4 Apocalypse Avenue, the Apartment; Monday Evening.

[perfectmissyork]

The cold she'd had over the weekend and a dopey mun had made her forget; the end of a conversation she'd had earlier had made her remember; today was Charlotte's birthday. Thirty-seven. A bit of a staggering number, really, just three more steps closer to that daunting, looming 4-0. Well, thirty seven if you didn't factor in the weird time

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[pieandcoffee]

And that would be a certain suited man knocking on the door with his hands behind his back.

[perfectmissyork]

Since Charlotte herself had practically forgotten, she didn't exactly expect anyone else to really recognize her birthday, so the knock she heard coming from the door surprised her a little. She pulled a little out of her reflections, drifting toward the door, and taking a quick peek through the peephole to see who it was.

Oh, no. He didn't! Still, she smiled as she opened the door.

"This is a bit of a surprise," she commented.

[pieandcoffee]

"A little bird told me it was someone's birthday," Dale said with a small grin.

And one hand came out holding a cupcake with an unlit candle.

"I thought someone might want a very small party."

[perfectmissyork]

Charlotte wondered if that little bird was actually a line of data on a file somewhere. Still, there was a cupcake involved, and so her grin grew a little and her cheeks flushed a bit pink. "Dale," she said, with admiring fondness. "You didn't have to..."

[pieandcoffee]

And yes... there was a line of data on a file somewhere. He's a police officer! Of course he looked it up!

"I wouldn't be much of a boyfriend if I didn't do something," Dale said with a grin. "However I recommend you don't have me sing. It would probably result in a noise complaint."

Charlotte might notice that the other arm was still behind his back.

"May I come in?"

[perfectmissyork]

Of course she noticed, and her curiosity over what else there might be beyond the unexpected visit and the cupcake, clearly, had distracted her from her manners. "Oh! Oh, of course!" She stepped aside, clearing the doorway for him to pass through. "I was just...enjoying the nice weather and the new view, that's all, so you're not even interrupting anything."

[pieandcoffee]

"I thought you'd be out having a drink," Dale said stepping in and keeping his back away from Charlotte. "Spending time with some friends or something like that. Not feeling up to celebrating?"

[perfectmissyork]

"Oh, I...I thought about it," Charlotte said, her eyes drifting toward that tucked-back arm curiously as she made her way to where they might get comfortable in the living room. "I've had this cold over the weekend, though, felt maybe it'd be best to stay in and just rest. And I'm a little past the point where birthdays feel like something to celebrate, anyway."

[pieandcoffee]

"Oh Charlotte," Dale said shaking his head and taking a seat on the couch. "There's always a reason to celebrate."

At which point took a small package with distinctive blue wrapping and placed it in front of Charlotte.

"You just have to find the right reason. I'm afraid I couldn't bring you to New York for your birthday, so I thought I'd have a little bit of it shipped here."

[perfectmissyork]

Charlotte certainly recognized that wrapping, smiling broadly as she gingerly brought the box in close. "Oh, Dale," she gushed, before she even opened it. In fact, her eyes hadn't looked at the box again after that moment of recognition; they'd been fixed on him adoringly. "I'd kiss you right now but I wouldn't want to give you that cold..."

[pieandcoffee]

Dale chuckled. "Have I mentioned my superior immune system?"

[perfectmissyork]

"If you get laid out flat all next week because you can't stop sneezing," Charlotte warned him with a light chuckle, "you totally have to let me tell you I told you so."

And, with that, she went to wrap her arms around his shoulders, moving in for a kiss, box still unopened. But, really, it didn't matter. It was from Tiffany's and it was from him. Of course she was going to love it to pieces.

[pieandcoffee]

Dale slipped his arms around Charlotte and feeling no fear of illness met her lips with his. "Happy birthday Charlotte. Are you going to open your gift?"

[perfectmissyork]

Smiling happily as she stayed close, forehead against his, Charlotte gushed, driven by her admiration, "You're all the gift I need, Dale."

Of course, she would still not relinquish whatever was in that box unless they were prying it out of her cold dead fingers, but...

[pieandcoffee]

Dale couldn't help but give her a teasing look as he brushed a lock of hair from her face.

"Oh? Does that mean you want me to return your gift to Tiffany's?"

[perfectmissyork]

Yeah, she had a feeling he would say something like that. She beamed at him a little before giving him a brief kiss. "Need, Dale," she told him, pulling away to unloop her arms from around him, fingers going to the package which she was settling in her lap. "I said need. I didn't say anything about not wanting it."