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‘Right everyone are we all here’ Kathy said as she entered the Albert
Everyone nodded as they stopped talking to each other and turned there attention to Kathy
‘Right ok we have got to be so careful both Ben and Callum are off work today so they might come over here for a drink at any point in the day’ She explained
‘This place needs to be ready by 6pm tonight and neither of them can find out what we are planning’ She continued
‘What’s everyone’s job’ Lexi asked
‘Right so Mick, and Jay you will distract the boys and keep them away from here until 6pm got that’
‘Yeh we can do that’ Mick said
‘Yeah that will be easy’ Jay added in
‘Lola, Stuart, Frankie you are on food and drinks preparations and anything else you can think of that Ben and Callum will enjoy there is a list in the kitchen’
All three nod and head on in the direction of the kitchen to get to work
‘Everyone else you are on decorating duty if any of you need anything just let me know and I’ll see what I can do are we all ready to throw the best birthday party’ everyone nodded as they got to work
‘Nanny Kathy’ Lexis little voice came from below
‘Yes sweet heart’ Kathy said getting to Lexis level
‘Please can I go with Grandad Mick and uncle Jay’
‘Of course you can’ Kathy got to her feet and shouted for the two men to come over ‘Right boys Lexi is gonna join you in distracting her dads’
‘That’s all good, come on then Lexi’ Mick said as he held out his hand and they all left
///
Over at the Highway-Mitchell house hold Ben was just waking from his sleep. He slowly turned around so he was facing Callum.
Ben watched quietly as his husband slept peacefully in his safety. Ben could never understand how he got so lucky to have this handsome man in his life
He slowly cursed his finger down Callum’s cheek and along his chin loving the feel of Callum’s early morning stubble being careful not to wake his man
It was about twenty minutes later when Callum started to stir and he he groaned deep and slow as he opened his eyes and smiled when he was greeted with Ben looking back at him
‘Morning handsome how’d you sleep’ Ben ask as he moved fallen hair away from Callum’s eyes
‘Good how’d you sleep’ Callum mumbled shuffling close so he could tuck his head into bens neck and breathe in his sent
‘Amazing when I’m with you’ Ben smiled as Callum peppered slow kissing along his neck
‘And you call me a soppy git’
‘Only for you babe only for you’
‘So what’s your plans for today’ Callum said looking up
‘Lay in bed with you and maybe grab at drink at the Albert with you and end the night dancing and singing’
‘That sounds perfect’ Callum said wrapping his arms around Ben and bringing him in close
‘Someone cuddly this morning’
‘I just love my husband so much I love the feeling of having you around me and close to me’
‘Soppy git’
‘You wouldn’t have me any other way’ Callum smiled
‘Your so right’
Ben pulls Callum from his neck and connects his lips with his husbands. Callum brings his hand up to hold Ben where he wants him.
They were brought back to the real world when both there phones went off. They pulled away from each other and looked at each other before turning around and grabbing there phone
Ben had a message from Jay saying ‘do you wanna hangout today with me, Mick and Lexi’ And Callum got a message from Mick saying ‘do you wanna hangout with me and Jay today’
‘Jay wants to meet me to hang out with him, mick and Lexi’
‘Mick wants me to hangout with him and Jay’
‘There up to something’ Ben laughs
‘But it can’t hurt to hangout with them for a bit we can go for a drink later’
‘Yeah your right come on then handsome can’t keep them waiting’
Ben gets out first putting a hand out for Callum to grabbed which he happily did
///
It had just turned 1 when they eventually make there way to the park where there meeting Mick, Jay and Lexi they should have been here ages ago but they got tied up
‘Hey’ Callum said
‘Daddy Callum’ Lexi shouts as she runs up to the older man he just about had enough time to get together the brain power to lift her up into his arms before she ran into his legs
‘Hey sweetheart how are you’
‘I’m good are you ready to spend the day with us’
‘Yeah but me and Ben were hoping to go to the Albert for a drink’
Mick and Jay looked at each other sharing a worried look they were gonna have to come up with something good for them to not go
‘Erm… we can’t go there your mum said she’s giving it a deep clean’ Jay said
‘She won’t mind we’ve gone there before we could even help her’ Ben replied
‘But it’s your day off’ he added
‘We don’t mind’ Callum smiled
‘Daddy can you push me on the swing’ Lexi interjected
‘Yeah course I can’
Callum gave her a Kiss on the head before placing her back on the floor where she grabbed hold of her dads hand and dragged him to the swing
‘Are you two up to something’
‘What no why would you think that’ Mick asked shocked
‘Just you guys never hang out and you randomly text me and Ben when we’re busy doing…’ Callum’s cut off just before he says any more
‘Don’t say another word’ Jay laughed
‘We we’re just laying in bed honestly Jay your mind is so dirty’
‘I’m gonna go get a coffee did you two want anything’ Mick asked
‘I’ll have a hot chocolate, Ben will have a coffee and Lexi will have a fruit shoot’
‘Ok’ Mick smiled
He was so proud of his boy he will never be his boy by blood but he will forever see Callum as his boy. He’s grown so much as a person since coming to Walford and a big part of that is down to Ben saving him from himself
‘I’m gonna go over with them two’ Callum said to Jay who nodded
Callum left there bench and slowly made his way over to Ben and Lexi. The sight he saw made him melt he was so proud of the family he had made
‘Lexi’ Callum said as he reach the two
‘Yes daddy Callum’
‘Is grandad mick and uncle Jay up to something’ he asked
‘No what makes you think that’
‘They messaged me and daddy Callum at the same time wanting to do the same thing and they won’t let us to go the Albert’
‘Maybe they just wanna spend time with you both’ Lexi said finding it difficult to come up with something
‘I doubt that’ Callum said
Ben walked round to Callum and cuddled into his side and smiled up at his husband
‘I love you’ Ben whispered
‘I love you too’ Callum said leaning down to place a kiss on bens lips
‘Here you are boys’ Mick said as he walked over to them drinks in hand
‘Coffee for Ben, hot chocolate for Callum and fruit shoot for Lexi’
‘Thank you grandad mick’ She smiled
‘Right then why don’t we head over to the Albert now’ Callum suggested
‘Yeah I agree’ Ben added
‘No why don’t we go get fish and chips’ Jay suggested
‘Ok’ Ben said a bit weirded out
///
‘How is the food coming along’ Kathy asked entering the kitchen
‘Yeah we’ve only got a few more bits to do you can take some of them out to the table’ Stuart said
‘We’re just working on the birthday cakes’ Lola added
‘Alright then Frankie you ok to help me’ Kathy asked signing here and there
‘Yeah’ Frankie said as she came over to help
They both grabbed a few plates of food and headed out to the main part of the Albert
‘They will go at the head of the table’ Kathy informed Frankie
‘Alright’ she smiled heading to put her plates at the top
Kathy placed hers down and toke a look around the Albert everything was coming along just nicely. She looked down at her watch and that’s when she started to worry
‘Right everyone everything looks great but we’ve only got a shot amount of time left let’s hurry up and get everything done’ she smiled and then got back to setting out the buffet
///
‘Ben wants the time’ Callum asked as they sat outside the fish and chip shop as they ate with the rest of the group
‘You have a watch’ Ben said
‘Oi you cheeky git’ Callum laughed
‘Well you do what have you don’t with it this time’ he smiled
‘It broke’ Callum said making Lexi laugh
‘Probably chucked it down the toilet like he did with the last’ Lexi said
‘We said we’d never talk about that’ Callum said tickling Lexi
‘What he really did do that’ Mick asked
‘Oh yeah he was in such a panic came out the bathroom like he’d seen a ghost is was so funny’
‘I did not throw this one down the toilet it just broke so will someone just tell me what the time is’
‘It’s 5:55’ Jay said
‘Right it’s time’ Mick said standing up
///
‘Right everyone there on there way we need to hide’ Kathy shouted
Everyone ran to find a hiding spot before Ben and Callum turned up
///
Mick came to stand behind Callum and Jay stood behind Ben and they both blind folded them
‘What are you doing to us’ they said in unison
‘Nothing’ Lexi said
‘Yeah and that’s why you blind folding us’ Ben commented
‘You were right babe there you to something’ Callum said earning a hum from Ben in response
‘Right you two stand up for me’ Jay said
They both did as they were told and stood up
‘Lexi stand in the middle and take there hands’ Mick said
‘Right what’s actually going on’ Callum asked feeling a little out of power
‘You’ll find out’
Lexi toke Ben and Callum’s hand and started walking towards the Albert. She stopped when she made it to the door and waited for Jay to open the door for her
‘Right you two we are gonna have you go in one by one and wait till we tell you to take the blind off understand’ Lexi informed them
‘Yeah we understand’ Ben said
Ben was brought in first and was placed a few meters from the front door and Callum was brought to stand next to him
‘Babe are you next to me’ Ben asked
‘Yeah I’m here’ Callum said as he reached his hand out to find bens which he eventually did
‘What’s happening’
‘I know as much as you do’
‘Ok after three you can take your blind folds off’ Jay said
‘Three’ Mick said
‘Two’ Lexi said
‘One’ Jay said
As they toke there blind folds off people jumped out from everyone shouting
‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEN AND CALLUM’ everyone shouted
‘Omg’ they gasped
‘We thought after the year you’ve both had it was about time you deserved a bit of fun’ Kathy said walking towards them
‘So you weren’t deep cleaning the Albert’ Callum said still shocked
‘Nope we’ve been here planning this for you two’
Ben and Callum looked around seeing some familiar faces Callum could even see some friends from the police which made his heart swell with happiness and the decorations around the room look amazing they couldn’t believe they got so lucky
‘Thank you everyone’ Ben smiled
‘Can we start dancing now’ Lexi asked
‘Yeah come on then let’s celebrate’ Callum said
///
Kathy turned down the music she held a mic in her hand announcing ‘the cakes are ready can I have the birthday boys come down’
The cakes were brought out as Ben and Callum made there way down to where Kathy was standing they both sat at the table with there family. To Ben and Callum’s surprise there was one for each other them. Everyone started singing making both boys turn bright red
‘Happy birthday to Ben and callum happy birthday to you’ everyone sings
‘Blow out your candles’ Stuart said holding Callum’s cake
Ben and Callum look at each other sharing the same thought as they turned back to there cakes and blew the candles out
‘Make a wish’ Frankie smiles
‘What did you wish for’ Lexi asked
‘It won’t come true if we tell you’ Ben told his little girl
Callum stands up taking a step forward and says ‘on behalf of me and my husband I’d like to thank you all for coming to our surprise birthday this has been such an amazing night of celebration, drinking, dancing and cake. A special thank you to Kathy for organising all of this and to Frankie, Mick, Jay, Lola, Stuart and of course Lexi for making this all happen’
Callum finished and everyone started clapping he held his hand out for his husband who happily toke his and stood by him and kissed Callum on the lips as they basked in the bliss of the moment
‘Happy birthday Ben’ Callum said turning his head to leaning his head against his husband
‘Happy birthday Cal’
‘I can’t believe this is our life now’ Callum settled upon
Feel my love came on so Lexi can over to ask one last important question to finish the night
‘Daddy Callum’
‘Yes little lady’ he smiled
‘May I have this dance’
‘Of course’
Ben watched on as Lexi lead Callum over to the dance floor and they started dancing and if Ben toke a few photos and set one as his Home Screen that was for him to know and no one else
In that moment Ben realised he’d found his family he found the thing that made him happy and he toke a moment to thank anyone whoever was listening for bringing Callum into his life and helping him find happiness