Birthday Surprise
Aug. 5th, 2020 09:48 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
paragraphitiTitle: The Birthday Surprise— or Happy Headmates in Love
Event: Plural Writeathon for Amorpha
Prompted by:hungry_ghosts
Prompt: A story about happy headmates in love.
Summary: Cam and Eli play the most amazing birthday surprise for their newest relationship partner, Kora. What happens when common memory fouls things up?
Kora had tried extremely hard not to overhear Eli and Cam's plans. She'd shoved her fingers into her ears, walked out of the room, turned up her music as loud as she could, trying to give them privacy, but it had been no use. The moment she stepped back into front, she was hit with a wave of knowledge. Cam and Eli were planning on taking her out for her birthday, to Blue Bayou no less. At the thought of her favorite restaurant and the people she'd most want to be there with, her eyes lit up, but her joy was short-lived. They had tried to keep this private. It was supposed to be a surprise! Shit. What should she do? She knew she couldn't lie if they asked her about it. If their plans had been dumped on her, then the knowledge of her knowing would likely be dumped on them too.
Her best course of action was to try to forget it, to block it out of her mind. It couldn't be that hard, could it? She just had to try to force herself to forget. Besides, it was dinner time, and tonight was her cooking night.
Taking the body, she crawled off the sofa where they'd been sitting, and went to the kitchen. Soon, she was peeling carrots to boil, and her mind was elsewhere, far from the not-so-secret birthday surprise. However, every time she stopped to think, the knowledge tumbled back into her mind.
"You ok, babe?" Kora jumped, almost dropping the knife. Cam was standing behind her in their headspace, a tall thin beanpole of a person in a sleeveless workshirt leaning casually on the door frame.
"I'm fine." she replied, "Just making carrots to go with the leftover pork chops and fried potatoes from last night. How are you?"
"I'm all right." they answered with an easy smile, "Didn't mean to startle you, though."
"It's ok." Kora reassured, "My mind was just elsewhere, deep in thought."
"I thought you just had a guilty conscience!" Cam teased. Kora laughed, even as her stomach plunged. Did they know?
Cam smiled at her. "Mind if I hang out?"
"Of course not." Kora smiled and beckoned them into front.
Kora opened a cabinet, rummaging for the paprika. She picked up the little bottle of red powder and poured some into the pot.
"Uh, babe?" Cam questioned, "Did you mean to put cinnamon in the carrots?"
"Cinnamon?" Kora squeaked, "No... Why?" She glanced down at the bottle in her hand. Sure enough, she'd grabbed the cinnamon and not the paprika.
"My mind's shot today." she told them, "I can pour out the water and start over."
"It's ok." Cam murmured, putting their arms around her waist and nestling their head against her back, "It's gonna be ok. Carrots are sweet. A little cinnamon might actually taste all right."
"Thanks." she sighed, leaning into Cam in headspace, "I'll be better after we eat, I think."
"I'll help with the cooking if you're tired." they said, sliding up next to her, steady hands slipping the pot of carrots onto the stove.
"What's going on?" Eli asked after dinner as he snuggled with his two loves on the sofa in the headspace living room, a wall of muscular warmth surrounding them. Kora had been nestling her head under his chin, but his words made her flinch just a little. "Nothing." she rushed to reassure.
"You seem awful nervous." Cam pointed out, "It's ok if you don't want to tell us but I for one would like to know."
Eli cupped Kora's cheek gently, drawing her eyes up to meet his. "Whatever it is, we can handle it together, as a team. We always do."
Kora smiled in spite of herself, but then sobered.
"I feel like I'm ruining everything." she mumbled, "The two of you have been around here longer. You know how things work, and I just don't... I'm so sorry. I overheard something and..."
"It's ok." Cam soothed as Eli hugged her, "When you're a headmate, it's not always possible to block things from one another. What'd you overhear?"
"I uh..." She broke off. They'd been trying so hard to plan this thing for her, to make it perfect, and she was going to ruin their surprise.
"I overheard your plans for my birthday." Kora blurted, staring down at the carpet, "I tried so hard not to hear, but then I came into front to make dinner and the information just... hit me. I'm so sorry. I know you thought you were planning it to be a surprise, and I feel like I've ruined it, like I've snooped.
"Common memory strikes again!" Eli chuckled wryly, "It's not your fault, Kora. Sometimes that just happens. I can't speak for Cam, but I'm not angry. You weren't trying to listen in on purpose." He folded his arms around her in a giant hug.
"I'm not angry either!" Cam reassured, draping themself around her, so she was smooshed between the two people she loved most in the world.
Kora smiled just a little.
"So I didn't perform the worst relationship faux pas ever?"
"Not at all." her lovers soothed her, "It's just a headspace thing. Do you like your planned birthday surprise?"
"Absolutely! OMG you two managed to get reservations to the Bayou! I know that must have taken forever! I can't wait!"
"That part was mine." Eli grinned, "But Cam arranged the other part."
"Other part?" Kora blinked, confused.
Cam's grin was infectious. "You'll just have to wait and see now, won't you? If common memory didn't swamp you with that too."
"No..." Kora said, smiling, "It only told me about the reservation for the Blue Bayou!"
"Well then, the surprise is still on!" Cam cried, clapping their hands together, gleefully, "And we'll try to keep it that way. It's only thre days! I'm sure the two of us can keep a secret that long."
***
The day of Kora's birthday dawned bright and clear. Eli woke up at front, and nudged Cam lying beside him.
"Kora's still asleep, right?" he whispered. Cam glanced over at the shape of the girl sleeping beside them and nodded.
Eli popped up from their bed outworld and scampered down to the kitchen.
"Shall we make the toast first?" Eli asked.
"No." Cam said, "Eggs first. Then once that's down, we can do the toast. Cold toast is a sad state of affairs."
Cam snorted, bopping Eli with an inworld towel, "So are cold eggs, genius. Besides it's cinnamon toast, and you have to cook that in the oven, so it'll take a little longer. Let's put on the toast and then scramble the eggs and make some sausages."
Eli pretended to sulk, but then set about putting butter and cinnamon on the bread.
"Don't mess up and put paprika on that instead!" Cam joked, and they both laughed.
"Poor Kora." Eli chuckled, "She felt so sad about knowing our birthday surprise."
"Yeah, someone should have explained to her when she showed up that common memory, though good, can be a royal pain. Too bad nobody thought of it."
"I know, right?" Cam agreed, "But she only knew half the surprise. She had no idea we were also making her breakfast!"
"Yeah. That was a good idea on your part. I thought for sure she'd notice the sausages when you picked them up at the store!"
"I'm a ninja, I am." Cam crowed.
A few minutes later, when Kora dragged herself into front still yawning, breakfast was waiting for her on the table, along with a birthday card. She blinked, and then grinned.
"You did manage to surprise me after all!" she squealed as she dug into her food, "You two are the best partners a girl could ask for."
Event: Plural Writeathon for Amorpha
Prompted by:
hungry_ghostsPrompt: A story about happy headmates in love.
Summary: Cam and Eli play the most amazing birthday surprise for their newest relationship partner, Kora. What happens when common memory fouls things up?
Kora had tried extremely hard not to overhear Eli and Cam's plans. She'd shoved her fingers into her ears, walked out of the room, turned up her music as loud as she could, trying to give them privacy, but it had been no use. The moment she stepped back into front, she was hit with a wave of knowledge. Cam and Eli were planning on taking her out for her birthday, to Blue Bayou no less. At the thought of her favorite restaurant and the people she'd most want to be there with, her eyes lit up, but her joy was short-lived. They had tried to keep this private. It was supposed to be a surprise! Shit. What should she do? She knew she couldn't lie if they asked her about it. If their plans had been dumped on her, then the knowledge of her knowing would likely be dumped on them too.
Her best course of action was to try to forget it, to block it out of her mind. It couldn't be that hard, could it? She just had to try to force herself to forget. Besides, it was dinner time, and tonight was her cooking night.
Taking the body, she crawled off the sofa where they'd been sitting, and went to the kitchen. Soon, she was peeling carrots to boil, and her mind was elsewhere, far from the not-so-secret birthday surprise. However, every time she stopped to think, the knowledge tumbled back into her mind.
"You ok, babe?" Kora jumped, almost dropping the knife. Cam was standing behind her in their headspace, a tall thin beanpole of a person in a sleeveless workshirt leaning casually on the door frame.
"I'm fine." she replied, "Just making carrots to go with the leftover pork chops and fried potatoes from last night. How are you?"
"I'm all right." they answered with an easy smile, "Didn't mean to startle you, though."
"It's ok." Kora reassured, "My mind was just elsewhere, deep in thought."
"I thought you just had a guilty conscience!" Cam teased. Kora laughed, even as her stomach plunged. Did they know?
Cam smiled at her. "Mind if I hang out?"
"Of course not." Kora smiled and beckoned them into front.
Kora opened a cabinet, rummaging for the paprika. She picked up the little bottle of red powder and poured some into the pot.
"Uh, babe?" Cam questioned, "Did you mean to put cinnamon in the carrots?"
"Cinnamon?" Kora squeaked, "No... Why?" She glanced down at the bottle in her hand. Sure enough, she'd grabbed the cinnamon and not the paprika.
"My mind's shot today." she told them, "I can pour out the water and start over."
"It's ok." Cam murmured, putting their arms around her waist and nestling their head against her back, "It's gonna be ok. Carrots are sweet. A little cinnamon might actually taste all right."
"Thanks." she sighed, leaning into Cam in headspace, "I'll be better after we eat, I think."
"I'll help with the cooking if you're tired." they said, sliding up next to her, steady hands slipping the pot of carrots onto the stove.
"What's going on?" Eli asked after dinner as he snuggled with his two loves on the sofa in the headspace living room, a wall of muscular warmth surrounding them. Kora had been nestling her head under his chin, but his words made her flinch just a little. "Nothing." she rushed to reassure.
"You seem awful nervous." Cam pointed out, "It's ok if you don't want to tell us but I for one would like to know."
Eli cupped Kora's cheek gently, drawing her eyes up to meet his. "Whatever it is, we can handle it together, as a team. We always do."
Kora smiled in spite of herself, but then sobered.
"I feel like I'm ruining everything." she mumbled, "The two of you have been around here longer. You know how things work, and I just don't... I'm so sorry. I overheard something and..."
"It's ok." Cam soothed as Eli hugged her, "When you're a headmate, it's not always possible to block things from one another. What'd you overhear?"
"I uh..." She broke off. They'd been trying so hard to plan this thing for her, to make it perfect, and she was going to ruin their surprise.
"I overheard your plans for my birthday." Kora blurted, staring down at the carpet, "I tried so hard not to hear, but then I came into front to make dinner and the information just... hit me. I'm so sorry. I know you thought you were planning it to be a surprise, and I feel like I've ruined it, like I've snooped.
"Common memory strikes again!" Eli chuckled wryly, "It's not your fault, Kora. Sometimes that just happens. I can't speak for Cam, but I'm not angry. You weren't trying to listen in on purpose." He folded his arms around her in a giant hug.
"I'm not angry either!" Cam reassured, draping themself around her, so she was smooshed between the two people she loved most in the world.
Kora smiled just a little.
"So I didn't perform the worst relationship faux pas ever?"
"Not at all." her lovers soothed her, "It's just a headspace thing. Do you like your planned birthday surprise?"
"Absolutely! OMG you two managed to get reservations to the Bayou! I know that must have taken forever! I can't wait!"
"That part was mine." Eli grinned, "But Cam arranged the other part."
"Other part?" Kora blinked, confused.
Cam's grin was infectious. "You'll just have to wait and see now, won't you? If common memory didn't swamp you with that too."
"No..." Kora said, smiling, "It only told me about the reservation for the Blue Bayou!"
"Well then, the surprise is still on!" Cam cried, clapping their hands together, gleefully, "And we'll try to keep it that way. It's only thre days! I'm sure the two of us can keep a secret that long."
***
The day of Kora's birthday dawned bright and clear. Eli woke up at front, and nudged Cam lying beside him.
"Kora's still asleep, right?" he whispered. Cam glanced over at the shape of the girl sleeping beside them and nodded.
Eli popped up from their bed outworld and scampered down to the kitchen.
"Shall we make the toast first?" Eli asked.
"No." Cam said, "Eggs first. Then once that's down, we can do the toast. Cold toast is a sad state of affairs."
Cam snorted, bopping Eli with an inworld towel, "So are cold eggs, genius. Besides it's cinnamon toast, and you have to cook that in the oven, so it'll take a little longer. Let's put on the toast and then scramble the eggs and make some sausages."
Eli pretended to sulk, but then set about putting butter and cinnamon on the bread.
"Don't mess up and put paprika on that instead!" Cam joked, and they both laughed.
"Poor Kora." Eli chuckled, "She felt so sad about knowing our birthday surprise."
"Yeah, someone should have explained to her when she showed up that common memory, though good, can be a royal pain. Too bad nobody thought of it."
"I know, right?" Cam agreed, "But she only knew half the surprise. She had no idea we were also making her breakfast!"
"Yeah. That was a good idea on your part. I thought for sure she'd notice the sausages when you picked them up at the store!"
"I'm a ninja, I am." Cam crowed.
A few minutes later, when Kora dragged herself into front still yawning, breakfast was waiting for her on the table, along with a birthday card. She blinked, and then grinned.
"You did manage to surprise me after all!" she squealed as she dug into her food, "You two are the best partners a girl could ask for."
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Date: 2020-08-07 02:09 am (UTC)