Among the Stars (Shidge AU) [Book 2]

Chapter Twenty-Five

"Wake up!" Shiro heard Matt exclaim. It was odd to see Matt so excited.

"It's a sunday..." Shiro groaned. "Let me sleep..."

"Shiro!" Matt said as he pulled Shiro's blanket off. He than started to jump on the bed as he said, "You have to get up! It's your fourth birthday!"

Shiro sleepily opened his eyes as he looked at the alarm clock. 7:17 am. Sunday, February 29th. He technically was sixteenth today, but he knew everyone was going to say he was turning four.

He let out a sigh as he looked up at Matt who was jumping. It was nice to see him smile. Matt than said, "Happy Birthday!" Matt then sat against the wall and kicked Shiro off the bed.

Shiro let out a groan of pain as he fell to the ground. "Why do you do this to me?"

"Come on, birthday boy! My mom made breakfast!" He smiled as he jumped off the bed.

Shiro slowly stood up as he glared at Matt. "You're the worst."

Matt smiled. "Come on! You don't want to sleep through your forth birthday!" He held up four fingers as he said, "You're this many now!"

Shiro rolled his eyes. "I'm not a baby..."

"Oh yeah, you're four. You're a big boy now." He teased in a baby voice. Not a baby's voice, but the tone parents talk in when they are speaking to their baby.

"I'm sixteen." Shiro correct.

"Shhhh... I know you have dreams, but that doesn't mean they're true. You'll make it some day." He smiled as he left the room.

Shiro let out a sigh. This was why he hated leap years. His family was no better, but this was the first one at the Holt's house. Just by the few minutes he had been awake, he knew exactly what was going to happen.

He changed into some clothes as he walked down stairs. Immediately, he ran into Sam who ruffled up his hair a bit as he asked, "How the little four year old doing?"

Shiro rolled his eyes as walked to the kitchen. There he saw Colleen making breakfast which was eggs and bacon. He said, "Good morning, Mrs. Holt."

Colleen looked at him and smiled. "Good morning, Shiro."

He smiled a bit as he sat down at the table with Matt. "You're up!"

"I know, you butt." He looked at him unimpressed.

"Ah! Ah! Ah! Little four year olds aren't suppose to be saying words like that!" Matt corrected him.

Colleen soon came to the table with two plates. She placed one in front of Shiro and one in front of Matt. "Thanks, mom!" Matt smiled. It was still very odd to see Matt so happy recently.

"You're welcome." Colleen smiled. She than looked at Shiro. She ruffled his hair as she said, "Today's a special day. The big boy is turning four!"

Shiro let out a sigh. "Sixteen."

"Someday." Colleen smiled. "Would you boys like some orange juice?"

Shiro nodded. "That'd be nice."

Colleen left as she came back with a glass cup for Matt, but placed a sippy cup, she had when Katie and Matt were litte, in front of Shiro full of orange juice. "There you go."

Shiro let out a sigh as he gave up. He just decided to drink out of it. Matt bursted out laughing. "Shut up." Shiro muttered as he than started to eat his food.

---

All day Shiro was constantly joked about being four. They treated and acted as if he was baby. After breakfast, Shiro didn't fight it anymore. It was useless. Plus, it made Matt smile. His mind was off Katie by doing this, leaving him in a happier state.

Around noon, Shiro's family face timed him. They did it every year on Febuary 28th, except this year. Shiro grabbed his tablet as he called them. Matt sat next to him. Matt liked to talk to Shiro's family with him.

A few seconds later, it was answered as they saw a little girl with black hair, brown eyes, and pale skin. It was Shiro's little sister. She smiled as he exclaimed, "Mom! Dad! Shiro is calling!"

"Hey, Asuna." Shiro smiled.

"Hey, Takashi!" She smiled. "Happy Birthday, little brother!"

"You mean older?" He asked as he rose a brow.

"Nope!" She smiled. "You're four and I'm nine, making me the older sibling today!"

Shiro chuckled as he rolled his eyes. "Sure."

"You're just jealous!" Asuna grinned.

"He's in denial." Matt spoke. "Poor little boy wants to be sixteen."

Asuna laughed. "Sorry bud! That's quite a ways away!" She than grabbed something, and held it to the camera. It was a drawing with five people on it, all with black hair. "Look! I made a drawing!" She than pointed to the tallest man. "There's dad." She than pointed to a smaller woman holding his hand. "There's mom." She than pointed to a girl a little bit taller than his mother. "There's Lindsey." She than pointed to a guy taller the the girl she identified as Lindsey. "There's you." Than she pointed to a girl smaller than all of them. "And there's me." It was a drawing of their family.

Shiro smiled. "It's wonderful." But than he remembered. "Did you guys ever find out where Lindsey left to?" Lindsey was Shiro's older sister. She was about twenty now. She had this boyfriend who their parents didn't approve of, but she married him anyways, and moved away without telling her family of where she was going. She just left.

Asuna sighed. "No. She even changed phone numbers. I miss her."

"I do too..." Shiro sighed.

Asuna's eyes lit up as she looked somewhere in the distance. She than scooted over as two other people came into view. One was a larger man that looked a lot like Shiro, but in his forties. It was his father. A woman who looked over petite sat on the other side of Asuna. She had short black hair with hazel eyes. It was his mother.

His father smiled as he said, "How's our little four year old doing?"

Matt laughed. Shiro rolled his eyes as he replied, "I'm fine."

"You know!" Asuna spoke up. "I don't even know why they'd let you live with some other family at such a young age!" She joked.

"That's because we couldn't wait to get him out of the house, so we did it a little early!" His father replied, still joking.

"No!" His mother replied, laughing a bit. "We still love him!"

"But you love me more!" Asuna grinned.

"I'll let you believe that." Shiro laughed.

"So," Shiro's father spoke up. "I heard Matt was going to the Garrisons with you next semester."

"Yup!" Matt smiled. "I scored a 46!"

"Wow!" Shiro's mother smiled. "If I remember correctly, Takashi scored like the bare minimum, and just barely scooted by because some other person didn't enroll for them in the end."

Shiro smiled a nervously. "I still made it in!"

"With a 32!" Asuna added.

"Shh! We don't need to discuss scores! I'm doing better now." Shiro looked down a bit in embarresement.

"Sure you are." Asuna grinned.

"I am!" Shiro spat back.

"Okay! Okay!" Shiro's mother chuckled a bit. "We don't need any arguing. Save for when you see each other face to face."

"We have to end this soon." His father added.

"See you guys later!" Shiro smiled.

"Tell Colleen I said hi!" His mother smiled.

"I will." Shiro replied.

"Bye!" Asuna waved.

"Bye!" Shiro waved back.

***

Look! Not as depressing! (It won't stay this way)

~KanGian