𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 , on this day eleven years ago , he'd been equal parts warm and sore all over . fascinated and touched by her little gestures to make the day brighter for him , and grinning broader than he probably should have over the smear of frosting that found it's way from his finger to her nose . today , he sticks to smiling , and leaning into the warmth his body can't help but crave . ❝ i know . ❞

𝐈𝐓'𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐁𝐎 of you know you didn't have to and so whatcha get me ? that sits too easy on his tongue , straddling the line of impish and adult if only for her sake . it's the reveal that makes him swallow both whole . his hand drifts between reaching for her and reaching for it ; the tiny monument for someone he only knows through fond stories and the occasional eyeroll , sitting in a neat little box on his shiny slab of granite . fingers nudge , if only to take a careful peek for themselves , before finding his hair . the tug there saves him from looking too misty . ❝ jeez , proud enough you think i'm finally ready to tell time by myself , huh ? ❞

𝐇𝐄'𝐒 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐄𝐘 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 , taffy that melts at the warmest touch . and he's already near overheated , bracketed and tucked in , basking instead of protesting [ he'll ruin it somehow ] ; stupidly grateful after the stress of a long day . he can't lie and say he wasn't expecting anything , because that's not how this pretty bird works , but the reveal still makes his pulse stutter . handle with care . thumb across the delicate lines , feel the press into the pad . his grin is small , soft . he twists , peeking near slyly over his own shoulder . ❝ one of yours , hot stuff ? ❞

𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐋 , and the automatic downward pull of his mouth that comes with it fights against a fonder grin . he neutrals as he unpeels the bow [ speedy red , ha ] , and prompt in flicking it neatly at kyle's nose . ❝ cute , rayner . donna make sure you got the rsvp ? ❞

donna, wally, roy