If they had waited for Shinji to think he deserved nice, normal things like birthday parties and presents, Kyoko and Kaito would have grown old. Who knew how long the three of them had together, dreams of making a new life in a calmer world aside? Shinji was just going to have to start getting some healthy doses of exposure therapy to getting spoiled. Birthdays were as good a place to start as any, right?

And for now, that timid acquiescence was just fine. Beaming warmly at him, Kyoko decided to go in for the kill. "Mm! Happy birthday, Shinji."