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It was always the same.
Ricky never had a proper birthday.
Before his mom would sometimes buy a little cake, cupcake with a candle or more rarely, a small present.
But after she died? Nothing.
He knows that his father won't make anything. He didn't even remember christmas...Well he kinda do but only because of the alcohol he bought. So him making something for Ricky? It was like hopping Heather to stop being a demon from hell. It will never happened in a million time..
Ricky never bothered telling the greaser when was his birthday. Why?
They don't care and it's not like any of them know eachothers' birthday. And he didn't tell Skeeter either.
She has her own issues and has probably better thing to do.
And there was Ben...Ricky and Ben wasn't ennemis anymore, just close friends? Maybe? It was so confusing for Ricky..And Ben was definitely not the type of people who remember birthday.
So every twenty three february, Ricky goes to the park. He liked it, it was quiet and no one would bother him.
He found a rock, randomly starting getting attached to it. It was like the one putted on grave..
So he acted like it was where his mother was because running away to Boston every weeks was impossible..
He sat here and just..Waited.
"What are you doing here Ricky?"
"Huh..Brookie?"
Ben swallowed. He couldn't tell him he was looking for him everywhere in this stupid streets. Not when it was a surprise.
"I..Uh..One day I had to search across the book where..You know you can find informations about students.."
That was a lie. He just asked the book from Stuart because and 'I' quote : "Wanted to know if anyone else beside Donna has the same birthday." In reality he just got really curious for some reason to the point he urgently has to know Ricky's birthday.
"And I saw your birthday.."
Ricky's eyes widen as he just realised.
"Wait..Did you buy me a present or something ?"
It was supposed to be a joke but both of them know that Ricky was genuily hopping for a gift.
"Maybe..And um..Maybe a cake too..That's . Probably what I did.."
Ben looked at the ground.
"Brookie.. You didn't have to-"
"You better don't finish that sentence or I keep them. And I'm sure Donna or Lola will love to eat this cake."
"Okay okay!"
They sit down and after a silence, Ben put a small wrapped gift.
"It's not a lot but..Uh..For all the punches. Even if you deserved most of them."
Ricky laughed quielty as he opens the gift. It was a small notebook. It wasn't a expensive, big gift who costed a million of dollars, not something Ricky craved for months but...It was almost even better. A small proof that even if Ben probably still not a fan of him, he still care for Ricky.
"I don't know how much you write so just in case you wanted another one for your poems..Oh and I drew on some pages."
"Wow..."
"Ignore the drawings of you I just ran off idea okay?"
Even if there my favorite drawings thought Ben
Then Ben have Ricky a small cake.
Blueberry. Maybe because it was the same color of Ricky's eyes..But Ben wanted to make this cake. It was definitely not one of a chef but it was good. But for Ricky anything made by his brookie was perfect.
"I tried really hard to idea the cooking from Donna or my mom.."
"Thanks Ben.."
Their fingers slighty brushed in the grass. Pinkies grazing a little too long, a small smile who shouldn't be here. Not between friends and a look in their eyes that was maybe not as platonic as they thought.
"Can we go to my house? It starts to get late now.."
Ricky nodded, puts the notebook in his pocket and followed Ben. His heart never beats this fast and he never wanted to hold someone this bad. But he holded back. It wasn't like they were a couple. They were both guys even if sometimes, Ricky felt so much more than friendships for Ben.
In Ben's room they didn't start talking, just laying next to eachothers. Both knew that they wanted to do more than looking at eachothers's eyes, getting lost in this artic blue and hazel green. But oh how they wanted to keep staring at the same time. Finally Ricky broke the silence.
"You know..I don't think I ever had a..Good birthday. I don't even know if I ever got to spend it with a friend!"
Friend. It almost sounded unatural. Like something was laying under this word. Something dangerous, something too deep and raw to getting out of this word.
"I..Don't even know what to say Brookie.."
"I swear if you start crying.."
"I'm not going to cry!"
But small tears were already here.
"Oh my god Ricky I swear.."
Ben sighs before moving closer to holding his Ricky.
This feeling was weird. Scaring but so warm at the same time.
"I hate you.." Ben muttered.
He smiled anyways as he feels Ricky's body starting to shake a little.
"You don't know how much..It mean to me. I don't know how much time I hoped for something like this to happen in my life.."
Ben didn't know what to do so he just stay here. Before Ricky look at him with the most annoying pretty blue eyes, slighty red from the cries and the most damn.. So infuriating small that would in any other context make Ben want to hit his stupid face. But somewhate it was almost the pretties thing he ever saw. Maybe..Better than any other girls ?
"H-Happy birthday Ricky."
"Thanks Brookie."
Ben waited a moment, before leaning for a kiss. Not on Ricky's lips of course, but for his forehead. He stay here a second too long, maybe he should have done something else he thought, before pulling away.
"Ricky..Even if you're the most annoying, loud, unfunny, infuriating thing that happened to me. I still don't know if I would have been fine or even here if it wasn't for you. So thanks for everything."
"You have a weird way with words you know that?"
"Shut up Ricky.."
And they still holding eachothers until they fall asleep, never thinking about pulling away. In the quiet of the room, Ricky could swear that he heard a quiet 'I love you.', as much Ben could swear that Ricky holded him tighter.