hygge.
— (n.) a feeling of coziness, contentment and comfort found in simple moments.
-> pairing: michael kaiser x gn!reader.
-> wc: 4.2k
-> warnings: alcohol, suggestive. reader is wearing makeup (lipstick).
-> a/n: ive been dying to write a chill birthday fic... also love birthday mornings sososo much and. its christmas! christmas!!!
You wake much earlier than you usually do. The light outside is dim and bluish, the sky still undecided about becoming morning. For a moment, you lie there, staring at the ceiling, trying to convince yourself to go back to sleep.
It’s the twenty-fifth.
The thought comes with excitement. Beside you, Michael is already awake.
You don’t need to look to know that. His breathing is shallow, controlled in the way it always is when he’s just waiting. You turn your head anyway, carefully, and see him lying on his back, one arm bent beneath his head, eyes open and fixed on the ceiling as if he’s already running through drills in his mind.
He hasn’t noticed you yet.
There’s something strangely intimate about seeing him like this. Unmoving, quiet, stripped of the boldness he carries into the world. He looks calmer in these moments, less like someone constantly bracing for impact. You watch him for a second longer than you should.
He deserves something nice this morning.
The thought surprises you with how natural it feels.
You move slowly, inching out of bed carefully. The mattress creaks just slightly and you freeze, heart jumping into your throat. Michael’s fingers twitch, his brow furrowing faintly, and you hold your breath until his expression smooths again.
You don’t look back as you leave the room.
The apartment is silent as you move through the kitchen on bare feet, guided by familiarity more than light. The fridge clicks quietly as you open it, the glow briefly too bright in the dark.
You keep things simple.
Eggs, cooked thoroughly the way he prefers. Toast, warm and crisp but not overdone, brushed lightly with olive oil instead of butter. You add avocado on the side, sliced clean and even, and finish it off with a small portion of fruit, arranged more neatly than necessary. Coffee—strong, no sugar. It feels almost silly, how much attention you’re paying to details he might not even notice.
Still, you want it to be right.
As you work, your thoughts drift despite your efforts to stay focused. Michael has never made a big deal out of holidays. Birthdays even less so. You don’t remember him ever celebrating as much as he just acknowledges the day in the most minimal way possible, as if anything more would be too indulgent.
You don’t want this to feel like indulgence.
You want it to feel normal.
When everything is ready, you arrange it neatly on a tray and take a breath. There’s a flicker of doubt—what if he doesn’t want this? What if you’re overstepping? But you push it aside. You’re not asking him to change. You’re just offering something.
You carry the tray back to the bedroom.
He’s back asleep, lying on his side, one arm tucked under his head, the other resting casually across the sheets. The way he’s stretched out, just relaxed, gives you a sharp little thrill. You can’t help but notice how effortlessly confident he looks, even in the quiet of morning, even just in his underwear.
You set the tray down on the bedside table and sit on the edge of the mattress. It dips slightly under your weight. He shifts in response, a low sound leaving him — but he doesn’t wake.
Typical. Even asleep, he reacts to everything.
Leaning in closer, your hair brushes lightly against his cheek. His eyelids flutter, sluggish and heavy, and a lazy, drowsy smile spreads across his face.
“Good morning,” you murmur, letting your hand hover near his wrist.
“Mm… morning,” he replies, voice thick with sleep, low and rough, but soft.
“I made you breakfast.”
“Mm… in bed?” he says, his voice thick, but there’s a teasing edge, a hint of his usual cocky self slipping through the fog of sleep.
“Yes.”
He hums, a lazy, drawn-out sound that’s half amusement, half complaint. His fingers brush lightly against yours, almost playful, almost possessive. “You’re going to make me expect this every morning,” he mumbles, eyes drifting back to the tray. He takes it in slowly — the eggs, the toast, the avocado, the coffee. You know that look. He’s not judging so much as appreciating, even if he’d never call it that.
He reaches for the mug, already half-smiling, and you swat his hand away before he can touch it.
“Uh-uh.”
He looks at you, surprised for half a second, then amused.
“You haven’t brushed your teeth.”
He scoffs softly. “I’m not kissing the coffee.”
“Even more reason to clean up. You’re drinking it.”
His brow arches, playful now.
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