Disclaimer: Sad to say, Saint Seiya is not mine. Otherwise, I would definitely make Miho more important. And Shunrei wouldn't suffer so much.
Notes: I wrote this because I have noticed that a lot of people have taken Niteskye's challenge and written a lot of really well-done, but unconventional, pairings. Now, although these pieces are excellent and interesting, I have also noticed that while few people wrote conventional het pairings before, now there is a sad lack of them. I am a personal fan of SeiyaxMiho, rare though my kind be, and I felt like Miho deserves something quiet, but passionate, to describe her. I also wanted to write more about Shunrei, because I admire her greatly, and I know a lot of people dislike her. If you don't like these pairings (SeiyaxMiho, ShunreixShiryuu, and IkkixEsmeralda), you don't have to read them, but I would love to hear some feedback too. One day this will turn into a collection, but right now this is the only one I have, and it's been waiting for a while. Actually, Miho's birthday was in April, but it doesn't matter that much.
The Bracelet
The warm almost-summery wind blew through Miho's hair. A few of the orphanage girls had convinced her to let them play with it, so she had taken out her usual simple pigtails. Miho sighed and closed her eyes for a moment as she leaned back onto her hands.
It was a lovely April afternoon, and she had convinced the priest to let her take the children out to have a little fun, as it was her birthday. Makoto, Akira, and Tatsuya were eating ice cream cones on the beach, while most of the other boys were playing around in the shallow water, and the girls were braiding her hair. Vaguely, she wondered where Seiya was, and what he was doing right then.
He was probably fighting, as he usually was…even on a lovely day like this, even on her birthday. If there really were birthday wishes, Miho knew exactly what she wanted. She wanted Seiya to be with her, even if for a few hours. She wanted Seiya to be safe, more than anything.
"Miho nee-chan? What's that?" Akira's voice brought her out of her reverie. He was pointing to her wrist. Miho looked down and saw the plastic bracelet she had put on that morning, a little cheap childish thing made of colored beads and elastic string. Just the sight of the piece of silly jewelry made Miho smile.
"It was a gift," she told Akira. Makoto and Tatsuya had wandered over to her by then.
"Who gave it to you? And why haven't you worn it before?" Makoto demanded.
"I have…but only on my birthday. You see, it was a birthday gift, given to me when I was very young." Makoto grinned.
"Was it from Seiya nii-chan?" he continued. Miho blushed.
"Well, yes."
She still remembered that day. Miho was turning six, and Seiya had convinced Miho to sneak out of the orphanage with him. The two had wandered the streets for the whole afternoon, and Seiya, with a little pocket change from his sister, had bought her a plastic bracelet from a street vendor.
Later, when they had returned to the orphanage, the caretaker was waiting for them, and both children were punished for their misdeeds. Seiya was forbidden dinner that night, and Miho had a scolding for following Seiya. The caretaker had seen Miho playing with the bracelet, and had snatched it away and thrown it in the trash, saying it was a useless piece of vanity.
That night after lights out, Miho had, for the first time of her own initiative, disobeyed rules. She had tiptoed to the kitchen, where she purloined a small meal. Next, she found her way to the trash can, out of which she dug out the plastic bracelet again. Finally, she went to Seiya's room and gave him the stolen dinner. Then she hid the bracelet under her mattress.
Not long after that incident, Seiya left for the Graude Foundation. For some reason, the next year, when Seiya was already in Greece, Miho had taken the bracelet out and worn it hidden under her long sleeves, as a memento of her friend. Each year since, the bracelet, which she kept in good condition, had been a symbol of her growth more than the actual day.
The girls were done braiding her hair now, and Tatsuya was dragging her away by the hem of her skirt. Miho smiled, let her fingers drag slowly across the plastic beads once, and followed Tatsuya to wherever he wanted to go.