Most people looked forward to their birthdays for themselves, but Gold was anxious to see someone that he had not seen for the entire year. Every friend from different regions were here and on time except for one redheaded someone. Gold had carried himself around his party to greet each of his friends with his trademark grin, and as time moved on, he sat to himself seemingly burned out. People from his hometown came as well, but no matter the count, it was still disappointing; more so as it risen in number. His golden eyes lost their excited sheen, hidden underneath droopy eye lids no longer alert.

Guests were caught up in other people, food, and the over decorative scenery than the birthday boy himself, and that was why he was waiting for this perspective friend, Silver, to get here. He was consistently there for every birthday, but for some reason he had yet to show up this year. He wondered when he should worry instead of doing it now. Not because he didn't care, but because if he shown up within a week, he should be fine. If all he received as a sign of him is a card in the mail, it would be extremely disappointing, and no matter what present he got today would not make up for Silver not being here.

Such a thing never happened, but his mind couldn't help but to speculate some.

Fortunately, Red, who was now the age of nineteen (until the next few weeks), came to his rescue. He started casual with an arm draped over Gold's shoulder, and waited a moment before he asked, "Feeling great? You're sixteen now!"

"Not a big deal yet. I'm waitin' on eighteen," he chuckled in answer. Red always cheered him up like the big brother he never had. They even sort of looked alike, so he got away with lying about it on an occasion.

"If sixteen's not a big deal to you, eighteen won't be either, trust me. I thought the same, but when I became eighteen, I forgot all about it until I noticed it a week later. Like, 'huh, wait, nothing's different?' I mean, look at Green, he's the same as always!"

"True... I guess gettin' older doesn't really matter then, huh?" Gold replied. He brushed back his own fluffy raven hair before he sighed shortly after the action; signs of stress.

"But that's not the problem, is it?" Red inquired.

"You're always goofy an' carefree, but can always catch a feelin', huh?"

"Yeah," he smiled in reassurance.

"Yeah, it's not the problem. Silver's not here an' I haven't seen him since my last birthday," he admitted and sighed again.

"Aahh, yeah, I was wondering where that enigma was," Red murmured as he scratched the back of his head. He didn't really know Silver, no one did but Blue and Gold. Crystal and the puzzling redhead were just reading buddies apparently; good acquaintances. "Where do you think he goes?"

"I don't think he has anywhere. I think he...wanders," Gold answered, and as he sat, his elbows were propped up on his lap emphasizing his feelings of sadness.

"Ah...right," Red said as his eyes wandered off to the floor. The direction of his gaze stayed there in thought on what to say next. "You'd think he would at least stay with Blue, right?"

"...Yeah."

"A place to settle down in like the rest of us..." Red mumbled. His mood quickly turning similar to Gold's. "He always drifted away from us, like he didn't fit in when he did..."

The two of them sat in silence for a time as they thought about the ally who still was not present. Their concern and sympathy were heavy, their sulking soon to turn into the sulk group with Blue on her way there. Gold didn't notice as he said to Red, "Gives me an idea..."

"It does?" Red asked.

"What does?" Blue asked to make herself known.

Gold looked between them both with a smile that had returned to form. He answered, "I have an idea on what I can do for Silver whenever I see him." The senior Dex Holders looked at him with curiousity, but he wanted to tease and keep it a secret. As he hurried away, he exclaimed, "Thanks, Red!" Since then, he stayed out of the way of everyone to think and plan, accepting that Silver wasn't going to be here today. In place of her son who often forgotten his manners, his crafty mother thanked the guests for coming and sent them on their way.

The birthday star was so busy thinking about Silver that although he was in a room filled to the brim with presents for his day, he didn't bother to open them. He paced around as he thought; not one to be able to sit still for long, not even with brainstorming. Before he knew it, his mom made him a special dinner because he hardly ate at his party, let alone participated enough to blow out candles on a grandiose cake.

"Gold! It's volcanic steak just for you, Dear!" She called for him, and he followed in a hurry. When he arrived, he hopped into his seat with an audible stomach growl. She observed her growing son while he poured some sauce on his steak. Despite the excitement on his features, something still was wrong with him, but she did not ask. If this steak was distracting enough for the remainder of his birthday, she decided she would ask him another day. Until then, she smiled as she watched him eat. He wasn't tearing through it; he ate a slow pace that savored the gesture.

She saw that he was in thought again but she hadn't an idea of what. She instead decided to pay attention to his defining chin, and the better care of his hair; maturing features and behavior. She smiled proudly and sighed, "Looking more like your father by the year, I bet he'd be so proud of you." Gold's expression winced, but fast enough that his mother did not see. He chuckled albeit nervously in his reply.

"Yeah, I bet." His mother nodded and took his empty plate as Gold left for his room. He headed up the stairs with a troubled expression. Inside, he laid down on his bed and picked up his radio remote. He observed it as he thought, "Do I think some more...or do I play music and clear my slate?" During the internal debate, he heard knocking on his window. When he looked up, he stumbled out of the bed in shock at the sight of red hair.

When he immediately sat up while rubbing his head, the knocking had stopped. Bemused, he cried out out, "Silver?! Why are you at my window?" Silver showed he couldn't hear him behind the thick glass with a tilt of his head. The confused star of the day hurriedly open the window and pulled Silver inside. "Silver, why my window?" He repeated.

"It's...too late to ring your doorbell?"

Gold responded with a small laugh that transitioned into a brightened smile.

"You idiot." Silver's confused and insulted expression made him chuckle even more. "So, you climb my window instead? Heh... just like you. Thanks!"

"What?" He tilted his once again in that same communicated confusion.

"I'm glad you came by in your signature way is all," he explained and shut his window again.

"I...See..." Silver let an awkward pause hang in the air before he explained in hesitation, "I have to go again soon." He was here to drop his present with a congratulations and go. He appreciated how Gold's behavior was so welcoming, but he simply did not belong here.

"Nonsense!" Gold stated and patted the tail of his red hair. "Stay a bit!"

"Okay," he was always short with his words. He sat down on a beanbag chair, then dug in his sweater pocket for a rectangular box that was kept sealed with a neatly woven golden ribbon. "Happy birthday..."

Gold exclaimed, "Thank you!" He took the box, then when he slowly pulled the binding apart, he was sure to pocket it. The box contained various high-quality incense from different regions.

"You've taken a serious interest in Pokemon care, so I went around picking up different kinds for you." As he explained, a receipt slip fell out of the box, prompting him to turn his head to the side.

Gold picked it up to hand to him.

"Silver, I know you didn't," he calmly reassured him.

Silver bit his bottom lip at that response. It was still somewhat hard to forgive himself for past behaviors, and he expected even less from others.

"Right..."

"Well, anyway..." Gold trailed off and grabbed Silver's gloved hands. "Stay the night."

"Huh?!" Silver was warmly alarmed at the offer!

"The week!"

"Week?"

"Month!"

"G-Gold?"

"The entire summer!" He boomed with excitement. He then gave him the biggest and brightest grin Silver had ever seen from him.

"I-I don't think I cou-" His stomach had then growled mid-sentence. He lowered his head to hide his very rosy cheeks. He was used to skipping a day or two of eating, but not having it growl in front of people, let alone ones he was somewhat close to.

That struck a chord in Gold's heart, but he kept up his excited demeanor and said, "All the more reason to stay! Come on downstairs."

"I-it's fine..." His cool was disappearing. Hunger, exhaustion, and now embarrassment of his damned stomach.

"Hold on, I'll get you something quick. You like noodle dishes most anyway." He hurried off before Silver could make a word of protest.

And Silver didn't have the heart to leave so soon and just like that.

So, he took his boots off, and when Gold came back with the good kind of instant ramen, his stomach roared for it. This time he furrowed his red brows in anger that he could not control it, could not keep up his stoic mask. Still, he took the food with a muttered, "Thank you," and began to eat. The warm feeling swam down his chest and pooled into his stomach for a nice filled feeling. The hunger pains had stopped, and the warmth had made him very sleepy. He had placed the bowl aside on a nearby stand, and before he knew it, fell asleep in the beanbag chair that he was in.

Gold smiled at the peaceful disposition in his favorite chair. Sometimes he fell asleep in it himself, but he felt his hard-lived friend needed a more comforting spot to lay. He watched his expression as he quietly approached him. He couldn't help but think that it was people like Silver that made one consider their own your own expenses or the simple things in life. All Silver had was... himself and his pokemon.

He would say, 'self-worth and dignity/pride', but, with Silver's behavior...he wasn't so sure of that. To not rapture the warmth of the moment, he lifted his light weighed buddy up and placed him on his bed. With the sweater he was hidden under, he didn't really need a blanket, while Gold himself did.

After taking his cover, he took an extra pillow and lied on the floor.