The party king himself, River had gotten his start by planning surprise birthday parties for Loch. Oliver, of course, pitched in greatly, but even he knew to let River take the reigns, as this was where he outshined everyone. He had a knack for picking up on things to incorporate and, modest as ever, considered himself an expert at birthday planning. As they’d gotten older, things had shifted around slightly, but he still always made a point to surprise her somehow on her birthday. Oliver did as well, but they no longer worked as a team like they used to. Except for today, when River had convinced him to distract the girl to give him time to prepare his surprise.
His brother had come through, taking Loch somewhere to, he assumed, give her his own gift, and River had taken over the girl’s apartment, much to Midas’ dismay. A childhood tradition they had shared, he set up the most immaculate blanket fort he could manage in her living room. Once that was done, strung up christmas lights included, he had set up the rest in the kitchen. Two dozen cupcakes he had bought at the bakery, in an assortment of flavors, each with a candle in the center, a bouquet of lilies, a large, questionably wrapped gift box and, his personal favorite part, a home-cooked italian meal. He’d just finished pulling the breadsticks out of the open, when he heard noise at her front door. ‘Perfect timing, Oli.’ He smirked to himself, waiting to see the door open and his friend return home.
Ten years had passed since Loch met the Goebel boys, and they’d never once missed one of her birthdays. She was used to surprise parties by now, never quite getting used to the idea that someone cared enough to go to the trouble of doing that. River was usually the one behind the master plan, recruiting his brother to distract her for a couple hours so she could walk in and immediately gain a look of shock. Of course, once he had outgrown her for a while, the birthdays died down just a little bit, turning into dinners together or a few hours where she could at least spend time with him, but it was a surprise just the same. No matter what, she was just glad to have him, sticking close by his side even on his worst days and holding him in her heart in any way that he would let her. It was all cliche, really, but it certainly was her cliche.
After being kidnapped by Oliver, Loch spent the afternoon enjoying her honorary older brother’s company, all too happy about the clay Loch Ness monster he’d crafted her. She knew the perfect spot to place it in her apartment, her mind on that the whole time as she and Oliver made her way to her apartment. As she approached the door, the brunette was smiling almost too widely, her cheeks beginning to hurt from the strain on her muscles, and her hand reaching forward to put her key in the lock. But, as the door popped open by itself, Loch furrowed her brows together and stepped inside, her smile quickly turning into a shocked expression as she took in the sight of everything. Her confusion and surprise dissipated as soon as it had come, and as she set the clay statue in its perfect spot, Loch kicked her shoes off and wandered towards the kitchen, pausing the moment she spotted River and giving him a shy smile.
“I’m proud you didn’t burn the place down,” she muttered, her voice just as she as the look n her face. “How did you manage to find every single blanket in my apartment and turn them into a structure I would happily live in?”
