Thank god fish aren't into cash...

“It’s not a birthday without cake,” you provided. You went back to cleaning. The cake tins were still in the oven, the decadent smell of chocolate sponge permeating your apartment. 

“You trying to make me fat?” Luke needled, leaning his decorated forearms on the counter. 

You snorted. “Now who’s being ridiculous?” You dumped the last of the batter-covered utensils into the sink and started wiping up four, which of course had gotten everywhere. Luke moved to help you. “Don’t even think about it,” you scolded, giving him a warning look. “I’ll take care of this. Go shower, I’m taking you to breakfast.” 

“What if I get lonely?” 

“I think you’ll survive without me for ten minutes,” you said dryly. “Now, get.” 

Luke cracked a smile and moved off to comply. “Bossy.” 

“Only when I need to be,” you tossed back. You resumed reclaiming the kitchen from the mess you’d made. 

*** 

“You gotta stop doin’ that,” Luke groused as you threw a sweatshirt he’d glanced at into the cart. 

“My bonus isn’t going to spend itself,” you supplied. You steered the cart further into the clothing section, having a mind to get him more socks. Luke’s riding had him wearing through the pairs he owned and you wanted to find some that would stand up to heavy use. 

“Could at least get yourself something too,” he muttered, trailing alongside you. Everything in the cart was for him: shampoo and conditioner that would lengthen the life of his dye, leather conditioner for his gear, several shirts and pairs of pants he’d made the mistake of looking at for too long before he figured out you were using his casual interest against him. You’d also snuck in a few bags of his favorite candy he’d find out about later; as much as he tried to deny it, Luke did have a bit of a sweet tooth. 

You found what you wanted and started browsing. “You can get me back for my birthday, does that sound fair?” 

Luke leaned against one of the racks, silently yielding. A little girl and her mother passed by, and the girl stopped and stared at Luke, huge eyes raking over his tattoos. Luke gave her a small smile and the girl ran off to catch up with her mother. You smiled at the not-uncommon interaction; kids were endlessly fascinated by his ink. You tossed a few pairs of socks into the cart and decided to spare him any further inflictions of kindness for the day. 

***

That afternoon, you held onto Luke as you sped down the thoroughfare, his bike singing beneath you. The day was clear and bracing, the Halloween decorations strung up around town lending it a whimsical touch and reminding you of the deepening of the season. Fall had long been your favorite time of year for the gradual return to colder weather and subsequent permission to once again wear your comfiest clothing and curl up under a blanket. Luke’s birthday was October 31, but you preferred to view it as Halloween happened to fall on Luke’s birthday. Kids who grew up in the foster system had a hard enough time feeling valued without the one day a year that’s supposed to be theirs getting hijacked by a major holiday. 

Stores disappeared and houses got fewer and farther apart as you neared city limits. Foliage gradually replaced man-made structures until the street beneath you became a road flanked by the mighty pine barrens that had guarded this part of the world for longer than could be remembered. You rode deeper into their embrace and smiled as you caught the rich scent of balsam. Luke was warm and you huddled against his back to escape the chilly wind. 

Luke pulled onto an unpaved access road and took it down about half a mile, riding relatively slowly. Riding two up on asphalt was fine, but staying seated on rough ground was difficult for you. He rolled to a halt and held the bike as you dismounted, its powerful engine quieting as he hit the kill switch. You removed the helmet you’d been wearing and tucked it under your arm. Together, you strode into the forest, Luke walking his bike at your side. You’d been out here many times. No one else ever came around and you had come to view this stretch of woods as belonging to the three of you; perhaps not belonging in the traditional sense of the word, but sanctioned for your use by the watchful evergreens who oversaw the comings and goings of those who entered their domain. 

You reached your usual spot marked by the fallen log that would keep you company while Luke outran his demons. 

“Think you can survive without me for ten minutes?” Luke challenged, attention on his riding gloves as he pulled them tighter. 

You smirked as you offered his helmet. “Only ten?” You knew him better than that. 

His maniac grin was the last you saw of his face before the helmet came down, and he barely let the bike wake up before he was laying into the throttle so hard the machine screamed at him while peeling out. 

You listened to the joyful bark of his thumper as it tore over the earth and kicked up dirt in its exuberance. The sound faded somewhat as Luke got farther away. You weren’t worried about him getting lost; among other things, Luke had been gifted with a phenomenal sense of direction. You unzipped your pants so you could get started on his next present. 

By the time he got back, you were naked from the waist down and sitting on the log on top of your shed clothing with your fingers buried between your legs. He ripped his helmet off and actually threw it to the ground, and you shivered as he closed in and didn’t stop working yourself open. 

Luke stank of gasoline and sweat, his hair tousled from the helmet. You met the hunger in his eyes with a defiant tilt of your chin. The heavy strokes of his breathing consumed the air. He tugged off his gloves and reached for the back of his neck so he could untie his bandana. When it was free he pressed it to your lips in a question. You opened your mouth wide. It was saturated with him and you whimpered. Luke tied it off behind your head, trying to be gentle, but the fabric cut a little at the corners of your mouth and you loved it. 

He took the time to coat two of his fingers with the lube you were using before pushing them inside. His other arm wrapped around you and you widened your legs to invite him deeper. You sighed into his ear. 

“Couldn’t wait?” he huffed from where his head was pressed against your shoulder. He hooked his fingers and your whine was muffled by the gag. You clutched at him. You were certain he was trying to make you come first, which you knew he liked doing and may have been your motivation for instigating this in the first place. Whatever he wanted, anything at all. 

“I’ve got you,” he promised, and was as good as his word. 

*** 

You laid in bed, listening with one ear to the road noise filtering through the closed window and with the other taking in the steady thump of Luke’s heart from where your head rested on his chest. Despite the cold night, there were no layers of clothing between you and you relied on the warmth of your bodies beneath the thick bedspread to keep you comfortable. Luke blew a plume of smoke into the air and offered you a drag of his cigarette, which you sat up to accept. You shivered and held the blankets close. The streetlights cast harsh shadows on the opposite wall, and Luke traced his fingers across your lower back. 

You handed back the cigarette and exhaled. “I love you,” you said. Luke pulled himself up and draped himself over your back, his strong arms wrapping around your middle. You knew the words were hard for him; it didn’t bother you like it used to when he couldn’t say them. So you were surprised when you heard a quiet “I love you” and a kiss was pressed to your shoulder. Your hand went to his forearm and squeezed. You closed your eyes and indulged for a few moments in the soft tide of his lungs expanding and emptying against your back. 

“I have one more thing for you,” you said. 

“Really?” he murmured, mouthing at your neck and being terribly distracting. 

“Mm-hm. Look in your drawer.” 

You immediately missed his warmth. You shuffled back a bit as he pulled a small box from his bedside table, and you watched him try to figure out what it could be by tilting it. Something heavy clattered inside. Luke’s brow furrowed. He removed the top of the box, then dropped both halves of it onto the bed as if they’d singed him. He crossed the room and stood with his back to you; his shoulders were shaking. 

“Oh honey, c’mere,” you pleaded, and were answered by a wet hitch of his breath. You went to him and held him, resting your forehead on his back. Luke’s stomach spasmed under your fingers as he cried without sound. You kissed his trembling expanse of muscle and ink and stayed. After some time, he turned and gathered you in a fierce embrace that you returned with equal ardor. 

“I love you,” Luke said for the second time, which nothing could have prepared you for. 

“I know,” you breathed, running your hands up and down his back. “I love you too.” 

You both came back to the bed and Luke gingerly removed your gift from the box. It was a butterfly knife, slightly larger than the one he already owned. Its burnished steel glistened as he turned it over in his hands. “Thought you might like one that was a little bigger,” you said, suddenly feeling the need to justify your decision making. Luke gave the knife a few experimental flips and you shivered despite yourself. 

He smiled. “It’s great.” He admired its workmanship. 

“Should I leave you two alone?” you teased. 

“You expect me not to want to look at it?” Luke bantered back. “That’s entrapment.” He flipped the knife closed and laid it on the bedside table. “There. Happy?” 

You laughed. “Don’t get defensive. I know when I’m not wanted.” You tried to slide off the bed, but Luke hauled you into his lap so you were chest-to-chest. 

“I don’t think you do,” he murmured, and began kissing your neck. 

You sighed in mock exasperation. “Again? You’re running me ragged.” 

“C’mon, it’s my birthday,” he cajoled, knowing by how eagerly you were pressing against him that you were ready for more. 

“Not as of ten minutes ago- ah!” Your admonishment fell flat as he sucked a nipple into his mouth. 

Luke didn’t miss a beat. “Pity fuck, then?” 

You pushed him onto his back so he could see you roll your eyes. “Not a chance.” You took his hand in yours and slid his index finger into your mouth, licking and sucking. Neither of you looked away. By the time you made your way across his whole hand, Luke’s breathing had become much heavier. 

He pushed his hips up into you, a wordless plea. “You gonna make it worth my while?” you purred. You placed his hand on your hip and he squeezed it gently. He nodded. “Good. Hands and knees, then.”