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When Chesed got the thought to bake something for Netzach’s birthday, it seemed simple enough. He’d always been good at following directions, and what was baking if not carefully following the instructions laid out in a recipe book?
When he’d asked Hod her opinion on such an idea, she eagerly offered her own kitchen to him—her personal recipe book included. He was grateful for it—he didn’t have all the necessary ingredients nor all of the equipment on his floor, and while he could’ve materialized some through The Library’s various books, this was more convenient. Out of everyone in the Library, she probably had the most equipment laying around. After all, Hod had taken up baking as a sort of therapeutic hobby not long after she woke up here.
When the day finally came, he’d fallen asleep on the Floor of Art—an unplanned event, but one he was more happy than usual for since his trip to Hod’s floor would be more than cut in half. More time to make sure everything was baked, pleasant-looking, and ready for transportation before Netzach woke up.
Thankfully, Netzach was the opposite of an early riser, and was a terribly heavy sleeper to boot. Chesed, meanwhile, couldn’t be more different. It’s a little after eight in the morning when he gets up, sneaks out of bed without waking up the lump of tangled green hair next to him, and makes his way to the Floor of Literature.
The entire Floor is silent except the quiet sound of the air conditioner—and he figures both Hod and all the assistant librarians must still be fast asleep. While he wasn’t exactly familar with where everything he needs is, he figures Hod wouldn’t mind if he poked around her kitchen and pantry. He certainly didn’t want to wake her from potentially sweet dreams, especially if she had a certain visitor in her room.
He sheds his jacket, placing it neatly on the back of one of the seats at the kitchen’s island.
The only thing he finds is a pink apron hanging on the wall that’ll probably be a little short on him, but it’ll do the job. He ties it tightly around his waist and, sure enough, it’s as he expected, considering how he towers over Hod.
“Hmm…now where does she keep all the measuring cups?” he mumbles to himself, as he begins looking through the kitchen drawers.
* * *
When Netzach wakes up, the first thing he notices after he stretches his arms is that the left side of the bed is empty.
It wasn’t necessarily strange for there to be a vacant spot in the morning—after all, Chesed almost always woke up with the sun, which was much earlier than Netzach ever got up or ever wanted to be awake for. However, what was weird was that there wasn’t the usual smell of coffee on his floor—not even the faintest hint of it. Chesed always had a cup, even if he did decide to go back to his own floor before Netzach woke up.
He’s gathered his sweatpants that had been kicked off onto the floor the night previous, shuffling one leg in, when he notices a neatly folded piece of paper on his side table.
He picks it up off the table, and unfolds it. He recognizes the handwriting immediately—elegant cursive written clearly and confidently upon the page.
Good morning, sleepyhead~ Or is it well past noon already?
Netzach squints up at the clock on the wall. Just before eleven in the morning. It’s early for him.
Happy birthday, Netzie ♡ I wanted so badly to stay in bed with you until you woke up—it was so warm and cozy, and your sleeping face was so peaceful~ It really was a battle to get up—but alas, I had somewhere to be in preparation for later.
He knew that “later” was in reference to a party the librarians had all planned. It was supposed to be on the Floor of General Works—sometime around two or three o’clock.
I can’t wait to see you~ Feel free to come see me on my floor beforehand if you wish to go together. Otherwise, I’ll see you there~
There’s a few hearts towards the bottom of the page, what he assumes are some quickly scribbled balloons, and a juvenile drawing of two stick figures holding hands.
He finds himself smiling well before he reaches the bottom of the letter, and a laugh escapes his nose as he gazes over all the doodles he made over the page.
He places the letter inside his bedside table and slips on the t-shirt he’d thrown across the room the night before as he’s on his way out. Normally, he’d probably sleep in a little more, but he had to confess he was a little curious about the preparation Chesed mentioned. And, more than that, he found he missed the aroma of fresh coffee in the morning more than he’d like to admit. Strange how something so small could make his morning feel so foreign in its absence.
He’s by the staircases when the sweet smell of something good hits his nose from the stairs heading downwards—knowing what today is, though, he’d bet it’s some kind of cake. He decides to change course for a minute—drop in and say hi to Hod, maybe sample some frosting—before he heads further up.
As he gets closer to the kitchen, the smell only intensifies. He becomes keenly aware of how he hasn’t had anything to eat yet, and wonders if he could convince Hod to let him sneak a whole piece of what she made before the gathering. When he pushes open the door, however, an unexpected sight greets him.
Chesed, behind the kitchen island in a cutesy pink apron a tad too small for him, looks up from the bronze measuring cup he was closely inspecting—eyes wide. His eyes quickly glance down, and Netzach squints as he notices the cake.
The middle was totally collapsed in. And surrounding it was a plethora of flour and sugar scattered all over the counter. Really, the more he looked, the more he realized what a disaster the kitchen looked like.
“Oh—Netzach?” There’s a moment of silence before a flustered smile overtakes him. “Happy birthday, I wasn’t expecting you to be up so soon, aha~”
“What…happened in here?” Netzach asks as he starts getting closer, intending to get a better look at the malformed cake.
“Ah, well…after careful investigation, I may or may not have missed a greatly faded ‘half’ next to the ‘one’ on this one and a half measuring cup,” Chesed says sheepishly, a bronze measuring cup covered in remnants of flour in his hand. “And something similar may have also happened with the measuring spoons for the baking soda and baking powder.”
Netzach can’t help the laughter that overtakes him, and it isn’t long before he’s clutching his sides. He couldn't help it—the image of Chesed, flour and powdered sugar sprinkled across his hands and apron, standing clearly embarrassed behind a cake painfully sunken in the middle—it was too good.
“Is it really so funny…?” Chesed asks, uncharacteristically defeated, and the blush across his cheeks becomes only more visible.
When Netzach can finally breathe again, he wipes a tear from the corner of his eye. “Yeah, it is, to be honest.” He walks over to the counter, inspecting the cake more closely. It looked pretty dense, too.
He pokes the edge of it with his finger, and the texture feels interesting. “I didn’t know you baked.”
“Well…I certainly wouldn’t claim I bake,” Chesed says pointedly, putting the cup down. “I must admit, I thought it would be easy~ What a surprise this was.”
“I gotta say…you’re more clumsy than I thought,” he couldn’t help but tease. The light pink dusting that was finally disappearing from his cheeks comes back, and as Netzach starts to lean against the counter with a shit-eating grin on his face, he notices it. “You got a little something…” Netzach starts to point it out, but decides midway to just reach across with his finger and wipe it off himself.
Chesed puts a hand to the cheek he touched and wipes it again, just to be sure. “Oh. Thank you~ Baking is a more messy affair than I thought.” He hums as he looks around the sorry state of the kitchen. “Though, in my defense, there was a little hole in the bag of flour I didn’t notice till…well.” He gestures to the mess of the counters.
He glances at the chocolate frosting coating his finger and sticks it in his mouth. “The frosting is good.” He glances at the bowl of unused rich frosting, and considers grabbing a spoon and just eating that. Why let it go to waste?
“If I managed to mess up frosting of all things, I think I’d have to be banned from every kitchen in the building.”
Netzach only gives an amused smile as he sticks another finger inside the bowl of frosting. “If anyone else sees this kitchen, they might just ban you anyways, man.”
He sighs. “I suppose there’s a silver lining, at least. This was certainly a valuable learning experience~ For instance, I learned I should probably leave the baking to Hod.”
“Probably?” he asked in a teasing tone.
“Ah, I misspoke. I meant definitely .”
Chesed leans over the island and places a gentle palm over Netzach’s unoccupied hand, a familiar sentimental expression forming on his face.
“I know the cake didn’t turn out well, and I do sincerely apologize for it—”
“Nah, don’t apologize. I’ve just been pulling your leg…’m happy you even thought about me.” He sticks a chocolate covered finger in his mouth again, “Gonna eat this bowl of frosting, if it makes you feel better.”
“—but.” A smile stretches across his face as he puts a finger up to his own lips thoughtfully. “I did have a second gift in mind anyways, even before I made a disaster.”
Netzach raises an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued—much to Chesed’s delight—if the look in his eyes wasn’t obvious. “Yeah?”
“A kiss for every year of your life.”
Netzach feels the slight dusting of a blush begin to spread across his cheeks. Leave it to Chesed to come up with something so stupidly corny.
And leave it to Netzach to actually feel something fluttering in his chest at the suggestion.
“That’s…a lot.”
“Mmm…not to me~”
“I don’t even know what I’d count myself as at this point…I mean, I was in my twenties when I died. I certainly feel older though…do I count all the years we looped or whatever? How old I actually feel? I dunno.”
“Hmm…whatever should we do then~?” His finger taps against his lips.
Netzach tries not to let himself get distracted. “Something about your tone tells me you have something in mind already.”
Chesed motions for him to come meet him on his side of the kitchen. Netzach obliges. “I was thinking at least one hundred…maybe one hundred and a few twenty-something more too, then?”
“I…guess I can’t deny a present. Probably be rude if I did.” Somehow, Chesed makes being kissed raw sound appealing.
With that, Chesed gleefully wraps an arm around Netzach’s waist and pulls him close. “Happy birthday, Netzie,” he murmurs, brushing a piece of green hair behind his ear. “You look so handsome this morning~”
“Thanks…but I’m literally just wearing sweatpants and a probably stained shirt.” He glances down quickly. “A definitely stained shirt.”
Chesed only laughs softly. “I know.”
He squeezes around Netzach’s waist, only urging him closer to him as he leans down, meeting Netzach’s lips with a chaste kiss. “One,” he whispers against him. As he places another soft peck, he goes, “two.”
It’s only then that Netzach really realizes they’re going to be here for a while.
They get up to ten before there’s a sudden pause, and his lips are left feeling empty. “Oh, it seems I lost count…I think it’s best if we restart, yes?”
Netzach rolls his eyes, but an amused smile pulls at his cheeks anyways. “Uh-huh. You didn’t lose count of shit.”
“Ouch…you wound me~ Do you really think I’m so deceitful?”
Netzach opens his mouth to say a confident yes but is quickly cut off by a pair of lips again. Whatever he was going to say leaves his mind.
They get up to ten again before Netzach gets tired of the slow pace—or, maybe more accurately, the constant pauses to mumble a number against his mouth—that he runs his tongue over Chesed’s lips, which he eagerly parts. He’s happy when the only noises coming out of his mouth now are pleased sighs as he tastes the coffee soaked into his tongue. He starts to push him backwards, and Chesed lets himself turn into a malleable putty as he’s pushed up against the fridge behind him. When Netzach slots a leg between his thighs, a pathetic sounding whimper leaves him, much to his satisfaction.
“Please,” Chesed only just manages to get out, voice barely audible between growingly frantic kisses. Netzach finally breaks apart from his lips and starts moving down, pressing his mouth and tongue eagerly over his jaw and neck as his hands quickly tear off the apron and begin to clumsily undo the buttons of his shirt—always wearing a button-down, always so annoying. Chesed only stretches his neck to the side, a small, weak sounding “Netzie” escaping him.
He’s unbuttoned about half of his aggravating buttons when he’s suddenly stopped. “Wait,” Chesed gasps lightly as Netzach grazes his teeth lightly over the pulse on his neck. “We might’ve lost the plot,” he begins, laughing breathlessly. “After all, isn’t the whole point of this for me to kiss you?”
Netzach pulls back from his neck after one final kiss there, looking back up at him. Chesed looks breathtakingly flustered, his pupils blown wide. Part of him wants to say to just screw the original birthday gift idea or whatever, he has new plans now and he intends to smother him. On the other hand, it’s not like he’d necessarily mind Chesed taking the reins again. “I mean, if you want to…I don’t mind much either way.”
A moment passes where both of them stay motionless, just gazing at each other—waiting for one to make a move.
It’s only when Netzach is about to put his mouth back on his neck that Chesed is pushing him back into the counters behind him.
The countertop digs into Netzach’s back, and his elbow knocks over something behind him, but he can’t be bothered to look or care.
As Chesed’s warm hands move up underneath his shirt, his lips continue to press heated kisses against his neck between light flicks of his tongue. Netzach only feels his breathing growing heavier as his body begins to feel more heated.
There’s a sudden pause in his movements, and Netzach’s eyelids flutter back open. “Wha…”
“Would it be okay if I—“
“Yeah,” Netzach interrupts, not bothering to hide his impatience. “Just keep going.” As long as he doesn’t stop whatever he’s doing, he’s fine with whatever he wants to do—more than fine, actually, he’s eager.
There’s a joyful hum. “As you wish, birthday boy~”
As he presses a few kisses against his jaw, his hand pushes his shirt up, exposing his chest to the cool air—contrasting the heat emanating from his entire body. He sucks a breath in, goosebumps beginning to appear all over him.
He feels him smile against his skin.
His lips disappear for a moment, only to appear again on his chest. He kisses along the middle of it, pressing eager lips to heated skin, kissing all the way to one of his peaked nipples. Netzach’s breath hitches as he feels his tongue circle it, only pausing to press kisses against it. It always drove him crazy—and Chesed loved it. He grips the counter with both hands behind him for stability as he tries to keep himself still.
Then he finally relents, and keeps kissing further downward, slowly dropping to his knees, until he’s pressing a kiss just barely above his waistline. He releases his shirt from his grip as he puts his hands on the waistband of his sweatpants and begins to pull. There’s nothing but eagerness and adoration in Chesed’s eyes as he looks up at him through blue eyelashes, and it takes all of Netzach’s self control to not rut against his face.
Then he hears a noise—not from him or Chesed.
A floorboard creaking? Footsteps?
Shit.
“Wait—someone’s— shit —“ he stumbles over his words, placing his hands on top of Chesed’s and quickly pulling them away. He’s suddenly remembering where they are—Hod’s floor of all places—and he’s desperately trying to fight the embarrassment rising up in his face. They always kept stuff like this to their own floors—what the hell was wrong with them?
“Oh—“ Chesed goes to stand up and Netzach pushes him back down by the head.
“Stay down for a sec—no noise,” he whispers. He adjusts the waistband of his sweatpants and makes sure his shirt is fully pulled back down.
He only smiles coyly as he mimics zipping his lips shut and throwing away the key. It doesn’t make him feel any more confident in his ability to be quiet for once.
Netzach probably should’ve been the one to hide, the more he thinks about it.
“Chesed, sorry about my appea—“ Hod walks in on cue, in the middle of a yawn, still in her pajamas. Must’ve forgotten to take a clean pair of clothes with her to what he assumes had to be Gebura’s floor. “Oh, Netzach?”
“Yo,” he says, as coolly as he can, and tries not to focus on the fact that one of Chesed’s hands is gently holding on to his knee. He thanks whatever gods are out there for the counter covering his lower half right now.
“Happy birthday,” she says sweetly, a smile stretching across her face.
“Thanks. ‘Ppreciate it.”
“I didn’t expect to see you here. I see Chesed made a mess.” There’s only amusement in her voice. “I should’ve gotten up earlier to come and help. He did tell me it was his first time…but he seemed pretty confident, so I didn’t worry so much.” She wanders closer to the disaster left on the kitchen island, and he tries not to stiffen.
“He’s a little clumsier than I thought,” she says, a small laugh escaping her. “Speaking of, where is he?”
“Oh, he, uh, had to go grab something from his floor. Didn’t expect me to show up, I guess, so he didn’t bring another present he planned to give me…? I dunno, he was kinda cryptic.” He really doesn’t like lying to her—especially not after all the times he lied to her during the height of his addiction in Lobotomy Corporation—but this time it was for the greater good.
Hod hums, “Giving out gifts before the party?”
Netzach only shrugs in response.
“Well, I should go get dressed. Oh, maybe I should clean up a little first, thou—“ she says, beginning to take a few steps towards the counters.
“Nah, leave it to Chesed. He’s the one who did it. Go on,” he says with a lazy shooing motion.
Hod smiles, “I’ll go get dressed real quick, then I’ll help. It…might take a bit if he’s cleaning by himself.” She glances towards what Netzach now recognizes as a tipped over jar of powdered sugar, white powder spread all over the counter. So that’s what he tipped over earlier. She waves before walking off in the direction of the stairs.
Netzach waits until he can’t hear her footsteps anymore before he sighs.
“Can I unzip my lips now?” he hears an amused voice from below.
“Sounds like you already did.” Netzach reaches out a hand to the incredibly disheveled looking Chesed sitting next to him, which he takes gratefully. He lugs him to his feet, and only now really takes in his appearance. The way his lips had been kissed pink, the remnants of a blush still dusting over his cheeks and ears, his tousled hair, and his chest which was still in full view.
“You’re making me so nervous, looking at me like that~” Chesed practically sings, as he begins to button up his own shirt—much more deftly than when Netzach had been the one unbuttoning them. “Feels like I might get eaten alive~”
Netzach only snorts. “Kinda funny you say that considering you—”
He’s suddenly cut off as a pair of lips press against his. When Chesed pulls back, he just smiles—amused. As his fingers finish buttoning the very last button, he smooths down his shirt and asks, “And how do I look?”
Netzach glances him up and down. “Your hair is sort of a mess.”
“Hmm…I wonder whose fault that is?” He takes the hair tie barely holding on to his hair and undoes it before putting it back in its rightful place. “Better?”
“...Think I prefered the messy look.” He resists the urge to grab him by the collar and thoroughly dishevel him again. “We should keep this up in my room instead.”
“Good idea~” Chesed says, glancing over at the clock on the wall. “We’ll pick up where we left off after the party today, then? Admittedly, I did lose track…so I think it’s only fair I start over from one again, yes~?”
Netzach just rolls his eyes as he feels a smile stretch across his face. “Yeah, yeah I guess I lost track too.” He leans back against the counter. “No time before the party?”
Chesed perks up slightly, before his eyes scan around the kitchen. He hums thoughtfully, as if trying to calculate how quickly he could get it all done. “Ah, I do still have to clean up around here though…I made quite the mess.”
“I think you can do it. You’re pretty fast.” It wasn’t like Netzach was known for being punctual anyways. Who cares if he was a little late to his own party?
He presses a quick kiss to his cheek. “I’ll try not to disappoint~ Then I’ll show you the best birthday ever~”
He grabs the bowl of frosting left out on the counter and a spoon, sitting at one of the stools as he watches Chesed quickly move around with a newfound resolve to get the cleaning done as fast as possible.
“I’m sure.” He neglects to tell him he didn’t have to try much harder—this was already his favorite birthday—terrible cake and all.