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Claude was an early riser. He liked rising and falling with the sun and during the dry, sunny, summer months, it was an easy enough routine to stick to. Like clockwork, as soon as the sun began peeking into their bedroom, Claude squinted as he opened his eyes. The remnants of sleep slowly left his mind and he began to realize his husband was not in the bed with him.
“Good morning, Your Majesty,” Came Yuri’s voice from the vanity.
Claude groaned softly as he rubbed some sleep from his eyes. “You’re up earlier than usual, my love.” He muttered, sitting up in the bed and running a hand through his hair. “What’s the occasion?”
“As if you don’t know,” He scoffed. “It’s your birthday today. Or were you keen to forget?”
“Of course not! You know me, I’m always looking for something to celebrate.” Claude gave him a wink through the mirror as Yuri’s gaze turned ever so slightly sharper.
“Oh, come now. Last year you were so drowned in your work there was barely any time to enjoy your own birthday. My dinner for you was nearly spoiled.” Yuri replied pointedly, turning around to jab his hairbrush in his direction.
He wasn’t truly upset, Claude knew that. It was true that he tended to put his duties before his enjoyment but not much could be put off. Running Almyra was a hefty task, even if he did have the assistance of his husband and Nader at his side. There was always so much to do, he was lucky if he had a few moments to spare on a normal day. Even though he did like celebrations, he couldn’t just…take time off. It wasn’t the responsible thing to do.
Yuri reminded him to take a step back when it was getting to be too much for him and for that, Claude was truly grateful. He really was the perfect husband. “I didn’t realize that meeting would run so long,” Claude chimed, “And we still had that lovely dinner. It was some of your best work.” Getting out of bed, he joined Yuri at the vanity after he threw some clothes on, giving him a kiss on the cheek. “You wouldn’t happen to have something similar planned this year, would you? I won’t miss it this time, you have my word.”
“Ah, you won’t,” Yuri responded with a grin, “Because you have the whole day free.”
Claude sighed dramatically, resting his chin atop his head. “Sadly not. Despite the momentous occasion, the show must go on.” He denied, quickly realizing that Yuri’s smile was only growing.
“That may be true, but the show will go on without you. I cleared your schedule.”
“You- but I have that conference with the delegates from-.”
“I moved that to tomorrow.”
“Okay, but what about the disagreement between-.”
“Nader handled that yesterday.”
“And the-.”
“Solved it.”
Claude was impressed, if not a little shocked that Yuri was able to figure everything out so discreetly. “How long did it even take you to do all of that?”
“The past several weeks. You didn’t make it easy for me; always adding new things to your schedule. It’s like you didn’t want to celebrate your birthday with me.” Yuri teased as he batted Claude away so he could get up. “Now you have no excuse not to take today off and enjoy it. You’re more wound up than you need to be. Sit.” He ordered, pointing to the stool.
He hesitated for a moment. Was he really off the hook today? He racked his brain for something he could be forgetting but nothing came to mind. He really didn’t have a reason to not relax. Claude didn’t know what to do with this information, other than to oblige Yuri and sit down. Grabbing the hairbrush again, Yuri began running it through Claude’s bed head, being careful not to snag anything too harshly.
Claude sat quietly as he worked through his hair, finally relaxing into the repetitive motion. He watched him through the mirror as he stood behind him, concentrated expression on his face. Before he knew it, he could feel himself resting against Yuri, his shoulders loosening as time went on. Slowly his hair began to look a little less haggard but Yuri continued brushing it. “You aren’t trying to put me back to sleep, are you?” Claude asked with a crooked grin. It wouldn’t be out of the question. They often helped each other fall asleep after a long day. They had figured out long ago that having his hair brushed put him at ease unlike anything else.
“Of course not. I’m just trying to get you to relax. If this is how I get you to wind down then so be it.”
“You’re so thoughtful.” Claude hummed. Eventually, Yuri stopped, putting the brush down before gently running his hands through his hair, tussling it ever so slightly to give him his signature, slightly messy look.
“There. Now you don’t look like you lost a fight to your pillow.”
Claude smirked, turning to look at him. “You aren’t going to tell me how handsome I look?”
Yuri matched his energy, placing a hand on his hip. “That would be pointless, you already know how you look. Now get up, we have some work to do.”
“You wound me, Yuri! I can’t believe my own husband won’t tell me how handsome I am.” Claude exclaimed, finally earning a smile from his partner. “What could you possibly have planned, my love? A decadent breakfast? A present beyond my wildest dreams?”
“We’re going to have a picnic in the courtyard,” Yuri answered with a knowing look as Claude’s face lit up. “I just need to finish up some things and then we can head down there.”
One of their first dates was a picnic. Back during their Academy days, it was Claude’s suggestion that they sneak away for an afternoon with some food they snagged from the dining hall and have a picnic in one of the meadows beyond the Monastery. It took some convincing. Yuri wasn’t very keen about leaving Abyss for long stretches at the time, but Claude could be persuasive. It couldn’t have been more perfect; a few hours just for the two of them to talk about whatever they wanted. They had their first kiss on that date. After that Claude began trying to find other ways to get Yuri’s sole attention, like it was a game they played. Nowadays it felt like the roles were reversed.
“A picnic, eh?” Claude echoed as he followed close behind. “You know just how to spoil me, don’t you?”
“You make it easy for me, darling. I think you’d be thrilled with anything I gave you.” That was probably true, Claude wasn’t exactly a hard guy to please, especially if it was anything coming from Yuri.
The two made their way to the kitchen, Yuri leading the way. Despite how cavernous the Almyran palace could be, Yuri adapted quickly. His sense of direction was incredible and Claude, ever curious, had been tempted to test him once or twice before. His partner wasn’t one to fall for his games though. Maybe someday.
“So,” Claude began as they entered the kitchens. “What did you need to grab? I was thinking we could get some of the nice wine. Since it is a special occasion.” It was still early in the morning, earlier than most others were awake, so it was just them in the kitchen and Claude spoke freely.
A flicker in Yuri’s gaze gave him away. Anyone else could have missed it. “Oh you mean the wine reserved solely for the biggest celebrations? The ones we bring out to impress distinguished guests? I already snagged a bottle the other day, it’s waiting outside.” He said, a hint of smugness in his voice.
Claude couldn’t help but laugh; of course he did. “I shouldn’t be surprised. Well if it isn’t the wine, what could we need?”
“I made a special dessert for you, I just need to finish the custard. Don’t worry; I made sure it’s not too sweet for you.”
“You know me so well.” Claude sighed. He’s never been a huge fan of sweets. Too much sugar could mask the flavor of other things and he enjoyed knowing exactly what was in his food. To this day, sugary sweets made his stomach churn, even if it was made by someone he trusted with his life.
“Of course I do. Took me a while to find a good recipe but I’m satisfied with what I made.” He said, almost purposely keeping what he made a secret.
Curiosity bubbled up as Yuri paced across the kitchen floor, separating vanilla from its shell and heating cream in a small pot. As he busied himself in his work, Claude began to snoop around, trying to see if he could find what the special treat was. With Yuri right there, he knew he probably wouldn’t get an exact answer, but it was a fun mystery anyways. Pears, oranges, figs, and whatever other fruit he could think of hung from baskets above him. There was a chance that Yuri had used at least one kind. Perhaps some type of pomegranate tart? Or maybe an orange compote. Would either of those need custard? He should have paid more attention to the chefs whenever he snuck in here as a child.
After a while of opening cabinets and rummaging through the spices, looking to see if he would notice if a few were emptier than normal, the smell of vanilla enticed him back to his partner’s side. Yuri was solely focused on stirring the custard mixture in the small pot, not even looking up as Claude appeared to his left. “Couldn’t find it?” He asked, referring to the past few minutes he spent searching the kitchen.
“You’re too good at this game.” Claude conceded as Yuri chuckled.
“If it’s any help, the actual dessert actually isn’t in here. I already brought it outside, too.” Claude groaned at that and Yuri bumped him with his hip. “I know you well, you said so yourself. I can’t have you spoiling your own birthday dessert.”
“Can you at least give me a hint about what it is?” Claude asked, trying to draw out his partner’s sympathy.
Yuri didn’t even budge. “It has custard in it.” He replied, grinning at Claude’s long sigh.
With the custard finished and cooled with a little help from the ice they kept safely in the back of the kitchen, Yuri was satisfied with what he made and they could finally make their way to the courtyard. Claude could barely keep himself contained. Though Yuri acted as nonchalantly as he could, he knew he put a lot of thought into this for him. It was all he could do to keep himself from rushing ahead to see what awaited them.
“Hold on now,” Yuri’s voice halted him in his tracks, making him turn to him with an eyebrow raised. “I need to make sure everything’s set up perfectly. And since I know you’re going to follow behind me if I make you wait, we’re going to try something different.” He pulled a piece of fabric from his pocket and held it out to Claude. “Mind putting this over your eyes?”
Claude blinked slowly at the blindfold. He supposed Yuri had a point. If he told him to wait here while he went ahead, he would surely find a way to follow him and try to sneak a peek at his surprises. Even if he didn’t he would stand here trying to theorize about what he made for him and surely spoil it for himself anyways. “Oh, fine,” He finally responded. “But just know that this is the only time I’m letting you do this.”
“Of course.” Yuri responded slyly, stepping around Claude to begin tying the blindfold over his eyes. “We wouldn’t want this becoming a regular occurrence. If only you weren’t so nosey.”
With his world gone dark, he relied on the sound of Yuri’s voice to guide him. Eventually he felt his hand slip into his and Claude held onto it tightly. “Don’t worry, I got you,” He soothed. “I won’t let you run into a pillar or anything like that.” There was the usual dry humor. Claude scoffed.
“You wouldn’t lead me into a pillar and risk ruining my birthday. You put too much effort into clearing my schedule just to ruin it first thing in the morning.”
“True.” Carefully the two walked towards the courtyard, Yuri occasionally breaking the silence to tell Claude when to step down or twist around a corner or pillar. Soon, he felt the sun and a breeze on his face. He wanted to tear the blindfold off so badly and see what was right in front of him but Yuri pressed a hand over his eyes. “Not yet, Khalid. Wait here just a few minutes.” He instructed quietly as Claude listened intently.
Yuri’s hand left his and he stood alone, listening to the sounds of him walking back and forth. The sound of dishes being jostled gave Claude the idea that there must be a few plates of food set out and the sound of something being poured confirmed Yuri’s previous mention of the nice wine. The smell of some familiar food wafted through the air and even though his excitement was at an all time high, Claude listened, keeping the blindfold on. Soon, the sounds ceased all together and he waited to see when Yuri would come back. “Okay,” Came his voice, farther away than Claude thought it would be. “You can take it off now.”
Claude practically ripped the blindfold off, letting the cloth fall to the ground as he took in the sight in front of him. Yuri sat on the linen picnic cloth with many of Claude’s favorite foods laid out carefully. Spiced meats and fish, all sorts of delicious plates sat before him. Petals from the flowering trees littered the setup, proving that it had all been set up long before he was aware of it. He grinned widely as he joined Yuri on the picnic blanket, wrapping an arm around him and giving him a kiss. “You really know how to spoil a guy, don’t you.”
Yuri returned the kiss with a warm grin. “I know how to spoil you,” he hummed contentedly, clearly pleased by his reaction. “I got it all set up just in time too, just before sunrise.”
“How clever of you, my love.” The two began to dig into the spread together, Claude having a late start due to not knowing where to begin. Though the two had different tastes when it came to their favorite food - Yuri being much less tolerant to spice than Claude, they could at least share in some of the more mild dishes. As much as he liked to tease, Claude was more than thankful for how much effort Yuri put into everything, even if he didn’t taste every dish he made. “You truly didn’t hold back with this. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.” He commented once he had his fill.
Yuri shot him a pointed look. “It’s your birthday gift, darling,” He reminded him with a quick flick to his knee. “You don’t owe me anything. I did this because I care about you. There’s no need to get even.”
Claude’s gaze softened at his partner’s words. “Yeah? Well, if that’s how you see it I guess I can’t argue with you.”
“You would lose, I don’t bend easily. Not even to you.”
Amongst the food, there was one tray that was still covered with a silver lid. Using quick deduction Claude knew that it was the dessert Yuri made for him and his curiosity once again grew. “So, what did you make me?” He finally asked.
Yuri flashed a quick grin at him. “Well I guess there’s no use keeping you on the edge of your seat anymore.” He placed a hand over the handle of the lid, pausing to let Claude’s suspense grow. “Now, you should remember that I’m not exactly a five star chef. This is just something I whipped up really quickly. You might not even-.”
“Yuri!”
“Okay, okay!” He chuckled as Claude squirmed while he drew out the reveal. Yuri lifted the lid to reveal a bed of soft pastry with syrupy pears laid on top of them. The custard he had made earlier was drizzled carefully on the pears. The smell they made was divine; cinnamon and cloves making it smell sweet, but not terribly so. Claude’s mouth watered at the sight. After a moment (and Yuri’s go-ahead) he dug his fork into the dessert, lifting it to his mouth and melting at the taste. It was spicy and warm, creamy from the custard but naturally sweet. This has to be one of the best things he’s ever eaten.
“I love you so much,” he sighed with a mouth full of food.
Yuri’s laugh chimed with authenticity at his husband’s delight. “I’m glad to hear you liked it. I’ve never made something like this before, so I wasn’t sure how it would turn out.” He mentioned, taking a bite of his own.
As if to show his gratitude, Claude offered him about a dozen kisses across his face. “If you hadn’t said that I would have thought you’ve made this everyday for your whole life.” He joked.
“You’re just easy to please.”
“Gods, is that the understatement of the century. You could have given me a paperweight and I would be just as thrilled as I am now. You’re an amazing cook, my love. This is the best gift I could have asked for.”
“Oh, I’m not finished yet,” Yuri spoke with a smirk, making Claude snap back to attention. “This was just our morning activity. And to get you away from the rest of the palace. We have some visitors from Fódlan that should be here by now. Setting up a little get together for you.”
Claude stared at his husband with wide eyes, not believing that he had been tricked so thoroughly, even by someone as crafty as him. Yuri continued to eat the dessert with a smug grin, reveling in how stunned he was. “You…damn. I guess I fell for this.”
Yuri patted his cheek mockingly. “It’s nothing to feel shame over, it happens to the best. Now, hurry up and eat this before it gets cold.”
After a moment, Claude couldn’t help but laugh. Of course Yuri got the jump on him! No one was more suited for the job. At least he was using this power for good. Deciding to play along, he lifted the fork to his lips again, smiling as Yuri did the same.