Paper Planes

XXXVII

"This isn't a crush, it's obsession.You are never not in my thoughts. Your scent carries across a room and paralyzes me with longing. I don't want to hold your hand. Part of me wants to set you on fire and hold you while the flame consumes us both, to eat your heart so I know that only I possess it entirely."
—Gwen Hayes

|•|•|•|

The fourth of April rolled around, and Michelle and Horton found themselves planted outside Joker's purple door.

"Ready?" Michelle whispered, several giggles tumbling from her red painted lips as Horton nodded curtly.

"I just hope they're not naked." Horton murmured, lacing his fingers around the cool metal of the circular door handle as he hastily twisted.

Joker and Ember lay entrapped beneath the thick plum duvet, every single limb concealed in the fabric as Michelle tip-toed over towards the blackout curtains. With a simple nod of his head, Horton signalled for her to rip them open.

Michelle took the curtains between both hands, prying them open with ease as sunlight immediately flooded the room.

Joker stirred awake at the sudden brightness, eyes heavily squinting as he raised his head slightly from the pillow. Several strands of green curls sat in his eyes, a perplexed expression plastered on his features as Ember buried herself further into his bare collarbone.

"Happy birthday to you," Horton and Michelle gleefully sung. Thirty-one candles on the chocolate frosted cake gleamed brightly as the dessert sat balanced on a circular plate atop the blonde boys palms.

Ember groggily lifted her head, squinting to view the sudden disturbance as she cuddled further into Joker.

"Oh God–"

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Ember and Joker, happy birthday to you!"

Ember tugged the duvet closer to her neck, concealing her bare chest as her lips curled into a questionable grin.

"Mom." Joker groaned, shrugging out of Ember's desperate grip as he sat upwards in the bed, wincing in discomfort at the twinge in his side.

"Yes, baby?" Michelle teased, her fingers grazing against Horton's bicep as she encouraged the man to extend the cake further in Joker's direction.

Joker shuffled slowly to the foot of the bed, hand gripping tightly onto the blanket to ensure that neither Horty nor his mother would get an unexpected peek at the goods.

"Make a wish." Horton toothily grinned, lowering the pastry to Joker's level as the madman scowled.

"I wish you fuckers would've let me sleep in." He muttered, lips curling into an "o" shape as he promptly extinguished all thirty-one candles atop the frosted cake.

Ember sat near the headboard, a hesitant grin plastered on her features as she stirred beneath the thick comforter.

"Happy birthday, sweet pea." Michelle cooed, lacing her elegantly manicured fingers in Joker's matted curls as she tugged his forehead forward to meet her lips.

Joker sleepily grinned in response, nodding curtly before glancing over his shoulder to view a groggy Ember hidden beneath the duvet.