Author's note: Heya, and welcome to this little story. I was planning a totally different story for Mickey's birthday last month, as well as Minnie's and their anniversary, but haven't finished it yet. And this isn't an update to Christmas Angel either, which I'm still working on. Truth is, I started playing Kingdom Hearts: Union Cross and was inspired to do this. So while it isn't the two stories mentioned, it still has the mice! Also, even though this is Kingdom Hearts: Union Cross, I'm posting it in the Mickey & Friends category because, firstly, there are so many Kingdom Hearts fics posted every day that this one would be lost and never be seen like it would be in this section. And second, this story does focus on the mice, and the majority of the Kingdom Hearts stories in the KH section don't. They mostly focus on Sora, Kairi, Riku and the other human characters, as well as OCs. So this adds another mouse fic to the Mickey section. If you know me by now then you know the mice take center stage and romance, comedy and cuteness are the norms! So I hope you enjoy this little late birthday/anniversary for the mice, as well as my Christmas post. Happy birthday/anniversary to the mice, and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone! God bless, peace and love!

Squad Unit 19

It felt good to just kick back and relax. After all the missions, running from world to world, it felt good to just take a breather. And this was one of her favorite spots to do it. By the fountain, listening to the relaxing sound of the water. A gentle breeze blew, making her tilt her head upward. She felt her ears and bow wiggle from it as she saw the soft, puffy white clouds floating by above. Right now, in that moment, you wouldn't think there were any troubles. No monsters, no chaos, no danger. It felt serine, calm. And that was something she liked. She took that little moment, brief as it may be, and would hold onto it. She fought for little moments like this. She smiled, giving a tiny hum as she allowed herself to lean back on her hands, her feet gently swaying back and forth.

She was glad nobody else was in the town square but her. It gave her time to collect herself and think. Since joining the Anguis Union, she'd completed thirty four missions so far. She initially thought of joining the Luxuria Union, but they weren't taking anymore wielders. So she opted for Anguis. Taking a glance around Fountain Square, she saw someone a little familiar to her. She didn't know them personally, but she'd seen them around.

A little fella, a little taller than her, and also a mouse like her. Bonus! He made his way through the square, not really even looking in her general direction. Seemingly preoccupied with his thoughts, he walked over and sat down on the fountain, about twelve feet from her. She heard him exhale as he sat down. Funnily enough, she couldn't resist watching him. She looked away so he wouldn't know she was staring, but she kept looking back out of the corner of her eye. As a slightly stronger breeze than before blew, she watched as his ears wiggled, and she bit her lip to avoid squealing and giggling like mad.

She remembered seeing him. First time she saw him was on a mission to the Dwarf Woodlands. She was standing on a ledge looking down at the ground below, trying to spot the Heartless, when she saw him running down the path. She watched him for a few seconds before he looked up at her. She smiled and waved, and he did the same. Although he kept running. And it was then her eyes widened as she realized he wasn't looking and was heading straight for a tr-WHAM! Yep. Found it.

She gasped softly and covered her mouth, and gave a crooked smile as she giggled. She started to run down the path to check on him but he sat up, rubbing his head then looked her way. He gave a thumbs up and an "I'm alright" smile, which prompted her to giggle even more. Just then her Chirithy appeared, urging her to continue onward to locate the Heartless. Moving a step, she turned back to the boy below and gave a wave and a smile, which he returned.

And now here he sat.

She bit her lip, and tilted her head slightly. "Tough day?"

He almost jumped, clearly unaware she was actually sitting there. After seeing her, he stared, realizing he'd seen her before. "Hey, I saw you before!"

She snickered, sitting more upright as her feet swung back and forth a little. "Yep, sure did. How's your head?" She gestured her finger to the side of her head.

"Aw, it's alright. I've had harder licks than that." He gave a little laugh and rest one hand on the top of his leg right above his knee.

"Heh heh! Can't say I haven't any myself." She recalled the time a Large Body flung her into a tree. And the time a Hammer Frame almost made her into a pancake. She shuttered a bit before pushing away the thoughts.

"Guess it comes with the territory, heh." He gave a goofy smile as he rubbed the back of his head.

She found herself feeling much different than before. Now there was a spark of excitement, of glee in her from his smile. And did her heart just flutter? "Mm, guess so. Beat them or get beaten."

"Or lose yer heart and become one of 'em."

She tilted her head. "Yeah, or that, y'know, worst case scenario."

The two young mice laughed together. Then the boy pulled up one leg to rest his foot on the edge of the fountain. "I'm Mickey."

The girl smiled, resting her hands between her thighs. "I'm Minnie. Nice to meet you."

"So yer a wielder, too, huh?" Mickey asked, scooting a few feet closer.

Minnie wanted to tell him he could close all of the distance, but decided to just answer his question. "Yep. You too?" Her curiosity was now piqued. If he was a wielder as well, then she wondered what Union he joined. She knew she hadn't seen him. Not yet, anyway.

"Yep," he answered before raising his hand and letting his Keyblade appear. In a flash of white, a blue Keyblade with a star pattern appeared in his right hand. "Star Seeker."

"Oh, wow, that's a pretty Keyblade!" Minnie said, now moving a few feet closer as she looked at it. It was clearly based off the night sky, which she loved to look at coincidentally.

"Thanks. Yours?"

"Mmm." She raised her right hand and held it out. A burst of white light flashed before her own Keyblade appeared in her hand. Gold with a pink heart around the hilt, and the heart had pink gems in bedded in it. "True Heart." She held it up and angled toward him a little. She hoped he would touch his to hers, and sure enough, he did. "So what Union did you join? Or have you joined one yet?" Minnie asked, leaning back with one hand as she let her Key vanish.

"Anquis," he answered, his own Key disappearing.

Her eyes widened as she nearly jumped off the fountain edge in excitement. "Ohmigosh! You did?! That's the Union I'm in!"

He found her bright smile to be shinier than the whole night sky. And the way her hands were balled and clutched to her upper chest was just adorable. Now he knew they were in the same factions. And he had a strong feeling of wanting to see her more. "Really? I just joined last week."

Her lips shifted to one side as she leaned back. "Ohhh, that explains why I haven't seen you. Well, except for that one time." She giggled. She recalled when she first joined the Anquis Union. Her Chirithy trained her for a few days before sending her on her own. She hadn't had her Keyblade long. It was when she found out about the Unions that she decided to join. Though she hadn't really made any friends yet. She, and all the other wielders, were always busy. She sometimes caught sight of a few in the square, and did make a bit of small talk. But nothing really came of it. If he just joined, then his own Chirithy would be making sure he was prepared. "So how many missions have you done?"

Mickey raised his eyes as he thought. "Thirty so far."

Her eyes widened. "Wow, that's great! You're moving quickly!" She was impressed. A few more missions and he would be caught up with her. Which she hoped would mean a chance of them doing some together.

"Thanks, heh." He rubbed the back of his head before leaning back. "How about you? How many have you done?"

Minnie tilted her head, rounding up the numbers in her head. "Mmm, my last one marked thirty four...ish?"

"Hey, that means we're almost tied!" He sat up, bending one leg and resting it on the fountain as he faced her more.

"Yeah. Maybe we'll get to go on some missions together! That would be fun!" She felt the hope rising in her. She wanted to see him more. And his adorable goofy grin.

"That sounds great!"

The mice looked at one another, and after a brief moment of silence, Mickey coughed, looking away as she blushed. His gaze moved away from hers before looking down into the crystal blue water of the fountain.

"So, uh... You gonna be here tomorrow?" His question was soft, but she swore she detected hope in it. Which made her own heart take flight.

"Yeah. I come to the fountain often. So yeah, I'll be here tomorrow." She looked at him expectantly and hopefully. In her mind, she kept telling him to ask her over and over again.

"Would... it be okay if I joined ya here again tomorrow?" He looked up at her, and there wasn't any amount of Heartless that would keep her from being there again.

"Of course! I'd really enjoy it. I'd like the company." She bit her lip, smiling.

Just then, a Chirithy appeared near Mickey. "Micheal, come on. There was a Heartless spotted in the next world!"

"Okay, I'm comin', I'm comin'." Mickey stood as the Chirithy vanished in its usual poof of smoke.

"Micheal?" Minnie asked, a little grin on her lips as she sat leaning back.

Mickey rubbed the back of his head. "Heh, yeah, it's what it calls me."

"Which do you prefer? Can I call you Mickey?" she asked as she stood.

"Sure can! It's sorta my name, anyway, heh."

She nodded. "Good. I... really like Mickey better." She giggled as she moved her hands behind her back and twisted her body left and right a little.

"Thanks. A-Anyway, I better get goin'. See ya tomorrow?"

She resisted the urge to say it's a date. "Of course! Tomorrow!"

Mickey nodded and started to sprint toward the steps. "See ya soon!"

"See ya!" She waved as she watched him run up the steps and out of sight. When she couldn't see him anymore, she squealed. She giggled gleefully and twirled in a circle once before stopping in the direction he ran off in. "I'll be waiting, Mickey. It's a promise." She nodded, holding her left fist over her chest.

"Made a new friend, I see."

Minnie yelped and jumped back, startled by her Chirithy's sudden appearance. "Chirithy! Whew... Don't sneak up on me like that! Jeez..." She exhaled as she held a hand over her heart to calm it.

"Sorry!" the little cat-like Dream Eater said, bobbing back on the fountain edge it had materialized on. "Didn't mean to scare you. Anyway, it's nice that you made a new friend."

Minnie looked on in the direction of Mickey, her thoughts still basically consumed of him. "Yeah. It is."

"And he seemed really sweet."

"Yeah," she smiled. "He is." She shook her head and blinked. "Wait, what?" Minnie looked at Chirithy, one eye narrowing. "What makes you say that?"

"Oh, just observing," the little spirit replied casually as it flitted about on the fountain edge. "Oh, come on, you noticed it."

Minnie crossed her arms and gave a slight huff. She had noticed. Her gaze moved back to the water in the fountain, and again, he drifted into her mind. Although he never really left. "Yeah, you're right. Hm." She smiled as she rest a hand on the stone of the fountain. "I did."

"His tail is also shorter too."

"Huh?" She looked at the spirit with a puzzled look. She hadn't noticed his tail at all.

"Must have lost part of it in a fight." The spirit turned and looked down into the water. "You could ask him about it."

She frowned slightly. She didn't like the idea that he had gotten hurt. And she didn't like the idea of prying into something he might be sensitive of. "Or I could not."

Chirithy turned around and looked up at her. Though, since she was short anyway, it wasn't that much of height difference. "You're curious."

Minnie rolled her eyes before turning her head to the spirit. "So?"

"You want to know how he got hurt."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Of course it isn't." The little spirit turned back to the water. "It's what friends do. Worry and care about each other." It looked up at her again. "Actually, I'd be worried if you wasn't curious!"

Minnie gave a little smile. "Yeah." Which then turned into a crooked smile. "Goodness, you know me well."

"Hey, I am your spirit," Chirithy chirped as it bobbed along the fountain. "So!" It stopped and turned to her. "You gonna see him again tomorrow?"

"Heck, yeah!" Minnie remarked with a determined smile.

"Well, then, you better get some rest! We'll be visiting a new world tomorrow, so you better get some rest so you can wrap up early and meet him."

Minnie nodded, her hand balled into a light fist over her chest. "Yeah. You're right. I definitely don't want to want to miss meeting him here. Or keep him waiting."

"Then try to get some rest. I'm making pancakes in the morning!" The little spirit wiggled its short arms as it teetered on one short leg.

Minnie laughed. "You do make good pancakes."

The little spirit blushed as it rubbed its cheek. "Aww... Thanks."

Minnie giggled and turned her back slightly to the spirit. "Come on. Hop on."

Chirithy bobbed happily before hoping onto her back, it's head poking over her left shoulder.

"Time to turn in for the evening." Minnie yawned as she started walking back to the building where her apartment was located, which she was glad was located right in the square. The views of the sunset and night sky were breathtaking from the window and balcony. Looking back on her shoulder, she saw her little Chirithy had already closed its eyes, and she snickered softly as she saw a tiny bubble inflating and deflating from the corner of its mouth. And I thought I was tired.

After she made it back to her apartment, Minnie gently laid Chirithy on the windowsill it had its own little bed on. After she tucked it in, she quietly got some clothes and went to take a shower. Afterward, she walked out onto the balcony and leaned on the railing, casting her gaze up to the starry night sky. She exhaled as she watched the sky glittering above.

Looking down at the square, she saw the street lights on, giving a soft glow around the fountain. Then something caught her eye. Looking closer at one building nearby she saw Mickey standing and looking out the window. A soft gasp escaped her and she found herself smiling brightly. He appeared to be looking up at the stars too. And then he saw her. Her heart fluttered as she saw him smile, and then a wave from him. She giggled and waved back. She saw him gesture a thumb over his shoulder, indicating he was turning in. She nodded and raised her hand. He did the same, then she saw him move away from the window. Then the light went out.

She sighed giddily, and thought of their meeting at the fountain. "See ya real soon, Mickey." Looking up at the stars once more, she saw a shooting star move across the sky. With a smile, she closed her eyes and lifted her hand to her chest. She made a fervent wish in her heart that things between her and her new friend would be true and everlasting. Opening her eyes once more, she looked up at the sky again before gently moving away from the balcony. She snuck inside and over to the bed where she gently laid upon it. She looked at Chirithy to see it was still sleeping like a rock. Snickering quietly, she looked out the window at the sky. Before long, she'd dozed off, her last thought of the cute little mouse she'd met that day.

To be continued...