Tranquil Turbulence

Dating Xavier and MC was… different. Not bad, but different.

You honestly weren’t that sure what you were expecting. He was so quiet and reclusive already, you figured you’d never see him… despite the fact that you lived close by.

The very first day you officially began dating them both, you awoke to him curled around you deep in sleep. MC had slept with you too, but she wasn’t in her room - she was making breakfast, given you could hear dishes clacking together in the kitchen.

As freaked out as you were, you had to admit he was very pretty. He was a little cold, and his heartbeat was slower than expected, but it was nice. The man of your dreams was literally dreaming on you.

You lost track of how long you’d been staring; it startled you when his eyelids slowly opened, long platinum lashes fluttering as he looked up at you with a sleepy smile.

Your face must’ve been red-hot, because he let out a little chuckle. He reached over and gently brushed away some hairs from your eyes.

Even his morning voice was pretty. “Good morning.” He murmured. Oh, even his morning voice was attractive…

“M- morning,” you squeaked.

Xavier paused, lifting his head and sniffing. His stomach growled a little, and he looked away shyly as his face flushed pink. “I suppose it’s time to eat.”

Before you could get up, he beat you to it. He tucked his arm beneath your legs and supported your back, and he lifted you out of bed. You let out a sharp gasp, wrapping your arms around his neck.

“Xavier!” You squealed. “What—?!”

“Wow, she was right. You are fun to carry.” He smiled down at you before making his way out of your bedroom.

When you made it to the kitchen, MC was pouring herself some coffee. She looked up and laughed. “Morning, sleeping beauty!”

When he sat you down in a chair, she reached over and patted down your hair and served you a plate. “Just the way you like it,” she said, kissing your cheek before handing a plate to Xavier with a quick peck to his.

—————

It still baffled you how handsy they both were. Well, no— you had expected MC to be handsy. You hadn’t expected her boyfriend to do the same. Whether it was having a hand on your shoulder in public or leaning on you as you sat together, it didn’t matter. He looked up at you with those big blue eyes and napped on you after work days.

You swore you slept at one of their apartments more than your own these days. MC loved dragging you in for dinner and ‘accidentally’ forgetting to walk you back until you were both too tired to make the trip, just as she always used to do when you’d come over after school in your childhood. And in the times when you were invited up to Xavier’s to hang out, he always seemed to coincidentally be sleeping on you by the time you realized you ought to leave.

Sometimes you would get to work and MC would have lunch ready for you. Sometimes fresh flowers would find their way to your desk in the mornings, with a pretty little purple ribbon (one that matched the purple on Xavier’s uniform) around one of the stems that was undoubtedly from the shop that one of Xavier’s friends managed.

Your coworkers teased you sometimes about your admirers. Once or twice a picture would hit the group chat of either Xavier or MC with you after a wanderer attack, and your friends would gush about how softly they gazed at you or how fiercely they looked sitting beside you as you got your bearings. And then one of them captured the moment MC picked you up in a bridal carry when you sprained your ankle - you still cringed thinking about the squealing in your ear when your friends called you after that. They nicknamed your girlfriend ‘Princess Charming’ for weeks.

MC seemed to take it all in stride. Since your circle already knew how close you’d been before you started dating, nobody thought it odd when she would sit you in her lap on the train or hand-feed you things from her plate from her own fork (although you did hope nobody saw when she would give you that heavy stare and lick the utensil afterwards).

Xavier was more restrained, but he tended to stare. Quite a lot, actually. At first you were a little uncomfortable - was he really not into this situation, but putting up with it for his girlfriend’s sake? But then he would help you home after late nights, and meet you at your door with a hot pastry and drink, or he would play games with you into the night on your days off, and then you wondered if this arrangement really was going to work.

“He just likes to look,” Jeremiah, one of his friends, had said once with a gentle smile. “He always used to stare at MC like that before they started dating.”

You liked Jeremiah. You didn’t see him that often, but he seemed wise beyond his years, kind and patient (and he grew beautiful flowers).

You had no idea that Xavier would get jealous of your budding friendship with the florist… not until he actually pouted a little when you said you’d be going over to the flower shop on one of your days off.

“I’ll go with you, then,” he had said. He hadn’t let go of your hand once for the entire time you were in the store.

MC had laughed when you told her about it later. “Poor Jeremiah. He’s been on the receiving end of that for about as long as I’ve known them both. He gets a little jealous sometimes when other people get your attention.”

You had noticed. Around the same time the flowers started showing up on your desk, a couple of the men you worked with - men who had hung around you before - started to back off. When you texted him, he would sound more aloof if you mentioned a friend who hung around you a little too much. Sometimes you would come back to your apartment and find him waiting for you, pulling you in and hardly letting you out of sight.

—————

“I missed you,” Xavier murmured, nose buried in your neck. “What took you so long?”

“Sorry, I got held up at the grocery store.” You answered mildly, petting his head. “But hey, I found those gummies we like. Where’s MC? Still getting takeout?”

He hummed an affirmative, pulling you towards the couch. A blanket was already laid out, as well as a few throw pillows. He claimed the one shaped like a star as you settled into his lap, and he tugged the blanket over you.

His slow, steady heartbeat always seemed to calm your own, whether it was in sleep or while he had you in his lap, such as now.

He was half-asleep when MC came back, announcing her presence by holding the bag aloft with a big grin.

“Aw, don’t you two look cozy,” she teased.

She went into the kitchen to put the food on the counter before coming back to the living room and lifting the blanket, snuggling atop you with a contented sigh.

“So no dinner?” You joked quietly.

She hummed. “I want a few minutes to love on you before I eat.”

You shook your head, running your fingers through her hair. “I’m surprised Xavier hasn’t ready woken up just from smelling it.”

”… smelling what?” He groggily questioned, raising his head. He smiled when he realized MC had come home. “Oh. Hi, starlight.”

”Food’s ready.” She answered, squishing his cheek before she got up. “Since I didn’t get any cuddle time with Yin yet, she’s sitting on my lap for dinner.”

You choked on a laugh while Xavier fondly shook his head. “Okay,” he acquiesced.

It was something that occurred to you in the heat of the moment.

You and Valko had been talking about your lives, and you were halfway through a story about the year you and Caleb had surprised your grandma with pancakes on her birthday when you figured you'd ask.

One simple question. "When's your birthday?"

He looked up, one brow raised. "Why?"

You shrugged, quick to deflect with a laugh. "Just wondering. I mean, just in case I wanna plan something for you in the future, y'know?"

"Hm... I dunno."

That was all he said in response.

You paused. "... What do you mean, 'I dunno'?"

"I don't know when my birthday is." The towering werewolf sitting under you fiddled with the chain hanging off of his jeans as he talked. "Nobody ever told me. I've just been makin' it up this whole time."

What.

Valko looked up again when he felt you staring. "What?" He gave you a lopsided smile. "You wanna make one up for me, then? 'Cause I don't really remember what days I keep putting down."

He doesn't even know when his birthday is... You let out a quiet sigh, scraping your nails through his hair. He nuzzled into your touch with a blissful grin, closing his eyes as you pet him. That simply would not do. Not at all.

You hummed in thought. It would have to be special. A day that meant something for both of you. Something that felt like Valko.

And then a memory flashed in your mind. The day you met.

A summery day turned rainy evening, Valko's golden eyes gleaming in the city lights. His fanged grin, his burgundy hair, his smooth voice...

"Ninth July."

He cracked an eye open. "Mm?"

"The day we met for the first time. Ninth July." You clarified, catching his gaze as you tilted his chin up.

Valko smiled up at you, reaching up to cup his hand over yours. "The day we met? ... I like it. Sure. That's my birthday."

—————

The two of you quickly forgot about that conversation. Or— Valko forgot. You couldn't stop thinking about it.

9th July. That date kept swirling around your head. You wanted to do something special for the first birthday you'd be spending with him... but what?

Asking around gave you a few ideas. "Take him out on a date!" Someone suggested. "Go on a vacation together!" Another said. "Surprise him with dinner!" Yet someone else said.

Taking a mini-vacation sounded good, but he was in the middle of some exciting research (or so he said the last time you'd called), so that idea was out.

Dinner sounded nice, but again... you had no idea when he'd be free.

Then you figured it out.

"—we made such a big mess of the kitchen," you had said with a fond smile. "Of course, Caleb was the one with the cooking skills, and I kept sneaking batter while he wasn't looking... but I remember she looked really happy. Even if the top pancake was burnt and we put too much whipped cream and syrup on them."

Valko had his own chocolate. He'd told you that once, when you questioned him enjoying some despite being half-wolf.

"Don't worry 'bout it, lily!" He'd laughed. "This stuff doesn't even make a dent on my stomach. Besides, I wanted the best-quality chocolate, so I made the best-quality chocolate. Win-win for me and the market."

Doing a quick scan of the supermarket shelves, you found his company's exact brand.

You grinned, grabbing a bag.

—————

To your delight, Valko agreed to spend the night before his birthday with you. He would have to go back to the lab in the morning, but you weren't that worried about it. The surprise you planned to give him was safely stowed away in the fridge in a spot you knew he wouldn't look, ready to go when the time came.

Dinner was a pleasant affair; you had worked hard and practiced to make him a nice steak with some roasted vegetables. If his tail had been showing, it would have been practically helicoptering he was so excited.

"It's delicious, babe!" He groaned upon taking a few bites. He ended up eating it so fast you worried he'd get indigestion.

The two of you cuddled on the couch for the evening as a romcom played in the background. Valko's warmth seemed to permeate every inch of you like a demi-human blanket, his nose in your neck, legs tangled with yours.

You glanced up at the clock. It was midnight.

Petting his hair, you murmured, "Didja have a good day?"

"Are you kidding? This has been one of the best days I've had in my whole life." You could feel him beaming even before you saw his face. He leaned in to kiss you, and you turned slightly so that he could more easily meet your lips.

He cradled you so gently, arms enveloping you. Eagerly he sat up, leaving you perched in his lap. He actually pouted a little when you pulled away.

"I have one last present for you," you teased, poking the tip of his nose. "Lemme up for a sec."

Reluctantly, he let go of you - and as you made to get up, he hugged you again.

"Valko!" You laughed.

"You said 'for a sec'!" He said cheekily.

"Okay, okay, let me up for a minute then!"

"Fiiiiiiine." With an exaggerated sigh, he let you climb out of his lap. "I'm gonna be so lonely without you... a sad little wolf... without his pretty girl..."

You rolled your eyes. "It won't be forever, big guy. Just gotta get something."

Making your way to the kitchen, you grabbed the cupcake from the fridge and a candle from the drawer. You lit it, and then carefully brought the plate out to the living room.

"Happy birthday to you..." you sing-songed, making him look up. "Happy birthday to you..."

Valko's eyes were wide as he zeroed in on the red velvet cupcake on the plate and the chocolate shavings in the icing.

"Happy birthday to my Valko..." You paused right in front of him. "Happy birthday to you...!"

You almost swore his eyes were watery. "Babe... you— you made me a cupcake?"

"Make a wish first!" You held out the plate. "Remember, don't say it out loud or it won't come true!"

He eyed the flickering flame before letting out a chortle of a laugh. He paused for a second, and then blew out the candle.

As soon as you took the candle out, he took the cupcake. "You made this for me?"

"I wanted to make today extra special," you explained, sitting beside him as he bit into it. "The very first birthday I'm sharing with you."

He paused for a second. He swiped his thumb across his top lip, getting the frosting mustache. After licking it off of the digit, he hummed. "Huh. ... Yeah, it is."

He leaned in and pecked your lips. He tasted like cream and chocolate. "Thank you, lily. Nobody's... ever done this for me before."