some thangyu birthday hcs,,,, i think that birthdays have always been a big deal to thanos but not to namgyu. growing up, thanos always loved all the attention he got on his birthday, because seriously- a day all about him? why wouldn’t he love it??? even as he grew up and entered adulthood, his birthdays were always a big deal, and he expected his birthday to be just as much of a big deal to everyone else, too.
namgyu, on the other hand, never really saw birthdays as a big thing. especially with my kim triplets au, since he had to always share his birthday with his two brothers, he never really felt like it was his day. it just wasn’t that important to him, and he didn’t really understand why so many people made such a big deal out of it.
their first year of dating is a little bit awkward when their birthdays roll around because of this. namgyu’s birthday comes first, and he’s a bit taken aback by all the theatrics thanos pulls out for him. namgyu’s never had anyone treat his birthday like a big deal before, so when thanos wakes him up with a big surprise, several expensive gifts, and acting like today is the best day of the entire year….. namgyu is a little surprised. he doesn’t care about his birthday, so he doesn’t know why thanos does. he appreciates it, of course he does, he’s of course appreciative that thanos cares this much and wants to celebrate him… and even though it’s a bit weird for him to be fawned over like this on his birthday, namgyu also thinks that it’s nice for once, to be treated like he’s important.
when thanos’ birthday rolls around next, namgyu is stressing. he knows that thanos is expecting something big, something exciting, because he always expects big celebrations on his birthday (namgyu has worked the parties thanos throws for his birthday at pentagon, and they’re always crazy), but namgyu doesn’t know if he can organize something up to thanos’ standards. he’s worried that he won’t be able to afford a gift expensive enough for thanos’ tastes, especially after everything thanos got him for his birthday. he’s worried he’s going to disappoint thanos, that his first birthday with namgyu has his boyfriend is going to suck.
namgyu tries his best, of course. he wakes up early to decorate the apartment while thanos is still sleeping, putting up balloons and streamers and even a personalized “happy birthday subong” banner he got custom made. he makes thanos his favourite meals, and got him that fancy expensive ring namgyu had seen him looking at in the store window a few months earlier. namgyu is worried, when all he has to hand over to thanos is a small box and he knows that thanos is quite materialistic, but that small box had cost him a fortune, and that combined with all the decorations he'd had to buy and the ingredients for thanos' meal, namgyu couldn't afford anything else, and he worried that that still wouldn't be enough for thanos...
until thanos opens the box, and smiles wider than namgyu has ever seen him before, exclaiming that he loves it, that he hadn't been able to stop thinking about the ring since he first saw it, how this is the perfect gift, before putting it on immediately and thanking namgyu with a kiss.
and the truth is, it is perfect. for his whole life, thanos has always viewed his birthday as just a chance to be celebrated, to receive gifts and praise, the one day of the year where people have to give him attention, give him gifts, allow him to be the most important person in the room. he is materialistic, he is egotistical, and his birthday has always been his favourite day of the year for that reason... but this year, that reason has changed.
because this year, he gets to spend it with namgyu. maybe in the past, getting just one present on his birthday might have made him upset, but this year... when thanos opens that small box and sees the ring inside, the ring that he off-handedly mentioned he liked one day months ago and that namgyu remembered and bought for him, it's perfect, it's all he needs.
but it's not even the ring itself that is the greatest present thanos gets that day- it's being able to spend it with namgyu. it's namgyu taking the night off work to spend thanos' birthday with him, it's namgyu waking up early to decorate their apartment when thanos knows namgyu hates waking up early more than anything, it's namgyu knowing his favourite meal and cooking it for him even though it's a dish that takes quite a long time to prepare....... more than gifts, more than celebration, what thanos loves most about this year's birthday, is that it has shown him how much namgyu cares for him, which is the greatest gift at all. thanos would happily never receive another present, another cake, on his birthday for the rest of his life, if it meant that he got to spend his day getting loved by namgyu.
that's worth more than anything, and from this year forward, birthdays have a different meaning to both thanos and namgyu- now, it's a day they both look forward to, because it's less of a day that celebrates their birth, and more of a day that reminds them that finally, they've found someone who cares about them, and someone who they care about just as much.