꒰ 💌 ꒱ by now, elijah has long since learned just how many differences can be found in between the gap that separates him from sae-byeok, coming from two backgrounds that seemed almost too far apart, enough to raise questions to just how they found comfort in each others’ presence . elijah tries his best to stay mindful of it, to respect sae-byeok’s boundaries enough to not push too far, just enough to tug her slightly out of her comfort zone, and he still can’t help but hope that this isn’t too much of a gesture . it’s simple enough, especially by his standards, knocking at her door while he waits, hands clutching a bag full of what may be too many options . it’s evident enough just how relieved he is to see her by how his face lights up when she answers the door, a beaming grin as he’s soon pushing his way inside . “ I know you said you didn’t want to do anything big— ” or really let him figure out her birthday to begin with . “ —and I don’t really know what kind of cake you like anyway, so I did buy like… four different slices so you could pick . ” he’s already making himself at home, everything laid out on the table and rambling while sae-byeok still hovers near the door . “ I also brought some juice and shit, I’m not really sure what you’re supposed to drink with cake ? oh ! and candles . I mean, we don't have to sing or anything, but you gotta make a wish, right ? ”
she answers the door for one reason, and one reason alone: no one else knocks that loudly, that many times in a row, in what is now a recognizable rhythm to sae-byeok's ears. it's easy to narrow down who it could be then, considering she almost never has company, save for the monthly visit from the landlord to collect his check — and he's already stopped by two days ago. no, it can only be one person, and the sae-byeok of a year ago would be surprised by how little she drags her feet to go open the door.
smile blinding and his arms full, elijah pushes his way past her without hesitation and sae-byeok lets him, hardly betraying much more than a quiet exhale. elijah will know; this is her version of a friendly greeting.
of course elijah didn't forget. sae-byeok would've been surprised if he did, considering the efforts he went to in order to sneak a peek at her ID the last time they went out. it all starts spilling out of him then, like a kid too eager to please, as he sets up at the table. cakes and juice and candles; things her family never had growing up, and things that felt too frivolous to purchase now unless they were for cheol. because her baby brother, the person sae-byeok loves most in this world, certainly deserves better than the sort of birthdays she had growing up, where the luckiest years were the ones where she got an extra serving of rice with her dinner.
it's so stupid, and it burns at her eyes, and sae-byeok would probably kill elijah if she didn't feel so grateful for him right now. it starts in the back of her throat, painful and thick; something building that she can't quite speak around and for the first time in a while, sae-byeok remembers why they call it getting choked up. her jaw tenses harshly, body already beginning the familiar task of shutting down any physical response; any trace of tears is halted quickly before they can fall, the lump in her throat swallowed to the pit of her stomach, and when sae-byeok exhales shakily, she imagines all those emotions leaving with it.
"there's beer in the fridge," she offers, bolting the door before joining elijah at the table. cake and beer? sae-byeok's had worse combinations. the sight of the cakes remind her she has yet to eat, but a thought steals her away before her stomach can growl, and it compels her to give elijah a look which sends a very clear message: no singing.
( not that elijah is a bad singer; he's actually pretty good from what she's heard at karaoke. but it would just be ... uncomfortable, seeing as it's only the two of them )
"a wish?" it takes effort not to roll her eyes, a level of impertinence that elijah is typically spared from. "i'm turning twenty-two, not twelve," she says, not bothering to clarify that she definitely didn't believe in wishes when she was twelve, either.
but elijah ... she can see how excited he is about this, trying to keep it all tamped down to a degree he deems appropriate, and sae-byeok can appreciate how he respects her boundaries while still gently trying to navigate them. eventually she yields, pulling a slice of cake towards her, one decorated in whipped topping and strawberries, layers of filling visible from the sides.
no sign of assent, but none of refusal either ... just that hard to read silence hanging between them before the slice of cake is nudged towards elijah. "go ahead," sae-byeok says, nodding at the candles. "get it over with."
