Mercedes smiles as she turns around in his bed. Alexei was just sleeping peacefully as his hand was wrapped around her waist. She bites her bottom lip before placing a soft kiss on his cheek causing his eyes to flutter.

The past weeks were like Heaven to Alexei. With summer approaching and Mercedes finally free to him all he could do was smile. He places a kiss on her cheek before sitting up. He rubs the side of his neck as she sits up as well.

"Guess what today is?"

Alexei shrugs before stretching in bed.

"It's your birthday." Mercedes smiles as gets up from the bed.

Alexei never really celebrated his birthday and he didn't care for it. His father never got him anything for his birthday. While others may wish him a happy birthday, his father just treated him like he normally does. He didn't even have a cake.

Growing up, he almost forgot that he had one. If it wasn't for his cousins of course often teasing him that he was still the youngest. Mercedes goes to the bathroom leaving the door wide open as she grabs her toothbrush from the rack.

"So what do you want to do today?" Mercedes ask before rinsing her toothbrush.

"I have some things I have to take care of but it shouldn't be long. I guess I'll be back here and just watch something. My cousins probably are going to stop by and bother me I guess."

"You don't want to go out and eat or something?" Mercedes asks him.

"I'm twenty-six Mercedes, there's not much for me to do." He says standing up.

"You're what?" Mercedes asks in shock.

Alexei chuckles softly. "How old did you think I was?"

"At the most twenty-three. You're so old."

"We're only five years apart," Alexei says standing up.

Mercedes apply the toothpaste onto her toothbrush before sighing loudly. Alexei goes behind her and wraps his arms around her waist as he moves her braids to the side.

"When I'm twenty-six you're going to be thirty-one." She says before brushing her teeth.

"Stop worrying. When is your graduation? I want to know beforehand." Alexei asks him.

"A month from now. I can't wait until I'm done with college. The very first thing I'm going to do is book a trip out of the country." Mercedes tells him muffled.

"You should come with me to Russia, I'll show you around, you can see my house, and it's very beautiful there," Alexei suggests to her.

Mercedes spit out her toothbrush. "I would love to see your house." She smiles at him.

❍

Alexei gets inside the house. He walks inside the quiet house, takes off his coat, and places it on the rack. Closing the door shut he goes towards the kitchen. He figured Mercedes was probably already out getting him food hence the quiet house so he decided to get some water.

When walking in, he sees Mercedes sitting on the kitchen counter with a smile on her face as she blows a party noisemaker. With a cake beside her and a plate of food on the other side, she jumps down and hugs him. Placing a kiss on his lips as he chuckles.

"You're so lame on your birthday." She jokes making him chuckle once again.

"You didn't have to do this. I was fine with pizza."

"It's your birthday, you should be an excited old man." Mercedes smiles. "I made one of these. If you guess correctly, you can get your present early." Mercedes tells him.

"Alright." Alexei smiles as he grabs one of the two forks.

Mercedes goes to the other side of the kitchen counter and watch him take a piece of lasagna. He places it into his mouth and begins to chew. Mercedes watch him excitedly as he continues to eat.

"Can I guess now?" He asks her.

Mercedes tilts her head. "But you didn't try the cake?"

"I know the answer." He says placing the fork down.

"Fine. Which one did I make?" She asks to lean on the edge of the counter.

"Neither." He says.

Immediately her smile drops as she groans loudly. "How do you know?" She asks him.

"Boris told me you burned the lasagna and had to go get another one," Alexei says amused.

"That little-"

"Pay up dekta." Alexei cut her off.

"Close your eyes cheater."

Alexei chuckles as he listens to her. Hearing her move around, he feels her beside him before turning him around. She pulls out his hand and slips something on causing him to open his eyes. He looks down and looks at the silver ring with the dekta engraved on it.

"You bought me a ring?" He asks her.

"I bought us a ring. It's a couple of rings, well technically a matching ring but I'm calling it a couple ring. Yours says dekta and mine says, Alexei." She tells him as she shows her ring.

Alexei put up his hand and look at the silver band wrapped around his finger. He tilts his head as he continues to stare at it. Confused by his expression and quietness Mercedes open her mouth.

"You don't like it? It's fine, I can take it back-"

"I love it." He cut her off. "I'll never take it off." He tells her as he looks down at it.

"Really?"

"Yes, dekta." He says as cuffs her face. "I'm happy that I get to spend my birthday with you."

Mercedes smiles as a tear slide down her face.

"Stop it, you're making me cry." She says playfully hitting his chest.

Alexei chuckles as he pulls her in a hug. She immediately hug him back, the side of her head pressed against his chest.