Karl didn't even glance at the gaily -- and rather clumsily -- wrapped package Lawrence sat in front of him. "Yeah, thanks," he said, blowing on his coffee to cool it. "What's wrong?" Karl shrugged, sighing as he looked up in concerned eyes. "ThinkHarryforgot," he mumbled. "Come again?" "Harry. Forgot. My birthday." "Thought he was in London." Lawrence frowned, getting up to pour himself a cup from the coffeepot on the counter. He didn't bother to ask where the cups were. "Yeah." Karl sighed again, well aware he was in the first stages of a full-on sulk. Bit lowering, but there it was. His mum had always told him not to suppress his emotions. "But he hasn't called since yesterday morning." "Well, it's a different timezone, innit? Different day, even, I think." Lawrence tugged on a lock of Karl's hair as he sat back down, pouring a generous amount of milk into his cup. "He'll call. Stop moping about." "Yeah. Alright." Easier said than done. *** "Expecting a call, dear?" "Hmm, what?" Karl set his cellphone by his plate, smiled into hazel eyes that perfectly matched his. "You keep looking at your phone." "Do I?" Karl stared at the phone for a second before shrugging. "Sorry." "It's alright...isn't it?" "Yeah, Mum, it's fine." Karl picked up his fork and forced the smile. *** Karl winced when his ball plopped into the pond on the 12th hole. "Ooh, nasty bit of luck there," Marton stated, wincing in sympathy. "Wind's wicked today." Karl snorted. "Only thing that's wicked today is my piss-poor game." Marton fell into step beside Karl, hefting his golf bag over his shoulder. "Well, since you brought it up...everything alright?" "Yeah. Sorry." "Your birthday, you can suck if you want to. It's just...y'know...you normally don't." Karl set his bag down and took out the four-iron, testing his swing. "Mind's not on the game, I guess." "We don't have to play." "May as well." Karl placed his ball on the edge of the green, eyeballed the distance to the hole. "Not like I'm doing anything else." "Harry still out of town?" Marton asked, retying his flyaway hair. "Yeah." Karl's reply was tinged with sadness. Perhaps he'd hear from Harry after dinner with Dom and Viggo. *** One or two (or several, he'd lost count) too many celebratory drinks with the guys later, Karl stumbled up the steps, rather pleased that he only dropped his keys once when he unlocked the door. "Honeyyyyyyyy," he called to the empty hallway, "I'm hoooooome!" "'Bout time." Did...just...what? Karl squinted at the walls. They hadn't? Had they? Right? He wasn't that fucking drunk. "Hello?" "Hey." Not the walls, but Harry. Standing at the end of the hallway in jeans, a t-shirt, and that damn floppy hat Karl loved so much. He looked exhausted, haggard, like he might be coming down with a cold. He was the most beautiful thing Karl had ever seen. "Happy birt --" The rest of Harry's greeting was cut off by a pair of very enthusiastic lips covering his. Harry tasted of cigarette smoke, old coffee, and peppermint -- and Karl made a happy little sound of satisfaction as he fisted his hands in Harry's shirt and deepened the kiss. Finally. "Thought you'd forgotten," Karl mumbled, burying his face in the crook of Harry's shoulder. Karl could feel, rather than see, Harry's smile. "Well, that's just silly. 'Course I remembered. It's always the 7th, innit?" "Yeah," Karl replied, chuckling. "Last time I checked." "Suppose that's supposed to make it easier to remember." Harry's lips were warm on Karl's forehead. "I know I can't top last year, but that doesn't mean I forgot altogether. Caught every connecting flight I could to get here on time." "Did you?" Karl snuggled into Harry's embrace, had a fleeting thought of puppies, but suppressed it. His birthday. He could wiggle around all puppy-like if he felt like it. "'Bout killed me last year. All that icing." "Had fun, though." "Yeah, we did." Karl smiled up into Harry's smile. "We could skip straight to dessert if you'd like." "Nice idea, that. Very nice. Can it wait until I've showered?" "Only if I can wash your back." "It's your birthday, cricket." Harry's smile was warm against Karl's neck. "You can have whatever you'd like." Karl's answering kiss was soft, lingering. "Can't think of a better gift than you."
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