A long lane at night

1.09 YOURS

** ALLAN **

'YOU KNOW' BRIAN SAID, AT WHAT AT FIRST SEEMED like the end of our night celebrating his birthday. He started to get closer to me as he talked and I couldn't move away. I would never want to anyway and now I felt brave enough to stay where I was. 'This was by far the best birthday I've ever had. I felt special like I haven't in a long time. There is only one thing missing for it to be perfect.'

He was so close I could feel the watermelon flavour of the bubble gum he chewed when we left the restaurant. Please, let this missing thing be what I'm thinking it is. I worked up my courage and started to ask:

'And what is —'

But he didn't even give me time to finish my question. He pulled me closer to him and placed a kiss on my mouth. For a small second I couldn't believe that was finally happening, but quickly I decided to enjoy the moment. The man I desired since I first laid eyes upon was fully kissing me. I, who had never thought you could feel the things I felt for him, was completely given. During that kiss he was mine and I was his.

When our lips parted, we still felt so connected to each other that we remained in our embrace. I looked deep into his eyes and tried my hardest to make him see all the love that I had in me that was all for him.

'You know,' I said, still holding him tight, 'there's this tradition... somewhere... that on your birthday you ought to receive a kiss for each year you've lived.'

'Does that mean I get twenty-one kisses from you?'

'Only if you want me to stop at twenty-one.'

'I don't think I'll ever want you to stop,' he said and I kissed him.

'I know it's late,' I said when that second kiss ended, holding his arms by the elbows, 'but I do have a present for you. Only it's not here. Do you mind?'

'Allan,' his sexy voice calling out my name so close to my ear, for the first time filled with unrefrained tenderness, sent chills down my spine. 'Please understand, when it comes to spending time with you, I'll never mind.'

'Stop being so perfect for only one moment, will you? I'm trying to focus,' I said as I turned round and pulled my phone from my pocket and called us an Uber without telling him the destination.

'Allan?' He said in that tentatively tone of his. 'Can we stay hugged a little longer? After all, it is my birthday.'

I only nodded and he hugged me from behind, intertwining his hands with mine and resting his chin on my shoulder.

'So does that mean I can only hug you on your birthday?' I said jokingly and he bit me on the shoulder. I couldn't help it and started laughing.

Our Uber arrived quickly and I needed to distract him from where we were going, so as soon as the car left, I started kissing him again. It was only when we arrived that he saw where we were.

'Allan,' he said getting out of the car and facing the building. 'Don't you think I'd have noticed if you had hidden a present in my flat?'

'Oh, your present is not there,' I chuckled. 'Only the tool I need to give it to you.'

'Can you make a present using the videogame?'

'That's actually a great idea. Should've thought of it, too. Forget you said that and act surprised next year, okay?'

'Okay,' he laughed as we got the lift.

'All right. Where is this present?' He asked after locking the door to his flat behind him and turning on the lights.