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Eichi-kuuun! Despite all my secret hopes and dreams it seems like you've somehow managed to survive another year of that wretched life of yours! How terrible, what bad weather! Welllll, I am exceedingly kind, so I will stoop to wishing you a happy birthday <3 Eat some cake for me!
"Happy Birthday!!!"
Aira's audible, overt enthusiasm nearly makes up for Rei's yawn bookending the sentence. When Eichi opens his eyes, crawls halfway out of his covers even though their siren song is near irresistible, he comes face to face with his two roommates, and also a tea cup he has never seen before, possibly meant to be reminiscent of the Royal Canterbury style, adorned with tiny strawberries, and decorated with a single red bow.
"...Thank you." he yawns in turn, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes before taking the present from the beaming Aira. Turning it in his hands, it immediately becomes somehow dear to him, despite its obvious lack of prestige. He imagines the younger idol excitedly pulling on the arm of one of his friends, eager to spend whatever meager allowance he had on the perfect present. "Shiratori-kun put such thought into his present to me. Fu fu, I'm flattered~"
A smile forms on his lips at the way Aira's cheeks turn cutely red in response to his words. "No no, it's- it's no big deal!" he stammers, scratching the back of his neck. "Or no, it is! Tenshouin-senpai has been so kind to me, and he's allowed Alkaloid to keep working, and without that I wouldn't be an idol, and I've met so many great people, and it's your birthd-"
He squeaks, and stops, as Eichi squeezes his hand. "And it's my birthday, I'm aware. Thank you, Shiratori-kun."
The manner in which Rei clears his throat approaches subtlety in the way an elephant approaches a shop full of fine china. "There's an old man waiting to be acknowledged here." Freshly awake, still somewhat in the thrall of sleep as evidenced by the puffiness around his eyes, hair barely tamed, mornings like this have said old man more closely resemble a pouty teenage girl. Eichi is tempted to tell him so outright as his response, but decides to store the observation for a strategically more important moment.
"I could never forget someone who snores this loud and stares at me this much." he answers instead, taking Rei's hand so he is now holding onto both his roommates. Aira seems close to possibly passing out. "Sakuma-kun also has a present for me? How terrible... I am a little scared I will open the box to the surprise of a bomb, to tell the truth."
Rei smiles, fangs visible.
....Happy Birthday, Eichi-kun. When one thinks about it, a birthday is an arbitrary day like any other, yet humanity across cultures has chosen to apply great significance to a person's date of birth, sometimes in simple reminiscence, sometimes in a more spiritual manner. It is good to celebrate one's existence I think; and one another's as well. I am glad to be able to wish you a happy birthday, and I have attached a picture of a piece of petrified tree I recently found. It is possible to read both the age and the conditions of particular years out of the rings of a tree's trunk. Sadly humans are not as easy to read, so I will ask instead: Have you had a nice year, Eichi-kun?
"He calls it 'Eine kleine Musik for a stupid blockhead' and he sent it to me a week ago asking me to play it for you." Ritsu explains while balancing the keyboard they 'borrowed' from the light music club's room on his lap. Despite the snow he's chosen to sit on the ground, and Eichi nearly expects him to soon follow the feline urge to stretch, and roll around a little. "Ah, I forgot, I wasn't supposed to tell Ecchan that~"
"Ritsu-kun is being a little troublemaker again ♪" he answers, pouring Tori another cup of tea, the other teenager looking just as spellbound as Eichi was at first at the sight of the foreign flower at the bottom of the cup starting to open up her petals slowly, playing the coquette with her audience, and then painting the water crimson. He wouldn't mention it of course, but he does remember feeling surprise in the moment at how thoughtful Rei's gift had turned out to be. "How will we ever manage to get him married to a good girl if this keeps up?"
Ritsu frowns, then frowns again when he presses down on a key to the responding noise of electronica. Tori is also frowning, possibly for a different reason, though Eichi can't fathom what it would be. Well, no matter. It is his birthday, and it won't do for everyone to pretend this is a cause for private pains.
"Tooori~" he sing-songs, gently scooping up a bit of cake with his fork, and holding it out to the other. "Say Ahhh~"
Tori in turn looks up, startled, as if embarrassed to have been caught in a less than stellar mood. The smile he puts on now is too saccharine to be entirely convincing, but he does let Eichi feed him the cake, and smiles as he chews, which is enough. "More please~!" Tori beams, and Eichi complies.
Both of them look up when the first gentle notes announcing the premiere of a genius composer's newest piece cut through the air, Ritsu having apparently managed to retune the instrument in the meantime. Now his long fingers dance across the keys with an uncharacteristic elegance, face utterly unreadable as he concentrates on following the song he apparently learned by heart in the week since being sent it.
An air of awe spreads through the pavillon as the song continues. Possibly it is the genius' burden to be unable to surprise, to be in the unenviable position of having to craft one masterpiece after another, on and on until all the stars burn out; but Eichi is not said genius, and so he can simply close his eyes, and enjoy his private concert. Rubens worked with the eye, Mozart with the ear; what Ritsu plays is, in parts slow, near somber, then exuberant, playful, to be read as no more and no less than this: Happy Birthday.
When he opens his eyes again, it is to the near unbearably adorable sight of one Shino Hajime, snow in his hair as white as the fur of the bunny he is holding out to Eichi now. "Tada!" he smiles, nose and cheeks red from the cold. "My magic trick! Hehe, did I surprise you, Eichi-onii-chan? I wasn't sure which bunny to take, so I tried to take all of them, but then that was too many to carry... And then Arashi-onee-chan had to sprint after one of them for me when it escaped, so I just took this one in the end." When he holds the animal up to his cheek, it is the bunny who in fact starts nuzzling first.
Eichi applauds the junior magician, and then applauds some more when Tori jumps up from his seat to embrace his friend, who ends up sitting on his lap after a long back and forth between Ritsu and Eichi who should get the honor, birthday privilege apparently meaning little. "Maybe Ritsu-kun can sit on my lap for once instead ♪" Eichi muses as he scratches underneath the bunny's chin.
Ritsu rolls his eyes. "Blow out your candles, Ecchan."
Tenshouin-onii-sama. I am happy to be able to wish you a happy birthday once again, and am looking forward to the festivities on the weekend. Can I perhaps recommend a caterer? There's a sweets maker in Ueno I've been quite interested in!
"Eichi-senpai!!!"
Eichi manages to dodge Subaru's attempt at a flying hug just in time for the redhead to crash into Chiaki behind him instead, whose laugh booms across the street as he closes his arms around his assailant and pats him on the back with great enthusiasm. Enthusiasm not shared by Subaru, who shakes him off. "Ugh, let go let go!" he cries, sounding greatly betrayed.
Eichi meanwhile has turned towards the other two members of Sports Survivors who are now arriving, a sleepy Mitsuru looking tiny when carried on Adonis' back, half a loaf of bread between his teeth. "Dashu, dashu... zzzz..."
"Huh? What's wrong with him?" Subaru asks before anyone else can speak, now jumping around Adonis to get a better look at the rabbit on his back.
"I am sure he has ample reasons for being tired!" Chiaki joins Subaru in his inspection, leaving Adonis looking slightly pained at all the commotion. "Evil never sleeps, but neither does Justice! ...But normal people do need their rest."
Eichi smiles, half intent on letting the charade go on for a little longer. But sometimes even sadism can be outweighed by simple curiousity. "Now now you two, leave poor Otogari-kun some room to breathe~"
"zzz... Happy... Bread..."
Adonis nods solemnly. "Tenma has already said it, but I would first like to wish Tenshouin-senpai a happy birthday as well." At this both Subaru and Chiaki also break out in congratulatory cries, Eichi gracefully accepting. "From what I understood when we met up, and I caught him as he nearly fell, he apparently spent the entire previous night runn- 'dashing' around, to 'get my thinker muscles going', trying to come up with the perfect activities for today."
"I see. And what did he decide on?"
"I am afraid nothing at all." The words are spoken with true remorse, so blatantly honest it makes Eichi's skin itch with the need to bully this bearer of bad news a little. But before that can happen Chiaki reenters the conversation like a sledge hammer the wall, saving Adonis the misery, basketball inexplicably at his side suddenly. "Then that leaves the choice to us! There's a perfectly good court here, I say we use it!"
"Chi-chan-senpai, we are not balling for Eichi-senpai's birthday."
Chiaki only grins at rebuke, and starts running at Subaru in what is a clear traveling violation. "C'mon! First to three baskets wins!"
"Piss off!"
Eichi steps next to Adonis, who wordlessly offers him a bite of Mitsuru's bread. The crust has turned slightly too hard by now, but it is still good. "I think I would like to visit the arcade again." he says, and then they both watch Chiaki chase Subaru around the court for a while longer.
"Hello?? Eichi-kun? You didn't pick up so I had to leave a message... Ah, I'm sorry I'm calling so late, maybe that's why you didn't answer the phone! I have not slept in 67 hours so time is a little nebulous to me right now haha... But there's really nothing to be done when work awaits is there. Oh, sorry! I forgot! Happy Birthday, Eichi-kun! How are you? You seem to have been coughing a lot lately, are you doing okay? ...Oh, Natsume-kun! What good timing, I'm leaving a message for Eichi-kun right now. Come, you can wish him a happy birthday as well~"
"..."
"Huh??? Wait, Natsume-kun, why are you looking at me like that? What are you- Ah!!!!"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Hahihuheho! Sora will have to hang up now, he has to stop Shishou from strangling Senpai to death!"
It's a split second thing, one moment he is walking down the corridor to his office, thoughts of work ahead like a semi-dark cloud encircling his head, next he is pulled by the stagehands into the mysterious, heretofore unknown otherworld known as the broom closet. He blinks, sort of stupefied, unsure of whether to focus on the shelf pressing into his back uncomfortably courtesy of the lack of space, or the person in front of him, who is still holding onto his arms.
"Eichi!" The word hits Eichi's face with the scent of liquorice attached. Its prior proprietor is smiling so wide the creases at his eyes nearly hide the hints of sparkling blue eye shadow that managed to escape the make up wipe. "Finally it is actually you! You know, this poor fool has been hiding out in his self-appointed prison cell for a few hours now, waiting, hoping with hope, hoping alongside hope, hoping against against hope, finally to catch his heart walking by! I fear I've scared quite a few poor unrelated souls, suddenly pulling them in here like a frightful villain intent on covering up his crimes of passion! Do forgive them if they decide to take tomorrow 'off' as they say, to calm their nerves!"
He finds it easy to empathize with his employees' shock, feeling his heart beat like a bird's against his rib cage still due to the surprise of having been effectively kidnapped. Surely none of them were as fixated on the miniscule amount of space between their chest and Wataru's though; or, further yet, the other's indescribable smell; his widened pupils, which make his eyes seem especially dark with intent; the hair at his temples, grown slightly stringy with the sweat of a day's work; the fading shine on his lips, of a balm applied hours before. Everything which tells Eichi to lean in and devour.
He doesn't, because he is pretty sure there is still time to come for that. "I fear I will soon find myself ending up being put on trial for failing to provide a safe work environment~"
"Oho! Then allow me to play the role of your lawyer, nay, your saviour! Pickpockets, philanderers, philanthropists – Star lawyer Hibiki Wataru represents them all!" His hand wanders from Eichi's arm to the small of his back. When he next speaks, it is with his lips to Eichi's ear. "Or maybe you would prefer I be your judge instead? Trust me to be very creative when it comes to punishments~"
Eichi can't stop himself from giggling once Wataru starts peppering kisses across the side of his face, feeling like whatever left that hint of liquorice on the other's breath has started affecting him as well. "You of all people know I'm not averse to those," he answers, sort of breathless. "but I should think a birthday is about celebration, the gentle feather instead of the ruthless whip."
"Ah yes." Wataru smiles, leaving a kiss on this tip of Eichi's nose before pulling back an infinitesimal amount, which to Eichi feels like the Great Canyon suddenly. "Do forgive me for putting the cart before the horses, and the horses before the train! Unlike an unbirthday, a birthday can be celebrated correctly only once a year, so we must of course start over entirely!"
The sound of him snapping his fingers is accompanied by the appearance of a single, brilliantly blue feather, which Eichi lets the other tuck behind his ear. "Our revels now are... beginning ✰" Wataru whispers, now against his other ear. "I do have to wonder though, or ask rather: Has anyone sung for you yet?"
Eichi shakes his head, only now realizing. "I suppose no one has."
"Oh, how terrible! How saddening! In other words: Truly Amazing, because this allows me the honor of being your first~" And somehow the one and only Hibiki Wataru manages to find the space in their tiny lovenest to get down on one knee in front of Eichi, one hand to his chest, the other holding onto Eichi's.
"Happy Birthdayyy" he begins singing. "Mister President ♪"
tenshiiiiii!! happy birthday!! or is it happy birthnight? what time is it in japan right now? wahahaha, i keep forgetting! why do timezones have to exist in the first place? maybe someone should take a knife and cut the earth open until we can make the rest of it flat as paper, then i could write and write and write music all day and night long and id never run out of space! ...sena just told me its evening, so happy birthevening, tenshi! I asked him if he wants to wish you a birthevening as well but he said no because hes a stupid stupid tsundere! dere. dere. de-de-de-de... ahhhh! inspiration struck! bai-bai, tenshi!
Keito looks like a part of the Seisoukan common room's furnishings when Eichi finally returns, evening lights softening the sight of him hitting the keys of his notebook, deep in concentration. There's no one else around, and Eichi smiles, knowing this is about as big of a coincidence as Keito choosing to do his work where Eichi could stumble upon him, instead of at the office, or his room for that matter. He lets himself fall onto the sofa next to his childhood friend, rests his cheek on his shoulder. Keito smells faintly of sweat underneath his cologne, and of comfort beneath that. "Found you~"
Keito doesn't look up from the screen, tiny numbers reflecting in his glasses. "I wasn't hiding, unless you assume the concept of working hours was invented to inconvenience you specifically."
"I just might, you know. It's my birthday, I am allowed to be greedy just this once~"
"This is far from the only day of the year that you decide to be greedy."
Eichi grins, slumps further against the other. "It's my birthday, and yet I see Keito last of all. So mean, when I've been missing him so bad! Going through my terrible, sad lonely day, the sight of glasses reawakened the buried pain once more each and every time, like a dagger to the chest. How will you ever make it up to me?"
"You're starting to sound like Sakuma."
Eichi's grin turns into a frown, precisely because the other's assessment is fair. "They say extended exposure to one another will necessarily lead to alignment. It wasn't my idea to room with Sakuma-kun, you know."
He looks up to find the tips of Keito's ears have turned red, as he expected them to. When they were younger he once told Keito to grow his hair out, so he could hide this tell-tale sign of that terrible fifth emotion, embarrassment, and he did so, spending a summer with hair past his ears, fast rivaling Eichi's. Eichi remembers that summer only in flashes, brilliant sunny days squeezed between stretches of time stuck staring at the hospital room ceiling as a machine breathed air into his lungs. He never told Keito, but he was glad when the other cut his hair again, both because he had missed running his fingers through the short, near-spiky strands as the base of his neck, and because it meant that that terrible summer was over.
"Oi, Eichi."
"...?" Ah, his eyelids have suddenly grown so heavy.
Keito's voice turns gentle. "Don't go to sleep before I've wished you a happy birthday. Because I really do hope you did have one. A happy day. Happy Birthday, Eichi."