Work Text:
Jean Valjean was very fond of birthdays. They were a chance to show appreciation for someone that you cared for.
He had always enjoyed celebrating Cosette’s birthday, only to see the joy on her face throughout the course of the day. When she was ten he had managed to find the exact doll that she had been asking about for months. Of course he had searched for weeks, making absolutely sure that the gift fit every one of her elaborate descriptions. He had never known that the shade of a doll’s lips was important.
It was time-consuming he would never take it back; there was nothing better than being the reason for a smile of a loved one.
However, Valjean had never been able to find the perfect present for the one that he desperately wanted to show appreciation for. Javert was not an easy person to please.
The problem was not that he was picky but that he did not require gifts. He would only accept something bought for him if there was a practical reason behind it.
Valjean couldn’t complain, it was who the man was.
Javert had never had anyone celebrate his birthday, so Valjean had settled for simply spending time with the man, and doing anything he possibly could for him throughout the day. A big gift could scare him off.
"What are you thinking about?"
The deep, groggy voice beside him snapped Valjean out of his thoughts, followed by rolling over to face him.
"Nothing in particular."
"I do not believe you."
The older man didn’t have a chance to disagree, due to the warm pair of smirking lips that met his. Javert chuckled lightly as he finally pulled his lips away from the other man, a smug smirk still present on his face as he spoke.
"I suppose you slept well?"
"Why would you assume that?"
"You seem rather cheery this morning, that’s all."
At that Valjean got himself out of bed.
"Where do you think you’re going?" An arm reached for him, of course missing him completely.
"It’s a surprise."
Javert groaned.
"I hope your surprise includes breakfast."
"Possibly. Now stay right there, and I will be back."
"Stay here?! What fool do you take me for?"
Valjean simply crossed his arms over his chest.
"Oh alright, but at least be quick about it?" he waved off, covering his face with a pillow and laying back down.
***
Valjean smiled triumphantly to himself as he moved to make something for breakfast. He planned on waking up before Javert, but this would have to do for this year. There would be many more birthdays to come.
"Valjean, what in god’s name is taking you so long?"
The older man spun around to see Javert leaning on the doorway, arms crossed, looking annoyed with the current situation.
“Can I come in now?”
Valjean quickly made his way over to where Javert was standing, promptly covering his eyes with his hands before he had been able to lay eyes upon the heart-shaped eggs that he had been preparing.
“Valjean…”
“Javert please go back to bed, you’ll ruin the surprise.”
“What would this surprise be for exactly? Did you simply feel like keeping breakfast from me this morning? Or is there some occasion to which I am oblivious to?”
Valjean did not release him until he was back to their bedroom, sitting upon the bed.
“I still do not understand.” The younger man muttered, growing more suspicious by the second.
Valjean laughed.
“And I most certainly do not see what is so amusing.”
Valjean sighed.
“Today is your birthday Javert.”
The other man’s eyes narrowed, as they would if he was being told a lie during an interrogation of a dangerous criminal.
“Is that a reason for celebration? “
“I believe it is reason for celebration, yes.”
“I hardly accomplished anything in the event; you do not need to make an ordeal about it.”
Valjean moved to sit next to him on the edge of the bed, “I did not plan an ordeal. However I did plan on celebrating the fact that you were brought into the world today. I do not know where I would be without you.”
“You would have been absolutely fine. In fact your life would be much easier.” He grumbled, crossing his arms in front of him.
“I disagree. My life would definitely not be easier at this moment if you were not here with me, I would have no one to celebrate.”
Though he would not dare point it out Valjean could spot The Inspector blushing at the statement.
Javert looked down at his feet. “I do not even know exactly when my birthday is, you simply picked a date within the month. I would much rather you celebrated something that I am actually proud of, or even the day I moved in for Christ sake…..”
Valjean was listening to him, but smiling much too wide for the given situation they were in. He adored the way the fearless Inspector Javert was mumbling under his breath like a child who does not want to complete their chores, even if he was insulting something that he had been looking forward to.
"Just do not blow this out of proportion Valjean."
“Alright.”
Javert nodded.
Neither of them said anything more, though it was most likely due to the fact that their lips were locked together in a matter of seconds. It was one of their more tender kisses, satisfying the need that they had for one another. Though it was wet with too much tongue for early in the morning, neither of them were willing to part.
Both men fell down upon the mattress without separating for a moment, their hands caressing any part of the other that they were able to reach.
When they finally broke apart they were both panting.
Javert sighed in defeat.
"I will allow you to celebrate this one birthday, but only because you have already gone through the trouble."
Valjean opened his mouth to object, but Javert was insistent.
"You have to promise."
"I do not want to.’
"You do not have a choice."
"I don’t?"
"No. Now I am going to walk into the kitchen, widen my eyes in shock when seeing your surprise, and then eat my breakfast. I will put up with all of this for today for you. But this will be the only time I will cooperate with this madness."
With that he quickly kissed the man in front of him before exiting the room.
Valjean lay on the bed in somewhat of a shock. He had definitely not expected that Javert would give in, and not in a million years did he expect Javert to initiate anything.
But then again, Valjean did not promise anything.
Next year he will simply have to start planning earlier.