It was just another typical day at Greenwood Suites, but somehow Matt could feel a strange sense of déjà vu and he didn't know why.
"We're going to Professor Angevine's class!"
Nevermind, he knew the reason now. His suitemates had been constantly messing with him ever since breakfast and teasing him with a singsong voice, which greatly reminded him of the first day of the semester. And coincidentally, the very first class they took on that day was Ray's class as well. They looked absolutely amused, which Matt wasn't really a fan of.
"If you two ever need some privacy, just let us know, okay?"
Matt just sighed and let Chloe elbow him playfully, the others laughing as they all entered the lecture hall. He still couldn't believe it was just two days ago that he told them who his new partner was. It was amazing how just a conversation could make things feel different this morning. He oddly felt more nervous than usual, maybe because his friends now knew about his new relationship with their professor. He was certain that they wouldn't think any less of him or Ray, as they had already accepted their relationship, but he couldn't help sweating a little. They might be up to some tricks for all he knew.
Ray soon arrived and the lesson started. Ethan did give him a wide grin when their professor was seen coming in through the door, but throughout the entire period, his friends did nothing out of the ordinary. They just listened attentively to the lecture and took notes like usual, acting as if they knew nothing about the thing between Matt and their professor.
Matt had been thankful of them until the lecture ended.
"Matthew, may I speak to you for a moment?"
Ray said as Matt was heading out of the room along with other students. He smiled happily and turned to his friends.
"You guys go first, I'll catch up later."
What he wasn't expecting was a mischievous grin on all of their faces. As for Eve in particular, she looked at Ray and gave him an innocent smile.
"Then we'll be going first. Have a nice day, professor."
The way she emphasized that last word really caught Ray off guard, her eyes narrowing a little in a very mischievous way. Not waiting for him to respond, they giggled and quickly walked out, leaving their professor standing there in confusion.
"Um, Matt..." he said with a little bit of nervousness in his voice. "Is it just me or was Eve hinting something just now?"
"Well, to tell you the truthâ¦" Matt trailed off as he fiddled with his fingers, "they know we're dating now."
There was a short moment of silence after he had finished his sentence. Ray was frozen in place, looking as if a lightning had just struck him, before something snapped him out of that state. He gripped Matt's shoulders with his shaking hands.
"M-Matt, y-you're joking, right?" he stuttered, his voice quivering. "D-Don't scared me like that. You know I d-don't like it."
"Ray, relax." Matt chuckled and patted Ray's shoulders. "They took the news very well, so no need to fret."
"Took the news⦠well?" Ray asked in a very puzzled tone. "What do you mean?"
"It means they've accepted us as a couple, Ray." Matt smiled. "It was unexpected, really. But everything went well."
"Really?"
"Really. Can't you see that they were teasing me just now? They wouldn't have done it if they had objected to our relationship," Matt answered, looking at the direction of the doors before returning his gaze back to his boyfriend. "Besides, why would I lie to you about something so important like that?"
Ray appeared to be a little unsure, but upon seeing Matt's reassuring eyes, his mind relaxed.
"That's good to hear then." He let out a sigh of relief. "Did you tell them yourself?"
"Ah, no. I'm not brave enough to tell them this soon." Matt scratched his head as he averted his eyes. "It was a long story, so if you want me to tell you the whole thing, maybe we'll have to meet up later."
"Um, about thatâ¦" Ray suddenly hesitated. "I actually wanted to let you know it might be difficult for us to see each other often for a while."
The smile on Matt's lips dissapeared right away. Just the idea of not being able to be with his boyfriend was enough to make a gloomy feeling rush over him. Trying to hide the sadness in his eyes, he did his best to talk as naturally as possible, though his tone was noticeably quieter.
"Oh, h-how come?"
"Well, I've been pretty busy lately because of various reasons. The last day to add or modify a course is on the twelfth, so many students have come to me quite frequently to discuss about it. There are staff meetings coming up to decide on the final schedule of the next term. Plus, final exams start at the beginning of next month, so I have to prepare for them."
Ray seemed very apologetic as he was listing those things out. It was never pleasant when one of the two partners was so indulged in work that they didn't have time for their significant other, but Matt really couldn't blame him one bit. He was a university professor after all, so it was understandable that he had so many matters to attend to, whether it was with grades, with meetings or with students and parents themselves. Getting in college was many people's important milestones, and as a professor, his duty was making sure to give them proper education and help them get the degree they deserved. Many responsibilities fell onto his shoulders, so he might be tired enough as it was. He didn't need a whiny boyfriend to contribute to his stress.
Slightly gripping the hem of his shirt, Matt spoke with a small voice.
"Don't worry, I understand," he answered with a smile. "Dates can wait, but your job can't."
This wasn't the first time Ray had told him about his busy schedule. Matt never minded waiting for him, but this time, he couldn't help feeling a little blue about it. His birthday was in two days, on the twelfth of March, and he would turn twenty then. His friends had celebrated it last year by throwing him a small party between the four of them, and he had enjoyed every second of it. But now that he had Ray, he had wished to celebrate it with him as well. He didn't really need a fancy party, and neither did Ray need to know that it was his birthday. Just a simple date was enough to make him content. But after hearing that Ray was busy, he guessed that he shouldn't bother him.
That day soon came, and just like last year, his friends decorated their dorm room and bought him a cake, as well as other sweets and many presents. It was kind of magical how just a few basic decoraions, such as balloons and banners, were enough to bring in the cheery atmosphere. Ever since he was young, he had never asked for anything elaborate. Every year, his parents would hold a party at their house and invite his closest friends and some children in their neighborhood. They would eat cakes and other delicious treats his mom made, sing a song and play some games before opening the gifts. He was used to the simplicity, and in fact, he loved it that way.
At this point of time, even when he was far away from home, his parents would still remember to send him a care package for his birthday. Thinking about it made him turn to the said package on the coffee table and smile.
After he had opened everyone's gifts, they all proceeded to go clean up when Matt's ringtone was heard. Thinking that it was either his parents or a friend, he casually picked up his phone and nearly dropped it upon seeing Ray's name. However, after the quick moment of surprise, he suddenly felt a little dejected on the inside. Usually, he was happy to receive a call from his boyfriend, but not today. The call was a reminder of the fact that he couldn't celebrate his birthday with his other half, even if it might sound like something trivial to get worked up with. He answered without any high expectation.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Matt, where are you now?"
Ray strangely sounded happy, which caused Matt to raise his eyebrow. "I'm at my dorm. Why?"
"Get dressed in something formal. I'm picking you up in twenty minutes."
Matt had almost dropped his phone for the second time.
"Wait, wait, wait! Hold on!" Matt frantically said. "Th-This is too sudden! And don't you have a lot of work right now?"
"What do you mean, 'sudden'?" Ray replied immediately without any hesitation, convieniently ignoring Matt's second question. "Isn't today your birthday?"
The world around Matt seemed to have stopped right at that moment, the question echoing in his mind over and over again. He was at a loss for words, and even though his body was frozen, his heart was beating rapidly in his chest. It had just been a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity.
A sob threatened to leave him as he tried his best to hold back tears. He had expected this day to just end without Ray having no idea about the significance of it, so even though it was such a simple question, it made him so emotional. Ever since the moment he just woke up this morning, he had constantly tried to make himself busy so that he wouldn't have a single free second to think about his boyfriend. He shouldn't keep thinking about the fact that they couldn't celebrate his birthday together. Ray was a busy adult with something called an occupation, so Matt continuously reminded himself not to be selfish. Maybe that was the reason he was so moved by Ray's words.
"R-Rayâ¦" He struggled to speak. "How did youâ¦"
"I'll tell you later." Ray chuckled. "Now hurry up and get ready. We have a date to go on."
"Okay, will do."
The conversation ended with a noticably positive effect, because Matt was overwhelmed with happiness. He smiled as he clutched his phone, holding it close to his chest. He wanted to cry tears of joy, but Ray was going to pick him up soon, so he had to have the biggest smile ever to thank Ray for this surprise.
"Was that Prof Angevine?" Chloe asked.
Matt turned back and replied to her with a cheerful tone. "Yeah, how did you know?"
"You literally just said his first name out loud."
The realization hit Matt hard. Feeling embarrassed, he averted his gaze as the others laughed.
"You seem happy," Eve said. "Did he tell you some good news?"
"Yes, he did, actually." Matt blushed and scratched the back of his head. "He told me he's coming to take me on a date."
"A birthday date?" Chloe gasped loudly. "Dear lord, I can't express how jealous I am right now."
When Chloe saw Matt idling, she wasted no time to come and push him to his bedroom.
"What are you standing there for? Go get ready!"
"B-Butâ" Matt stumbled over his words. "W-We still need to clean up!"
"There are, like, ten plates on the table. We can handle it, no problem," Chloe said while still urging him to go change. "The love of your life is coming, for god's sake! Don't make him wait!"
"Lower your voice down, can't you?"
"You're the one to talk!"
__________
Ray hit the brakes and his black car came to a stop at a corner of the street near Greenwood Suites. After getting out of the car, he smiled as he looked at the tall building. In fact, he had been smiling ever since he started driving here. He knew that on one of those floors, his boyfriend was getting ready for their date. Thinking of the blond made him chuckle a little. He couldn't wait to see the look on Matt's face when he got into the car. From Matt's voice on the phone, Ray knew that he was already stunned enough as it was, so he knew that he had succeeded in making this a huge surprise.
But then, he did feel kind of bad about it. Matt must have been upset because he thought his beloved had too much work on his hands to the point that they couldn't celebrate this special day together. A few days ago, when Ray informed Matt about his tight schedule, Ray had already been able to see the sadness in the other's eyes. But Matt had concealed it and told him that it was okay, which showed how considerate he was. Ray was glad to be in a relationship with such an understanding person.
Speak of the devil, there Matt was, exiting the building as his golden hair flowed along with his quick steps. His choice of outfit was simple but stylish with a light gray suit jacket and white dress shirt, matching pants and shoes. It was rare to see him in such a formal attire like this.
"Ray!"
Matt rushed to him and wrapped his arms around his neck. Ray unhesitantly welcomed him into his warm embrace, holding him tightly and close to him. Ray couldn't help taking in Matt's radiant smile as their eyes locked together. Matt looked extremely happy, which made Ray equally pleased.
"You look really nice tonight, Matt." Ray complimented his partner as he held his shoulders. "It suits you."
"Thanks." Matt played with his collar and blushed. "This is a little sudden, so I just managed to grab this suit that I barely wear at all."
"Sorry then." Ray chuckled and gave the other a pat on the head. "This is supposed to be a surprise, so I can't let you know in advance, can I?"
"Oh, speaking of surpriseâ¦" Matt blurted out when he suddenly remembered something. "How did you know today's my birthday? I didn't tell you when my birthday is, and only my closest friends know about it. I even hide my birthday on social media!"
"I figured you'd ask about it," Ray said as he opened the car door. "Get in the car first and I'll explain it to you."
Matt nodded and did as he was told, getting in and fastening the seatbelt. Ray followed suit and started the engine.
"So, let me ask you this," Ray began as the car went down the streets. "Who am I on campus?"
"My professor," Matt answered immediately.
"And can you remember what documents you had to submit for your enrollment?"
Even though the sudden change of subject confused Matt a little, he brushed it off and started to think, counting on his finger as he did. "Let's see⦠I had to submit my SAT scores, a copy of my social security card andâ¦"
He paused upon realizing something.
"My birth certificate! You saw my date of birth in my birth certificate, right?"
"Not exactly." Ray glanced over him briefly. "I actually saw it in your high school transcript."
"My⦠high school transcript?"
"Yes. As your professor, I can have access to your high school transcript," Ray replied, keeping his eyes on the road. "When I was thinking of making you my TA, I wanted to check your high school grades first to see if you're really a suitable choice. Then, I saw your date of birth written on it, so, uhâ¦"
Ray trailed off. "So I⦠took the chance to write it down."
Those last words were said in a rush as if he was embarrassed. Matt grinned when he saw a light shade of red on the other's cheeks.
"You do know that was even before we're together, don't you?" Matt teased with the skills he had learned from his suitemates. "You didn't just try to remember it. You wrote it down."
"L-Let's not talk about that." Ray desperately tried to change the subject. "Anyway, that was how I knew about your birthday."
"But what about your work?" This question had been lingering in Matt's mind ever since Ray called. "Didn't you say you're very busy?"
"Sometimes, a harmless lie is needed." Ray let out a small laugh. "Well, I do have to discuss with my students about their course, but apart from that, everything else was made up. How could this be a good surprise otherwise?"
"I..." Matt was so amazed that he found it hard to speak. "I can't believe you actually came up with this."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
Just when Matt thought that he couldn't love this man more, he was immediately proven wrong by this unexpected but heartfelt event. This also showed the power of patience and symphathy. If Matt had been some clingy guy and kept nagging Ray to put off his work to spend time with him, he could have annoyed the older man and ruined the surprise, as well as this sentimental atmosphere that was around them right now.
Before Matt knew it, they had arrived at their destination, and he couldn't help gasping. Before his very eyes was a fancy and luxurious restaurant, a place that would definitely catch his eye even from far away. After they had chosen their seat and ordered their food, Ray turned to Matt with a smile when the waiter had left.
"Happy twentieth birthday, Matt."
"Thanks so much, Ray. I honestly don't know how to express my gratitude," Matt responded bashfully. "This is one of the best birthday gifts ever."
"But I haven't even revealed the gift yet."
Ray chuckled at the expected reaction from Matt. The latter definitely seemed shocked, which was evident in the way his eyes widened.
"Wait, what?" He raised his voice in surprise. "D- Do you mean there's more?"
Ray did nothing but wordlessly reach into his pocket and pull out two tickets. On closer inspection, they appeared to be plane tickets to South Carolina.
"Spring break is near." Ray leaned forward, causing Matt to look up from the tickets on the table. "I hope you like Kiawah Island, because I've booked a B&B there."