Rabbit spilled into the hall of his apartment, his bedroom door swinging shut behind him before the sirens could start complaining about their rude awakening. Olivia and Jim were conversing in the kitchen, and when they heard the crash, they turned to him as one, eyes wide and lips parted in surprise.
"Sorry, sorry." Rabbit hopped to his feet with a sheepish grin, hurrying to his sister's side before she could hide what sat on the table between her and her boyfriend.
It was a cake. Small, circular, and covered with crisp peaks of chocolate icing. Large, numeric candles proclaiming his age were jabbed into its center.
"Happy birthday, Rabbit," Liv drawled, looking up at him with an expression that suggested she was blaming him for ruining his own surprise.
"What?"
"I knocked before. You've been in there all morning?"
"Nnnnnnoooo?" While Liv didn't have much of a choice when it came to believing his stories about the other world, considering what she had seen, Jim remained in the dark, a clueless bystander in their mystical lives. "I just got back?" Rabbit glanced at Jim, then at the cake, then at Liv. "But..." He smiled cheekily. "Is this for my birthday?"
She nodded. "We were both late this year."
"Mm. Can I have some now?"
"Of course. Get a knife and plates. Jim and I've got something to ask you."
- - - - -
It took fifteen minutes or so to cut everyone a slice and get settled on the couch, and by the time Olivia spoke again, Rabbit had even managed a couple of silent bites. It was good cake.
"So, you know how we had... a talk about you moving out and how I don't want you to, right?"
If she'd had a talk with Mynn, Rabbit obviously hadn't been there, though they had agreed that neither of them wanted to run off and live separate lives since. They'd also promised to talk about it more... which they hadn't found time to. Rabbit nodded.
"You don't wanna leave me and I don't wanna leave you."
"Right. That will always be true, but..."
"What if I said I don't want to leave you either?"
Rabbit's grin had overtaken his face long before Jim had stopped speaking.
"I'm serious."
"I know you are, man. That's why I love you."
Jim sighed, but he was smiling too.
"If I've got this straight, you want to move in here with us and you want my blessing or something?"
"No." Jim shook his head. "I want you and Olivia to move out of here and live with me."
Rabbit froze, a forkful of cake halfway to his lips. That was not at all what he had expected. The responses he had queued up continued to stand at the ready in his mind, but none of them were quite appropriate anymore, and nothing could get past their insistent wall.
"Oh."
"We wouldn't be at my place anymore either, if you're thinking it's too small. I got a promotion and a raise a couple of weeks back, and it was the first thing I thought of, but Liv said it would be a bad idea to ask then, so I waited until things were calmer. If you don't think it would be a good idea, that's fine, but I hope you'll consider it."
Rabbit stared past Jim, swallowing and refocusing when he was done. "I think that's the most I've ever heard you say all at once."
"Rabbit..."
"Rabbit, what? I'm saying yes, Liv. If he's put up with me for a whole year and is still asking this question, who am I to say no?" There were a million problems with this, from the squeeps to his title, but he would deal with them as they came. The relief on his sister's face made the future discomfort worth it. For now. "Give me a couple of months and I'm all yours."
