It was one of my favorite character's birthday this weekend. Let's all take a minute to celebrate Yoshiki Kinshinuma, shall we? I tried to make this one as fluffy as possible, because goddammit it's his birthday and he's gotta be happy for once. Takes place after Heavenly Host. Hope you enjoy!

The store was more or less deserted, the night being too late for any customer to wander in. And yet, for some reason, Yoshiki Kinshinuma still had to hang out there.

He wasn't entirely sure why the shift ran so late. It seemed just like an extra reminder that his boss hated him almost as much as most of his teachers did. Nobody was going to walk in to buy some sheet music or an instrument of any kind-even the kids who liked to hang out in here and goof off where probably either at their homes or at someone else's. Except for him, everybody was gone.

Yoshiki wasn't sure he liked that. Being alone at night, in light of recent events, made him nervous.

A lot of things did, honestly. Being by himself, thunderstorms, the Science Classroom back at his school. It was stupid, honestly, because there was no way something like that could repeat itself. He wasn't in the same place. not even in the same dimension anymore. But fear like an old dusty song stuck in his head, wouldn't ever leave him alone.

He'd decided to clear it out with the best cleanser for such matters-music. He sat in the back corner of the store, enjoying perhaps one of the few reasons why he hadn't quite yet-and that was the ability to play any instrument in this store he wanted without fear of getting into trouble. Sometimes he switched it up, crouched by the old electronic keyboard in hopes of plunking out something, or he'd take down a mandolin and try to see how it worked. For now, though, he went with his old favorite.

The beaten-up acoustic guitar hadn't ever really caught anyones eyes from where it hung upon the wall of the store. And no wonder, really-it was in bad shape. Scrapes in the wood finish and little dents here and there marred it from looking at all new, and it was the cheapest one they had.

Yoshiki loved it.

It fit in his arms easily, like it had been designed and crafted with him in mind, and though the D string was fraying a tad, as long as you were careful it wouldn't break. Besides, it sounded nice. Age and accident had no effect on the quality of the sound.

His fingers played across the strings, quietly, coaxing out a song everybody knew. And his voice joined soon after, soft, like he was trying not to wake somebody.

"Happy birthday to me...Happy birthday to me…"

He stopped halfway through, rested his arm across the top of the guitar, told himself he was being silly.

And then he realized he wasn't alone.

"It's your birthday?"

His head snapped up so fast, he could have sworn it might have caused some whiplash or something had he done it any faster. Standing there like an uninvited breeze was the very person he didn't exactly want to catch him humoring himself with an uncelebrated birthday.

"Ah, Shinozaki...I didn't hear anybody come in." he said quickly, clearing his throat and setting the guitar down hastily on the counter. Best to go back to helpful store employee, before things got even more embarrassing. "Can I help you find something?"

She didn't seem to care. "It's your birthday?" she repeated, like it was some intensely important scientific discovery. "How old are you turning?"

He glared off to the side, clicking his tongue. Dammit, it was far easier when nobody knew when his birthday even was. "Yeah. I guess. Who cares?" he said sharply, still looking icily at the countertop. "Are you gonna buy something here or what? What are you doing up this late, anyway?"

She was the one that seemed to have been taken off guard this time around. Her eyes widened a bit, and it was her turn to avoid his gaze. "It's...It's none of your business." she insisted, her voice taken on the cold, hard-edged tone that he recalled her using when he asked if she was alright back in decay-scented hallways. She had that same look, too, face troubled and sollemn. Her hair was tied back into tails, as always, but they appeared hastily done, and the bags under her eyes looked heavy with something. He quirked a brow, hun the old guitar up again, and leaned his elbows against the corner.

"That bad, were they?" he asked, voice going soft. "The nightmares?"

She looked up again in surprise, opening her mouth as if to protest...Then simply shut it, looking down and sighing. "...Yeah." she replied. "I'm sorry for bothering you, I just...Mayu doesn't remember anything, and I knew you worked late."

"Whatever. It doesn't matter." he said simply, dismissing her apology with a wave of his hand. It made perfect sense to him. Most of the hell had been things they'd gone through together, and when they had come back, the people who perished in that place didn't even know the name of it anymore. It was rough. "Nobody else was going to come in here, anyway."

"...So, how old are you turning?" she said quickly, jumping right back onto the other topic he didn't want to discuss. Of course.

"Eighteen." he said shortly. "That means I'm old as you now, and you can shut up with the bragging."

A smile at that, tired-seeming though it was. It was something, at least. "I don't brag, idiot. And I'm only a month older. But what are you doing working so late? Shouldn't you be out with friends, picking up chicks or something?"

He turned to straighten a few of the sheet-music cabinets at the back of the counter, rummaging in an attempt to look busy. "I don't celebrate it." he said flatly.

"...Oh." He could hear the awkwardness in her voice, not even having to turn around to see the deflation in her posture. "...Not even becoming an adult?"

"I was an adult already." he said. still with that flat, hard tone. He was straightening the files a bit more aggressively now, like they were the things responsible for making him talk about things he didn't want to.

"...I guess so." her voice was quieter now. "With you living by yourself like that...It really doesn't bother you, Kishinuma-kun?"

That got his attention. "What?" he asked, turning to face her again.

"I mean, just...Living by yourself like that. It doesn't get difficult? Even after…" she stopped, seemed to suppress a shudder, swallowed. "Even after what happened…?"

Yet again, the Elementary School drifted into the conversation like a heavy cloud. The room seemed to get colder, and Yoshiki looked down with a small shiver.

"...Sometimes." he said quietly, voice barely audible. "But it's fine. I'd rather be here than there."

"So would I." Ayumi replied, looking fixatedly at the floor. "Say...Kinshinuma-kun?"

"Mm?" he replied, now attempting to busy himself by wiping down the glass case that held the trumpets and flutes, glinting in the artificial light.

"...I never got the chance to thank you."

Okay. That stopped him. He ceased his polishing, turning to face her once more, wide eyes in a slight stupor of wonder. Slowly, he set the rag down.

Ayumi was looking at the floor like she'd been commanded to memorize it. Her hands were curled into small fists at her sides, and she was biting her lip. Nervousness. That was it-her entire posture radiated nervousness, and her voice was shy and hesitant.

And it made no sense at all.

"Everything you did back there….Everything you did to help me..Kinshinuma-kun, without you, I would have died."

He swallowed, still a bit shell shocked, but not wanting her to get herself upset like this. "Shinozaki, you really don't need-"

"No." she looked up, blue eyes holding grey, and held up a hand to stop him. "Please. Let me say this."

Swallowing, Yoshiki nodded.

"I would have. I would have gotten possessed forever, or done something rash...And Kinshinuma-kun, you never allowed that to happen. God, how many times did you save me? There are too many to count…"

He seriously couldn't believe this was happening.

"And the whole time I just complained! I lashed out at you when you did nothing to deserve that. The whole time I kept thinking that you were such a hassle to get stuck around, and how much better Satoshi was, but you were doing so much and trying so hard…" A pause where she wiped her nose on her sleeve. He became aware that she was close to tears.

"And I didn't realize any of it until I almost lost you...I swear, Kinshinuma-kun, if I ever have to lose you.."

His mouth felt dry.

"And that's...That's why I have to say this now. I'm so, so sorry that I said those hurtful things to you...And I just want you to know that I'm so thankful, for everything, okay?"

She was crying now, hard enough to be obvious to him despite how she attempted to pass it off. He half considered reaching for her, but then decided against it.

"I'm...God, I'm sorry to trouble you with this." A weak, broken little laugh that sounded more like a sob escaped her as she wiped her eyes. "And on your birthday and all…"

"It's not important." Yoshiki said quickly, ducking behind the counter for a moment before awkwardly handing over a box of tissues. "Here."

She accepted them, wiping off her face and nose soon after they were presented. She had seemed to stop crying now, at the very least. He still wanted to hug her, or something, but knew that it would probably be an unwanted gesture on his part.

"I know you don't seem to think it is." she replied, sniffling a bit as she recovered from the whole crying episode. "But still….I can't help but feel like it's wrong, just ignoring it."

"It's fine." Yoshiki repeated, leaning on the counter as he awaited for her to calm down the rest of the way. "And for the record, Shinozaki...You kept me going, too. You know that, right?"

She looked up again, seeming surprised, and offered a watery smile. "Thank you."

"...It's no problem." he said, examining the countertop once more, and feeling like he had a lot more to say that probably would never be voiced.

This wasn't about him-not much ever was, as far as Yoshiki was concerned. And besides that, all he would do was make things worse. Whatever strange bond had formed betwixt him and the girl on the other side of the counter, he wanted to keep it safe.

"...Say...Kinshinuma-kun?"

He glanced up again, meeting her eyes once more. "Yeah?"

"I know you don't celebrated it, and knowing you you'll probably shut down the idea entirely, but...Could I give you something? You know, as a birthday present?"

He sighed, instantly shaking his head. "It's fine." he said quickly. "I don't need anything."

"I thought you'd say that...Here, how about this. If you let me get you something, I"ll…" She sighed heavily, as though admitting great personal defeat. "I'll stop bugging you about your homework for a few days."

His eyebrows raised in consideration. "...Make it a week, Shinozaki, and you've got yourself a deal."

"What?" she exclaimed, folding her arms. "That's hardly even! I'm giving you something here, remember? You're benefiting both ways!"

"What was that?" Yoshiki replied, grinning mischievously. "Couldn't hear you over the sound of your annoying voice asking me if I'd studied recently."

"It's for your own good, you idiot. Would you rather I let you get expelled?"

"Time's wasting, Shinozaki. Maybe I'll up my conditions to a month…"

"I can't believe...Ugh! Fine, you asshole. A week it is." she growled with a disapproving shake of your head. "Will you shut up and take your present now?"

"What?" he asked, tilting his head slightly in surprise. "You already have something? I figured you'd go get it and then give it to me."

"I have something, jerkoff. Now, are you going to let me give it or not?"

"Christ, fine. Don't murder me or anything, here."

"Not funny." She said, straightening up to her full height-which honestly wasn't much. "Now," she said, sounding strangely businesslike. "Close your eyes."

"What? You can't just hand it to me?"

"It's something called a surprise, dumbass. Now shut up and close your eyes."

"Okay, okay, just quit nagging for five damn seconds." Yoshiki grumbled, obediently closing his eyes and holding out his hand in expectation. A second passed. Then two. Then three and four.

Nothing happened.

He was about to inquire if she actually had something to give him at all when something was placed in his hand-and it wasn't any sort of object. It was warm, trembling slightly, and it wasn't until a set of fingers laced in his that he realized she'd just taken his hand.

What.

Puzzlement was the main thing in his head, but his questions as to what the hell she was doing and why she was doing it paled a bit when he noticed that her hand was noticeably smaller than his, the skin much softer than the callouses on his fingers and thumb that came from afternoons spent alone with a guitar. There was something strangely breakable about it, too, like a baby bird's skeleton.

He felt something like air against his face, and drew back a fraction of an inch in response. "Shinozaki," he asked, "What-"

Something was touching his mouth, lips specifically, and he thought for a moment that she was trying to feed him cake or something like that before he leaned forward and felt his forehead touch something and he realized why her breathing had sounded strangely loud before.

She was kissing him.

Ayumi Shinozaki was kissing him.

His first coherent thought was something along the lines of 'Oh, God, time to call the nearest mental ward.'

But he let himself have a second, once he got over the initial shock, because this was something he'd wanted for the past year or so and goddammit he was going to let himself have it.

It was sweet and short, and he had to remember that he was supposed to open his eyes again when it was done. He was greeted by the sight of Ayumi, red-faced and determinedly avoiding eye contact. After a few hastily awkward seconds, he cleared his throat and lifted a hand to scratch the back of his head.

"...Uh. Wasn't expecting that." was all he could think to say.

"...Yeah." Ayumi replied, raising a hand to her lips for a second, as though in thought. "I wasn't either, truthfully...But, well...Happy Birthday, Kinshunuma-kun.

All in all, as far as they went, it was one of his better birthdays.