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Philippe of the Rust Syndicate is a man of action, and Valentine’s Day for him was no different. He loved Valentine’s Day so much because just loved love. This year was special because he got to spend it with someone he loved more than life itself, Corbeau. He knew this day had to be one for the records because this would be Corbeau’s first Valentine’s Day with a partner, period. Philippe wanted to make sure this day was extra special, and he (hopefully) did. The day before, the pair talked and Philippe simply told him, “Let me treat you… okay?” Corbeau agreed because he didn’t know what to expect and he knew Philippe would never hurt him.
The adventure started when Philippe slipped back into the room with a couple minutes to spare before Corbeau would wake up fully for the day. He had a small tray set up with berry-filled, heart-shaped crepes and some fresh berries on the side on one of the miscellaneous tables in the room. Corbeau stirred a bit and fully woke to the sensation of Philippe carding his fingers through his hair. “Mhhhh good morning,” Corbeau croaked out, voice still sleep-thickened. “Happy Valentine’s Day,” Philippe started, “Since this is our first one as lovers—and I’m pretty sure your first—I wanted to make it special.” Corbeau gave him a sleepy smile and brought Philippe’s hand to his cheek so he could nuzzle into it a bit. He grabbed his glasses and saw the breakfast on the table. “Philippe? What’s that?” Corbeau questioned as he pointed to the full tray. “Oh, I made you breakfast in bed; raspberry and blackberry crepes.” Philippe placed the tray on the bed as Corbeau sat up. Corbeau took one bite of the crepe and his pupils blew WIDE. He looked at Philippe and calmly (but suspiciously) said, “Philippe. These are some of the best crepes I’ve had in a long time,” before immediately smiling with such joy as he ate them, even giving Philippe some. Corbeau immediately flopped back down on the bed and looked up at Philippe who was taking the tray to the kitchen. “Beau, I will be right back and then we can go back to sleep for a bit, okay?” Philippe asked, knowing Corbeau was going to be dramatic about it. Corbeau sighed then laid back down.
Before he knew it, that same arm he knew so well was back at his side. He turned around to face Philippe who was already asleep. Corbeau was already so ridiculously in love and this latest act just solidified it even more than possible. He loved being able to look at Philippe’s sleeping face, knowing he was one of very few, if not the only one, that Philippe felt safe enough around to let his guard down completely. The pair slept for a few hours until they decided to truly get up and start the day.
Philippe’s next stop on their fun-filled Valentine’s adventure was to the Lumiose Museum. He knew Corbeau had two secret loves: art and the stars. They walked through the art museum and Corbeau couldn’t help but stop and stare at a painting of the top of Hisui-era Mt. Coronet at sunset. “This looks like heaven,” he stated, still in awe of the detail. Philippe had never seen him so genuinely amazed at something. They kept walking and looking at all of the art. Philippe was falling more and more in love with each passing second as he watched Corbeau explain some of the paintings and statues.
Philippe gave Corbeau a blindfold and just told him to trust him. Corbeau hesitated for about 15 seconds, then proceeded to put the blindfold on. Little did he know, their next adventure was in the planetarium room. The room had a moving projection of the stars and other things. There was a picnic-style setup in the middle of the floor and enough lighting just to guide them. Corbeau was confused when Philippe was guiding him to sit, but as soon as he took the blindfold off, he was in awe. The room was fully alight with stars and galaxies. The pair ate lunch and sat for a bit, looking at the setup around them. “Philippe, this is gorgeous,” Corbeau murmured, still in awe, now to the point of near tears. Philippe recalled the many times on their night walks when Corbeau would point out different constellations and interesting things in the sky.
Corbeau and Philippe walked back to their apartment and Corbeau’s heart was so full. The love of his life was spoiling him rotten with all of his favorite things. On the way home, Corbeau made one improvised stop. Philippe hesitantly agreed and went home to begin the last step(s) of the plan: dinner and a bath. Corbeau went to a nearby market and found a still-stocked flower display. There was a DIY bouquet section with several different flowers and other things. Corbeau made a bouquet of wooden roses and bought a box of dark chocolate. He texted Philippe he was on the way and Philippe panicked. He loved Corbeau and wanted to make sure dinner was right. They both get so much takeaway and Philippe decided he would cook.
Corbeau got home with the chocolates and roses and surprised Philippe. He was amazed by the craftsmanship of said roses and placed them in an empty vase as Corbeau unwrapped a chocolate for Philippe. Philippe needed some more time to prepare dinner, so he gave Corbeau his credit card and told him to go buy himself a nice outfit. He did, and Philippe was able to really get to cooking. As dinner was finalizing, Corbeau came back in and was sent to the bedroom to get dressed. “Yell for me when you’re done. I have something special for you.” Corbeau was nervous, but he was able to relax because he was in safe hands.
It was perfect timing because Corbeau called for Philippe just as he got back downstairs. Philippe was stunned seeing Corbeau in a purple turtleneck sweater and black pants. Philippe asked him if he was ready for the big surprise and Corbeau nodded his head. Philippe took the blindfold and tied it around Corbeau’s eyes, kissing him gently on the neck after he did. Philippe carried him out of the room and onto the elevator to go to the roof.
Once they got up there, he was allowed to take the blindfold off and he was stunned. The pathway from the door to the table in the middle was lined with rose petals and one of the tables had a tablecloth and some electric candles on it. “I wanted to cook for us since we go out more and more. I hope you like it,” Philippe said in Corbeau’s ear as he placed a gentle kiss on his neck. The pair walked to the table and enjoyed a warm plate of seafood pasta and some sake.
After their dinner, the pair went back down to sit on the couch for a little bit. Corbeau began to doze off on Philippe’s lap a bit and Philippe had to make the heartbreaking move of getting up to set the last part of the night up. Philippe gently placed a pillow under his head as he stood and luckily, Corbeau was too sleepy to realize what happened. Philippe ran back to the roof to locate the hammock setup and moved it to the center of the roof in clear view of the stars. Philippe ran back downstairs and found Corbeau sitting there. “I thought you left,” Corbeau sleepily muttered with a small scowl on his face. “I’m not leaving… ever.” Philippe retorted before picking Corbeau up again. “One more thing for the night,” Philippe stated while looking down at Corbeau nestling into him. Philippe took Corbeau back upstairs and he was met with a hammock. Philippe managed to get in while holding Corbeau. Luckily a blanket was already there to protect them. The pair spent time looking at the stars, nestled into each other.
“Thank you. For everything,” Corbeau muttered as he let sleep claim him. “Your presence in my life is a gift and I am in awe that I get to spend my days with you. Thank you.” Philippe managed to whisper. He didn’t know if Corbeau heard him, but the nuzzle into Philippe gave him the answer he was looking for.