Intro: Train's birthday is approaching, and it's up to Eve and Leon to get him a pressie and cheer him up.
As Eve plopped into a chair, setting her breakfast on the table, she was struck by how agitated Train seemed this morning. He had earlier been hovering around the fridge, repeatedly opening and closing the door without taking anything out, and had only stopped when Eve had grabbed the milk for her cereal. Train had then stared at the fridge for several seconds, before opening the door one last time and grabbing a bottle of the milk he usually binged on.
Eve watched Train as she munched on her cereal. Train drank the milk with none of the usual excitement he had, and his eyes looked blank. When he finally finished it, he sunk back into the couch that he was sitting in and sighed, staring at the ceiling. Finally, Eve couldn't hold it back any longer.
"Are you alright, Train?" Eve asked, knowing perfectly well that something was bugging Train.
"Huh? Princess? " Train exclaimed, surprised. He looked at Eve sitting on the table, before sinking back into the sofa. "I'm fine."
It was an uncharacteristically short response from Train, and hiding her concern, Eve left her cereal bowl in the sink, before climbing up the stairs to the bathroom, where Sven was carefully styling his hair. Why Sven bothered when he was going to put a hat on top of that hair Eve didn't know, but after seeing Sven's reaction after Train had asked the same thing, Eve thought it wise not to ask again.
"Sven?" Eve asked hesitantly as Sven slipped his eye patch on. "Why do you think Train is...moping?"
"Moping?" Sven frowned, as he grabbed his perfectly tailored hat and rest it gently on his head. "What's the date?"
"The date?" Eve replied curiously. "April 12."
"That explains it!" Sven said. "It's his birthday tomorrow. April 13th."
"The why would he be moping? I would've expected Train to be overly hyper and bouncy, not sinking into the sofa with a blank expression."
"I don't know. Maybe he celebrated one of his birthdays with Saya and he remembered how happy it was? Except I'm pretty sure he got over Saya once we beat Creed. Train's still a mystery to me, even now."
Sven looked at Eve, his forehead wrinkling slightly in thought. "Maybe you could do something to cheer him up."
Eve stared back at Sven for several seconds before smiling. "I know exactly what to do."
"So...who are we shopping for, again?" Leon asked, as he held Eve's hand. They were walking down the popular Sapidor Shopping Centre in search for not only a present for Train, but for party stuff that would be used in a surprise party to celebrate Train's birthday.
"Train. You know – the Black Cat," Eve said as she nodded, looking around left and right for anything that would seem suitable for Train as a present. But what? That was the hard part.
"I know him alright," Leon muttered. "He doesn't seem to like me."
Eve looked sharply at Leon, before smiling. "Then you must not know him very well. If he likes insulting you or calling you names and acts like a tennis ball around you, secretly he approves. You know how he is."
Leon nodded silently, not really taking in much of what Eve was saying, but was wondering how Train would treat someone he didn't like if he loved annoying people he did like.
"Look at Creed," Eve answered to Leon's unspoken question. "Train never stopped coming at him."
"Ah...I see," Leon said, nodding knowledgeably to try and look better in front of Eve, even though he knew it probably wouldn't change her thoughts about him. But there was no stopping the male hormones that ran through his veins. And it was the hormones that would make Leon blurt out a statement he knew he would regret later.
"Would it be a good idea if we competed to see who can get Train the best presents?" Leon asked, his competitive spirit coming out. For once, he wanted to beat Eve at something. He wanted to prove that he was worthy of her, because at that moment, all Leon could feel was that Eve was a bright, shining beacon, and he was just Leon, Leon who could control the air but once wanted to put out the light that was Eve. Even after all those months of knowing her, deep down, he never forgave himself for his arrogance and trying to kill Eve. He just wanted to feel as if he deserved her.
Eve looked at him sharply and smiled. "And I'll kick your ass too. I won't even need my hammer either." Leon sighed – what Eve had just said further dug into his doubts.
"Leon? Not you too," Eve groaned, pulling him to a bench. "Train's already depressed because of something, and you seem to be, too. You don't like April the 12th either or something?"
"I'm not right for you." It was a soft whisper, and Leon was looking at the floor, but Eve heard. "I'm a killer. I wanted to kill you. But I'm no match. I..."
"You doubt yourself," Eve realised, saying it aloud, and withholding a sigh. Leon reminded Eve of Train sometimes, especially when they were depressed. Men really could do the whole I-look-like-a-deflated-balloon thing and just fall apart on you. No matter what powers or abilities you had, all men seemed to fall apart sometime.
"If I didn't believe that you had changed, would I be here?" Eve stated, making Leon look at her. "Would I?"
Leon shook his head. "I-"
"You have no reason for doubts. Today is meant to be fun."
Leon finally cracked a smile. "I'm pathetic – but I get your point. Let's have fun." Leon stood up, but Eve stopped him. "Do you really get my point? I like you, Leon. It's fun practicing with you in the morning and having an intellectual equal – there's no one else I would turn to."
Eve and Leon stood face to face, both very aware that their faces were turning a deep red. Leon put one hand on his burning cheek and looked away nervously, feeling the unusual tension in the air.
"Uh...let's go," Leon stuttered, dragging Eve along, who had also been caught by surprise by the burning feeling she had felt on her cheeks, and the sudden need just to be with Leon.
"We have a black-feeling cat back at home that needs cheering up," Eve said with more confidence than she actually had.
"I have an idea. But we won't find it in the shopping centre."
Eve and Leon disappeared from the shopping centre, a new bounce appearing in their steps as they bumped into a familiar old friend.
The morning of the 13th was sunny, and cloud free, and it was down to Eve to distract –or take out - Train long enough to get her surprise ready. Train was once again sunk deep into the sofa, but Eve noticed something more accepting about the way he sat. Eve approached him, putting on her poker face.
"Train," Eve said, standing in front of him. As Train looked back at her, he grabbed the milk bottle in her hand and popped the lid, not noticing that the lid had been pre-opened earlier.
"Thanks, Princess," Train said gratefully, smiling as he drank the milk, before that smile turned to horror as he faced Eve. "What the hell did you put in here? Is this...expired milk?" Train exclaimed, not wanting to, for like the hundredth time, to end up with diarrhoea because in his rush, he never read milk bottles for the expiry date. But as he checked it, he was sure that the milk wasn't going to expire until next week.
Train tried to stand, but found himself feeling lethargic. "You...argh...sleeping pills..." With that, Train drifted off and began snoring, the snores echoing around the room. Eve patted his head, noting how he had bags under his eyes. That was even weirder. Train would never pass off an opportunity to sleep... unless he had been up all night thinking. Eve was glad she had chosen sleeping pills over a trip to the supermarket for milk. By the time she dragged Train out of there, it would probably be evening.
"All clear!" Eve announced, as the front door smashed open. Entering were Leon, who looked dishevelled, Sven, who looked amused at the sight of Train snoring away on the sofa, Rinslett, who even brought her whip along, and finally, a squealing and bouncing Kyoko, who had bumped into Eve when they were just about to leave the Sapidor shopping centre. "Decorate the present out the back, and get this place set up for the party!"
It was only after an hour after Train had drunk the 'sleepy milk' as Sven had termed it, before he woke up, and had to silently admit that he was feeling better. He had been up all night, thinking about things that shouldn't be thought, remembering things he thought he never would. It had all come the moment he realised that his birthday was coming, and the memories attached to it had been triggered.
As he got up, he was suddenly aware that the living room, was a vibrant yellow, and covered with streamers and confetti. There was a massive banner above the fireplace that read "Happy Birthday Train." On it were crudely cute pictures of black cats, and as Train slowly turned around, he was startled by a very loud "Happy Birthday" that was loud enough to shake the bell on his collar.
"Gah!" Train said, clutching his heart in shock, and sliding off the sofa onto the floor. "Ouch! Don't scare me like that!"
After Train had recovered slightly, his sharp eyes picked out the people in the room. Eve. Who looked way too smug. Leon. Who just looked worried. Sven. Rinslett. And...Kyoko?
"Kuro-samaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Kyoko yelled out in excitement. "When I found out that today was your birthday, I just had to come! My cat pictures are awesome, aren't they, Train?"
"They're lovely Kyoko," Train said, eager to avoid crushing his ribs with the force of Kyoko's hugs. He then looked around the room and gave Eve his most evil glare.
"You," Train stated, standing with his hands on his hips. Rinslett and Sven were clearly holding back laughter as they began to shake. "You made the milk sleepy...and gave me a heart attack."
Train then shocked everyone by grabbing Eve in a massive bear hug. "Thanks! The party is awesome!" Train yelled out, eyes glittering like the Train of old.
"Uh...you can put me down now," Eve said, when Train continued to hug her, but now looked more like a carry.
"Sorry," Train apologised, looking sheepish. "I had a lot on my mind."
Eve and Leon then both shared identical, evil expressions. "Then it's time to see your present."
Eve dragged Train along to the backyard as he remembered what Eve had gotten him once. A dried fish. Hopefully she hadn't brought him an entire fish pond. Those would be poor fishies, Train thought.
But in the garden wasn't a fish pond. It was a cow, a cow with a red ribbon tied around her waist, and cheeky black eyes.
"A...cow?" Train asked. "Are you serious?"
Leon began to look worried as Eve grinned. "Milk. You milk the cow. Fresh, fresh milk, and you'll never need to go to the supermarket again!"
Train approached the cow slowly, as if he were in a daze. Unknown to him, Rinslett had brought along Sven and Kyoko to the courtyard to watch the action that Rinslett hoped would happen. Train sank down onto his knees and looked puzzled. "How the hell do I get the milk out?" he yelled, the cow suddenly looking very cheeky as she stared at Train. "How-argh!"
The cow had suddenly given Train a massive kick which made him slide along the courtyard grass, as everyone laughed. Eve then bent down and helped him up, as she brought along a bucket and approached the cow.
"Train – this is how you milk a cow." Eve bent down, and the cow obligingly let her reach out, and squeeze out some milk. When Eve re-emerged, looking triumphant, Train gave her a look and muttered, "For all you know, she told that cow to kick me."
Train didn't realise how close to the truth he was as everyone burst out into laughter after that statement, Leon giving Eve a quick kiss on the cheek.
Hopefully you've enjoyed this story as well – I couldn't resist getting Train a cow! As for updating... I'm going overseas very soon and probably won't get to update at all in January. So I'll try and type as much as I can before that. As usual, don't own Black Cat blah blah, and feel free to drop in a comment by reviewing. :D. Makes me happy.