Aiden sheepishly presented the cake to Lace, crushed box and all. When he pulled the top off, the cake was smashed in some places, and the layers had been knocked askew. Icing and cake pieces littered the inside, stuck to the walls and lid.

“Sorry,” he said, scratching the back of his neck just to keep from looking at Lace. It’s not that it would be upset, or even disappointed, but Aiden was embarrassed all the same. “You wouldn’t believe what I went through to get this here.”

“Oh!” Lace said, clapping its hands, “it’s wonderful!”

Aiden let out a little snort from his catlike nose and smiled. Lace might never even have had a cake before. Certainly never a birthday cake. Je Nais didn’t really seem the type, though she had been helpful for figuring out when the thing was born. All Lace had been able to come up with was that it was created “maybe three years ago? But I don’t keep track”. It would be five years as of today. Je Nais even knew the time, which was why Aiden had been in such a hurry. Not that Lace would mind.

And Aiden knew that. But Aiden still wanted everything to be perfect, because Lace deserved it.

On some level, Aiden knew that no matter what tokens or faerie magic he used, Lace would still cause him obsession. Nothing can block that inhuman aura completely when Aiden would curl up against the divine fire in Lace’s breast and spend the night. But there was more than just flux at play. Aiden found someone who he felt at ease with. No scamming, no seducing. No fawning, only fauning. With Lace there was no need to dissemble. When they were alone, at least.

“Oh, is that a candle?” Lace asked, tilting its gorgeous head and poking around in the box with a plastic fork. “I didn’t know you could eat those.” He fished it out and took a bite before Aiden could stop him.

“What? No, Lace!” he said, putting the cake box down and grabbing the wax five. It had a bite taken out of it. “It was supposed to go on the cake.”

Lace swallowed, the furnace of its body having no problem with it. “That’s a cake?” he it asked, scratching its auburn hair. “I thought cakes looked different. Is it broken?”

“It’s a smashed cake,” Aiden said, taking the fork from Lace’s hand, careful not to scratch its hand with his claws. Not that Lace would mind. He held out a chunk of the mess to Lace, cupping a vulpine hand beneath it. “Here, it tastes better than a candle.”

Lace leaned forward and stuck the end of the fork in its mouth. “Mm!” it said, pulling away. It made sure to chew and swallow this time. “Oh, that’s very good. I had cake before, but this one’s better.”

Aiden smiled, “thanks. I went through hell getting the goblin fruit.”

“Oh, is it a magic cake!” Lace asked, perking up. It stuck it’s finger in the icing and ate some more. “Is this one of the ones that makes you see things?”

“Nah,” Aiden said, handing Lace the fork, and grabbing himself a fresh one from the box. He took the box off the little folding table and brought it over to the ratty king sized mattress and awning that formed the little bungalow on the roof of the apartment. A radio on the curb rescued shelf was playing Chappel Roan on low volume. Lace followed along, and they both sat down together. “I just wanted it to taste good for you.”

Lace took another bite. “It tastes wonderful.” And then it smiled and added, “but not as wonderful as you!” and leaned across to kiss Aiden.

He groaned, but kissed it back, pulling on its shirt to bring it in close. “You’re so corny,” he said, bumping their foreheads together.

“I learned it from Je Nais’ trashy movies,” Lace said, rubbing his nose along Aiden’s. It couldn’t actually see the shape of it, not the true one, but it was still the nose of a forest animal. Lace giggled. “Wet.”

“Yup,” Aiden said, kissing it again. “It’s not the only thing.”

Its forehead was still to Aiden’s, but it took another forkful of cake. That must mean he liked it, and that made Aiden’s rabbit heart dance. “Are we going to have some sex?”

Aiden, tried to suppress a laugh and it ended up coming out a snort. He pulled away and pinched his nose, then gave it a rub. “I mean, that was the plan, yeah. But we don’t gotta get your dick wet just yet.”