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“What’s this? What’s this?!” Steven stares in wonder at the feeder attached to the top of the tank. Marc smirks.
“Nice huh?” He says smugly after having purchased it online behind Steven’s back. Steven bobs his head curls bouncing, his smile infectious.
“It really is Marc, I can’t bloody Adam and Eve it!” They walk to the table and Steven picks up the instructional manual to peruse. “This is, I mean, how did we not know that this was even a thing?” Steven says as he taps the empty box on the table absentmindedly. Marc flinches minutely and tries to hide the guilty feeling in the pit of his stomach.
“Sorry Steven…” Marc mutters. Steven snaps his head up and stares at his reflection in the tank’s glass and shakes his head hurriedly.
“No Marc, no it’s fine, stuff happened, water under the proverbial fish tank and all that.” He looks lovingly at the two fish as he starts fiddling with the feeder and quickly changes the subject. “Guess what my little two finned wonders, you get to live forever! Or however long goldfishies generally live, but hopefully a very long time, righ?” Marc takes out his phone and looks up goldfish longevity. His mouth drops open in shock, gaping like he’s mimicking their fish. “Uh, it could be up to…30 years.” Steven’s eyes widen in equal parts shock and joy.
“Th-thirty years! Oh my days, you lucky fishies, don’t chu worry bout a thing, your daddies are gonna take real good care of you an raise you proper.” Marc puts his hands up as if trying to calm Steven down from a ledge, his eyes blown, huge and dark in dread.
“Or, or just putting it out there…pet rocks! Now, now hear me out man, I mean talking about immortality that-that is an immortal pet right there.” Marc puts on a coaxing voice. “And don’t you like rocks Steven, they can be literal time capsules of historical knowledge or shit like that but with googly eyes ok? Please Steven, let’s just do pet rocks.”
Steven glares at their reflection and puts his arms around the tank as if to block out Marc’s voice. “Don’t listen to him babies, your daddy Marc is just being a big ole meanie is all.” He then adds in sotto voce, “We are not replacing them with pet rocks, Marc, that’s not happening…ever…” He finishes in a louder voice, “We have this lovely lit’le feeder here now so these fish are stayin’.” Marc pleads,
“…But Steven, thirty…years?” Steven just ignores him while happily adding fish flakes to the feeder. Marc resigns himself and sighs, “...fine.” Steven looks up at their reflection and stares deeply into their eyes.
“And Marc, thanks for the present.” Steven awkwardly goes back to his beloved fish and Marc’s lips lift up in a half smile while Steven is preoccupied.