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Linhardt is not a romantic man. He doesn't care about grand gestures, doesn't like going through the trouble of dressing up when they're all much more comfortable in home clothes, or, even better, stark naked. He doesn't like the constraints of making reservations, going out and having to act civilized, pretending they care about making small talk when all he wants is to touch, to kiss, to taste.
But alas, both Cas and Ashe are hopeless romantics and some sacrifices need to be made. Linhardt won't go as far as actually inviting them out, but he did arrange for something a little bit out of the ordinary at home.
Bernadetta helped him with the decoration, bringing completely unreasonable heaps of flowers and candles.
"You realize I'm not proposing, right?"
She turned red as a beet, but insisted nonetheless and now the apartment looks like the unholy offspring of an exotic garden and a religious ceremony. At least she chose things that do not have strong smells.
Then came the menu, which, given Ashe culinary talents, was a real challenge. Looking for gourmet recipes and association of tastes that might surprise everyone, Linhardt fell into quite the rabbit hole of internet tutorials, videos and pictures and might have spent more time than is reasonable surreptitiously trying recipes and cooking ridiculously small portions. The cat may have incidentally gotten fat.
He settled for something subtle and out of the ordinary with salmon with a saffron sauce, black rice and basil ice cream. Linhardt knows better than to try his hand at baking anything, since Ashe is a professional and will be taking home way too many sweets for any of them to eat in one night, so something light and sophisticated fits the bill.
Then came the difficult question of the timing. Sticking to a timetable of any sort is always a challenge for Linhardt, but his inability to respect organization combined with two hectic lifestyles creates absolute chaos.
Caspar is working as a security guard on demand. The pay is shit, the stakes are high and the hours are seemingly chosen at random with a heavy dose of night shifts, yet Caspar seems content. Linhardt would have gotten himself fired the second day for falling asleep out of boredom, but Caspar leaves at any time with a grin on his face, pumping his fist excitedly, and comes back with more energy than anyone should have after standing for hours on end and looking at nothing. He likes it, and it's all that matters. Also the shit pay is half the reason why they had to take a roommate and therefore met Ashe, so Linhardt can't be too mad about it.
Ashe works at a bakery, and gets up at 2 a.m. to go bake all the delicious treats that they will sell all day. He's back around noon, goes straight to the shower and then crashes in bed. Where both Caspar and Linhardt do not have twice the same day, Ashe is more regular than a clock. Predictable, reliable, gentle, he's the one who feeds the cat, fills the water fountain, does the groceries and pays the bills on time. They've never had as little late fees as since he moved in.
Finally, Linhardt is working on his thesis. He's seemingly been doing that for all eternity, and his family can't get enough of chewing his ears off about how useless a scholar is and how he's wasting everyone's resources by doing nothing with the degrees he already has. So Linhardt stopped picking up the phone and responding to texts or coming to family dinners, and one day the checks stopped coming in. Linhardt landed an assistant job. The pay though is not enough to cover the bills, and that is the other half of why Cas and Lin had to decide one day that they needed a roommate if they didn't want to be kicked out for missing the rent payment.
Which, again, turned out much better than any of them had imagined at the time. Ashe is a goddess sent gift.
This evening is actually all about that, about how Linhardt's life would be miserable without Caspar and Ashe in it, how they make it infinitely interesting and fun. Because of them, the apartment is always warm and cozy, and getting home always a relief.
So. Today Caspar is working quite late, but not all night. Bernadetta sneaked in after Ashe went to bed, and Linhardt has everything ready for 10 p.m., the meal cooked and kept warm, the candles lighted, the music softly playing, and wonders now whether Caspar will come home first or if Ashe will get up before that. His money is on Caspar, but then, it's an educated guess, since it's been a long-standing tradition of theirs to celebrate valentine's day and Cas absolutely loves it. Poor Ashe isn't expecting anything.
"I'm home!"
Cas all but slams the door shut behind him. Ashe is not a light sleeper, but that might have shaken his bed. Linhardt tugs on his blazer in a last minute effort to smooth out the wrinkles and gets up from the couch.
"Welcome home."
Caspar looks around with sparkles in his eyes, and whistles appreciatively.
"You've really outdone yourself."
Lin puts his hands in his pockets, following him around the room with his gaze as Cas shakes off his jacket and checks out every single bouquet, bending down to sniff the candles. The little rascal somehow found the time to change into impossibly tight pants, a fitting black button up and a cute blue bow tie. Even his shoes are nice, black leather, finely crafted. The pointy kind.
"The stakes were twice as high this time."
Caspar is done trying to count the flowers and walks up to him in two strides. Linhardt's heart misses a beat. He'll never get used to it. Cas takes him in his arms and -
"Good evening… Wow, what's all that?"
Big, round, innocent green eyes shining in the candle light. Ashe looks adorable, his hair all messy, feet bare, wearing the bunny pajama that Caspar bought for him on Christmas, shirt lopsided on his muscular shoulders. Caspar breaks their embrace to make room for one more person and they both chime up.
"Happy valentine's day!"
Ashe blushes a deep shade of red and Linhardt's heart skips another beat. This can't be good for his health.
"You didn't have to… Oh no, I'm not even dressed!"
Ashe is flushed beet red and it's terribly endearing.
"It doesn't matter what you're wearing!"
Caspar is not terribly convincing, seeing how he is himself uncharacteristically well dressed. Linhardt does not care too much what they both wear, as long as they let him take it off later, but stating so would only fluster Ashe more and he isn't sure that he can handle more. Mayhaps he would burst, and that would not do at all.
"I'll just change real quick."
He dashes to the bathroom. Lin turns back to Cas, but before he can say anything Caspar is kissing him and all thoughts melt away in his brain, scattering in the wake of the heat wave that Caspar's touch is causing. It swells under his skin, a great hunger, and he tugs Cas closer to him, deepening the kiss. Cas giggles.
"You better leave some for later."
"No time like the present."
Caspar gently pushes him away nonetheless, and Lin swallows his disappointment. The fire in his veins refuses to subside, he feels breathless, and the sight of Cas walking away in his stupidly tight pants is not helping.
"Let me make you a drink."
The correct answer to Caspar asking this specific question should always be no. He's known to make the strangest and strongest drinks, to the extent that one wonders how they stay in the liquid state. Yet, Lin sighs, already defeated, and Cas grins as he produces unmarked bottles from a cabinet that shouldn't contain anything but innocent board games.
Ashe comes out, dressed in a stunning silver button up and black slacks with… Are those suspenders? Linhardt represses the sudden need to tug on them to trick Ashe into a kiss, and files the idea for later. Caspar whistles appreciatively and Ashe flushes again. Goddess bless his pale complexion.
"Let's make a toast!"
Caspar shoves a glass in Ashe's hands, and lifts his own with a dangerous enthusiasm.
"To us!"
"To us", they repeat, smiles bright in the candle light.
They drink. They talk, they laugh, and maybe they kiss a little, but Caspar's stomach grumbles and Lin reveals the meal, looking proudly at the perfectly grilled salmon. Ashe helps him put everything together nicely, making perfectly round servings of the ice cream and nice little mounds with the rice, garnishing with fresh herbs for color. They eat. Ashe goes to unearth the treasure of desserts he stashed away from curious sights and they both pretend to be surprised that he would get them cakes. Linhardt smiles fondly as he sees that Ashe got them their favorite, and Caspar's eyes shine with sugar greed.
They laugh more. Abandon plates and dishes where they are, and crowd the minuscule balcony for a breath of fresh air that quickly turns into kisses, with hands sliding under button ups, wrinkling shirts, and soft moans.
Lin feels himself dissolve under the soft kisses on his neck, his fingers expertly undoing buttons on their way down, caressing smooth, warm skin. All the thoughts and worries drain away in the night, leaving him full to the brim with happiness.