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The lavender sky of the Outer Ring was streaked with white clouds and tinged with the orange glow of sunset. The wind tousled Lighter's dark hair as he sped along the uneven roads on his motorcycle, navigating the twists and turns with ease. Every time he accelerated, there was a chance he'd hear that familiar laugh and feel that pair of arms tighten their hold on him, bringing a smile to his face and causing his heart to flutter.
The weight on Lighter’s shoulders always disappeared whenever Wise came to visit
-
As usual, his birthday had come around to remind him of the time that had passed, and that he had been alive one year longer. The faces of departed companions always surfaced in Lighter’s memories around this time; while the heaviness of being alive always weighed on him in the background, his birthday dragged it all to the top. As he brushed his teeth, his eyes wandered to the photo of his old mercenary group; a younger him surrounded by three others, all celebrating a leader that had led them to their deaths.
But his own death wouldn’t fix anything, so his only option was to continue living and find his reason. In the hazy morning, he would take it in stride and greet the day.
The Sons of Calydon were much more thrilled about his special day. Caesar greeted him first with her bright smile and a firm slap on his back the moment he had left his trailer, asking him about his plans for the day with the promise of making sure he had a good time. Lighter thought for a moment, before shrugging.
“Let’s see what today throws at me, and we’ll figure it out from there,” he replied, an easy-going smile on his face.
“Then let’s go for a ride,” the Overlord said, “Me and Lucy are about to hit the road anyway, early dogs get the worm, right?”
Lighter blinked, opening his mouth to correct her before deciding to just forget it for today. “Sure, I was about to do a round anyway.”
Once Lighter had come back, he decided to take care of any business that remained after patrolling with Caesar and Lucy, despite Caesar insisting that he get a day off from his Champion duties. A few challenges, a few punches, some tinkering with his motorcycle, and the morning had flown by before he knew it. A mix of dirt and motor oil stained his hands, no matter how hard he wiped them with the towel. Lighter figured he’d just wash the rest off later, wiping the sweat off his brow and tossing the towel away.
He put his gloves and jacket back on and finally took a moment to let himself breathe—the sudden downtime made him realize how much he needed a drink. He reached for his phone to check the time, and his eyes settled on the new Knock-Knock notification on the screen with Wise’s icon.
The dark-haired man’s lips curled into a smile almost instantly, opening it up to reply to his boyfriend, and softly chuckled at the image attached. Wise posed alongside Eous, Six, and Eighteen, each of them holding a party popper. There was a fond smile on Wise's face, and a twinkle in his eye.
W: They wanted to wish you a happy birthday. Belle also sends her well wishes.
Lighter hummed, tapping away a reply.
L: Haha, tell them I said thank you.
He paused for a moment as he scrolled up to read through previous chats, ranging from the “Happy Birthday!” sent at midnight, to Wise’s promise to visit the Outer Ring. That budding hope trembled, that Wise would make good on it, and Lighter would get to enjoy his birthday with his beloved. Shortly after, as if his thoughts were read, another message from Wise popped up.
W: Today’s a little more hectic than I thought. But I’ll make my way to the Outer Ring as soon as I’m done.
L: Don’t worry, doll, I’ll wait as long as I need to.
The sun crept up higher and Burnice waved at him as he approached the bar with a drink already in her hand and another seemingly for herself on the bar top. The moment he took a seat on one of the barstools, she slid the chilled glass over to him with practiced grace.
“A birthday Nitro-Fuel special, made just for the Undefeated Champion~,” Burnice hummed, in her usual high spirits, “Enjoy!”
“Cheers,” Lighter raised his glass to clink it against hers, realizing just how badly he needed it as he downed in one go. A satisfied sigh left his lips once the glass was back on the table.
Burnice filled his cup again before he could even ask, taking a sip of her own drink before she spoke, “So is the Proxy coming over? It totally would suck if he couldn’t make it.”
“He just has his own things to take care of, he’ll probably come later in the evening,” Lighter mused, fidgeting with the dog tags around his neck, “No need to rush him.”
“You say that, but you can’t wait for him at all, right? You keep perking up at any old car that passes through,” Burnice said with a laugh. Lighter rolled his eyes under his sunglasses, but couldn’t deny that the bartender did have a point.
He finished his second drink and slid off the seat, “Come on, spare me the teasing for today, won’t you?”
The afternoon sun beat down, but it was uneventful as time continued to stretch on. Outside of Lucy’s well wishes and usual orders, and helping Piper with Steeltusk, there was hardly anything else that needed his direct attention, so he decided to go on another drive to clear his head. With nothing else to distract him, that sickly burden crept onto his shoulders again, and he sighed. The sun slipped downward slowly, the roar of the engine comforting.
The rest of the day had slipped by and as he pulled into Blazewood again, the sun finally starting to set, a Knock-Knock notification caught his attention. Pushing away the slight disappointment that it was Caesar and not Wise, he opened it up.
C: Come by Cheesetopia!
_____________
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”
Lighter took in the scene in front of him as the group surprised him; from the tacky ribbons hanging haphazardly, to the little girl giggling as her brother lifted her up to place a pointed hat on Lighter’s head, and finally to the cake that seemed to be melting from the way the frosting was smeared. The young mercenary held back his laughter as best as he could, tilting his head just a bit.
“What’s all this?” he asked, a woman laughing as she ushered him towards the seat meant for him.
“It was all her idea,” the older man in the room explained, pointing to the little girl before he sat Lighter down, “And we thought, ‘why not?’, you don’t get to celebrate your birthday twice after all.”
“Big Brother and I made the cake!” The child chirped happily atop her older sibling’s shoulders, a smile on her face, her ribbon holding back her hair. They both looked awfully proud of themselves, despite the less than stellar look of the final product.
Lighter was stunned into silence, before he simply started laughing, a warm feeling rising in his chest.
“...ter…Lighter!”
He snapped back to reality as Lucy called his name, adjusting his sunglasses and clearing his throat.
“Sorry, sorry, didn’t mean to zone out,” Lighter said, “Did you need something?”
Lucy raised an eyebrow, “Me? It’s your party, yet here you are in the corner, staring off into space. Are you feeling alright? Don’t tell me Caesar’s cake made you sick.”
Lighter chuckled a bit, shaking his head, “No, no, it was fine. I was just…” He trailed off, trying to find a way to explain himself before Piper piped up from beside him, saving him the effort.
“It’s early, the sky is still orange. But if ya-”, Piper cut her sentence off with a small yawn, “-wanna turn in, you can. Lil ol’ me won’t fault ya for it.”
“I just need some fresh air, that’s all. I’ll be back before you know it. This party’ll go on without me anyway.,” Lighter finally found his chance to collect his thoughts. Piper shrugged and ushered Lucy away before she could ask him more questions, giving him a chance to finally slip away.
He sighed, taking out a bright yellow container of lemon drops as he leaned against the wall of Cheesetopia. The sounds of old rock music, cheers, and Burnice and Billy having their fun was enough background noise for him.
Popping one into this mouth, Lighter mulled over today's events. When he had walked in, it was practically déjà vu. The decor, the surprise, even the cake, it all reminded him of that year. He had changed a lot since then, and he couldn’t help but wonder what his old mercenary would think of him now.
Would Nick praise him for finally kicking that smoking habit? Would Dane still banter with him? Would Ratena continue to look out for him?
Would they trust him again?
A car horn snapped him out of his heavy thoughts. Random Play’s van pulled into view, and Lighter couldn’t help but grin widely. With excitement—maybe just a little too much, Wise stepped out of the vehicle once it was parked and nearly tripped. The dark haired man chuckled and took off his sunglasses, embracing his lover as Wise tried to hide the embarrassment in his eyes.
“You made it,” Lighter said, kissing the top of Wise’s head. Wise laughed softly, that sweet little laugh that had Lighter in the palm of his beloved’s hand. He was sure that if he was a dog Thiren, his tail would give away how excited he was to see Wise.
“I promised you I’d come, didn’t I?” Wise replied, pulling back just a bit to kiss Lighter on the lips. Lighter simply hummed in response, putting a hand against his partner’s face. Wise leaned into it with a content look on his face, before looking behind Lighter.
“Looks like the party’s already pretty lively. Hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long. The traffic was pretty backed up, and I’m not as reckless as Belle,” the Proxy was simply content to be in the Champion’s arms forever, safe and secure.
Another chuckle rumbled from Lighter’s chest, soft and saccharine. “Don’t worry, they just started. You know how parties in the Outer Ring are, once they start, they’ll stretch out into the night. What I’m more interested in is getting you all to myself.”
Wise smiled, “Who am I to deny the birthday boy then? Go on, I’m all yours today.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
-
And that brought them to now, Wise on the back of Lighter’s motorcycle, as they sped along the Outer Ring. By the time they arrived to the little spot they had made their own, the stars were now starting to appear one by one. The pair were snuggled together as they leaned against Lighter’s bike, watching the last of the sunset that seemed straight out of a movie. Time seemed to finally slow down just for them as they chatted, Lighter’s arm around Wise’s waist, Wise fitting perfectly in the space beside Lighter. The Champion had taken off his sunglasses again, letting his olive green eyes reflect the sky above.
“Still can’t believe they went the extra mile for me,” Lighter mumbled, “Baking a cake an’ all.” A smile was on his face, but the weary look in his eyes did not go unnoticed by Wise. The Proxy leaned into him just a bit more, trying to figure out how to ease his own thoughts in.
“Did you…never have surprises like this before?” Wise finally asked after a long pause. Lighter didn’t answer immediately, pursing his lips as he thought about his answer.
“Not…exactly. One year, Dane and everyone else surprised me for my birthday, a little after we had just become a group. It was a lot like this one; bright decor, a slightly misshapen cake, and everyone at the door greeting me with a ‘Happy birthday’ when I walked in. When Caesar asked me to come to the diner, it was like seeing that scene all over again.”
He paused, hand going to the dog tags around his neck, thumbing over the engraved names on them. “It’s not like I don’t appreciate what the Sons of Calydon did, I really do, this was a really nice gesture. I guess…it was just a reminder of them, ‘s all. Every year, when my birthday comes around, the same question gets stuck in my head.”
“Why am I still here?”
Another heavy sigh left Lighter’s lips, the air filling with silence. Wise frowned, knowing that the survivor's guilt had always gnawed at Lighter's conscience... that it always would. Yet Wise couldn't blame him. He could only try his best to comfort his partner.
“A home and people to protect…” Wise looked up at Lighter, who had turned to face him, “That’s what you told me on the last day of Settlement Days. Maybe, that can be reason enough for now.”
Lighter was quiet, chewing on his words before nodding, “Yeah. That’s reason enough for now.”
“And,” Wise added, “I’ll be here when the burden gets too heavy. This year and years after that. More than anything, I want you to live your life, Lighter.”
A faint blush appeared on Lighters face, and he scrambled to put on his sunglasses again as he smiled, “Thank you.”
Wise hummed, leaning over to bring the other into a kiss. They let it linger, pulling away for air for only a few moments, before they locked lips again. By now, the sun had completely disappeared, leaving only the stars to shine bright.
When they got back to the party (after Lighter’s phone had been blown up with messages asking where he was), he was met with Caesar passing him another glass of Nitro-Fuel happily. Bright chatter and laughter rang in the air as Lucy reminded him to open his presents, and Big Daddy gave his own well-wishes. The night was filled with song and drink, and the Undefeated Champion of the Sons of Calydon lifted his glass, a resounding “Cheers!” echoing through the diner.
Tonight, Lighter would let himself be celebrated, and forget his troubles for today. If not for himself, he would do it for the people who had gone through so much effort for him.
In the morning, he’d wake up with Wise still sleeping beside him in bed, dressed in Lighter’s shirt. Lighter pulled him close and kissed his forehead, chuckling when Wise wrapped his arms around him. Reluctant to leave the comfortable sheets, he instead looked outside the window into the blue sky and sighed contentedly.
If what was waiting for him were friends, a home, and love; he could survive one more year.