HAPPY BIRTHDAY ATHRUN!!!! It is the birthday of the wonderful, gorgeous, sweet peice of coordinator Athrun Zala!! We wish him all the best!! (hugs Athrun)!


Athrun opened his front door and walked inside, he dropped his keys on the kitchen counter and went to the cupboard and poured himself a glass of juice before walking tiredly into the lounge room. He sat down on his recliner and sighed unhappily. His shirt was undone, his hair slightly messy and his eyes kept trying to droop closed.

Athrun Zala was tired. He'd been working all day, shouting at arrogant and egotistical employees, been arguing with his partners and worst of all Cagalli hadn't spoken to him all day and it was his BIRTHDAY! She had left the house before him this morning and she still wasn't back. It just wasn't like her; she usually waited for him every morning. It saddened Athrun to think that she didn't even remember his birthday.

"Damn this," Athrun muttered. "Kira hasn't even called me. Stupid friends." He muttered a long list of names unhappily. When he finished and closed his eyes angrily.

"I hate my job," he muttered as his phone buzzed. He looked at the caller ID. It was Cagalli. Despite his unhappy demeanour he smiled and answered the phone.

"Hello Cagalli," he greeted. There was a sigh on the other end of the line. "What's wrong?"

"It's the other representatives, they're in an uproar," Cagalli replied. "Athrun, I don't know what to do. Can you come down so you can help me? Please?" Athrun bit his lip; he could hear the angry voices and the strain and distress in Cagalli's voice made him feel the need to hug her tightly. But she had forgotten his birthday.

"I don't know… I'm really tired…"

"Please Athrun…" Athrun could imagine how her eyes would look at that moment. The amber colour would be shining and they would be filled with so much pleading that he would have to give in and help her. Damn her and her beautiful eyes, she could make him do whatever she wanted.

"Alright, I'll be there as soon as I can," he finally sighed. "I swear." Cagalli's answering sigh made Athrun smile. The angry voices on the other end were becoming louder.

"Hurry," Cagalli replied. "I love you Athrun."

"I love you too." Athrun hung up and stood up. He straightened his clothes and ran his hands through his hair, attempting the tame the tangled mess. He gave up and went to the bathroom and grabbed a comb, wet it and ran it through his blue locks until they were neat. He nodded happily at his appearance and left the house. Walking to his black Ferrari and climbing in.

"You need another wash don't you?" he muttered as he backed the car out of the house that he shared with Cagalli. He drove at a reasonable pace, pondering how long it would take to wash and wax his car on the weekend. He shook his head. "You should be thinking about how to calm down those representatives, not about how long it will take to wash your car. Man I am tired my mind keeps wandering. Talking to myself will not get me anywhere." Athrun shook his head and pressed down slightly harder onto the accelerator.

He sped down towards the government building and pulled into the parking lot beside Cagalli's car. That space was saved especially for him. He got out and walked calmly into the building, trying not to look as tired as he felt.

It felt like a ghost town, there was absolutely nobody into the building. Athrun shuddered. Everyone probably left to escape the shouting politicians. Sorting out this would not be easy.

Athrun walked towards the elevator and caught it up to the fourth floor where the meeting was being held. He walked to the room and put his hand on the doorknob. He took a deep breath before turning it. As he pushed the door open, it occurred to him that there were no voices coming out of the room.

He pushed the door open and noticed that the huge function room had no lights on. There were tables piled high with something he couldn't make out. Things were hanging from the walls and the ceiling. At the back of the room there was a raised platform on which some square thing was standing.

"What on Earth?" Athrun muttered. As he spoke the lights went on and a large group of people jumped up onto their feet shouting "SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Athrun stared, shocked.

"Athrun!" Came three voices. Lacus, Kira and Cagalli were standing just to his right. He turned and looked at them. They were all grinning.

"You didn't think we'd actually forget your birthday, did you?" Kira asked. Athrun approached them.

"I am ashamed to admit that I did," he replied, hanging his head embarrassedly. How could his very best friends and his girlfriend forget his birthday?

"Silly Athrun," Lacus laughed. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "We'd never forget."

"Thanks Lacus," Athrun replied.

"Music sounds good to me," Kira said, taking Lacus around the waist and leading her away. Athrun's eyes landed on Cagalli, who was smiling at him affectionately.

"You had me fooled," Athrun admitted. Cagalli laughed.

"I would never, not in a million years, forget your birthday. Athrun, do you even realise how much you mean to me?" Cagalli asked. Athrun shook his head.

"I know how much you mean to me," he replied. Cagalli laughed. She stood on her toes and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

"Then times that by infinity and you know how much you mean to me." Athrun laughed.

"Hardly." Athrun looked around at all the people. All of his friends were there. They were chatting and laughing. Even hot headed Yzak was beside Dearka and Mariallia with his arm around Shiho. It surprised Athrun to see Yzak with her but he smiled anyway. It was time Yzak found someone that he cared for.

"Athrun!" Kira's voice came through a microphone and Athrun looked up at the stage. "Cagalli told me to play this song. She organised this for you to let you know how much you meant to her. This song is her feelings. Put it on Lacus." Athrun glanced at Cagalli who smiled.

"We've been through a lot together," she explained. "There were times when we even felt that we weren't going to be together anymore but we are so I wanted to let you know."

"Cagalli," Athrun murmured. "That's beautiful. Whatever song it is, it will probably echo my feelings too." The song began to play and Cagalli moved closer to Athrun. He wrapped his arm around her waist and listened.

Time stops for no one and moves on unaware
It's easy not to notice
It's easy not to care
Conversation circles
There's money changing hands
I've been standing in the middle
I've been caught up in the spin
But out of the confusion
The static and the noise you got my attention
And made me wanna live

Live like it's the last moon rising
Scream just like no one's there
Lose all of my defenses
Hold you touch you, love you like it's
A very last moment in time

It seems like I woke up beneath a different sky
And I'm drunk on what I'm seeing through these open eyes
All the little ways you move me
All the places you expose
The illusion I held on to
You've got me letting go

I just wanna stay here soaking up the rain
Falling all around me wash the world away

Live like it's the last moon rising
Scream just like no one's there
Lose all of my defenses
Hold you touch you, love you like it's
A very last moment in time

Let me feel you next to me
Let me taste the breath you breathe
Open up the space between us

Live like it's the last moon rising
Scream just like no one's there
Lose all of my defenses
Hold you touch you, love you like it's
A very last moment in time

As the song ended Athrun looked down at Cagalli. There were tears in her amber eyes and Athrun could almost cry himself but he wasn't about to. Not when there were so many people in the room.

"That is the very best birthday present you could ever have given me," Athrun whispered to her. "Thank you so much."

"Well you gave me your love and there's no way I could ever top that with any gift so I wanted to let you know how much I loved you," Cagalli replied. "It's only fair." Athrun chuckled. He leant down and kissed Cagalli quickly.

"I do love you," he told her.

"I love you too, happy birthday." Athrun turned around so he could face Cagalli properly and kissed her again, holding her gently in his arms. He heard someone whisper 'camera' and saw a flash through his eyelids but didn't care. All that mattered to him at that moment was Cagalli. This was his best birthday ever and he wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.