❛𝐌𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐔𝐋 𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐂𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍...❜ | 𝟏𝟖+

𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 | 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗻𝘀 𝙥𝙩.𝟣

Coffee, coffee, coffee...how I love, your darkly sweet scent...the way you pair with a brisk winter morning breeze...how you pair with the sweetest things, the equilibrium of your honed gritty taste and the sugary light treat dipped knee-deep in your soul, I can never get enough...the number one way to begin my day, it just hits differently...

I perch myself against the cushioned seat, sinking far into it as I rest my student's literature book on my knee, my green pen flying across the pages as I mark it word for word, sitting in the dainty corner of the staff break room to myself. After preparing her own drink, my wife takes a seat by my side, not wanting to be an inch further away from me than necessary.

The odour of her French vanilla cremé beverage fills my nostrils, and when I lean in for a 'good morning' kiss, the taste of the sweet liquid dances with the dark aroma of my own coffee, a pleasant grin spreading across my cheeks. "Thank you, baby..." I whisper quietly, our lips unlocking when we hear the sound of hefty footsteps making their way into the lounge, those daunting and heavy feet creating the monstrous-like noises belonging to Danté Drake, otherwise known as Mr Drake by our pupils.

The tall, chiselled man greets us with a kind smile, his dominant, alpha male, strict reputation known across the school to our students, however he's earned the right to the title 'joker of the pack' to the collective staff members. "Morning ladies," Danté kindly hands me a tall, golden gift bag, the weight of it easily handled by his visible muscles in his biceps. "Something to sneak into your flask in case the kids give you trouble," sending a wink my way, I chuckle deeply with my chin tucking into my chest as I do so, fingertips tangling around the straps and taking it into my possession. "You know me well, Drake." a quirk in his eyebrow, he replies, "I've known you since Uni, and how you're a borderline alcoholic." me and Drake have spent many nights in either of our offices with tumblers filled with whiskey and bourbon, seeing who could down them the quickest ever since our Uni days. Throughout my life I've always been able to connect well with both genders, making it easy for me to form friendships and search for different dynamics and interact with other minds, my intellectual health growing rapidly. I wouldn't have changed anything about that time - only to wish I had met my beautiful wife years earlier.

"I give my thanks. Swing by my office at lunch and we'll lick it clean." leaving me with a smile, the other teacher makes his way toward the communal coffee area, pouring himself a cup of straight black. We continue speaking, but not before my adorable wife wraps her own arms around my right one, hogging it selfishly and resting her head on my shoulder cutely. Pressing my puckered lips to her forehead, "Any plans?" I tilt my head and ponder the thought, as I originally had no other idea of how to celebrate my 33rd birthday except an evening in with my wholehearted love, being spoiled with nothing but kisses...and a ride I'd never forget... "I'm only turning 30 again - as my mother says, it's going to happen many a-time."

From an outside perspective, many may think the age difference between myself and Raidne would cause a hefty amount of problems in our marriage...issues relating and connecting our minds as one, finding a dynamic that works for us...however we couldn't be more of a perfect match. When you know, you know, and when you fall, you fall.

Head elevated, Raidne looks me in the eye with a slightly grump look and a pouted lip, "Doesn't mean it doesn't matter. Birthday's are special!" sweetly smiling I scratch my wife's button-like nose, a tight scrunch coming after and a gentle look in my eye. "To you they are, angel. It's not a big thing for me." furrowing her eyebrows and taking a metaphorical foot stomp, she replies with a hint of sass in her tone, "Well, you deserve spoiling too. That's why tonight I'm going to cook your favourite meal, give you many treats and spoil you rotten. No arguments." she presses her temple into my arm once again, a moody expression fixated on her features as she stares straight across the room whilst holding me close. I let out a humourous giggle, kissing her forehead gently. "You two are so cute," our colleague says from across the room, taking a seat himself and sipping on his noir beverage.