#kesden

The hands roll Lucas onto his back, towards the warm chest behind him, as the lips find their way back to his cheek and then eventually his own, greeting him with a soft peck. Lucas chases it, lips finally twitching in a smile, and hears a low, throaty laugh that has his eyes flicking open. 

Jens rewards him with a grin and another kiss, deep and lingering, trailing more feathery pecks along his cheek before stopping to nip at his ear. “Good morning.” 

Lucas hums tiredly in response, arching into the other boy as Jens’s hands slip down his sides. Jens smiles against his skin, rolling to hover over him as Lucas trails his fingers up his back to thread them into his hair. Jens kisses him again, his weight pressing him into the mattress, and Lucas allows himself to melt, going boneless underneath him. Even when Jens pulls away, it’s only to immediately reattach his lips to Lucas’s skin, peppering sweet kisses all over his face. It leaves Lucas humming again, pleased. 

“Nice wake up call,” he murmurs simply. 

Jens pushes himself up just enough to get Lucas opening his eyes, patient as Jens wiggles his brows at him. “I hope you know to expect better than that.”

Lucas grins, letting his eyes fall shut again as Jens softly kisses his cheek. The kisses turn firmer, blazing, as Jens makes his way down Lucas’s chest and hooks his fingers in the waistband of his boxers. 

It’s only when Lucas is breathless and sated, feeling half-asleep again and flexing his fingers free of their tight grip in the other’s hair, that Jens nuzzles his way back up and plants a smacking kiss on his cheek with a cheery, “Happy birthday.”

~^~

Lucas never really liked his birthday. 

At least, never more than any other day. He only remembers vague patches of it from when he was younger, when his parents were still happily married and remembered to buy him cake and gifts and everything else. That lasted until he was around ten, when his mother’s episodes started becoming impossible to ignore, and Lucas found himself more often than not making her dinner on his birthday. He didn’t blame her at all, of course, but he did blame his father for a number of things. If he hadn’t been so ignorant and avoidant of his wife and his only son, she would have gotten her diagnosis and been treated much earlier, and maybe Lucas would have had birthday parties he could actually remember. 

He doesn’t hate his birthday, or anything, but it’s not a day that stands out, either. 

But it is different now. Now that he’s older, and living in Antwerp, in a flat with his boyfriend of two years with a much larger friend group. Now is different. 

Or at least, the morning is, until Jens climbs over his lap at the kitchen table and gives him an apologetic pout. “I shouldn’t have to work on your birthday. It sucks.” 

Lucas is already wrapping his arms around his waist, pulling him closer to tuck his face into his shoulder as he smiles. “Yeah, it sucks.”

“I am genuinely upset and you are turning every word into an innuendo.”

“Well, who’s fault is it that my mind has been on that path all morning?”

Jens sighs, mock aggrieved as he pets a hand through Lucas’s hair. “The answer to that better be me.”

Lucas laughs, lifting his head to pull Jens down and into a kiss. “Always you,” he mumbles. 

At least birthday kisses are a regular thing now, he thinks. He can very much get used to birthday kisses. 

Jens gives him a hundred in apology before he leaves, tracing his lips over every still-exposed piece of skin, comforting and loving and teasing all at once. In the end it’s Lucas forcing him out the door with a multitude of reassurances, unable to stave off one last kiss as Jens promises to make up for it, assuring him he’ll be back in the evening. Lucas, again, tells him it’s fine, because it is. 

He doesn’t hate his birthday. But he doesn’t really like the loneliness that usually seeps in along with it. 

It doesn’t matter, though, this year. It’s different. He has people around him who make it different. He has Jens. He can manage the loneliness for a few hours in the face of that, with the promise of what’s to come. 

~^~

Only, he isn’t even alone for an hour when there’s a knock on the door, and he has to distractedly look up from his sketch and wait to hear it again before it registers. Then he’s bounding off the seat and into the hallway, speed-walking to the door and pulling it up without even checking the peephole. 

He’s instantly engulfed in a bone-crushing hug, seconds before he’s greeted with, “Fuck, I missed you.”

“Kes,” he returns, surprised, ecstatic, wrapping his arms tightly around him in return. “What are you doing here?”

“Don’t be fucking stupid,” Kes says, happy. “Happy birthday.” 

“Happy birthday,” another voice interrupts, even more excited than Kes had been, and Lucas laughs as Jayden pushes in through the doorway to wrap his arms around them both. 

Kes makes a short sound of protest, but wiggles his arm out to wrap around Jayden when Lucas does the same. He is surprised, but he supposes he shouldn’t be, supposes he should expect a gift like this at the very least. He only wonders how long they’ve been planning it, if he was meant to be left in the dark, if it was spontaneous or a given. Last year had been different, when Lucas was still living in Utrecht and it had been his eighteenth, when Jens and the Broerrrs had been the ones that had to get on a train and come join him. They’d thrown him a party, then, not at all secretly enough, and he’d enjoyed it. 

Now, living in Antwerp, and turning no particularly special age, he hadn’t expected it to be like that. He’d expected maybe a bar trip with the boys, at the very most, and would have been content with a quiet night in with Jens. But he can’t deny that he’s pleased at having Kes and Jayden turn up his doorstep, almost relieved to see his best friends. 

“How did you even get here?” Lucas asks, just as they finally break their little huddle and he catches sight of Sander in the hallway. The older boy grins in confirmation, giving a quick nod, and Lucas smiles widely in response. 

“Mr Grownup here was kind enough to meet us at the station,” Kes answers, reaching behind him to pull Sander in the neck, who shoves him away with a huff. “Well, well, kind might not be the right word.”

Sander gives a long-suffering sigh and turns a serious gaze on Lucas. “Bickering, the whole time. Really, the things I do for you Luc.”

Lucas doesn’t bother pointing out the short ten minute driving distance from the station, because he understands that ten minutes is more than enough. Instead he grins wider and reaches out to give Sander’s shoulder a grateful squeeze, tugging him further inside as he finally shuts the door. Kes and Jayden are already making their way to the sitting room, bags now slung over their shoulders. Sander lingers and waits for Lucas, then falls into step easily alongside him as they follow. 

He stops, however, in the doorway to the sitting room, watching Jayden drop his bag and flop onto the sofa in amusement. Lucas turns to him with a frown, realisation sinking in. “You’re not staying.”

Sander shakes his head, and raises his hand to jingle his keys. “Have another pick up to do. I’d say you get half an hour with these guys and then the rest want to see you. So, I’m not staying, but you won’t have to miss me too long.”

Lucas rolls his eyes and punches his shoulder lightly, and Sander laughs, skipping out of the way. “Just go get your boyfriend before you make a fool of yourself.”

Sander waves him off with a smile, turning back towards the room to call a very pointed, “You’re welcome.” 

The two dumbasses turn to him, Jayden from where he’s sprawled face down on the sofa and Kes from his perch on top of the other’s thighs. “Thanks, Sander,” they call back, genuine but still filtering off into laughter as Kes tips sideways and accidentally digs his elbow into Jayden’s back. 

Sander simply shakes his head, amused, and ruffles Lucas’s hair before heading back down the hallway, calling a goodbye over his shoulder. 

Lucas is left to turn back to his friends, just as Jayden is bucking his hips in an attempt to throw Kes off. Kes concedes, sliding to the opposite end of the sofa and letting Jayden pull his legs out from under him, shifting until he’s sat cross-legged and smiling at Lucas. He smiles back as they watch him, until eventually Kes raises his brows and pats the space beside him. 

Once Lucas has sat down, Kes is turning to Jayden with raised brows. “Do you have it?” 

Jayden blinks at him, lips parting. “I thought you were packing it.”

Lucas bites back a laugh as Kes’s expression instantly drops, eyes narrowing as a scowl forms on his lips. “I told you to bring it!”

“If you were literally talking about it why did you not bring it?” 

“Because I was in the shower!”

“Well maybe I was distracted, then.”

Kes tosses his hands up and Lucas does laugh now, as Jayden finally cracks and lets his lips pull up in a smile, a small giggle bubbling out of him as well. He punches Kes’s shoulder, much harder than Lucas had with Sander, and Kes winces away as his scowl deepens. 

“Such little faith in me,” Jayden complains, hoisting his bag onto his lap and digging through it. “Always so quick to believe I’ll let you down.”

Kes grimaces, shoulders slumping in instant apology as Jayden produces a tiny wrapped gift from his bag. “You were fucking with me,” Kes sighs. 

Jayden passes the package to Lucas before wiggling his brows and smacking a kiss to Kes’s cheek. “I’m always fucking with you.”

Kes rolls his eyes, but smiles, and Lucas mock gags, and only smiles when Kes smacks the back of his head. It’s weird, the whole thing. The Kes and Jayden thing. He supposes it’s made it worse, him not being there. He hadn’t really had a chance to watch it develop, hadn’t been able to catch on until he’d already missed months worth of change. He also hadn’t been there to get used to it, only witnessing this new dynamic in their visits back and forth. 

And yeah, it’s weird. 

But it’s not so weird that it isn’t manageable. In fact, sometimes Lucas almost forgets. They’re both tactile, naturally affectionate, but private in that way they all sometimes get in public. Lucas...well, honestly, Lucas isn’t really sure what their relationship is like. He just knows his friends are happy, and they’re still his best friends, and he can’t really make too much fun of them without getting it heaped on him in return. 

Kes hooks an arm around his neck now and jostles him, gesturing at the tiny gift still in his hands and saying, “Open it.”

Lucas doesn’t have to be told twice, curiosity consuming him as he tears at the sparkly wrapping paper. It’s more difficult than expected, the entire small square covered in tape, but eventually he manages to pull a side free. He grins as a small bag of weed slips out, catching it in his palm and tipping his head back. 

“I fucking love you guys,” he admits, and Kes and Jayden both laugh and comply as he holds his hand out for a fist bump. 

Jayden winks. “To give you and Jensy-boy a little birthday boost.” He wiggles his brows once more, whining in pain as Kes elbows him in the gut. 

Lucas simply wiggles his brows back. This time Kes supplies the mock gag. Jayden gives him a high-five. 

“How did you manage to plan this, anyway?” Lucas asks later, wedged between his two friends now as they share a joint. Jayden fiddles with the curls at the back of Lucas’s head with his feet drawn up on the cushion as Kes leans back with his leg strewn over Lucas’s. 

“What do you mean?” Kes tilts his head. 

“I mean, getting here, Sander picking you up, the gift…”

Kes and Jayden share a glance before shrugging and simply stating, “Jens.”

“We just messaged him and he helped us out. And Isa will watch Oscar literally whenever we ask. Think she likes his company,” Jayden says. 

“Think he likes her more than me,” Kes mumbles. 

Jayden makes a noise of protest, patting Kes’s leg comfortingly. “That’s not true. Isa just gives the best belly scratches. With you he just gets jealous.”

“Don’t think he’s the only one,” Lucas smiles, and Kes flicks the side of his head. “Seriously, though. I’m glad you guys are here.”

“Where else would we be?” Kes jostles his head. “We’d never miss a chance to celebrate our baby bro.”

Lucas’s smile widens. His parents stopped being good at even remembering his birthday a long time ago—but Kes was still always there. Kes has always been family, and with him came Isa and Jayden and even their broader group, Liv and Noah and Ralph and the girls. They’d all taken Lucas in at some stage, all welcomed him like family. 

They’re more than enough. 

~^~

“Okay, bro, I know it looks like we didn’t get you anything, but I swear we’re better than that,” Moyo promises, ten minutes into their group meeting at the skatepark. 

“Which is why we’re going to the cafe after and buying you a whole cake. Whatever one you want,” Aaron says, just as earnestly, and Lucas barely holds back a snort. 

“You guys don’t have to get me anything, really.”

“Yes, they do, or they don’t get shit from Jens on their birthdays,” Robbe teases, leaving both boys to turn and scowl at him, unable to do much more through the protective barrier of Sander’s arms. 

“And what did you get him?” Moyo scoffs 

Robbe rolls his eyes, patting Sander’s hands where they clasped on top of his chest. “Sander and I got him an awesome birthday gift. Which we’ll be able to give him if you two get off your asses and go join Kes and Jayden.”

“Lucas doesn’t think anything is better than cake,” Aaron argues, looking to Lucas for confirmation, who simply draws his shoulders up to his ears in a cheeky shrug. 

“Well there is that thing Jens does—“

“No, nope, no way,” Moyo smacks a hand over his mouth, shaking his head as Sander and Robbe laugh and Aaron looks on in confusion. “I love you, man, but for the sake of my sanity and ability to look either of you in the eye ever again, please don’t finish that sentence.”

Lucas doesn’t, but he does lick Moyo’s hand. 

Moyo curses and snaps his hand away, smacking the back of Lucas’s head for good measure before jogging off down the half pipe. Aaron follows him, thankfully without any more questions, and Lucas is left with the most sickening couple in Antwerp—who also happen to be his two best friends here. 

Robbe detached himself from Sander and moves to sit next to Lucas, giving his boyfriend a nod as Sander gets to his feet and moves back to the tree where they’d dumped their bags. “This is kinda more from Sander than me,” Robbe admits. “Idea and payment wise. So you should direct any thanks you have there.”

“I’m already thankful, Robbe,” Lucas says quietly. “It’s not,” he cuts himself off, tries starting again. He gestures at their friends across the park, laughing and falling more than they are skating and watches Robbe follow his gaze. “This, more than anything, I’m thankful for. I mean it when I say you didn’t have to get me anything.”

“And we mean it when we tell you we wanted to,” Robbe shrugs, offering him a gentle smile. He looks down at his feet, choosing his next words with care. “I kind of hated my birthday, for a while. It was the one day my parents would try to pretend everything wasn’t falling apart, and that I actually factored into any of what was happening. It usually still ended up with them screaming at each other. It made it...seem more like an inconvenience than something to celebrate.”

He turns his head to look up at Lucas again, squinting under the glare of the sun. “I know we’re not exactly the same, but,” he offers a small shrug, “I don’t think we’re that different?” 

Lucas swallows down the lump in his throat and nods, bumping his shoulder against Robbe’s. Robbe nods back and adds, “So I get what you mean. I love celebrating with Mama, when she’s capable, but...it’s dumb things like Sander making me breakfast that make it better. It just depends so much on the people around you and you have so many good people, Lucas. It’s like, your friends are your family. You know?”

Lucas can only nod again, blinking quickly as he looks down at his own lap and Robbe passes an arm around his shoulder, pulling him to his side for a brief moment. Lucas huffs a quiet, grateful laugh at the gesture, smiling back when Robbe looks at him and gives his shoulder another squeeze. 

“Jens was always a big part of making my birthday better, too,” Robbe adds, smile turning teasing. “So I’m sure with you…” he trails off suggestively. 

Lucas shoves his shoulder, heart softening at the giggles he receives in return, and then Sander’s back. He drops down on Lucas’s other side, meeting his boyfriend’s eyes for a brief, questioning second. Lucas understands the quiet communication, realises why it had taken him so long to go the few feet and return. 

Sander seemingly got whatever he was looking for, however, presenting Lucas with a package that is notably larger than the one he’d received earlier in the day. Lucas shoots a questioning glance between them before eagerly pulling the wrapping off at their nods, expression brightening as he catches sight of the contents. 

“No way,” Lucas says, awed, now holding the object with a much firmer grip. “A fucking Polaroid?”

He doesn’t know which boy to look at, glancing between both his friends rapidly as he takes it in. There’s a pleased, almost smug tilt to Robbe’s lips now, but he shakes his head at Lucas’s questioning gaze and nods proudly at Sander. “Like I said, all his idea.”

Lucas whips his grin to Sander, who doesn’t look as grateful for the credit as he should. His tongue is poking at his cheek, a habit Lucas has noticed, something he does when he’s unsure of himself. “I remember when you were looking at them in the shop and telling me how cool it would be, because you never learned to develop but these were easy, but I knew you’d never buy it for yourself, so. It’s not the best brand, but—“

Lucas cuts him off by throwing his arms around his neck in a hug, after passing the boxed camera over to Robbe’s careful hands. “It’s perfect, Sander,” he assures, pulling back with a tug to his dark hair. “Thank you.”

Sander’s shoulders lose their tension instantly, dropping in relief as he sports a content smile. 

Lucas takes the box back from Robbe and examines it more closely. “Do you think it’s safe enough to open here, or do I have to wait?”

“If we move back and sit with out stuff until you get it going, it should be safe enough,” Sander reassures. “There’s film and everything with it, ready to go.”

Lucas is hopping up before he’s even finished, muttering a happy, “Okay.” He grins eagerly at them until they stand and join him, Sander seeming to share his excitement as Robbe gives another gentle laugh. 

“I’ll leave you to the technical stuff and go make sure the others don’t die before you can get pictures of it,” Robbe says. 

“It’d be much appreciated,” Lucas agrees, managing the solemn tone for only a moment with his face too eager to express his joy. He and Sander get settled down under the shade of the tree, and Sander helps him gently peel back the bits of tape until he can get the camera out. 

“I can’t believe you got me this,” Lucas mumbles. “Even if it’s not the ‘best brand’. I didn’t expect anything this expensive.”

“It’s not about the expense,” Sander shrugs. “It doesn’t put me out much, especially with Robbe chipping in. I know you’d try to get me something I wanted, even if it was going to leave you struggling, so this is nothing.”

“It’s far from nothing, Sander. I didn’t even realise how much I wanted one of these. But you did,” he points out. “That’s...a lot.”

Sander shrugs again. Lucas isn’t sure he’s ever seen him look so bashful. “I know that you’ll have everyone giving you things today and your best friends are here and they probably know you better than I do, but...I thought it was important to give you something to help you remember all of it. It’s a lot of the reason I draw and take pictures when I get—well. When I go into overdrive. It’s harder to remember things, sometimes. I know that’s not a problem for you in the same way, obviously, but you do love to capture things and I thought this kind of fit even Jens’s vibe best and it just seemed like the right idea.”

There’s an immense pressure in Lucas’s chest that he can’t get rid of, an overflow of emotion that had been there since Robbe had started to speaking to him and now threatens to boil over. He can’t help but think how right Robbe is. He doesn’t know how he’s gotten so lucky, to have so many good people in his life. To be able to consider so many of his friends close enough to be family. 

Sander seems to grow more nervous the longer he stays silent, so he reaches out and places a careful hand on his arm. “It’s a brilliant idea. You know me just as well as anyone, if not better, obviously.”

It does the trick, Sander’s expression instantly softening back into a smile, still somewhat oddly shy. “Well, you probably are my best friend,” Ssnder says simply. Stating a fact. 

Lucas swallows down another lump in his throat and moves to hug him again. 

~^~

He really shouldn’t be surprised when he returns to the flat and finds it suspiciously dark, especially with Kes and Jayden giggling behind him. The others had all ditched them a while ago, Robbe and Sander disappearing first and Moyo and Aaron following not long after, making sure Lucas got every last bit of his cake. 

He really shouldn’t be surprised when he flicks the light on and is gifted with people jumping out from nowhere, yelling an almost simultaneous, “Surpirse!”

Kes and Jayden are also cheering behind him, pushing him forward as he laughs and his eyes make their way naturally to Jens, standing at the front of the room with a massive grin on his face. Lucas feels that usual tug towards him, feels himself being drawn easily into his orbit. Only, a force collides with his chest and holds him back, arms wrapping tightly around his chest as curls tickle his chin. 

“Happy birthday Luc,” Isa croons, squeezing him happily, and Lucas feels the bubble of elation in his chest grow as he hugs her back. 

“Thank you. What are you doing here? Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

Isa steps back to roll her eyes up at him, shaking him by the shoulders. “Well obviously, Luc, that would’ve ruined the surprise!”

Lucas grins at her, suddenly feeling bashful himself. His friends squeeze past him and he distantly hears Jayden squeal, “Jens!” He huffs a laugh as he watches the collision over Isa’s shoulder, catching sight of the girls and Milan and the boys, all back again. None of them are paying too much attention, letting him have his moment with Isa. 

He looks back down at her and his eyes widen as a sudden thought kicks in. “Isa, Oscar! You’re supposed to be taking care of him.”

“Obviously that was a lie, Luc. Liv and Noah have him. I needed some reason for not showing up with Kes and Jayden so I could sneak in here and set this up.”

Lucas blinks. “You set this up?”

Isa hums, smiling. “The decorations, yeah. Along with the girls and Milan, of course. Engel and Janna would’ve come, too, but Janna’s gone all week and Engel’s mom wasn’t too sure of the idea.”

“And Liv and Noah are dog-sitting,” Lucas grins. He doesn’t have to say he doesn’t mind, knowing Isa already knows. That he’s very happy his three best friends made the time for him, even with this new distance. It reminds him that no one’s really gone anywhere, that they’re still in his corner and any thoughts of losing them were ridiculous. He couldn’t get rid of them if he tried. 

Isa nods, smile turning cheeky, a trait the two of them have always shared. “But you have a lot of people here for you. Your very adorable boyfriend made sure of that.”

Lucas flushes, shoving her shoulder lightly as his eyes automatically trail around the room, finally catching on Jens. He’s still caught up in a conversation with Kes and Jayden, nodding along as Kes waves his hands around animatedly. He must notice Lucas’s gaze, however, casting around for him before finally meeting his eyes. His lips turn up in an easy smile, and he gives Lucas a small wave, and Lucas’s heart stutters stupidly in his chest. As if it isn’t used to Jens by now. As if Jens has never done far more to get his heart racing. 

He’s dragged out of his awe when Isa pinches his cheek, cooing at him again as he bats her away. She laughs, catching his hand to squeeze it fondly. “Go, put him out of his misery. He’s been rushing around for the past hour since he got back, as if we didn’t have everything ready for him,” she rolls her eyes, but her tone and smile are both still fond, and she pulls Lucas into another hug before letting him go. “I’m happy for you, Luc. We’ll catch up properly later, okay?” 

He nods at her and she pats his cheek, running off ahead of him to draw Kes and Jayden away, leaving Jens standing alone with an amused grin lighting up his face. He turns to Lucas slowly, expression softening as he takes him in, and Lucas finally moves towards him. 

Jens immediately envelopes him in his arms and presses a kiss to the top of his head, and this is exactly what Lucas has been waiting for all day. Just this. 

“What made you think I’d want a surprise party?” Lucas asks, voice muffled where his face is tucked into Jens’s shoulder. 

Jens hums, swaying Lucas slightly side to side. “I don’t know, maybe the fact that you like surprises, and parties, and me…”

“Oh and you’re the main event at this thing then, is that it?”

“Luc, I am always the main event,” Jens says, lifting his hands to Lucas’s shoulders and gently pushing him back enough to kiss him. His lips are still brushing Lucas’s as he speaks, voice low and teasing. “But only for you.”

Lucas hums, pulling Jens down by his grip on his neck, drawing him into another slow kiss as Jens’s hands smooth over his back. “Thank you,” Lucas murmurs. 

Jens smiles, sneaks a kiss to his cheek. “Always.”

Before Lucas can fall into him completely, there are a set of hands on his own shoulders, dragging him away from his boyfriend even as he protests, his own hands clenched in the collar of Jens’s shirt. Milan carefully plucks them away and steps in between them, smiling politely even as he gives Lucas a little shove. 

“Your lovely boyfriend isn’t going anywhere, but you have friends waiting to hug you and gifts waiting to be opened,” Milan says, seemingly genuinely apologetic. 

Lucas groans, but greets Milan with a kiss on the cheek before letting himself be led around the room. 

~^~

He’s exhausted by the time everyone leaves, dead on his feet in the kitchen as he empties the abandoned bottles of alcohol. He rubs at his eyes as arms slip around his waist from behind and a soft kiss is placed on the side of his neck. A smile takes over his face as he leans back into Jens’s warmth, tempted to turn around and curl into his hold and never move. 

“You shouldn’t be cleaning up, it’s your birthday,” Jens admonishes, taking the bottle from his grip and placing it on the counter. “I’ll do it tomorrow. It’ll be fine until then.”

Lucas hums, debating only for a few seconds before he gives in with a nod. He turns in his boyfriend’s hold to wind his arms around his neck, resting against his chest as he closes his eyes and lets out a tired breath. Jens hugs him for a moment, cupping the back of his head and keeping him close. 

“Did you have a good day?” Jens asks quietly. 

“Mmhm,” Lucas assures, smile spreading back over his face. “The best day.”

Jens huffs, chest shaking with silent laughter as he draws back and leads Lucas out of the room. “Okay, bedtime.”

Lucas is maybe, kinda, a little tipsy. And probably slightly high. But he knows these minor factors aren’t the source of his happiness. That it’s more to do with Kes and Jayden sprawled together on the pull-out sofa, already snoring lightly and completely forgoing the blankets Jens had left out for them. Isa had also been offered a spot, but she’d declined in favour of staying with Jana, who had an actual spare room to offer her. The rest of his friends had filtered out slowly through the night, Yasmina being the first to disappear with a sweet kiss to his cheek and Robbe and Sander being the last to linger, helping them make the place somewhat less of a mess. Or at least, they’d tried to, even as Robbe and Jens got distracted messing around with the streamers and Lucas had proudly been presenting his blurry polaroids to Sander. 

“Do you think we’ll have to buy a new sofa now?” Lucas sniffs, glancing suspiciously back over his shoulder at his friends’ still forms. 

Jens bites his lip to muffle his laugh. “No, I think the sofa will be okay.”

Lucas hums. “Okay. That’s good.”

He pauses in the doorway to their bedroom, leaving Jens to bump into his back as his eyes train on the bowl in the center of the bed. 

“Jens,” Lucas whispers. 

“Luc.”

“Why is there a dog bowl on our bed? Is this some kind of kink thing?”

Jens doesn’t bother muffling his laughter this time, and Lucas smiles as he rings it loud and unabashed next to his ear. Jens shakes his head and nudges him into the room until he can close the door behind them, pursing his lips in amusement as he turns Lucas to face him. “No. It’s not a kink thing. It’s entirely innocent, I promise.”

Lucas’s eyes widen. “You better not be fucking with me.”

“I didn’t get one,” Jens says quickly. “Because even though I wanted it to be a surprise, it’s ours, and I want you to have a say. Which is why I got a size and gender neutral bowl for now until I can take you to the shelter tomorrow.”

Lucas presses his hands to his cheeks, smushing them until his lips are ridiculously puckered. “I love you.” He kisses him, short repetitive pecks that start on his lips and move around the rest of his face. “I love you, I love you, I love you.”