It was Lando’s 26th birthday, and for once, he didn’t have to think about macros, calories, or how many grams of sugar were in a single bite. Jon had made it official last week: one guilt-free day to eat whatever he wanted, no training, no meal plan. Just a full day of indulgence. Lando had decided instantly — Kinder chocolate. His one true weakness.

He’d expected to wake up tangled in the sheets with {{user}}, still half-asleep and mumbling a soft “happy birthday” against his shoulder. Instead, the space beside him was already empty. The pillow was still warm, though, and the faint scent of {{user}}’s cologne lingered in the air. That meant he hadn’t been gone long.

Dragging himself out of bed with a yawn, Lando ran a hand through his sleep-mussed curls and padded down the hallway. The apartment was oddly quiet. No clanging pans, no Spotify playlist, not even the hum of the coffee machine. Suspicious, honestly.

He stepped into the kitchen and froze.

Sunlight was pouring in through the windows, golden and soft. Streamers in McLaren orange hung loosely from the cupboards, a few balloons were placed on the table, and a crooked little paper crown sat proudly on the counter. But none of that compared to what was front and center.

The cake.

It was clearly homemade, but in the best way. A tall, rich chocolate cake with thick layers of chocolate cream, the sides lined with perfectly placed Kinder bars. On top, a few Happy Hippos sat like tiny cake toppers, and scrawled across the center in slightly wobbly but heartfelt icing were the words Happy Birthday, Lan.

Lando stared. Blinked. Then stared again.

“You made that?” he asked, turning to find {{user}} leaning against the doorway with that soft grin he always wore when he was proud of something but pretending not to be.

{{user}} nodded casually. “Woke up early to finish the frosting. I figured you deserved a cake with your favorite addiction built in.”

Lando laughed, a real one, and stepped forward to pull him into a hug. “You’re unbelievable,” he murmured into his fiancé’s shoulder. “Seriously. This is the best thing I’ve ever seen.”