Birthday Part 2

Akria's P.O.V

We were now in the living room, getting ready for the real celebration. Aunt Cass came out of the kitchen, carrying a small round cake to the table. It was decorated with white buttercream frosting, strawberries, and had "Happy 16th, Akria!" written in big red letters. Hiro put the candles on the cake and Tadashi lit them. Then, everyone started singing.

"Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday, dear Akria
Happy Birthday to you"

"And many more..." Baymax added on. We all laughed, as I blew out the candles. We then got to cutting the cake. It looked absolutely delicious, and it was red velvet, my favorite cake flavor. There were a few instances when Mochi and Hana tried to swipe some pieces of the cake, but Aunt Cass stopped them.

After, we had our fill of cake, Hiro called out, "Alright, who's ready to open presents?"

"This girl!" I said excitedly. The Hamadas started bringing out all of my presents, one by one. "I want you to open my present last." Hiro told me.

"Okey-dokey." I looked at all the presents in front of me and wondered which one I should open first.

"Ooh, I'll start with this big one right here!" That was the same big box I saw Tadashi carrying earlier today. This one was from Aunt Cass.

"I hope you like it, sweetie." She said, smiling. I tore off the wrapping paper and opened the box. Inside was not one, but two gifts. Aunt Cass had gotten me a karaoke machine and a beautiful new kimono. It was dark maroon with pink cherry blossoms on it.

"OMG, Aunt Cass! I love these!" This karaoke machine is exactly the one I wanted, and I love the kimono too!" I gave her a big hug. "Thanks, Aunt Cass."

"You're welcome, sweetie." I set the machine and kimono aside and picked up another present. This next one was from Tadashi. There was a little note attached to it that read, "To Akria, the best little sister in the world!"

I think you'll really love this one, Akria." Tadashi commented. I ripped off the wrapping paper to reveal a large case. I opened it and inside was a shiny white keytar.

"WHOA! You got me a keytar?! This! Is! Awesome!"

Tadashi chuckled. "Well, I know you like playing the piano, but I thought this would a lot cooler!" He helped me attach the strap to the keytar. Once I had it on, I played a few notes. It sounded really cool.

"This is what I'm talking about!" I removed the keytar, set it back in its case, and hugged Tadashi.

"Thank you, Tadashi. I love it!"

"You're very welcome, Akria."

Baymax walked up to me, and set a hand on my shoulder. "I too have a present for you, Akria."

"Baymax, you didn't have to do that." But a screen had already appeared on Baymax's vinyl stomach. I laughed as I saw it was the whole gang.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" They all yelled." I laughed and Baymax said:

"Here are all your friends for your birthday." I smiled, and thanked them all for my gifts once again.

"Be ready for tomorrow." GoGo said. "Because we all want to hear about everything you got!"

"I will. Bye, guys!" They went away, and I stood up, giving Baymax a big squishy hug. He wrapped his arms around me and patted my head. I smiled and sat back down, as Bayamx waddled away.

Finally, I turned to Hiro. Just one present left. "Alright, Hiro. I'm ready for your present."
Hiro nodded and said." Okay, but close your eyes first, and no peeking. I'll be right back."

I did as he said and closed my eyes. I then heard him leave the room. I could feel the excitement building up inside me. Just what kind of surprise did Hiro have for me? Finally, I heard him come back. "Okay, you can open your eyes now."

I opened my eyes and there was Hiro holding something orange. I got a closer look at it and I realized that is was...

"Oh my gosh, Hiro! Is that my..."

"Yes it is. I redesigned and upgraded your suit." I could not take it anymore! This was by far, THE best gift I had ever gotten on my birthday.

I squealed and threw my arms around Hiro. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! This is so amazing!" I calmed down a little bit and gave Hiro a quick kiss on the lips.

"I knew you'd love it, Akria. I know red is and always will be your signature color, but I decided to recolor your suit to orange since that's the only color we haven't used yet and because Baymax's armor is red. That way, everyone's suit is different, and there are no dominant colors."

"Well, I must say; you did a really good job. It looks awesome." I got a good look at my suit. It still retained the original design; only this time, it now included a miniskirt and was now light orange with electric green accents. My gloves were now orange and looked more streamlined. And, my belt had two additional buttons.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go try it on!" Hiro urged. I grabbed my new suit and headed upstairs to change. I looked at myself in the mirror. Wow. If my green eyes stood out against my suit before, they really stood out now. I said to myself, "I gotta admit. I actually look pretty good in orange." I wondered what kind of upgrades Hiro had given me. I mean, I already have my energy gloves and my energy swords. I dashed back downstairs to the living room. Everyone's eyes went wide when they saw me.

"Wow." Hiro said.

"Impressive." Tadashi complimented.

"You look both fierce and adorable!" Cass squealed.

"So, what can my suit do now?" I asked Hiro. He came up to me and gestured to the two new buttons. He pointed to one of them.

"Okay, press this one right here, and hold your gloves straight up after you press it." I nodded, and pressed the button Hiro told me. I held my hands straight above my head, and out of my gloves came a huge force field. It was transparent, but it had a faint blue glow. "It can expand as far as you need it to. You just need to use the neurotransmitter that is now installed in your helmet, and it will grow bigger. But just keep in mind that the bigger you make it, the more time it will need to recharge."

"This is so cool." I lowered my hands and the force field dissipated. "What does the other button do?" I was about to touch it when Hiro grabbed my hand and stopped me.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Don't push that button unless absolutely necessary."

"Why?" I asked.

"This button will activate your new supercharged mode. It will increase the power of your energy beam to 10 times its original power. If you use it with the force field, it will be big enough to cover the entire city. However, using it will drain your stamina, making you feel tired; and it doesn't last very long, so make it count." I nodded in understanding, and then took off my helmet to give Hiro a small peck on the lips.

Much later...

Hiro's P.O.V.

Everyone had finally settled down after the celebration. Aunt Cass had cooked up her famous hot wings and made some mochi for dinner. Tadashi was now helping her take down the decorations, and Baymax was cuddling with the pets on the sofa.

"Hey, Baymax, have you seen Akria?" I asked him.

"I believe she is upstairs, trying out her new gifts."

"Thanks, buddy." I then headed upstairs, where I heard music coming from our bedroom. I entered the room and saw Akria wearing her new kimono and playing her new keytar. She had put her hair up in a small ponytail in the back.

"Hey, Akria." She stopped playing at looked up at me.

"Hi, Hiro, what's up?"

"I was wondering if you'd like to...go for a walk in the park?"

Her eyes lit up at this. "Sure, that sounds fun." She set down her keytar and took off her kimono. I then offered her a hand, and she took it. We headed downstairs until we reached the front door.

"Hey, Aunt Cass! Akria and I are going out for a while! We'll be back later tonight!" I called out to her.
Okay! Just don't stay out too long!" We walked out the door and started walking towards the park. I still had one last present I wanted to give to Akria, but I wanted until the right moment to give it toher.

As we were walking, I kept glancing at Akria. Her appearance had changed a lot over the last year. She was now a little taller, her hair had grown out a bit, and she also looked more curvaceous. She really looked beautiful. She wasn't the same girl I met about a year ago. She has become stronger and braver. I was still madly in love with her. I slipped my hand into hers, as we continued to walk to the park.

Akria's P.O.V

I couldn't help but notice just how much Hiro had grown in the year we had known each other. He had always been slightly taller than me, but now he was really showing it this time. It was almost a full 3 inches on me. He was now almost as tall as Tadashi. He had also become quite muscular and was developing a set of abs. I started noticing this when I accidentally caught him changing one day. His muscles were especially noticeable whenever he wore a short-sleeve shirt. It looks like all that crime fighting has really paid off. I gotta admit; he looked pretty attractive.

"So, Akria, how does it feel to be the same age as me?" Hiro asked.

"Hiro, you're like a month older than me."

"And don't you forget it." He bragged." I remember Hiro mentioning that he used to be the youngest of the group before I came into the picture.

"And since when did you get so tall?"

"As Baymax always says, 'Puberty can cause growths in young males.' "

We both laughed at this. I leaned on Hiro's shoulder, as we continued to walk. However, I started thinking about the card. I haven't opened it yet, but do I really want to? I was still unsure of what to do with it, but I decided that once we got to the park, I'd talk to Hiro about it. He's the person whom I trust the most, so maybe he'll know what to do.

Hiro led me further down the park and into a secluded cherry blossom garden. The sun was beginning to set. The wind was blowing the cherry blossoms, as they swirled around us. It looked like the scene out of a movie. We finally decided to sit down and lean against one of the cherry blossom trees. Hiro sat down leaning against the tree, and I sat between his legs. Hiro wrapped his arms around me, and I leaned my head against his shoulder. We sat there for a moment watching the sunset, filled with hues of orange, yellow, and purple. Hiro grabbed one of the fallen cherry blossoms and placed it in my hair.

"Oh, Hiro. This place is just so beautiful."

"Yeah, but not as beautiful as you." I blushed, but then remembered the card in my pocket. I looked away from him and he asked, "What's wrong? Are you alright?"

"Well, there's something I've been wanting to talk to you about."

"What is it?"

"It's about the card I received from Dad. The truth is, I now know that that what happened with Mom and the fire wasn't his fault, that Krei was responsible for everything. It's just...I want to forgive him, I really do, but I just don't know what to do or what to say. I don't think I can even ever forgive myself for putting him in jail."

Hiro gently cupped my face and said, "Akria, look at me. I may not have known your mother for very long, but I can tell that both of your parents have done an amazing job of raising you. Your father obviously loves you very much. Besides, if he didn't love you, he never would've made me promise him that I'd always protect and care for you. I could see it in his eyes. He truly regretted doing what he did. That being said, I know you'll be able to forgive him, and he'll completely understand how you feel."

I smiled at him and said, "Thank you, Hiro. Thank you for listening to what I had to say. And, you're right. No matter what my dad does, good or bad; he still is, an always will be my father. But, what will I say to him when I see him again? What will I do?"

"Don't worry about that, Akria. You'll know exactly what to say and do when the time comes. Hey, have you opened the card yet?"

"No, I wasn't sure whether I wanted to or not. But not anymore."

I took a deep breath, and opened up the birthday card. Inside of it was a picture of a maneki-neko wearing a party hat. The card read: "You've really matured over the years, Akria. You're becoming more of a young woman every day. I'm so proud of you. Happy Birthday, my sunshine."

I smiled as I read the card. I could hear his voice as I read the card again. It was almost like he was right here next to me. I put it in my pocket, and wiped a few stray tears away.

We continued to sit together under the tree. The stars slowly came out and twinkled. The full moon was shining underneath us. Hiro looked over at me, and I could see him blush when I caught him staring.

"Akria, I have one more present I want to give to you, but I wanted to wait until we were alone to do so."

He pulled out a small black box with red ribbon out of his pocket. I took it and opened it up. Inside was a gold locket with a fleur-de-lis symbol on it.

"Oh, Hiro. It's beautiful."

"That's not all. Open it."

I opened the locket and gasped. Inside was a picture of me and my mother. I start to feel the tears form, and soon I was crying in happiness. I threw my arms around Hiro.

"Oh my gosh, Hiro! That is so sweet. Thank you so much. This has to be the best gift I've ever gotten on my birthday."

Hiro smiled down at me. "You're welcome. I knew you'd love it." He cupped my face with his hand again and wiped my tears away with his thumbs. He then helped me put the locket around my neck.

"It's a perfect fit, and the fleur-de-lis symbol is a great touch too. You know, Hiro? I've gotten so many awesome gifts today, but the one thing that made this day extra special to me was that I got to spend it with my amazing boyfriend."

He smirked at me. "And, who might this amazing boyfriend be?"

I chuckled and punched him lightly in the shoulder. "It's you, ya knucklehead."

The two of us giggle and then we slowly leaned into each other to share a slow, sweet kiss. His lips tasted sweet, and I felt myself pushing more and more. I found myself sitting on Hiro's lap. I wrapped my arms around his neck. Time seemed to freeze, and we just sat there, kissing and kissing. I wanted to melt right into him. The kiss was so gentle and sweet. After a while, we broke away.

I felt myself breathing a little heavy, and I whispered to Hiro in Japanese. "Anata o hontōni aishiteimasu, Hiro." (I love you so much, Hiro.)
Hiro smiled at me and whispered back, "Je t'aime aussi, Akria." (I love you too, Akria.) He had learned some French. I smiled, thinking about the fleur-de-lis symbol.

I looked up at him and said, "Hey Hiro, I just realized something. This is the first time that we've ever really been alone together. You know, just the two of us, and nobody else around."

"Yeah. I mean, with Tadashi back and us going out on nightly patrols, we've never really been able to share these kind of moments together."

"Yeah, besides, I know that after tonight, we probably won't get to have another moment like this for a while, so we might as well enjoy it while the night's still young."

"It's like you just took the words right out of my mouth."

We leaned in for another kiss. It started out slow and sweet, like all the other kisses we've shared before. But eventually, the kissing became harder. It was becoming fiery. I ran my fingers through his messy black hair, as Hiro stroked my back, holding me close. I was lost in the moment. The only thing that mattered to me right now was Hiro. It felt like I was going to melt right into him. It was so passionate. After a while, we separated and came up for air.

Hiro was trying to catch his breath, panting. "Wow." He whispered.

I was also panting, blood was rushing to my cheeks. "That was...amazing."

"I think we just had our first make out session together."

"Yeah, I guess we did."

Hiro's P.O.V

It was getting late, so Akria and I decided to head back home, before it got completely dark. We walked back to the house hand in hand, and I leaned my head on his shoulder. We made it back home, and walked in when the café doorbell rang. Aunt Cass was getting some sweets ready for tomorrow.

"You two have a nice walk?" She asked. Akria blushed at me, and I felt my heart race a little.

"It was a nice walk, Aunt Cass." I said to her. She came out from behind the counter and gave Akria a big hug.

"I hope you had a wonderful birthday, sweetie." Aunt Cass told her.

"Thank you, Aunt Cass." Akria said back. "It was the best birthday ever." Aunt Cass smiled at her and kissed her forehead.

Alright, now both of you, off to bed. You need to get some sleep." She hugged us both, and we headed up the stairs."

"Hiro." Akria pulled me aside, just outside of the bedroom door.

"Yeah?" I asked. She was holding onto the card her father gave her.

"I won't be at the team meeting, tomorrow. I'm…I'm going to go visit my father and talk to him about the card and everything else." I looked in her eyes and saw how hard it was going to be for her.

"Hey, they'll understand. Do you want me to go with you?"

"No, I need to do this myself. Don't worry, Hiro, I'll be fine." I took her hand and gave her a small kiss.

"Okay, and Happy Birthday, Akria. I love you."

"Thank you, Hiro. I love you, too."

The next day…

Akria's P.O.V
The guard was taking me down to the meet-up area. Thank god it was going to be private with only one guard in the room. I had the card in my hand, and I was shaking from head to toe. What was I going to say? When I see him, will the hate still be there, or will it all be okay in the end? The guard opened the door and said, "You have ten minutes. No more, no less." I nodded my head. I took a deep breath, and walked in.
I saw him. He had bags under his eyes, and his hair was roughed up and a little longer. He had definitely let it grow out. He was still wearing that orange jumpsuit. I could imagine that prison food mustn't be that be good. He looked up at me, and he smiled. All at once I was five years old again, asking for my father for another piggyback ride; asking him to take me out to for ice cream; asking him to watch the stars with me. I held the card up for him to see. I felt tears forming in my eyes, and all at once it just came rushing out. I rushed to my father and tackled him with a hug. He held me close and rubbed my back.

"Shhh, it's okay, sunshine. It's okay." My father whispered to me.

In between my sobs, I said, "Dad…you weren't yourself. It was all Krei's fault…I forgive you. I'm so sorry. For everything."

"Sunshine, it is okay."

"I've missed you so much, Dad; so much. I want you to be here, again."

"I can be, sunshine. And, I am so sorry for everything I have done to you."

"It wasn't really you. You were brainwashed, and…"

"I know, but I don't know if I'll ever forgive myself for everything."

"I do, Dad; I do. I love you." He held me tighter. "I love you, too." The next ten minutes were filled with the two of us crying in each other's arms. We kept blubbering about forgiving each other, and moving on. Soon, the ten minutes were up, and I had to leave.

"I'm glad to have you back, sunshine." My father said wiping away my tears.

"Dad, I promise you I am going to get you out of here. Krei deserves to rot in here, and you deserve to be free. You will be free, Dad. I swear on Mom's grave." I gave him one last hug, and left, even though I didn't want to. I still wanted more time with the father I just got back. I guess that was the best present of all. I got my father back.