The holidays came and went; it had been a small affair, but enjoyable. Phoenix had made an effort to include Apollo in the festivities, yet it came off more awkward than anything. Apollo appreciated it none-the-less, the Wright's being the closest thing to a family he'd ever had, now they'd all seemed to settle in together as one.
Winter drug on, the night's cold, the days barely above freezing. Very unusual for the normally sunny California. Apollo continued to fight himself; trying to get back to normal and trying to move on with his life, but his past still haunted him. Every time he'd read the news, saw a happy family, heard Phoenix use any sort of tone less than cheerful or looked at Athena and Simon - they were getting pretty serious these days – his emotions threatened to break him again. Phoenix seemed to be losing his temper more and more which improved nothing. Work was getting to him and Trucy was not making things easier. Her behaviour had shifted from bad to worse when she'd fallen in with the wrong crowds.
Apollo tried his best to keep his balance, but it hadn't seemed to work. He'd gone back to working full time, but it was difficult. Everything even remotely reminding him of his circumstances chipped at his spirit. Phoenix was distancing himself, dealing with his own work and life. Trucy was in her own world and Athena had even lost her normal energy. Phoenix still sheltered him, refusing to let him leave when he'd asserted that he was planning to move out. Apollo had hoped for it in his mind and was surprised when the scenario he'd played in his head many times had actually happened. Apollo didn't think it fair to live in the Wright home without contributing and had tried to make excuses to leave. After Phoenix refusing several times, Apollo finally succeeded in pressuring Phoenix to accept rent, some money for food and supplies now that he was working again. He'd even offered to back pay Phoenix for the months of freeloading, but Phoenix held firm, refusing to accept another dime from him. Apollo was grateful, but he knew he could never repay Phoenix for everything he'd helped him through.
Apollo soon began to spend most nights barely sleeping. He'd find himself sitting in bed, looking blankly out on his surroundings more than anything. He'd never cared for winter. It was cold, miserable and to make it worse, his birthday approached. Apollo had never known his real birthdate and he'd just used the day he was left at the orphanage; it was good enough and only mattered on his papers. Birthdays had always been a sore spot, an anniversary of abandonment and nothing more. He knew the older he became, the less likely someone would be to adopt him. Families only wanted young, happy children and the date served as a reminder of that. A few homes had tried to take him in, but for one reason or another, it never seemed to work out. As he'd grown older, he'd given up on hoping someone might be kind enough to welcome him into their household.
After trying to find out what had been bothering Apollo, Phoenix quickly realized a good portion of Apollo's current state revolved around his upcoming birthday; finding out that it had never been particularly enjoyable and he'd thought about what he could do to make it something special. Phoenix thought long and hard about the idea in his head. Was it a good idea? Would Apollo like it? Would it make things worse? Phoenix had talked it over with a few people and received mixed reactions. Most, however were supportive. After much deliberation, Phoenix made up his mind, settling on what he'd hoped to be the perfect gift.
The weeks leading up to the surprise he had for Apollo remained uneventful. Phoenix tried not to tip him off. He'd not even told Trucy; knowing she might slip out of excitement.