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The past couple of years, Victor has always spent his birthday only with Wick as a company. That's all he needed, he thought back then. He doesn't seem to quite understand the need for extravagant birthday parties where people would invite strangers to something so personal. However, each person has their own definition of celebration and happiness. So long as he got Wick by his side, he's happy and content.
This year, things are a little different. After he happily received a letter invitation for the very first time, he found himself lingering in this strange manor and playing all these repetitive yet dangerous games. Needless to say, his life is no longer as peaceful as it was before.
Surprisingly, the baron of Oletus manor yet to dismiss any personal events. So far, they've been allowed to celebrate each survivors' birthday and given special items that would benefit them in the games. It's quite jarring considering the fact that you're putting your life at stake in these games. Recently, they've celebrated Miss Woods' birthday. It was quite festive. As it is closing into Christmas, there were decorations all around the manor. It seems to brighten the usually dull place even if just a little. Some of the survivors made the effort to make a feast and it was quite the celebration.
He’s not quite sure if that’s the kind of celebration he wants. He finds it to be a jarring question between the games and these personal celebrations that they have. As if these happy moments are mere rose-tinted glasses to cover the ghastly reality. He accepts that’s the truth of it, but wouldn’t take away whatever happiness that they can experience.
He wonders if his own birthday would be as festive. This would be the first year he celebrates it at this manor. Considering the date of his birthday, it's difficult to forget. Because of that, he’s become quite fond of the snow, always looking forward to greeting the first snowfall every morning he wakes up. When he was younger, he’d see the snowfall every morning as a way for the world to tell him their birthday wishes. A young boy would dream of such, even if the reality is far from that.
These days Victor finds himself wishing for something else.
The soft kiss on his cheeks brings his thoughts back to the present. He feels the warmth of the sunlight on his face. The illuminating light piercing through the sheer curtain of the window. A testament of the passing time since he last looked out the window last night. Aside from that, the warmness radiated from the body behind him, with an arm that wraps around his body that tugs him close.
"You're awake?" The voice asks. Victor hums softly. "Aes," He whines, "Your hair's tickling me."
Now, Aesop hovers over him with a wide grin on his face. He litters Victor's face with soft kisses, now strands of his silver hair continue to tickle his cheeks. Victor laughs and laughs. His laughter muffled between kisses. "Happy birthday," Aesop whispers into Victor's ear. Their eyes meet each other, like stars clashing creating a spark. If it's possible for humans to glow, in Victor's eyes, Aesop would be the brightest.
"You're very touchy this morning. Guess last night wasn't enough, hm?" Victor smiles at him cheekily. A hint of redness rises on Aesop’s once pale complexion. The man above him, a flustered mess, his flustered mess. Victor’s lips find themselves pressing against Aesop’s ears, warm from the blush radiating on his face. Surely now, Aesop has turned into a complete mush of tomato and Victor could do that all day.
“Stop saying it like that.” Aesop stammers before rolling back to his side of the bed. The light reflected by the window now takes over the room. Victor couldn’t help but fixate his eyes on the way it shines on Aesop’s exposed back, tracing the tip of his fingers over it. The other man shifts slightly, ticklish perhaps. To that, the blonde only lets out a soft sigh but with a gentle smile painted across his visage.
Victor’s fingers trail itself up Aesop’s spine, causing him to arch his back slightly before it lands on his hair. He plays with the strands of hair, admiring how they glimmer under the brightness of the sun. Like each of them covered in stardust. “Your hair is very pretty,” Victor mutters the words into his pillow. Not sure if Aesop catches that. But the way his ear heats up yet again, he knows. He’d feel happy to just simply stay in bed like this for the rest of the day. What a gift would that be.
He feels a shift and Aesop now faces him, the tip of his nose touches his while they’re both comfortably snuggled under the blanket. Wick appears, barking his heads off causing the two to laugh. Wick jumps nuzzle himself between the two men before comfortably sitting on the bed. Washing away the worries and woes of their gloomy reality by drowning themselves in each other.
Victor pats the top of Wick’s head gently. “Well, someone’s excited.”
“Have any ideas on how you want to celebrate today? The others are probably preparing something special for you.” Aesop takes his turn to play with Victor’s hair.
The blonde shakes his head. “That’s it, I’m afraid. I’ve never been much of a party person.” To him, what can he expect in a party besides the overly optimistic greetings by others and food? Not to say he doesn’t enjoy them, but being the highlight of the event is different. He feels exhausted just thinking about it.
“Then don’t.”
“Don’t come to the party? Wouldn’t that be rude?” He asks, puzzled.
Aesop quickly shakes their head. “It’s not necessary, really. Although it’d be best to come for a short while, the rest of it, you’re free to spend it however you want.”
However, he wants... “What I want, huh," He pauses, "You?”
Not even a moment, Aesop immediately playfully shoves Victor’s shoulder. He laughs and laughs at the flustered embalmer before him. Wick, fully awake, blinks at him. A blank look but his tail wagging all over the place says otherwise. The two only smile at the sight. This kind of moment, Victor wishes would last for a long time. He's spent so many years by himself with Wick, and now he’s met Aesop. Even in these dreadful circumstances, he’s able to discover the happiness that he’s never experienced before.
Victor wishes that these moments, this feeling would last forever.
“How about we stay in?” Aesop asks in a whisper, leaning in to leave a soft smooch on the corner of Victor’s lip. To that, Victor nods. So they did.