A/N: A birthday fic for my beloved Natsume^^ Writing this was a last minute decision because I just decided to write a small contribution two hours ago. So, this was a bit rushed, but I'm happy I got to write this^^ Anyway, happy birthday, Natsume!

PS. I know July 1 is Saturday this year, but I made it Friday in this fic because I made it that Natsume's going to school and I think Japanese don't have schools on Saturday(?)... I think... Correct me if I'm wrong.

Thanks for reading^^ Comments and reviews are much appreciated, thanks!

EDIT: thanks to ShatteredIce18 for pointing out my mistake in how Touko and Shigeru calls Natsume. I fixed it! Thanks

Natsume didn't remember the last time he celebrated his birthday. Maybe there had been once, or twice, when his adoptive family was kind enough to remember. In fact, most times, Natsume didn't even remember when his birthday was. So when he woke up that day, still feeling groggy, and got ready for school, he didn't know why Nyanko-sensei looked fidgety.

"What are you so excited about, Sensei?" he asked as he put on his uniform.

"Nothing," was Sensei's answer, though it clearly was something. When after five minutes Natsume was still not ready, Sensei snapped at him, "Hurry up, will you, Natsume? I wanna eat Touko's dish."

Natsume still didn't think much of it. He knew Nyanko-sensei's love for Touko-san's food so having him urging Natsume to hurry so he could eat was nothing out of the ordinary. That was, until Natsume got down to the kitchen and beheld the extravagant breakfast laid out on the table—and Touko-san was still in the middle on carrying a pot of soup to the table.

Touko-san caught his eyes and her lips widened into a huge smile. "Ah, Takashi-kun!"

"Touko-san, are we…celebrating something?"

Touko-san's surprise was almost palpable. Her eyes went wide instantly but then the small smile returned and she placed the pot on its place and wiped her hands on her apron.

"Don't you remember what today is?" she asked.

"July first?" Natsume tried.

"And?"

"Friday?"

Touko-san chuckled. "Do you really not remember?" Natsume furrowed his eyebrows. Now that he thought about it, there was something on July 1. He remembered the moment Touko-san said, "It's your birthday, Takashi-kun."

Natsume blushed that Touko-san remembered. Not only that, but she had prepared all these dish for him. She had to have woken up earlier to be able to prepare everything on time.

Tears began to prick his eyes and he tried to blink them away.

"Ah, something…caught my eye," he mumbled, trying hard to feign that he was not trying to wipe away the tears that threatened to spill.

But Touko had noticed, and she smiled a warm smile, and she walked up to him and held his hands.

"Happy birthday, Takashi-kun," she said, her eyes meeting his. Her smiled made Natsume want to smile back, but it was awkward, and he couldn't stop the tears and they were laughing.

"Oh? What's this?"

Natsume immediately wiped his tears and stepped back as Shigeru entered the kitchen. He saw the all the food laid out for them, then at Natsume and Touko standing on the side.

"Weren't we going to hold the party after school?" Shigeru asked, head tilted slightly to the side.

"Ah! Shigeru-san!" Touko shouted.

Shigeru blinked, realizing his mistake. "Oh, sorry," he said with an embarrassed laugh. "Happy birthday, Takashi."

Touko pouted and Shigeru tried to say he was sorry again, but Natsume had already heard and the tears he had tried to hold back were threatening to choke him.

"Are you…planning a party…for me?"

"That's right!" Touko beamed. "So make sure you bring your friends home after school, okay?"

~ O ~

"Natsume-kun! Natsume-kun!"

Natsume was having lunch with Taki and Tanuma on their usual spot on the school yard when Sasada suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"Is it true that your birthday is today?!"

"A—ah… yeah…" Natsume stammered, more in surprise at his class president's sudden outburst.

"Today's your birthday?" Taki exclaimed, already beaming. "Happy birthday, Natsume-kun!"

"Idiot, why didn't you tell us?" Tanuma said with a nudge on his arm. "Happy birthday!"

"Oh—ah, thanks," Natsume said with a small smile. "Sorry, it just slipped my mind."

"How can your birthday just slipped your mind?" Sasada exclaimed. "That's it! We're holding a birthday party after school."

"Ah! Actually—" Natsume interrupted before Sasada could go on. "Touko-san said they're going to hold a party after school, and everyone is invited."

~ O ~

So there they were, after school. Nishimura and Kitamoto were immediately notified by Sasada and they had rushed to Natsume the moment they heard the news. A mixture of surprise and indignation that Natsume didn't tell them himself. Because the invitation—and the news—was so sudden, no one had a present ready. Natsume had said he didn't need presents, but none of them was having any of it. Kitamoto and Nishimura said they had to go somewhere first and Sasada had grabbed Taki to hunt for a present. The boys had asked Tanuma to come with them but Tanuma said he'd help Natsume and Touko-san set up the party.

Nyanko-sensei met them hallway on their way home.

"Ah… birthdays," Sensei mused. "Why do humans celebrate birthdays?"

Natsume chuckled. "When is yours, Sensei?"

Nyanko-sensei shrugged. "I don't know, nor do I care. But seriously, why do humans celebrate birthdays? Their lives are already so short, yet they celebrate the moment they are one year closer to their deaths."

"We're not celebrating it for that, Sensei," Tanuma tried to explain. "We are celebrating that we have lived one more year of our lives."

Sensei's reply was a soft grunt.

At home, Touko-san was already halfway through her cooking. Having put their bags in Natsume's room, both Natsume and Tanuma offered Touko-san their help—which she had first declined but couldn't resist when Tanuma grabbed a heavy pot of stew from her hands and brought it to the table.

Nishimura and Kitamoto arrived, then Shigeru-san who left earlier from work. The girls were the last to arrive and Nishimura called them out for it, to which Sasada only retorted that the boys probably only bought the first thing they saw on display.

It was the most fun birthday Natsume had in years. He couldn't stop laughing or smiling and Touko-san's dish was even more delicious than ever. And then Touko went to the fridge and took out a strawberry-and-cheese cake and Nishimura was drooling and everyone was laughing.

Shigeru fetched his old camera from his room and set it up in the kitchen with Natsume and his cake at the center, Touko and Shigeru on either side of him, and his friends trying to find a spot around them. Nyanko-sensei managed to slip onto Natsume's shoulder the last second before the picture was taken.

In the days following, Shigeru made copies of the photo and Natsume gave each of his friends a copy. He had put his own on a frame and placed it on his desk in his room so that whenever he's studying, he can see the photo, and he knows that he's not alone anymore.

~ END ~