Work Text:
“Happy Birthday!”
Bright, amber eyes and an even brighter smile greeted him when he opened the door. Clad in a thick, white winter jacket and a pastel blue scarf with a matching toque, Lumine stood at the entryway of his apartment, her arms laden with bags.
Stunned, Scaramouche opened the door wider and backed up to let his girlfriend in. His hands automatically reached for the bags, Lumine pressing a thankful kiss to his cheek when he freed her from them, allowing her to take off and hang up her winter gear while he headed for his tiny kitchen.
“What are you doing here?” Scaramouche asked as he placed the bags onto the table. He began to sort through them as Lumine slipped on the house slippers he kept for her and followed him into the kitchen.
“It’s your birthday,” Lumine said as if that was enough to explain everything, her arms winding around Scaramouche’s waist. Pressing her face against his back, her next words were muffled enough that Scaramouche had to turn slightly to understand them. “I couldn’t just let you celebrate it by yourself.”
Scaramouche clicked his tongue and pulled himself from Lumine’s grip enough to be able to turn around and encase her in his arms. She gladly let herself be cradled into his embrace and buried her nose into the crook of his neck, releasing a satisfied noise when he ran a soothing hand up and down her back. “I thought you had work the entire day?”
“Mn,”
He raised his brow. “Aren’t you tired?”
“Mhm,” Lumine grunted, leaning into him more and taking a deep breath in, flooding her nose with his scent. Smiling, she pressed a kiss to his jaw. “Really tired.”
“And yet instead of resting you went out and bought—“ his eyes scanned the bags she had brought, a frown appearing on his lips “—takeout from our favourite restaurant, which is across the city, and a cake?”
“Yes,”
“How unnecessary,”
“You love it,”
“Shut up,”
“I love you too,” Lumine pulled away slightly and smiled at him, eyes brimming with happiness.
In response, Scaramouche pinched her cheek gently, making her to pout. Leaning forward, he whispered, “Thank you.”
His hand slid down to her chin and he tugged her towards him to close the last few centimeters between their lips. Closing his eyes, he leaned back into the table, allowing Lumine to fall onto him slightly. One of her hands had landed on his chest, while the other was placed on the table behind him to keep her weight off of him. If he was to be honest, however, he wouldn’t complain if she decided to pin him with her whole body. He wouldn’t complain about a lot of things as long as it was her.
His own fingers had fallen to her waist where they were played with the hem of her shirt as they kissed.
When she pressed forward and slipped her tongue into his mouth, a breathy moan coming out of her when his own tongue greeted hers, Scaramouche’s hands slipped under her shirt to caress her skin gently.
“Haa,” Lumine pulled away and pressed her forehead against his, breathing heavily. Her eyes were dark and half-lidded, and her lips and cheeks were painted a beautiful rosy colour. Gorgeous. “I needed that to recharge.”
Scaramouche smirked and placed another kiss on her lips, growing amused when her lips tried to chase his as he pulled back. “That’s enough for now. The food’s going to get cold.”
“Oh, shoot!” Lumine stepped back and started for his cupboards in search of some bowls and utensils. He watched her, a small smile playing on his lips at how domestic everything was. It only cemented the decision he had made a while ago. “I almost forgot.”
Scaramouche grabbed the small cake box and peered inside to find a matcha cake big enough for the two of them to share. “Matcha?”
“Roasted matcha, yeah. It’s more bitter than sweet — I figured you’d like that more,” Lumine explained. “Oh! Here they are.” She grabbed a couple of bowls and two pairs of chopsticks, then nudged the cupboard close with her hip.
“The matcha sounds good, thank you.”
Scaramouche grabbed the take-out bag and the cake box, and followed Lumine to the living room. He helped her unpack the food and set the table for their meal. Once done, the two of them seated themselves on the couch and began to serve themselves food.
“I still can’t believe you’d drive all the way to Xiangling’s to pick this up when it’s across the city from your workplace,” Scaramouche shook his head in disbelief.
Lumine shrugged.
“It’s your birthday — I wanted to get something you would like,” Lumine sent him a sheepish smile, “I know you’re just concerned about me, but let me spoil you please.”
Scaramouche sighed and flicked her forehead lightly. “Fine, but just for today. Next time, just come home straight away and we can just order in.”
His girlfriend pouted and rubbed the spot he’d flicked. Rolling his eyes, he grabbed her by the chin once more and pressed a kiss to the spot he’d wounded, his heart fluttering just a bit when she beamed at him in return. Then, her brows furrowed in confusion. “Wait, home? We?”
“Ah,” Scaramouche suddenly felt shy. Scratching his cheek, he glanced to the side to avoid her imploring gaze. “I wasn’t gonna ask you till later but you’re here anyway and it’s more convenient to ask now.” His hand dropped as he turned to meet her gaze, his cheeks flushing slightly. “It’s more convenient for the two of us if we lived together in one apartment. Since, y’know, we visit each other a lot anyway and sleep over at each other’s places.”
Lumine nodded. “That’s true. You make a fair point.”
“So, I’m wondering if you’d be willing to find a place together? For the two of us? Not this place — it’s far too small for you, Paimon, and I, but maybe somewhere in Sumeru City would be good—“
Cool hands clasped around his own, halting his fidgeting. His girlfriend’s intense amber gaze met his and softened into a fond look while her pink lips curved upwards. Lumine’s fingers gently intertwined with his as she spoke, “I’d love that. It’d be nice to come home to you rather than to an empty home. Besides,” she glanced around his apartment and smirked, “I think it’s high time we both find a new place to live. I’m sure our neighbours would be glad they won’t have to hear from us late at night anymore.”
It was his turn to smirk. “And during the day. And really at all hours of the day. I’m certain each and every one of our neighbours know our names by now.”
Lumine flushed a dark red. “Shut up.” She tried to pull away, but Scaramouche tightened his grip on her hand and tugged her forward while he himself fell back onto the cushions.
“What do you say?” He whispered, a brow raising in question. “Wanna christen this place one last time before we leave?”
She swallowed hard, amber eyes flickering to his lips briefly before returning to meet his, now, burning gaze. “We should eat our food first before it gets cold,” Lumine argued weakly. Still, it was evident to him that she was only saying that to try and be the voice of reason between them.
Too bad Scaramouche rarely listened to reason.
“Lumine,” Scaramouche shook his head in amusement. Drawing her closer, he murmured against her lips. “Microwaves exist for a reason. So? Would you grant this birthday boy his wish today?”
“Okay,” Lumine breathed out.
That was all Scaramouche needed to press their lips together, greedily taking anything and everything she was willing to offer.
He’d never been able to think of his birthday as anything worth celebrating. If anything, he hated celebrating the day he’d been born because it always reminded him of his painful past. Scaramouche doubted he’ll ever celebrate his birthday the way his friends celebrated theirs, but he knew that, soon, he would at least have Lumine’s face to look forward to in the morning, birthdays or not.