bakerstreet | Shipping Picture ♡ ｐｒｏｍｐｔｓ!

I'm fine, [he texts back after having told the waitress that he'd like the bill, so there's a brief moment of pause on his end,] I just had to come in at 3am because some paperwork needed to be done urgently, so I left early, too. [All the truth; the paperwork needed to be done before the weekend, which meant that he had to do it before flying out.]

And of course I know your birthday. You worked for me, remember ;) [He had access to her application. Which contained her birthday.]

[ The waitress nods and goes to get his check. It doesn’t take no more than a few minutes before she’s back and handing it off to him.

As for Rey....she’s still concerned. ]

Paperwork at 3am?? What did you forget? Tax work?

[ Which really doesn’t sound like him. He doesn’t forget paperwork!! And it’s not like he would suddenly hire someone at 3 in the morning. No, she has to trust him and take him at his word.]

Of course I remember, but it wasn’t a big deal then?

I

sorry, there's someone at the door.

BRB.

[There's a fairly lengthy pause as he pays, puts on his coats, takes his things and walks down the two streets to Rey's new place. He takes a moment to arrange himself, making sure that the roses haven't suffered too much since he bought them at the airport, and then rings her bell.]

[Well, it wasn't like Rey could do much with Wolke telling her he'd be right back. She was still concerned, but she couldn't exactly do much as she was across the country. She closed his message on her phone and started to scroll through a food app, debating if she wanted to make something or order take out.

Nothing looked appealing, but she was starting to get cold. Rey forced herself off her couch to grab an old sweater, throwing it on when she heard her doorbell. Odd...but, she does go to the door, unlocking it and slowly pulling it open--]

Wolke?

[He...her boyfriend. At her apartment door. Her eyes zoom in on his face and not whatever else he's carrying with him.

Surprised is an understatement.]

What...are you doing here?

[Does not compute. Does not compute.]

I told you that there's someone at the door, [he points out with a grin.

And then will absolutely use her surprise to steal a kiss, even if it's just a peck on the lips because this is not necessarily the best place to stand (certainly not the driest) and also because he has something to hand to her first.

Which would be the roses - a nice, full bouquet, that he now presents to her.] Happy birthday. I thought I'd crash your one-person-birthday-party. [He was very much not surprised when she told him that she wasn't planning anything - from what he had heard over the last years, it had always been her friends who did something if anything happened at all for her birthdays.]

[Wolke will have to forgive Rey. The surprise has certainly stunned her to the point of being speechless and unable to kiss him back. She does have the brain power to take the roses from him, but that's about it. There's a two second delay before it clicks that he's here...

For her.

For her birthday....]

You did all of this...for me? [She gestures for him to come inside, and gives him enough space to do it...but now she feels her eyes start to sting...nope, not going to cry.]

I wasn't going to have a party. Just talk to you on the phone...and tell you how much I've missed you.

[Okay, tears might be filling her eyes a little..]

[He steps inside, and gives her enough space to close the door in turn while taking his wet coat off. He doesn't want to get her soggy.

But then he stops, not proceeding any further, and just wraps her into a tight hug.]

I figured you weren't. I've been told they've always been organized for you, if they happened. [Which is part of why he reasoned that it was safe to not tell her about his plan in advance. No risk of her not being home in the evening.] So I came instead. Have a two-person-party?

[Or something like that. They can see what they want to do.]

[Finn took care of planning things for her birthday, even if it was small things from a card to getting the rest of the cafe involved. If it wasn't him then Rose. Prior to both of them entering her life, Rey didn't celebrate her birthday. She didn't see it as a big deal and it was more lonely than anything for her.

This year was even more so as she was away from friends and those she considered family--including someone she was growing more and more fond of each day.

The same someone who flew half way across the country to stand in front of her doorstep with flowers in hand.

She wrapped her arms around him, trying to return the tight embrace without dropping the beautiful flowers and buried her face in the crook of his shoulder. She didn't need a two-person-party, or any party. Having Wolke here with her was more than enough. So much in fact, that the tears she was trying to keep at bay were starting to slide down her cheeks.]

This is more than I could've hoped for, Wolke. [She had been missing him terribly, and lately had been clinging more to her pillow for comfort, picturing that it was him she was holding. She turned her head slightly, pressing a kiss to his cheek.]

[He chuckles softly at that, burying his face in her hair.]

Well, I'm glad you don't mind me surprising you like this.

[He'd wondered if it would be a good idea. Some people really hate surprises, after all, and he wanted to make her evening better, not worse. But also... he figured that she'd probably feel compelled to tell him that he shouldn't come if he told her ahead of time, out of some form of obligation to work and because she didn't want to impose. And then it would have turned into a dance of not wanting to disrespect her wishes but also feeling like she would be happier if he came anyway.]

[Wolke knew her very well. If he told her in advance that he wanted to visit her for her birthday, she would've protested. She would have told him the cafe was more important, or that he could do something else. Her birthday wasn't the most important thing--but it had been his birthday, then she would've done something for him. Flown out to see him, or sent him an expensive present or...or something else to make up for the last few weeks (or months) of separation.

She continued to hold him, trying hard to let more tears fall down her face. He had done this for her, and the feelings she had for him were stronger than she ever wanted to admit. The same feelings that she had to push down when she boarded that plane after saying goodbye.

Fuck...she loved him, didn't she?]

No...I don't.

[Rey murmured into his shoulder. After a moment, she took a deep breath before slowly pulling away. She sniffed and tried to quickly wipe away her tears.]

I haven't made dinner yet, but the fridge is pretty well stocked. We can make dinner, if you like? [And she should put the flowers in a vase--crap did she even have a vase big enough for the flowers? Fuck it, she'd figure it out.]

Sounds good.

Or we could order take-out. If you know any good place around here.

[He's been awake since butt-o-clock in the morning and then traveller half the day, he really isn't in the mood for much cooking if he has to be honest. He'd much rather just spend time with her on the sofa, lots of cuddle and maybe some making out and most of all just holding her. Having her there. Hearing her voice without the slightly tinny tinge that even modern communication forms still create.

Leaning down, he gently kisses the tears off her cheeks.] I'm here now.

[Rey should have known Wolke would be exhausted, from waking up early to handle business at the cafe (which now made complete sense) to traveling cross country to see her. Take-out would be the best option, and honestly, it didn't matter to her what they ate at this point. She was just so happy to see him. To be able to touch and hold him, rather than seeing his face on a digital screen and hearing his voice.]

Take-out then..

[She could find a menu some where, and cuddling was very much in order. Wolke might be happy to know she had upgraded her bed from a small twin to a queen sized mattress. More than enough room for the two of them--like hell he was going to sleep on her couch.

The gentle brush of his lips on her tear-stained cheeks only made her eyes water further. A weak smile tugged at the corners of her lips, and she found her walls had come down around him.]

I know...[Rey began in soft tones, and found herself continuing on in a much quieter voice, words that slipped past her lips without much thought.] And I love you for it.

[He hums softly, pulling her into an even tighter hug for just a moment. They both have their hang-ups about those words, and they very rarely get spoken - rarely even acknowledged - on both their parts. He's still not entirely sure what hers are, though from what he assumes its about early abandonment and a lack of believing herself truly a worthy target of that kind of sentiment. The second of which is obviously ridiculous, but he isn't a fool enough to dismiss it. He can be an arsehole when needed, but not that kind of arsehole (unless it is needed, perhaps, but see tenet one).

Wolke himself has said it only two or three times, too, and always in kind of liminal situations - times and places so far removed from the daily grind of things that they it can stay there. He's just not certain if such a big, grand thing as love is something he can really allow himself. He's seen people do way too many stupid things for it.

And yes, that might be committent issues and his own abandonment speaking, and he is somewhat aware of that, but still - the point stands. People throw away careers, get themselves into debt, invite danger into their lives... people are stupid when love comes into the equation.

Coming here holds a bit of that stupidity. Spending so much money and time just on being here for a little time. Still, he wouldn't have done it differently. Because that big, scary word... maybe it really does apply, beyond being spoken.

Even so, he cannot make himself say it in return. Instead he says:] I'm glad to hear that.

[Rey wasn't expecting to hear those words repeated back to her. On one hand, she didn't say them back to Wolke initially, it was only "fair" he didn't say them to her right away. On the other hand, he had already told her how he felt. He didn't need to repeat the words if he didn't want to, nor would she force him to. The way he hugged her a little tighter, and the fact he flew thousands of miles to visit her...

That spoke volumes.

They had their hang ups. They grappled with what love is, and how it could apply to them--or if it could apply to them. They were working towards a future together, that's what mattered. Maybe they could say those words more often, but in the times he told her, whispered it to her, she's treasured it, kept it filed away in her mind and replayed those memories when she was at her lowest. Memories that gave her strength and helped curb the loneliness she felt when she first moved to this new city.

Rey squeezed Wolke just as tight, pressing a kiss just below his ear.] I know.

[Tears were still pricking at the corners of her eyes, but she was going to do her best to not let any more fall. Rather, she focuses on pulling away from him to take him by the hand to the couch--after making a minor detour to place the flowers atop her small table.

At the couch, Rey wasted no time in cuddling up next to him, tucking both legs under her and taking out her phone to look through a few places that were still open to order from.]

I think our best options at this point are pizza or Chinese for take-out. I'm good with either or--and it's on me. You've done more than enough by coming here, Wolke.

[He's not going to push that one. Instead, he's going to settle around her, comfortable and content and happy that she received all of this so well.]

Pizza sounds good. It's easier to eat with an arm around you, [he tells her with a grin. It's half teasing, half serious - like he's going to let go of her more than necessary while he can have her there.]

Or, other option. I could feed you. [Teasing right back, but also with a hint of seriousness because she doesn't want to let go of him either, or have him let go of her.

Whatever it is, they'll figure it out, but for now she recalls what some of Wolke's favorite toppings are and orders a few of those on the pizza. She's not picky, and anything right now would be fine. After placing her order, she set her phone down and turn to hug her boyfriend completely.

So. Much. Better.]

Mh, I feel like that would slow everything down quite a lot. [He slides an arm around her waist and pulls her a bit closer, a bit on top of him. Not quite initiating anything - partly also because he is actually exhausted and hungry and would like to refuel - but enough to imply all kinds of things.

The sparkle in his eyes helps, half teasing, half daring her to call him out on it.] We might get terribly distracted halfway through.

[Rey raised an eyebrow at Wolke, wondering what he was getting at. Just a moment ago he said he was knackered. Now, he was teasing her feeding him could cause them to get distracted. He pulled her closer to him, making Rey shift so she could be on top of him. Stars, she missed being able to cuddle with him, falling asleep to his heart beating...or waking him with soft kisses to the crook of his neck.

Little things she took for granted before, but swore she wouldn't again.]

You might get distracted. I won't. [Rey fired back. Did he forget she knew how to multi-task? That is, when she had more than enough sleep, and able to focus on what needed to get done.]

Besides, shouldn't you save your energy for after dinner? [She asked with a slight tilt of her head, eyes twinkling with the some mischief and excitement. Could she have one more present for her birthday? A night to reconnect with her boyfriend, and fall asleep the same way they had the first time? Naked and holding each other?]

And how could I not get distracted? Just look at what I'm dealing with... [He wraps a strand of her hair around his finger and kisses it before letting it unravel again.]

...anyone might get distracted by how cute you are. [Not that her being good looking is the primary appeal. Even though it is as well, of course. But looks without a personality - well, he would joke, he's got that covered. What it means, at least, is that he knows how deceptive looks can be. But Rey is honest, and straightforward, and hardworking, and, he'd say, the kind of person that the heroine of a story that he'd want his children to read is made of.

...not that he would say that out loud because right now, they should shelve that thought still. Not there yet. But maybe one day...] Might be safer to order pizza after all.

Shipping Picture ♡ ｐｒｏｍｐｔｓ!

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