You had about 20 seconds before Aaron walked through the door, into the surprise party you'd planned for him. The scary thing was, he hated surprises. But you knew that if you simply asked him, he'd probably make you promise not to; no matter how much he loved you.

But the Reestablishment had been defeated, and so had his father, and Aaron had still never celebrated a birthday. You found that unacceptable and heartbreaking. You just wanted him to know what it was like to celebrate one and have a happy birthday memory for once.

Everyone was crouched behind furniture and in rooms, happy to go along with you for the sake of Aaron, even if many had complicated feelings towards him. The door creaked open, and the moment it shut, everyone; including you, sprung out of their places.

"Surprise!" everyone collectively shouted, and Aaron froze, his expression unreadable as he looked out at everyone, eventually his eyes landing on you.