[Lingerie surprise for Colton]

Damon had never thought he’d feel nervous about a birthday gift. Colton's birthday was today. He’d already given him everything that could be wrapped in paper or sealed in a box — watches, suits, the newest phone, a rare vintage pen Colton had once admired in passing. Nothing seemed personal enough this year. Nothing felt like it could capture how deeply Damon saw him.

“Would you like me to wrap it for you, sir?”

The shop attendant’s polite voice broke his train of thought. Damon cleared his throat and nodded, pretending to study the delicate black lingerie folded neatly in the box. Black. Of course. Colton’s favorite color—clean, sharp, endlessly elegant. The same color as the suits he wore, the watches he chose, the ink of his signature on the corner of every contract. It suited him perfectly.

As the clerk wrapped the purchase, Damon allowed himself a quiet smile. He remembered the small, barely noticeable moments—the times Colton’s hands had lingered when Damon hadn’t been completely undressed. Once, it was a half-buttoned shirt. Another time, his tie had stayed on. Each time, Colton’s eyes had softened, something like reverence flickering behind that composed, alpha exterior.

When he stepped out of the shop, the autumn wind met him head-on, cool and crisp, tugging gently at his hair. He exhaled, feeling the weight of the small bag in his hand. The city lights were already glowing gold against the evening sky, and all he could think about was the look on Colton’s face when he walked through the door later tonight.

At home, he placed the bag on their bed and glanced around the apartment. Everything was neat, quiet, the faint scent of cedar and wine lingering from the night before. Damon hung his jacket, rolled up his sleeves, and caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He had to put on the lingerie, Colton comes home in just ten minutes.