his plucked flower

Chapter 13: Asters

"Hide! Everybody hide! He's here," Dimitri yells on the top of his lungs before running to a hiding spot. Soon, everybody is scrambling to find a hiding spot, some hiding behind the door, some hiding in plain sight and some hiding behind or underneath tables.

Lillian runs before accidentally slipping and falling face first behind the couch. Quietly, she groaned before sitting up. She could still hear everybody running around, their heels and shoes pattering against the floor as they hide. When everybody was situated the lights were turned off in a flash.

Everyone was buzzing as they waited. Tightly gripped in Lillian's hand was her phone as she held it up and recorded the moment, waiting for Dan to walk through.

The sound of the key twisting made Lillian's smile widen. Light crept into the room from the evening sky. Soon, all the lights opened and everyone jumped from their hidden spot.

"Surprise!" Lillian yelled in unison with everyone else.

Dan held a bright smile and complete surprise over his face as his eyes looked for Lillian. When they did connect with his smile somehow widened.

"Happy birthday, man!" Dimitri, Axel's friend, walked up to him and pulled him into a quick embrace.

"You did this?" Axel asked.

"With your girl's help. She's a keeper," Dimitri whispered before winking. Axel smiled at his friend's acceptance to his girlfriend.

"Thanks man. I'm gonna go thank her. I'll see you in a bit." Axel made his way through the crowd, occasionally saying hey to his friends and thanking them for coming.

"Dan! Do you like it? I got Dimitri's number from your phone! You should really put a password on it." Axel chuckled.

"Thank you, baby, for all of this. I love it." He pulled her into his bone crushing hug, her arms wrapping themselves around his neck. Sneakily, she presses a kiss on his neck. "And I love you," he whispered, making her heart soar.

She wanted to say the words back but bit her lip instead. She wanted the moment to be memorable. She wanted him to remember it forever.

__________

"Thanks for coming," Axel thanked his friends and guests. His hand tightly holding the wooden door open, watching them leave.

"Oh, Dan! Where's Lillian?" Selene asked from behind him making him turn.

"I think she's in the bathroom. I dunno she left me a couple minutes ago." Selene frowned, her red hair in crazy curl making a frame around her face.

"Oh, I wanted to say goodbye, but I'll just call her tomorrow. Happy birthday, again, Danny!" She pulled him into a hug that he awkwardly accepted.

"Thanks but don't call me that."

"Oh, right only your princess can." She winked.

Axel couldn't hide his smile as he shook his head in amusement. "Goodbye, Selene."

"Alright, alright. I'm leaving. Bye." She walked out of the door and to her car, Axel watching protectively until she drove away.

He knew how much Lillian cared for her friends. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if Selene got hurt on his watch. He adored Selene, much like a sister, he always did want a younger sister.

Closing the door, he sighed recalling the earlier events with a smile. He had so much fun drinking with his friends and talking to everyone. He made sure to be considerate with his drinking making him not even a little tipsy.

"Lillian!" He walked towards her bedroom that was more likely their bedroom considering he's slept there almost every night since they got together.

He twisted the doorknob, pushing the door open. His eyes widen, his hands clammy, and his heart freezing. The sight before him made his pants tighten and heart rate accelerate.

"B-baby?"

Lillian's heart was pounding in her chest. The blue bikini lingerie fit like a glove and made her confident but now standing in front of Dan made her want to cover up but she wanted him more than ever.

"Dan, come closer," she shyly said. He was still in a trance, his heart disobeying him as it pounded against his chest.

The sight of Lillian sprawled out on the bed, her hair fanning out and curling almost perfectly around her shoulders, had him begging his legs to walk up to her.

The candles around the room sent a more romantic vibe through them, urging both of them even more.

"Are you sure?" he asked, knowing this was somehow her first time before this she was only used never taken care of and he wanted to be the one to take care of her.

She nodded, her heart confident in what it wanted and it wanted him. She wanted him. All of him. All hers and no one else's.

She sat up, her dark hair falling around her making him shiver with his dirty thoughts clear in his mind. He wanted to take her right then and there but held back from jumping her.

"I'm yours Dan. You make me feel things I can't explain since the day I met you and ever since I've been yours. I love you." Her eyes teared up. "All of you," she choked out.

A tear slipped from his eyes making his heart clench. The lump in his throats made him unable to reciprocate the words but he didn't have to when she continued.

"I want you. All of you, please Dan." He knew behind her words were depths. He wanted to know the meaning behind them.

"I've always been yours. The second I saw you, I was yours," he replied, his heart aching. In her mind the second he saw her was just a couple months ago but in his mind it was years and years ago.

Gently, he closed the door. He slowly, and cautiously, made his way towards her until he reached the bed, where he slowly crawled on top of the covers to where she laid.