happy birthday, george

[atehimrightup]

Lee has never put much stock into birthdays. His own never really mattered to him, because it never really mattered to anyone else. He would always try to get something for Kayla on her birthday, but that was about the extent of it.

All that is to say that Lee feels woefully prepared to plan a birthday for his-- whatever George is. Boyfriend? That feels so juvenile, like it isn't important enough.

He stresses about it more than he probably needs to, but he's never had the opportunity to celebrate something like this with someone he cares about. Which is already sort of a big deal, but George was the lover of a literal king and was undoubtedly showered with expensive gifts on a regular basis. Lee has no idea how to compete with that, even though he can hear George's voice in his head telling him that it isn't a competition. Which is good, because he'd probably lose.

The actual night isn't much of a problem. He comes up with a plan pretty easily, one that's simple but romantic, he thinks. It's the gift that's the problem. Because nothing in this whole goddamn city is good enough for George. Nothing that he can afford, anyway.

Just days before, he still hasn't found anything and he's getting sort of desperate. He distracts himself by going on a hunt because he really does need to eat, which sort of just makes him feel worse because of the guilt. But the guy is (was) a verified scumbag and women walking alone at night will be safer without him around, so he doesn't feel too bad.

In the guy's pocket is a receipt for a pawn shop that Lee has never heard of, so he goes to check it out the next day. It's in a terrible part of town and there isn't really even a sign. Inside it's dusty and unorganized and Lee just assumes it's some sort of front for something else. Still, he decides to look around while some guy comes out from the back and eyes him with wary suspicion, like he's surprised to see someone in the shop at all.

He finds a dusty jewelry display case and heads toward it hopefully, crouching down in front of it. Inside are mostly gold chains and tennis bracelets, all generic shit that wouldn't suit George at all, and he's about to give up when he spots a blue velvet box tucked back into a corner, half-hidden under a gaudy necklace. It looks like earrings and Lee rises to his feet and coolly asks to take a look at them, not wanting to show any excitement and inadvertently drive the price up. He knows how these places operate.

The guy takes them out of the case and Lee picks them up, doing his best to keep a placid expression even though he's pretty sure he just found what he's looking for. The box looks well-preserved but very old, as do the earrings themselves. He has no idea if the stones are real, but they look like it. There's a small piece of yellowed paper tucked inside, and when Lee discreetly unfolds it he finds elegant cursive scrawl and, most importantly, it's dated 1827. That confirms that they’re old, probably very old, and this guy doesn’t seem to really realize what he has. They're perfect.

Lee is prepared to use every trick in his arsenal to haggle a deal, but it's not even that hard. The guy seems wholly uninterested in this alleged business, and Lee is annoying and persistent, so he ends up getting them for a price that, while painful, won't leave him destitute. When he leaves the shop, earrings tucked carefully into his pocket, he feels lighter than he has in days.

George's birthday comes and they sleep in, then fuck a few times and sleep some more. Lee makes them a late lunch and then tells George that he needs to go run a few errands before they go to dinner, but there's an obvious twinkle in his eye. He leaves George's apartment and goes to his own where he's left all the supplies, and then goes and sets everything up before heading back toward George's building, texting him and telling him to come downstairs, even as he parks and gets out to go meet him by the elevators in the lobby.

He's nervous, but he thinks that this might actually go well. He might actually pull it off.

Comments

[gallowseyes]

"Mmmmm..." He makes a soft sound against Lee's lips. "I want to get a little drunk and fuck and swim and fuck again." He leans back, grinning. "That's what else I want for my birthday."

[atehimrightup]

Lee laughs at that, moving in closer so he can wrap his arm around George’s shoulders and nuzzle at his cheek, kissing his way over to his ear and brushing his lips against the lobe before George pulls back enough to look at him.

“I feel like I can probably make that happen,” he says in a low voice, nudging their noses together. “I also brought weed. And yes,” he continues, kissing George again. “We can sleep in the truck.”

[gallowseyes]

"I'd take stoned over drunk," he says, chasing after another kiss. He's never felt so able to be himself as he is around Lee. Like he doesn't have to pretend to be anything other than what he is. It's glorious. "But I definitely want to swim. And fuck."

[atehimrightup]

“We can get stoned and go swimming,” Lee assures him, smiling and shifting his weight so he can pull the plastic tube holding the joint and his lighter out of his pocket.

“And then we’ll see about the rest of it,” he teases with a smirk, curling his hand around the back of George’s neck and pulling him for another kiss, this one deeper and full of promise.

[gallowseyes]

"Because that part usually takes so much persuading on either of our parts," he says, nipping at Lee's bottom lip before he lies back, watching his weight on his elbows. "I really do love it here. It feels a little like where I grew up."

[atehimrightup]

“Yeah, you’ll have to try and get me in the mood,” he says dryly, slipping the joint between his lips and lighting it, inhaling deeply and turning to straddle George’s lap, leaning down to exhale the smoke into his mouth.

“Does it?” He asks curiously, lifting his head to look around. “I really do love it out here. It’s better with you.”

[gallowseyes]

Lee settles across his hips and George's hands slide up his thighs as he inhales fragrant smoke.

"Yes," he says. "The water. The trees. I like it better with you, though."

[atehimrightup]

“Mm, maybe you’ll have to bring your stable boy out here sometime,” he says with a smirk, fully expecting George to tease him for it. He takes another deep inhale and brushes his lips against George’s as he exhales, holding the joint aside as they share the smoke back and forth between kisses.

He pulls back and puts the end of the joint between George’s lips, thumbing at the corner of his mouth. Even though George is sitting right under him, he still feels too beautiful to be real.

“Think you’ll ever get sick of me telling you how hot you are?” He teases, grinning widely. He suspects he knows the answer to that one.

[gallowseyes]

"Mmmmm," says George, taking one hand away from Lee to hold the joint. "Fuck him into the grass and remind him who pays his keep." He pinches Lee's hip lightly through his shirt. "Gremlin."

He grins at the next comment, exhaling as he shakes his head.

"Never."

[atehimrightup]

“You have to show him who’s boss sometimes,” Lee replies solemnly, though he laughs and squirms when George pinches it. “You love it.”

He takes the joint back and turns his head a little to take a drag, keeping his eyes on George’s as he does.

“It’s literally stupid how beautiful you are,” he says with his lungs full of smoke, leaning in to share it with George. “It doesn’t even make sense.”

[gallowseyes]

"It's like you don't see yourself," he says, his hand slipping up under Lee's shirt to press against bare skin. "How beautiful you are. Why do you think I was so easy to fuck, that first time?" He smiles. "Look at you."

[atehimrightup]

“You say that like you’re hard to fuck under any circumstance,” Lee jokes in an attempt to deflect from the compliment, taking one more drag before leaning over to stub out the joint and set the rest aside for later.

Still, there’s a faint blush on his cheeks and he smiles as George’s hand slides up under the back of his shirt. He knows that he isn’t ugly, but he has a hard time seeing himself like George does.

“I almost didn’t go out to that bar that night,” Lee admits, feeling the languid buzz of the weed as it takes hold. He touches George’s face, tracing the curve of his ear and touching the earring with a soft smile.

[gallowseyes]

"Maybe not as easy as I used to be," he says, because it's been a creeping realisation. He scratches his nails lightly against Lee's skin. "And I'm glad you did. Imagine how many things would be different."

Drifting, a little, from the weed, he's never been this content.

[atehimrightup]

It’s not hard to figure out what George means by that, and it sends a sweeping warmth through him. In the beginning, there were times when Lee would try to hit him up and George would be out already, but that hasn’t happened in a long time.

With the exception of Alex, it’s been a long time since he’s been with anyone else either. He doesn’t want either of them to feel caged, but Lee can’t help but to be pleased that he seems to occupy so much of George’s attention. Lee feels much the same.

“I think we still would have found each other,” Lee says almost dreamily, dragging his fingertips through George’s soft hair and scratching lightly at his scalp. “It’s not that big of a city, after all.”

[gallowseyes]

"You're right," says George, his hand skimming lower, his fingers dipping under Lee's waistband and tracing the knob of bone at the base of his spine. "I think we'd have figured out this path. It might have just taken us longer."

[atehimrightup]

Before George, Lee had never really experienced physical affection like this and now he finds that he’s a little addicted to it. He loves the easy, unhurried way that George touches him.

“It’s kind of unreal that we found each other at all.” It’s sort of a sappy thing to say. Lee doesn’t believe in fate. Or he didn’t used to, at least. Now he isn’t so sure. “It’s either fate or dumb luck.”

[gallowseyes]

"Maybe a little of both?" he asks, reaching up to curl his fingers behind Lee's neck and tug him down for a kiss, soft and lingering. "The spheres aligned for us, anyway."

[atehimrightup]

Lee lets himself be pulled into the kiss, humming softly and licking into George’s mouth, sucking briefly on his tongue. There is no real sense of urgency, because they have all night.

He rocks his hips a little and slides his hand up under the side of George’s shirt, gripping at the narrowest part of his waist and then sliding it higher.

“When were you planning on going swimming?” Lee asks against George’s mouth, smiling into the kiss. “It feels like you’re getting distracted.”

[gallowseyes]

"I did want to swim," says George, though Lee is right -- he has started to distract himself. "And then I want to fuck you. And if I can get you to that point of being blushing and embarrassed, that would be a perfect a perfect birthday treat."

[atehimrightup]

Lee chuckles warmly at that, kissing George again and nodding. There is nothing he’d deny George in this moment, he’s pretty sure. This moment or any other.

“You don’t seem to have much trouble making that happen,” Lee reminds him, sliding his hand higher until he can rub at George’s nipple, gently rocking the barbell from side to side and nipping at his bottom lip. “You know how to press all my buttons.”

[gallowseyes]

"I think that feeling is mutual, love," says George, squirming a little as Lee plays with his nipple. "Though, with you, it isn't as easy as just slipping a collar around your neck." He reaches up and twines his fingers in the chain around Lee's neck, giving it a light tug.

[atehimrightup]

“No, I make a little harder,” Lee admits with a laugh, eyes flashing with arousal as George tugs on the chain around his neck.

Lee doesn’t want to wear a collar, and he’s certain that George is okay with that. He understands, at least partially, why it isn’t particularly appealing. But that doesn’t mean that he isn’t wrapped around George’s little finger.

“No one else could get me to act how you can,” Lee tells him, laughing softly at just how true that is. “Not even a little bit.”

[gallowseyes]

"You've said that before," says George, fingers still playing lightly with the chain. "And I can't tell you how much I value it." He grins. "Now get off me and take off your clothes."

[atehimrightup]

“Well, I know it makes you very smug,” he says with a smile, laughing at the command. “As you wish, birthday boy.”

Lee kisses him again and stands up, toeing out of his shoes and pulling his shirt over his head, shaking off his hair. His tattoo is healing nicely, and the inked skin shines under the moonlight. He makes a show of it, slowly unzipping his pants and pushing them down. He isn’t wearing any underwear. There didn’t seem to be much of a point in it.

[gallowseyes]

"It does, a little," says George, propping himself up on his elbows so that he can watch as Lee strips off his clothes. He never gets tired of seeing it, it feels like -- the sleek lines of him, and the long muscles. His heart contracts a little in his chest. He gets to his feet, tugging his own shirt over his head, but reaching out for Lee before he undoes his trousers, pulling Lee in against him for a kiss, hand gliding down the bare curve of his back to palm his arse, tugging their hips tighter together.