FSE

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Just over a week after Kadar had initially asked Dausi about it, the weekend of the Pride festival began. Kadar had spent long hours the previous night with Haruka in the bakery to make sure all the cookies were prepared, which unfortunately meant that he hadn’t been able to spend any time with Dausi. As he woke up alone in his apartment however, he jumped out of bed with much more enthusiasm than usual. He always looked forward to these festivals, but spending the day with Dausi was going to make it even better.

Kadar had woken up particularly early to give himself plenty of time, needing to get ready and have his table set up for the festival before the events started. He made his way into the shower first thing, getting cleaned up and dried before going to where he’d set aside his outfit for the day. Given the occasion, Kadar had chosen his outfit with special care. It started with a dark green choker that he thought paired quite well with his eyes. The shirt was a crop-top that was primarily teal, but shifting to a lighter green towards the bottom, a bit more modest than the kind that Kai would have worn, only leaving a bit of his belly exposed. He wore a pair of light blue shorts which came down just past the top of his thighs, and some purple leggings underneath, lighter towards the top and darker at the bottom.

From the green at the top and down to the teal and lighter green, then down to the light blue and purples, and even his exposed white fur at the midriff between the light green and blue, the colors were specifically chosen to convey the appearance of the seven-stripe gay man’s pride flag. His choker also had a pendent of the same flag hanging from the front. Sure, it was a bit more of a revealing outfit than the reserved drulttur would normally wear, but it was going to be a long day in the hot sun. Plus, Kadar had to admit to himself as he stood in front of the mirror and spun himself around, he thought he looked quite good like this, and he could only hope that Dausi would agree.

Kadar was startled when he turned to face the clock on his nightstand, he’d taken longer to get ready than he’d thought and would have to hurry if he was to meet up with Dausi on time. He rushed over to the bed where his phone sat on the nightstand, seeing a text from Dausi as he picked it up, letting him know that he was on the way to the bakery. Kadar ran out of his room, immediately having to run back in to grab his wallet and running back out again, snatching his keys off the hook by the door on his way and exiting the apartment.

“Hey, looking good Kadar! Have fun today!” Kadar hardly even registered the shout from his neighbor as he sprinted past her, lifting a hand in farewell as he raced around the corner, skidding briefly on the pads of his paws. He made it outside and to his car in record time, and was soon speeding his way towards the bakery, having to constantly keep his speed in check on the way. He pulled his car up around the back where he usually parked, noticing Dausi leaning against the building and waiting for him. He was occupied with his phone, but looked up as soon as Kadar’s car pulled up, smiling and waving before he’d even parked.

Kadar shut off the car and jumped out, mentally composing himself and trying to hide his excitement, though his tail denied any such attempt. Walking around the car quickly, Kadar and Dausi came face-to-face and embraced each other in greeting.

“Hey Kadar.” Dausi said cheerfully, looking down at the short drulttur with a smile.

“Morning Dausi,” Kadar replied, holding the embrace with him for a moment and looking up with a smile of his own, stepping back after the moment had passed. “I hope it’s not too early for you.”

“Of course not.” Dausi said, placing a hand on each of Kadar’s shoulders. Kadar was suddenly aware of himself and his outfit as Dausi looked him over, remembering his earlier worries about what he’d think of it. “You certainly got dressed up for this. I love the look you got going.” Dausi said, the genuine tone in his voice making Kadar blush and shrink down a bit, though he couldn’t help a smile, nervously stepping back and fixing a strand of hair that had fallen into his face.

“Th-thanks,” Kadar said quietly, now finally taking a moment to look at what Dausi was wearing. He’d put on a sleeveless black turtleneck, and over the top of it he wore a fishnet shirt that covered his chest and arms. He had some tight green pants on and a silver studded belt, and Kadar noticed that Dausi had fishnet leggings on as well, showing through rips in the pants. “You don’t look too bad yourself.” Kadar added, glad to shift the conversation away from himself. He already was finding it hard to keep from staring though, especially at Dausi’s exposed, muscular arms showing underneath the fishnets; arms that he’d felt around him so many times now. He didn’t even notice how he was staring until Dausi snapped him out of it with a wave of his hand in front of Kadar’s face.

“Hey there,” Dausi said, giving Kadar that crooked smirk of his as he jerked his head towards the bakery behind him. “I don’t mind you staring, but don’t we have things to do?”

“Right!” Kadar was startled out of his trance, quickly stepping away from Dausi and leading him over to the back entrance of the bakery. “I’ve already got the cookies prepared, Haruka and I were here late finishing things up.” He let them inside, entering into the kitchen and gesturing to the many boxes piled up as he continued. “I’ve got a table reserved in the park, all we have to do is get these over there and set up the signs.”

Dausi nodded along as he trailed behind Kadar, taking a moment himself to admire the way Kadar’s leggings clung to the shape of his thighs and how his shorts did almost nothing to hide his curvy hips and round butt, heedless of the way he’d chastised Kadar for the same thing not even a minute prior. “So we just sit at the table and hand out cookies?” Dausi asked, and Kadar nodded in response.

“Pretty much, yeah. The parade goes around the park, so we’ll have a pretty good view of it when it passes by. Kai agreed to take over the table for the afternoon, so we’ve just gotta cover the morning and then we can go enjoy the festival ourselves.” Kadar and Dausi were already starting to grab stacks of boxes, each one labeled with a different pride flag for the type of cookies they contained. Working together it didn’t take them very long to load all the boxes into the trunk of Kadar’s car as well as some poles for a large sign that would be set up above the table. Once everything was packed up in the back, the two of them got into the car, and were soon on their way deeper into the city.

It didn’t take long for them to arrive at the park, and even this early in the morning it was bustling with activity. The festival wasn’t starting for a while, and everywhere they looked was filled with food and entertainment vendors setting up tables, stalls, and food trucks. Kadar was waved over to the nearby parking where he and Dausi got out of the car and started to carry all the boxes and supplies over to where Kadar’s table was set up. In the few trips back and forth that it took them, Dausi noted how many of the people around already seemed to know Kadar. Several times they were stopped by people wearing “Staff” shirts, often with comments welcoming him back, or expressing how much they missed him last year. Almost everyone seemed to know Kadar’s name, and Dausi found himself the target of many curious gazes which he chose to ignore.

In a short time, Dausi and Kadar were able to carry everything over to the table, setting the boxes off to the side and working together to assemble the poles and hang the banner overhead to advertise the bakery. With all the work done, the two of them were able to just sit down and relax for a while, watching the other tables around being set up, and occasionally talking to those who came over to greet Kadar. After one such interaction with a tall feline, during which Dausi calmly ignored the way they would occasionally stare in his direction, Dausi gave into some of his curiosity that had been building.

“Everyone seems to know you around here,” he said, turning to Kadar. “You said that you missed last year, though?”

Kadar was looking towards another of the tables being set up some distance away, though not really paying much attention to anything in particular. They were set up near the edge of the park, a paved path in front of their table, and trees overhead providing a nice, cooling shade. He was startled to attention by Dausi’s words, quickly looking over towards him. There was a moment of hesitation as his mind caught up to what Dausi had been asking about, and then a quiet sigh. “It was a few months after Casey left…”

“We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.” Dausi added quickly, seeing the discomfort in Kadar’s face. “I was just curious.”

“No,” Kadar said, resignation in his voice. “It’s fine, really.” Kadar sat in silence for a moment, watching as the people walked by, all hurrying to finish their own tasks before the start of the festival. Eventually he took in a deep breath, tilting his head up and staring into the trees as he spoke. “We met in middle school; I was the awkward new kid who wouldn’t talk to anyone, and he was kinda popular with everyone. Some kids were picking on me for my glasses and for reading during lunch, but Casey came over and pushed them away. We were inseparable ever since. I knew that I was gay all the way back then, and I had the biggest crush on him. He didn’t discover that he was until later, but in high school we started secretly dating. I think my mother was suspicious of how many sleepovers we’d have, but she never said anything. She loved Casey, and she’s the one who taught us both how to cook. There were rumors in school about us, but he never let those bother him, even if some of his old friends stopped talking to him. On the day we graduated, he waited for me to cross the stage, and he kissed me in front of the whole school.”

Kadar was smiling fondly at the memories, but there was sadness in his tone that Dausi recognized. He leaned a bit closer to Kadar, putting a hand on his arm, getting a brief smile in his direction in response before Kadar continued. “After we graduated, we both went to culinary school together. We were in all the same classes, and paired up for every project. We’d always talk about opening a restaurant or a bakery together, and by that point he was practically living with me and my mother. His parents never quite accepted him being gay, so he stayed at my home as often as he could through college. He got a job as a line cook, and I got a job in a bakery. With my mother helping us, we were able to graduate and save up enough for our plans. Then the owner of the bakery I worked at wanted to retire, and he offered to sell it to us. It was the happiest day of my life, the thing I’d dreamt about since before I could even see over the stove. I thought Casey was happy too, and he was at first, but…”

Kadar hesitated, but in that moment felt the comforting weight of Dausi’s hand against his. He slipped his fingers between Dausi’s, feeling him squeeze and returning the gesture, finding the words coming more easily now. “The arguments were small at first, but they kept building up. Part of it was the stress, opening a business and moving in together at the same time, and his family cutting him off. But aside from that, we started to want different things. I loved the bakery and this community; they’d supported us from the very start and we always came to the festival ever since that first year. Casey was losing interest in the bakery though, he wanted to expand to a restaurant, but we just couldn’t get the money. As he was losing interest in the bakery, I started to feel like he was losing interest in me as well. He, on the other hand, was starting to feel like a sidekick in our relationship. The bakery was my dream, and he couldn’t do what he wanted. He felt tied down and wanted distance, I felt like he was pulling away and tried hard to keep him close. In the end, we sat down together and decided it was best to separate. I bought out his half of the bakery, and he was able to use that and what savings he had to move away and open his restaurant. Casey had been my first and closest friend, and the only relationship I’ve ever been in. So when he left, I just couldn’t bear to go out anymore. I went to work, went home, and repeated the next day. I missed the Pride festival for the first time, I didn’t want to constantly answer the question of ‘Where’s Casey?’ to those who didn’t already know. And a year later, here we are…”

The silence hung in the air for a while after Kadar finished speaking. He was still looking up at the trees, and Dausi noticed a dampness that had built in Kadar’s eyes as he’d told the story. Dausi leaned over, stretching his arm around Kadar in a half-hug and squeezing him, not entirely sure what to say. “I’m sorry…” he said finally, though it sounded rather inadequate. Kadar, however, just chuckled and shook his head, lifting a hand to wipe at his eyes.

“Don’t be. I’ve wallowed in pity long enough. It wasn’t meant to be, and I need to let myself be happy. That’s why I’m here, and why I invited you.” Kadar managed a smile at Dausi, leaning back in his chair and against the arm still wrapped around him. “It’s almost time, I think.” Kadar said as he gestured down the nearby pathway. They could see the entrance of the park where a trickle of early arrivals were starting to gather.

“Well, is there anything you’ll need me to do?” Dausi asked, watching as Kadar was starting to open some of the boxes laid out on the table, as well as setting out some coupons for the bakery.

“We might get some lines here and there, but they go quick. It’s mostly just handing out cookies and occasionally running to the car for another box if we need it. Oh, and one more thing!” Kadar suddenly turned, reaching into one of the boxes they’d used to carry everything from the car. He grabbed something that Dausi didn’t see, his movements hidden by his body until he turned back around. Dausi saw the movement of Kadar’s hand, but his curiosity kept him from stopping Kadar from touching his cheek. He raised an eyebrow questioningly at Kadar, the hand on his cheek not moving for a few seconds, and then he felt a light tug at his fur as Kadar peeled something away from his face. “There you go, now you fit right in!”

“Oh no…what have you done?” Dausi asked in an exasperated tone, seeing how Kadar was grinning proudly at him. He was already reaching for his phone, pulling it from his pocket and using the reflection on his screen to peer at his own face. The fur was ruffled where Kadar’s hand had been, and inked onto his cheek now were the three colored stripes of the bi flag. He sighed, shaking his head lightly and stuffing his phone back into his pocket. “You know I would have done that myself if you’d just handed it to me, right?”

“Yeah, but where’s the fun in that?” Kadar replied cheerfully, turning back to the table. Down the pathway they could see more people starting to enter the park, spreading out in all directions. The festival had officially begun.

Dausi wasn’t sure he’d ever seen so much color before. He’d been in crowded places of course, festivals and concerts, or busy cities, but everywhere he looked now it was hard to make out specific figures in the sea of colors. A stage in the center of the park filled the area with music that could just be heard over the discordant sounds of talking, shouting, and laughter. Kadar had told Dausi to expect a few lines at their table, but if anything, he seemed to have understated things. From the start of the festival and well into the morning hours there was a constant stream of people passing by and lining up at their table. While some of them seemed to be there for the cookies, picking out whichever was decorated with their preferred flag, others seemed to be there just to greet and talk with Kadar.

Dausi watched while Kadar jumped from conversation to conversation, smiling and greeting some people, leaning over the table to hug others. It was hard to imagine that he ever was the quiet, reserved drulttur that he’d met nearly a month earlier. Dausi found himself being introduced over and over as Kadar’s friend, which nobody really questioned with the exception of a few raised eyebrows. Throughout it all, Dausi saw a part to this that he’d never really experienced before. He’d seen the festivals from afar, the music and the bright colors everywhere, but up close, there was a strong sense of community about the place. These people had helped Kadar’s bakery when it was struggling, and he gave back in the form of a safe place where they could all feel welcome. It was no wonder that he seemed to be a popular figure among them, and he greeted them all as if they were family. There was something about Kadar’s happiness that seemed contagious to Dausi, and every time he would glance over with that wide, bright smile on his face, Dausi couldn’t help himself from smiling in return.

While most of the attention was on Kadar, occasionally Dausi would have some people come up and talk to him as well, or would jump into a conversation when he saw the perfect moment to throw in a joke or to tease Kadar. One such moment came as a drulttur with black and white fur, and long, golden hair came up to their table. She leaned forward to grab one of the cookies, this one decorated with a trans flag, while she spoke to Kadar. “I love that top.” She was gesturing to Kadar’s shirt as she spoke, but Kadar barely had enough time to open his mouth before Dausi was already responding.

“I have a name, you know.” He interjected, reaching out to drop his arm around Kadar’s shoulder. A quick glance to the side confirmed that the tips of Kadar’s ears had indeed turned a noticeable shade of red.

The passerby gave an amused glance towards Dausi, smiling and shaking her head. She picked up one of the business cards and coupons on the table, gesturing towards Kadar again. “You’re the owner, right?”

“Yeah!” Kadar jumped in, glad for the distraction. “I’m Kadar! Our address is on the card there, you should stop in sometimes. This idiot,” Kadar added, lightly prodding Dausi’s side with his elbow, “is just a friend of mine.”

Dausi shrugged, taking the verbal jab in stride as he introduced himself to the drulttur. She smiled at them both, lifting up the card in her hand as she replied. “My name’s Isa. I’ve heard great things from a few friends of mine, I’ll be sure to stop by.” At that moment another voice called out her name in the distance. She quickly turned, excusing herself and dashing away, though Dausi noticed that she still looked back in their, or rather his, direction as she ran off.

“Y’know,” Dausi said, turning towards Kadar, “I think she was checking me out.”

Kadar was glancing around, not seeing anybody else coming their way for the moment, finally getting a bit of a break. He gave a sympathetic glance to Dausi, shaking his head in amusement. “Dausi, I swear half the people I’ve introduced you to have been checking you out. You’d be a very popular face at the bakery, and your outfit doesn’t help.”

Dausi just shrugged at that, though he took the opportunity to lean a bit closer to Kadar, moving his arm down from around his shoulders to his back instead, letting his fingers trace lightly over him and noting the shiver that it sent through him. “Hey, you’ve got no room to talk. If you weren’t sitting it would be hard to count the number of eyes that’d be staring at your butt. I don’t blame them either, those shorts don’t hide much.” Dausi leaned his head down as he spoke, brushing his snout against Kadar’s head and briefly nibbling at his ear.

“Hey!” Kadar exclaimed, trying to push Dausi away, flicking his ear down and away from Dausi’s teeth. “Not here!”

Dausi didn’t let Kadar push him away, using his arm to pull the embarrassed drulttur closer against his side. He didn’t tease Kadar too much, conscious of the people walking back and forth along the path in front of their table. That didn’t stop him from making another comment though, while he hid his whispering in Kadar’s ear behind a kiss to his cheek. “I suppose I can wait until tonight then…we’ll skip the movie this time.”

Kadar froze up against Dausi, doing his best to turn his head away and to hide his face, his ears folding back in embarrassment. Even so, Dausi could easily glance back and see the way Kadar’s tail was swaying with barely concealed excitement at the prospect. Dausi relented, releasing Kadar just in time as more visitors came up to the table. Kadar was able to compose himself quickly, greeting them in his usual way and pulling out an extra box of cookies with the standard pride flag as the last on the table were taken.

Before either of them knew it, the morning was over, and Kadar pointed out a pair of figures walking towards them, both carrying tacos from a nearby truck in their hands. “Oh no…” Dausi muttered under his breath, noticing the figure on the left, walking next to a familiar, slender dragon.

“Kadar! Dausi! Your reinforcements have arrived!” Kai shouted as he approached the table. He was certainly dressed up for the occasion, even more brightly colored and flamboyant than his usual self. He wore a short, sleeveless crop-top with a heart-shaped cutout on the chest and a short skirt, both decorated in rainbow patterns. Next to him was a drulttur with white and blue fur, long blue hair, and green eyes. She was smiling in Dausi’s direction, waving to them with her taco-free hand.

“Hey Kai, hi Icy. I didn’t know you were here today as well.” Kadar greeted the two of them, standing up and leaning over the table to give Kai a brief hug. Dausi of course got a good look at Kadar’s ass in that moment, a sight that he could never resist staring at, before he turned his attention back to Kai and Icy, the familiar drulttur who happened to be Kai’s roommate.

Icy responded to Kadar, though it seemed that her gaze never left Dausi as she did. “Oh how could I resist? Kai told me that Dausi would be here, and that the two of you were a bit of an item now.” There was a questioning tone in her voice, gently prodding at the nature of their relationship.

Kadar hesitated at that, but quickly recovered and shook his head, brushing the question aside. “We’re just good friends, Kai forced me to start socializing again and sent Dausi to harass me.”

“Oh good,” Icy almost purred out, locking her eyes onto Dausi. He leaned back, crossing his arms as he knew what was coming. “I do hope you’re not opposed to sharing him then, cause he’s owed me a good fucking for years…”

Kadar seemed startled by how forward Icy was, watching with wide eyes as she leaned across the table and towards the other male. Dausi didn’t seem even the slightest bit surprised at this, simply raising an eyebrow and giving an apologetic shrug. “I’m just building the anticipation, making you wait is so much more fun. But unfortunately, I’m somewhat taken today…and tonight.” Dausi ignored the exasperated look that Kadar gave him, standing up and offering his chair to them.

Icy took Dausi’s seat, relenting in her pursuit for the moment. Kadar also stood, giving up his seat to Kai as well. He turned, seeing Dausi offering his arm, and looped his through it. “Shall we find some lunch?” Dausi asked, tugging at Kadar’s arm gently to pull him closer. Kadar smiled and nodded, looking back to Icy and Kai and giving a wave.

“Just give me a call if either of you need anything, alright?” Kadar called back while Dausi was doing his best to pull him away.

“We’ll be fine! You two enjoy yourselves!” Kai responded, waving them off.

“If I need something cool and refreshing, just make sure to bring Dausi back.” Icy added.

“There’s bottled water in the bags behind you,” Dausi called back to them as he led Kadar off, but he couldn’t resist adding one final jab towards Icy. “If you see your sister though, tell her to call me!” They didn’t stick around long enough to hear Icy’s response, but they could easily picture her annoyed expression.

Free from the table for the afternoon, Kadar and Dausi wandered about, first looking around at the various food options before deciding on the same taco truck that Icy and Kai had just come from. With a plate of tacos for each of them, they made their way over to some picnic tables under the shade of the trees, settling next to each other at an empty one to enjoy their food.

“So…” Kadar ventured after a while, gesturing around them. “What do you think?” He was watching Dausi carefully, seemingly hesitant.

Dausi reassured him with a smile, putting down his half-eaten taco and looking around. “I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect, having only seen it from a distance. It seemed mostly like a giant party, but I’m surprised by how connected everyone seems to be.”

“That’s the whole point.” Kadar said, smiling as Dausi seemed to understand and appreciate what the festival was for. “We all might not know each other, especially those coming in from outside the city, but we all support each other. It’s a time and place where we can all come together and connect, where we don’t have to feel any shame or hide who we are.”

Dausi nodded along, though an amusing thought came to his mind. “I’m certainly not complaining about you dressing up this way for once, your outfits are usually much more reserved. Not a problem Kai ever seems to have though.”

At that comment Kadar shook his head, a sad expression forming on his face. “You’d be surprised, actually. Kai has been through a lot, he didn’t use to be so confident, but he’s in a much healthier place now, thanks to Icy and this community.”

“Huh…” Dausi thought for a moment, again looking about the festival around them. “I’ve known him for a few years now, but he never mentioned anything like that. You seem to know him really well though, it’s a surprise we hadn’t met sooner.”

“I wish we had.” Kadar said, shifting on the bench to sit a little closer to Dausi. “But you seem to have showed up just when I needed it, thanks to Kai’s meddling.” As he spoke, Kadar was glancing to the side. Not far away he saw a couple standing together beneath the trees, sharing a kiss before one of them held up a phone to take a picture of the two of them together. He perked his ears up, looking back to Dausi with a wide grin. “Oh! We should take a picture! We don’t have any yet, and I think today is worth remembering.”

Dausi smiled back, giving a slight shrug of his shoulders, shifting towards Kadar until their sides were touching. “I don’t need a picture to remember this, but I won’t say no.” He saw that Kadar was already pulling out his phone, reaching his arm out to wrap around the smaller male’s back and pull him close. Just as Kadar was lifting his phone up in front of them, smiling at the camera, Dausi turned his head to press his lips against Kadar’s cheek, glancing sideways towards the camera as he did. The shutter sounded, the camera capturing the moment just before Kadar turned to him in surprise, his ears again having turned red. They both turned to look at the photo, seeing the moment frozen in time perfectly, Kadar smiling happily while Dausi held him close and kissed his cheek. Dausi made a mental note to get the picture from Kadar later, thinking it would make a good contact photo for Kadar in his phone.

The rest of their afternoon went by much faster than either of them would have liked, and before they knew it, they were returning to the table and packing up all the leftover cookies and supplies. They made a quick stop to drop everything off at the bakery, and then were on their way back to Kadar’s apartment to spend the rest of their night in each other’s company. When they finally arrived, Kadar grabbed them both glasses of cold water and some leftovers from the fridge, and they settled down to relax on the couch together. They ate together, talking away the evening over their dinner, laughing about some of the sights they had seen through the day.

As it got late, their plates long empty, Kadar had started leaning more against Dausi’s side, almost laying on him with no complaints from Dausi. Suddenly he turned, leaning up more and wrapping both arms against Dausi’s neck. “Thanks for coming today, Dausi.” Kadar said, muffled slightly as he spoke into Dausi’s fur, his tail reaching around both of their legs. “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.”

Dausi smiled softly down at Kadar, wrapping both hands around his back and squeezing the slender drulttur against him. “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world, I’m always happy to spend a day with you. Now…” He smirked, catching Kadar’s gaze and locking eyes, suddenly shifting his grip to hold onto Kadar’s rear while he stood, lifting the male along with him. “I think we’ve waited long enough today…I know I have at least.”

Kadar nodded eagerly as he was lifted up in Dausi’s arms, tightening his arms around Dausi’s neck to hold on as he was carried off to his bedroom, their lips meeting along the way. It seemed like no time at all before Kadar was left wearing nothing but his stockings and choker, and was being bent over the bed while Dausi showed him exactly how eager he’d grown throughout the day. It was, he thought, the perfect end to the day for them, and he was sure Dausi would have agreed.

**** Two months later ***

The noise of the bazaar around them was almost deafening, no sense could be made out of the sounds surrounding them, every sound just blending into the next. It didn’t help that Kadar couldn’t understand the language, though he’d brought a small translation book along with him that proved to be less useful than Dausi’s own limited knowledge of the language. The bazaar at this time of day was bustling with activity, and the two of them had to walk hand-in-hand to keep from being separated. Shops and stands lined the path on both sides, shopkeepers calling out to draw people in, adding to the constant drone of sound. Everything was brightly colored, even the domed roof high above them was colored in bright, intricate designs.

One shop to their left seemed to be selling a variety of spices, while another on their right was selling rugs and pillows sewn with intricate patterns. Kadar had already bought a pair of such pillows the day before, a souvenir to take back and decorate his couch. They didn’t have a specific destination in mind, both of them were just wandering aimlessly and seeing the sights after lunch, but still they enjoyed the experience.

Kadar had been surprised when, shortly after their time at the pride festival, Dausi had told him about his plan to vacation out of the country. “I’ve visited there for work a few years ago, and I’ve always wanted to go back without worrying about work.” He’d been even more surprised when Dausi suggested that he come along. There was a lot of planning involved, but he was confident in Haruka’s ability to keep the bakery running, so he agreed to go with him. They were only three days into a nearly two-week vacation, and Kadar was the happiest he’d been in a long time.

The sights, sounds, and smells around them in the bazaar were a constant barrage of stimulation, but Kadar felt a sense of comfort in the hand grasping his own, feeling as if the touch was grounding him in the moment. It added to a growing feeling he’d had recently around Dausi, especially over the last few days. If Kadar had been asked about his relationship to Dausi up to this point, something that quite a few of his friends had questioned him on, he would always just refer to him as a friend that he happened to be sleeping with. He didn’t have much reason to doubt it himself until more recently, but it was hard to deny what he was feeling now. The nights in which he slept alone had grown less frequent over the past weeks, and each of those nights he found it harder to sleep without the familiar presence of Dausi beside him. He would toss and turn for a while, and then finally reach out to hug a pillow for comfort. The prospect of spending the next two weeks with Dausi had a definite appeal, but there was a looming sense of dread whenever Kadar thought about going back home to his apartment at the end of all this, returning to those lonely nights, as infrequent as they were.

That wasn’t the only problem either. Even as Kadar was coming to terms with the depths of his feelings for Dausi, he couldn’t help but notice that Dausi was starting to act differently. He seemed a bit more closed off than he normally was around Kadar, showing a little more of his typically gruff exterior and less of the softer, playful personality that Kadar had grown familiar with. That brought about its own sense of anxiety, a fear that maybe he was starting to cling on too much, and that Dausi was looking for more space. Those thoughts and anxieties were not unfamiliar to Kadar, bringing back memories of how things had ended with Casey, only increasing the anxiety that he was feeling. And so, despite how much Kadar had been enjoying his time with Dausi over the past few days, every once in a while, he’d find himself sinking into his thoughts, nearly falling into a panic.

It had been worse than ever the previous night. Kadar was lying in bed in their hotel room while Dausi was out picking up dinner for the two of them, and the anxiety had taken over him completely. After his thoughts had nearly brought him to tears, Kadar had picked up his phone and called Kai. Being around dinnertime for Kadar, it wasn’t quite lunchtime back home and Kai would be working at that point, but he still answered.

“Hey Kadar, enjoying the…” Kai had started as soon as he’d picked up the phone, but Kadar interrupted him, too upset in that moment to wait.

“Kai, I don’t know what to do…” He’d said, and something in his voice must have tipped Kai off on how he was feeling, because Kadar immediately heard muffled voices on the other end, picking up only a few words as Kai excused himself and stepped away from work.

“Okay, tell me what’s going on.” Kai said after a few moments, his voice devoid of its usual, jovial air. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Kadar reassured him quickly, not wanting him to worry too much when the problem really was just his own emotions. “It’s just…do you remember how things were with Casey at the end? I tried so hard to hold on, and we still grew further apart. And now with Dausi…” Kadar trailed off, not quite sure how to express exactly what he was feeling at the time, but Kai thankfully seemed to understand.

“Hey, calm down. Take a deep breath and listen to me.” Kai said slowly. Kadar followed along, breathing in and out and nodding even though Kai couldn’t see him. Kai continued after a brief pause, “You’re shit at hiding it Kadar, everyone knows how you feel about him. Dausi is a much tougher book to read, but if he wanted to be around you less, would he really have invited you with him out of the country for two whole weeks?”

Kadar was calming down a little as he listened to Kai. He’d thought about all these things of course, but just hearing a friendly voice say them back was enough to bring him back from where he’d been on the verge of tears. Kai’s voice on the other end kept going on while Kadar closed his eyes and focused on his breathing. “I’ve known Dausi a long time, he’s traveled around a lot, and has never invited anyone else that I know of. If he’s acting quiet or distant, I think it’s just because he’s gotta work out his own feelings before making a move.”

Kai stopped there, waiting for Kadar to answer. Eventually he opened his eyes, considering what had been said, speaking in a much calmer voice than before. “I…Yeah, you’re probably right. I’m sorry I called; I just was starting to panic a little.”

“Oh don’t worry about it, you know I’m always here for a friend.” Kai said, and then continued in a thoughtful tone. “Plus, now that I think about it, he might just be worried about telling you because of…well, you know.”

That sparked a memory for Kadar, a conversation that he’d had with Kai a while back. He knew that Dausi had been keeping a secret from him, Kai had accidently let it slip a few weeks ago when he’d assumed that Kadar knew, but Kadar hadn’t mentioned anything about it to Dausi since. “Oh, that’s probably it!” Kadar said, happy to find and latch onto any explanation for Dausi’s distant behavior.

“Has he not said anything yet?” Kai asked.

“Nothing yet, I’ve been waiting for him to bring it up” Kadar sat up in the bed, leaning back against the headboard. “Do you think I should ask him, or just wait for him to bring it up?”

“Honestly,” Kai said, “I don’t think you’ll have to wait long. Why else would he have brought you with him? I think he’s just looking for the right time.”

Their conversation had ended shortly after, but it had left Kadar feeling reassured. At least until now, walking with Dausi through the crowded paths, when the same thoughts started to close in around him. He clung tightly to Dausi’s hand, something Dausi must have taken as a signal, as he soon found himself being led out of the bazaar and into the open air, not even noticing the change in direction until the sunlight was hitting him. Dausi led them over to what looked like an outdoor café, finding the two of them a small table so they could sit for a while.

As he was offered a seat Kadar looked at Dausi curiously, his gaze then shifting to the area around him. “What’s this place? Is this where you were taking us?”

Dausi shook his head, taking the seat opposite Kadar. He leaned forward, elbows on the table as he seemed to inspect Kadar closely. “You looked a little upset in there, so I thought someplace quieter might be nice.”

Kadar leaned back in surprise, his ears folding as he realized how poorly he must have been hiding his distress. He noticed Dausi’s brow furrowing, looking him over with what appeared to be concern, and quickly waved a hand to reassure him. “No no, I was just-“

“Kadar,” Dausi said, reaching out across the table and grabbing onto one of Kadar’s hands. The sudden touch made him jump, cutting him off mid-sentence. “You know I can tell when something is bothering you, right?” Dausi’s gaze was unwavering, seeming to Kadar as if he was looking right through him, trying to read his thoughts directly from his mind.

Kadar finally sighed and nodded, his eyes shifting down to stare at the table. “I’ve been worried, that’s all. Somethings been…different about you recently, and I keep thinking about…” Kadar paused there, sure that Dausi would be able to understand his meaning. He wondered if Kai was right about what could be bothering Dausi, but if he was, he didn’t want to push the subject until Dausi himself brought it up.

It took a few moments for Dausi to respond, Kadar glancing up hesitantly in that time. He saw that Dausi was no longer looking directly at him, instead staring off into the distance, lost in his own thoughts. Eventually it was his turn to nod, looking back at Kadar apologetically. “You’re right, I’ve been distracted. It’s nothing bad though.” he added quickly, his hand still resting on Kadar’s. “I hope it’s not, at least. We’ll talk about it tonight, I promise. But let’s just enjoy the day for now, alright?”

“Yeah, alright.” Kadar agreed, pushing the thoughts aside right as a waiter came up to their table. They hadn’t really intended to come here, especially not right after lunch, so Dausi just ordered them some drinks to cool off. They stayed there for a while before getting back up to explore the city for the rest of the afternoon. At some point they ended up wandering away from the densely packed buildings and into a nearby park, spending the rest of the afternoon there before deciding to go back to their hotel.

“Hey…Dausi?” Kadar asked hesitantly as they walked back, drawing closer to the hotel. He waited until he heard Dausi’s inquisitive hum before continuing. “Do you think we can stop at the…”

“The bakery? Sure.” Dausi said, cutting off Kadar with an amused expression on his face. “Do you think you’re gonna actually talk to him this time?” he asked, smirking a little while Kadar shifted uncomfortably. As it had turned out, their hotel was directly across the street from a popular local bakery, and Kadar had spent at least an hour inside each day since their arrival, watching the owner work with wide-eyed fascination. He’d made a few hesitant attempts to speak to the old man who owned the place, but the man didn’t seem to have much patience for Dausi’s limited grasp of the language or Kadar’s fumbling with his translation book. His obvious enjoyment of the baklava the bakery produced was likely the only reason the man tolerated his presence, but still he would shake his head and mutter to himself every time he caught Kadar staring.

“I don’t know…” Kadar said sadly. “I want to learn how he makes that stuff, an authentic recipe I could bring back, but I don’t think he likes me.”

Dausi chuckled at that, putting a hand on Kadar’s back as they turned the last corner, pushing him a little ahead. “He probably just thinks you’re a gawking tourist. Feels like a fish in a tank with you watching him.”

Kadar let out a sigh, staring at the entrance to the bakery as they drew closer, feet rooted to the ground until Dausi pushed him forward once more. They entered the shop, the old man behind the counter turning briefly, already seeming to scowl as he saw the familiar pair. Kadar approached the counter, but this time the man didn’t address him directly. Instead he turned, looking over his shoulder and shouting. At the shout, from around the corner came another man, this one much younger, about Kadar’s age or a little younger, bearing a striking resemblance to the old man.

The younger man came up to the counter, approaching Kadar and looking him over curiously. The baker behind him crossed his arms, speaking briefly to the newcomer who then addressed Kadar. “My grandfather wants to know if you’re going to stand there all day again. We’re closing soon.” He spoke with a thick accent, but his words were still clear. He seemed a bit apologetic at the bluntness of his grandfather, and it was obvious that he’d been called here entirely to speak with Kadar.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” Kadar quickly started to explain, feeling relief that he was finally able to explain himself. “It’s just, I’m a baker myself. I’ve been trying to figure out some of his techniques, I was hoping I could make something authentic back home.” He quickly fumbled out his wallet, picking out one of his business cards and holding it out to the young man.

The man took the card in his hand, glancing over it before turning to look over his shoulder. He spoke quickly to his grandfather, and Kadar was surprised to hear a deep, barking laughter from the older man. Even more surprising, the baker was smiling now, gesturing to Kadar and speaking loudly, his natural voice almost a shout. The grandson turned back, smiling as well, addressing Kadar once more. “He apologizes for being rude, he thought you were just a tourist with nothing better to do than watch him work. It happens a lot around here.”

Kadar nodded his understanding before replying, taking a step towards the counter, feeling emboldened now that he wasn’t being glared at. “I hope it’s not too much to ask, I wanted to try bringing some recipes and techniques home, if you would be willing to show me.” Kadar addressed the last to the baker directly, and his grandson took a moment to translate. Kadar waited for the reply, but he could see a short nod of the man’s head before the grandson turned back around.

“He says that the shop is closed to the public tomorrow, but you can stop by and show you a few things. I’ll be here helping anyways, so I can translate.” The grandson was cut off at the end by the baker who interjected one last comment. “If you can tell him what the hell a ‘red velvet’ is.” The grandson translated with a smile.

Kadar was beaming in delight even before the grandson had finished speaking, bouncing up and down on his feet and nodding. “Of course, I’ll share anything he wants to know!” Kadar agreed quickly. The two of them didn’t stick around for long after his brief interaction with the baker’s grandson, buying some baklava to take back to their hotel room and making their exit. Dausi was trailing slightly behind Kadar, concentration on his features as it was his turn to be lost in thought. The obvious skip in Kadar’s step and the cheerful swaying of his tail still manage to bring a smile to his face though.

Dausi hardly registered the time it took them to walk back to their room, ruminating on the inevitable conversation with Kadar. Kadar himself was too distracted by the prospect of the next day that he didn’t remember the promise of their conversation until they were entering the room itself. As soon as the door was closed behind them, Dausi took Kadar’s hand and led him over to their bed, sitting down and motioning for Kadar to join him. Being urged to sit, Kadar felt the apprehension rising.

The two sat in silence, hands still clasped together, both seeming hesitant to broach the subject first. Kadar was looking closely at Dausi’s expression, trying to read his emotions from his features while Dausi stared ahead. Unlike Kadar, Dausi didn’t show any signs of being nervous, but his brows were furrowed in thought, an apprehensive look on his face. Kadar couldn’t stand the silence any longer, opening his mouth to speak, but immediately being cut off by Dausi instead.

“Kadar,” he started, and Kadar noticed that he had a much more determined look on his face now. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about this. In a way, that’s what this whole trip is about. It’s just not something I usually talk about, and I suppose I didn’t want you to see me differently.” Dausi was looking straight ahead as he spoke, releasing Kadar’s hand to clasp his own together, leaning forward with his elbows on his thighs.

“Dausi, I’m sure it’s-” Kadar started to reassure him, but Dausi spoke again quickly.

“Please Kadar,” he said in a soft voice. “Just let me finish.” Kadar nodded, and Dausi waited a moment before continuing. “I never lied about it, it’s easy to let people assume I am just what I appear to be, a drulttur like yourself or anyone else. But that isn’t true, and not everyone reacts well to learning that there’s a demon around them…especially if they’ve been sleeping with one for the past few months.” Dausi tried to take a humorous tone as he finished, but Kadar could see the quick glance towards him, trying to gauge his reaction.

In truth, Kadar already knew; that was the secret that Kai had accidently exposed when he’d assumed that Kadar had been told long before. Kai also knew that Kadar wouldn’t mind, both of them already counting another demon amongst their mutual friends, though it would appear that Dausi wasn’t aware of this. Demons really weren’t all that different from drulttur or other thilliv; they were often stronger or faster, and lived much longer. Some had abilities specific to the type of demon they were, but that was really the extent of their differences. Their origins weren’t exactly known, lost to history just like the origin of the fear and hatred for their kind. Many said they were from “corrupted” bloodlines in some way, but at this point it was just rumor and speculation, and great strides had been made in recent decades for their acceptance.

Kadar simply nodded once it seemed like Dausi was done talking, reaching a hand over to rest on Dausi’s which were still clasped together in his lap. Dausi noted the lack of surprise in Kadar’s face, none of the expected betrayal, and instead a slightly amused smile. “You already knew?” he asked, knowing that it was true even before Kadar nodded again.

“Yeah, Kai accidently said something a few weeks ago, I just didn’t want to force it out of you, in case it was a sensitive subject.” Kadar gently wormed his fingers in between Dausi’s hands, taking hold of one of them. “You’re not the first I’ve known, and Kai knew that. So he thought I already knew about you as well.”

Kadar smiled somewhat apologetically at Dausi, then laughed as he threw up his hands and groaned in frustration. “Y’know, if I knew THAT then I wouldn’t have had to worry about this the whole time.” He exclaimed, shaking his head. “I should have words with Kai though, I’d much rather he didn’t tell people.”

“It was an accident, and he was quite apologetic about it.” Kadar said, feeling much more relaxed now that his suspicions about Dausi’s behavior were confirmed. He leaned back until he was lying down on the bed, legs hanging off the end. Dausi turned to watch, then moved to join him on his back as well.

“Still,” Dausi said, reaching for Kadar’s hand once again while they both looked up to the ceiling. “I’d prefer if he’d be a bit more careful with that information. Especially if it’s someone I’d rather not scare off.”

Kadar turned his head briefly to look at Dausi, finding himself smiling at that comment. “So instead you planned an entire vacation just to worry for a few days and then tell me? That’s a lot of effort for what could have been a simple conversation over dinner.”

“Well…that wasn’t the entire reason for this trip. I’d already planned to be here anyways, I just changed a few details so that you could enjoy it as well.” Dausi turned onto his side, facing towards Kadar who then followed suit.

“So it wasn’t a coincidence that we ended up in a hotel across from a well-known bakery?” Kadar asked, though it wasn’t as much a question as a statement, just proving his own suspicion. “I knew you were up to something as soon as I saw that.”

Dausi grinned, giving the best shrug that he could while still lying on his side. “I knew that you’d like that, but I wasn’t expecting you’d want to go Every. Single. day.” He emphasized each word with an exasperated tone, the corner of his smile curling up a bit in a smirk when Kadar gently shoved at him. The two fell silent after that, a heaviness to the air between them that both could feel, both of them knowing that their conversation was not yet over. It took a while for Dausi to speak again, sighing quietly before he did. “I knew I needed to tell you about what I am though, it wouldn’t be fair to you if I didn’t.”

Dausi paused there, and Kadar’s ears pricked upwards in curiosity as silence fell over them again. Dausi had that same, thoughtful expression from before, some internal debate raging behind his eyes that Kadar couldn’t quite see. “Why do you say that?” he asked finally, drawing Dausi’s attention once more. This time, however, Dausi smiled at Kadar when he replied, once more locking their green eyes together.

“Because, I can’t exactly expect you to commit to a relationship if I’m still hiding a big part of who I am.” Dausi let the words hang between them, watching and waiting for how Kadar would respond. It wasn’t with fear though, just a curious tilt of his eyebrow and a grin. He knew how Kadar would respond already, which Kadar briefly considered acting offended by, before he let his own smile take over. Kai had called him out for being an open book, and with Dausi that wasn’t exactly a bad thing, he decided.

“People already were starting to think I was lying when I said we were just friends. I’m sure they won’t be surprised if we make things official.” Kadar was trying to play off the casual tone of the conversation, but he knew that Dausi could see the reddening of his ears and the happy swaying of his tail. His feeble attempts to keep his composure were then entirely ruined as Dausi slid one hand across the distance between them, lifting it up to Kadar’s cheek while moving closer.

“Well now they’ll all know who my heart belongs to.” Dausi said, only just loud enough for it to reach Kadar’s ears. Kadar felt the heat rushing to his face, not expecting the sincere and intimate tone that Dausi had taken. It felt like his heart had skipped a dozen beats all at once, a shiver running through him as his entire body was gripped by a sensation of weightlessness. He didn’t even have a moment to recover, as Dausi then drew himself closer, this time whispering with their snouts almost touching. “I love you, Kadar.”

If Kadar hadn’t been expecting Dausi’s previous comment, he certainly wasn’t expecting to hear that from him. He couldn’t think of how to react, he couldn’t really think at all, in fact. He knew the depths of his own feelings for Dausi that had built up over the months, and of course hoped that he’d feel the same, but hearing it said aloud in this way brought him to a peak of happiness that he’d not felt in a long time. He didn’t even notice that he was smiling, nor did he notice the tears building until Dausi’s face started to blur before him. Only then did he move, closing the rest of the distance between them and wrapping his arms around Dausi. He closed his eyes, burying his face into Dausi’s shoulder and ignoring the way his glasses were pushed askew, muttering quietly into the dark, comforting fur. “I…I love you too Dausi.”

Dausi shifted his arms as Kadar moved forward, embracing him and giving a smile that Kadar couldn’t see with his face against his shoulder. Holding onto Kadar, he pushed up with one arm, sitting the both of them up on the bed once again without pulling them apart. Dausi rested one of his hands on the small of Kadar’s back and the other on the back of his head, sitting in silence while he waited for Kadar to compose himself. If that just happened to take a while longer and they stayed in this embrace, then so be it. Eventually he let out an amused snort, leaning his head back to try and get a look at Kadar, relaxing his grip. “You’re gonna get my shoulder wet.” He said in amusement. “Are you alright?”

Kadar nodded, Dausi’s words breaking him out of the haze that he’d fallen into within the comfort of Dausi’s arms. He pulled back finally, releasing his grip around Dausi and reaching up to tilt his glasses, using his other hand to wipe beneath his eyes, blinking away the tears of happiness. “Yeah, I just wasn’t expecting…that.” He said, looking almost sheepishly at Dausi, suddenly feeling embarrassed at having teared up so easily. “I’m sorry.”

“Kadar,” Dausi said, giving the best, reassuring smile that he could. “You don’t have to apologize to me like that.” He reached out for Kadar’s hand once again, resting his own on top of it. “I know you were going through a lot before we met, so I love seeing you this happy. That’s why I brought us here.”

Despite having just cleared the tears from his eyes, Kadar felt his chest tighten again, his eyes stinging once more from Dausi’s words. The care that Dausi showed for him, the concern for his feelings and the lengths he’d gone to just to solidify their relationship, all was being made clear to him in that moment, and he knew that he couldn’t handle the surge of emotions welling up inside him. “D-don’t…you’re gonna make me cry again.” Kadar said, his voice cracking under the strain from holding back his emotions. Half because of the surge in affection for Dausi that was filling him, and half because he was scared what would happen if Dausi kept talking, Kadar threw himself forward at the other male, wrapping both arms around his neck and pressing their lips firmly against each other.

Dausi accepted Kadar into his arms, tilting his head to meet him halfway in the kiss. He felt a surge of affection for the smaller male, tightening his arms while their lips met. Part of it was the relief at having their feelings brought out into the open, but Kadar’s happiness itself was infectious. The more time he’d spend with Kadar, the more he’d grown to love that part of him in particular. Kadar lived his life just doing what he loved because it made him and others happy. He was unapologetic and unashamed at the sheer joy that he felt in life, spreading that feeling to others whenever he could with his bakery. That side of Kadar that Dausi had grown to love was now in his arms, kissing him and purring deeply from his chest. Letting the emotions take over, Dausi placed his hands onto Kadar’s hips, smoothly lifting him up and over his legs so that Kadar was straddling and sitting in his lap. Their lips parted for barely a second during the movement before they joined together again, their actions finishing the conversation that their words had started and leaving no doubt about their future together.

Eventually the two of them separated, forced apart to take a few breaths, their eyes meeting once more. Kadar had regained his composure and was smiling at Dausi, leaning back and letting his hands drop back down. Dausi needed the time to catch his breath, but looking at Kadar now in his lap, moving as if to stand back up, Dausi decided that he had other plans for him. He smirked, and recognition of that expression immediately showed in Kadar’s eyes. Dausi lifted one hand up to Kadar’s cheek again, using the gentle touch to draw Kadar closer before brushing his hand down. Kadar happened to be wearing a dark-green choker around his neck, and Dausi took full advantage of its placement, slipping one finger between the choker and Kadar’s fur. “Oh no, I’m not done with you.” He said, the quiet, firm tone making Kadar flush as he pulled him down and into another kiss.

Dausi could feel the shiver that ran through Kadar when he used his finger to tug at the choker. The simple action brought to mind some of their experimenting after Kadar had admitted to enjoying playing with collars, and it set an entirely new tone for their actions. The kiss deepened, Kadar’s lips opening easily to accept the roaming of Dausi’s tongue, letting him take control of the situation while he just shifted and got comfortable astride Dausi’s lap. He felt one of Dausi’s hands on his lower back, his fur standing on end when he felt fingers sliding under the back of his shirt and up the path of his spine. He let out a soft groan in reaction to the touch, feeling immediate embarrassment at the sound, though Dausi didn’t make any sign that he’d noticed it. Kadar clenched his hands together for a moment, trying to figure out what exactly to do with them before he elected to drape them over Dausi’s shoulders once more.

They stayed that way for a while, Kadar with his arms around Dausi, and Dausi keeping one hand at Kadar’s neck while the other traced lines through the fur of his back. Their kiss only deepened as the tension between them built up, their emotions flowing over into a passionate connection. At a certain point, that growing tension between them had to break, releasing the tide of their desire that had been only just held back until that point. It started with Dausi’s hands both moving to the base of Kadar’s shirt, pulling it up and over his head, again knocking Kadar’s glasses askew. They were forced to break their kiss in order to do so, and while Dausi took the moment to then remove Kadar’s glasses, Kadar followed his example and started to remove Dausi’s shirt as well. Both articles of clothing were tossed to the side, Kadar’s glasses set aside more gently, and then Dausi’s hands were on Kadar’s hips, pulling him down into his lap while their lips joined once more.

Kadar placed both his hands on Dausi’s muscled chest as their kiss resumed, feeling up and down, his mind already filled with images of that gorgeous, toned body above his own. Meanwhile, Dausi was teasing him with the rocking of his hips, timing them with the moments that he pulled Kadar down, occasionally shifting his hands to give Kadar’s butt a squeeze through his shorts. While Kadar had been in nearly this exact position and situation with Dausi many times by now, there was definitely something different in their actions this time. The passion between them wasn’t unusual, but the way it made him feel was almost entirely new. It wasn’t just affection and pleasure, Kadar knew that Dausi felt just as deeply as he did, and that alone made Kadar’s head swim with desire.

Their embrace and teasing went on for a little while longer, and Kadar didn’t even realize just how excited it was making him until, quite unexpectedly, he felt Dausi’s hand slip down the front of his shorts and rub down the firm length of his erection, already mostly emerged from his sheath. He gasped from both surprise and the jolt of pleasure the touch brought him, separating from the kiss and catching Dausi’s eye, seeing the way he was grinning eagerly at him.

“Up for a sec,” he said, using one hand to rub along Kadar’s length teasingly while he tugged down at Kadar’s waistband with the other. “Let’s get these off you first.”

Kadar was only too eager to follow Dausi’s instructions by that point, shifting back away from him and onto his feet. He tugged his shorts and underwear the rest of the way down, kicking them off to the side before stepping forward again. He had only lifted one knee up onto the bed, moving to sit in Dausi’s lap once again, when he was stopped, Dausi’s hand on his chest. “Not yet, my dear.” Dausi said, and he was glad to see the color rising in the tips of Kadar’s ears at the affectionate name. “It doesn’t do much good to have you riding me with clothes still in the way.”

Kadar flushed even more at this, but his excitement and desire was too much for any embarrassment to slip through. He was immediately down on his knees in front of the bed, and Dausi inched closer to the edge for him. He lifted his hips up, making Kadar’s job easier as his own shorts were grabbed and pulled. Kadar leaned down, practically resting his head in Dausi’s lap as he pulled his shorts down, revealing the gray furred sheath, the dark-colored tip of Dausi’s cock just starting to poke out a few inches. It took no encouragement, not even a single word from Dausi, for Kadar to lean his head down and part his lips, taking that tip into his mouth even as he pulled down Dausi’s shorts. He heard Dausi sigh out above him, lifting his eyes to meet Dausi’s briefly while he sucked gently around him.

Already Kadar’s senses were filled with the smell of Dausi’s fur, the taste of his flesh, and the sound of an approving rumble. The cock in his mouth grew, emerging from Dausi’s sheath and feeding directly between his lips. His own cock stood firm between his legs, twitching eagerly while he let out a moan and started to bathe his tongue over each new inch of Dausi’s flesh. This position had become very familiar to him over the past months, and Kadar had quickly learned how to push Dausi’s buttons with his mouth. Of course, Dausi knew from their very first time how much Kadar loved using his mouth, and was always happy to let Kadar indulge. Even as Dausi’s cock had grown to its full length, twitching and beginning to leak its pre onto Kadar’s waiting tongue, Dausi didn’t interrupt him. He let Kadar enjoy his oral fixation for a little while longer, letting out slight moans for Kadar’s ears only, letting him know how much he was enjoying the work of his tongue.

If Dausi had let him, Kadar would have stayed there happily until his mouth and throat were flooded with Dausi’s seed. However, that wasn’t the end goal for the night, and Dausi knew that he’d have to interrupt Kadar eventually. After just a few minutes he could feel the jolts of pleasure that ran through his limbs and spine, his flesh twitching and throbbing with excitement, almost constantly leaking into Kadar’s mouth, especially when the taste of his pre started to make Kadar purr around him, the vibrations of his mouth only adding to the sensations. Dausi decided that it was time to move things along, gasping quietly from a firm suck around his tip while he reached his hand down onto Kadar’s cheek. He gently pushed Kadar back, feeling only slight resistance before Kadar accepted and opened his mouth, looking up at Dausi, his green eyes glazed over with desire.

Dausi once again used Kadar’s choker to guide him, curling a finger down and through it, pulling the adorable, submissive male up towards him once more. Kadar followed his guidance obediently, allowing Dausi to draw him closer, standing and lifting his knees up onto the bed. Dausi led Kadar into his lap once more, moving his free hand to Kadar’s hip while he was straddled, guiding him to sit down. Kadar shivered, feeling the firm length of Dausi’s cock nudging and sliding against his rear, the tip poking at the underside of his tail as he was led to sit in Dausi’s lap, able to feel his own saliva and Dausi’s pre rubbing into his fur.

Settling down comfortably, Kadar lifted his arms up and around Dausi, both hands resting on his back while Dausi’s hand on his hip led him through the motions of gently grinding himself down against the warm, hard length of flesh. Kadar looked down between the two of them briefly, feeling the tip of his own cock poking into the fur of Dausi’s stomach, before bringing his eyes back up and catching Dausi’s gaze. Without a word shared between them, Kadar and Dausi both leaned forward, their lips locking together in a deep kiss yet again. The hand on Kadar’s hip lifted, and a moment later Kadar felt it on his cheek, Dausi’s other hand moving to the other side of his face, drawing him deeper into the kiss. Even without the hand on his hip, however, Kadar still kept up the slow motion that Dausi had encouraged him to start, rocking and grinding himself down onto Dausi, letting that familiar length slide against his rear and under his tail.

Kadar clenched both his hands behind Dausi’s back, fingers gripping at his fur while the both of them adjusted their hips. Kadar lifted himself up briefly as he felt Dausi shift under him, knowing even before he felt it that Dausi was aiming the tip of his cock for Kadar’s entrance. Kadar waited a few breaths, gasping out into their kiss in the meantime, and then lowered himself back down, shivering with anticipation when Dausi’s tip pressed directly against him. With Dausi usually controlling the pace, he normally would have pulled Kadar down and been several inches inside of him already, but he made no such moves. Instead he waited, allowing Kadar to shift himself until he was comfortable, holding his hips steady while Kadar finally started to press down. It took a little bit longer, but Dausi still eventually felt the familiar warmth of Kadar’s passage spreading around his tip, and then the first couple inches of his cock. At that moment their lips separated, Dausi letting out a groan while Kadar gasped and buried his face into Dausi’s neck.

“That’s it…good boy.” Dausi crooned softly into Kadar’s ear, noting with a grin the way his ears swiveled towards the sound and then folded back against his head, while at the same time he felt the tip of Kadar’s flesh twitch against his chest. “Just a bit further…” he encouraged, his words ending in a soft, pleasured exhalation in Kadar’s ear as he felt more of his length being surrounded by Kadar’s soft walls. Kadar had grown accustomed to Dausi’s size over the months and had no trouble pressing down until he was sitting lightly on top of his knot, but that didn’t mean he didn’t still feel wonderfully tight to Dausi. Both of them moaned in unison once Dausi’s knot pressed against Kadar, urging Kadar to grind down while Dausi simultaneously rocked his hips up, a shiver of pleasure seeming to pass between their joined bodies. Kadar kept his head down against Dausi’s neck and shoulder, too busy focusing on the feeling of Dausi’s cock rubbing delightfully inside of him to notice the movement by his head until he felt the light nibble on his ear, making him jump.

“Don’t stop now, babe.” Dausi encouraged, trying out a more affectionate name for Kadar in the moment. He noted the way Kadar seemed to shudder, feeling the grip of arms around him tighten at the same time, smiling to himself before continuing. “Now back up, slowly.”

Kadar couldn’t help but to follow Dausi’s encouraging words, starting to slowly lift his hips up from Dausi’s lap. He took a deep breath, involuntarily squeezing down as he felt the ridges along Dausi’s cock start to rub inside of him, catching and tugging at his entrance before each was pulled out of him. As many times as he’d been with Dausi, he never tired of the feeling of those ridges inside him. He made it halfway up from Dausi’s cock before letting out the breath he’d been holding and sitting back down, sinking all the way to his knot once more. His breath turned into a moan when, as he took Dausi to his knot, Dausi suddenly pressed his hips up with a firm, grinding motion. Kadar almost jumped, the pressure of Dausi’s knot against his entrance making him squeeze down even more, clutching his arms tightly around Dausi’s body.

Kadar didn’t need Dausi to encourage him to start moving again, taking only a brief rest to catch his breath after Dausi’s grinding before he started to lift himself up again. Once again he felt the tugging of Dausi’s ridges along his walls, teasing at any sensitive spot they could reach on their way out, and then back in as he dropped down once more, letting gravity do most of the work this time. He repeated the motions, but found it much easier to lift himself once he felt Dausi’s hands take a firm hold on his rear, taking some of his weight. Dausi still let Kadar maintain his own pace, just providing the smaller male with some support while he rode him eagerly.

Kadar’s pace picked up slowly, the rhythm of his hips increasing until he was steadily riding Dausi’s cock, taking the time to grind himself against his lover’s thick knot whenever he felt it against him. As he worked his hips up and down, Kadar leaned forward, his chest pressing against Dausi’s, slender body against toned muscle. He was embracing Dausi as closely and as tightly as he could while using his legs to rock up and down, his eyes drifting shut as he let his upper body melt against Dausi. The rise and fall of his hips brought a constant stimulation, able to feel every detail of Dausi’s cock as it spread him, even the warmth of it inside of him bringing him pleasure. In that moment Kadar didn’t want to ever separate, he could have spent hours like that in Dausi’s lap, their bodies joined together in a physical representation of their feelings for each other. He felt content, warm, and safe against Dausi, but there was so much more that he wanted to feel. He dropped his hips down once more, this time gasping as he found a new angle which aligned Dausi’s tip to perfectly rub against his prostate on its way inside him. The sudden burst of pleasure made his legs give out and he found himself falling down onto Dausi’s knot, almost feeling it sink into him from the force, a blissful whimper escaping his lips.

It took Kadar a few moments to recover, his legs shaking and his breaths coming out heavily into Dausi’s neck. Once he had, he wasted no time in starting to rock his hips once more. He reached the same, steady pace that he’d been at before, this time intentionally searching for that angle that had caught him off guard, moaning out when he found it again. Dausi’s voice joined his own as he felt Kadar tighten around him, his cock throbbing eagerly inside his love, the grip of his walls giving even more stimulation to him than before. Dausi was tempted to roll them over and let out all of his building excitement until Kadar was a beautiful, shivering mess on the bed beneath him, but he forced himself to stay where he was. As fun as that would be, he wanted everything about this moment to last. With their feelings out in the open, Dausi had never felt as close to or as much desire for Kadar as he did now. The smaller, adorable male shivered against him, and he could feel the fur of his chest getting messier as Kadar’s own flesh constantly twitched, rubbed, and leaked against him. He didn’t mind the mess though, everything about Kadar and this moment with him was perfect, their physical connection being amplified by their emotional one.

The two of them moved in unison, some unspoken and unnoticed signal passing between them. Kadar lifted his head up from Dausi’s shoulder while Dausi leaned his own head back. Their eyes met, green on green, locked together as they simultaneously closed the distance, bringing their lips within an inch of each other. Just before they made contact, Dausi let out a quiet whisper, just barely picked up by Kadar’s ears. “I love you.” Then, with a moan from each of them as Kadar pressed against Dausi’s knot once more, their lips joined in a deep kiss.

Kadar couldn’t let Dausi express his feelings alone however, despite the fact that their bodies were doing most of the talking now. He separated from the kiss for only enough time to whisper his own “I love you.” before joining their lips once more. With both their eyes closing, the two tilted their heads, locking their muzzles together, Dausi’s tongue quickly taking over the space inside Kadar’s mouth. They both voiced their pleasure freely into the kiss, the motions of their bodies never stopping or slowing down. Dausi continued using one of his hands to help lift Kadar, the weight of the smaller male an easy feat for him, while he moved his other hand down between their bodies. Kadar felt the warmth of a hand against his own flesh, fingers curling around him, already starting to spread the pre that he was freely leaking up and down his shaft. The touch sent further waves of pleasure through him, and he squeezed down around Dausi in turn, his walls tightening just as he pulled his hips up, Dausi’s ridges feeling even better inside of him when his muscles squeezed down like that. They moaned in unison, and Dausi was surprised to feel just how thick Kadar’s knot was already when he slid his fingers down his shaft. It felt like Kadar was already on the verge of cumming, the length throbbing in his hand every time Kadar lowered his hips back down to take Dausi inside of him.

Dausi wasn’t quite as close to finishing as Kadar was, but he certainly wouldn’t be far behind. His hips shifted restlessly, fighting against his urges to thrust up into Kadar, to bury himself and his knot inside of him. That time would soon come, but for now he just let Kadar keep the pace, letting the pleasure flow through him and build up gradually. He kept a grip around Kadar’s smooth flesh, gently stroking up and down to add to his pleasure, but not enough that it would push Kadar over the edge too soon. He felt Kadar’s body shivering against him, and then a deep moan was forced from him when Kadar pressed himself down, nearly taking half of his knot before he stopped and lifted himself back up. The sudden squeezing around his knot was unexpected, and Dausi could tell just how eager Kadar was becoming as he immediately lowered himself back down to try and take Dausi’s knot again. Dausi lightly squeezed his hand around Kadar and stroked up to his tip, the action drawing out a fresh moan against his lips and a squeeze of muscles around his own cock, Kadar’s length throbbing a few times before calming down a bit.

Kadar wasn’t sure what exactly had gotten him so close to his peak so quickly, having to strain in order to hold himself back when he felt Dausi’s hand around his tip. It could have been the new emotions between them, the deeper connection serving to increase Kadar’s desire, but he simply wanted nothing more than to feel Dausi knot him, knowing that he’d probably cum as soon as it happened. Dausi wasn’t doing anything to speed up the process though, leaving Kadar to control the pace and spread himself around his knot. To that end, Kadar sped up his hips, adding a little bit more force each time he dropped himself down into Dausi’s lap. Dausi’s hand on his rear still helped lift him up, but then gravity did most of the work to lower him back down. He could feel more and more of Dausi’s knot spreading him each time, the constant stimulation of Dausi’s ridges and the repeated pressing against his prostate making it extremely hard to hold himself back. A high-pitched whine escaped his throat as he panted from the effort, sure that his mouth would have been hanging open if it wasn’t currently being occupied by Dausi’s tongue. Each time he dropped his hips down, it became harder and harder to keep himself from finishing, his legs starting to shake from the effort, no longer lowering himself down as much as he was falling down onto Dausi’s cock. Then, as he rocked down against Dausi’s knot once more, he felt himself stretching just a little bit further around him, and knew that he was there. He’d reached the widest point of Dausi’s knot.

Dausi felt it too, groaning into Kadar’s mouth as half his knot was being squeezed down on, the feeling making his cock throb strongly inside of Kadar, a shudder running through his body. All Kadar needed was a little bit of encouragement. He parted their lips, panting breathlessly while he leaned his head forward to whisper directly into Kadar’s ear. “That’s it babe,” he said, moving his hand down to grip and squeeze Kadar’s knot. “Take it all…cum for me.”

No sooner had Dausi finished speaking than he felt Kadar sink down, the entirety of his knot now snugly lodged inside of the eager male. Kadar cried out, rocking his hips down in order to feel Dausi’s knot press at his walls, the thickness of it pushing perfectly against his prostate. The pleasure flowing through his body was too much for him, and his climax almost immediately took over. His head first leaned back, mouth open in a continuous moan, before leaning forward again and burying his face into Dausi’s shoulder. His flesh throbbed continuously between his and Dausi’s bodies, their fur giving constant stimulation in his suddenly sensitive state. Both of them could feel the sudden warmth of Kadar’s cum against their fur, making a mess of them both while Dausi squeezed his hand on Kadar’s knot to urge him on.

Seemingly in sync with the throbbing of his flesh, Dausi could feel Kadar’s walls squeezing rhythmically around his knot. The pleasure he’d been feeling was suddenly so much more intense, every motion of Kadar’s hips making him grit his teeth and groan. He couldn’t quite tell what was Kadar squeezing tighter around him and what was his knot starting to expand, but the louder gasp from Kadar suggested that he felt it as well. Dausi made no attempts to hold back, instead thrusting his hips up just as Kadar rocked down, giving himself over entirely to the rising wave of pleasure. Dausi leaned his head to the side, his cheek finding contact with Kadar’s and rubbing against it, his moans joining Kadar’s and rising above them. He felt Kadar’s body tense up and jump against him when his knot finally grew to lock them together, and then the pressure that had been building inside of him was suddenly released, euphoria taking over.

Kadar felt Dausi’s head against his and leaned into the touch, knowing the familiar sensation of Dausi’s knot locking them together was just moments away. When it happened he gasped out, his body moving involuntarily as he was filled so perfectly, tied to Dausi with no way to separate even if he’d wanted to. Now at full size, Dausi’s knot was pressing against every inch of his walls, a constant pressure against his most sensitive nerves, the stimulation making his own cock jump in what was almost a second wave to his climax. And then, with only a throb of Dausi’s cock as warning, he was flooded with a gentle, pleasant warmth from deep inside. Dausi’s cum was released deep inside of him, flowing from his tip and over Kadar’s walls, every drop held inside by the seal of Dausi’s knot. Dausi pushed and rocked his hips up throughout his climax, riding out the ebb and flow of his pleasure while every motion made Kadar gasp and whimper into his neck. Eventually, just like Kadar’s, Dausi’s climax started to fade away, leaving only happiness, warmth, and bliss in its place.

Their moans both faded away, replaced with soft gasps of breath, panting in each other’s ears. Kadar shifted his head, rubbing his cheek into Dausi’s, seeming to nestle into his fur. Dausi returned the gesture, pulling his arm from between them so that he could wrap them both around Kadar and pull him close. Neither had their eyes opened, and neither moved for what seemed like an eternity, wanting only to remain in this moment, a frozen slice of time that would remain perfect forever. Kadar’s tail was swaying from side-to-side behind him, hanging off the edge of the bed. It bumped against something familiar, and was soon entwined with Dausi’s own tail, the two coiling together as if they had minds of their own, just as inseparable as the rest of them.

Finally, when the moment of silence seemed to pass, it was Kadar who spoke up first. Still keeping his head against Dausi’s, he let out a sigh, clenching his hands into the fur of Dausi’s back, and whispered under his breath. “I love you.”

“Yeah…I got that.” Dausi said with a chuckle, the words breaking him from his own trance. He moved his hands to Kadar’s sides, gently pushing back to separate their bodies a little, turning his head to look at Kadar who was just beginning to open his own eyes and gaze back at him. There was a glazed, blissful expression on Kadar’s face, but Dausi saw only adoration in his eyes, and was certain that his showed the same thing. “I love you too, Kadar.” Dausi watched a smile spread across Kadar’s features when he heard the words echoed back to him, again seeing that infectious happiness that Kadar always seemed to radiate, drawing him right back in to hug the smaller male again. Kadar accepted the embrace, squeezing his arms around Dausi once more, though this time it didn’t last quite as long before the two separated once more.

Dausi spared a glance down between them as he leaned back, seeing Kadar’s flesh starting to soften, still twitching between them. Their fur was a mess, matted and wet from where the ropes of Kadar’s cum had landed between them, and then spread from their contact together. Of course they’d both need a shower, that much was to be expected, but neither of them would have the energy to move for a while, even after Dausi’s knot released them in a few minutes.

“So,” Kadar said, leaning forward and resting his head down onto Dausi’s chest. He lifted his hands up, resting both on Dausi’s chest as well, gently feeling at the muscles beneath his fur. “What do we do now?”

Dausi smiled at the unexpected question, giving it only brief consideration before just shrugging, tilting his snout to kiss the top of Kadar’s head. “Tonight? We get a shower, go get some dinner, and then come back here so I can tire you out before bed.” He brushed a hand down Kadar’s back, feeling him shiver in response to the touch and his words. After a moment he continued, “And then, we just enjoy our first vacation together in the way it was meant to be.”

“Yeah,” Kadar whispered softly, closing his eyes and nuzzling his face deeper into Dausi’s chest. “I like that plan.”

**** Epilogue – Two years later ****

Kadar’s thoughts gradually returned to the present as he let his eyes open slowly, glancing up and around the room. It was his own, familiar bedroom, but there was a strange, alien feeling about it. Looking up from a mattress on the floor at the bare walls, boxes packed and lined up against one of the walls, the sight was oddly bittersweet. He’d let his thoughts drift back in time as he’d woken up, not moving for a while as he didn’t want to disturb Dausi beside him. He’d been thinking back to their first meeting, their time as friends, and the way their relationship had developed. It was hard now to think of Dausi as anything but what he was now, the loving partner that he’d been for the past two years, ever since their first vacation together.

Now, two years after that vacation, Kadar was waking up in Dausi’s arms, ready to take the next step in their relationship. Dausi had stayed the night with him, eating Chinese takeout with plastic silverware, and helping him finish packing everything up. All that was left was a mattress, and his phone plugged into the wall beside him. Reaching out, moving slowly to avoid disturbing Dausi, Kadar tapped the screen of his phone and checked the time. The screen lit up, showing the picture that he’d taken with Dausi all those years ago at their first Pride festival together. They’d gone to every one together since then. It was only 7:00 in the morning, not quite time for them to get up, which Kadar was glad for. He didn’t quite want to move away from Dausi yet, even knowing that after today he’d be waking up like this every morning, he hoped for the rest of his life.

Kadar laid his head back down onto the pillow, about to close his eyes when he felt movement behind him, immediately followed by an arm draping over his side. Dausi shifted, pulling himself up behind Kadar, spooning and cuddling against him, his hand seeking out Kadar’s to curl their fingers together. “Morning babe.” Dausi said, his gruff voice even more gravelly as sleep still clung to it.

“Morning” Kadar replied, gladly shifting his body to fit snugly into the curve of Dausi’s own. “Did I wake you?” He tilted his head slightly, but couldn’t quite get a glimpse of Dausi behind him.

“Nah,” Dausi said, clearing his throat. Kadar heard the sound come from beside his ear, and then Daus’s snout was resting over his shoulder, giving a gentle nuzzle into his neck that made Kadar hum pleasantly. “you’ve just turned me into an early riser.”

The two of them stayed like that for a few more minutes, the last grips of sleep slowly falling away. Kadar’s thoughts had turned inwards again, thinking about everything in his life that had led up to this day, and everything that would follow. Eventually Dausi’s voice broke him out of his thoughts again, this time sounding a bit more awake than before. “So, are you ready?”

Kadar took a deep breath, feeling a sudden wave of apprehension and anticipation. He looked up and around the room once more, his home for the past several years that he’d be leaving behind. A truck was parked outside, ready to move Kadar’s entire, boxed-up life to a new, unfamiliar place. But despite the fear that came with that, he felt comfort in knowing that he wasn’t doing this alone. Dausi would be there with him, and this new home would be theirs, together. “Yeah,” he said finally, “let’s do this.”

**** The end ****