La Maison 1: Colors (Complete: manxman)

45 - Happy Birthday

A/N: Yes, it's a time shift, consider this an epilogue if it helps :-)

* * * * *

Owen and I have been together, properly together, for six months when I plan a party at my house, ostensibly for my birthday, but really for something else.

I wouldn't say anything particularly exciting has happened in that time, to us anyway, other than falling more in love with him every day. He continues to be the sweetest and most adorable bunny you ever did see, with a huge side portion of cheeky and funny and smart. Even though the sex, both scening and regular, gets better and better, I think my favorite times with him are when we're laying comfortably on the couch watching a movie, or holding hands walking through Central Park, or... okay, yeah, the sex would be right up there too, it's useless to deny it, when I get hard at the mere thought of touching him.

I'm a bit nervous about the party, because it's going to be a pretty heavy mix of people in the lifestyle and regular vanilla folk, and I just hope I can trust my friends from both sides to behave appropriately.

Mrs M told me she wouldn't come if I didn't let her cater, but we managed to come to a compromise whereby I'd get staff in to do the work and she could just control everything. To precisely no surprise of mine, she's pretty much refusing to allow anyone to touch anything so I currently have a lot of kitchen staff standing around my kitchen like straight guys in a gay bar.

"No, no, that doesn't go with that, move let me do it," Mrs M huffs at the poor boy, who normally works for Emilio, pushing him out of the way.

Owen comes into the kitchen, winking at me.

"Mrs M, sweetie, come help me choose an outfit."

He bustles her out to leave the kitchen staff to their prep. Mrs M adores Owen, almost as much as I do, because he allows her to mother him, a wonderful thing to see, which means he has her wrapped around his little finger.

When everyone has arrived and things are going well, I can finally breath a sigh of relief. Though then I remember I have something else planned and get nervous again.

"You ready, mon ami?" Frankie asks me with a grin.

"Kind of," I admit, "slightly terrified he'll say no though."

"Does he ever say no to you cherie?"

"Not often, he'll try pretty much everything once. But we're not talking about the playroom now. He's independent, gloriously so. It's one of my favorite things about him, but it might mean this bites me on the ass."

"Well, you'll only find out when you try," Frankie grins and pats my back.

It's alright for him, this isn't his humiliation if it doesn't go right. But I take a deep breath and clink my glass to get everyone's attention. I give the usual speech, thanking everyone for coming, looking round at the faces of my friends from all walks of life.

"Owen," I say when it's nearly done, "I have you in particular to thank for making this the best birthday I've ever had. I mean, the last one was pretty amazing, but that was down to you too," my friends who were there laugh and let out a few hollers, while Owen goes a delightful shade of pink. "I love spending time with you, and I want to be able to spend every spare minute I have in your company, so I have something to ask you," I can't help but notice the slightly horrified look on his face, but I'm committed now. "Owen, will you move in with me?"

There's nothing for a moment, and I have to gulp down a feeling of nausea, but then that wide smile comes on his face and he leaps across the room, wrapping himself around me and burying his face in my neck.