<aside> 🔑 🦌: Alkaid 🖌️: MC

</aside>

Today is Alkaid’s birthday, before mealtime me and a well dressed Beanie stood in front of Alkaid’s door and knocked on his door.

🦌: Good afternoon, this is…? I put Beanie down, looking at him slipping into the room, then I emulated Alkaid’s way of speech. 🖌️: Beanie haven’t seen you for a while, he must have missed you, so I brought him here. Hearing me teasing him, Alkaid helplessly shook his head. 🦌: Then how about you? Do you miss me? 🖌️: Usually during the day I already saw you, but in my dreams I also see you. We are never apart, it seems we don’t need to say we miss each other. 🖌️: Okay, how long are we going to keep standing at the entrance way? Let’s go in. Carrying a big bag of ingredients into the kitchen, I intentionally raised my eyebrows at Alkaid. 🖌️: Alkaid, do you want to guess what I have prepared for lunch for you? 🦌: Hmm… Longevity noddles?* 🦌: And, perhaps some carved decoration for the longevity noodles? 🖌️: ? 🖌️: How did you guess it right… 🦌: Let me see, who shared the radish carvings in their moment last night, and caption it with a solemn vow “ I will definitely make Senior have a whole new level of respect for me”? 🖌️: Ah, I forgot to make it private! I ruined the surprise…. 🦌: How? You clearly prolonged the surprise, making me look forward to it since last night. 🖌️: Okay, although you already know what it is, but for the final product I will still keep you in the dark… 🖌️: Plus you are here, I will be distracted.

I unyieldingly drove Alkaid out of the kitchen, I smacked my face, to raise my sprits. I ran water to blanch the vegetables, and soon after took it out to cook the noodles; I remembered to boil two eggs, and also to skewer the finished carvings. Finally a not bad looking bowl of longevity noodles came out, I’m unsure if I’m already sweating because I’m nervous or tired.

Taking advantage of when I was cooking, Alkaid already brought me a confetti ball banner to hang on the wall.

I fished out a birthday crown and put it on Alkaid’s head, and placed the longevity noodles in front of him. The thin yellow noodles are soaked in the cream coloured broth, fresh prawns, a golden poached egg, a small tuft of coriander are neatly arranged on top of the noodles, the red, white, yellow and green coloured arrangement made people’s index fingers moved a lot.* Alkaid picked up the noodles with his chopsticks and push it towards my direction.

🖌️: Alkaid, this is your birthday. 🦌: Yeah I know, saying this, maybe you have suspicions that I have other intentions, but — 🦌: — I want to share it with you. No matter if it’s birthday blessings or wishes, I want to share these happiness and feelings at this moment with you. 🦌: So, is it enough to fulfil my first wish? 🖌️: …. Okay.

I leaned over, and took a bite from Alkaid’s incoming chopsticks, and his share of longevity noodles. But not only birthdays, I know, I still will completely share my happiness and sorrows with him, our whole future lives.

When Alkaid entered, I was quietly humming a small tune, washing the dishes in the sink. He put the dishes into the sink, and suddenly chuckled. I lowered my head, I looked up and down of myself from the reflected light of the borrowed sink. Its like usual, there was nothing special of it.

🖌️: Why did you suddenly laughed?

🦌: Here — A warm breath blew through my side burns, Alkaid leaned over, reaching his hand to stroke the corner of my mouth. 🦌: I wiped off the soap scum. 🦌: Like a child, are you thinking to play with the bubbles?? Alkaid pulled his hand back, his fingertips still left traces of water. Perhaps I carelessly put too much washing detergent, more and more bubbles floated up from the sink, intruding our line of sight.

Alkaid’s aqua pupils are also deep like a lake’s reflection, reflecting the colourful bubbles, reflecting his smile, also reflecting me.
Also unknowingly whether its “bashfulness arises from the heart”, or “desire gives birth to courage”. I suddenly leaned closer to Alkaid, I also rubbed a little of water droplets on his mouth. 🦌: …. I didn’t have to wait for what Alkaid said, I later became aware and my face turned red. 🖌️: Okay, fine! Now we are the same, just don’t —

The remaining words and cry of surprise are swallowed by Alkaid’s kiss, Alkaid took a few steps forward, I was pressed against the sink, while stepping back I don’t know who stepped on whose foot. Before it gets more chaotic, I held onto Alkaid’s shoulder. The damp water droplets trickled down my wrist, making the back of his shirt wet. 🖌️: Look, all the cleaning went to waste… In the same breath, Alkaid chuckled. 🦌: Don’t worry, I will tidy up.

Meow— a soft cry was cried out through the narrow entryway, that sounds especially grieved.

🖌️: Sparkles, Sparkles is outside! 🦌: …. Nothing will happen, he will only cry when he can’t see anyone.