Private The Docks Dinner for Two, Drama for Three

[Daniil Ryalor]

Daniil kept his paws over Caden's eyes as he steered his partner up the path from behind. "It's only a little farther," he promised, his anxiety over the circumstances mixing with his unease at Caden's general lack of enthusiasm. As of late Caden had seemed more withdrawn, a stillness growing between him and Daniil that left the latter stewing in a mixture of confusion and guilt. After spinning for several weeks, he'd finally come to a conclusion about the source of the growing distance. Hence, their current outing.

The path wound up a hill a little north of the city, close enough to the coast to provide an excellent sea view by day or by moonlit night. This was one such night, though Daniil had gone to great effort to establish an atmosphere that he hoped would be amplified by the view rather than distract from it.

"And... Here. Alright, keep your eyes closed," Daniil instructed. He pulled his paws away and he ran to stand before the tableau, hastily adjusted a cloth, and then added, "Okay, you can open them."

Daniil had set up a tent of sorts, open on two sides (pathward and seaward), with layers of blankets padding the ground and shielding them from any cross-breeze. A picnic basket sat amongst a mixture of throw pillows the fox had likely obsessively arranged, and a bottle of Varangian wine could be seen poking out among various meats, cheeses, and fruits. Scented candles in glass jars provided both warm lighting and the aroma of cinnamon and vanilla.

Daniil anxiously watched his lover's reaction, inquiring, "What do you think?"

 

[Caden S. Freemont]

The winter had been difficult for Caden. As his wounds from the incident at the Opera healed, he was slowly able to return to his duties in the Guard. He had that, weekly piano lessons with Whisper--who coincidentally had formed a fast friendship with Asta--and his life with Daniil. Despite that his existence was what he wanted, peaceful and quite normal, the jack was restless. It was as though his body itched for something to be wrong, to have some problem to solve that was a matter of life or death. Of course there was the matter between him and his partner that he had yet to find an appropriate time to explain. And so it stayed there, stewing within him, a bitter poison that slowly filled him with fear and vitriol mixed with the acid of the unresolved traumas of his life he had been running from since he left the Imperium.

He found himself prickling at Daniil's ever-present, suffocating attention, and so he avoided the todd when he could, unsure of why Daniil insisted on such anxious clinging. Sometimes Caden felt as though he was in a relationship with a kit clinging to him as though he were Daniil's mother rather than an equal partner. Still, though, he loved the todd, and his sense of duty and obligation kept him entrenched in the constant, agonizing dynamic of pursuer and pursuee.

When Daniil instructed Caden to open his eyes to the view of the painstakingly-arrayed picnic, the jack felt a surge of something within him. He was not sure if it was uncertainty or excitement, such was the confusion with his emotions surrounding the todd as of late. Still, he did his game best to show pleasure and surprise at the clear effort his partner has put in to please him.

"Daniil, this is wonderful! You're so thoughtful." His ears pricked forward at the bottle of wine, and he took Daniil's paw, leading him to the basket. "Is that what I think it is? Where ever did you find that vintage?"

 

[Daniil Ryalor]

Daniil blushed at Caden's praise, his tail flicking in telltale pleasure as he came over to look at the bottle. "I asked my aunt for help," he admitted. "Apparently she had the bottle in her cellar; she said it came with the house. It might be petty, but there's a certain pleasure in being able to share a bottle of Anithias Freedom's personal stock with the jack I love."

 

[Caden S. Freemont]

Caden's ears flattened. Internally he cursed Daniil's aunt. The vixen had to have known what she was doing when she gave her nephew that bottle. "Oh, from Freedom's personal stock, eh?" He tried to give a dry chuckle, but it caught in his throat and came out more as a choking sound. "I suppose I could see why you might enjoy that."

Attempting to rally, Caden cleared his throat and smiled as he made to sit, pulling Daniil down into his lap and encircling the todd with his arms, holding him close. He nuzzled into the thick fur around Daniil's neck and took a deep breath as he tried to calm himself. "You're really too kind, my love. But I have to ask: what's the occasion?"

 

[Daniil Ryalor]

Daniil gladly sank into Caden's embrace, enjoying the attention even more than the proximity. For a while now, even when they were next to each other in bed, it had felt like Caden was a continent away from him. The opportunity to reconnect was well-received so far, which only encouraged him in his pursuits.

He smiled a bit coyly, a little of his aunt's influence in the expression. "Oh, we'll get to the occasion soon," he promised. "For now, aren't I allowed to enjoy some alone time with my favorite beast in the world?"

 

[Caden S. Freemont]

"I suppose. Keep your secrets, then, my mysterious fox," Caden said, trying to keep the suspicion in his voice playful. He nibbled at Daniil's ear before disengaging and flopping down to his side into the throw pillows so he could rifle through the contents of the picnic basket. "Damn, you got all my favorites and then some."

He shifted, trying to find a comfortable position with his sword belt on, then finally gave up and sat again to take off the weapon. Ever since the incident with the Vulpinists in the tavern the past summer, he did not leave their home without it. As he unslung his belt, the jack looked coyly at Daniil.

"Just how private is it up here? I don't have to stop at taking off just the belt." Caden, being who he was, at least found it in himself to keep up that particular aspect of their relationship with great enthusiasm and interest.

 

[Daniil Ryalor]

Daniil chuckled as he remarked, "Well, the walls of this tent come down, and I'm given to understand that most beasts don't know this view is up here. I only know about it because my mother once took us on a picnic up here with Mr. Vorsky." He smiled a bit ruefully at the memory of the todd he might have one day called father. "As for stripping, there will be time for that, but..." He leaned over and took a small cluster of grapes, raising them to Caden's lips. "For now, there's a fee things I'd like to do first with our clothes on."

 

[Caden S. Freemont]

Rather than taking the grapes directly with his mouth, Caden popped a few off with his paw and angled his head away from the cluster, laughing. "Daniil, I'm not a baby bird, you know. I can feed myself. Here, why don't you pick out a cheese and I'll pick out a meat to go with it?"

Trying to distract himself from thoughts of young Daniil and his siblings up on the hilltop with Vaelora and Bridger Vorsky--fates, there was a treasure trove of suddenly-unlocked memories at the mention of that name--the marten began to rifle through the basket again.

"Say, you haven't talked much lately about the Smudgies. How have things been for you with the Niceties beasts?"

 

[Daniil Ryalor]

Daniil's face fell at the question, and he busied himself with looking through the cheese selections. "Not so good," he admitted. "They were really disappointed that Morgan turned out not to actually be an Alkamarian spy, and sort of blamed me for making the arrest. I still think I couldn't have reasonably known she wasn't involved, but..." He shook his head. "It's gonna take a lot for them to forget that mistake. Here." He settled on a brie, offering it to Caden. "How about this?"

 

[Caden S. Freemont]

Taking the cheese, Caden sniffed it, pausing before he spoke, considering his words carefully. "Sometimes you just have to take responsibility for making a bad call and move on, learning from it, Daniil. I've made my fair share of bad calls over the years, some with much worse consequences than what happened with Morgan. Each one made me a bit better at my job. Learning isn't always comfortable or easy." The marten sorted through the basket and withdrew a potion of salami. He raised it to his nose and sniffed, nodding approvingly.

"This will do, I think." He held it out to Daniil to assess. "Have you talked with Morgan at all about it, or any of her family? I don't want to tell you your business, but if you haven't apologized yet, you really ought to."

 

[Daniil Ryalor]

Daniil winced. "I tried afterward. I went by their house with a meat pie I picked up from that bakery on Fleet Street, but they wouldn't even open the door. I wound up sitting on their doorstep, just eating pie by myself. It was really gamey," he reflected, then shook his head. "Not what's important, I know. I don't think I've ever seen Eirene that mad at me."

 

[Caden S. Freemont]

Caden threw a paw around Daniil's shoulders and pulled the todd against him. "Look, love. She has good reason to be angry, and maybe she just needs some time. If you want me to, I can try to talk to her, though she's been very cool and business-like towards me at work. I haven't tried to push anything, just for the sake of trying not to speak for you."

After a quick peck on the todd's cheek, Caden disengaged from him and searched for a knife with which to cut the salami. "Really, though, maybe we could discuss something more pleasant. I doubt you brought me up here to talk about things that are bothering you so."

 

[Daniil Ryalor]

Daniil leaned into Caden's embrace while it lasted, enjoying the warmth and comfort offered. When Caden moved to search for a knife, Daniil took a deep breath, trying to calm his suddenly jittery nerves. "Right, yes, I really did have something more pleasant in mind." His paws twisted and turned a small box in his paws, resisting the urge to open it and fiddle with what was inside. "Caden," he turned to look at his partner, who was still checking the cutlery, "I... You mean more than anyone else in the whole world to me. You know that, right?"

 

[Caden S. Freemont]

"You have told me that quite a few times, so how could I forget?" He tried to keep his tone playful, but a note of sourness somehow crept in. It was not that he disliked hearing how much his partner cared for him and how important he was to the todd. It was simply the frequency of such declarations that had made them feel forced, even hollow sometimes. As though Daniil were seeking some sort of reassurance Caden simply did not know how to give, or perhaps just could not give at all.

Finding the knife, he laid out the cutting board and set the salami down upon it, then motioned for the cheese Daniil had chosen. He did not look closely at what was in the todd's paws, though had the thought that perhaps he ought to add more to his response so as to not seem quite so callous.

"And you mean the world to me, too, Daniil." He flashed a genuine smile at his partner. "I am so glad we found each other."

 

[Daniil Ryalor]

Daniil smiled gratefully, though there was something a little weak about it, a hint of worry creasing his brow. "I'm so glad to hear you say that. I've been so happy to be sharing a life with you, even when I know it hasn't been easy. You've been so patient and kind with me, and I want to show you that same devotion." He took a deep breath before scooting around to kneel in front of the Caden, the box clasped between his paws, the pose now unmistakable. He licked his lips, clearly trying to summon either his courage or the words he'd planned to say.

 

[Caden S. Freemont]

Caden looked down at Daniil in confusion. While the pose was an obvious one, the possibility for such an action was so far from the jack's comprehension that he could not fathom just what the todd's intentions were.

"Daniil, I--uh...what?"

He took half a step backwards and stumbled on the picnic basket, and in the process of trying to catch himself, he slipped on the blanket on the ground, then pitched backwards into the tent wall. Though he did not collapse the entire thing on top of the both of them, it lurched heavily, the stays creaking. He sat there, leaning against the strained fabric, and staring up at Daniil in utter confusion.

 

[Daniil Ryalor]

Daniil started as Caden flailed, falling against the tent wall and causing the whole thing to creak ominously. For a moment Daniil feared it would collapse on them, but it held, albeit tenuously; he was relieved to see he'd done a good job of constructing it. A small laugh escaped him, and he held out a paw to Caden, smiling widely. "Well, this will make quite the story to tell. Is it alright if we try again?"

 

[Caden S. Freemont]

Accepting Daniil's paw, Caden got back to his footpaws. He scratched at his cheek, trying to hide a growing trepidation welling in his chest. "Um, I'm sorry, but am I missing something?"

He focused more closely on the small box in Daniil's paws, and the pieces began to fall into place. "Wait, are you--? Is that...?" Caden couldn't finish a complete thought as his heart seemed to be stuck in his throat. Panic welled in him, and he had to clench his paws to keep them from trembling.

 

[Daniil Ryalor]

Danill shifted himself so that he was down on one knee, and, holding Caden's paw with his own, his other paw fumbled to open the box, revealing a small diamond ring - hardly the priciest piece on the market, but likely what he could afford on his limited salary. "Caden," he began, mistaking the nature of his lover's trembling entirely, "you complete me. Since we've met, you've been my rock, the person I have trusted absolutely and without reservation. You've been there with me through joy and tears, through fire and blood to the peace of our home. I love you, and I adore Asta, and will forever be honored that you let me be a part of your family. I want to stay with you forever, until we both grow old, watching Asta grow and find a life of her own. Please tell me that you'll honor me by being my husband." He held up the ring for Caden's inspection, hoping against hope that the modest value of the ring would not offend.

 

[Caden S. Freemont]

Caden blinked slowly. He stared at the ring. He stared at Daniil. Panic began to sublimate into something that was not entirely fear, nor entirely anger, but some mix of the two. Something was breaking in him, a dam he had built over the months with the todd that had been chipped away slowly over time by every reminder of what he had done, and by the todd's insistence on clinging like a mewling kit. He had to bite back on the first words that came to him, for they were not kind. But even the second words that sprang forth were neither kind nor patient.

"Daniil." His tone was flat and his paws had stilled. "You--You're proposing to me? I can't--I don't know what to say. Are you even in the same relationship as I am? How could you think we're even close to ready? I haven't even been here a year and we've only known each other for less that time, and you don't even really know me--" Caden clamped his mouth shut before he said too much, but already the guilt was flowing through him, lending energy to all the dark crevices of his psyche that he really, really did not want to stir at that moment.