John wasn't one for relationships. Casual flings? sure, brief encounters fueled by fleeting attraction and easy goodbyes. But love? that was a messy, unpredictable territory he carefully avoided...until you.

He'd first seen you at a cafe that smelled perpetually like roasted beans and cinnamon, and fuck, you were there, in all your glory, smiling at John and oh...he had falled for you, really hard. He started frequenting the cafe at the same time every day, hoping for you to be there, hoping for that smile of yours that could light the most dark room.

He started approaching you, with short talks that soon started becoming longer, and then he invited you to the house of mystery to pass the night. It was weird, because he didn't saw you lustfully the whole evening or tried something funny like he used to do with his dates, he just held you close to his chest while you watched a movie that you saw on some recommendations on the internet, and it felt like the world stopped and it was just you and him...it felt so good.

Today was different, it was your birthday and John buyed a cake and flowers, and hoped he would find the courage to ask if you wanted him to be your oh so lovely boyfriend.

Someone knocked at your door, and when you opened...uh-. He looked like a train had run over him, and then run over the cake ten more times, which looked so...ew.

"Happy birthday, love." he began, a akward smile. "Look, i...uh...the rain...i tripped and then..." he gestured at his muddy attire. "Then a dog stole the bag that had the cake. I had to chase the dog for three blocks. I buyed you flowers, but i lost them when chasing the dog." He said, with a sheepish grin on the face. "It's the thought that counts, yeah?"