Someone Like You | Toni Kroos

Chapter 5 - Birthday Girl

Toni's POV

It was barely seven in the morning when I woke up. My heat pack was hot and Gabi was fast asleep. I shook my head in loving annoyance and smiled at her blissful sleeping face before grabbing two band-aids and sticking them under my crutches so they wouldn't make a sound.

Slowly, I made my way to the kitchen and fished around in the shelves for the baking tray my mum used to use. It was Gabi's birthday and my planned premature surprise for her had slipped my mind with the constant hospital visits and therapy sessions. With the simple baking supplies that were lying around my kitchen, I set out to bake a simple birthday cake for Gabi to make up for the failed surprise.

Gabi's POV

A loud metallic clang woke me from my sleep, which was arguably more peaceful than I'd slept for the past week.

"Who's that?" I asked Toni.

There was no answer.

I turned my head towards his side and opened my eyes only to see his sheets ruffled and his person missing, crutches and all. Confused, I got up and ran out of the room towards the source of the sound.

Toni was there in the kitchen, a metal mixing bowl at his feet, and staring at the entrance warily as if he was afraid that I'd appear there. Indeed, he cringed as I stood there glaring at him.

"What are you doing?!" I demanded.

"Uhhhh..." he shrugged. "Happy birthday?"

I froze. "Oh."

With his crutches barely making a sound, he made his way around the metal bowl and stopped in front of me. "The cake is in the oven. Let's wait outside."

"Toni, I...you baked a cake?"

"Yeah," he grinned proudly. "I baked a cake for you."

"You could have just told me if you wanted a cake! What did you think you were doing, baking cakes with this leg of yours? What if you hurt yourself again? Why are you being so disobedient?"

He stared at me, the fear in his eyes being replaced by a hint of humour before he suddenly burst out laughing.

"What?" I demanded again, but he continued laughing. "TONI, WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING AT?!"

"You," he half-choked.

"What's so funny?" I whined.

He finally calmed down and stared at me with tears of laughter still brimming in his eyes. Slowly, he reached over and leaned his left crutch on the kitchen counter. With his left arm, he reached over to me and pulled me in for a hug.

"You sound just like my mum," he whispered into my hair. "And I love my mum," he added, just in case.

I sighed in resignation. "Can you please go and rest now?"

He nodded and picked up his other crutch again while I picked up the mixing bowl and went over to the oven to inspect whatever it was that was baking inside. He hobbled his way over to me and watched with me.

"What flavour is it?" I asked him.

From the reflection on the oven door, I caught him grinning again. "Chocolate."

I reached for the back of his head and pulled his lips against mine. "Thank you, baby. You really didn't have to."

"Did you forget it was your birthday?"

I giggled. "Yeah."

"So...surprise!" he suddenly wrapped an arm around me and lifted me in the air.