Chapter 3- Happy Birthday Athrun!

Tsuyosa was in a room. Yzak was standing on the other side, glaring at her. She wasn't wearing her hat or sunglasses. She turned to look at Yzak, who was now walking towards her.

"Hi Yzak. Um...where are we?" she asked. Why did she think he would answer her?

"Do you like me or something?" he asked. She blinked.

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"Do you like me?" he repeated. Without meaning to or trying to, Tsuyosa found herself nodding. He was 3 steps away from her, still glaring.

"Um...you...still haven't answered me." she reminded him, blushing. God! Why am I blushing!

He took one step. Tsuyosa froze. He took a second step. She looked up at him. He took the last step and she opened her mouth to speak just as he hugged her. She couldn't move...her body wasn't responding. What The Hell Was Going On?

He lifted away and she saw his beautiful blue eyes. They were getting closer, no...he was getting closer. Their lips were just an inch apart...

Beep...Beep...Beep...Beep...Beep...Beep..Beep..Beep..Crack!

Tsuyosa opened her eyes and blinked a few times. She remembered her dream and sat bolt upright. She was breathing hard and her hand hurt. She turned to her side and looked at her left hand. It was down the center of her alarm clock.

"Ah! How'd I do that?" her clock was in two pieces and she had just had a freaky dream about Yzak! What else could go-"AAAAAAAH!"

She jumped up and checked the calendar. She screamed again. Tsuyosa showered, dressed, ate, and was ready to go in record time. She opened the door, got in her car, and drove off.

3 hours later she was back, looking extremely depressed. She slumped down onto the couch and Miki jumped onto it with her.

"What's wrong Tsu-chan?" he asked. She pet him.

"I've been looking all morning...And I can't find it...I shouldn't've waited so long..." she muttered. Miki cocked his head to the side in confusion. "Athrun's birthday is tomorrow, on the last day of my 'Take A Break' period. I don't have a present!" she sat up so fast that Miki fell on the floor.

"Artist." he muttered.

"What?" she asked.

"Artist!" he repeated. "You creative Tsu-chan! You think of something!"

"Hmm...seems you still don't talk perfectly..." she murmured, flipping back onto the couch. "Creative artist...hm...artist..."

Miki walked back and forth across the carpet in front of the couch for a good 10 minutes as Tsuyosa thought...berated herself...and had a blank mind. She then opened her eyes and picked him up.

"He made you, you should know. Would Athrun like it...if I just drew him a picture?" she asked, refraining from shaking Miki like an 8-Ball.

"Perfect present!" Miki cheered, squirming. She set him down and he took off.

Tsuyosa picked up her sketch pad and artist supplies, then began sketching

-

Tomorrow

Athrun yawned as he sat up. He looked around, he was in his living room. Athrun blinked.

"I fell asleep on the couch?" he asked nobody. Athrun shrugged and got up, getting ready for the day. Today was his day off, due to it being his birthday.

Athrun had finished his breakfast, except for the toast, when the doorbell rang. He paused, toast in mouth, and blinked at the door. Someone knocked impatiently, so he stood up and opened the door.

"Surprise!" Tsuyosa and her mother greeted.

"Huh?" he asked through the toast.

"Athrun...what would you do if I had been your superior?" Tsuyosa asked, taking the toast from him and entering his house. He watched as she bit into the toast, as if it had been hers.

"What're you two doing here?" he asked, forgetting for a moment that it was his birthday. Tsuyosa knocked on his head, he flinched away.

"Hello! Are you that forgetful? Today's your birthday! We wouldn't miss that! Not for the world...wait...that really doesn't work now does it, since we don't live on Earth..." she sweat-dropped.

"I..uh...thanks?" Athrun tried. He had been caught very much off-guard.

"Now Athrun." Mrs. Matsuro started, finished hanging up some decorations. "What do you think?" she pointed.

"Whoa...how do you do that?" he asked, motioning towards all the colored banners, tinsel, letters, balloons, etc. that now covered his living room and kitchen.

"My specialty." she answered, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I hear Tsuyosa has a gift for you."

"Mom!" she tried.

"But the girl wont even let me see what it is." Mrs. Matsuro looked pained, then smiled. "So? Give it to him!" she directed at Tsuyosa, who groaned but pulled out the package. He opened it and nearly gasped at the picture.

It was of Athrun, dressed in a ZAFT uniform, saluting as if they had just won. He was standing in a green field with a tree nearby. But that wasn't was got him. Floating next to the picture Athrun was a figure. They had beautiful white wings and a halo. It was...Athrun's mother...She looked proud of him...

"Tsuyosa..." he started. She shook her head.

"It was nothing. I didn't win those art awards for nothing." Tsuyosa went and sat in the kitchen.

"She was up all night, never truly satisfied with it..." Mrs. Matsuro said, going by what her daughter had told her. "She wanted the wings to look like you could touch them and feel a cloud...the halo to be shimmering with sunlight...and the scenery to look real." she explained, walking to the kitchen to make some tea.

Athrun brushed his fingers past his mother's hair, and over her wings. He felt as though, right now, his mother was standing next to him. The picture was, to him, the most beautiful item in the world.

Knock Knock Knock.

"I'll get it." Ms Matsuro called, opening the door. Athrun didn't notice. "Lacus Clyne?"

"Lacus?" Athrun blinked and headed for the door. "Hey Lacus...what brings you here?"

"I came to wish you a happy birthday." she said with a smile. Lacus handed him a box. "For you."

Athrun opened it to find...

"A book?" he asked, lifting it up.

"Uh-huh." Lacus smiled. "It's about wins and loses." Athrun opened the book and raised an eyebrow.

"Poems...by you..." he closed the book. "Thanks..." Lacus hugged him.

"I knew you'd like it. Now, I need to get going. I do wish I could stay for your party." she motioned towards the decorations. "Bye!"

"Uh, bye!" Athrun called.

"Bye! Maybe we'll talk again!" Mrs. Matsuro called as she waved. When Lacus had driven off, she shut the door. "Wow. I've always wanted to meet her."

Athrun wondered how Tsuyosa and her mom were related by blood...they acted so different. He set the book down on a table and the picture on his bed. Tsuyosa knocked and entered.

"Athrun? Hey, whatcha doin?" she asked, walking up behind him.

"Putting up the gifts." he said simply. "Were you two waiting for me?"

"Uh...yea, yea...Mom's got tea...y-you want one?...some! You want some?" Athrun blinked.

"Sure. Are you ok?" he asked.

"Yea. I'm fine." she lied.

"No! I wanna cry my eyes out and then go on a rampage! I wanna tell you how, when I learned you were joining ZAFT, I followed you! I wanna know who Yzak Joule is and what the heck is so important about him! I wanna stop staying on the sidelines and actually fight! I am NOT fine!" her mind screamed.

"Let's go get some tea." she motioned towards the door and they went into the kitchen.