Happy Birthday To: Dan Taichi, January second.

Word Count: 522

Rating: K+, to be safe

Genre: Romance/Friendship

Notes: This was written as an AkutsuxDan fic.But it can be taken as romance or friendship, so take your pick. Please excuse any plot holes at the moment. I felt this needed betaing, but she couldn't get back to me in time. Also, I don't feel the characters are too OOC, but any comments are loved.

BETA'D! (Thanks Laura! YOU RULE! Everybody thank her!)

Making sure his hat was secure on his head, Dan Taichi headed out of the door. The date: January second, which many people would call the second day of the New Year. In fact, back in America, his cousin had the day off of everything. Still, he headed out into the winter wind on his way to school. Not that he would normally be in school. No, he was on winter break. But just because he was on break didn't mean he didn't have other responsibilities, such as make-up classes. Although, he mused, he would have liked to at least had the second of January off from make-up classes; it was his birthday, after all.

Shrugging off the slight feeling of disappointment, he continued walking, going over some math equations in his head. The particular make-up class he was heading to was for math, one of his least favorite subjects. And, because of the holidays, he doubted there would be more than three or four people there.

But it didn't matter. After all, he knew who one of the only other people in the class would be: his favorite person, Akutsu-senpai. Because even though he was a first year and Akutsu-senpai was a third year, the number of classes his senpai had failed and the class level ahead he was, they were learning the same material.

Mulling over random thoughts, Dan spotted someone clad in green walking ahead of him. Eyes lighting up, he ran towards the figure, stopping and walking when he reached the person. The figure did not look down at him, did not slow down, did not even give the faintest sign that he even saw the smaller boy. But nonetheless, Dan knew he did.

He knew Akutsu-senpai saw him, because as they continued walking the larger boy slowly moved over to allow there to be room for Dan to walk next to him. And when Dan came closer and closer the older boy did not protest, just kept walking. Just like always, Akutsu-senpai and Dan walked in silence towards school. And then, just like always, Dan started talking. He did it at first to break the silence, but he later realized that Akutsu-senpai listened to some of what he said. So, just like always, Dan talked and Akutsu-senpai listened, and they walked to school.

But then, as they were walking, with Dan talking, something most un-normal happened.

Akutsu-senpai spoke.

It was just a growl, and for the normal person it was hard to make out what he had said, but Dan heard him loud and clear.

"Happy Birthday."

Smiling, he stepped even closer to his senpai, so that they were touching. It didn't matter that it was freezing out or that he had extra classes or that he would be stuck inside for the rest of the day with relatives he barely knew fawning over him.

All that mattered was that Akutsu-senpai has remembered.

Akutsu-senpai cared.

Please review! Concrit, ego-raising praise, love, flames, hate, and all such things are loved, as long as they're on the review board! Next up, Kabaji! When? Tomorrow!