Brightside | ✓

55 | birthday

Eddie had only just got to the apartment door when she heard Moxie loudly declare from inside, "You're lucky I'm to tired or else I'd throw you out the window just for that comment."

If she didn't have the birthday cake presently in her hands and needing refrigerated as soon as humanly possible, Eddie would've turned around and tried again later. She stuffed her key in the door and opened it. The overwhelming smell of what Axel had deemed 'less upsetti spaghetti' filled her nose in the best way—there was a subtle undertone of something chemical coming from the bathroom but she thought it best not to question it. But that didn't get him off the hook by any means. "What did he say, now?"

Axel looked over his shoulder before he took a couple steps and gave her a peck on the cheek. Didn't even say hello. Point one to Moxie King. "Moxie was being nosey," he said.

"You put a dumb tattoo in front of me that's matching with your dog, I get to call it out," Moxie said.

"Oh, his I'm spayed tattoo?" Eddie asked. "Do you want to see a picture—"

"Eddie," Axel chided. Like it was her fault he'd gotten the tattoo and worn a short sleeve shirt that day.

"That's what it is?" Moxie groaned. "Fucking hell."

"Cruella told me it was because she was a stray—" Axel tried.

"Because she was spayed," said the blonde in question. Hard to throw her under the bus when she was sitting right there, awaiting her birthday dinner.

"And I might've misheard her," Axel finished.

"That man really tried to blame you for his poor hearing," Moxie said.

"We were at the shelter and it was loud," Axel said. Like it wasn't loud as shit every time he cooked because he insisted on having the oven fans on high and not medium.

"And you made a permanent decision," Eddie said. "In an obvious place."

"God forbid a man loves his dog," Axel said.

To his credit, Eddie was going to stay silent on the tattoo he had booked with her sister in a couple weeks. August's Christmas present to everyone: a couple hours at her parlour getting whatever they wanted. The best present ever. Eddie had gotten a few daisies up her ribcage for her birth month. Axel had threatened her with a Princess Leia pinup as if that was somehow worse than getting a matching neutered tattoo with Peter so he didn't feel left out.

"God forbid a man be normal for once—" Moxie said with an eyeroll.

"Is that... cake I see..." Cruella said. Bringing peace to her own birthday dinner.

Axel had the fridge open immediately and Eddie practically threw the plastic bag that had to be held a certain way into the space that they'd left for said bag.

"No," Eddie said.

"Must be the hot dog tonic, then," Cruella said.

Axel made a face and pointed to the mason jar that Eddie had already stuffed several bills into. "That's a dollar for the jar. No mentioning the forbidden drink."

"I can mention whatever I want on my birthday," Cruella said.

"You can mention whatever you want as long as you pay a dollar to the jar," Axel argued.

"Babe—" Cruella said.

Moxie looked ready to fight him but that wasn't anything new. "Axel—"