Birthday Challenge Fic: Birthday Surprises
Title: BIRTHDAY SURPRISES
Fandom: Donald Strachey Mysteries (movieverse)
Pairing: Donald and Timothy
Rating: R, mostly for language
Warnings: Only one birthday cake was slightly damaged in the making of this story...
Word count: 1200+, I totally dissed the word limit on this challenge
Disclosure: I wish they were mine. Alas, they are not, so I'm just taking them out for a spin with thanks to the men who created them and the actors who brought them to life.
Summary: Don's birthday has not been fun, but it takes a decided upswing thanks to Timmy.
Author's Note: Thank you, Chlare, for the birthday challenge! I am both late and over the word count, but I tried!
BIRTHDAY SURPRISES
by
Candy Apple
"That must be Don now," Tim said, checking his watch. He'd assembled the small group of friends for a little evening surprise birthday party for Don two hours ago. After staying cheery through Don being late and not answering his calls for those two hours, Tim was relieved his husband was finally showing up. His good humor was wearing thin, the snacks were mostly eaten, and the guests were getting restless. Well, he still had the cake.
The key turned in the front door and Don opened it.
"SURPRISE!" the group shouted. Tim, Kenny, and several of their neighbors and friends blew noisemakers and cheered. The group fell silent as Don limped in the door. He looked exhausted, overheated from the soaring summer temperatures, and he was obviously favoring his right leg.
"Don, are you all right?" Tim asked, hurrying to his side as Don did his best to look pleased at the gathering that was being sprung on him.
"Oh, I'm okay. It's really nothing, sweetheart," he said, forcing a smile and kissing Tim hello. "Hey, everybody," he greeted the little crowd. "Occupational hazards," he joked, gesturing at himself, and they laughed. "I'm going up to take a quick shower and change, and then I'll be right down," he said to Tim.
"What happened?" Tim asked in a whisper, following him partway up the stairs.
"Just keep our guests company and I'll be back."
"I'm sorry about this, honey. I thought - "
"It's a nice surprise, Timmy. I'll be down in a minute," he whispered back, kissing Tim's cheek before trudging up the steps, looking much less chipper than his tone and forced lightness let on.
********
Don limped into the bathroom and turned on the shower. His ankle was throbbing and felt like it was swelling, or his shoe was shrinking. He pulled off his clothes and dropped them on the floor, hoping Timmy would forgive the lapse of decorum on his birthday. His foot was purple down one side and his ankle was as swollen as he thought it was. He longed for an ice pack on it, to just lie on the bed in the air conditioning naked as the day he was born and let Timmy fuss over him. But there was a houseful of guests downstairs who had been waiting God-knows how long to spring a surprise on him. Before he met Timmy, offending a houseful of people wouldn't have bothered him, but some of his husband's social grace had rubbed off on him over the years.
He got in the shower and found a few other scrapes and bruises as he washed. It had been a bitch of a day and an even worse night. He stood under the spray a while, letting the water refresh his overheated body. Now that he at least smelled better, he turned off the water and got out of the shower. He was startled to see Timmy there with a towel in hand.
"I guess I took longer than I planned. I should shave before I go downstairs - "
"I sent everyone home."
"What? Why?"
"Because you're exhausted." Timmy wrapped the towel around him and started drying his back and shoulders.
"How long did you plan this? Timothy, I'm sorry. This case went south fast and I got caught up in some things, and I didn't plan to be this late."
"I already know what you're going to say, but I have to ask. Don't you think you should get that ankle x-rayed?"
"It's a sprain. It'll be okay with some rest."
"Finish getting dried off. I put some fresh shorts on the counter for you. I have an ice pack and some ibuprofen in the bedroom."
"Right now, that sounds better than sex toys."
"I know," Timmy replied, laughing, kissing his cheek.
Don finished drying himself off and after putting on his underwear, hobbled into the bedroom. It was lit by candles, including one sticking out of a piece of birthday cake on the night stand. Timmy had dispensed with his clothes and was wearing just his shorts. There was a tray on the dresser with the martini shaker and two glasses on it. Don felt his libido sputter, and figured his engine would take off at full power before long.
"Happy Birthday, honey," Timmy said, gathering him into a hug. "Let's get you off that ankle," he said, steering Don to the bed so he could sit against the pillows stacked in front of the headboard. Timmy propped his ankle on a pillow and arranged the ice pack on it. Don let out a long sigh and smiled at the beautiful scantily clad man who was fussing over him, just like he'd fantasized about a few minutes earlier. "I cut a corner off the cake that didn't have any of the design on it, so you can still see it intact tomorrow," Tim said, handing him the plate with the chocolate cake. The frosting was white with yellow trim. Timothy refused to serve cake with dark trim, since he abhorred what it did to one's mouth and teeth with its excessive food coloring.
"I would have gone downstairs and acted like a decent party guest. You didn't have to send everybody away."
"Would you have really enjoyed that tonight?" Timmy sat on his side of the bed while Don sampled the cake. It was delicious, probably from some really good bakery instead of the grocery store.
"No," Don admitted, smiling and leaning back against the pillows.
"What happened with your case?"
"I got the money shots."
"So far, so good."
"And then the guy spotted me outside the window and came after me with a gun."
"What? Did you report it?"
"How exactly would that police report go, Timothy? 'I was hiding in the shrubs, peeking in the bedroom window, taking photos of this guy banging somebody, and when he caught me, he ran me off'?"
"I suppose you weren't exactly in it with clean hands, were you?"
"No, not quite."
"You twisted your ankle running?"
"No, I did that climbing over the fence into his yard. That's why getting away was a hell of a lot harder. I fell trying to climb the fence the second time on my way out, which is why my clothes were pretty fucked up."
"At least you'll get paid this time," Timmy said, though his tone was sympathetic, and Don knew it was more Timmy caring that he got treated fairly by his client than it was him valuing the money over Don's safety.
"Well, I haven't collected yet, but let's hope," Don replied, taking another bite of the cake. "Cake's great." He set the empty plate aside. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. I'm glad you liked it."
"I don't mean about the cake." Don pulled Timmy close and held on.
"It seemed a little warped to torture you on your birthday," Timmy replied, and they both laughed. "I knew you'd play along, and I didn't want you to have to."
"Ten years ago, I would have hidden upstairs until they went home."
Timmy laughed out loud at that. "Ten years ago, I'd have never sent guests home and I would have come upstairs and shamed you into being a decent host."
"I guess we're rubbing off on each other, huh?"
"Not yet, but we should get started."
Fandom: Donald Strachey Mysteries (movieverse)
Pairing: Donald and Timothy
Rating: R, mostly for language
Warnings: Only one birthday cake was slightly damaged in the making of this story...
Word count: 1200+, I totally dissed the word limit on this challenge
Disclosure: I wish they were mine. Alas, they are not, so I'm just taking them out for a spin with thanks to the men who created them and the actors who brought them to life.
Summary: Don's birthday has not been fun, but it takes a decided upswing thanks to Timmy.
Author's Note: Thank you, Chlare, for the birthday challenge! I am both late and over the word count, but I tried!
BIRTHDAY SURPRISES
by
Candy Apple
"That must be Don now," Tim said, checking his watch. He'd assembled the small group of friends for a little evening surprise birthday party for Don two hours ago. After staying cheery through Don being late and not answering his calls for those two hours, Tim was relieved his husband was finally showing up. His good humor was wearing thin, the snacks were mostly eaten, and the guests were getting restless. Well, he still had the cake.
The key turned in the front door and Don opened it.
"SURPRISE!" the group shouted. Tim, Kenny, and several of their neighbors and friends blew noisemakers and cheered. The group fell silent as Don limped in the door. He looked exhausted, overheated from the soaring summer temperatures, and he was obviously favoring his right leg.
"Don, are you all right?" Tim asked, hurrying to his side as Don did his best to look pleased at the gathering that was being sprung on him.
"Oh, I'm okay. It's really nothing, sweetheart," he said, forcing a smile and kissing Tim hello. "Hey, everybody," he greeted the little crowd. "Occupational hazards," he joked, gesturing at himself, and they laughed. "I'm going up to take a quick shower and change, and then I'll be right down," he said to Tim.
"What happened?" Tim asked in a whisper, following him partway up the stairs.
"Just keep our guests company and I'll be back."
"I'm sorry about this, honey. I thought - "
"It's a nice surprise, Timmy. I'll be down in a minute," he whispered back, kissing Tim's cheek before trudging up the steps, looking much less chipper than his tone and forced lightness let on.
********
Don limped into the bathroom and turned on the shower. His ankle was throbbing and felt like it was swelling, or his shoe was shrinking. He pulled off his clothes and dropped them on the floor, hoping Timmy would forgive the lapse of decorum on his birthday. His foot was purple down one side and his ankle was as swollen as he thought it was. He longed for an ice pack on it, to just lie on the bed in the air conditioning naked as the day he was born and let Timmy fuss over him. But there was a houseful of guests downstairs who had been waiting God-knows how long to spring a surprise on him. Before he met Timmy, offending a houseful of people wouldn't have bothered him, but some of his husband's social grace had rubbed off on him over the years.
He got in the shower and found a few other scrapes and bruises as he washed. It had been a bitch of a day and an even worse night. He stood under the spray a while, letting the water refresh his overheated body. Now that he at least smelled better, he turned off the water and got out of the shower. He was startled to see Timmy there with a towel in hand.
"I guess I took longer than I planned. I should shave before I go downstairs - "
"I sent everyone home."
"What? Why?"
"Because you're exhausted." Timmy wrapped the towel around him and started drying his back and shoulders.
"How long did you plan this? Timothy, I'm sorry. This case went south fast and I got caught up in some things, and I didn't plan to be this late."
"I already know what you're going to say, but I have to ask. Don't you think you should get that ankle x-rayed?"
"It's a sprain. It'll be okay with some rest."
"Finish getting dried off. I put some fresh shorts on the counter for you. I have an ice pack and some ibuprofen in the bedroom."
"Right now, that sounds better than sex toys."
"I know," Timmy replied, laughing, kissing his cheek.
Don finished drying himself off and after putting on his underwear, hobbled into the bedroom. It was lit by candles, including one sticking out of a piece of birthday cake on the night stand. Timmy had dispensed with his clothes and was wearing just his shorts. There was a tray on the dresser with the martini shaker and two glasses on it. Don felt his libido sputter, and figured his engine would take off at full power before long.
"Happy Birthday, honey," Timmy said, gathering him into a hug. "Let's get you off that ankle," he said, steering Don to the bed so he could sit against the pillows stacked in front of the headboard. Timmy propped his ankle on a pillow and arranged the ice pack on it. Don let out a long sigh and smiled at the beautiful scantily clad man who was fussing over him, just like he'd fantasized about a few minutes earlier. "I cut a corner off the cake that didn't have any of the design on it, so you can still see it intact tomorrow," Tim said, handing him the plate with the chocolate cake. The frosting was white with yellow trim. Timothy refused to serve cake with dark trim, since he abhorred what it did to one's mouth and teeth with its excessive food coloring.
"I would have gone downstairs and acted like a decent party guest. You didn't have to send everybody away."
"Would you have really enjoyed that tonight?" Timmy sat on his side of the bed while Don sampled the cake. It was delicious, probably from some really good bakery instead of the grocery store.
"No," Don admitted, smiling and leaning back against the pillows.
"What happened with your case?"
"I got the money shots."
"So far, so good."
"And then the guy spotted me outside the window and came after me with a gun."
"What? Did you report it?"
"How exactly would that police report go, Timothy? 'I was hiding in the shrubs, peeking in the bedroom window, taking photos of this guy banging somebody, and when he caught me, he ran me off'?"
"I suppose you weren't exactly in it with clean hands, were you?"
"No, not quite."
"You twisted your ankle running?"
"No, I did that climbing over the fence into his yard. That's why getting away was a hell of a lot harder. I fell trying to climb the fence the second time on my way out, which is why my clothes were pretty fucked up."
"At least you'll get paid this time," Timmy said, though his tone was sympathetic, and Don knew it was more Timmy caring that he got treated fairly by his client than it was him valuing the money over Don's safety.
"Well, I haven't collected yet, but let's hope," Don replied, taking another bite of the cake. "Cake's great." He set the empty plate aside. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. I'm glad you liked it."
"I don't mean about the cake." Don pulled Timmy close and held on.
"It seemed a little warped to torture you on your birthday," Timmy replied, and they both laughed. "I knew you'd play along, and I didn't want you to have to."
"Ten years ago, I would have hidden upstairs until they went home."
Timmy laughed out loud at that. "Ten years ago, I'd have never sent guests home and I would have come upstairs and shamed you into being a decent host."
"I guess we're rubbing off on each other, huh?"
"Not yet, but we should get started."