Being this nervous wasn’t something he was used to, ever. Even now he was having second thoughts about his gift choices, thinking that maybe they were too cheesy or not nearly enough for someone like Camus. After being with him for so long he should be confident in his selection, but uncertainty was still there. Perhaps it was because the gifts he chose this time around were a bit… too personal to the both of them.
It was only when he was sure that they were completely alone that he revealed the two packages he had inside a bag. Almost too hesitantly did he hand the gifts to Camus as he sat next to him on the couch.
“I decided to get you somethin’ personalized this time.” His voice is quieter, more calm than normal as he watches Camus open the first gift, which is a locket. The color, combined with the snowflake at the center, just screamed ‘Camus’ to him the first time he saw it. Inside the locket is a photograph of Alexander.
Ranmaru found himself glancing off to the side as he explained. “I kinda thought you’d want to have him with you always somehow, y’know? ‘Cause you stay at the apartment with us most of the time nowadays, so you can’t see him as often.”
His eyes move to look back at what the taller is doing as he hears the sound of more wrapping paper being ripped open, revealing the second gift, and the one the rocker was most worried about. It’s a framed photograph of the two of them as children.
“I-I know we don’t talk about back then that much, but I just happened to find that picture. I think it’s the only one we took together at the time. So I guess it’s kinda… special.” Of course he was lying about ‘just happening’ to find it. He had been looking all over for it for a few weeks now. He had even gone back to his hometown to try to find it at his mother and sister’s house.
“Anyway… happy birthday, Camus. There’s actually another part of your gift I planned, but I couldn’t get a reservation for today. So this weekend… we’re going to have dinner at that one fancy restaurant you like going to.”
It wasn’t as if Camus was expecting to be alone with anyone in the apartment today. In fact, he expected the opposite, especially where Reiji was concerned in wanting to always do something for these sort of occasions.
Luckily, Reiji and Ai had managed to actually leave, and instead of going with them, Ranmaru had stayed behind. Camus had a good idea as to why, but even though it was his birthday, he didn’t expect him to stick around.
Though considering everything, maybe he should. Maybe he just wasn’t quite used to the idea of expecting that still, regardless of how long it had already been.
It had been some time since they had been together, hadn’t it? Camus was beginning to think maybe..he should take Ranmaru to the Silk Palace sometime soon. It was only the concern about the dangers of what could happen that always made him rethink it.
“Oh?” He put the book down he was reading and looked at each package in question, taking no more time to start opening the first one and noticing the sort of locket it was before opening it to see if anything was inside.
“Mmph. How fitting. Even though I’ll never forget his face, it is nice to have something with me at all times.” Not to mention, the design was definitely something Ranmaru picked out with Camus entirely in mind. He would have to place it around his neck or in his breast pocket to keep it safe.
He started on the next gift that was a bit bigger than the other, not having any clue what it might be until he could feel the edges of what felt like a picture frame through the wrapping paper.
His eyes widened for a moment when he saw what was encased in it, almost an impossible photo that he barely remembered would even exist since Camus hadn’t anything like this except for a few back home that he kept hidden.
By home, meaning the Silk Palace. Not even anything here in his other house.
“Where did you..” Fingers traced the edges a bit as he looked at Ranmaru’s face, noticing how embarrassed he was. It was definitely something he had thought about rather than material things you would buy anywhere. Somehow, he felt a little touched by it.
He definitely didn’t just ‘find’ this like he said. Clearly, Ranmaru had done a lot of digging to try and find something like this.
“...thank you. I’ll have to find a place for it in my other home. I wouldn’t risk anyone finding this here.” Not just that, but anything happening to it. Though he wouldn’t say that out loud.
“I’ll be sure to have my schedule open then, if that is the case.” He wasn’t putting up much fight today either, and he felt oddly calm than the rather stiffness he felt around everyone else during his birthday. Maybe he had worn himself out with it.
Placing the picture down carefully, he lifted himself up from where he was sitting and leaned in to brush his fingers under the others chin to tilt his head before leaning in and pressing their lips together.
“Weekend plans aside...” He mumbled softly against their lips.
“I’m particularly...hungry right now.”
