Raze (Riven 3)

“Thanks, Coco, this is awesome.”

From behind her back, Sofia pulled a strange-looking white bear with a red bow stuck to its head.

“What!? Where did you find him?!” Felix demanded.

Sofia laughed. “eBay.”

“Awww.” He hugged her and the bear. “Okay, fine, I forgive you.”

She beamed. “And it’s only taken fifteen years.”

“She murdered my bear!” Felix explained, arms spread wide in entreaty.

“It was an accident and I was, like, eight!”

“Fine, she manslaughtered my bear. Bearslaughtered. She bearslaughtered my bear!”

Then they both dissolved in giggles, and Felix put the bear on the arm of the couch so it could observe us eating cake. Skeleton immediately claimed the bear as hers, knocking it onto the floor and then curling up half on top of it.

After the cake was demolished—I swore I’d never seen a sweet tooth like Matt’s—I began subtly encouraging our guests to leave.

“Okay, party’s over. Get out of my apartment.”

They laughed and left on a chorus of happy birthdays and well wishes. I was piling the frosting-smeared dishes in the sink when arms wrapped around my waist from behind.

“Thank you,” Felix said, breath warm between my shoulder blades.

I abandoned the dishes and turned to hold him close. The sense of relief I always felt at wrapping him in my arms was leavened with nervous excitement.

“Can I give you your present now?”

“You just threw me a whole party,” he protested, but followed me to the couch.

“Wait there, one sec.”

I went to the bedroom closet where I’d hidden Felix’s present, and my heart started to race. Suddenly my plan seemed stupid, my presentation ridiculous, and my gift overbearing. Maybe I shouldn’t give it to him after all. I realized I’d been standing there agonizing for a while only when I heard the unmistakable opening music of Secaucus Psychic from the living room and the sound of Felix narrating the show to Skeleton.

I smiled. Felix loved that damn show. It was silly and cheesy and emotionally manipulative, and he loved it. He wouldn’t think my gift was stupid, and he wouldn’t care about the presentation. And I was pretty sure he’d be on board with my plan…

I took a deep breath and carried the box into the living room. Felix turned off the TV and smiled.

“It’s, uh…not as good as yours, but,” I said, and turned around the box. I grabbed Skeleton when she made a beeline for it and held her against my chest.

“Is that…You made me a diorama?” His eyes were wide and soft. “Oh my God, Dane.”

It was terribly clumsy compared to his meticulous craft, but he examined every inch of it.

“It’s us. Right?”

I nodded.

“And this is your apartment.”

I nodded again.

He smiled as he traced the figure of me chopping up vegetables in the kitchen and the figure of him perched on the counter.

Then he moved on to the bedroom, where I’d put us sitting on the bed, holding hands. A tiny Skeleton was curled up between our pillows, tail wrapped around her. There was a second dresser in the room, and I’d written Felix’s Stuff on it. I’d put cutouts of brown cardboard boxes on the floor that also said Felix on them. I hoped he’d get it.

“This…Is this…Are you…?”

I sat down next to him and took his hands in mine.

“Thought maybe, if you wanted, you could move in with me.” Skeleton meowed. “Us. With us.”

The sweetest expression I’d ever seen passed over Felix’s face. His eyes were bright and liquid, his whole face glowing. Relief shot through me, and I chided myself for ever thinking he might not say yes.

“Really?” he said softly.

“Well, yeah. And I talked—”

“Shut up and kiss me and savor the moment, jerk!” Felix demanded, grinning.

I put Skeleton down on the couch and pulled him close. I kissed him and I savored the damn moment.

I savored the knowledge that I would never have to ask Felix if he was coming over after work again. That I would never have to wonder if he slept well in his own apartment. Never have to eat dinner without him.

It filled me with such shocking joy I nearly couldn’t hold it inside me.

Sometimes I couldn’t believe how much I loved him. Couldn’t believe how much it was possible for me to feel, now that the numbness and distance had been cleared away like cobwebs.

Felix’s touch, his taste, his smell, were so potent, so immediate, that they made the whole world feel new.

“Talked to Sofia. She says she was going to talk to you about it soon, but she wants to get her own place. Closer to Coco, I guess. So, if you move in here, then you guys can give up your apartment.”

He beamed at me and his eyes swam. I’d known he would worry about leaving his sister in the lurch.

“That a yes to moving in with me? We can repaint. Redecorate. Whatever you want.”