yesterday was my best friend's 21st birthday! i didn't get to write her birthday imagine on her actual birthday bc i worked 2 days in a row, but here it is today :-)

Melonhead15 is my sister & best friend & i am so thankful we met right here on wattpad over 2 years ago. since then, she's flown all the way to my state to stay with me twice, gone on a family vacation with us, and will one day soon be my roommate!! she's the sweetest and most caring person you could ever meet (and she writes onward imagines too, so follow her). so happy birthday, melanie. ilysm ♡

ps. ur cake in this imagine is gluten free. dont worry.

/ / /

When Laurel stepped into her kitchen, she sighed happily at the scent of sweet vanilla buttercream frosting and warm yellow cake. The kitchen was silent except for the sound of Ian plopping the cake pan down on the stove top to cool.

When he saw his mom, he lifted one hand, covered with an oven mitt, and said, "Good morning, Mom!"

"Good morning," she said. She was impressed by how clean the kitchen was despite the baking going on. There wasn't a bit of batter on a counter top or any ingredients scattered around. Everything was organized. "Well, aren't you a busy bee today?"

"It's ___'s birthday," he explained sheepishly, a blush covering his cheeks. He lifted a ceramic bowl up across the counter. "Want to try some homemade icing?"

"You know I do," she said, swiping her finger across the top. She popped it in her mouth. "Homemade you said? Well my gosh, Ian. You're really going all out. A homemade cake and everything---"

He held up a finger. "A gluten free homemade cake," he specified.

"Oh, of course, of course. When are you going to see ___?"

"Uh, today. Barley got her a present too so he's gonna drive us over there and we are gonna surprise her with cake and gifts." Ian couldn't stop smiling. He loved you --- probably a little more than a best friend should, honestly --- but that was a secret that only his brother knew.

Except Laurel was a mother that knew her children pretty well, and she could see the lovesick look in her youngest kid's eyes when you were over for dinner or game night. She could see the way he looked at you when you weren't looking. It reminded her of Wilden, when back in college she pretended to be blissfully unaware of how he looked at her.

"Well, that sounds awesome. Tell her I said happy birthday, and please don't forget that I have a card for her. It's right there on the coffee table."

"I won't forget, Mom," he said.

Both glanced up as a pair of heavy footsteps bounded down the stairs. Barley jumped off at the last three steps and spread out his arms. "The card is complete!"

"Did you make a homemade card?" Laurel asked.

"Well, sorta," Barley explained, opening the card in his hands. "It's more of a book describing all of our characters for our Quests of Yore campaign. We play every weekend, so I thought she'd like it." He smiled. "I also got her her very own Quests of Yore book! Filled with history, magic, and all the facts and tips she may need for future endeavours."

"That's great, man," Ian said, stirring the frosting one more time. He held the bowl out to his brother and Barley stuck his finger in there without question.

"What'd you get her, little brother?" he asked, and then he tasted the frosting. "Oh wow, that's good."

"Thanks," Ian said, "and I got her a, uh, card. And I'm making her this cake, because I know how hard it is for her to find a good gluten free cake that she likes."

"Oh, true that," Barley said. "Remember those chocolate cupcakes that she bought at the bakery?" He laughed. "Those were terrible."

"Yeah," Ian laughed, but his mind was elsewhere.

He was thinking about the card that was on his desk, half written and yet to be sealed in the envelope. It was nearly killing him to get it done. But birthdays... birthdays were the perfect time to tell a person how you feel about them, right? And he had a lot to say about how he felt for you.

"Hey, Barley? Could you check on the cake in a few and call me down when it's cool? I have to finish her card," Ian said.

"Sure will, Iandore," Barley said, swiping a jar of jam out of the cupboard for breakfast.

"Thank you," Ian said. He rushed up the stairs and shut the door after him. He sat in his desk chair and picked up his pen, and he stared at the card, waiting for the words to come to him.

There had to be a way to say it so that it flowed, like a love letter should. Because that's what this was, right? A love letter? Well, he did love you. And he was in love with you... and even if he wasn't sure you'd want to go out with him, he knew he just wanted you to know how he felt.

He tried to move his pen across the paper: Dear ___, if I could describe how I feel about you, I would describe it as---

"No," he muttered, striking through the words with ink. "Too cheesy." He huffed and sat back in his rolling chair. It glided back across the floor and he stared out the window for a moment before he dug into his pocket for his notebook. He smiled. Maybe he could start with a list.

/ /

As the sun set, you heard a knock on your door and bounded towards it to answer. You beamed at your two favorite people in the whole entire world. They had just messaged you to make sure you were home so that they could bring you your "birthday surprise", which was a homemade cake, present, and cards.

"Guys, thank you so much," you gushed, taking the cake into the kitchen. You cut it with the help of Ian and you, him, and Barley took your giant slices of cake out to the porch to eat while you opened up gifts.

You loved the Quests of Yore book from Barley, and the homemade card that was so funny and unique and sweet to go with it. You smiled when you read the note from Laurel that she left in your card. And finally you got to Ian's card, when as you opened, Barley stood up and gathered the empty plated and the forks.

"I'll be right back," he said, and he left with a knowing smile as you opened the envelope and slipped the card out.

Ian scooted closer to you on the porch swing, nervously digging his fingernails into the palms of his hands as you opened the card and read. He remembered what he had written there.

___,

I've been wanting to figure out how to tell you for a while, and I think I figured out how. I'm not a good writer. I'm just not. But I am good at making lists, and so I am giving you a list for your birthday.

A List of All the Things I Love About You

- You're my best friend

- You're really funny

- You have the prettiest eyes

- You're so smart. You are way better at Quests of Yore than me. And chess, and I am the one in chess club.

- You take care of Blazey like she's your dragon too.

- You're adventurous like Barley is and you push me without forgetting my limits. You make me braver and stronger with every single adventure you take me on.

- You make the best coffee I've ever had

- You always buy the same shoes that I have so we always match

- You're just so easy to talk to and to be with. And that's why I love you as much as I do.

You put the card down and looked at him, your hair slipping off your shoulder. "Ian," you whispered, "that's the sweetest thing you've ever done for me." And that was saying something, because he had done a lot of sweet things for you.

You embraced him, shutting your eyes and kissing him gently on his cheek. He froze up when you did that and you pulled back just enough to look at him. It was almost dark now, but in the soft twilight and warm porch light, you could see him blush and smile.

"I love you," you said, "probably way more than a best friend should."

"I'm really glad you do, 'cause I do too," he said, and he cupped your face in his hands and pulled you in for yours and his first kiss. It was short and sweet and tasted of the buttercream frosting, and it ended with Barley poking his head out of the door, grinning from ear to ear.

"Hey lovebirds," he said in a sing-song voice.

Ian pulled back, groaning, "Barley!"

"I know, I know. You kids wanted to make out."

"No we didn't!" Ian said, panicked.

Barley just laughed. "I'm having another piece of cake. Who's joining me?"

You took Ian's hand and stood up. "Oh, we definitely will." When Ian looked at you, you shrugged. "What? It's the best cake I've ever had."

He stood up and squeezed your hand. "Alright, we'll have more cake."