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“What is it? Is it a surprise? Is it new ballet slippers? Is it a puppy?”
“Settle down, Ahiru, you’re going to bounce yourself out of the couch again.”
She pouted petulantly at him, cheeks going bright red under the blindfold. “That was one time, Fakir. One time.”
Ahiru heard him laughing, a warm, fond sound that filled their living room like the glow of a lamp. “Well, we can’t let you get injured today of all days, can we?” he asked, sitting down on the couch next to her. She immediately lunged for his lap, trying to get her hands on her surprise, but Fakir jerked it out of her reach.
“Not until after midnight,” he said, plainly yet decisively. Ahiru pouted harder.
“Then why did you blindfold me now?” she replied, wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning on his chest. “Please, Fakir?”
“You’re sneaky, but no,” he said, kissing her on the nose and ducking out of reach when she made it for the package again. “This isn’t even your actual surprise.”
“It isn’t?” Ahiru asked, looking at where his voice had come from and sitting up in a blink. “What is it?!”
Fakir chuckled again and reached for her hands, hoisting her up from the couch. Ahiru bounced on the balls of her feet, enthusiastically, straining her ears for any helpful sign. He guided her around the crumpled furniture towards their tiny kitchen, then positioned her by the shoulders and leaned down for a kiss. Ahiru cupped his face, going on tiptoe to kiss back and giggling when he picked her up.
“Wait just a second,” Fakir said, gently putting her back down, although they didn’t seem to be able to stop kissing. “Just a—I have to—Ahiru!”
She giggled again, but let go of him and settled back on her heels with a small, playful smile. He coughed once, flustered, then stepped away – she heard the sound of a door opening, than muffled footsteps, then a low, childish giggling, and her heart soared in her chest. “You can take the blindfold off, now.”
Ahiru scrambled to get it out of her way and her face opened into a huge, luminous smile. “Rue!” she gasped, running forward to meet her half-way through the kitchen.
“Happy birthday!” Rue wished, squeezing her in a tight hug when Ahiru jumped in her arms. “It’s so good to see you!”
“But you said you guys wouldn’t be able to come!” Ahiru gasped, bending to pick up Oliver when he almost threw her off by hugging her knees. Rue smiled broadly.
“We did a lot of rescheduling,” she replied, sounding smug and a tad giddy, winking over Mytho’s shoulder when he hugged her happy birthday.
“We thought we’d surprise you,” he added with a warm grin and Oliver threw his arms around Ahiru’s neck.
“Happy birthday, aunt Ahiru,” the little boy said, kissing her cheek. “Can we have cake?”
Fakir smiled and pulled him into his lap, going to fetch plates for them four. They piled up in the living room, squished together in the small couches, Oliver going from lap to lap until he crashed on his uncle’s shoulder. Fakir fitted him in one arm and waved Rue’s offers to tuck him in. “You two get settled,” he told them, easily. “I already made his bed at the office.”
“Where in the office?” Rue asked, raising one eyebrow – Fakir and Ahiru’s house was tiny, and the office didn’t have room for a couch, much less a bed.
“The armchair. It’s reclinable.” He shrugged at the woman’s unimpressed stare. “He’s tiny.”
The four grown-ups bid each other goodnight, and Ahiru kissed Rue’s cheek, leaving them to settle on the couch since it was already pretty late. She walked into their office to find Fakir still trying to untangle Oliver’s arms from his neck, as he was clinging on tight even fast asleep.
“He really likes you, doesn’t he, Fakir?” Ahiru asked sweetly, passing her arms around his waist.
“Right,” he agreed, looking flustered and a bit off balance. She smiled and helped him put Oliver down, gently prying his fingers off Fakir’s neck.
He sighed in relief once the little boy was properly tucked in, and reached out to wrap an arm around Ahiru. She cuddled against his side, resting her head in his shoulder and hummed contently. "Fakir.”
“Hmmm?”
“I have an idea.”
“Which one?”
Ahiru bit her lips, suddenly growing nervous and jittery. “It’s just an idea,” she said, wriggling her hands. “You don’t have to say yes. It’s just that I thought it was a good time. Not that we have to, but we could, if you wanted to – I mean, I thought we could, it’s something I thought about, I don’t know if you did. Thought about it, I mean. I know the house is tiny, but we have a big backyard, and Oliver adores you and you like him a lot too, so don’t you think…”
“Ahiru,” Fakir interrupted, softly, pulling back just enough to stare puzzledly at her. “What are you saying?”
The woman bit her lips anxiously, her cheeks flushed red and her eyes shining with fierceness. “Do you want to have a baby with me?”
Fakir’s mind went blank for a second.
“Fakir?” Ahiru called, voice going tiny with anxiety. “It’s… it’s okay if you don’t want to… I just thought…”
“Yes,” he breathed, forcing the word through a clogged throat. He bent down and kissed her passionately, pulling her off her feet and wrapping his arms tight around her waist. “Yes. Of course I do. I’d love to.”
Ahiru began giggling, the sound a little wet as she pressed their foreheads together. “Good,” she said, sniffling a little. “I’d love to, too.”
Fakir smiled, reaching out to hoist her up princess-style, making her chuckle and begin peppering kisses across his face. “This is the best birthday I ever had,” she whispered in his ear, kicking her feet happily as he carried her off to bed.
“It’ll be even better next year.”
“I’m counting on it.”