➹BEEPER

[intheblanks]

"It had better be an emergency."
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[synanthrope]

[She looks at that hand]

Are you asking if I want children?

[intheblanks]

[he shrugs a little, hand still but for the slow circling of his thumb against perfectly smooth, perfectly pale skin.]

I guess so. Yes.

[synanthrope]

Eventually, I will have children. But my species doesn't raise our young.

[She's so matter-of-fact about it]

[intheblanks]

I thought you were brought up by your dad?

[synanthrope]

I was. But my father was human.

That's how it works. One shifter parent, one non-shifter parent.

[intheblanks]

Then your dad didn't just sleep with women who didn't use birth control. Not without a hell of a run of coincidences.

[synanthrope]

You would have to ask him about the circumstances. He died before he even told me I had siblings.

[intheblanks]

[Full of mysteries, Satya Wallace. But not the kind to pursue on a birthday. Chase lets his grip tighten slightly, a gentle squeeze, and leans in to kiss her cheek.]

Only around enough of them to fill an ark.

[synanthrope]

[She looks over at him, and presses a kiss to his cheek, in response]

Yes.

[intheblanks]

I can guess who helped start your birthday tradition.

[His fingers idly brush up her leg, just to the calf.]

[synanthrope]

It's not hard, is it?

[intheblanks]

The suit could have thrown me a little.

[synanthrope]

It was the only day I could get him to wear one. You're easier. You like them.

[She tilts her body, so it's angled towards him]

Thank you for coming along.

[intheblanks]

I like the ones you pick.

[He likes that they please her.]

Otherwise it's more keeping up with expectation. [She's easy with odd angles but it will still be more comfortable to stretch her legs out across his lap.] Is there anything else to it? [Her tradition.]

[synanthrope]

[She reaches back into the backseat and takes out a box, and holds it to him. There's a cupcake with white frosting inside.]

[intheblanks]

[And a candle, which he picks carefully from the side of the box and fixes into place. He checks the pockets of this new suit for where he replaced his wallet after changing, digging out a rarely used book of matches from a restaurant in New Jersey he and Cameron had liked. Strikes one.]

Happy Birthday.

[It's too awkward a song to sing solo.]

Make a wish.

[synanthrope]

[She takes a moment, and then blows it out.]

Now you can eat it.

[intheblanks]

[He examines the little cake, taking the candle out to give to her.]

We should have brought something for you.

[Yes, he would have sat in the car with a date drinking a liver smoothie.]

[synanthrope]

[She takes the candle and licks the frosting off the end]

But I'm not hungry.

[intheblanks]

Never makes much difference to humans.

[He swipes a pinky at the edge of the frosting and holds it out to her, then takes a bite.]

[synanthrope]

Spiders only eat when they're hungry.

[She takes his pinky in her mouth, though, tongue pressing on the tip]

[intheblanks]

Have you heard the theory on eating, eye contact and civilisation?

[After he swallows. But one sugary bite is enough for now, he returns the cake to its box on the dash - distractedly - and leans in a little to watch her mouth.]

[synanthrope]

Tell me.

[She looks up at him, licking her lips, getting the last bits of sugar.]

[intheblanks]

The suggestion is that you're civilised if you can make eye contact while you're eating. Humans are meant to be unique in that.

[His mouth is sweet, too. Too sweet to taste the sugar on her tongue when he kisses her.]

They might have to rethink the theory.

[synanthrope]

[She licks the inside of his mouth like candy, her fingers curling into his hair]

Humans think they're unique in everything.