AHEIAID Chapter 65: Black Bunny Ears and White Knee Socks
| Previous | Table of Contents | Next |
Joey always thought Garius wasn’t the type to celebrate holidays much, so he was surprised at how much Garius cared about his birthday...
Sitting on a small chair in the nursery, Joey bit the end of his pen while scribbling in his notebook. Every now and then, he would remember something and add another note.
Originally, Joey hadn’t planned to buy anything expensive—firstly, because Garius lacked nothing, and secondly, because he had no money.
So, he enlisted Reston's help, deciding to personally bake a cake, decorate the dining area, arrange a romantic candlelit dinner, and pick a bouquet of fresh roses. It might be a bit cliché, but at least it was heartfelt!
But now, seeing how much Garius was looking forward to it, Joey felt like he couldn't make it too simple.
"I’ve made cakes and cookies before. Though I’ve mostly forgotten how, with Reston’s help, it shouldn't taste too bad… Hmm, fresh flowers—I can pick those from the manor’s garden...
"Then, decorations to set the mood—I can buy a set online..."
"Hmm… Hey, System! Do you think I should arrange heart-shaped candles and stand in the middle while singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Garius?"
Joey eagerly looked at his communicator.
Inside, the lazy, jelly-like system snorted in disdain, twisting its body in mockery.
Tsk tsk, such childish tactics.
So tacky! Too tacky!
【You might as well wrap yourself up in a gift box and present yourself to him.】Now that would be practical—System was sure Garius would be so happy he’d drag Joey to bed immediately and devour him for two hundred rounds!
"That’s not a good idea! Garius is so sharp—imagine if he mistook me for an assassin and stabbed me the moment I jumped out… Holy crap, no way, no way…"
Even if Joey had the guts, he wouldn’t dare challenge Garius to see which was faster—him or the blade.
【People who take risks reap the biggest rewards. Charge ahead!】
"Charge my ass! Easy for you to say, you’re not the one at risk!"
Joey rolled his eyes and was about to scold the system when an idea suddenly struck him. "I got it! I know what to give Garius!"
The usually quiet manor suddenly bustled with activity.
The steward and male servants watched as the small human figure scurried around the estate like an excited pup on Christmas morning, jingling along to some imaginary tune. They were both amused and curious.
Joey wiped the sweat off his forehead and plopped onto the carpet, eagerly tearing open a newly delivered package. His eyes sparkled.
Eggs, milk, flour, piping bags!
Ribbons, candles, gift boxes, birthday music!
In less than three days, Joey had secretly ordered and collected all the necessary ingredients and decorations while Garius was at work.
Now, everything was ready—except for his main gift.
The moment he received the shipping notification, Joey dashed to the front door to retrieve his package, then sneakily darted back to his bedroom like a thief.
He carefully unpacked the foam-wrapped wooden box, along with sanding tools, a chip, an oil brush, and other small components. Rubbing his hands together in excitement, he spread out the instruction manual on the floor and began assembling the pieces.
The system curiously peeked out to take a look. After scanning the items, it lost interest and burrowed back into the communicator.
Tch~ Just a holographic photo frame box~
Joey, however, was busy tinkering away.
From noon to afternoon, he diligently worked, and as Garius’s usual return time approached, he quickly screwed in the last pieces, sanded down any rough wooden edges, and shoved everything under the bed in one go.
With a satisfied clap of his hands, he declared victory.
Just then, Garius’s starship landed outside the manor. When he entered the house and didn’t see the little one he was expecting, he furrowed his brows slightly and looked at his butler.
Reston, standing straight-backed and holding his master’s coat, smiled knowingly and whispered, "Young Master has been secretly busy these past few days. It seems he’s preparing a surprise."
There was no need to say who the surprise was for.
Hearing this, Garius’s brows relaxed. He knew Joey had agreed to… that, but he hadn’t expected his little mate to learn about romance and passion too.
His heart itched.
With long strides, the Overseer headed for the bedroom, his eyes filled with a deep, affectionate smile.
"I’ll go see him."
"Yes, Master. But Young Master seems to want to keep it a secret—please knock before entering."
"Hmm."
Even without Reston’s reminder, Garius understood.
His petite and gentle mate was shy. If Joey was trying on something… ahem revealing, barging in might earn him a bout of angry embarrassment.
And if that happened, forget a sweet and passionate night—his little human might end up hugging a pillow and sulking in the nursery instead.
Imagining that, Lord Haine—who had been longing for an intense rain after a long drought—smirked. His eyes darkened with anticipation.
Stopping before the bedroom door, he suppressed all his turbulent emotions, calmed his burning desire, and maintained a composed and gentlemanly image before knocking.
"Joey."
"Hmm? Garius?"
Joey ran to the door and opened it, amused to see the tall and handsome man standing there. "Why are you knocking? I thought it was Reston."
"I thought I should give you some time to prepare."
"Prepare for what?"
While Joey was still puzzled, Garius entered the room, quickly scanning it with his sharp investigative skills.
Walls—intact.
Ceiling—intact.
Furniture—unchanged.
Carpet—
Garius’s gold-green eyes narrowed slightly at the faint crease in the carpet, which wasn’t there this morning. Following the trail, his gaze swept toward the space beneath the bed.
"...Sit and rest for a bit. I’ll get you some water. Was District 13 not busy today?" Joey smiled, pulling Garius down onto the bed before heading to the nightstand. "Dinner will take a while, so why not take a shower first?"
"Mm. Sounds good."
Garius sat at the edge of the bed, eyes locked onto a sliver of black fabric peeking from under it. His throat moved as he swallowed, then he looked up at Joey’s slender back.
"Then, run the bath for me. I’ll use the en-suite."
Joey handed him a glass of water, giving him a curious glance—something felt off about him today. "Alright, I’ll go do that."
As the sound of water and Joey’s humming filled the air, Garius quietly knelt by the bed. Slowly, carefully, he reached underneath...
The moment his fingers touched something soft, his heartbeat pounded in his ears.
His grip tightened, his knuckles turned white, and after a brief pause, he pulled it out.
When his gold-green eyes fell on the black bunny ears and silk ribbons in his hand—his slit pupils dilated into wide circles before shrinking to pinpoints.
A vivid image formed in his mind.
A soft, curly-haired human sat on the bed, one bunny ear flopping down, the other perked up. His small, delicate body was wrapped in black silk ribbons, tied into a large bow behind his neck.
Black fabric contrasted against pale skin.
Slender legs clad in white knee socks curled shyly.
The bashful youth lowered his head, toes curling and uncurling, before whispering,
"Do… do you like my surprise?"
…
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
The stoic Overseer stuffed everything back under the bed, straightened his posture, and sat rigidly. The moment Joey called him, he bolted into the bathroom at lightning speed—so fast that Joey barely saw a golden blur.
All he caught was a faint, strange, metallic-sweet scent in the air.
"...Weird. What’s up with him today?"
Shrugging, Joey flopped onto the floor to double-check his actual gift.
Seeing the wooden photo frame still there, he let out a sigh of relief. Then, he pulled out the bunny ears and ribbons with a frown.
"System, I don’t remember buying these."
【Oh, right! Your holographic photo frame was labeled as a toy for girls under ten. The headband was a freebie, and the black ribbons were part of the packaging.】
"Oh."
Joey shrugged and tossed them back under the bed.
T/N: Please give support on my ko-fi page, thank you🍊🍊🍊
Comments
Post a Comment