author note: this is a small valentine's gift for my friend.
summary: valentine's day is quickly approaching and kenny scrambles to buy gifts for his beloved partner. his friends come to his aid but prove to be no help. . . he is on his own.
valentine's day. they say it's a magical holiday, to be celebrated not only for couples but for anyone. friends and family too. spread your love and loyalty to those most close to you. the only problem. . . is when you forget the holiday existed or when you last minute shop.
kenny doesn't have an issue on what to buy his partner, no. his issue is when he should've bought it. valentine's was around the corner, in a couple of days. . . and he had yet to go out and grab anything for his partner. not because he had no idea what or no idea where to go, but because he procrastinated many things in his life unless it was his career. so now he sat here with his heads in his hands, trembling in anxiety and guilt.
"it can't be that bad, man. you know celeste like the back of your hand! i'm sure they aren't into materialistic gifts anyway." matt stuffed some of the chocolate into his mouth, from the same gift he bought his wife.
nick turned around the corner of the sofa, phone in hand as he scrolled through endless pages of gift ideas. ones that were not original and cliche at best. "just grab a teddy bear, chocolates, and a card. those things can't go wrong and every store has at least one of those items."
kenny ran his hands through his hair, the brothers surely didn't quite understand how in depth romantic acts should go. being married with kids for as long as they were. . . effort wore off. kenny wasn't married and had no children, therefore his main focus was on his partner and making it the absolute best he could for them. these generic ideas were simply no good.
"you guys were so kind to have come over and all, but you're not really helping me in my state of panic."
the brothers were very kind to have read his emergency text and rush to his aid, but clearly they weren't as bright on this topic than he had hoped for.
kenny had rushed out of the house over two hours ago, and still was nowhere near getting home. he knew exactly where to go and exactly what to get but the only problem was that late time shoppers, as himself, were hectic. people were pushing each other, fighting over the last of an item, trashing the aisles. it was like black friday sales all over again.
fortunately kenny did not have physical issues when grabbing his gifts off shelves. he wasn't a huge fella but he sure was much bigger than most of the people here. he was a tad bit taller and much wider than most, shoving his way through effectively and putting his items in his basket. he could only give a sad smile to those who might've also wanted the same items. . . but that was too bad.
a sudden loud crash stirred kenny awake, jolting him from bed and his eyes opening wide like they could bulge out of his skull any moment. then silence. and then another loud crash minutes later. he threw the blanket off his body and launched out of bed rather sudden, nearly tripping over his own feet on the way out of the bedroom.
"what's going on?!" his voice laced with sleep, deep and scratchy. not even a thought about a home intruder entered his mind, he knew it was celeste.
a much smaller person peered over the counter, top of the head and eyes, but no other features to notice. their eyes blinked rather quickly. . . almost as if caught in an action they should not be in. it made kenny want to laugh.
"sorry, if i woke you up. um. . . i'm trying to make breakfast but what i need is in the cabinets. and well, i can't find my stepping stool. . . so i tried climbing on the chair." celeste sat the pan on the counter, flour evident to have been busted open and covering the floor, and on celeste. "but the chair is wobbly, so it flew right out from my feet and you can see it for yourself."
a thorough look around the kitchen was all it took to see the mess that had been made, flour everywhere, syrup everywhere and a broken chair. kenny could only shake his head lightly as he grabbed the broom.
"no need to feel so bad. . accidents happen. besides, today is a holiday! i will not allow you to feel so down in the dumps." he leaned in to press a simple kiss to the top of their head, brushing off flour first. "you go get cleaned up, i'll clean this mess up, and we will figure something out."
kenny ordered a delivery of delicious pancakes, fruit salad and hickory smoked bacon from a place nearby. wasn't as endearing than a homemade meal but it wasn't so bad either. a simple breakfast to enjoy with someone he loved.
breakfast was finished, the kitchen had been cleaned spotless, celeste had threw a load of laundry in, and everything seemed to go back to normal. the house was quiet and still. . . cozy and comfortable with just the two of them. made for a perfect time now to exchange their gifts.
"this is such a perfect gift." kenny held the box in his hands once celeste handed over their giftbag. he took out what was inside and his smile grew bigger, if even possible. "thank you. . . so, so much."
his eyes crinkled with his smile, making his features look squished just a bit. it's the way he always looked when genuine happiness washed over him. not to mention how full his eyes looked, full of love, full of admiration, full of calmness. and the time that this was evident was when he spent it with celeste, his heart, his love, his life.
"as much as i want to keep holding and staring at my gift, it's only fair i hand yours over." he sat his stuff down softly, as not to break it, and reached for his own giftbag. he palms felt so sweaty. . . his fingers twitching slightly. almost as if this was the first time he'd ever given them something, but that would be a lie. his nerves always got the best of him.
it took several silent moments of him staring at his partner, taking in all their facial expressions, all the little noises escaping their mouth, the way their eyes travel across the gifts. the back of his throat itched as he wanted to immediately ask if they liked what he bought. . . if they would keep the gift, if they would return it. but he knew better than to rush to a conclusion. he knew better than to ruin this moment with his anxiety. so he stayed as silent as the house had been, watching, waiting, wondering.
"you know i don't usually like you spending your money on me," celeste broke the silence, their voice though was nearly as quiet. maybe close to what a whisper in the wind sounded like. "but i know you put a lot of thought into this. and this gift is truly amazing. . . probably one of the best gifts i could've ever received."
everything was set aside and celeste reached out to him, their arms wrapping around his broad shoulders as much as they could fit. they brought their bodies closer as they gave him a simple but soft hug. nothing tight, nothing squeezed or squished, but similar to how a feather feels when falling to the ground. delicate. the type of hug that could mean a million things, and nothing at all. affection kenny craved, affection only he was given.
"you make valentine's feel like the best holiday there is to celebrate."