Belonging - an adopted by Hamilton sequel

12th of August, 2027: Making sure

[A/N: This chapter contains mentions of OCD, suic*de and s*xual abuse. It also goes into detail of a doctor's appointment. If that triggers you, please don't read this chapter. And just so you now, this one is over 8000 words, so get yourself a snack and start reading 📖]

12th of August, 2027

It was early morning, and I had barely slept. There were two reasons for this. First, we had our first doctor's appointment today, and I had spent the last few days worrying on top of constantly feeling nauseous. Second, it was Dom's birthday. And I wanted to make the day the best I could, despite how I felt. I wanted it to be like we always did it.

I was stood in the kitchen. In front of me, was the wooden tray that we always used for breakfast. On it, I had placed a small table cloth, a plate, cutlery, a glass of orange juice and the birthday mug. It was white, and had fun, childish, lettering on it that said happy birthday to you, and according to Dom, it had been too irresistible to not bring home from the store. He had got it for me when we had celebrated my birthday in my first apartment a couple of years back. I poured his coffee in the mug, and poured some milk over it. Behind me, I could hear how the bagels popped up from the toaster. The smells had already made me more nauseous than when I had woken up, but I did everything to ignore it. Carefully, I took the toasted bagel out, and spread some cream cheese on it. Next to it, I put some crispy bacon and a sunny side up egg from the sizzling pan. Lastly, I got the small chocolate cupcake out of the fridge that I had decorated last night. I had baked them yesterday, when Dom hadn't been home. I put a multi-coloured candle in the frosting that I had topped with yellow sprinkles, and right before walking to our bedroom to wake him up, I lit it. Right as I was outside the door, I began to sing.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you-", I sang as I walked inside. Dom was well-awake, and looked at me with a smile. "Happy birthday dear Dom, happy birthday to youuu-", I continued to sing, trying to resist smiling too much. I put the breakfast tray down in front of him.
Dom put his arm around my waist, and pulled me in for a kiss.
"You know you're supposed to pretend to be asleep, right?", I jokingly told him, my voice quiet, as he pulled me in.
"Yeah", he replied, smiling. "But I don't care", he added, and kissed me. I cracked a laugh.
"Happy birthday, then", I told him, and jumped up to sit on the bed next to him. "Blow out your candle and make a wish", I instructed him, and he happily followed.
"Did you bake these yesterday?", he asked me, looking at me with a curious look. I nodded. "I thought I smelled chocolate last night", he said, laughing. "You didn't have to, darling-", he added, but I just shook my head, smiling.
"It's your birthday", I pointed out. "And it's tradition"
He smiled to the side, looking at me.
"Are you alright?", he asked me.
I shrugged my shoulders.
"Yeah. Just tired-", I told him. Exhausted, actually.
"No throwing up?", he asked me.
I looked at him, shrugging my shoulders in reply, trying to brush it off.
"Well, yeah, I did", I told him, while trying to repress the memory from this morning as I had hunched over the toilet first thing. "But it's fine. And I thought you could use some sleep", I added, as I took his hand. He squeezed it, and rubbed his thumb on the top of my hand.
"Ruthers-", he said, a little worried.
"Dominic, it's fine. I've got to get used to it, eh?", I pointed out, smiling even though it scared me.
He smiled back.
"Open your card", I instructed, nodding towards the hand-written envelope I had put on the tray as well. He let go of my hand and took it, carefully opened it and let his eyes wander over the letters I had put together.
"A cooking class?", he said out loud, with a bright smile on his face, as he gave me an excited look.
"You can choose whichever of theirs, they gave a few on their website", I told him. "It's actually a voucher for two, because I got it a couple weeks back, but I think you'll have to bring someone else now", I added, a little hesitant to explain it to him because the whole situation still seemed unreal. Like it wasn't really happening.
He laughed, making me think less of it and making me smile instead.
"Well, yeah", Dom said, pointing out the obvious. "But I would've loved to do it with you, just so you know", he told me, looking at me with kind eyes. "It's a lovely gift. Thank you", he continued, as he pulled me in for another hug.
"I have one more", I quietly told him, as I pulled away from him. I jumped off the bed, and walked over to the closed. I opened the door, and pulled all my clothes aside to reveal a present I had carefully wrapped last week when I had felt good enough to manage. I bent over, and picked it up, only to turn back around and give it to Dom who was already taking a bite out of the cupcake. If he could pick, he always picked dessert first.
"Here you go", I said, and handed the box over to him carefully. As he accepted it, I grabbed his camera from the dresser.
"Wow. Big present", Dom said, putting the cupcake down before taking the box. "What have you gotten me now?", he asked me, sounding pleasantly surprised, as he gave me a wondering look.
I shrugged my shoulders, and smiled ever so slightly as I took a seat next to him again.
"I've got you something you need", I replied, giving him a clue. He raised his eyebrows at me, confused, and a little hesitant as I held the camera in my hand. He rarely stood in front of it. I giggled.
"Come on, open it-", I said, and he did. He carefully untied the bow and undid the wrapping, and then opened the cardboard box. He cracked a laugh, and I snapped a picture.
"You know me too well", he exclaimed, lifting it up. "A helmet!"
He excitedly looked at it, inspecting its blue exterior.
"And blue to match my bike", he noted, giving me a knowing look.
"Well I just thought that you've had the same helmet since I met you, and it's been a while and a few crashes since then", I explained myself, feeling myself blush. He put it on his head, and fastened it under his cheek. I took another picture.
"I love it", Dom exclaimed, as he waved his head around in an attempt to try it out. He excitedly took it off, still admiring it. "It's definitely a step up from my old one", he continued. "Now you definitely have to bike with me more", he pointed out, to which I instantly shook my head.
My bike stood mostly unused in our building's community storage area.
"At some point, maybe. But definitely not now", I told him.
Dom smiled at me knowingly.
"We can always wait", he told me. He looked down at the breakfast, and picked up the bagel, and looked back at me. "Have you eaten?"
I shook my head.
"Do you want one of the bagels?", he asked me.
Yet again, I shook my head.
"Too nauseous", I said, yawning at the same time. Instead of telling me the obvious, he just smiled to the side. "Come on, smile for the camera. This is your day", I told him. He smiled nicely. I snapped a picture.
"Come, lay down next to me. You can get some sleep before we have to go", he suggested. I hesitantly nodded, because both him and I knew how exhausted I was. I gave him the camera, and he put it on his nightstand.