Scene 27 - Her Birthday
"What would you like for your birthday?" Kaldur'ahm asked when July rolled around and summer finally kicked into high gear. They were sparring in the gym and Brianna raised an eyebrow at his question. "Are you attempting to distract me?"
She dodged his punch and tried to sweep his legs but he somersaulted backwards to avoid it, "No, I'm being serious."
Her hands formed a "T" shape to call for a time out as she walked over to the bench to wipe off her perspiration and to get a drink of water. "To be frank, I don't really need anything," She said a few moments after sipping her beverage.
Her boyfriend sat down next to her, a little disappointed, "Really? Not even new shoes or clothes or a new phone or camera?"
Brianna could see that he wanted to make her birthday special and she raised a hand to his cheek, "What I need is right here, Kaldur. I have my family, the Team, and you. The others are just material wants and all my belongings are still in working condition. I would love whatever you would get me though."
The blonde Atlantean reached up to grab her hand and he kissed it gently. "I ought to get something fit for a princess."
The brunette rolled her eyes slightly, "Oh cut it out with the whole royalty business. My family's royal house isn't even listed. I'm not an official princess; you don't need to get anything extravagant for me." Her eyes were almost pleading and he conceded with her wishes.
"Alright, but I ought to make it your special day."
His girlfriend smiled and kissed his cheek, "I look forward to it." They ended their sparring session with another heart-warming kiss on each other's lips.
Brianna's birthday arrived and Kaldur'ahm refused to divulge any more information other than packing a change of clothes as well as bringing sunscreen. The strangest thing was that they made the journey at the stroke of midnight. They stepped into the tube and their next destination was full of sunshine. Looking at their surroundings and the position of the Sun in the sky, she said, "We're in Australia?"
"The Great Barrier Reef, to be exact. We're going snorkeling." He held her hand and led her towards the changing rooms. "
You disrupted my sleep for a dip underwater?" Brianna asked teasingly and he gave her a sly smile, "It'll be worth it."
The teens got into gear and slipped their snorkeling goggles on. Though Kaldur didn't need it, he still donned it to stay incognito. The couple got into the water and he briskly led her away to a specific spot he had chosen. The brunette followed his lead until she came across a bloom of colorful corals and fish darting around. It was a beautiful sight to behold and it gave a glimpse to what life underwater was like.
Kaldur'ahm gestured to Brianna to swim a little further away and pointed to a small box at the bottom. It seemed a card covered in plastic was tied to the box and floating above it. The girl gestured to herself on whether it was for her and the Atlantean nodded. Taking a deep breath, she dived downwards to retrieve the object.
Surfacing, she pushed her goggles upwards and inhaled before examining the wooden box. The card had "Happy Birthday, Brianna!" written on it and she opened the small contraption to reveal a blue seashell bracelet.
"Thank you, Kaldur," She said after looking at it for a moment before closing the box once more. "I'll wear it after we get out of the water." They snorkeled around some more, admiring what the ocean had in store for them and they even managed to pet a few sea creatures under Kaldur's guidance.
The Sun was getting a little too unbearable and the couple decided it was time to leave the place behind for some shelter and food. After a quick shower and change, they grabbed a drink of ice cream sodas and Brianna couldn't help but yawn.
"Thanks for the gift, dear. This is quite an interesting birthday."
Kaldur'ahm decided to let on some more of his plans. "This is the first part to your celebration. There's still more in store for you after we get back to Mount Justice and sleep."
Raising an eyebrow, the pyro gave a witty response, "Maybe you should have gotten me coffee for my birthday, Kaldur. I don't know if I'll be able to stay energized for all my surprises."
They laced fingers once more before he spoke, "It's not even 2am back at the cave. If we make it back in time, you can wake up at 9am and you would have had plenty of rest."
She squeezed his hand lovingly, happy to have such a thoughtful and caring boyfriend. "Thank you." The teens returned back to their headquarters and Brianna brushed her teeth speedily before falling into her bed and sleeping the night away while Kaldur'ahm paced around in the guest room, mentally checking off the things planned for the later part of the day.
The much needed sleep completely re-fuelled Brianna's energy and after their lunch date of kebabs and more ice cream, Kaldur'ahm brought her to the movies for a showing of the last Harry Potter movie. Having read the entire series thanks to Wally's comment the year before during their time at the Tower of Fate, the Atlantean was eager to see the finale on the big screen.
Snape's death and Harry's slow walk to The Forbidden Forest were the most heart wrenching scenes in the movie and the duel between both the villain and protagonist was poignant. When the epilogue was shown, there was slight tense moment in the air as Harry waved goodbye to his son who took the train towards Hogwarts. The music drew the movie to a close and the screen faded to black as the fans in the theatre clapped and cheered at a wonderful ending.
"That was amazing." Kaldur'ahm said as he clapped along as well and his girlfriend nodded. To make things more magical, they went on to watch a magic show where the audience was entertained and to her pleasant surprise again, the magician singled Brianna out for a trick and at the end of it, she was presented with a bouquet of flowers as everyone sang her a birthday song. The brunette was not sure how Kaldur'ahm could have persuaded a magician they did not know well to do this but she was certain Zatanna might have coaxed the professional into doing it. Nonetheless, she was very happy at her boyfriend's little gestures and though she was already very much in love with him, it still surprised her that those feelings for him continued to grow even deeper.
Their outing to the movies and the magic show took up most of their afternoon and it was time for dinner. "The bracelet and flowers were amazing, Kaldur. What else do you have up your sleeve?" The girl asked eagerly while the Atlantean replied almost cryptically, "A gentleman never reveals his secrets."
Their relationship changed him ever so slightly, he was now more willing to make jokes and on occasion, he teased Brianna back.
The green-eyed blonde meandered down a few streets, turning corners here and there which left his girlfriend in a tizzy. Finally, they took a left and reached the middle of a lane where they entered what looked like a tea café with lavishly adorned flowers on the shop's décor.
"After you, my lady," Kaldur'ahm said as he gently guided Brianna in and they were instantly deafened by a loud "SURPRISE!"
A streamer went off, showering confetti over the birthday girl and there was a chorus of "Happy Birthday Brianna!" The entire team was there with a few of their mentors and things were made much sweeter when she saw her parents and her brother there. Everyone swarmed around the brunette and she was overwhelmed by all the attention and affection.
"Thanks guys, this is a truly memorable birthday," She said bashfully while her father replied, "This was all Kaldur's idea. He really wanted you to have a special day."
Brianna's smile widened and she looked at her boyfriend with tender love. "I know, and I'm grateful for it." The celebrations went on with feasting on a buffet spread of savory treats and sweet pastries. Gifts were exchanged and the blonde Atlantean gave her one final present which was quite a big box. She opened it and saw her suit lying within.
"It has been reinforced with nano armor particles to give you some protection, courtesy from The Atom. And you have a new wrist gauntlet for your knives too which blends with the color of your sleeves," Her boyfriend explained and the pyro threw one arm around him, "Thank you for such a thoughtful gift."
The girl pressed a quick kiss against Kaldur's lips, much to the fanfare of everyone. He had really managed to live up to his personal promise of giving her an enjoyable birthday and the feeling made him all warm and fuzzy inside. Brianna on the other hand, felt that this was the happiest day in her life so far and she looked forward to more wonderful moments with the Atlantean.
Author's Note: In case you forgot, the Season 1 calendar was based on the year 2010 so right now in the story, it's the year 2011 and that was the year the final Harry Potter movie came out. ;)
Brianna's born on 28th July 1993 so that would make her 18 years old, a so called adult now. =)
Hope all of you enjoyed this light hearted chapter, I knew I had to reward you guys after four depressing ones.
To Molly Grace 16: Thanks! I PMed you the explanation that I don't believe Atlantean skin can stop fast moving projectiles, it might stop slower move melee weapons though.
To Eszra: Aww, I'm so sorry I made you cry again. Hopefully this chapter makes you smile. ^_^
To piggythelaw: Thank you! Nah, I'm done with enough third party romance dramas for now. ;)
To Ilana Lunus: I won't reveal anything now but I'll say that you should keep reading to find out whether Brianna knows about the plan or not. =D
To murdercrowther: Thanks again! I won't be allowing either of them get physically hurt for a while. =)