Starbuck was relaxing on his bunk in the Bachelor Officers' Quarters when
Apollo arrived.

"Aren't you coming to the party?" the Captain asked.

"What party?" Starbuck asked, feigning ignorance.

"Boomer's novayahren day party. Don't tell me you forgot. I know you. You
don't forget parties." 

Starbuck sighed. "It's not parties in general, it's novayahren day parties
I try to forget. Anyway, don't Leonids call them something else?" he
asked, trying to change the subject. 

"Yeah, they call them birthdays. What do you have against novayahren -
birthday parties?" 

The lieutenant shrugged. "I don't have one."

"Don't have one what? A novayahren day?"

"Yep. Remember, no parents, no birth certificate, no novayahren day." 

"But you always had one when we were growing up."

"No, I had yours. Your parents gave us both a party on the same day."
Starbuck had lived with Apollo's family for much of his childhood, the
part that he hadn't spent in an orphanage. Adama and Ila had tried to
adopt him, but because no one had been able to find Starbuck's father to
get his permission, they had been unsuccessful. 

"You never objected," Apollo pointed out.

"I was a kid, Apollo. What kid is going to object to a novayahren day
party?  But I'm not a kid anymore, and I don't like novayahren day
parties, or birthdays or whatever you call them."

"What should I tell Boomer?" 

Starbuck shrugged. "I don't care. Tell him I'm otherwise engaged. Tell him
the truth, even." 

"You're sure?" Apollo tried not to look disappointed. He didn't like going
to parties without Starbuck. His friend was the life of any party, and
Apollo loved to watch him in his element. Though it was sometimes hard to
see him flirting with any available woman that caught his eye.

"I'm sure, Apollo. Go. Have a good time."

"All right." Apollo left for the party, feeling slightly depressed. 

A few centons later Bojay came through the BOQ. "Hey, Starbuck, aren't you
going to Boomer's party?" 

"Are you going?" Starbuck asked.

"Yeah, Boomer invited some of us from the Pegasus, said he wants to make
us feel welcome. Me, Sheba, a few others." 

Sheba. Sheba was going to be at the party. At the party with Apollo.
"Yeah, I'm going. Just have to get changed. Wait for me a centon, would
you?" 

Starbuck went to his locker and removed some of his civilian clothes. He
wanted to make an impression, and that was hard to do in combat dress. 

Bojay gave a whistle when he saw how Starbuck was dressed. "Who are *you*
trying to impress?" 

"Who says I'm trying to impress someone?" Starbuck asked innocently.

"It wouldn't happen to be a certain Strike Captain, would it?"

"Whatever gave you that idea?"

"The way you look at him, the way you talk about him, the way you're
always with him ..." 

"Bojay."

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

"You've got it bad, my friend," Bojay teased.

"What did I just say, Lieutenant?"

Bojay shut up, but he couldn't hide the smile on his face.

When Apollo saw Starbuck walk into the party, his heart leaped. Starbuck
was wearing civilian clothes, something he hardly ever did. And he looked
good. He supposed the women present would think so too. He smiled and
waved in Starbuck's direction. 

Starbuck saw the smile Apollo gave him, and felt a thrill run through him.
Apollo might just be happy to see his best friend, or it might mean
something more. He could only hope. Or maybe "dream" was a better word. 

"I thought you weren't coming," Apollo said when Starbuck had his tankard
of ale and had joined him. 

The Lieutenant shrugged. "Didn't I tell you that I can't stand to see you
going anywhere without me?" 

Starbuck had said those same words to him after saving his life. They'd
been planting charges on the ship's hull and Apollo's handhold had come
loose, causing Apollo to fly off into space. Starbuck had launched himself
off the hull and caught him. It wasn't the first time Starbuck had saved
his life at the risk of his own. Usually he disobeyed orders to do it,
too. When Apollo had thanked him, Starbuck had brushed it off, saying, "I
just can't stand to see you go anywhere without me." 

Just then a small shape came barreling through the room and attached
itself to Starbuck's legs. "Hi, Starbuck!" Boxey greeted him. 

Starbuck bent and lifted the child to his shoulder. "What are you doing
here, kiddo?" he asked.

"I'm babysitting tonight," Cassiopia said as she joined them. "Boxey
wanted to come to the party, so I asked Boomer if it was all right, and he
said it was. I hope you don't mind, Apollo." 

The Captain laughed. "Not at all, as long as he doesn't stay up too far
past his bedtime." 

Boxey studied Starbuck's unfamiliar clothes. "Starbuck, you look funny,"
he announced. 

"Boxey!" Apollo and Cassie exclaimed at the same time.

"Funny how?" Starbuck asked in amusement.

"You're not wearing a uniform."

"I'm not on duty," Starbuck replied.

Cassiopia looked him up and down. "You look good in those clothes,
Starbuck," she said approvingly. 

Starbuck looked slightly embarrassed as he thanked her. 

Apollo wished he'd said the words, not Cassie. He couldn't say them now.
He didn't want to stick around and watch Starbuck and Cassiopia flirting,
so he left them, went to the middle of the room, and tapped his glass to
get everyone's attention. 

"Attention, everyone. I have a special presentation to make," he
announced. "Some of you may remember that Lieutenant Boomer was supposed
to receive an award several sectares ago, and due to circumstances beyond
our control" - the fact that the Cylons had attacked them on Carillon -
"the award was never presented. As Boomer's squadron leader, it is my
honour to present him with the Golden Cluster." 

Boomer looked very surprised as he accepted the award from Apollo. "Happy
novayahren, er, happy birthday, Boomer," Apollo told him as he pinned the
medal to his jacket. 

"Captain," Boomer said as he took the medal, "I seem to recall that *you*
were supposed to receive the Golden Cluster too." 

Apollo shrugged. "It's my duty to make certain my squadron receive the
credit they're due. I don't need a Golden Cluster. Besides, I can't
present one to myself." 

Starbuck remembered the night on Carillon when he, Boomer and Apollo had
been supposed to receive their Golden Clusters. Apollo had been very hurt
that his father had not attended the ceremony, the one later aborted due
to a Cylon attack. Adama had suspected what was really happening on
Carillon, but hadn't shared the information with Apollo, causing his son a
lot of pain - pain that Starbuck thought could have been avoided if Adama
had just told the truth.

Starbuck would never forget what they'd found on that planet: the Ovions
had an underground chamber where they killed humans for food. He'd barely
rescued Cassie from them in time. He hoped she wasn't thinking of her
experience on Carillon right now. He glanced at her and saw that she was
busy chatting with one of the newly-commissioned female Warriors. She
appeared to be fine. Thinking of female Warriors made him wonder where
Sheba was. He looked around and spotted her across the room with Bojay.
Good. For now, at least, she wasn't anywhere near Apollo. 

Later that evening, when most of the guests had left and it was mainly
Blue Squadron's warriors that were still hanging around, Starbuck
congratulated Boomer on his award. 

"I seem to recall that you're entitled to one too, Bucko," Boomer replied.
"When's your birthday? Maybe Apollo will give you yours then." 

"I don't have one," Starbuck admitted.

"You don't have a birthday? Oh, wait, you Capricans call them novayahrens,
don't you? Okay, when's your novayahren day?" 

"I don't have one," Starbuck repeated.

"How can you not have a date of birth?" Boomer wanted to know.

"I don't have a birth certificate. When my parents died I was
hauled off to the orphanage, but they didn't bother to look through the
house for any papers or anything." 

"How did you get into the Academy without a birth certificate?"

Starbuck smiled. "That was the Commander's doing. He registered me and
Apollo at the same time. No one was going to argue with him." 

"Speaking of our Commander and his family, where's Apollo got to, anyway?"
Boomer asked. 

They looked around until they spotted Apollo with Sheba. The look on
Starbuck's face when he saw Apollo and Sheba together was a dead giveaway
to Boomer. 

"Starbuck, when are you going to tell that man how you feel about him?" 

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Boomer."

"Pull the other one, Bucko. Anyone can see that you love him - anyone but
him, apparently. How does someone as blind as he is manage to fly a Viper,
anyway?" 

"Well of course I love him," Starbuck answered. "We were raised together.
We're practically brothers." 

"It's obvious to me that the way you feel about him is far from brotherly,
Starbuck." 

Starbuck sighed. "You're right, of course. But I don't know how he feels
about me. When I was captured by the Cylons, he seemed so happy to see me
- he hugged me and told me he'd thought I was dead. Then he started giving
me orders! Talk about mixed messages." 

"I'm afraid our Captain isn't very good at showing his feelings. I'm
surprised he ever got around to asking Serina to marry him in the first
place. Sorry, Starbuck," Boomer added, realizing Starbuck might not want
to talk about Apollo's late wife. 

"I'm not worried about Serina. Back when they were married I was still
trying to decide between Athena and Cassiopia." 

Apollo joined them then, effectively cutting off their conversation. "Were
you talking about me?" he asked. 

"Of course not," Starbuck told him.

"You stopped talking just now," Apollo noted.

"We were just planning your novayahren day party, Captain," Boomer
replied. "It would have been a surprise, but ..." 

"All right, I get it," Apollo laughed. He checked the time. "Well, it's
time I was going - you too, Starbuck. We have patrol tomorrow morning." 

Starbuck groaned slightly. "You're the one that makes the schedule,
Captain, and I think that you have a mean streak." 

Apollo just laughed again. As the two men started to go their separate
ways, Apollo suddenly said, "Listen, Starbuck .... your clothes, they, um,
they look good." 

"Why thank you, Apollo," Starbuck answered with surprise. "Maybe you
should wear civilian clothes more often." Apollo dressed in civilian
clothes even less often than Starbuck did, and Starbuck liked seeing him
in civvies. 

Apollo didn't answer as he headed to his quarters.

A few sectons later, Starbuck was in the Commander's office.

"What did you want to see me about, Starbuck?" Adama asked as he poured
the Lieutenant a cup of tea. 

"You know, of course, that Apollo's novayahren day is coming up soon,"
Starbuck began. 

"Yes, why, did you have something in mind for it? It's your day too, you
know." 

Starbuck ignored the last part. "Well, do you remember just after the
Destruction when we were on Carillon and the Council was trying to get you
to agree to disarmament?" 

Adama nodded.

"They were going to give us medals, me, Boomer, and Apollo. The Golden
Cluster. And because you had an idea that something was going on, you
chose not to attend the ceremony. I know you didn't have a choice,"
Starbuck added before Adama could interrupt, "but it did hurt Apollo." 

"That is something I will always regret," the Commander said sadly.

"Well, anyway, because of what happened with the Cylons and the Ovions,
those medals were never presented. Apollo gave Boomer his during Boomer's
novayahren day party. That gave me an idea. I think you should present
Apollo with his Golden Cluster on his novayahren day. You know he deserves
it ten times over." 

Adama smiled. "That's an excellent idea, Starbuck. But what about you?" 

"What about me?"

"It's your novayahren day, too, and you didn't get your medal, either." 

"It's not my novayahren day, it's Apollo's. I don't want to take any
attention away from him. It should be his day." 

"But you deserve the Golden Cluster, Starbuck."

Starbuck shrugged. "I'm sure I'll get it one of these days, when Apollo
feels like giving it to me." 

"You are coming to the party, I hope. I'm certain your squadron will have
something planned, but this is just for family." 

Starbuck wanted to say he didn't do novayahren day parties, but he
couldn't exactly say no to the Commander. "Yes, I'll be there. Where and
when?" 

So the plans for Apollo's novayahren day party were finalized, and
Starbuck left. 

And not long after he left, Apollo arrived at his father's office. He came
straight to the point. 

"I think you should give Starbuck the Golden Cluster at our novayahren day
party." 

Adama had to smile. Starbuck and Apollo had many differences, but
sometimes they thought on exactly the same track. 

"The thought had occurred to me, Apollo, but I think it would mean more if
the award came from you." 

"But you're the Commander, and the closest thing Starbuck has to a father
figure," Apollo objected. 

"And you are his squadron leader and his best friend. It's obvious that he
cares a great deal for you." 

"I care a lot about him, too."

"Then give him the Cluster, Apollo. As I said, I think it would mean a lot
to him." 

The night of the party arrived, and Starbuck, Apollo and Boxey met in the
shuttle bay. Adama had reserved a private dining room on the Rising Star
for the family. Both warriors wore their dress uniforms. It had been
Apollo's idea. While he would have much rather seen Starbuck in civilian
dress again, he thought that dress uniforms were appropriate for Starbuck
to receive, and for him to present, the Golden Cluster. He'd had to invent
a reason for the uniforms; he'd finally just told Starbuck that his father
had requested it. Even Boxey wore a child-sized version of a Colonial
Warrior's uniform.

"Happy novayahren day, Apollo," Starbuck said by way of greeting.

Apollo smiled slightly nervously. "And happy novayahren to you too," he
answered. 

"It's not my novayahren day," Starbuck corrected him.

"It could be. After all, if you don't know when it is, it could be today." 

"I suppose," Starbuck acquiesed.

Apollo nervously sipped his ambrosa all through dinner. He wondered if
getting drunk would make it easier or harder to give Starbuck his Cluster.
He decided that he might embarrass his father and Athena if he got drunk,
so he continued to sip his ambrosa instead of just draining the glass in
one gulp the way he was tempted to. 

Starbuck bantered cheerfully with Athena. Apollo was never quite certain
what Starbuck's relationship with his sister was. They'd been engaged to
be Sealed at one time, and Athena had broken it off after the Destruction
and their brother Zac's death. Then she'd seemed to reconsider, and had
tried to resume the relationship, but Starbuck had already begun courting
Cassiopia. 

As dinner was finished and dessert was served, Apollo began to plan how he
would make the presentation of Starbuck's Cluster. While most people would
think that Starbuck enjoyed attention, Apollo knew that his friend was
actually very self-conscious and would probably be uncomfortable with
everyone's attention focused on him. But he deserved the award,and Apollo
wanted to give it to him. 

Just then Adama rose. He didn't need to tap his glass or do anything to
command their attention; it was automatic. "My family," he began. "As your
Commander, I am given the privilege of presenting our best Warriors with
awards they earn for their service to the Colonial fleet. I have such a
presentation to make tonight." 

Apollo was surprised and confused. His father had told *him* to make the
presentation to Starbuck, so what was Adama doing? 

"I am especially privileged tonight because not only is the Warrior
receiving this medal one of our best pilots, he is also my son. I am
honoured to present you, Apollo, with the Golden Cluster." 

Stunned, Apollo rose to the sound of applause coming from Starbuck, Athena
and Boxey.

Adama pinned the medal to Apollo's cloak. "Congratulations, son," he said
as he embraced Apollo. 

"Th-thank you," Apollo stammered, trying to keep his tears in check. He
hadn't expected this. He'd known, of course, why Adama hadn't attended the
ceremony on Carillon, but it had still hurt. This, however, made up for
it. 

"Now, Apollo," Adama continued, "I believe you have a presentation of your
own to make. Lieutenant Starbuck, would you come here, please?" 

Starbuck rose from the table and went over to Apollo and Adama. The
Commander shook his hand and said, as he had to Apollo, "Congratulations,
son," before returning to his seat. Apollo nervously fastened the medal on
Starbuck's uniform. He'd planned what he was going to say when he did
this, but his words left him. He finally settled for simply hugging
Starbuck. 

When the two men separated, Apollo kept Starbuck at arm's length for a
moment. There were tears in the eyes of both of them. Starbuck swallowed
hard. Finally, he said, "Don't you know it's against regulations to hug a
junior officer?" 

"What if I mean it?" Apollo whispered. Then, before his common sense could
take over and stop him, he bent his head and kissed Starbuck. 

Time seemed to stand still. Neither of them cared who saw them kiss. They
didn't see Adama beaming proudly at both of them. They didn't see Athena
smile and shake her head in resignation. They didn't hear Boxey say to
Muffit, "Eww, they're being mushy!" 

At one time Adama had been sorry that he and Ila had been unable to adopt
Starbuck. Then, when he became aware of the two mens' feelings for each
other, he was glad that the adoption hadn't taken place. At one time it
had seemed that Starbuck would marry Athena rather than Apollo, but that
engagement had been broken off, and now, finally, things were as they
should be. 

Athena watched her one-time fiance kissing her brother. She had suspected
something like this for a long time. She'd always known that Starbuck's
heart lay somewhere other than with her.  She'd done her best to win him,
but had never entirely succeeded. She could see that he was where he
belonged. 

Finally, Apollo and Starbuck came up for air. They looked into each
others' eyes and smiled. Apollo spoke first. 

"I love you," he said softly. 

"I love you too," Starbuck replied.

They kissed again, until Athena finally cleared her throat loudly. "AHEM!"
When the two warriors looked up, she said, "Look, guys, I don't really
care what you do, but the waiter is going to be here any centon to clear
the dishes away." She laughed at the expressions on their faces. "Look,
I'll take Boxey tonight, and you two can be alone. That okay with you,
Boxey?" 

"Are they going to be mushy again?" Boxey asked.

"I'm afraid they're going to be mushy for a long time, Boxey," his aunt
told him. 

"Then I'll stay with you."

Apollo and Starbuck went to Apollo's quarters. As they undressed, Starbuck
said, "Happy novayahren day, Apollo."

"Happy novayahren day to you too," Apollo replied.

Starbuck was about to protest that it was not his novayahren day, but
stopped. Instead, he said, "I think I just got the best novayahren present
anyone could ask for." 

As Apollo lowered him to the bed, he said, "So did I."

END