Billboards and Benches

Chapter 18

August 8th // month nine together

She curls herself on top of him assuring her arms are wrapped around him. "Happy birthday bug!" She giggles. He jumps up and she smiles staying tight to him. He sits contemplating how she figured out the one day he hates the most. How did she know that today was this day, he'd never told her. "I knew you wouldn't tell me when your birthday was so I got a copy of your birth certificate." She whispers answering his unasked question. He laughs slightly and lays her forward on the bed.

"You're creepy." He mumbles planting his lips against hers. He smiles when their tongues meet. All he wants is to hold her and smother her with his love. He doesn't like remembering his birthday. He was put up for adoption before birth but no one wanted him. He hates his birthdays more than anything else. "How did you get a copy of my birth certificate!" He pulls away. Though he has many troubling thoughts on this day this one bothers him the most. He laces their hands together holding her down on the bed. "Dylan! How did you get a copy of my birth certificate!" He gasps at the thought of it. Saying it out loud makes it sound much worse than he thought it was before.

"It wasn't hard." She giggles pushing up and on top of him. "Now shut up and let me celebrate you!" She hums pressing her lips against his. The presents she has downstairs are going to make him nervous and she knows that but she wants to give him something memorable for the first of many birthdays that they'll spend together. She knows that he might not accept her gift but she wants him to have the most beautiful birthday imaginable. "I made you breakfast and I was gonna bring it up but I thought that maybe I should leave it downstairs because I didn't want to make a bigger mess than we already would." She giggles kissing his neck. She's lucky that she found the copy of his birth certificate before his birthday or she wouldn't have known. Today would've been any other normal day and though that's probably what her boyfriend hoped for he isn't getting that with her. She likes to go all out for birthdays.

"You're making it really hard for me to be mad at you!" He groans and she giggles. She knows he's mad that she found out about the day he hates the most but she's happy that he's letting her celebrate him at least a little bit.

"You're gonna hate me when you see your present." She shrugs softly and he sighs leaning against her shoulder. He hates knowing that she bought him a gift. He knows when her birthday is and to her birthdays are a big deal. He's just worried that she'll buy him something fancy and he'll never be able to top it. He hates the idea of her having gotten him a gift but he hopes it something simple.

"Let's go see what you got me then." He hums and she nods heading downstairs with him right behind her. He could care less that he's only in boxers. Especially knowing Dylan was cooking in her underwear. "Oh you made me pancakes!" He smiles and she gives a childish nod. Never in his life did he think of pancakes as such an amazing thing. For a while all food seemed so amazing to him until one night he was sitting outside of the twenty four hour diner he brought Dylan to have their breakfast date. The owner brought him in and fed him or gave him food every time he saw him on the street. Shawn managed not to starve to death because of that sweet man who refused to leave him in the cold. The first few winters he spent in the restaurant. He offered to clean and bus tables and he did for a while. He did it from the time he was fourteen until he turned sixteen when the owner and his family moved. The stores manager hated him and he lost the only real job he'd ever worked. He lost the money he had so he couldn't afford his motel suit anymore and he went right back to park benches. Pancakes were just something he was so used to having. He never realized how much of a luxury they could be.

"I made some with blueberries and some with chocolate chips and there's some that are just plain. I made smiley faces on all of them in different ways!" She giggles. She used just about every plate in their household to do it but it makes her so excited that he doesn't even mind. He knows she's terrible at doing the dishes so he'll probably end up doing most of them.

"This is really cute." He chuckles kissing all over her face. She just keeps her wide smile accepting all of the kisses she's being offered.

"Do you want your present now or after you eat?" She knows she should wait because he gets anxious. If she gives it to him not he won't eat anything and she made a lot of pancakes without thinking. She just got so excited that she didn't know when to stop. She decided to stop when she realized she'd gone through all of her plates and she still needed another one for the fruits she cut for him.

"Let's eat first babe. Look at all of these freaking pancakes!" He laughs again and her smile only grows. The only good part about her knowing is that she's happy. That's the only reason he'll let her celebrate at all. If it were up to him they'd still be asleep in bed and she wouldn't have known at all.

"Do you have anyone you want to invite over? Is there anything you really wanna do today?" She smiles kissing his cheek. He chuckles at her. She overestimates how popular he is. He doesn't have any friends. The closest thing he has is her. She's the only person who ever wanted to celebrate his birthday.

"I don't have anyone to invite sweets." He shrugs and she nods. "But we could go do something if you want." He smiles bringing her closer. He knew that this would happen eventually but he's upset that she looks so sad.

"You don't have anyone you want to invite?" She pouts and he shrugs. He never told her truly how his life was before her. She doesn't know why he's homeless. He told her he was put up for adoption and that's about all. He said his adoptive family didn't like him. He said he left at eighteen and couldn't afford a place of his own and thought being on the streets would be best.

"I don't have any friends except you darling and I'm okay with that." He smiles kissing her forehead and feeding her pancakes.

"Can I call some of my friends? They love you and they sent you gifts baby. They'd love to visit you." She smiles kissing his shoulder. She likes showing him that he's loved.

"It's okay. We can spend the day together just us." He hums and she nods slowly while he pushes his pancakes to the side. "Okay I can't eat anymore pancakes!" He chuckles and she nods kissing his neck and cheek.

"Okay, well here's my first present!" She giggles handing him a small perfectly wrapped box.

"I'm afraid to open this." He mumbles making her giggle. He knows it may be small but he also knows it's going to be expensive. He tears slowly at the wrapping. "Babe this is a Rolex." He shows her the writing on the box and she nods. "I can't take a Rolex!" He points and she giggles. "Oh baby girl this is beautiful!" He smiles kissing her forehead. He hates having such an expensive watch but he will wear it everyday just to make her happy.

"It's the first picture we took together!" She smiles while he looks at the custom background to the watch.

"I know. I love it darling thank you." She wraps the watch around his wrist and he smiles. "Look at how happy you look!" He smiles kissing her forehead.

"I'm always happy with you! You make me so happy love!" She giggles hugging him tight.

"You made this the first birthday I've had in years worth celebrating!"