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“What do you want to do for your birthday?”
The question stops Bela mid sentence, her pen coming to a halt as she looks up at you with narrowed blues eyes.
“What do you mean?”
Now it's your turn to narrow your eyes at her. “What do you mean, what do I mean?” You say a bit incredulously. “Your birthday is in a week. Do you want to do something special for it?”
Bela contemplates this, suspicions lowering. Despite having her heart back for a few weeks, some habits died hard. She needed more time to learn to trust people not to hurt her, and that even included you. She had spent so much time suspecting you and your motives on the council until you'd proven yourself to her.
She shrugs at the end, an all too casual move you're getting used to. Your image of Bela has always been this uptight, stalwart person. But now there's a fluidity in her motions- they're relaxed, not as tense. She's no longer shouldering an invisible burden alone.
“I don't know. I've never exactly celebrated my birthday with anyone. I also consider it just another day.”
Your jaw drops open in shock at this.
“That's unacceptable.”
Now her face widens in shock.
“Your birthday is a special day. You had to have celebrated it at some point. Or have something you want to do on it.”
She taps the pen end to her lips. She's recently taken to absentmindedly chewing on the ends of them and you can't explain why, but it does things to you to see her pouty lips wrapped around the end of one. Ah, maybe you're just falling in love the more she melts her hard exterior around you and shows off her 'less than perfect' quirks. Quirks to her, but perfections to you.
“Mother was always busy and she and Cassandra were off abroad. The staff would usually just make me or Daniela a cake and then we'd open up some gifts we got...and that was it. Mother would sometimes drop by for a birthday party but by the time I was 14 I stopped caring. I would only make an effort to celebrate Daniela's, and she'd try to surprise me for mine- but she hasn't been able to do that for a few years due to the whole student council debacle.” She contemplates some more. “It would be nice to celebrate it with her and Cassandra for a change now that we're all together in the same place.”
“Then that's what we'll do!” You smile at her. “I'll throw a little party together for you. Dani will be there, and Cassandra, and we'll have your favorite food and drinks!”
“Really, you don't have to-” she starts but you cut her off.
“What do you want as a gift? I'm no Dimitrescu millionaire, but I do have about 50 bucks in savings.”
A small smile worms its way onto Bela's face. “You're more than enough.”
You spend the rest of the week organizing this for Bela, avoiding all her efforts to snoop into the matter. She wants to help you plan it since making events is kinda her thing, but you don't want her to worry about it. Once you catch her trying to grill Daniela about it, and Daniela has the resistance of a chocolate eclair when it comes to withholding anything from her oldest sister. You have to yank Bela by the back of her choker and distract her with enough kisses to make her stop asking for a while.
Daniela is more than happy to help you. “Anything you want, I'll help you buy it,” she says, opening up her wallet for you and handing you a black card.
“Party time!” Angie whoops when she hears of your plans. “You leave the drinks and food to me. Daniela can do decorations.”
Cassandra naturally becomes involved when she catches wind of the surprise party.
“You're planning without me?” she dramatically tosses an arm over her head and you roll your eyes at her. “I'll invite some people. And pick the music. I don't trust Angie with that. Last time she DJ'd at a party she made three people puke profusely.”
“Are you sure that wasn't because of all the alcohol they drank?” you ask dryly but Cassandra is waving you off and moving onto the next topic. “Now, in terms of gifts...” here she winks. “If Bela doesn't want anything but you, I have a great idea of what you could do.”
A part of you knows you are going to regret listening to her on this, but another part of you wants to badly impress Bela.
“What do you have in mind?”
Cassandra smiles deviously.
The end of the week arrives and you're feeling nervous, but you stay put, having faith in your friends. After sending Bela a 'come over' text, she arrives at the dorm within 20 minutes.
“Happy birthday sis!” Daniela cries out as she yanks the door open, releasing a party popper right in her face.
“That almost took out my eye- what the fuck Da-” Bela is cut off as Daniela launches herself at her sister, hugging her tightly.
She drags Bela in and that's when everyone jumps out of their hiding spot behind the furniture. They yell out 'surprise' and Bela blinks in surprise at the number of people here for her.
There's Jasmin, Nicoleta, Stanley, Ariana....members of the council, the acting groups, and some people you're not even sure go to college- all here courtesy of Cassandra's invite. The apartment is packed.
“Oh,” is all Bela can say, pleasantly surprised.
“Time to get this party bumpin'!” Angie cries out as she presses play on her DJ set up and jumps on top of the kitchen counter with two bottles of vodka in her hands. She flicks the caps off. “Who wants to get lit?!”
Two people come over to her and open up their mouths so she can pour straight vodka into them.
People begin to dance and gyrate, Cassandra dropping by Bela to give her a brief hug. “You're going to enjoy your gift from your lover. Trust me.” Then she gets yanked off by some girl to dance with her.
Bela scans the crowd for you, but it won't be until Daniela wheels out the huge cake out into the middle of the room that she'll see you.
You jump out of the hollow cake, in nothing but a bikini. “Surprise!” you yell at the top of your lungs, sprinkling confetti everywhere.
Bela's eyes widen and her jaw slackens as her eyes take you in. For a long time she says nothing, just stares at you- up and down, and down and up as the party goers around you cheer at your entrance. There's a hunger in her blue eyes that says she's going to have her cake and eat it too.
When one of them wolf whistles at you, her face darkens. “All right, that's it- everyone out!”
The music screeches to a halt as she begins ushering people out. “Out, out, OUT!”
“Hey! What's the big deal!” asks someone.
“The party just got started,” says another.
“Student council orders- this party is over,” Bela nearly growls. “You too Dani,” she grumbles at her sister, shoving her out the door.
“I live here Bela-!” Daniela complains but Bela shuts the door on her. The apartment is empty save for you and her, and a stray balloon that trails across the floor like a tumbleweed.
“Uh,” you start, “did I do something wrong?” You try to cover yourself with your hands, feeling embarrassed. You should have known not to trust Cassandra on this.
“Well, kitten,” Bela says with a purr that sends rolls down your spine. “Why don't you come here and we'll find out?”
You stumble out of the cake, nearly face planting in your eagerness to draw near.
“What was that birthday tradition?” she hums, hands on your hips, drawing you in.
“The one about giving birthday punches for how many years old the birthday person is?” you ask, arching a brow as your heart rate speeds up. “You want me to punch you 21 times?”
She chuckles, smiling at you, cheeks red.
Oh god. You recognize that look in her eyes. Daniela and Angie are going to have decontaminate this apartment when it's all over.
“I remember it going differently. Something about you owing me 21 orgasms.”
And then she pulls you in to kiss you hard.