Just having the day off and getting to sleep in was birthday present enough to Sören. And though Tobias woke him up, headbutting, kneading, and purring loudly, there were far worse ways to wake up, and Tobias had let him sleep until nine AM - much better than the four AM and five AM he was used to when he worked days... much better than the sound of the alarm.
Tobias put his cold wet nose on Sören's nose, purring harder, and then said, "Prrrrp?" as if to ask "Why aren't you awake yet, silly human?"
Sören chuckled and began to skritch the cat, rubbing his chin, whisker pads, and behind the ears, before rubbing his ruff and the back of his neck. Tobias headbutted him again and then turned around and put his ass right in Sören's face. Sören laughed harder. "Just what I wanted to see first thing in the morning, cat." He nonetheless rubbed the base of Tobias's spine, knowing the cat loved that, and sure enough Tobias began kneading the blankets and his butt raised up and up and up, "elevator butt" as some cat owners called it. Tobias rubbed his face on the blankets, purring and drooling. Sören continued rubbing the cat's back for a moment, then finally sat up with a yawn.
"Prrrp?" Tobias turned around again and gave him a confused look, and tapped him.
Sören skritched the cat's head again and stood up. He was in a heather grey T-shirt and blue plaid pajama bottoms. It was cold enough that he stepped right into his bunny slippers before he made his way down the hall to the bathroom. His cock was hard, as it usually was when he first woke up, and he lamented that Nicholas had to work today - he would have liked to spend the day making love. But it was what it was.
After he did his morning business, it was time for coffee. He headed downstairs, with Tobias trotting at his side, meowing as if he was trying to convince Sören that he hadn't been fed before Nicholas left for school.
Halfway down the stairs, Sören heard movement in the open plan kitchen and living area. Nicholas was there, puttering around in the kitchen in a black bathrobe, making him coffee. Nicholas raised a hand in greeting.
"Nick!" Sören was pleasantly surprised - he thought Nicholas was working today - but also concerned. He came right over and put his hand on Nicholas's forehead. "Are you OK? Are you sick? Are you -"
Nicholas took Sören's face in his hands and kissed him deeply, so hard it took Sören's breath away. Sören moaned into the kiss, backing up into the kitchen counter, his cock hardening up again. When they pulled apart, breathing hard, Nicholas had a predatory look in his dark eyes that sent a shiver down Sören's spine.
Nicholas gave a small, smug smile. "I asked for the day off."
"And you didn't tell me."
The smile broadened. "I wanted to surprise you."
"Oh, you." Sören gave him a playful swat, delighted. Then he threw his arms around Nicholas's neck, moved in closer, and kissed him back, returning all of the passion and fire. Now they both moaned into the kiss, and Nicholas's hands slid down Sören's back to cup and rub his ass.
The coffee was ready, and Nicholas shooed Sören to the living room to fix it for him. He glanced down at Sören's obviously tented pajama bottoms and then gave him a pointed look; Sören gave a sassy butt wiggle on the way to the couch.
After Nicholas fixed Sören's cup of coffee the way he knew Sören liked it, he brought it to him, and began to massage Sören's scalp as he drank the coffee. Tobias hopped up on Sören's lap, purring, and with his free hand Sören stroked the cat. It was the perfect start to the morning of his birthday, and Sören melted into the cozy, peaceful contented bliss, savoring every second of it.
It got even better when Sören finished his coffee. Usually Nicholas would be prompt about putting Sören's mug in the sink, or Sören would, but now when Sören put his mug on a coaster Nicholas grabbed Sören and kissed him again. And again. Tobias hopped down, and Nicholas pushed Sören back against the couch pillows, kissing him hungrily. Nicholas began to rub Sören's chest in slow, lazy circles, teasing a nipple here and there through the fabric, hard peaks visible in his T-shirt. Nicholas's hand slid to rub Sören's tummy, and then he began to palm the hard bulge in Sören's pajama pants. "Whatever do we have here?" Nicholas asked, stroking his beard with his free hand, giving Sören a confused look that was so comical Sören couldn't help but laugh.
"I don't know. Maybe we should find out." With that, Sören pulled his pajama bottoms down his thighs, freeing the hard cock. Sören looked down and gasped, and looked back at Nicholas with his mouth open in mock surprise.
"What a naughty boy," Nicholas husked, moving in closer. Sören shivered at the feel of Nicholas's breath on his neck, cock leaping in response. Sören wanted to shove Nicholas down on the couch and ride him until their guests arrived that evening.
But Nicholas had other plans. Now Nicholas grabbed Sören and pulled Sören onto his lap... and then over his knee. Sören's breath hitched and his cock throbbed again, knowing what was next.
"I do believe you've earnt these birthday spankings, you teasing brat," Nicholas said. He caressed Sören's ass cheeks, making Sören gasp and tremble, and then his hand came down with a hard slap. "One."
"Oh god, yes." Sören grabbed a couch pillow and let out a little whimper at the stinging pleasure-pain, cock pulsing.
"Two." Nicholas slapped Sören's ass again. "Three..."
"Oh, fuck! Daddy!" Sören whimpered again and shook his ass at Nicholas, wanting more.
Nicholas spanked Sören harder and harder, counting to thirty-one. Sören loved it, grinding against Nicholas's thigh, panting, whining, feeling like he was in heat, feeling almost ready to come just from the sweet sting of Nicholas's hand - the power behind it, the strength. The domination, his surrender to the man he loved, trusted, shared his life with. By the time Nicholas was done giving Sören his birthday spankings, Nicholas's robe was soaked with Sören's precum. Nicholas started gently rubbing Sören's ass again, and it felt even more delicious for being so sensitized.
At last Nicholas patted Sören's ass, indicating that he should get up. Sören stood up, his cock leaving a long streamer of precum to Nicholas's robe as he did. Nicholas tsked and shook his head at Sören, though his eyes were full of mischief - and want. "You," Nicholas said, "are very naughty. Look at this mess you made."
"Should I clean it, Daddy?" Sören licked his lips, cock throbbing again at the thought of lapping up his precum from Nicholas's robe.
"I've got something else you made a mess of that you can clean." With that, Nicholas undid the tie of his robe. He was naked underneath, fully erect, and dripping just as much precum as Sören.
Sören eagerly dropped to his knees and greedily took Nicholas's cock into his mouth. Nicholas groaned as Sören began to suck him, hard and fast. After a moment Sören slowed down to tease him - and himself - and their eyes met. Nicholas groaned, and stroked Sören's cheek before grabbing a fistful of his curls.
"So, so naughty." Nicholas groaned again.
Sören moaned around the cock in his mouth. With one hand he cupped and rubbed Nicholas's balls, and the other hand rubbed Nicholas's shaft up and down as he focused on the head and the first inch, sucking, rubbing his tongue, kissing. Every now and again Sören took Nicholas's cock out of his mouth just to lick it, licking up and down the shaft, licking around and around the head, tongue lashing the frenum. Then, as Nicholas's moans got louder, Sören began deep-throating him, not able to help reaching down and stroking himself as he did. But he could only do that for so long, and it was back to focusing on the head, worshiping it.
Nicholas pulled Sören off his cock and into a kiss. He retrieved a hollow book from the coffee table and opened it - Sören grinned at the lube - and their eyes locked as Nicholas poured a generous coating of lube over his cock, though it was plenty wet from Sören's mouth, and his own precum. Sören climbed onto Nicholas's lap again and straddled him, and Nicholas pulled off Sören's shirt. They kissed once Sören was completely naked. Sören pushed Nicholas's robe open some more and ran his hands over the silver fur of Nicholas's chest, enjoying the way it looked, the way it felt. "You're so sexy, Daddy," Sören breathed, before kissing him again.
"And you, my sweet, are beautiful. A work of art as lovely as anything you paint, if not lovelier." Their eyes met again. Nicholas put his arms around Sören, pulling him close, and they kissed once more as Sören sank down onto his cock.
Once Nicholas was bottomed out inside him, they both gasped for breath, savoring that first moment of being fully joined, that beautiful feeling of connection. Sören began to ride, slowly, their foreheads pressed together, breathing each other's breath.
"So lovely I've been thinking about this since I woke up," Nicholas murmured, and then started kissing Sören's neck.
"Oh, Daddy." Sören shivered and his cock pulsed, loving the thought of Nicholas getting himself worked up fantasizing about him. His hands continued to play over Nicholas's chest again, palms rubbing the chest hair, thumbs and fingers rubbing his nipples. Nicholas groaned into Sören's neck, before nibbling on the hollow where the neck and shoulder met, making Sören cry out and tremble.
Sören cried out again as Nicholas's cock stroked that sweet spot inside him. Nicholas continued to kiss, lick, and nibble Sören's neck, his own hands roaming over Sören's body. Sören tried to ride slowly, hearing himself whimper at each exquisite push and pull of Nicholas's cock, teasing. But the sensation of Nicholas moving inside him, and Nicholas's hands on him, Nicholas's mouth on his neck, and Sören's own lust for Nicholas's body all combined into a fevered frenzy, and soon Sören was bucking wildly on Nicholas's lap, riding his cock harder and harder, his cries followed by Nicholas's deeper groans and growls.
When Nicholas took Sören's cock in his hand, Sören almost came right then. The pleasure kept building and building, the tight grip around his cock, the rhythm inside him. Sören never wanted it to end, completely lost in passion. They started kissing again, moaning into the kisses, and at that moment of truth, when Sören was right there, the kiss broke and their eyes locked.
"Daddy." Sören gave a little howling whimper. "Oh god. Daddy -"
"Yes, sweetheart. Come for Daddy."
"Oh, god, yes..." Sören threw his head back and let out a fierce, wordless cry as his seed sprayed Nicholas's chest, the release pulsing through him. A few seconds later Nicholas gave a cry of his own and kissed Sören again, groaning into the kiss as he shuddered and Sören felt Nicholas shooting inside him. Sören loved that feeling of a lover's seed spent into him, and he moaned with another contraction.
Sören rested on Nicholas's shoulder as they caught their breath. Then Nicholas cradled Sören and began to rock him a little, rubbing his nose in Sören's curls, tender little kisses atop his head. "I love you," Nicholas said softly, arms tightening around him.
"I love you too." Sören kissed Nicholas's heart, and then gave Nicholas a nose kiss, making the older man smile, smiling more broadly as Sören skritched his whiskers.
They cuddled like that for awhile, holding each other, dazed from the intensity of their orgasm. After just snuggling up, Nicholas started petting Sören's curls, peppering his face with kisses. They rubbed noses and Sören gave him a kiss. Sweet, soft kisses became more lingering, until their tongues were playing together again, hands roaming.
Nicholas patted Sören and looked at the time. "You should have breakfast. What would you like to eat?"
Sören was feeling randy again and couldn't resist. "Something French," he said with a wicked grin.
It took Nicholas a few seconds and then his eyes widened and his mouth opened... and then he started laughing, a full-bodied laugh that lit up his entire face. Sören loved it, grinning back. Nicholas kissed him, and swatted Sören's ass.
"All right, you. Upstairs."
Sören and Nicholas went upstairs - Sören couldn't help laughing at the hilarity of them climbing the stairs with hard cocks, bobbing with each step, and Nicholas laughed too. When they got to the top of the steps Nicholas pulled Sören against him and they stopped laughing as they kissed, hard cocks rubbing together, hands caressing, exploring.
Nicholas marched Sören towards the bedroom and when they stepped through the bedroom door Nicholas slapped Sören's ass again, making Sören's cock jolt and drip precum. Sören moaned.
"If you're going to act like an animal in heat, you'll take it like one. Lie down," Nicholas commanded.
Those words in that deep velvet voice... Sören let out a whine as he climbed onto the bed, laying on his stomach, grinding his hard cock against the bed, going out of his mind with lust. Nicholas climbed over him, laying on top of Sören's back, and he nibbled on the back of Sören's neck and shoulder as he took him. Sören cried out, fisting the sheets, bucking against him.
"Oh god." Sören usually preferred to make love face-to-face, where he could look at his lover's body, but once in awhile being taken from behind was hot, and this was the perfect time for it. Sören felt shameless, needy, wanton, and loved it. He rocked his hips back at Nicholas as Nicholas began to thrust. "Oh, fuck..."
Nicholas grabbed Sören's hair and continued biting Sören's neck and shoulder, tongue licking where his teeth had been, soothing, arousing. Sören whimpered and grabbed the sheets, grinding harder against the mattress. "Oh, Daddy. Daddy..."
Nicholas groaned. "You like that, don't you?"
"God, yes..." Sören whined again, and tilted his head towards Nicholas's, panting, looking into Nicholas's dark, burning eyes, letting Nicholas see the desperate need in his own.
Nicholas kissed him deeply, fiercely, and they both moaned into the kiss. One of Nicholas's arms went around Sören, taking his hand. Their tongues teased, and Sören's whimper was answered by Nicholas's deeper groan. Nicholas went back and forth between nibbling, kissing, and licking the back of Sören's neck, and claiming his mouth, and between the kisses, the slap of their bodies, the feel of Nicholas's chest hair against his back, the weight of Nicholas's body atop him - keeping him safe - and the stroking of Nicholas inside him, the rubbing against the sheets... the feeling of total abandon... Sören climbed to that edge and stayed there, moaning louder and louder. And then he started giving in, letting out an urgent little howl as he felt that buildup, about to explode.
"I'm gonna -"
"Yes, darling."
Sören screamed into the pillows, shaking, his second orgasm just as powerful as the first, sinking, soaring. Nicholas groaned and trembled, and Sören moaned as he felt Nicholas flow into him again. Nicholas squeezed Sören's hand and Sören turned his head so they could kiss again.
Feeling Nicholas cuddle atop him was safe and warm and sweet, until the weight got to be too heavy and Sören felt too hot. Just before he could ask Nicholas to climb off him, Nicholas did it without being told and rolled Sören, pulling Sören against his chest, into his arms. Sören smiled, kissing Nicholas's shoulder before he rubbed his nose in the chest hair. That was better.
"Such a good start to my birthday," Sören said, and gave a happy little sigh.
"I'm glad." Nicholas kissed the tip of Sören's nose. Then he frowned a little. "I hope you're not upset that I didn't tell you I planned to take today off. I didn't want to lie to you, but -"
"Well, you didn't, I just assumed you were working today and you didn't tell me otherwise." Sören shrugged.
"I did want to surprise you, and it's harder to do with us living together."
"I was very surprised." Sören skritched Nicholas's beard and smiled - Nicholas smiled back. Sören didn't want Nicholas to feel guilty about it; he knew he had trust issues because of past history with Anthony, but Nicholas was always honest with him and Sören saw this as different circumstances.
"All right." Nicholas exhaled, and Sören thought the relief was almost palpable. Then Nicholas began to chuckle.
"What?" Sören raised an eyebrow.
Nicholas laughed harder, turning beetroot. He attempted to sober himself to explain what was going through his head, though mischief still danced in his dark eyes, and he asked, "So... does this count as surprise buttsex?"
Sören facepalmed and started to laugh so hard his sides cramped and his face hurt, tearing up. It was such an old meme, but clearly, new to Nicholas. "You memed."
"I did."
Sören grinned and kissed the tip of Nicholas's nose, and laughed harder at how proud Nicholas was of himself for memeing... how ridiculous and surreal it was for his overly formal, at-times-too-serious partner to be memeing. "We'll make a memelord of you yet."
Nicholas attempted to give a disapproving look, though his eyes were still laughing. "Shan't."
Sören gigglesnorted and snuggled closer to him. This was already the best birthday ever.
Sören's birthday dinner was at Balthazar, with Nicholas and Anthony.
Nicholas had wanted to bake a birthday cake for Sören, but Anthony had insisted to spring for a cake from a bakery, at the very least, and though Nicholas was aghast at the idea of a store-bought cake, that was nonetheless the plan.
When they reached their flat, Nicholas asked Sören, "Do you want to open gifts first, or have cake first?"
"Gifts," Sören said, patting his stomach. "I'm still pretty full from dinner."
Nicholas and Anthony looked at each other. Nicholas gave Anthony the "go ahead" gesture.
"You can go first if you want to," Anthony said, seeming almost self-conscious about his gift.
"You may if you like."
"It's OK, I don't mind you going first."
"I don't mind you going first -"
"Guys, guys." Sören put up his hand. He pinched the bridge of his nose, chuckling. "Swear to god, you're like brothers." A frisson went down his spine, wondering if Nicholas had the kind of dreams they did, and if those dreams even meant anything. Sören retrieved a coin from where Nicholas kept coins in a candy dish to make exact change on the occasions he paid with cash - he was one of those people, which Sören found delightfully old-fashioned - and he said, "Mkay. Heads, Anthony goes, tails, Nick goes." His mind went into the gutter with a mental image of giving Anthony head while Nicholas rode his "tail", taking him from behind as he had this morning. Fuck. Sören took a deep breath, not wanting to get worked up again, and flipped the coin.
It landed heads.
Anthony pulled out a box from a shopping bag. It was wrapped in blue holographic foil paper with a sparkly, iridescent silver bow - Sören knew either Anthony had that professionally gift wrapped or his mother had done it. Sören still didn't mind. He tore off the wrapping paper - now it was Anthony's turn to cringe. Tobias came out from the cat tree, where he'd been taking a nap, and attacked the wrapping paper, making it crinkle. He absconded with the bow in his mouth, his prize.
The box was plain cardboard, which meant it could be anything. Sören opened it and inside was a golden metal pineapple.
Sören lost it, falling over on Anthony. It was so utterly ludicrous - which he knew was the point. It made Sören ache, missing what they'd had. All of the many, many moments of laughter, especially when they encouraged each other's eccentric sense of humor. "What in the actual fuck?"
Anthony's lips quirked. "Open it."
The top of the pineapple was a lid - it was a container - and inside the pineapple was something that made Sören gasp. Something he hadn't seen in years.
In January 2013, not long after Anthony proposed to him, Anthony's maternal grandmother Sören had given Sören an outrageously expensive gift - a genuine House of Fabergé egg, an iridescent robin's egg blue, wrapped with silver vines, on a stand of silver scrollwork with pearls. When the egg opened, there was a silver phoenix on the inside.
Sören had left the egg behind when he left Anthony, because even though it was a gift for him, Sören didn't feel right about taking it, feeling Anthony should have something from his grandmother. But now...
"She would have wanted you to have it." Anthony's eyes were a little too bright as he met Sören's.
"Inside of a gaudy gold pineapple?" Sören couldn't resist the attempt at humor.
"Listen, it makes more sense than me getting you pregnant."
At the memory of Anthea asking Anthony "when are you going to put a baby in him", Sören laughed so hard he teared up again, and now Anthony was laughing too, wiping his eyes both at the humor and the memory of his beloved grandmother. Sören hugged Anthony tight and restrained the urge to kiss him full on the mouth, with tongue. He restrained the urge to drag Anthony to bed and ask Nicholas for a threesome. But the emotions were overwhelming... and of course Anthony had put the egg in the pineapple to defuse Sören's discomfort with it.
"There's still more," Anthony said.
Sören narrowed his eyes, hoping there wasn't something ridiculously expensive inside.
It was a gift card to Greenleaf... and a wooden kazoo. Sören erupted into laughter once more, and Anthony took a bow.
Nicholas was looking at them like they were aliens that had just landed, which made Sören and Anthony look at each other and laugh even harder.
"We're adults," Anthony said, beaming.
"Clearly," Nicholas said.
"Yes, very... adult themed." With that, Sören took the kazoo and began to play the sax solo from "Careless Whisper".
Nicholas shook his head with an eyeroll, and a smile. Then he regarded the egg carefully. "That's House of Fabergé. As you know, there are very few in the world..."
"Yes, very limited," Anthony said. "My grandmother was wealthy."
Nicholas gave a somewhat disapproving look. "It belongs in a museum."
"Nick. She gave me that as a gift, before she died. I... didn't take it with me when we broke up, but..." Sören sighed, feeling slightly exasperated, even though he knew Nicholas meant well, being a historian. "It's not even about how much it's worth. It's sentimental value. Anthea was quite a character."
"All right. I shan't press you about it," Nicholas said.
"I'll donate it to a museum when I die," Sören said. "In the meantime..." He picked up the egg - carefully - and began to pat it. "Mine."
Then Nicholas cleared his throat and handed Sören an envelope. "It's not as fabulous as a genuine House of Fabergé egg, but..."
"Oh for fuck's sake." Sören didn't want Nicholas to feel like he was competing with Anthony. "Anthony was regifting me something. Without the egg, it's a golden pineapple and a kazoo and a gift card to Greenleaf."
"It's a seventy-five quid pineapple," Anthony said, also trying to be funny.
Sören did find that funny - he couldn't believe the pineapple cost that much. "Seriously? That's even worse."
Anthony nodded solemnly.
Inside was the details for a vacation package to Iceland for Valentine's Day week. Overcome with giddy joy, Sören jumped up and down, screaming, enough that he scared Tobias, which was amusing and made Sören feel bad at the same time. Then Sören pounced on Nicholas and kissed him passionately, laughing and crying. "Oh Nick. Oh my god. Nick. Nick."
Nicholas kissed Sören back, and then he touched Sören's cheek, looking into his eyes as they rubbed noses. Sören loved him so much he felt like he could break.
"Nicholas already asked me to watch Tobias for a week," Anthony said.
Tobias came when his name was called and rubbed up against Anthony for pettings, then hopped up on Sören and gave him headbutts, climbing into his arms for a hug. Sören held the cat and stroked him, smiling at the loud purr. "That's my good Toby. I'm gonna miss you, Toby, but you'll be good for Uncle Anthony, right?"
"His name is Tobias," Nicholas muttered, but then gave Sören a little smirk - he knew by now Sören did it to get a rise out of him and he wasn't really annoyed, he played along. Sören attempted a wink, though it always came off as a clumsy blink.
Nicholas gave the cat some skritches - and then Sören, too - before he got up from the couch. "All right. I do believe it's time for cake."
Nicholas walked to the kitchen, and when he opened the cake box his face fell. "Er."
Sören's eyebrows shot up, wondering if the cake was damaged or had something else wrong with it, like mold, though he knew Anthony wouldn't use a sketchy bakery.
"Yeah, we. Ah." Anthony scratched his head with a guilty look. "I was going to warn you and didn't know a good time for it."
"What is it?" Sören got right up - that sounded bad - and he went over to the kitchen where Nicholas was looking at the cake like he was looking at a car wreck.
"They fumbled with the writing on the cake rather badly," Anthony said, looking apologetic. "There wasn't enough time to order a new one -"
Sören almost fell over when he saw the cake, bracing himself on the counter, doubled over, snorting. "Oh my god. IT'S BEAUTIFUL."
The cake was large and round, covered with white frosting and a tacky ring of pink frosting roses, and the cake said Happy Birthday Soren With An Umlaut.
"I tried," Anthony said, making a face. Then he shook with silent laughter and clapped a hand over his mouth. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh -"
"Yes, you should. THIS IS THE MOST AMAZING CAKE EVER," Sören said; he genuinely loved it. "I need pictures right fucking now." With that, he took out his cell phone and began to take pictures of the cake, then Anthony took Sören's phone so he could get some photos of Sören with the cake, giving the thumbs up with an exaggerated smile in one picture, then the thumbs up with a less enthusiastic, pleading look in another. Sören grabbed Nicholas for another picture with the cake, with Nicholas looking underwhelmed.
"Are you sure you didn't do that on purpose?" Nicholas asked, giving Anthony a suspicious look.
"I didn't," Anthony said. "Although clearly this needs to become a yearly tradition."
"I agree," Sören said. "I'm going to be assmad if I don't get a 'Happy Birthday Soren With An Umlaut' cake next year." Sören stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I wonder if we could get a dick-shaped one."
"Sören Sigurðsson." Nicholas gave him a stern look, but his eyes were laughing again.
"This was the best birthday," Sören said. Then, not wanting Anthony to feel bad, he quickly added, "Well... the one in Switzerland was pretty awesome too."
Anthony smiled and patted him.
Then Sören looked at the gold pineapple, which was now sitting on their coffee table and being used as a candy dish. Sören pulled out a peppermint swirl from the pineapple, unwrapped it, and began sucking on it - then realized where the urge to start sucking on something came from. He fought the urge to tell Anthony to call Elaine and tell her not to pick him up, and invite Anthony to bed with them. But they still needed time, and Sören wasn't sure Nicholas would be too keen on the idea of a threesome... or Anthony himself, for that matter.
Sören quickly tried to push the thought away, because he was keen on the idea and he needed to have some self-control.
"So," Anthony said, "I'm sorry that my gift was kind of a regift."
"I'm not," Sören said. "You could have kept that egg for yourself."
"Well, I decided to get you a gift card to Greenleaf - so you could pick out what you wanted for yourself, I wasn't sure what to get you - but I felt tacky just putting it inside a card, but maybe I'll do that next year."
Sören smiled that Anthony was mentioning a next year.
Then Anthony went on, "So I wanted something to put the gift card in, and I thought about the egg... but I didn't want you to refuse the egg right away."
"No, the egg has a friend." Sören patted the pineapple. "It would be mean to separate them."
Anthony's jaw dropped and then he cracked up laughing. "Dammit, Sören..."
Sören smiled; he was glad Anthony appreciated his weird sense of humor. "I'll have to think of a name for each of them."
"Oh my god..."
When Anthony calmed down, he gave Sören a serious look. "But seriously... the gift was OK?"
"It was more than OK, Anthony. Every gift I got was good." Then Sören couldn't resist nagging, since he knew Elaine was coming and he knew Anthony was still feeling smothered. "But you know what I really want for my birthday?"
Anthony cocked his head to one side and folded his arms, expecting a bombshell.
"For you to accept our offer to move in with us." Sören grabbed him and shook him a little. "Anthony. For real. You've lived with me before. Was I that bad to live with?" He had been trying not to think that way, since they'd been so happy together until the end, but it had started to rankle him here and there, wondering if that was the real reason why Anthony was refusing, if some sort of distaste for or resentment of his habits had contributed to the way things went back then.
"Oh god, Sören, no." Anthony looked like he'd been slapped. Now he grabbed Sören and hugged him fiercely. "Sören..." Anthony gave a shuddery little sigh. "I loved living with you. You were my home. My sanctuary."
Sören's arms tightened around him, relieved to hear that.
Anthony pulled back and frowned. "OK. Let me just... lay my cards out on the table." He pressed his hand to his forehead and winced like something had hit a nerve. Sören braced himself. Anthony took a deep breath and said, "I have concerns about how my injury is going to affect my ability to contribute to the household and my fear is that I'll wear out my welcome sooner rather than later."
Nicholas stopped washing dishes in the kitchen. "Anthony, if I may..."
Anthony gave Nicholas a "go ahead" gesture.
Nicholas put his hands on his hips and gave Anthony a stern look. "When I made the suggestion to Sören that you should stay with us, I had indeed considered your limited mobility. We're not inviting you because we want a manservant."
Sören nodded. "I mean, if you start wrecking the place everywhere you go and don't pick up after yourself then there might be an issue. But you do realize I'm kind of familiar with the human spine..." He smirked, because of course that was an understatement. "And I have a pretty good idea of what you can and can't do with your injury. Like Nick said, we're not expecting you to be our new housekeeper."
"I shan't object if you want to wash a few dishes, or tidy up here and there," Nicholas said. "Just do what you can, and what you feel up to. Otherwise, don't make too much extra work for us - I imagine you wouldn't be much trouble - and we'll take care of the rest."
"I can do that," Anthony said, nodding. "I just feel guilty -"
"I know," Sören said, patting him. "But it'll be OK. And if it turns out to not be OK... we'll help you find another living arrangement. We won't push you out onto the street."
Anthony hugged him, and Sören felt him crying, though he tried to keep it silent. Sören hugged him tight again and rocked him a little. "So..." Sören rubbed his back. "Is that a yes?"
Anthony picked his head up and nodded through his tears.
Anthony managed to pull himself together before Elaine got up to the flat. Nicholas served her tea and cake and Sören showed off his birthday gifts, and showed Elaine a photo of the cake before it was cut, which made Elaine laugh. Then Sören said, "There's another gift that your son got me."
"Oh?" Elaine gave him a curious look.
Sören looked at Anthony and nodded. Anthony cleared his throat and said, "Mum, Sören and Nicholas asked me to move in with them, and I said yes."
"Oh." Elaine looked happy and sad all at once. "When?"
Anthony and Sören looked at each other. "As soon as you want," Sören said, "though I imagine you'd want to do it soon and honestly it'd be easier to do it before it starts to snow more."
"First week of December, then?" Anthony asked.
"That's fine with us," Nicholas said.
Elaine looked at Nicholas, then Sören, and Sören got the feeling Elaine assumed Anthony was in some sort of ménage à trois arrangement with them. Sören wasn't going to correct that assumption, both because he knew it was probably awkward for Anthony to talk about the details of his sex life or lack thereof with his parents, and also because he didn't want to say "we're not" in case it ends up becoming a thing later.
Sören internally kicked himself. Don't get your hopes up.
But he did feel a glimmer of hope, nonetheless, that somehow things would be OK with him and Anthony again, with time.
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