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Rider's Quadrant discord War Games drabble submission: Squad birthday party.

spoiler warning: though this is a fanfic and nothing in this post is necessarily canon, there are potential spoilers ahead for Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros.

I don’t really like celebrating my birthday, but I feel a strange twinge of happiness looking around the small party my Squad has put together, inviting all of the people I care about. As I sit next to Xaden, I see him looking at Violet. Not looking, staring. "Have you told her?" I ask him. His head snaps to me, looking unamused. "Told her what, exactly?" "That you’re head over heels for her." I muse. He shakes his head and a dark grin spreads across his face as he cocks his head towards Imogen. "Have you told her?" he says, all amused again. "We're just friends" I answer immediately. "Sure, you are." he says. "Violet told me the other day that she thought me and Imogen were a thing. That she was staring at me while sparring because she was into me. I told her she was looking at you, instead." Hearing that, I rise instantly, making my way to the bar feeling a massive need for alcohol as I hear his dark laugh fade behind me. The thought of Imogen being into him, into anyone else brings up a sudden urge of utter jealousy.

I unzip my leather jacket at the top, needing fresh air, when I suddenly feel fingers tap my shoulders. I whirl around, biting out "Leave me alone, Xa-" when a scent I'd recognize anywhere hits me; mimosas and leather. A flash of hot, pink hair floating on the balmy April air. "Hi, Imogen" I say, softly. "Hi. I wanted to wish you a happy birthday, trouble maker." she says with that mischievous grin she always gives me. "Thank you." I say, staring at her. She unfolds her hands from her back and hands me a tiny box she’d hidden there. "It's just something small." She seems unsure, almost insecure, something I've rarely ever seen on her before. I take the gift with both hands and carefully open it to find a piece of... twine? Dark, pink twine. A color I swear I’ve seen before, one that makes me stomach drop for some reason, feeling melancholic all of a sudden. I look at it, confused and lost in thought. "It was your mother's." she adds. "She gave it to me when I saw her practicing knots once and really liked the colour. I've kept it ever since." My stomach hollows out thinking of my mother. Of Imogen and my mother together.

Unable to stop myself at the urge to touch her, my body reacts before I can think clearly and I give her a soft kiss on her cheeck. Pulling back, I see her staring at me. Eyes wide, frozen and mouth popped slightly open. So devastatingly beautiful. I stare at her, at those lips. Thinking of how they would look wrapped around my c-. I shake my head immediately, cutting myself off from that thought. We're friends, I don't want to ruin that. Especially not with everything going on at the moment. "Thanks, Imogen. This means a lot, more than you know." I say, snapping her out of her spell, too. A blush creeps up her neck and she nods softly. I turn to walk away and hear her say "Garrick, I..." before answering "It's okay, I know." Not daring to look at her. I can't, because I don’t know what I will do if I do. I need to go up to my room to relieve myself of the massive boner pressing against my leathers. Making my way up, I smile to myself, feeling a twinge of hope and thinking that the way Imogen was looking at me might be the most beautiful birthday present I've ever gotten. Even if I'm not sure I'll ever be able to cross that line and lose my best friend. My beautiful best friend.