FicWad

Title: Wish Granted
Challenge: Not really a challenge, just something I wrote for a friend's birthday. A little bit of Mayuko/Hatori fluff, with some Shigure thrown in for spice. ;)


Mayuko folded her arms and frowned, sending Shigure one of her best glowers. He wasn't quite as tall as Hatori, so she had an easier time glowering at him properly.

"No," she replied. "Absolutely not."

Shigure rolled his eyes, that faint, maddening smile still at his lips; it was equal parts condescension, amusement, and arrogance. She hated that smile. It meant trouble.

"Come on, Mayu-chan! Be a sport!" His tone was faintly wheedling. He set down the box he was carrying.

"You know he hates it."

"I think I know Ha-san a little better than you do."

"It's his birthday. You could at least pretend to be nice."

"I am nice." When Mayu snorted indelicately, he looked wounded. "I /am/!"

Arms still folded over her chest, Mayu stepped away from the counter. "What you are is stubborn. And a pain."

He flashed a bright smile as he opened the box. "But you love me~!" Mayuko remained unmoved and, in a flash, Shigure was petulant once more. "Mou, this is a fine way to show your gratitude to me, after all I've done for you!"

Mayuko gritted her teeth. "That's a lousy argument, and you know it. How much longer are you going to keep bringing it up?"

"Until it stops working," Shigure replied in sing-song tones. His attention was now focused on the contents of the box. "Don't you want to see?"

"What for? I already know what it is."

His grin widened. "Do you?"

"It's the same stupid seahorse cake you get made for him every year. It's a dumb tradition, and you know how much he hates it." Shigure didn't reply; he just kept grinning at her. After a moment or two, her curiosity got the better of her, and she went to his side, peering into the enormous, white baker's box.

Inside was a large, square cake, emblazoned with an exquisite rendering of a dragon -- performed in frosting, of course, but exquisite nonetheless. Glossy green icing made up the body and unfurled wings, and, rather than a ribbon of grey "smoke" drifting from the beast's nostrils, its jaws were open wide, and ornate flames streamed forth.

She couldn't say anything. There was nothing to say. She looked up at Shigure, blinking slowly.

"He told me once, when we were kids," Shigure said softly, "that if the Curse couldn't be lifted, then his second greatest wish would be to stop being the 'baby Dragon.'"

Mayu nodded. "I know. He told me the same thing once."

"I just thought that maybe, this year, Ha-san might like to know how it felt to be able to have his cake and eat it too." He smiled again, but this time it was... different --genuine, and perhaps slightly apologetic. This smile was also trouble for the recipient, but for different reasons entirely.

"He's... he's going to like that." Mayu cleared her throat, blinking rapidly and hoping Shigure didn't notice.

But Shigure noticed everything.

Soon a fraternal arm was around her shoulder, tugging her in for a comforting embrace. Nothing happened, which had been the case for several months now. Neither said a word for several seconds, and when Shigure spoke, his voice sounded strained and uncharacteristically husky. Mayu pretended not to notice.

"Ne, I think it's about time Ha-san got what he wanted for his birthday."