This Is Achillean (Boy X Boy) (Book 1)

Happy Birthday, Ambrose.

Everyone has been a little on edge since the cocaine incident. Dimitri gets many death stares from Ambrose. I'm hoping that now it's Ambrose's 18th birthday, the mood will lighten up. I worked with Shinsuke to set an elaborate plan to make today perfect.

We are laying in bed, he is pressed to my back, arms wrapped around my chest as usual when we spoon. I feel him start to rustle. He's waking up.

"Morning, babe" Ambrose slurs out, opening his eyes to show those beautiful green irises. I turn to face him, then flip him onto his back. I climb on top of him, and our lips meet passionately.

"Happy birthday, baby." I whisper, pulling back from the kiss.

"You got something special planned?" He asks me. His face has that wide smirk that I can't resist. He wriggles his hips below me.

"We've all got something special planned for you. One from Dimitri, One from Shinsuke. And two from me, of course."

"Well, aren't I just a spoiled little guy."

"You deserve this. I mean, you are the reason we are on a private island right now, and me and Dimitri wouldn't be anywhere as famous without you."

"I love you, Patrick. I think it's fate that made us roommates."

"How do you know it's fate?"

"I can taste words. Your name tastes like tangerines, my favourite fruit."

I lean back down for another kiss.

"I love you too, Ambrose."

Shinsuke's present is first. so I lead Ambrose down the stairs, covering his eyes.
Shinsuke is there, covering something with a sheet. He never actually told me what his present was.

I uncover Ambrose's eyes. He looks confused, expecting a more bombastic start of the day, I guess.

"Happy birthday." Shinsuke says, pulling Ambrose into a hug. "I am thankful at how quickly you accepted me into the group."

"Thanks Shinsuke." Ambrose responds.

Shinsuke pulls away from the hug, and puts a hand on the sheet covering what must be his present.

"I wanted your present to be personal, something you could keep forever and say, this is from my great friend, Shinsuke Hasigawa. But also something that reminds us all of the great times we are all having here."

Shinsuke pulls the sheet off. Oh, my, god. He reveals a large painting, it's of the goth photoshoot that Me, Ambrose and Dimtri did.

I look over to Ambrose. He's tearing up, so he pulls me and Shinsuke into a hug.

"Wait, Shinsuke. Why is this photo so important to you. We didn't even know each other back then?"

"Because that's how we met." I hear from the back of the room. I turn to see Dimitri. Wearing nothing but a black robe.

"What?" I ask. What do they mean this is how they met?.

"Well, since I have different classes and my dorm is on a seperate floor, me and Dimitri never actually interacted. I mean I didn't even know they existed."

"But..." Dimitri continues from behind us. " he was scrolling through Ambrose's Insta. Because he found you extremely hot. When he came across this photo of us. He looked at me and thought I was beautiful, like a gothic angel, even. So he did what anyone would do. He sent me a DM. All it said was 'hey' but it got me interested enough to keep us talking. You should of seen our reactions when we realised we were in the same building the whole time. No, seriously, we texted for 4 days before we realised we were in walking distance."

"Wow!" Ambrose exclaims. "So this picture really does mean a lot to all of us."

"Well that actually leads in perfectly into my part of today." I say. I lead them too the back deck. "I know we said that we should keep work out of this trip. But this is special. All four of us are gonna do a photoshoot, wearing Ambrose's signature yellow swim shorts!"

"Oh my god babe this is such an amazing idea! But you said you hated those shorts?"

"I do, I think the colour is atrocious, and yellow does NOT suit you. But this is your day. So what better theme for this shoot, than you?"

"But what about your surgery scars?"

"They'll be covered up with that makeup remember?"

We spent our time from noon till 5 taking photos in those shorts. In the water, on the beach chairs, even in the living room. Half the time was spent helping Shinsuke, since he had never really modelled before. I have a sneaking suspicion that it really isn't his thing.

That just leaves Dimitri's present, then my special second 'surprise'. Although from how he acted this morning. I don't think it's a surprise anymore.