A very irate Sanjouin Masato stalked into the Crown Fruit Parlor looking like an escapee from a blood-soaked slasher film.

Letting out a massed cry of alarm, several people jumped up at once, running to his aid. They stopped, though, when they suddenly realized that the viscous crimson stuff which spattered him from head to toe wasn't blood…and he smelled, oddly enough, of cocoa.

"Jeeze! What the hell happened to you?" an astonished Mamoru asked, trailing a finger through one of the red stains on his friend's shirt. He sniffed at it experimentally, then stuck his finger in his mouth. "Mmm…chocolaty."

"Mako happened," Masato muttered, shedding his gory looking sport coat in a vain attempt to look a tad cleaner and less like a trauma victim. It, along with his expensive silk shirt and formerly ivory wool slacks, was a total loss. "She locked me out. I don't suppose I could spend the night at someone's place…"

It pained him to recall the scene. One minute he'd been trying to reason with her, not that it was easy when she was in one of her tempers (AND a floor away from him where he couldn't kiss her until she calmed down), and the next minute there'd been a pronounced squelching sound as the contents of bowlful of red velvet cake batter sailed over the balcony railing. He'd had no chance to take evasive action. The stuff caught him squarely on the crown of his head, spattering his clothing with bright red, permanently-staining goo and completely covering his formerly impeccable mahogany locks in a sticky coating which was drying as he spoke. The slam of the sliding glass door had then signaled his temperamental love's departure from the field of battle.

Usagi, Rei and Minako exchanged glances. "What did you do?" they asked as one.

Sheepishly he blurted it out, ducking his head. "Ikindofforgotherbirthday."

"You didn't?!" Two pairs of aquamarine eyes widened in horror. Another set of mulberry colored eyes narrowed in scorn.

"No cake?" squealed Usagi, looking pained. "No present? Not even a card?"

"I just forgot," he said sulkily, knowing he'd screwed up badly. On the scorecard of big gaffes it ranked somewhere between committing a major felony and cheating on her. He also knew he was whining unattractively, but he couldn't seem to help it. "Her birthday wasn't…I mean I meant to do something but…" He gave up trying to explain. "Anyway, she didn't have to get so mad. She wouldn't even let me explain."

"Men," Rei opined, looking disgusted, "are scum."

"Easy, hon. We're sitting right here, you know," Jinsei grumbled to his wife, glancing around the table at Mamoru and Koichi. They wore identical expressions of 'Thank gods it wasn't MY screw up.'

"Did she throw her engagement ring back at you too?" Minako inquired, twisting a paper straw wrapper around her finger and thinking of a special heart-shaped, emerald and diamond band.

"No," he choked out. "Just the cake batter."

Koichi's eye roll clearly indicated that he ought to be grateful she hadn't hurled the mixing bowl at him.

"Well then you're lucky," Minako chirped. "She hasn't given up on you entirely…yet. But you are going to have to wait for her to cool down some and then grovel big time, buddy." She took a sip of her soda, an unusually wise look on her face. Usagi too nodded sagely and they immediately began tossing back and forth ideas to get Masato back into Makoto's good graces.

"You'd better get cleaned up first and borrow something of Jinsei-kun's to wear," Rei said with a snort, digging into her purse for her spare house keys. "Because red definitely is not your color."

"Gee…thanks."

Fortunately the length of time it took for Makoto to fully calm down was about as long as it took the red food dye to wear off his skin. He'd resembled a boiled lobster for a while.

Nervously Masato shifted his in his chair as he heard a key turn in the lock. He wasn't at all sure about Minako's plan to smuggle him back into the apartment, even though she assured him that Makoto was definitely in a calmer frame of mind now. She still hadn't spoken to him at all since that night and had returned his letters unopened.

Quickly he reached for his lighter.

The warm glow of candles wreathing a handsome, pleading face was the sight that met Makoto as she stumbled in that night.

Her hand went to her lips on an indrawn breath. Before she could speak, he did, thrusting a badly hand-tied bouquet of lilies of the valley into her hands. His voice shook slightly as he said, "I am so sorry, Makoto. I know I screwed up and that there's no defense for my actions. But I hope you can forgive me and take me back, because I really do love you even if I am a complete baka sometimes."

Makoto was busy staring at the candle bedecked cake.

It was singularly ugly. Its layers were lopsided and the somewhat runny icing full of crumbs. Garish green maraschino cherries ringed the top. It was probably inedible due to the sheer volume of crunchy, multi-colored sprinkles and rock hard silver dragées on top. Clearly it had been created by someone who had no clue what they were doing.

It was the most beautiful cake Makoto had seen since the last one her mother had made for her.

"You made this for me?" she whispered, eyes shining suspiciously bright. She could still smell the chocolate scent of baking lingering in the air.

"Hai," he answered cautiously. "Happy belated birthday, Makoto. Make a wish?"

She shook her head, making his heart sink. She wasn't going to forgive him and in that case he didn't know what he'd do.

Without warning Makoto threw herself into his embrace, sighing with happiness when she felt his arms close around her, bringing her right where she most wanted to be.

"It already came true."

(Note: Written because I realized that I too hangs head in shame forgot Mako's birthday. Mea culpa. Gomen nasai, Mako-chan. Yes, Koichi is Kunzite and Jinsei is Jadeite.)