(Slice of Life, Established Relationship, Marriage, Domestic Fluff, just all around Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Anniversary)
Summary:
Usually Charles would be rather quick to find him or call out to him, when he got home. Today, the only answer he got, was the sound of something being dropped in the hall and then the repeated opening and closing of the front door.
He had left again.
Max furrowed his brows. Why would he leave again?
-----------------------
Max has the perfect plan for the perfect anniversary dinner. But when your husband is unpredictable at the best of times, there is no way it is going to be that easy.
Read it on Ao3 or below. :)
(I hope you enjoy and I'd love to hear your thoughts! :3)
------------------
Max couldn’t help smiling when he heard the familiar rattle of the front door opening and closing.
Right on time.
"Hello there!", he called from his place at the stove into the general direction of the hallway.
He had been at it for about 2 hours now – prepping and cooking the perfect anniversary dinner. Carefully planning everything to be done exactly when Charles would come home. So far most of it had worked out perfectly, but as he waited for an answer from his husband, he got the feeling it would not stay this easy.
Usually Charles would be rather quick to find him or call out to him, when he got home. Today, the only answer he got, was the sound of something being dropped in the hall and then the repeated opening and closing of the front door.
He had left again.
Max furrowed his brows. Why would he leave again?
As far as Max remembered, Charles had left with no luggage except for his backpack that morning. And he hadn’t mentioned he was going grocery shopping today either. Had he maybe forgotten something in the car?
But as Max waited for the more distant sounds of car doors clapping, through the open kitchen window, he grew worried.
Was he missing something?
It wasn’t so much the fact that Charles had left the flat immediately after arriving, but more the lack of a response all together. Normally he would at least get a verbal acknowledgement, but today he hadn’t heard Charles say anything, not even to the cats, that were sure to have swarmed him as soon as he opened the door.
He waited a bit longer, to see if Charles maybe really just went to the car or the mailbox. But when after 10 minutes there was still no sign of the Monegasque, Max became even more worried.
As he looked at the pots and pans on the stove, the set kitchen table and half plated food, he began to think that he was indeed missing something.
They hadn’t talked about any elaborate plans for their first wedding anniversary, because, despite the winter break, both had known they’d need to work that day. But Max had spontaneously decided to just be that guy and reschedule half his meetings, so he could at least prepare a special dinner for the two of them. Seeing as it was meant to be a surprise, Max also hadn’t mentioned it to Charles. He didn’t expect it would be a problem. Surely his husband must’ve noticed the coat on the rag and the light under the kitchen door.
But apparently he hadn’t.
Because the only thing Max found when he walked through the flat into the hallway, was the hastily dropped backpack in the corner.
Still confused, Max turned around and began looking for his phone. He had planned everything to the minute and if Charles stayed gone for any longer, most of the food would be cold.
Predictably his phone had gotten lost in the kerfuffle that was cooking dinner and soon he had turned over every single item in the kitchen twice, without having found it.
Max was sure it had to be in the kitchen, because he had used it as a timer.
But when had that been? And hadn't he gone to the bedroom to change after that?
Just as he entered the bedroom and saw his phone lying right in the middle of the bed - taunting him - he heard the front door open for the third time in the last hour.
Max made sure not to actually run out of the bedroom, but in case Charles decided to leave again he needed to be quick this time.
It appeared that he didn’t need to worry though, because he found his husband in the hall, slowly taking of his shoes while holding what looked to be a king-sized bouquet of roses in all different colours.
So that’s why he had left.
There was a flower shop at the end of the street, where they often got some thing or other for special occasions or sometimes just because. Charles loved to give Max flowers because he liked that each one had a specific meaning that didn’t need words to convey. ‘You just know by looking at them.’ , he always said. Max was not as well versed in flower language as Charles, but he enjoyed having something colourful and pretty in the flat. It made it feel more like home.
Charles was wearing his headphones and kept nodding to the music, which explained his lack of response to Max’s call earlier. It also explained why - when he looked up and saw Max coming towards him - his eyes got wide, he jumped and let out a high-pitched shriek. In his surprise he lost his grip on the bouquet, but managed to catch it just in time.
“Oh my god Max, you almost scared me to death!”, he said, taking off his headphones and trying to catch his breath. “What are you already doing here I thought you would come home after me?”
Charles’ voice was still slightly high pitched.
Max laughed.
"It’s nice to see you to, love. I’m sorry I scared you." , he apologized, not even trying to suppress his grin. Charles stepped a bit closer to hug and kiss him hello, Max melting into his embrace.
"I took half the day off to surprise you with dinner. I thought you would notice I was here.”, Max explained. “And I did call to you when you got home the first time.’’ He raised one eyebrow at Charles who just looked at him confused, which made Max's grin get even wider.
“But”, he continued, “you keep insisting on listening to your music on maximum volume. So I probably could’ve used a megaphone and you wouldn’t have heard me.” Understanding bloomed in Charles’ eyes and he had the decency to look sheepish.
Max laughed again. "I tried to plan everything so we could eat right when you got here. But you sped out of the flat even faster than out the pit lane, so now it’s probably mostly cold.", he said, his eyes wandering to the bouquet still in Charles' hand. "Although I see you got something to make up for that?", Max smiled at the his husband and the Monegasque grinned back.
Then he cringed a little.
“Oh I’m sorry about earlier, I was just convinced you would come back later and so I didn’t even spare a glance in any direction.", Charles said apologetically. He put his free arm around Max’s waist and continued. "I just wanted to get the flowers sorted, so you could see them on the counter right when you got home.”
That made Max’s smile grow impossibly wider.
“Seems like we got similar ideas.’, Max said, “But as always I seem to be just a tad bit faster.”
He grinned into the kiss Charles gave him for his arrogance.
“As always you are a prick. But you made me dinner, so you are forgiven.” Charles replied, his eyes full of mirth and his words without bite. Then his look went soft and he put his other arm, still holding the flowers, around Max’s waist to pull them closer, foreheads touching.
“Happy anniversary, chéri.”, Charles whispered.
Max put his arms around Charles’ neck.
‘Happy anniversary.’, he smiled at his husband and pulled him in for a kiss.
Even after one year Max still couldn’t believe he got to call this man, this impossibly perfect man his husband of all things. It was intoxicating to think that only one year ago, they had stood at the altar, surrounded by flowers and their closest friends and family. And today, they got to celebrate all over again.
Max broke the kiss and giggled at the thought, that he was surrounded by flowers once again. Charles looked at him confused but Max just wiggled out of his embrace, took his free hand and led him to the kitchen. Charles’ eyes growing wide at the scene in front of them.
Max had tried to think of everything. Had tried to make it as romantic as possible. He put candles and rose petals on the table, got their best plates out and had prepared some of their favourite dishes, in addition to some they’d had at their wedding.
Charles tugged at Max’s hand and pulled him into another heart-meltingly soft kiss. "Thank you for this", he said, cupping Max’s face with one hand.
"Everything for you, Schatje", Max replied with a fond smile. "Thank you for the flowers. They are beautiful.” Charles smiled and kissed him again.
They revelled in each others touch and it was another few minutes until they broke apart again. The candles were half burned down and most of the food cold at this point, but neither of them cared as they sat down and started to recount their days to each other – Max listening intently to everything that had happened at Charles’ countless meetings and Charles laughing loudly at Max describing the look on Christian’s face when he had rescheduled most of his day on account of ‘husbandly duties’.
For all the worries he’d had about planning, Max thought to himself that night - lying in bed, Charles tightly snuggled to his side and flowers on the night stand - it had all worked out perfectly in the end.
Sure his planning hadn't actually worked out all the way, but what was a bit of cold food, when he had all he needed right there beside him.
Charles always brought chaos into his order.
But - Max concluded while slowly drifting to sleep - what would he be without it.
