"I want to go back and try another escape room. Between the two of us, we can totally beat the standing record." Quentin laughed as he set his small bags of magnets and keepsakes on the coffee table. "I'm glad you dragged me away to the carousel, though. And that you let me ride the dragon."
Really, the only thing they'd skipped was the virtual roller coaster (it looked silly) and the mirror maze (Traumaville, population one Quentin Coldwater)—okay, and most of the food, too, except for the most ridiculous sundae and a pretzel stick. Not necessarily in that order. Even at night, the pier was gorgeous, all brightly lit and the water lapping at its supports and sides in just out of sight. Q hadn't stopped smiling the entire night, but he had to admit knee-defeat a few short hours in. "I'm glad we kept the picnic basket here after all."
"We do make a pretty good team." Louis locked the door then sat his bag on the table. "Who doesn't like a carousel no matter how old they are? Like two hundred and something old vampires." He grinned as he pulled off his jacket and hung it. "It's your birthday. You got to ride any animal you wanted." He'd gone for the giraffe himself.
Quentin's birthday had been a big success so far. It was good to see the man smiling and laughing so much. It got to him in the best way. It was the most fun Louis had had since being in San Francisco. "Why don't you go change and I'll get things ready out here." Actually changing into his comfy pajamas sounded pretty good to the vampire, but he wanted to get things set up first.
"Yeah, okay." Quentin only paused on the way to Louis's bedroom to whisper in his ear. "For the record, you're the one I want to ride the most." Figuratively, of course, but they both knew that. He kissed his vampire's cheek and did his best to hurry through the pj-changing-into process. And of course, he kept getting caught up in the random moments they'd shared throughout the evening. If he shut his eyes, he could almost still taste the hot fudge and strawberries from his sundae.
Thoughts of his discussion with Margo floated through his head as they were wont to do whenever he considered sleeping with Louis again. They slowed his progress a little. His magical source pool was incredibly small, and he didn't have a library to fall back on—either the Brakebills or of-the-Neitherlands variety. Q shook his head. He was being ridiculous, and there was a hot guy out there being a sweetheart who was waiting for him. After leaning down to snag one last thing, he emerged from the bedroom in a pair of sleep shorts that were a little shorter than usual and a t-shirt that actually fit. "Hey, so, I remembered what you said the other day. About brushing your hair. So I thought, tonight? I'd like to."
The vampire smiled and knew if able, he would be blushing deep red. "Such things you say, Quentin." He got to him like no one else. Admittedly he liked the flirting. Q could be shy, but he was more bold than Louis was.
Louis spread a blanket over the floor then went to the kitchen where he made a plate of food for Quentin with what he'd bought. It was simple: chicken salad on a croissant, fruit, a little bit of cheese and some wine. Everything was set on a tray before the food was put away in the fridge. He took the tray to sit on the blanket before going back to the kitchen to retrieve his blood and a cupcake that had two candles in it. The second tray was sat near Quentin's. The gifts for his boyfriend were set off to the side. He smiled when Quentin returned looking very comfortable. "Look at those legs," he grinned, teasing a little. "You remembered. I'd like that very much." He walked up to Quentin and gave him a sweet kiss. "I'm going to change and I'll be right back. Go ahead and sit. If you need anything, let me know when I come back."
The observation was received with a slight blush. And their latest kiss was one of an innumerable amount they'd exchanged throughout the night, but Quentin still wanted to linger in each one. Even as he surveyed Louis's culinary offerings, his stomach made clear his level of interest by gurgling audibly. Q clamped a hand over it and laughed. "This looks really amazing. Thank you. Again and again and again."
He made a shooing motion with his hands before dropping to sit gingerly, careful of his knee. It wasn't difficult to find a comfortable position; it was far more difficult not to pick off a couple of grapes and munch on them along with a bit of the cheese. His attention snagged on Louis's own cup, which brought up another memory of the things they'd talked about lately. He shivered. Eliot's disapproval practically screamed in his head. So did Margo's, for that matter. He looked up when Louis came back in and smiled slowly. "Hi, I missed you."
Absolutely ridiculous.
Louis changed into his pajamas then grabbed two of the pillows off his bed before heading back to the living room. A smile graced his face at Quentin’s words. It gave him that warm fuzzy feeling all over. “I missed you too.” Maybe it was silly, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t true. “I brought pillows for your knee.” He moved to kneel down and carefully lift his boyfriend's leg then slide the pillows underneath and carefully placed it down upon the softer surface.
He situated himself beside Quentin then reached for the cupcake on his tray. He placed two candles in it, then lit them. Turning to face the other man, he began to sing. "Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear, Quentin, happy birthday to you. Make a wish,” he smiled, holding the cupcake up to Quentin.
The care Louis showed could have felt coddling, but all Quentin felt was gratitude. He shifted just a little for maximum comfort and leaned in to kiss Louis's shoulder, murmuring a hushed, "Thanks. You've really thought of everything, huh?"
And that was especially true of the cupcakes and the candles. A pleased kind of warmth moved through him, and right then there was only one thing Q really wanted as he blew out the candles: I wish he could walk in the sun with me forever.
He smiled softly at Louis. "I can't remember the last time I've had such a great birthday. What should we do after we eat? A movie? I could sit on the couch and play with your hair?"
"I don't know about everything," he smiled, closing his eyes and inhaling Quentin's scent. "I just want you to have an amazing birthday." He nuzzled against his cheek. "Thank you for letting me celebrate it with you."
Louis was tempted to ask what the other had wished for, but that would mean the wish wouldn't come true. He was smiling again. The vampire thought Quentin's friends probably would have done something better or more elaborate, but for once he didn't let that bother him. He'd had fun and was still having a good time and Quentin's compliment spoke for itself. "If you'd like. It's your birthday you get to choose what to do. As for the hair, though? I could brush and play with yours, if you'd like that." He reached for the tumbler that held his blood and took a drink from the straw.
For a moment, all Quentin could do was watch: the bob of Louis's throat, the subtle change in his skin tone, the way his eyes briefly fluttered shut. His mind was thrown back to their conversation about what it could be like in the heat of the moment. Q swallowed and looked back up, his own flush deep and dark and embarrassed. There was no way Louis would ever let himself do that—even if Quentin asked him. He ate another bite of his sandwich and gave every appearance of really thinking about his decision, even though he'd already made it. "I want to brush yours tonight. I love the way it feels between my fingers, almost like water. Maybe in the morning, before we go to sleep, you can do mine then. Yeah, that's what I want to do."
It was all so simple, but no less intimate because of it. He made sure his lips were crumb free before he leaned in and brazenly stole a kiss after gently nudging Louis's chin toward him.
"Then that's what you shall get. No ones ever brushed my hair. Well, not since I was a child." He grinned and drank more from the tumbler. "I've heard it's very relaxing." Maybe even intimate.
Louis was about to speak again when he felt Quentin nudge his chin toward him. He thought the man simply wanted his attention, but then he went in for a kiss. The vampire flinched a little and pulled away, staring for a moment at his boyfriend. "I...I'm sorry. You kissed me. I mean, I'm drinking blood. I didn't think you'd want to kiss me." Anytime he drank blood and had plans with Quentin he always brushed his teeth before they met up. "I just wasn't expecting it." He looked down then back up. "I'm sorry." He felt bad, but he wasn't used to anyone kissing him while feeding or right after.
Almost reflexively, as soon as Louis mentioned the possibility, Quentin's tongue flicked out against his lips. All he got was butter and a bit of celery, though. He could kind of understand his boyfriend's misgivings. Really, Q should have asked first. He brushed his thumb against the corner of Louis's mouth and gave him a tiny smile. "Hey, no, no apologies. I didn't taste anything other than my own really delicious sandwich. I'm really sorry that I made you uncomfortable. But, Louis, I want to kiss you whenever, okay? The blood drinking? It's really no different than if you'd just had a cocktail or taken a bite of your dinner. You need it to live, right? It'd be a pretty shitty thing if I judged you for something like that. Which I don't, for the record."
He shook his head. "No, you didn't make me uncomfortable. I didn't want you to be uncomfortable or taste blood. Most people don't want that. They might quickly suck their finger if they get a cut, but..." He shook his head again and looked at Quentin. "Why are you so sweet and understanding all the time?" He chuckled a little. "I already know the answer and shouldn't ask. Thank you for being you. And okay, if you want to kiss me whenever then you can." As long as his boyfriend was okay with kissing if he was drinking, then Louis was as well.
Louis leaned in and kissed Quentin tenderly. "It's time for the birthday boy's presents." He smiled then turned and reached for them then sat a bag and wrapped box in front of him. Inside the bag were a set of fantasy novels Curly Q had recommended and a t-shirt he thought would be perfect for Quentin.
Inside the box was a gift he really hoped Quentin would like and that it would make him smile and maybe even chuckle a little.
Any thoughts of the typical you didn't have to fled from Quentin's head as he opened each gift, but especially the last one. An honest-to-god giggle bubbled out of him at the mug, and he couldn't stop grinning. "This is absolutely perfect! I love it. Thank you! And I've been eyeing these books for a while, but there's a slight problem with the shirt." His eyes dipped and he bit his lip almost coquettishly. "It's not entirely accurate. What I'd really rather be doing is kissing you. Y'know, if I had to choose."
Louis felt a little nervous as Quentin opened his gifts, but his smile grew so wide it felt like it was going to crack his cheeks when he pulled out the mug and laughed. It was sort of bubbly laughter that lit up his face. "I'm so glad you like them. The mug is perfect for you." His face fell when the other said there was a problem with the shirt. "Is it too small? Too big?" Maybe he didn't like the design. He laughed out loud more from relief than anything.
"Oh, you!" He leaned in to kiss Quentin again and again. "You already have permission to kiss me whenever. Should I get you a t-shirt that says I'd rather be kissing Louis, my boyfriend?" He smiled against the others lips. "You're so cute. I'm keeping you."
"Yes," Q replied a little breathlessly between kisses, "that is also acceptable." This moment felt too good to be true, and was all the more precious because it was real. He kind of wanted to abandon his food and drag Louis into the bedroom, but he didn't want any of his efforts to go to waste so he basically inhaled the rest and finished off the fruit with only a minimal amount of slightly lascivious licking of his own fingertips.
Okay, so he could be truly shameless when he wanted to be.
"I know I mentioned watching a movie, but at this point my brain is too full of you to think of what I want to watch." Q grinned at him and started clearing his plate; the cupcake was to be saved for a bit later. With any luck, he'd be able to deliver some chocolate flavored kisses in the very near future. "I'm open to suggestions?"
"I didn't realize you were that hungry," Louis teased. He finished off most of the blood then stood only kneel back down to pick up Quentin's tray and his own to take them to the kitchen.
"Oh sure, blame me." He grinned and sat back down right beside Quentin then reached for his hand and laced their fingers. "I'll have to think on some." He grew silent for a few moments. "Can I ask you something? How long has it been since you were intimate with someone? I know we were that one night, but before that." He was curious. Perhaps being a bit nosy, but he wanted to know everything about the man he was dating.
Q was momentarily stunned into silence, but he didn't pull away. His past relationships weren't a secret, but they were all fairly recent even when they didn't feel like it occasionally. He had to really think about being with Eliot. Funny how it was hard to remember the last time when he had no way of knowing it was the last time. "I don't know if I could give you an exact date or anything, but it's been a few months. And before that?"
Now Quentin really furrowed his brow. Had it really been Poppy during the Key quest? God, it really had. He dragged his free hand roughly down his face, then shook his head. "I'm not even sure I know that for certain. It had to have been way longer. I lost, like, three months being someone else, and I just didn't have the time or the bandwidth for any kind of relationship, let alone the sexual kind. Like, sure, I'm not remotely a virgin, but I wouldn't say my proverbial dance card has ever been anything like full. Why do you ask?"
“I was curious. Is that a strange question to ask?” The vampire certainly couldn’t say he knew the dating etiquette in this age and time. He only knew he felt comfortable in asking and talking with Quentin about nearly anything. “That and I want to know everything about you. It surprises me that your proverbial dance card hasn’t ever been full. You’re handsome, sweet, kind, funny, intelligent, patient— what’s not to like? Who wouldn’t want that?”
He did wonder more so why Quentin and Eliot hadn’t worked. Quentin had used the word complicated about the man. Both Quentins had, but neither gave any great detail as to what that meant. Maybe it was the whole jealous thing. He wasn’t excessively jealous of him, but the feeling was still there. Eliot had been nice enough when he’d met him at the birthday dinner, but he didn’t recall him talking as much as the others.
“Tell me more about you that I don’t know. Anything you want to share. Curly Q called himself a super depressed nerd, are you as well?” Because the word depressed had caught his attention and they were the same person so to speak.
Q didn't answer at first. He let each bout of questions roll into one as he tried to formulate something coherent. Talking about his mental health wasn't exactly the most exciting thing in the world, but his reluctance didn't come from a place of shame. If anything, those kinds of discussions usually made other people uncomfortable, so he just didn't mention it. Louis was right, however. They'd agreed to be open and honest with each other, so that's just what Quentin would do. "See, the thing about clinical depression is that I never really know what might set it off. I'm not manic, and I don't have a diagnosed anxiety disorder, but I've got elements of both rattling around in that brain pan of mine."
He tapped the side of his head with a wry smile. This wasn't exactly the way he'd pictured his birthday going, but he could roll with it. "The fact that you think I'm… all the things you listed just means I'm doing a better job of being present in our relationship than I have been in— possibly ever? Things with Eliot… I don't know. I still don't know. I never seemed to be able to say anything that didn't hurt him or irritate him. We seemed to have gotten off on the wrong foot since day one, and never quite found the right one, even though it seemed like we had. It just all sort of went to hell, much like all my other relationships, because sometimes I can be an absolute dick. And so this is me: trying to learn from my mistakes and be better. Do better. The last thing I want to do is hurt you, Louis."
That Quentin was being so open, so vulnerable, touched Louis deeply. "I love all of you Quentin. The silly/the serious, the good/the bad, the sweet/the sour. Thank you for sharing your mental health struggles with me. I'm always here for you. If There's ever anything I can do for you all you have to do is ask." Learning this about his boyfriend made certain things make more sense.
Louis moved to cup Quentin's cheek, thumb gently brushing over it. "I think you're a wonderful boyfriend. You listen to me, you try to always be there for me and you are. You're sweet and kind to me. I don't know about you being an absolute dick at times, but the way I see it we all can be. Just as we all have good and bad days." He leaned in close. "And this is me getting ready to kiss you because you're beautiful on the inside and outside." He closed the gap between them in deep kiss, putting all he felt for the man into it.
The first few words out of Louis's mouth hit him like a bolt. It wasn't quite the three little words, but it was close enough to make Quentin feel hot and shivery. He could only barely mumble a quiet, "I feel the same," before he was being kissed so thoroughly it left him breathless. It was like being engulfed in tidal wave of emotions, and Q didn't have it in him to want to try to kick toward the surface anytime soon. Abandoning all restraint, he climbed into Louis's lap and buried his fingers in his hair. Something hungry pulled a groan from the back of his throat, and he smiled against his boyfriend's mouth. "Happy birthday to me."
To be honest Louis hadn't really thought about those three words in that sense exactly. He did love everything about Quentin. He was so good to him, and he often wondered if he was good enough for Quentin, if he deserved such a man. Those thoughts went out the window the moment his boyfriend climbed into his lap and fingers curled roughly into his hair as they kissed. The vampire returned the smile, still hearing that groan fill his ears. "Happy, happy birthday," he murmured, nuzzling against his throat until he reached his neck. He pressed a kiss to the warm flesh and felt his pulse point beat against his lips. It was intoxicating. It would be easy to...
He pulled away instead and devoured Quentin's lips once more, tangling their tongues in mix of a dance and a battle. His hand found its way to soft locks and pulled with more intent and pressure than he intended, pulling his head to the side. "Bedroom… I-I think we should go to the bedroom."
"Yeah," Q breathed, a rough, shivery sound that didn't have a ghost of a chance of conveying his current enthusiasm. "Yeah, we should definitely do that."