The phone was a flip phone.

His phone was a flip phone-

No, no, no, her phone was a flip phone.

'How… boring', Eiji thought. 'And old.'

He held it in one hand, Ryoma Echizen's obsolete electronic, his eyes and mind still stuck on the passcode lock, a stark white number pad on a background of silver and red candy-cane like stripes. Sitting cross-legged in his room, he sighed, leaning his head back against the giant teddy bear in his room.

He briefly noticed the battery left. Halfway gone, halfway full. He sighed again and snapped it shut. Mulling over possibilities for a four digit password Ryoma would use, he felt a sudden wave of resentment towards himself. Sure, he could possibly tell more about Ryoma than a few others on the team, but he never really got to know her. Heck, he didn't even know Ryoma was a 'her'!

With a frustrated noise, he got up only to flop onto his bed, sprawled out with his face in his pillow. The phone bounced to a stop next to him, beside a navy blue teddy bear, reminding him of happier times when the lies he fed the girl were forgotten in favor of fun and laughter. With a thought, Eiji pushed himself up to flip open the phone once more.

'Maybe… 1128? My birthday? I've tried the others', including some random guesses. Unlikely though-'

The phone unlocked.

'No, this just… must… be…' Eiji could only stare at the screen saver, eyes wide. '... a coincidence…'

For the screensaver was a selfie shot of Ryoma, Eiji, Bob, and there was Tezuka lingering in the background, unaware of it at all. Eiji had been the one to take the picture. Eiji swallowed the emotions choking up his throat. He could still remember this day. Of course he could, it was his birthday.

"Ochibi, let's take a picture together!"

"Quack!"

"No thanks Eiji-senpai-"

"Nya, it's my birthday, and we're taking a picture!"

"Fine, but only one because it's your birthday."

"Quack!"

"Great! Then we'll never forget this day Ochibi!"

Eiji hastily closed the phone. He knew the passcode now, it wouldn't matter. A sense of regret, although he was unable to put a name to it, came over him.

'I guess… Ochibi never did forget that day…'

Ryoma was now tearing up the used to be very neat room of the heir to Atobe Corp.

"Aaaaaaaargh! I can't find them Kei!" She whined, crossing her arms as she plopped down on the bed with the mussed up sheets and blankets with her legs crossed and dangling of the edge and her back hunched over. "My cap and my phone are both gone! My phone has a password, yeah, but it could be hacked. And my cap! That was a birthday gift from you and him, it's irreplaceable!"

Keigo Atobe sighed, looking around his disaster of a room. He'd have to remember to get someone to clean it later. As he took a seat next to his cousin, he tugged on her, making her fall on top of him as he now lay on the down filled mattress.

"Ryoma," Keigo whispered in her ear, his eyes slowly closing. "We'll figure it out later. I'll deal with it, you can rest now. I know you can get moody during your times of month."

With a squeak, Ryoma's face turned red. As she tried to ignore her cousin's chuckles, she also wouldn't meet his eyes.

"H-How did you know…?" Ryoma managed, slipping off (the well defined abs and chiseled body of) her cousin to lie next to him. Her body was turned to the side with her knees brought curled up to her chest.

"Ore-sama could not just simply not notice the bloodstain upon the white bedsheets. There's no way to predict it either, ne? It's so irregular, didn't you-" Keigo was shut up by a fluffy pillow on top of his face.

"Okay, okay, I get it! And I'm sorry." Ryoma hid her blushing face in her hands with a groan.

Keigo smiled, eyes softening as he glanced over to the girl beside him. Draping an arm over her as he turned to hold her figure in his arms, he placed the pillow that was on top of his face underneath his head. A moment later and he had Ryoma's head resting on his arm.

"You can sleep now Ryo-chan, Ore-sama will watch over you." Keigo murmured in her ear.

Even Ryoma had to admit, her cousin's voice was very sexy. And very alluring, and husky, and so soothing. Moments later and Ryoma was fighting off a yawn. Seeing the younger girl puff her cheeks out in resistance to said yawn, Atobe Keigo did two things.

One, chuckle and pull her closer.

Two, notice the fading heart, smudged with a finger, upon her cheek.

Keigo's eye twitched.

"Ryoma, who put this on you?" Keigo asked as he traced around the blue heart.

"Hmm?" Ryoma hummed, eyes closed by now. A yawn escaped her lips. Her mind barely functioning, she supposed he meant who kissed her cheek, forgetting the fact Niou didn't wear lipstick, so it wouldn't be noticeable. "Ah, Masaharu-kun did." She mumbled before turning over to rest her head more easily in the crook between her cousin's arm and body.

"Ahn? He dared touch your sacred skin, and so close to your lips as well-"

"He just kissed me, and I can't say it was an unpleasant experience." Ryoma finished mumbling before falling into her dreams as Keigo bristled with anger at the words falling right out of her lips.

Whoops, Ryoma forgot to say 'kissed on the cheek'. This might lead to some trouble…

/Flashback\\

Date: November 28

Time: 10:37

Location: Amusement Park

Special Occasion: Kikumaru Eiji's birthday

Told from: Echizen Ryoma's point of view

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

I found out the hard way,

"Quack."

Oishi sweatdropped.

"Um, Ryoma, what was that?"

I glanced behind me. A Mallard duck, green head and greyish body, stood a step back from me. I turned back to Oishi.

"A duck Oishi-senpai."

"Quack."

"Ummmm…" Oishi didn't know what he was doing at this point.

"Nya, why is there a duck?" Eiji walked up to them with a lollipop in his mouth.

"He followed me." I explained in a bored monotone.

"... Okay, well then, let's get going, Nya!~" Eiji turned on his heel and led us into fair with its bright and cheery open gates.

The rest of the team was already inside. I tugged at my navy hoodie, glad it hid my figure well enough. For the rest of the day, I faded into the background, getting a glance or two whenever the water fowl in my arms quacked. After ten minutes of almost being stepped on, he gave me ducky-puppy eyes. It was near impossible to resist and pick him up.

". . .Have him… more likely to…" Hushed voices drifted towards me from the group I was supposedly with.

". . .Join… he'll play better… the official matches… "

". . Don't let him…"

". . . Might leave. . ."

". . . Make him smile…"

As the whispers slowly dwindled down, birthday boy nodded and walked over to me as such, a smile plastered on.

"Nya, I've decided you're going to spend the day with me Ochibi!" He proclaimed loudly.

"I already was." I shifted the duck in my arms so it was easier to hold him.

"No, I mean we're going to stick together all day!" He cheered, proceeding to grabbing my hand and dragging me off to a game booth.

"Bet you Eiji-senpai's going to win." Momoshiro snickered from behind the two of us as we loaded our plastic dart guns.

"Saaa… I vote for Ryoma." Shusuke's calm voice scared me, coming from thin air.

"Nya, I'm not going to lose to you Ochibi! You're so short I'm surprised you can reach the counter anyways." He snickered.

He just called me short.

He just called me short.

That was it. He just declared war. He's going to die today, screw the fact it's his birthday!

"And start!" The person manning the booth stepped out of the way as we began firing off darts to the pinned up balloons.

Depending on the pattern on the balloon (stars, stripes, circles, or plain), that determined our points. Color didn't really matter. I had gotten two stars, five circles, one striped, and one plain. Eiji had the same, and each with our last dart (having been only given ten ammunition) were aiming for the last star.

Pop!

It was too close to call, and in the end, we each got a prize.

"Nya, not bad Ochibi!" Somehow… his smile seemed less forced than usual, as if he was forgetting the earlier conversation.

"... Made made dane senpai." I gathered the duck who had followed me closer to my body, shifting the teddy bear on a rope I chose as a prize so it was now a necklace with the plush dangling behind me, bouncing against me back at each step. "... You did pretty well yourself…" I murmured, looking away.

He slung an arm around my shoulders before we ended up in front of the 'Haunted Tunnel of Nightmares' with cotton candy in hand, along with a breadstick to feed to the duck.

"Where did the others go Eiji-senpai?" I asked quietly, looking around us as there was nobody else.

"Oh, I think Momo and Kaidoh got into another fight, so they had to stay back and stop them from killing each other." Eiji casually waved his free hand around, his own teddy bear tucked into the crook of his other arm which was connected to the hand holding his sky blue cotton candy.

"Velcome, to the Haunted Tunnel of Nightmares!" A voice hissed in my ear, causing me to spin around in surprise and a faster heartbeat. My impromptu, half pirouette was accompanied by Eiji's shrilly scream in my ear.

In a fully decked out vampire costume stood a man with the eeriest grin upon his flour white face. Red eyes, contacts most likely, and fangs curving from his upper lip, a lot like Oishi's hair/bangs. His hair was this deep, rich chocolatey brown slicked back with a few strands sticking forwards, creating almost a 'fancy waiter' kind of thing.

How was that… scary?

"Whatever." I muttered, stalking away into the dark tunnel as I twisted out a piece of my cotton candy.

"W-Wait Ochibi!" Eiji came running up to me, flashlight in hand. "Nya, you tried to leave me behind with the creepy vampire guy!"

"The only thing creepy about him was how he was able to sneak up on us." I rolled my eyes, releasing the duck from my arms. He'd probably want to leave.

Turns out, he didn't. He must want the breadstick. Oh well, it shouldn't be too scary inside, it'll be fi-

"AAAAAAAH!" I jumped back, a scream ripped from my throat as something in white and red and a murky brown jumped out at me.

"Ochibi!" Eiji yelled, voice quivering.

I blushed and tugged my cap over my eyes, embarrassed I had freaked out at what now I saw as an old white rag with 'bloodstains' in red and brown blurred across it, hung up on wires to look like a ghost.

"N-Not a word senpai." I grumbled, pushing past the empty fabric to stalk away in the direction I hoped was the exit. Boisterous laughter followed me.

"Awww, your scream was so cute earlier Ochibi! Like a girl's, nya.~" Eiji grinned at me, eyes turning mischievous.

". . . I think he needs a name." I announced, ignoring my senpai in favor of the duck.

"Ooh, I want to help!" Eiji bounced around me, dropping the other topic easily. "Nya, if he's going to be your child, maybe an American name-"

"My… child?!" My eye twitched. "The Hell you came up with that?"

". . . Anyways, what do you think of David? Or Jake? Or Jack? Nya~"

". . ."

Three hours later and I was entering a compartment of the Ferris wheel with Eiji, all our prizes we had won, and Bob the mallard duck with no idea on the whereabouts of the others. I wouldn't know a thing about them, and I shouldn't care so much either. After all, it's not my birthday, and they still might be…

"We're moving." Eiji breathed out in a whisper, slowly standing and walking over to a window.

I joined him, our hands pressed against the plexiglass, breath fogging up the sight before fading away. The lights were bright in the city below, a cliche thought, but it was true.

We moved in slow, jerky movements. The open sky was above us, the city ahead. I had to keep on looking ahead of me. That's what he told me. Because if I look back, I'll never grow.

"Nya, Ochibi," Eiji's voice was strangely quiet. "You should know this already, but… we all make mistakes. Big ones. But can you ever forgive them?"

"What are you talking about senpai?" I replied bluntly.

"Never mind-"

"I forgive you guys everyday. I'll be at Seigaku indefinitely." I cut in. "So what huge mess-up were you talking about?"

"I-It's nothing Ochibi. Just… um… stuff to do with Fujioko, Inui juice, and wasabi." He let out a nervous chuckle.

I didn't answer his white lie. I moved back to my seat and sat on it cross-legged, Bob on my lap. As I pet down his ruffled feathers, he relaxed in my hold.

"Bob seems to like you, nya." Eiji commented, but when I looked over at him, he was still looking outside.

"I guess." I used a finger to trace down Bob's spine. "I mean, I did sort of feed him my leftovers. So, probably, I suppose."

"Yeah, that sounds about right." Where did his 'nya' go?

I nodded. He stayed silent. Sneaking a quick glance at him, I saw he was sitting too now, arm resting on the window's ledge as he peered outside, intaking the view as thoughts consumed his mind. His face was serene, a simple and peaceful look in his eyes. The silence stayed as we began the descent.

I didn't mind it.

"We'll be getting off soon." He told me, something different in the way he would usually talk. It wasn't much of a chatter anymore.

"Yeah." I murmured, eyes darting over to the stack of prizes we would need to carry off.

"We should get ready." He took a deep breath, exhaled, and turned to me with a 100% fake smile. "Nya, come on Ochibi, or else we won't be able to bring all our stuff off!"

I liked it better when we were both quiet. When I saw that vulnerable side of Eiji. When he wasn't jumping around like he was on a sugar rush, when he wasn't faking his smiles, when he was himself.

We got out of the compartment, prizes in hand. I started giving them to the kids in line for the ferris wheel, and a second later, I saw Eiji do the same. They were pretty cute prizes, teddy bears and hippos and giraffe plushies. We finished giving them all away until we were both only left with the teddy-bear keychain for me and a navy teddy bear for Eiji from booth number one. Having those stuffed animals simply with me and belonging to me was fun, although…

All good things come to an end.

"Ochibi, let's take a picture together!"

"Quack!"

But this one isn't over yet.

"No thanks Eiji-senpai-" I started.

"Nya, it's my birthday, and we're taking a picture!" Great, now he's playing the birthday boy card.

"Fine, but only one because it's your birthday."

It's the unspoken, universal birthday rules, that's the only reason I'm doing this.

"Quack!"

"Great! Then we'll never forget this day Ochibi!"

He smiled. It wasn't very big, it was a small curve to his lips. But it was real.

…

Then again, maybe I'm just hoping I won't forget this happy time as well.

He snapped a selfie of us, the three of us. And somehow Tezuka managed to unintentionally photobomb in the background. He sent me the picture. It looks nice. I think, just maybe, I can use it for my passcode background. It'll look better than just the blurry picture of Karupin jumping away with his cat toy. You can't even tell it's Karupin.

"Thank you." I said after a moment of simply looking at the picture.

"I should be the one thanking you." He whispered in a voice so soft I wasn't sure it was him who spoke. "I haven't had so much fun in a long time."

". . ." I don't think I was meant to hear that. Best not to respond.

Please, even for just a second longer, let us cherish this happy time in our life.

"Eiji, Ryoma, we're leaving now. They're closing soon." Oishi came up to us, casual smile on his lips.

"Nya, alright then, let's go!" He bounded away without a glance back, Oishi following after him at a slower walk.

I should be used to it by now. I guess I am used to it by now. I suppose I've been left behind all my life, it's just that they usually come back too fast for me to notice.

I think I'd like to relive this day over again.

"Nya, Ochibi, come on!" He called back at me, waving as Oishi turned from next to him to look at me as well.

Because it was such a happy time.

"I'm right behind you guys." I looked at Bob in my arms. "We're right behind you guys."

I really like those happy times, the ones I look back on and smile at.

"Hurry up, you don't want to get locked in." Oishi warned, yet he didn't slow for me to catch up.

But the future is ahead of us.

I know. I know, but you should know that too. Is that why you're not as worried as always?

The gates came into view.

And I have to look forwards.

"Of course senpai. I won't get locked in." Despite my confident words, I did pick up my pace, only a few feet away from the gates. Some kids were crying as they refused to leave. I spared a smile, I know how it feels to have to leave what you love.

Else I'll cry from the sad moments we passed.

But it hurts even more when what you love leaves you.

And that, might break me beyond repair.

And doesn't come back.

I stepped passed the boundary between fairgrounds and city sidewalk. This time, I'm leaving. But this time, I'm leaving behind an inanimate object who won't feel sad.

Even if the fair could feel sadness, why notice the me?

There are so many other people out there better than me.

At anything and everything and nothing. Like Eiji.

Just look at how real his fake smiles look.

It's 3:55 A.M. and I am not asleep yet. It has been a very bad day for me. Enjoy your chapter I was supposed to write months ago.

Happy New Years.

Now to sleep.

Thanks again for the reviews, and I'm seeing a mix in the pairings? There are some Tezuka, Niou, Marui, Yukimura, Shusuke, etc. I see. The poll on my page should hopefully be working.

Just curious, how many of you guys read my other fics?

Roses and mistletoe.~

(To anyone curious, mistletoe for kisses, roses for different meanings. Ex: Love, friendship, good health, etc.)