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Moonlight shines softly through your window, draping your room in a gentle glow as you struggle to fall asleep.
It's just past midnight, not your latest night by far, but sleep seems to evade you regardless of the bone aching exhaustion that has settled in your chest.
You stare at the date on the alarm clock as if it betrays you. Another year gone.
Birthday's have never been your favourite. Just another day for people to let you down, only it always stings that much sharper on a day that's meant to be yours.
A weary sigh escapes your lips as you consider your plans for the day. You haven't told anyone, unwilling to be let down again by your friends being busy or your parents uninterested. If you didn't remind them, then it's your fault if they forget, maybe that would sting less.
You're about to roll over, curl in on yourself and feign sleep until it takes pity on you and lets you fall into it's arms, when you hear the softest tap on your window.
It's a wonder you don't trip over the sheets as you practically fling yourself out of bed, body protesting the movement. There's only one person stupid enough to climb the old tree outside your window and perch on that tiny roof ledge.
And there he is, grinning dopely through the glass at you.
Eddie.
You can't stop the returning smile, even if you tried. It stretches your lips wide as you let out a breathy laugh.
It doesn't take much for you to unlock the window and Eddie to amble his way in. It's a little awkward, if only for the large rucksack you've never seen on Eddie's back before. You eye it suspiciously, but he bats your hand away when you go to help him with it.
“Not yet.” His voice is soft and a little teasing. Placing the bag on the floor behind him, he closes the window.
You take him in as he stands, a little nervously, in front of you. Eddie is your friend. A good friend. A fairly new friend, by which you mean you've only known him a few months. But in that short time he's proven himself to be perhaps your best friend.
He's kind. Funny, in a nerdy goofy kind of way. He listens when you speak, even in a crowd where your voice tends to get lost. He remembers all the little things, like which band you're currently obsessing over, the name of that one girl in class who's always trying to copy your answers, the way you have to take a certain route to school just to see that black and white cat every morning.
And who can blame you, really, for falling just a little bit in love with him?
“Hey pretty girl.”
His words thrill you, as they always do. It's a tease, a playful name he calls you to make you blush. And you never fail to comply.
“What are you doing here?” You ask, the ever present smile around Eddie still curling your lips. “It's gone midnight.”
Wordlessly he starts digging in the rucksack, coming back up with a large plush bat and a nervous smile on his face.
“Happy birthday.” He says quietly, offering the bat to you.
You're stunned and more than a little lost for words. Eddie's eyes widen at your silence.
“I- I know you said you wanted this, and I just- I wanted to surprise you, you know, for your birthday.” He begins to explain, nervously tugging his hair across his face as he speaks. It's adorable. You kind of want to drop to your knees…inappropriate you mentally hiss to yourself. “But I didn't think that maybe you'd want to be the one to go to Build-A-Bear and do it yourself, sorry.” He mumbles, shuffling awkwardly.
“You're sorry?” Admittedly, you'd been a tiny bit distracted and missed the last bit.
“I should've taken you to make it, instead of just getting it for you.” Eddie shrugs, looking slightly embarrassed.
You watch as his cheeks flush, uncertainty tainting his words. As if he hasn't given you almost everything you want for your birthday already.
“You remembered my birthday.” You breathe out, holding the bat tightly as you peer at Eddie over its head, catching the way he rolls his eyes.
“Of course I did.”
He says it like it's nothing. Like it doesn't mean everything to you.
He's taken aback when you quickly, shyly, lean up to press a soft kiss to his cheek, feeling the light stubble grazing your lips.
“Thank you.” You murmur as you pull back, rocking on your heels slightly.
The flush on Eddie's cheeks is darker now. His mouth parted in a small ‘o’.