soap comes from a big family, and they celebrate everything, so naturally, birthdays are a big deal.
then he meets you, a sweet little thing from a bar on leave, and fuck, he’s head over heels. his heart feels like it’s fit to burst every time you smile at him, and there’s this animal in his brain snarling at him to shower you with attention.
so, a few months into you dating, johnny casually asks what you want to do for your birthday, which is coming up quick. he expects any variety of plans or ideas - what he doesn’t expect is for you to shrug offhandedly, and say, “i don’t think i’m gonna do anything,”
he blinks, taken aback, and cautiously checks, “ye…don’t want to do anything?” to which you only shrug again, noncommittal and unconcerned.
it doesn’t feel right to him. he grew up where birthdays were always a special event, where parties and gifts were a given. to not celebrate you, the girl who had consumed his life since the moment he first laid eyes on her, felt like something he could already hear his mother scolding him for.
so, he gritted his teeth and forced himself to shrug as well, while the gears in his head started whirring.
on the morning of your birthday, you drifted slowly out of sleep, roused by the sensation of feather-light kisses tracing the slope of your neck. johnny had to bite back his smile at your sleepy, questioning hum, rubbing little tender circles into your side.
“g’morning, angel,” he said, brushing your hair out of your face and cupping your cheek gently. “happy birthday,”
you sighed sleepily and sank a little further into his hand, murmuring a nearly silent thank you. “made ye breakfast, hen,” he whispered, and revels in the soft surprise that flits across your face when you catch sight of the tray sitting on the bedside table, piled high with fruit, toast, and sausages.
“you didn’t have to-“ you started to stammer, a little flustered by the attention you didn’t usually get on your birthday, and johnny shook his head firmly. “did it ‘cuz i wanted to, aye?” he insists.
and when you finally relent and let him hand feed you bites of strawberries and toast, he becomes all the more convinced that he’s going to give you all the celebration you’ve been missing.
my birthday gift to myself!! apologies for the brief hiatus, more coming soon <3