Evening had fallen, and the birthday party had already begun, but in the meantime, the couple were fast asleep, wrapped in darkness and warmth. If it weren't for Daniel's repeated knocks on the door, they wouldn't have woken up.
"Make it stop… that's annoying…"
Charlotte mumbled in irritation, turning to the other side, clinging to her sleep.
Meanwhile, Leonid lazily lifted his arm from around her and sat up on the bed.
"Alright, stop it. I'm awake."
His voice was hoarse, his silver hair a chaotic mess, and his shirt half open, as if he had just come back from a battle.
He reached out and patted Charlotte's thigh, but she ignored both the knocking and his hand as if nothing had happened.
He sighed, then stood up sluggishly and opened the door to find Daniel standing there with a sharp expression.
"What are you two doing?"
He snapped, not giving Leonid a chance to respond before launching into complaints.
"Do you have any idea what time it is? Everyone's almost here and you're still—"
"Asleep. Yes, I get it."
Leonid cut him off, raising a hand in a calming gesture before adding lazily,
"We'll be down in two minutes. Trust me."
Daniel sighed, staring at him for a moment before muttering,
"I really hope it's just two minutes."
He turned and headed toward the stairs.
Leonid remained standing at the door for a moment, running his fingers through his messy hair, then turned and closed the door quietly behind him.
He reached over and switched on the room's light.
"Charlotte."
"…Hmm?"
She murmured sleepily without opening her eyes.
"You heard Daniel clearly, didn't you?"
Leonid approached and stood over her.
"Come on, get up now. Let's get ready quickly before the party starts without us. I don't want to annoy the guy more than I already have."
"Tsk!"
Charlotte clicked her tongue, and Leonid raised an eyebrow, watching as she rolled over onto her back.
She slowly opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling before shifting her gaze to him.
"Can't I just sleep a little more? Lyudmila's going to be celebrating until morning. That's exhausting."
"Exhausting, huh?"
Leonid lowered his brows, then leaned in, bracing himself with his hands as he looked directly into her eyes.
"You're being rude now. Isn't Lyudmila your friend? Isn't Daniel your favorite? How can you be late so easily after promising to stay by his side?"
Charlotte blinked, surprised by his stern tone. She stared into his eyes deeply, as if trying to gauge his seriousness, then suddenly sat up.
"I was just complaining… You don't have to be so harsh with me."
She mumbled while stretching her arms lazily, trying to shake off the stiffness in her muscles.
Then she shot him a sideways glance and said critically,
"What about you? You need to get ready too."
She pointed a finger at his disheveled appearance, then got off the bed and walked to her suitcase without looking back at him.
Leonid looked down at himself, straightened up, and said briefly,
"I know."
Then, with a smooth motion, he undid the remaining buttons of his shirt and tossed it onto the bed. His toned chest and abs were revealed as his fingers moved calmly to his belt.
"By the way…"
Charlotte's soft whisper cut through the silence gently:
"What do you think about wearing matching outfits tonight?"
Leonid turned to her, raising an eyebrow slightly as if the suggestion had caught him off guard.
"Matching? You want us to look like a couple in front of everyone?"
"Yes."
She replied with a shy smile, and he returned it with a warmer one.
"Darling…"
He called her gently and walked up to her, taking her hand and pointing to the ring on her finger with his eyes.
"We are a couple, even if our clothes don't match… Have you forgotten?"
"Of course not!"
Charlotte's cheeks flushed as she gently pulled her hand away from his, then began gathering the items she had taken from her suitcase into her arms.
She was about to turn away but paused and whispered:
"But still… I really want us to wear matching outfits. From the bottom of my heart."
She lowered her gaze in shyness, her eyes briefly lingering on his muscles before shifting toward the floor.
Leonid felt her rare vulnerability something she seldom showed. He crossed his arms, thinking for a moment, then finally nodded.
"Hmm… alright. If that's what you want, then we'll match."
He paused, then added with a faint sarcastic tone:
"We wore matching outfits in color and style when we were arguing… So why not now, when we're actually getting along?"
Charlotte let out a soft laugh at his teasing, her mind drifting back to the unforgettable memory of that day.
"Well, what are we waiting for? We better hurry before Daniel comes knocking again."
"That's true. You're right."
The two of them moved quickly to get ready, while downstairs, Daniel was pacing back and forth, his heel clicking loudly on the floor tiles in barely concealed impatience.
Ten minutes passed before he grumbled,
"Time's running out, and they're still in their room!"
"So what?"
Lyudmila asked playfully, shrugging carelessly. Her fiery hair was styled to perfection, and her short pink dress flowed smoothly over her figure.
She was in top form, having already finished setting up the place, the snacks, and dinner.
She shot him a quick wink before striding forward confidently:
"Don't be so nervous. I can welcome my friends on my own, you know."
But Daniel shook his head, visibly tense.
"I know... but what's the point of inviting them if they're not here from the start?"
Lyudmila smiled mischievously and said:
"Oh, you're so strict!"
"Yes, I am."
Leonid replied without hesitation, checking the time as if counting every second.
"You know, it's interesting to see you nervous... especially since I was nervous before you."
"Excuse me, but I'm not nervous. I'm just... strict, like you said."
"Well, I like your strictness. It's incredibly attractive."
Lyudmila whispered, her eyes gleaming under the shade of her thick lashes.
"Can I get a kiss? Because you're making me fall for you all over again."
Daniel smiled and said, without looking directly at her:
"No... I'm afraid I'll ruin your lip gloss."
"Oh, don't worry. It's completely smudge-proof."
She took a few steps toward him, as if about to prove it, but he surprised her and kissed her before she could say another word.
Daniel claimed Lyudmila's lips with sudden passion, his hand wrapping around her waist in a confident grip, pouring into the kiss everything left unspoken.
He didn't realize how much time had passed it felt as if the world had stopped until the silence was broken by the sound of slow clapping nearby.
They pulled apart quickly, and Daniel turned toward the stairs to find Leonid standing there, clapping slowly, his face wearing a neutral expression, as if watching a familiar show he'd seen far too often.
Beside him, Charlotte gave his arm a light slap, her face flushed as she whispered nervously:
"Stop it! This is embarrassing... What you're doing is rude."
Charlotte wore a sleek black dress with long sleeves elegant and simple flowing smoothly over her body in perfect harmony with Leonid's casual black suit that added a soft edge to his presence.
But Leonid didn't back down. He narrowed his eyes slyly and said:
"Rude? He's the one who woke us up and demanded we be ready to see him… I'm just showing support."
He stopped clapping and raised both thumbs in the air, then turned to Charlotte with a serious look that barely concealed a hint of amusement:
"Trust me, this is how men encourage each other."
Then he directed his words at Daniel:
"Man, that was impressive!"
Daniel, dressed in an elegant pink suit that nearly matched Lyudmila's dress, looked like he had stepped out of a romantic painting.
His gray eyes sparkled under the lights. His brows lifted slightly as he stared at Leonid, who examined his appearance for a moment, then added with sincere admiration:
"I really like your suit… Very classy."
"You think so?"
"Absolutely."
"Ugh..."
Daniel let out an embarrassed sigh and covered his face with the palm of his hand before quickly turning away, leaving a surprised Lyudmila behind.
He knew Leonid's compliments could be embarrassing and probably sounded sarcastic to others.
"Stupid old man..."
But only he truly understood how that complicated older man thought.
Leonid watched his reaction, and luckily for Daniel, hadn't heard his muttering. He shrugged and offered a casual explanation to Charlotte, who was clearly staring at him with obvious annoyance:
"He's shy... but I know he's grateful. Just... stop looking at me like that. It doesn't suit you."
Charlotte sighed and shook her head.
"Sometimes I'm honestly surprised by the way you act especially with Daniel."
"Same here… I surprise myself sometimes."
Lyudmila walked over with graceful steps, her eyes glowing with admiration as she said:
"Anyway… you two look amazing tonight as well."
Charlotte blinked in soft surprise, then turned to Lyudmila, running her fingers gently through her hair before adjusting her black dress with elegance:
"Really? You think so?"
Lyudmila nodded eagerly:
"Yes, absolutely! You're perfectly matched."
Then she clapped lightly and added with a smile:
"I'm so happy to see you two getting along."