"I think I remembered something else," he mentioned between spoonfuls of ice cream as they lounged on her sofa, enjoying a big soccer match.

"What did you see?" She rolled her eyes when he stole some of her ice cream.

"I think it was in the hangar. You were floating and you were worried you wouldn't make it in time."

"Too see you off. I knew I was tempting fate, but I wanted to see you," she snuggled against his chest, afraid he would disappear like he had in so many of her dreams.

"And I promised I'd be right back," he wrapped his arms around her when he noticed her expression turn sad. "I'm sorry I didn't keep my promise."

"You did," she pointed out. "You just took a while keeping it."

"I hadn't thought of it that way," he chuckled, ruffling her hair before he stole another spoonful of her ice cream. "Did we make any plans?"

She shook her head. "I was too scared. You tried a few times, but I didn't want to think about the future," she smiled ruefully. "I always regretted it."

"What did you want?"

"Nothing too complicated. A nice house near the ocean. A good job. But most of all, I wanted you there."

"I am now," he reminded her with a quick kiss.

"I was thinking something more permanent."

"Are you asking me to move in with you?"

She nodded. "I'm tired of waking up alone."

"Me too," he agreed. "Then it's settled," he grinned, pulling her close for a hug. "Didn't really like that apartment anyway."

"Shall we celebrate?" She whispered seductively before kissing him.

"Sounds good to me," he chuckled as she pushed him down on the sofa, the soccer match long forgotten.

She felt like she was floating, enveloped by the cold and darkness of what looked like space. How can I be here? I thought I was back home. With him. She could see the pinpricks of lights of what she assumed were stars, while a few lights flashed off in the distance. Floating closer, she could see battleships exchanging fire while mobile suits buzzed across the emptiness, some exploding in clouds of fire. Archangel was there too, locked in a stalemate with Dominion. Jachin Due, her half asleep mind realized.

She saw a very familiar mobile suit threw itself in front of her ship just as Dominion opened fire. She could still hear his voice, cheerful and confident even though he faced certain death, still telling her he could make the impossible possible. She watched in horror as Strike exploded in front of her, fragments of the once powerful suit floating past her. "Mwu!" She bolted up in a cold sweat, her heart pounding as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"It's alright. I'm here," his deep voice soothed, rubbing her back to calm her.

She shook her head. "You're just a dream. I saw it. You can't be here."

"I'm real," he reassured, pulling her close as she cried. "And I won't go anywhere anymore," he promised, gently wiping away her tears.

"How do I know you're real?" She asked, her voice shaky, afraid that he would disappear like he had so many other times.

He placed her hand over his heart. "Does that feel real?"

"I don't know. I….," she could feel his steady heartbeat. It certainly felt real. But so had her dreams.

"What about this?" He kissed her, lightly at first, but it quickly intensified.

"I think I might need more proof," she whispered.

"That can be arranged," he kissed her again, pulling her down on the bed.

"Do you still think I'm not real?" He asked a little while later, gently tracing patterns on her arm.

"No. You're real, alright," she sighed contentedly, enjoying the attention. "I used to see you sometimes," she reluctantly admitted. "But when I tried to move closer, you would disappear. I was worried I was going crazy."

"I'm sorry I hurt you," he leaned over to kiss her forehead. "But like I said earlier, you're stuck with me now."

"That's right" she mumbled before drifting off, this time to much better dreams.

Blinking open her eyes to adjust to the brightness, she reached over to where he would be and frowned when she realized he wasn't there. How long had she been asleep? They had spent all of the morning in bed, and a nap had sounded good, but it looks like she overslept. It was nearly dinner time. And something smelled funny. Like burned food. Pulling on a pair of shorts and t-shirt, she made her way to the kitchen. "Mwu? What's going on?"

"Sorry," he turned around, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I wanted to make your birthday special. Guess I need a few more lessons, huh?"

"Probably so," she agreed with a laugh, kissing his cheek as she peeked over his shoulder to see the burnt remains of whatever it was he had tried to make. "But you didn't need to go to any trouble. It's already special because you're here."

"Really?"

"Really. My last two birthdays, my wish was that you could be here."

"What do we do now?"

"We can try that pizza place near the beach.

"Lead the way," he agreed. Maybe the evening wouldn't be a total disaster after all.

"So did you have a nice birthday?" He asked a little while later as they walked along the shore, watching the moonlight sparkle on the calm ocean.

"I did," she squeezed his hand. "Thanks to you," she ran her fingers over the opal pendant he gave her over dinner and drinks. "I can't believe my wish was answered."

"Someone must be looking out for us," he smiled. "What was your wish this year?"

"I already have everything I want."

"Any wishes for tonight?"

Standing on her tiptoes, she whispered something in his ear, grinning impishly at the goosebumps her suggestion caused.

"What are we waiting for them?" He chuckled as they began making their way home. The bath, and a long night, awaited them. The perfect way to end the best birthday she had ever had.