Ariel - Sirius The Jaeger - 1215 Fanfiction

Episode 12

In three days, I managed to convince Willard to clean the table and floors of all his notes so we could actually move around, and got Fallon to take me to the closest city to buy ingredients for a cake. Dorothea wrote a list of what to buy, and Fallon was only there as an escort, which luckily, he thoroughly enjoyed. We debated cake flavors in between him telling me what everything in the city was, and his connections to it, almost like he'd rehearsed it.
When we returned, Philip was already out with Willard doing some scouting, and we took the time to make the cake. His birthday was today and he still hadn't gotten a chance to talk to me properly yet, so I knew he'd be antsy to return. With the little supplies and power we had in the old house, Dorothea and I managed to make the best looking cake we'd seen in years.

"You think he'll like it?" I asked, trying to ice it without making it look even worse.
"I'm sure he will, even if it doesn't look like it." Dorothea rested a hand on my shoulder, a beautiful smile on her face, "I've never seen you so invested in something other than fighting."
"That's because I'm so excited myself." I shrugged, ignoring the voice in the back of my head that said the only reason I was working so hard is because this is always what I'd wanted for myself.
We'd celebrated our birthday's like this before, once, but that was when I was new to the group and I still felt odd and out of place, and when I didn't look at Philip like he was the most beautiful thing to ever walk the earth.
Back then, all the crows told me my luck would be bad.
"LOOK WHAT I GOT!"
"Stop yelling, jeez. And hold that thing away from me!"
Dorothea and I shared a quick glance and she quickly threw her hands up in the air, telling me silently that this was a good a time as any to shout "Happy Birthday" even though we weren't entirely ready. We didn't even see them coming.
"What's this? It smells good in here." Willard commented, shoving his way past Fallon and Philip, who still hadn't looked this way.
Fallon was now teasing Philip with the dead rabbit in his grip, most likely our dinner. I smiled lightly, things were so different but still somehow the same. It made me feel like I had all the time in the world to celebrate even just this moment.
"Philip!" I called out, to which he immediately looked my way, "Happy birthday, love!"
His eyes widened at the cake and Dorothea and Fallon yelled together,
"Happy sixteenth shorty!"
"Don't call me short!"

As the sun began it's decent for the night, Fallon quickly started a large fire just outside the small house and we began our feast. He had skinned the rabbit earlier, something I luckily was saved from accidentally witnessing by the Professor, and now Fallon was focused on his work while Dorothea and I mockingly sang happy birthday to the flustered blonde.
When the rabbit was finally ready, we ate happily as Fallon told us old Irish folklore tales. When he was finished with a few of his and the laughter died down, Dorothea began to share her own. Just like when Yuliy was here with us, we were wrapped up in a peaceful aura where we could finally relax.
Eventually we had finished eating, and Fallon whipped out a violin, "Found this earlier on the street!" He cheered, handing it to a now very happy Philip, "You haven't played in a while now. Happy birthday, blondie!"
"Thanks, I guess." Philip scoffed in reply, but his smile never fell.
"You didn't steal that did you?" Dorothea deadpanned.
"Don't ruin the moment!"
I rolled my eyes, Philip quickly tuned the instrument before resting it on his shoulder, and with one deep breath and a roll of his shoulders, he pressed the bow to the string.
From the majority of the times I could remember, Philip played peaceful music with a hint of sorrow. It was always that way, a reflection of the lives we lived and the lives we live now. But today, just in this moment with this random violin, he played a beautiful tune that he'd never played before. A tone of freedom, I suppose.
Dorothea was the first to get up, grabbing my hand and pulling me to the side. Philip knew exactly what she was doing and upped the tempo of the music, watching as we laughed together with the night creeping up on us on the horizon. I spun and moved my arms as Dorothea did. Our hips led our movements and my eyes closed as we fell into rhythm.
This wasn't just Philip's birthday, it was a celebration for another day that we could all be together, alive and well.

-

"Here." I whispered, the night had over come the sky and the moon was more than enough light for us. Fallon snored in the background and Dorothea's breathing was close to silent - the only one still working was Willard.
"It's made in Japan." I exclaimed as I held it in between my two fingers. With steady hands, Philip took it and slipped it on his middle finger.
"Really? It fits perfectly."
"Do you like it?"
"I love it, Ariel." He whispered with a smile and glimmer in his eyes, "Thank you."
"Is there anything you wish for?"
"I don't know... other than to stay together, all of us."
And to be taller, though I'm sure he'd never say that.
"I'll wish for that too, then. Good night, Philip."
"Good night, my love."

The next morning, Fallon and Philip worked quickly to pack up so we could depart once again, and Willard went over the final bits of our travels and destination timings as he ate away at the breakfast I helped Dorothea make. Emphasis on the help, though, I could only cook so many things, and most of that would be rice and egg and fish, and Dorothea was on such a higher level that she barley even let me touch anything. Either way, it was a delicious meal and I quickly made two plates to take out to the two still out front.
"Hey, you guys! Breakfast!"
"Thanks a lot, Ariel!" Fallon yelled, throwing whatever he had in his hand aside and walking up to me to take his share.
Philip still seemed to be struggling with one of the cases, so I slowly walked up to him and looked over his shoulder slightly, "Philip, take a minute to eat."
"Yeah, sure." He huffed, slowly standing up and turning around to face me. My eyes widened when my head tilted up to him.
"Whoa..." He blurted, frozen in place as he realized it too.
"I-You-!" I sputtered, my cheeks turning pink, "You were still- I swear I still had at least two inches on you yesterday!"
"Did ya' have trouble sleepin', lad?" Fallon asked, his mouth still full.
"Actually yeah, my legs hurt a lot." Philip shrugged.
"That's you growin' up big!" Fallon laughed, slapping Philip on the back of the shoulder and making him choke.
"My wish came true..." He whispered, and I quickly ruffled his hair, making him cry out in a girly effort to save his 'good looks'.
"Now eat." I handed him his plate, taking a deep breath and forcing myself to get over this occurrence, "A growing man shouldn't be hungry."

And none of us knew, Yuliy watched not so far away as we laughed together. He didn't use the arc very often, or for anything extreme, but he'd never really been there for any of Philip's birthday's before. He figured he'd give him the gift he wants most.