Happy birthday, Seven!

It was way too early for Sice to get up already, but today she really had no choice no matter what complains her body had. There was no way she would miss this opportunity and ruin the day just because she couldn't get her butt out of the bed.

But Seven's arms around her were so comfy and warm, her back pressed against Seven's front was way too good to let go of that position. Not that often she could feel this – Seven would be long up already until she would even consider setting a foot outside of the bed.

How Sice even managed to wake up before her was a miracle and the moment she opened her eyes she definitely knew she wouldn't do that again so soon.

Sice and the morning were never friends.

Not that she ever wanted that in the first place.

She sighed as she closed her eyes again, snuggling her back against Seven to feel the gentle embrace she got from her – as much as she could in a short time. But she had to rip her eyes open again, because she was so close to fall asleep again and that was no option right now.

For the love of the Crystals, get your ass up already.

Blinking a few times she tried to shift away from her grasp, slowly but steady until she removed Seven's arms around her and turned around then without shifting the mattress too much, laying them safely in front of her chest. She sighed in relief when she didn't notice any stir coming from her – with a calm face and slightly parted lips Seven continued her peaceful sleep.

Sice smiled at the sight. Now that she saw this she should really get up earlier from time to time – seeing her like this brought back so many memories of what they lived through and what they already achieved in their lives.

They might have had a past no one wished for a child, but that didn't matter to them anymore – they lived here and now in the future they built and would forever be grateful for that. The orphanage was something they dreamed of and they chased to achieve this dream – now it was the home of many who were victims of the past which Sice and Seven were quite responsible for. Having this orphanage was a way to atone for all this – and seeing Seven happy every day when she woke up now was something she would never get tired of.

Seven … another year went past, another year full of happenings and events were stored inside her mind and filled her memories with all kind of happy and beautiful things they saw and experienced – when they were around this many children it wasn't surprising that they had such an eventful life.

She had to get used to this at first. Actually she had never imagined that she would run this orphanage together with Seven – her girlfriend of many years now.

But then again she hadn't imagined anything after the war. How could she when fighting was the only thing she had ever learned.

Seven showed her the way with the children, how she should treat them and what to do in several cases – her first weeks in the orphanage were absolutely catastrophic, but Seven was patient with her, like she always was.

It was only a matter of time until she got a hang of it; she might not be as good as Seven with the children, but at least Seven trusted her now with them to the point where she could take a break once in a while.

Sice shook her head when she started to yawn, rubbing her eyes when she took a last look at her sleeping beauty in front of her. Gently she drew the covers up to her shoulders and slightly patted over her when she climbed out of the bed, almost falling over because of her wobbly legs.

Ah yes, there was something.

Good morning you too Sice. … I hate mornings.

With shaking legs she stood in the middle of the room now, biting on her lip to suppress another yawn and searched for a shirt to put on. In the darkness she found one and threw it over her, carefully to avoid knocking anything over and padded out of the room.

With the door closed behind her she scratched the back of her neck, trying to get this sleepiness out of her body.

Okay focus. You don't have to do much, don't mess this up.

She glanced at a clock while she walked to the kitchen, groaning at the time she saw on it and almost tripped again if she didn't catch herself at the kitchen counter, hitting her little toe at the edge of it.

No, 5am was really not her time.

After she calmed herself down from the intense pain that flooded right through her body from her toe, she took a deep breath and switched on the light, blinking a few times to get used of the sudden light. Now that she could see what she was doing, she searched for the thing she prepared yesterday afternoon already, away from Seven's prying eyes. It would have been a shame if she saw it already – a big layered cake that was so colorful that it almost hurt her eyes, decorated with chocolate crumbles and cherries that were dipped in a rainbow color.

The cake itself was her idea, but a few children helped her decorating it and gave her the idea with the colors. Bright colors were always good and it looked tasty, so why not? Seven would love it, she was sure, and if she hears that it was the kids' idea then it would be even better.

But Sice's wasn't done with it – the main reason why she stood up that early in the first place – she still had to add her personal note to it. Something that the children didn't have to see; it wasn't like they weren't affectionate around each other when others were around, but there were still things that they kept private and that was completely fine.

Where did I put …

She swept her eyes back and forth, still not really used to the light of the kitchen, and searched for the last ingredient that would make the cake perfect. Drawer after drawer she opened, looked in every cupboard. Normally she always knew where everything was, but right now in that sleepy state she couldn't remember and it drove her nuts – the kitchen was her territory and if she couldn't find something it was like a personal dilemma.

Clenching her fists she took a step back and eyed all of the kitchen, thinking hard on where the hell she put this. It was important, so she definitely put it somewhere where she could find it easily, but still … it was nowhere to be found.

Somewhere in these drawers it had to be it, maybe she just didn't see it because she was too tired to function right – though she felt her sleepiness washing away at the stress she encountered now.

Knitting her eyebrows together she searched further and further, not knowing how many times she looked in these cupboards already.

"Hey you."

"Wha-"

… In all this intense search she didn't realize how much time must have passed; she was so caught up in this that she stiffened at the sudden embrace from behind – Seven's gentle arms wrapped around her middle and her chin pressed in her shoulder, nudging her cheek.

Sice sighed and sank back at the gentle touch, but then she remembered that the cake still stood on the kitchen counter and was visible to Seven – oh no, she didn't want to ruin her present and now she-

"Sev-"

"Come back to bed. Where were you." Seven murmured, "I miss you."

Oh this sleepy voice did things to her and the way Seven held her even closer and pressed her lips against her shoulder was even more distracting.

"What, Seven what are you doing here?" Sice gasped and tried to wiggled herself out of Seven's arms, because – oh hell no – she didn't want Seven to see this cake right now. But Seven hold her steady, chuckling at Sice's struggle to break free.

"I heard noises and woke up from it. And you weren't there, so..."

"Aw, Seven..." She pouted now, slowly turning around to Seven who looked at her with sleepy eyes. Actually she was a mixture of sad and angry at her right now, because once again one of her surprises got interrupted by her, just because she sneaked up to her. "... But my surprise."

"I saw it already." Seven chuckled and laid her forehead on hers. "The kids were also talking about it. But I can pretend I didn't see it."

"Why does all my surprises end up to be failures." It was almost a whine now, but Seven patted on her back and gave her a kiss on her pouting mouth.

"Your effort counts. I admire that." She yawned and rubbed her eyes – it was still early and really want to go to bed again for at least an hour, preferably with Sice cuddled up to her.

"But it's your birthday! I wanted to make at least one-"

"Sice, please come to bed again?" Now Seven was pouting and Sice's breath hitched, leaving her mouth open standing there in her arms.

Damn her and her adorableness.

"Okay. … Okay I will come to bed again. I finish this up and then I will go back to bed."

Seven smiled and gave her a quick kiss, leaving the kitchen and Sice behind. Now this was Sice's chance to finally get this done – her sleepiness was somewhat gone, at least she felt she could think a bit better now.

"Now … where did I put this ..."

Again she stood in the middle of the kitchen, arms crossed and with a sunken head, deep in her thoughts. She searched the whole kitchen already and it was nowhere to be found and …

I'm an idiot.

Of course it wasn't in the kitchen, why would she put it in the kitchen anyways. Sure, she usually hid things in here, because no one else figured out her arrangement of the things here and the children weren't allowed to come here. But … this time she didn't hide it in here.

Shuffling her way through the living room she found the place she hid the thing she wanted to add to the cake.

Ah yes, it was in her pocket of her jacket, save from any grabby hands that could steal it. It was very important – probably one of the most important things she ever bought anyways – and there was no way she would mess this up now.

There it was, a little black box that was almost half of the size of her palm. It looked soft and expensive, and yes it definitely was.

The ring in it with a purple and blue gemstone, hand-made was worth every single gil and Sice's heart sped up at the sight of it.

She waited long for this day to come and she felt ready – so damn ready to finally ask her if she wanted her to marry. Many times she teased her about it that she "might have something planned" for that matter and Seven always countered with something similar, and yet neither had taken the step further.

But Sice did now. And she couldn't wait to give her her birthday cake with that box on it.

She chuckled one last time before she placed the box in the middle of the cake and switched off the lights of the kitchen, leaving it behind and returned to the bedroom where Seven already waited for her.

Without another word she snuggled up to her, her heart already thumping hard in her chest of excitement, but when she felt Seven's arms around her again she knew she didn't have to be scared.

Soon she could call Seven her wife and thinking about that it was enough for her to fell the sleepiness coming back again, Seven's low breathing definitely helped with that.

"Happy birthday, Seven." She murmured when she closed her eyes and Seven gave her a kiss on her forehead, smiling.

"Thank you."

But Sice couldn't stop smiling – oh how she couldn't wait until the morning. This would be the perfect birthday present.