A/N#1: These next two chapters are the last of the peaceful ones, I promise. Action is scheduled to ensue starting on chapter Thrity-Seven.
Everglow - Chapter Thirty-Five
Rufus was in the process of putting together important data that might help to delay Hojo's claim a little bit, but as of yet, it was just a small pile of meaningless documents. One of these, however, was the rough draft of the twins' birth certificates, as the originals had not been on record (probably also due to Hojo's meddling). They hadn't been notarized yet, but all the data was there.
Vivian was appalled to see that the date of birth was in less than a week.
When she asked about why they hadn't told her, they regarded her with nothing other than confusion. "Yeah, so?" Aidan asked. "It's just the day we were born." Nadiya had simply shrugged in agreement with her brother, picked up a different color crayon and returned to her art.
Apparently it hadn't been an event of high note on Hojo's agenda.
Vivian didn't let them in on the secret just yet. But the twins did notice that she was gone on "urgent errands" for a good, long portion of the week. Miranda filled in on babysitting duty, little Amy tagging along.
Vincent was on constant guard, always in the shadows and never more than a whisper's length away. As such, he wasn't able to stop Vivian from her own prying.
He was not pleased with what she managed to find.
"Your birthday's just after the twins'!" Vivian cried, holding up the document from his days in the Turks that confirmed it. "You could have told me!"
He hated how she had managed to defy his most piercing glare as she told the children of this wonderful coincidence. It didn't mean much to them yet, but he knew that after they saw what a fuss was made over their birthday, he would not be spared the festivities.
So on Nadiya's fairy calendar, two dates were circled: October third in purple and blue with dainty pink hearts, and the thirteenth in dark red.
On the morning of the third, Vivian hunted Vincent down, handing him three tickets to the carnival and pointing out the door with the command, "Keep them busy until one-thirty."
Nadiya and Aidan were thrilled to find that Vincent would be taking them on their next adventure. They didn't even particularly mind that he was significantly less enthusiastic than they were.
After long hours filled with rides and games, the trio made their way back to Shinra. Aidan had a face tinted light pink and blue and sticky from the cotton candy, Nadiya holding a large stuffed chocobo that Vincent had won for her at the shooting range. Both of their tongues were a bright red from the cherry shaved ice and their lips were misted with powdered sugar from the funnel cakes.
Needless to say, their first destination was the restroom, where Vincent gently mopped their faces with a damp rag and soap. He straightened Aidan's hair and smoothed down all the frizz he had obtained from wearing his red hat all day long. He similarly prepared Nadiya and helped to ease her wings out of her backpack, noting that either her wings were getting bigger or her backpack was getting smaller.
They were very bouncy on the way to the room, Aidan still reciting the day's events as if Vincent hadn't been there. He was very proud of himself for going on the "big rollercoaster", forgetting that it was Vincent who had shoved him in the seat and bolted him in before he could worm his way out of it.
All of that energy and enthusiasm, however, vanished the moment they stepped across the doorway, the lights flipped on, and they were greeted with a million vivid colors, a myriad of sounds, and more people than they had ever seen in their room yelling, "Happy birthday!"
Nadiya, scared out of her mind, ran out of the room crying. Vincent was gone for ten minutes reassuring her that this was a good ambush.
She was greeted more subtly when she entered the second time, but with all the love of the first.
Nadiya and Aidan were escorted in to the gym, which had been decorated with streamers and balloons of all kinds. The confetti they had been showered with the first time was still on the floor, but Vivian still had a little left to sprinkle into Nadiya's hair.
The guests waited around the table, some of them not visible behind the small mountain of brightly wrapped gifts. Aidan and Nadiya scampered to their decorated thrones of honor, Aidan smiling widely, enjoying the attention, while Nadiya's smile was more timid and reserved.
Tifa had brought Denzel and Marlene, who sat beside Yuffie, who was already wearing a party hat and lounging her feet on the light blue tablecloth. Miranda was bouncing Amy on her lap, taking the little hand and waving it at the twins as the baby blew bubbles for them. Cid hurriedly extinguished his cigar at Vincent's heavy glare. Vincent was surprised to find everyone of Avalanche present except Cloud, some seemingly grudgingly, but at least no weapons were drawn.
He wouldn't bet money that they hadn't brought them, though. He had to wonder if they were party guests or guards for Marlene and Denzel.
Vivian did not seem to think this, or if she did she was doing a good job of ignoring it. Her job was giving the twins the party of their lives, and she was going to see that nothing ruined it.
Nadiya was given a plastic silver crown studded with false amethysts and trimmed with bows of fake pearls and lavender ribbon that tied around the brim and hung down Nadiya's silver hair. Aidan's was gold with rubies, the crown slipping down past his eyes until he found a way to balance it behind his ears.
Vivian snatched Cid's lighter and went behind a counter, pulling out a frosted monstrosity from the freezer and lighting the nine candles. As she approached, everyone, even Cid and Barret, began to sing to them, Vincent stooping down between them and singing softly in their ears.
When the song finished and the cake placed before them, they were both beaming with excited joy. The blue frosted cake was trimmed with white butter cream icing in soft frills, the top decorated with dark blue icing roses and curling green vines, "Happy Birthday Aidan and Nadiya!" written in white across the top.
Vincent had never seen such a carefully sculpted cake. He also knew that Vivian had made everything by hand in the dead of night for the last three nights.
"Blow out the candles!" Vivian urged. "And make a wish!"
Both the twins looked at each other and smiled. Their wish was the same.
Let this last forever!
Both drew in a huge breath and then released it at the same time. Vivian's camera flashed and everyone was clapping. None of the candles had survived the twins' combined assault.
Vivian produced a large and hefty knife from the drawer and asked Vincent to hand out the paper plates. Under that thick layer of icing was layer after layer of hardened ice cream, chocolate cake, whipped cream, and fudge while at the bottom was a large brownie crust. She had underestimated how hard it would be after forming in the freezer for the past twelve hours. Vincent took the knife from her after her attempts produced only a crevice in the icing and handed her the plates in return.
The first pieces, the biggest ones with the most icing roses on top and the most voluminous frills on the side, were served to the radiant twins first. There was no shortage of cake. After everyone had been served once and most having had seconds, there was still half of it left. Everyone, even Yuffie, was fully satisfied.
A/N#2: Long, fluffy, overall quite pointless, but come ON...fluff can be good, right? No?
The idea was just too cute to pass up. And next chapter, we have the arrival of some old friends that have fallen out of the picture...
Next chapter is actually substancial to the plot. Promise. Even if you can't quite see it yet. Still fluff. Action starts in 37. Thanks for hanging in there!