Started on Seiya's 22nd Birthday, July 30th, 2001.

The Birthday Party


"What do we have on the schedule for these two days?" Haruka asked.

"Well, let's see. We have some VERY special shopping to do today with everyone." Michiru smiled.

"Special?"

"Yep. Tomorrow, Seiya turns 22. And we've known him for..." She added in her head. "7 years, if you count when we first met him."

"Yeah. So?" She spat.

"We have to get him gifts!" Michiru yelled at her.

"Whatever."

Michiru went over to the phone. Everyone was waiting at Usagi's for her call of approval.


BRING BRING

"Moshi Moshi?" Usagi asked.

"It's Michiru." "Hi Michiru."

"Is everyone ready to go?"

"Yep. Is Haruka coming?" Usagi asked quietly.

"Hai. She's coming whether she likes it or not." Michiru said firmly.

"But Michi!" Haruka whined.

"No buts, Haruka! You're coming!" Michiru yelled. Haruka snorted. "AND you're buying him something. SPECIAL!"

"I'll buy him something special, alright." Haruka smirked.

"I mean good. The gift has to mean something. From the heart."

"What heart?" Yaten asked over the phone.

"I heard that, Yaten!" Haruka screamed.

"Gomen." He snorted.

"I'll talk you guys when I get there, O.K.?" Michiru asked.

"Sure." Usagi replied, snatching the phone from Yaten. "Ja ne."

"Ja ne."

CLICK


"I really have to get him something, don't I?" Haruka asked solemnly.

"Yes, you do." Michiru replied. "Come on, Haruka. I KNOW you want to."

Haruka lightly blushed.

"See? Come on, because we're meeting them at Usagi's house.

****

"Ohayo Michiru-san! Ohayo Haruka-san!" Usagi yelled happily. "You came!"

"Yes. Michi dragged me along." Haruka pouted.

"Don't fake, Ruka. I saw you blush." Michiru smirked.

"Blushed, eh?" Yaten smiled.

"Sounds to me like you like Seiya." Minako said.

"I think so." Taiki and Ami said together.

Haruka looked away and snorted loudly. "Hmph. Whatever."

"You can be that way then, Haruka. We wouldn't hold you liking Seiya against you." Michiru said.

"WHAT_EVER.(-_-)" Haruka said through her teeth.

"How about we not press on the subject?" Makoto said.

"Yeah. She doesn't like conversations about men." Mamoru said.

"POPULAR men." Michiru smiled.

"That makes sense." They all nodded.

"That DOESN'T make sense.(-_')" Haruka said firmly. Her eyebrow started twitching and they all backed up.

"Heh-heh, can we go now? I don't think Haruka-san is lasting well." Usagi said quietly.

"We should." Rei whispered in Michiru's ear. "She doesn't look too happy."

"You're right. Let's go."

****

"What's the first thing on our list?" Mamoru asked.

"A cake." Michiru replied.

"Okay, then. Mamoru and Usagi, you two come with me to pick out the perfect cake." Makoto said happily.

They came back in about 10 minutes with a cake that said 'Otanjou-bi Omedetou Gozaimasu Seiya!' in Kanji. There were LOTS of sprinkles. They even bought a pack of ten of those cake roses. No one else liked them, but Seiya and Haruka DID...

"We figured they would swallow their pride and share them." Makoto said when Michiru looked at her strangely. Haruka snorted, again.

"Okay. What's next on the list?" Rei asked.

"Party Decorations. The party will be at our house since it's big." Michiru read. "Let's go."

They walked over to the Party Section and picked out streamers and balloons in almost every shade of blue they could find. Taiki said Haruka picked the perfect one because Seiya absolutely LOVED that shade.

"Lucky me." She grimaced. "What's next?"

"Cards."

"Great!" Minako yelled. Passing customers stared at her.

"What's next after cards?" Yaten asked.

"After we pick out the cards, you guys can go get Seiya a gift."

Everyone, except Haruka, left the cards section in about 3 minutes.

They all noticed that she was still looking, but they didn't think twice about it.

Haruka slowly tried to find a card. She was doing her BEST to drive out the memories of all the nice things Seiya had done for her. It wasn't working. Slowly, she picked up the best one.

"Got it." She finally said. It was a card with a beautiful picture. A field stood there in the night. The grass seemed to glow because of the early dew. The moon and the stars had a romantic aura to them. When you pressed the button on the front, it played the song Aqua Version 1, a beautiful song.

"It's perfect." She signed it and put it in her bag.

"Haruka! There you are!" Michiru yelled.

"Did you pick a card yet?" Usagi asked.

"We're still choosing gifts." Ami said.

"So am I." Haruka answered quietly. "Yaten, can I talk with you?"

"S-sure Haruka." Yaten stuttered. They walked over to another part of the isle. "Yes?"

"You live with Seiya. What does he want?" Haruka asked quickly. Yaten looked dumbfounded. "Geh..."

"Well?"

"There was a chain that Mother had given him when he was young. But it was destroyed when the planet was destroyed." Yaten looked down. "He was devastated because that was his favorite chain."

"Like a necklace?"

"Yeah. It was a thin gold chain, rather feminine, but he didn't care. That chain would still fit him now. It had his name, in gold, of course, with a Sapphire in the shape of a small star over the 'I' in his name. The name was a little over a half an inch high and it was about two inches long. The whole name seemed to glitter." Yaten said slowly. "Why?"

"I was just wondering..." Haruka replied. "Arigatou."

Yaten and the other Senshi watched Haruka jog off in the other direction.

"Where is she going?" Minako asked.

No one knew.

"Excuse me, but can I have jewelry made?" Haruka asked the desk clerk. He looked surprised.

"T-tenou Haruka?" He stammered.

"Yes."

"Sure." He smiled. "What would you like made?"

"Well, I want to make a chain for a friend."

"A male?"

"Yes, actually."

"Okay. Describe it."

"The chain should be thin and gold, rather feminine would look nice. The chain should say Seiya as in S-E-I-Y-A." She said. The clerk was writing all of this down.

"Above the 'I', there should be a Sapphire in the shape of a small star. The whole necklace should be in gold, with the diamond dust, to make it glitter."

"Wow! You're going all out. Anything else?"

"Mmm. The size. It should be a little over a half an inch high, and about 2 inches long."

"That it?"

"Hai."

"You know this will cost about 300 American dollars, right?" The clerk asked with concern.

"Y-yeah." Haruka sighed. "I know."

"Okay. You can come pick it up here about an hour before the store closes."

"Arigatou." She smiled. "Can I pay for this card here?"

"I'm not supposed to..."

"Onegai? I wouldn't have walked out the store with it, and you can keep the extra money."

"Okay then." He rang it up. "Very nice card, very nice." He said. Haruka smiled. "Don't forget this note to pick it up. You can sign the form now, if you want."

She took the note for pick-up and signed the jewelry form. "One more question."

"Yeah?"

"Do you want that already converted to American Dollars or still in Yen?"

"Still in Yen, but equal to 300 American Dollars."

"Okay."

"Wait till I tell the staff that Tenou Haruka bought from me." He swooned.

"That should be profitable. Ja ne."

"Ja ne."

Haruka walked out to the front of the store and they were there waiting for her.

"Where have you BEEN, Haruka?" Mamoru asked.

"Hai. We were here for a while." Rei complained.

"Haruka dear, you don't look so good. Daijobu?" Michiru asked.

"H-hai. I'm fine." Haruka stuttered. "Of course I don't look good. I just spent 300 American Dollars worth of Yen." Haruka said in her mind.

"Where's Seiya's gift?" Usagi asked.

"Don't worry about it." Haruka said quickly, the card still tucked safely in her bag, hidden from sight.

"Did you even get him anything, or was that for nothing?" Yaten asked rudely.

"You'll see." Haruka said quietly.


Haruka dropped everyone home. When she and Michiru walked inside, she went straight to her room and closed the door. Michiru on the other hand, went to the phone. She called Mamoru.


BRING BRING

"Moshi Moshi?" He answered.

"Konnichiwa, Mamoru-san." Michiru said sweetly.

"Konnichiwa."

"Can I come over to talk with you?"

"Geh...okay."

****

"What did you need to talk about?" Mamoru asked, he and Michiru sitting in the living room.

"What do you think is up with Haruka today?" Michiru asked.

"Eh? I don't know. She seemed rather quiet about the whole shopping trip once we got there, rather than complaining as usual." Mamoru thought about it. "Now that you mention it, that IS strange."

"Before I could even ask what was wrong, she ran upstairs and shut the door."

"I see." He said slowly. "And she took so LONG just picking out a card. I wonder why..."

"You noticed, too? Truly, it is VERY weird that she would act that way about finding a card. But I DID tell her it had to be from the heart."

"So THAT'S it? I didn't know she would have taken you so seriously." Mamoru said. "Did you hear a motorcycle?"

"Hai. But other people drive them." Michiru replied.

"Oh yeah." Mamoru laughed.

Usagi walked in.

"Hi Mamo-chan! Ara! Michiru-san!! Why are you here?" Usagi asked on her way in.

"I was just talking with Mamoru about today." Michiru answered.

"I'm going now. Ja ne."

"Ja ne." Mamoru and Usagi said together. They heard her drive away.

"TALKING, EH?" Usagi asked through her teeth.

"Hai, Usako." Mamoru said cautiously. He knew that look. "You don't believe us?"

"Oh no, it's not that. It's just that I didn't think you would invite other women close to your age into the house without my permission."

"GWAA! I didn't invite her, she called!"

"Fine, Mamoru."

Mamoru sighed. He wouldn't win this one because Usagi WASN'T listening.

****

Michiru came home and cooked herself lunch. She figured that if Haruka was still awake, or even asleep, she would come down for some lunch. But she didn't come.

"Haruka?" Michiru yelled through the house. "Haruka?!?"

She came to Haruka's room. "Haru...ka?!" She found no one there. Instead she found a note. She read it.

"Went for a stroll. Took the motorcycle." Michiru sighed.

"Then that would be a drive, dear." She went back to reading. "Be back later. Aishiteru, Haruka."

"Well, THAT explains it. I guess I'll just have to wait for her." She sighed.

****

Haruka walked slowly and quietly through the park. There, she saw Seiya, sitting in her favorite spot by the lake.

"Ara. Konnichiwa, Haruka-san." Seiya said.

"Konnichiwa." Haruka replied automatically. "What are you looking at?"

"The water. It's pretty here. I heard from Michiru that this was your favorite spot. But that the water was only one reason."

"Hai. The wind picks up great here. And not many people at all know about how to get to this spot. They just pass it by, like it's not even here. It's great to think here, too. I can go on and on with reasons."

Seiya didn't notice that Haruka was silently watching him. She stayed in that sitting position, watching Seiya, and the water behind him. When he looked back at her, her eyes were closed and her hair was flying, as if she were part of the wind and waiting for it to carry her away.

"I wish I could do that." Seiya said in his mind.

As if she heard him, her hair stopped flying and she stared at him. They stayed like that for a while. Seiya blinked and she snapped out of it.

"Gomen." She looked down at her watch. "Shimatta. I have to go Seiya. Ja ne." She said softly. She sprinted off through the crowd and back down to her motorcycle.

Seiya stared in the direction she went until she disappeared and a motorcycle appeared in the road and zoomed off.

"She was acting strange today. What am I TALKING about?!? She acts strange EVERYDAY! But not THAT strange. She was quiet. Like she was watching me. No insults. No remarks. And she stared at me so intensely, I didn't think she would stop." Seiya said to himself. "I've been here for a while, so I better leave, too."


"Hello Michi," Haruka said, coming in the door.

"Haruka! Where have you been?" Michiru yelled happily.

"My favorite spot by the lake. And guess who you referred there?"

"Seiya was there before you?"

"Hai."

"Ara, Gomen Nasi. I didn't know he would actually g-"

"It's Okay."

"Is HE Okay?"

"Hai, he's fine." Haruka said. She didn't take off her shoes. She brought her helmet with her upstairs.


Haruka took all of her money. She couldn't remember how much she needed for 300 American dollars. She stuffed it in the bag she used this morning. The card was safe in her dresser, so it wouldn't be crushed. Michiru never went in that one.

She sped down the stairs. Michiru stopped her from running out the door. So she quickly put on her helmet right there.

"Where are you going?" Michiru asked curiously.

"Out. Don't worry. I'll be back soon this time." Haruka answered quickly.

"Out where?"

"The bank."

"With a bag full of money? Are you sure you're not going to pay the mob of Tokyo for some damage you did to their main player?"

"Funny Michi. Listen, I really DO have to go."

"Fine. I won't stop you any longer." She said. Haruka nodded and left. Michiru sighed. "I should have stopped her."


After Haruka left the bank with the money, Haruka ran to the jewelry section of the store with her note and found a female clerk this time.

"Konnichiwa. I came to pick up some jewelry."

The clerk looked over the note. "Tenou Haruka." She read aloud. She looked Haruka over. "So Kan-chan wasn't lying. Okay, be right back." She smiled.

She returned with a small box. "You can look at it."

Haruka slowly took it out. "WOW! It's beautiful! No WONDER he was devastated."

"For a guy?"

"Yeah."

"You went all out." She smirked.

"If he only knew." Haruka smiled. She put the chain back carefully and handed the clerk the money.

"Arigatou." She said, ringing that up. "Geh...Gomen for being nosy, but that chain says Seiya. And the only Seiya that I heard you knew was..."

Haruka finished for her. "Seiya Kou. Arigatou. Ja ne."

"Ja ne."

Haruka hurried home and went straight to her room, again too fast for Michiru to ask where she was. She put the small box in her dresser, next to the card.

****

The next day, Haruka and Michiru woke up very early and called everyone to come over. The living-Room and kitchen was decorated within about 15 minutes with everyone helping.

"It looks great, guys." Michiru said.

"It does, doesn't it?" Usagi said.

"Hai." Everyone replied.

"Taiki, we better get home before the 'Man of the Day' wakes up." Yaten said.

"You're right." Taiki replied. "See you guys in less then an hour."

"Right."

****

Seiya awoke with a start that morning. Something was different. He felt wiser, stronger. Older.

"IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!!" Seiya screamed happily. He ran through the house. "Time to celebrate because today's my Birthday!!"

He went to the kitchen to get some breakfast and Taiki and Yaten were already waiting there.

"Otanjou-bi Omedetou Gozaimasu!!" They sang. They handed him gifts.

"For me?" Seiya said sweetly, yet knowingly. It WAS his Birthday. "Arigatou."

Seiya quickly ate a bowl of cereal. "Can I open my gifts?"

"Iie. Take them with you." Taiki said.

"To where?"

"Get dressed." Yaten urged. "We'll be in the car with the gifts from us."

It took Seiya about 5 minutes to be ready.

"Let's go to where ever it is we're going!" Seiya said happily.


They walked in.

"Otanjou-bi Omedetou Gozaimasu Seiya!!" Everyone yelled happily.

"Guys...Arigatou. A party? For me? Why?"

"We wanted to be nice." Michiru smiled.

"Okay, then."

Minako put on some dance music and they all started dancing. Seiya already got of to a bad start with Haruka because he stepped on her foot and she knocked him over.

"Watch out!" Haruka said, tripping over a loose wire and smacking into Seiya.

"Hey! Why'd you do that?"

"I TRIPPED!"

"Of COURSE you did."

"Seiya, you are SO impossible!"

"Whatever."

Haruka stormed off, tripping back over that wire, again, and landing face first into the cake. Seiya bust out laughing. Haruka wiped her face off on her shirt.

Seiya was too busy laughing to see that Haruka had come back, the whole cake in her hand.

"Huh?" Seiya opened his eyes and was smacked in the face with his cake. Now it was Haruka's turn to burst out laughing. Seiya cleaned his face on his shirt. Haruka and Seiya picked up cake off their shirts and off the floor and threw it at each other. Some of it missed and EVERYONE ended up entering the cake fight.

"HOLD IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Michiru screamed. Everyone dropped the cake that was in their hands. "Everyone will clean up this mess. When the mess is clean, you can go home and take showers. Be back VERY soon because this party is not over."

Michiru and the rest of them picked up all the cake, scrubbed it off the chairs, washed it off the walls, and sucked it out the floor with the vacuum. Then, Haruka Steam Machined it. The house was clean in half an hour.

"Good." Michiru said outside. They were outside because they didn't want cake on the floor again.

"Michi, can we stand under the hose, all of us, so we don't track cake?" Haruka asked.

"Good idea." Michiru answered.

"Me first!" Seiya yelled, running to the backyard.

"Get back here, Seiya!" Haruka yelled.

"You two..." Michiru moaned.

While Seiya and Haruka fought, everyone else washed themselves with the hose like civilized people. Taiki had to hold Seiya and Mamoru had to hold Haruka, so they'd stay still. Michiru washed them completely, until there was no more cake.

They were dripping. Haruka shook herself like a dog when Mamoru let go. Most of that water hit Seiya. Seiya shook himself like Haruka. He was still pretty wet, but now Haruka was just as wet again, and he had hit her in the face with his ponytail.

"SEIYA!!!!!!!" Haruka screamed.

"AHHHH!!!!" Seiya screamed. She chased him around the yard. EVERYONE had to tackle Haruka so she didn't kill him on the spot.

"Let's go, now." Yaten said. "I'm still dirty."

"Your right. We should go." Mamoru said.

"Be back in a flash." Rei said.

Since they really WERE clean now that they no longer smelled like cake and they weren't sticky, they could just change their clothes.

"Hey wait." Seiya said when Taiki drove away without him.

"That's Okay, Seiya. You can borrow some of Haruka's clothes." Michiru smiled.

"NANI?!?!?" They both yelled.

"Well, I don't have any clothes you would wear. So Haruka's clothes be a little big. You don't mind, do you?" Michiru reasoned.

"But Michi-" Haruka tried.

"Iie. Seiya, go pick some clothes."

"I'm going too." Haruka said quickly.

"No you won't, Ruka." Michiru said.

"I have some things in there that I don't want him to see!" Haruka said, racing up he stairs before she could be stopped.

"What could she not want me to see?" Seiya asked in surprise.


In a few minutes, everyone was back and in the Living-Room.

"Time to open my gifts!" Seiya said happily.

"Here's one from all of the Inners, Usagi included." Minako said.

"Hey, this is the Songbook I always wanted!" Seiya said.

"Yeah." Usagi replied. "It's rare so we all chipped in."

"There are songs and parts for all the instruments you guys play." Rei said.

"You play piano, too." Ami said.

"So there is some piano music in there. Open the other package and there is the other book." Makoto said.

"That one is from me." Mamoru said.

"Mamo-chan bought that one himself." Usagi said.

"Arigatou. I really mean it." Seiya said.

"Open mine. You'll like it." Yaten said.

"You got me a football!!"

"You've asked for one for AGES and I got so sick of your whining. Happy Birthday!" Yaten smiled.

"Great." Seiya smiled.

"Here's mine." Taiki said.

"Whew! THAT'S a lot of money for a bond, Taiki. Why so much?"

"Well, you always complain that you never have money of your own, so cash it and take the Yen and spend it on what you want." Taiki smiled.

"What? That should last you,...about two days?" Everyone laughed.

"You got THAT right, Taiki." Seiya smirked.

"Now me." Hotaru said.

"Hotaru?"

"It's a book from my planet. My FAVORITE one, entitled "How to Destroy Your Own Planet: For Dimwits" Hotaru beamed.

Seiya laughed. "I'll be SURE to read this and take the steps into consideration."

"From me." Michiru said, handing him a package.

"WOW! All this for ME?"

"Hai. It's got all of your favorite artists and CDs." Michiru said.

"Arigatou, Michiru." Seiya said. Then he looked down. "It's Okay if you didn't get me anything, Haruka."

"Seiya, come with me." Haruka said sweetly.

Seiya looked a little afraid, but he followed her up to her room anyway.


"H-hai Haruka?" Seiya stuttered.

"I DID get you something." She handed him the card. He admired the song and the picture, but when he opened the card, there were no words.

"I don't understand." She walked up to him and quickly pulled him into the biggest hug she could muster without killing him. Seiya looked surprised and sat down on the bed.

Haruka lightly brushed her lips against his.

"Words weren't needed." She smiled.

"Haruka-" Seiya was cut off. She put a finger to his lips.

"Wait. I have a gift."

Haruka went to the dresser and took out the plain-looking box. Seiya opened it slowly and took out the beautiful chain with his name on it, exactly like the one his Mother had given him so long ago.

"Wow." He breathed. "I don't know what to say."

"Arigatou would be nice." Haruka smiled.

Seiya giggled. "Can you put it on me?"

"Sure." She replied. Seiya pulled away his ponytail and she clipped the chain into place. "Perfect." She sighed. "Let me look at you."

Seiya turned around and the chain seemed to glow, as did he.

"It looks g-great Seiya."

"How much was it?"

"I had it made. It doesn't matter."

"Hai, it does." He ran up to her and kissed her full on the lips, for a LONG time. They slowly walked downstairs together, the both of them seeming to glitter.

"This has been the best Birthday Party." Seiya sighed.

"I know." Haruka said.

Everyone looked confused, until they saw the chain he was wearing.

"Haruka, was THAT why you were so secretive?" Michiru asked, sounding slightly jealous.

"Hai."

"Who wants cake!" Usagi wailed.

"ME!!!" Everyone screamed.

"Good. I cooked a spare before the party started. It's on the kitchen table." Makoto said. "I never know what might happen with Seiya and Haruka."

Everyone laughed and went into the kitchen. Seiya stopped Haruka.

"Are you two coming?" Ami and Hotaru asked.

"Yeah, in just a minute." Seiya replied.

"Yes, Seiya?"

"Haruka, you have given me the best gift of all." Seiya started to cry.

"That chain?" Haruka asked, sounding confused.

"No. Your love," He moved closer. "And showing that you care." Seiya lightly kissed her. When he broke away, he found that Haruka was crying, too.

"Seiya." She whispered.

"Come on." Seiya said, wiping his tears away. He wiped hers away, too. "They'll get ideas."

Haruka giggled on the way in and everyone looked their way. They noticed that both of them had red eyes, so they must have been crying. But no one pressed any further then what they had already figured out. Haruka and Seiya never told anyone about their little secret and Haruka's many gifts.