It was Alec Hardy's birthday. In typical Alec-fashion, he didn't tell a single soul about it. He doubted even Ellie knew of this. He hated all the attention that came with it, the cakes, the forced smiles and well-wishings.. not to mention opening presents.

He figured since he hadn’t mentioned it, no one at the station knew. And Alec was perfectly fine with that, actually he preferred it. But when he walked into the station, expecting another typical, normal day, the sight he was met with stopped him in his tracks. "Surprise!" his co-workers shouted in unison.

Alec blinked in disbelief. The station was decked out in bright colors, balloons floating lightly over ground and confetti decorating the monochrome space. He knew then and there he was done for. His secret was out, and every year from now on, this day would be a recurring nightmare. Yay.

“What… is all this?” Alec muttered, somewhat perplexed as he reluctantly shrugged off his jacket. Then you appeared, balancing a large cake in your hands. “Happy birthday!” you said with a grin.

“You really shouldn’t have…” Alec murmured. He looked like the definition of awkward, standing stiff as a post. You could swear his cheeks were a deeper shade of red than normal.