It was a peaceful morning on the 31st when Damien awoke bright and early to plan Oliver's birthday surprise.
Sneaking out of bed proved somewhat difficult, on more than one occasion, Oliver had simply pulled Damien closer to him making it next to impossible for Damien to leave.
Damien giggled despite himself, managing to slip away with some amount of effort, sneaking down to the ballroom where his mother was already waiting for him.
"You're late," she said staring at the diamond-encrusted Michael Kors smartwatch on her wrist, a Christmas present from his father.
"Sorry," he said. "Oliver was a little clingy this morning." It had become sort of an every morning thing between the two of them actually, not that Damien minded of course.
His mother smiled at that, "Well, I suppose that's acceptable then," she replied. "After all I can appreciate as much as anyone an overly clingy man," she smirked. "Now, I know Oliver said he didn't really want a party, but I figured since I've already scaled back on doing the whole New Years' Eve party this year that a little surprise party might be in order."
Damien worried his lip at that, he had been thinking about his mother's plans for the last few days now, and though she hadn't communicated them previously to him, he had rather expected something along these lines. "I just feel like, we really overwhelmed him with Christmas," he said. "So doing anything big for his birthday might be too much for him."
His mother frowned at that, "You're not wrong. I'm just so used to planning lavish parties for you and your father. And I do so want for him to feel like he's part of the family."
"He does," Damien assured his mother. "And I think he really appreciates it too. But this is his first birthday without his parents. That was his first Christmas. I think something small so he can sort of process everything might be in order. A nice, quiet day for the two of us to just have together."
His mother eyed her watch, "Assuming we left right now your father and I could be in Paris before two," she said. "We could spend the rest of the week there and be back in time to take you boys back to Westlake on Sunday." Whatever Damien had expected, this was certainly not it.
"Or, since you just got him the Tesla, we could drive ourselves back," Damien suggested.
"Yes but then I wouldn't see you again until Spring," his mother said with a frown.
"It's only a few months, and then I'm only back in school for like three weeks if even..."
"Then you're off to Europe for the summer," she said. "You and Oliver will want to enjoy your summer to yourselves. You won't want your parents hanging all over you."
Damien gave his mother a look, "Of course we'll want to see you."
"Where? In Prague? Milan? Paris? You're going to some of the most romantic places in Europe, and then you're ending in Zurich, which... does he know about that yet?"
"He doesn't know about any of it," Damien snapped.
His mother tutted at that, "Darling, you can't be keeping secrets from him."
"He said he didn't want to see his uncle. He wasn't ready, so I'm respecting that. But I had planned to go to Zurich well before I met Oliver and I'm not about to change that plan now. By the time we're there maybe he'll be ready to see him."
"And if he's not?"
"Then, Switzerland is a fairly big place. I'm sure we won't run into him," Damien replied.
His mother gave him a look but said nothing, "Yes well, you should tell him eventually what the plan is. Your father and I have made all the arrangements to add him onto your trip, although... has he thought about university yet?"
Damien frowned, at that. They hadn't discussed it since their big blowout a few weeks earlier and frankly Damien wasn't sure he was ready to bring the subject up again, at least not any time soon. "I don't really know," he lied.
"Well time is running out darling. He rather should make a decision soon," his mother gave him a rather skeptical look.
"I know," he said.
"I mean, we can put in a good word for him at Oxford if he's interested in attending, but we'll have to do so soon."
"I'll talk to him," Damien said, shaking his head. He wasn't really looking forward to the conversation. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go see if Reginald wouldn't mind bringing us up some breakfast in bed," he said turning on his heel to leave the ballroom.
"No darling, Reginald has the week off. Remember."
"The whole week?" Damien asked with a groan.
"Yes, well he had things to do. He wanted to be with his family for the Holidays as well."
"Bugger."
"I'm sure you can handle asking Chef Jaq to make you breakfast and carrying it up yourself," she said.
Damien nodded, of course, he could. Whatever else could be said about the Carmichael's, him in particular, his mother had insisted that he learn to be at least somewhat self-sufficient. Cynthia Carmichael neé Moriarty had not grown up with the sort of money she now enjoyed, and she wasn't about to let her son grow up spoiled like the Benson's had with Tyler. Damien groaned despite himself and made his way into the kitchen.
Chef Jaq was already hard at work preparing breakfast when Damien approached. He turned, noticing someone entering his domain.
"Oh boy, what brings you here?" he asked.
Damien grinned, "I know you're already preparing breakfast, but I was hoping you could make a little breakfast in bed for me and Oliver?" he asked in perfect French.
Chef Jaq smirked, but nodded all the same. He was nothing if not a romantic, and it didn't hurt that he adored Damien.
Damien grinned and skipped out of the kitchens, making his way back upstairs, sneaking back into bed beside Oliver once more. Twenty minutes later there was a knock on Damien's door, that awoke him from the lovely little dream he'd been having about him and Oliver, and a lake. Damien groaned, burying his face in the pillow as Oliver climbed out of bed and answered the door.
Several minutes later, not nearly enough time for Damien to attempt to get back to his lovely dream, Oliver reappeared beside him, chuckling.
"My poor boyfriend, you're just not a morning person are you?" Damien snorted into his pillow. "Come on, it's time for breakfast," he said. Damien smirked, sitting up quickly, he was starving. His stomach gave a particularly loud rumble as Oliver leaned over the trolley full of food and grabbed Damien's plate first, handing it to him. Damien took it happily and dug in before Oliver even had a second to grab his own. "Hungry are we?" Oliver asked.
Damien merely nodded, his mouth full of eggs, and potatoes, "So," Damien said after he had finished chewing. "Being that today is rather special, was there anything in particular you were hoping to do today?"
Oliver grinned at that, "I can think of a few things," he replied. "If you're up for it."
Damien blushed at the implication. He was fairly certain he was more than up for it. He had been hoping and waiting for what felt like an eternity now, "Well," Damien said finishing off his eggs fairly quickly. "My parents are..." he checked his phone that was currently charging on his bedside table. Sure enough, there was a text from his mother to inform him they would be chartering the jet to Paris. "Headed to Paris for the rest of the week," he said with a grin.
"A week huh?" Oliver asked. "Just the two of us?"
"And the staff," Damien corrected. "But yes."
"Interesting," Oliver replied, placing his plate back onto the trolley. Damien looked up at him, managing to shovel a few more forkfuls of potato into his mouth before he pushed the plate onto his bedside table, chewing as fast as he could and swallowing before Oliver climbed on top of him, pinning him down against the bed. Oh God, Damien thought. It was everything he could have ever hoped for. Oliver grinned above him, pinning his arms above his head, and slowly leaned down to kiss his lips, threading their fingers together. Damien gasped into the kiss, it was exquisite, and he couldn't wait to see where things went.