Blue Eyed Dreamboat | R. Grayson

[22]

Ashton's birthday was coming up so Irene was very excited about planning the perfect day for her brother. She got Richard and Jason on board as well so that they could plan the surprise for Ashton together.

Norah had to bake the birthday cake and Jason was tasked to keep Ashton busy for the day so that Richard and Irene could decorate the Cooper's living room for the celebration.

As decided, Richard and Jason showed up at the bookstore and Jay very easily persuaded Ashton to go with him for the book delivery at the orphanage. When the two of them had left, Irene showed Richard all the balloons and materials she had brought for decoration purposes.

Together they decorated the living room as Irene blew up all the balloons and Richard set them up wherever she told him to. Her mother was busy preparing the dinner as well as the cake so she was in the kitchen.

"Richard," she tugged at his wrist, pointing to the letters he had strung up that said Happy Birthday. "Fairy lights," she suggested and he nodded, looking back into her box to fetch the strings of fairy lights.

They arranged the lights by entwining the strings through the letters and then Irene checked the effect by connecting the plug. The golden halo created around the letters met exactly what she had been thinking and a smile spread on her face.

"Perfect?" Richard asked and she nodded, stepping back to envision what else should be there. 

They had already pushed the table to the center, right in front of the wall they had decorated so that when they took pictures, it would serve as a good background. Richard had already brought his tripod stand and camera so that all of them could be in the pictures so they had to set it up as well.

Before Ashton and Jason returned, everything had been arranged by the three of them. Norah had baked a chocolate-flavored cake as that was Ashton's favorite and they had set fourteen candles on top too.

Irene knew Ashton would find it too childish but she wanted her brother to enjoy those moments to the fullest. He always did a lot for them despite being the youngest so she wanted to make sure that his days and achievements were celebrated too.

They had switched off the lights in the upper portion upon hearing the boys coming up the stairs and just as Ashton stepped in, Jason switched on the lights, and a burst of confetti with a loud happy cheer greeted him.

He looked shocked, not expecting that as he had almost forgotten that it was his birthday. But seeing all of them wishing him a very happy birthday and with the living room decorated as well, a smile spread on his face.

"Thank you so much," he remarked, being engulfed into a tight hug by Irene and Norah, "you guys really didn't have to do so much."

"Of course, we had to," Jay remarked, "it's your birthday after all."

Richard also smiled to see how happy the three of them were that they enjoyed the little moments and cared so much for each other. To him, they were a family that had been through a lot but stayed together through thick and thin.

It made him wonder if that was the true meaning of family; no matter what befell them, the people part of a family had to be there for each other. And it was due to meeting the Coopers that he realized that he too had a very important role to play for his own family.

Leaving home when things got rough wasn't the right choice, he should have stayed and made Bruce see his point when he wasn't that angry at him.

Though he couldn't change the past, he knew he wouldn't make the same mistake in the future. 

He would be there for his family, be it Bruce, Alfred, Jason, or Barbara.

"Come on, make a wish," Norah remarked, gently patting her son's shoulder as he blew the candles.

Ashton made a wish and then cut the cake for everyone. He looked much happier than usual, his green eyes twinkling in delight as he thanked them all again for making his day special.

They all enjoyed the cake as well as the dinner together and then Ashton opened the gifts he had gotten. Irene had bought him a new pencil case, Norah gave him a jacket, and Jason brought a collection of plays that they could act out later while Richard had asked Irene what he liked and brought a new board game for him.

He was delighted to see all the presents and later, he and Jason went to his room to try everything out. Irene and Richard helped Norah in cleaning up the kitchen and after that was done, they took some leftover cake and went to the balcony.

Richard had been waiting for that moment ever since he had come there because even though it was Ashton's birthday, he had a surprise for Irene too. 

They had picked up the cake in one plate and stuck two spoons in it so as they sat in the balcony together, they were sharing the piece of cake. Irene looked up at the night sky dotted with stars and then back at Richard whose eyes twinkled just as bright as the stars.

However, she felt he had something to say so she raised her eyebrow, silently asking him to tell her what he had in mind.

She knew there was very little light in the balcony so it would be difficult for her to read his lips. But he took her by surprise as he squeezed her hand gently and then lifted his right hand up, intending to sign his words.

She paused, a smile flickering on her face to see that he was finally trying to sign with her. He was sitting in front of her and he kept his hand in her view as he signed, "I have to ask you something very important."

She laughed lightly, seeing that he had signed correctly. She nodded her head and whispered, "go on."

"Will you be my girlfriend?" He signed slowly so that he wouldn't make a mistake and she would understand exactly what he wanted to ask her.

She paused, feeling that he had made a mistake and she repeated the signs as if asking confirmation from him about the question he wanted to ask.

He nodded, waiting for her reply with his breath held in anticipation.

Her beautiful green eyes were locked on him and she seemed to be thinking what she should reply with. It was clear she hadn't expected him to use sign language and that too for asking her a question that she felt he might never ask.

Her lips parted to speak but her voice seemed stuck in her throat. Those wide green eyes of hers seemed to be welling up and she closed the gap between them, her arms wrapping around him in a tight hug.

Richard held her close, knowing it was a bit overwhelming for her. But then, he heard her voice at last, his heart doing a somersault inside his ribcage as she voiced out, "yes, I would love to."

***