From A-Z, and Everything in Between

Congrats, You're Older Too

  It was cold outside that day, and MafuMafu rubbed his hands together to warm them up. It wasn't the kind of cold that forced you to wear heavy coats and gloves all the time, like in the wintertime, but it was still cool enough to warrant a jacket and long pants. The middle of fall was usually pretty chilly, so weather like this was to be expected. Too bad MafuMafu never checked the temperature before he left the house. Wearing only a light cardigan and loose-fitting pants to shield him from the cold, MafuMafu couldn't help but shiver whenever a particularly cool breeze blew by. He sped up his pace as he walked through the city streets. The sooner he got to where he was heading, the better.

His destination soon came into view, and MafuMafu smiled as he hurried over to it. What a relief it would be to finally get out of the cold. Maybe he could get a blanket or something to warm up with. Or even a cup of nice hot tea. Thinking about these things made MafuMafu even more eager to go inside. He went up to the front door and gave it a few quick knocks, bouncing in place while he waited for the door to open. From inside, he could hear a few shuffling noises, like someone was fumbling with the lock on the door. MafuMafu didn't have much time to think about it, though, because the door soon swung open to reveal a rather annoyed-looking person.

"Good morning, Soraru-san!" MafuMafu chirped, greeting his friend with a cheery smile.

Soraru gave him a look that told MafuMafu he was clearly not in the mood for surprise visits. "What do you want?"

"Hey, what's with that kind of response? I came all the way here in the cold to see you, you know," MafuMafu pouted.

This made Soraru pause for a moment. He really looked at MafuMafu's appearance for the first time and noticed his rather poor choice in clothing.

"Idiot, why don't you have a jacket on? That sweater is too thin to do anything for you," Soraru pointed out.

"I know, I know, but I didn't realize it was this cold out, okay?" MafuMafu replied with a hint of exasperation.

Soraru gave a small snort in response and opened the door more to allow MafuMafu inside. "Whatever, just come in before you catch a cold."

MafuMafu smiled at him appreciatively as he entered Soraru's house. Immediately, he could feel the warmth of the house surround him, and MafuMafu sighed in content. He really did like Soraru's house. It was always neater than his (not by much, but still), and it had this comfortable feeling to it that was hard to describe. It was the kind of feeling that made MafuMafu want to stay here forever.

"Anyway, why did you come here so early in the morning?" Soraru asked, ignoring the fact that the clock in the living room had just barely reached eleven.

"Today's special, so I came here to celebrate it," MafuMafu answered, smiling brightly once again.

"Huh? What's so special about it?" Soraru questioned confusedly.

MafuMafu blinked, not believing that Soraru had just asked him that. "It's your birthday, silly. Did you really forget that?"

Soraru just stared at him for a long moment, then he turned away, looking slightly sheepish. "O-Oh, um, right..."

"Soraru-san's so forgetful," MafuMafu giggled in amusement.

"Be quiet," Soraru said flatly. He began to head toward the kitchen, continuing to speak as he went. "I'm going to make some tea. Do you want any?"

"Sure, that sounds great," MafuMafu replied, watching as his friend disappeared into the kitchen.

Soraru returned a few minutes later with two cups of hot tea in his hands. He handed one of the cups to MafuMafu, who said a quick "thank you", then sat down on the couch. "So, what exactly were you planning on doing to 'celebrate'?"