Flash Fic Friday

**Another flash for you! This one comes from the Admiral and a prompt. Enjoy!*

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I knew the instant I set foot in my home that something was wrong. Off. Amiss. I stilled, waiting, but nothing immediately pinged. So instead, I sent a burst of magic through my wards, testing and feeling. The magic rebounded back, just as it should letting me know all was as it should be.

Except it wasn’t. 

I moved slowly, hanging up my keys on the designated hook by the door and toeing off my flip flops. The refrigerator kicked on and the low hum filtered through the space. I scanned the room but nothing was out of the ordinary. Nothing stood out. Except I knew it wasn’t business as usually. Something was going on.

And then I saw it, out of the corner of my eye. Just the hint of movement and I reacted fast, snapping out with a hand and throwing a witch trap. I was fast and had pinpoint accuracy, so my quarry was caught easily. It took a fair amount of magic to keep them contained, pull them toward me and see who or what it was.

“Dammit Jarret!” 

There was no mistaking the mouse, with his shock of white over his forehead and his exceptionally long tale. Suspended in the witch trap, the faint blue of the energy swirling, the mouse was caught. There would be no escaping. But his panicked cries made me feel bad even though he wasn’t being hurt in any way.

“All right,” I said, exasperated. “I’m going to put you down and let go of the magic. You will not run. Do you understand me?”

The squeaking got louder for a few seconds, and then died down. The mouse twitched, and his sides heaved for breath. I kept an eye on him as I lowered the trap to the ground and slowly pulled back the magic, letting him free. I was ready for him to scurry off, but true to my command, he stayed put.

“What are you doing?”

The mouse shimmered and twisted, and then began to shift. It only took a few seconds before a full grown, and very naked, adult male stood in front of me. I grabbed the throw from the back of the nearby couch and tossed it to him. Jarrett gave me a half grin as he draped it over himself like a toga.

“I’m a mouse shifter, Cyrus. It only makes sense that I’m sometimes in my mouse shape.”

I was not fooled by the flippant answer. “That doesn’t explain why you were in my house in your mouse shape, in the middle of the day, when I was not here.” I squinted at him, putting the pieces together. Mad it had taken longer than normal, but I chalked that up to having been startled and unsettled when I’d gotten home. I pointed an accusatory finger at him. “You were snooping!”

Jarret gasped and placed a hand over his chest. He made his eyes as wide as possible, and even stuck out his bottom lip. “I would never.”

“Oh you so would. You shifted so you could squeeze in without setting off the wards, and you were snooping. I can’t believe you.” I threw up my hands and stomped off toward the kitchen.

“Cy! I just need to know.”

“No, you don’t. You’re just being nosy so you can ruin your surprise.” I sighed, trying to rein in my temper. And my disappointment. I worked so hard to actually surprise him, to make this good for him, and he was trying to ruin it. It’s not as though surprises gave him anxiety. If that were the case, I’d never have done it this way. But he actually loved them. It just killed him to know that I was keeping something from him. Even when it was a good thing.

“I’m sorry.” Jarret’s voice was a lot closer than I anticipated, but I managed to keep from jumping. Probably because he’d spoken so softly. “I’m sorry, Cy. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

I turned and looked at him, really looked, to see how he truly felt. If he was just saying the words without meaning…but no. It was clear he was contrite. The emotion was all over his face. I let out a breath and tried to let all my negative emotion go with it.

“It’s only two more days until your birthday. Can you please wait that long? For me?”

“Of course, baby. Of course. I’m sorry for being a jerk. It’s eating at me, but I know it’ll be a good surprise.” He took a step closer. “You always make it good.”

I ignored the innuendo. “You’re forgiven. This time.”

“I love you.” He leaned forward and kissed me. I couldn’t help but kiss him back. Never could. Not from the first moment I met him.

“I love you too,” I said back, my mouth against his. 

Suddenly he pulled back and his lips stretched in a wide grin. Then that grin morphed into a very wicked and mischievous grin. “You know, thought. You should probably do something to distract me.”

I shook my head, trying to keep the laugh in and failing. Jarret waggled his eyebrows at me, and I snatched his blanket-toga from him then smacked his ass. Jarret let out a peal of laughter and took off toward the stairs. I was right behind him.

He might be a pain who did his best to ruin surprises, but he was mine.