Vault

Bonus Chapter - Birthdays

"Good morning baby," I sang as I leaned up, placing repeated kisses all over Karl's face.

"Morning," Karl mumbled as he tightened his hold around me.

"Happy Birthday my love,"  I smiled.

"Thank you," Karl smiled.

"Are you ready for a day full of epic surprises?" I asked.

"Epic surprises, huh?" Karl quirked his brow.

"Yes sir," I giggled.

"Okay angel," Karl smiled, "then I guess let me go shower to get ready for today. Anything I should be prepared for?"

"No, they're called surprises for a reason," I pointed out.

Karl rolled his eyes playfully before he got out of bed to go get ready. I took the opportunity to quickly get ready myself before I grabbed my gifts for him and set them down on our bed. I could still hear the water running as my phone rang with a phone call.

"Hey Dream," I greeted.

"Is he awake?" Dream asked.

"He's in the shower. He's going to open presents after he gets out and then I'm taking him to meet up with the boys before we head out tonight," I explained.

"Okay, just wanted to make sure the plan was the same," Dream laughed.

"It is. Are you guys set?" I asked.

"Yep, we're ready for later. And this is really cool Ava, he's going to love it," Dream assured me.

"Thanks, I hope so, I've been working on this for months," I smiled, "okay, the shower just turned off so I gotta go, we'll talk later."

"Sure will."

I hung up and sat down on the edge of our bed, waiting for Karl. He came out with a towel wrapped around his waist, smiling at me when he saw me just waiting for him.

He got dressed before he dried his hair and came up to me, wrapping his arms around my waist and burying his face into my neck. A quiet, pleased noise leaving his throat.

"Okay, are you ready?" I asked.

"I guess so," Karl smiled as he pulled himself away from me slightly.

I kissed Karl's cheek and handed him the big wrapped gift first, watching him study it for a second before he opened it. He ripped the wrapping paper before he pulled out the item on top. I made sure that I placed the items in the box in the correct order.

"301 skittles, for 301 sweet days with you," Karl read the card that was taped to the outside of the jar that I had filled with the correct number of skittles.

I know skittles aren't his favorite candy, but it was a memory of our first kiss.

"43 favorite memories of us, from 43 special weeks together," Karl read from the next card.

It was an envelope that I had filled with written out memories of us.

"10 pictures, that snapshot 10 months together," Karl read the card that was secured to the picture frame.

I chose all of my favorite photos of us and put them together in a collage, framing it so he could put it wherever he wanted to.

"1 reminder for (almost) 1 perfect year together," Karl read from the small card on the outside of another envelope.

It was an engraved card that he could keep in his wallet that read: "when I tell you I love you I don't say it out of habit. I say it to remind you that you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love you. -A"