance of our new classmate, Kuchiki Rukia, has something to do with this.

I bet also Kurosaki-kun and those beings I fought that afternoon long ago have something to do with this.

At that time, I dismissed my feeling as a pang of sadness at the thought of spending my birthday without my friend again – as I used to do before we met.

Now, I'm staring at the birthday card Orihime gave my mother before leaving, under strict orders of giving it to me only on my birthday – as a sign she hadn't forgotten. And that feeling has returned tenfold, alongside with the horrible knowledge that this time I can't help my best friend out as I always do.

What's going on, Orihime?

Come on, Tatsuki! my mother says happily as she places the cake in front of me. Make a wish and blow out all the candles.

I smile as my father raises a camera and takes a picture – but I know that smile didn't quite reach my eyes.

I close my eyes, takin a deep breath and holding it in for a second. I don't need to ponder about my wish. There's only one thing I want.

I wish my best friend Orihime will be safe whatever she might be doing.

All the air rushes out from my lungs. I hear my parents and my grandparents clapping.

When I open my eyes, only smoke crowns the tips of the candles.