Title: Birthday Wishes

Summary: What do you get a man you might possibly-perhaps-definitely be in love with for his birthday?

Word Count: 911

This was ridiculous.

It shouldn't have been this hard to find a birthday card. At least, it hadn't ever been before; within moments of approaching any display of greeting cards, Tokio was able to pick out the perfect card for the recipient of the day. It was like she had a weird, ridiculously-perfect-greeting-card-radar or something, or so her brother and sister said.

Maybe the radar's busted, she mused, staring at the display a little harder, willing the perfect card to magically appear. It didn't happen, of course, and she rolled her eyes and snorted.

Yeah right. That would have been way too easy.

And nothing involving him was ever easy.

Saitou had accidentally let it slip that his birthday was January 1st a few months back; the look of complete surprise on his face when he'd realized what he'd told her had been extremely gratifying, and more than a little endearing. And pretty much since the second she'd learned this information, she'd resolved to give him a card. She'd meant to give it to him before the New Year holiday had started up, but she hadn't been able to find a card she liked for him before then.

Okay, no big: she'd just give it to him after, once the holidays were over and everyone returned to work.

Which would have worked out fine…if she could just find the damn card.

After a little more staring and glaring, Tokio sighed and gave up and left the store empty-handed and very much irritated with the greeting card industry, and Saitou. Actually, on further reflection, she was irritated with just Saitou; this was all his fault, she was sure of it.

She didn't know how it was all his fault, but that didn't matter—it was his fault, and that was that.

Tokio arrived home and helped her mother with dinner, pushing the dilemma of Saitou's birthday card out of her mind, even though she didn't really have the luxury—she'd see him tomorrow.

She didn't fall asleep until two hours before she was supposed to get up, too anxious about the card to sleep, and so she was groggier and crankier than usual.

She spent most of the morning at work distracted and irritable, before deciding, half an hour before she was supposed to go on her lunch break, that she was going to try to look for a card one more time in the store a short walk from the museum, which she'd already checked a number of times and come up empty-handed.

A huge part of the problem was that Tokio had no idea how to categorize Saitou in her mind. He wasn't quite a friend, but he wasn't exactly an acquaintance either. Nor was he a boyfriend (…sigh…)—he was just Saitou, and unfortunately, they didn't make cards specifically for Saitou.

She eventually gave up and bought a simple card without much fuss, tasteful without being bland, and most importantly, entirely blank inside. She then hurried back to the museum and quickly—but neatly—filled it out, using all available space, and then ran to the luncheonette, to find him lounging at the counter in his uniform, obviously waiting for her. When he saw her, he smirked.

"Fifteen minutes late, Chiisai," he cheerfully informed her.

"Oh quiet, you," she grumbled, making her way to the counter and setting her purse down on it, along with the card, safely tucked away in its envelope. She noticed him eye the envelope curiously, but he didn't ask about it.

He allowed her to order her lunch in peace before he politely said,

"Happy New Year."

She grinned up at him, delighted when he genuinely smiled back.

"Happy New Year," she replied, then slid the envelope over to him. "And Happy Birthday."

The look on his face was priceless:

"What?" he asked, surprised and clearly caught off guard.

"Happy Birthday," she repeated. "You told me your birthday was January 1st, remember?"

"You remembered?" he asked, stunned.

"Was I not supposed to?" she replied mischievously.

He eyed the envelope, then her, then the envelope again, and she laughed.

"Just open it," she said, pretending a nonchalance she didn't feel.

Oh gods, please let him like it…! she prayed desperately as he carefully opened it.

He was very very quiet as he pulled out the card and opened it and read it. When he had, he looked up at her, expression unreadable, and Tokio flushed bright red under his gaze.

He doesn't like it, she thought, mentally wilting. He doesn't like it, he would have said something by now, he hates the card, it's awful and impersonal and—

"Thank you," he said quietly, not looking at her as he carefully replaced the card in the envelope and slid it into his coat pocket.

"Thank you?" she parroted, blinking.

He nodded, an odd sort of expression on his face that took her several moments to place: he was happy. That realization, when it came, had her so overjoyed she could hardly control the urge to jump up and down in celebration.

Somehow she did.

"You're welcome," she replied, smiling shyly, blushing again, and he sent her a smile that made her heart flip over in her chest.

Then he ruined The Moment by leering at her and asking, in that voice,

"So when's your birthday Chiisai?"

Tokio sighed wearily, flushing, but decided it was okay, just this once.

For the Birthday Boy's sake, she added wryly.