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_ Part 2 _

(Sam)

"Thanks a lot," I called up to our taxi driver, prepping to descend the exit ramp.

"Hey, no problem." The rabbit peered over his seat at me. "Don't forget ya bag."

"Oh!" Back I rushed, grabbing my backpack from beside my seat atop the backseat. "Thanks again."

"Happy New Year, yeah?"

"Ha-Happy New Year." Cheeks warming, I returned to the ramp, climbing down the moving steps to the kerbside. My parents had rushed off ahead, crossed the pavement and the rolling walkways, already starting their way up the Maleni-sized front path of Marek's apartment building. "Wait up!"

They really weren't hanging around. I raced after them, pulling up my jacket in a mostly useless attempt at avoiding the rain. A few puddles needed hopping and swerving, but it didn't take long to catch them on the rolling path. "In a rush?"

"It's raining," Dad replied, blunt as you could get. He corrected his glasses, turning with his umbrella to add, "Let's not get ourselves too wet."

"That's the exact reason I don't get why we didn't let the driver help us to the door. It was nice of him to offer, y'know?"

"We can manage," said Ma from under her own umbrella. Getting one of those for myself sometime was fast feeling like a good idea. "It's only a spot of rain."

Let's not get too wet? Only a spot of rain? My face must've been a fuckin' picture trying to work those both together. Whatever. It was done. We'd left ourselves to walk up this long path splitting the well-watered front lawns. Well, my parents had. It took me maybe three seconds flat to decide running for the entrance would be the better option.

If my folks had wanted to catch me up, they didn't put much effort in. I figured if they wanted to ride along in the pouring rain, then that was on them. Besides, it gave me space to buzz Marek's apartment, waiting excitedly for his robotic yet no less sweet voice to offer back a, "Hello?"

"It's Sam," I replied, pawing my soaked headfur back into place. "Hey, hon."

"Hey!" He warmed through the crackling speaker, unlocking the Maleni-sized front door with a buzz and a heavy clunk. "Come on up."

"See you in a minute." My heart skipped. I rushed inside so fast... I almost forgot to wait for my folks to follow.

The entrance hall greeted us with a neat, well presented collection of New Year's decorations. It managed to impress enough to distract me from the walk over to the elevators. There was so much gold and silver, so many pretty lights and seasonal displays, fixed to the walls and gathered around the gleaming Visoka-sized staircase. Whoever had put it all together had done a fantastic job... but not enough of one to attract my parents. "Are you coming, Sam?"

My ears perked up to Dad, calling over from the elevator with hand on hip. Ma stood in wait beside him, clutching her purse. I suppose it had all been lost on them... "Yeah, coming."

I pressed the button for the top floor; the last command I'd need to get myself up to my big 'panda's lovely corner apartment. It'd been five days since my last time here, but it might as well have been five years with how much I'd missed it. Him.

The doors closed, leaving me alone in the well-kept woodlined elevator car with my parents either side. Their drenched umbrellas dripped all over the floor as we began to rise. I had no choice but to speak up again. "Honestly, Marek really wouldn't have minded coming to pick us up."

"There was no need to put him out," Dad replied, insistent as he had been when we left the house.

"It wouldn't have been putting him out. He offered. More than once."

"It was a kind, polite offer." Ma raised a finger. "But we are quite capable of getting ourselves around."

"I never said we weren't." I did my best to bite back the irritation at the idea my 'panda was anything but polite with his offer. Mostly I succeeded. "Neither did Marek, damn it."

"Samuel, stop," Dad snapped, dipping his head, glaring through the very tops of his glasses. "We're here now. It's done. No more."

I groaned, huffed and complained to myself as quiet as I could, folding my arms and glaring at the door ahead. They never listened, so no idea why I expected them to change the habit of a lifetime.

Dad was right about one thing, though. We were here now. A minute away, if that, from introducing my parents to my 'panda. There was excitement, sure, but gut-twisting anxiety too. I hoped so much that this'd go well. I hoped my parents would relax and treat this as the nice family get together that it was.

I couldn't stop from thinking about how they'd already failed the first test. Suited and booted, prim and proper, my parents had come dressed up like they were on their way to a business meeting, not a Blessing Day gathering to meet my boyfriend. I guess I should've been used to it by that point. This was them all over. Sure, I appreciated the effort, and I'd much prefer them caring enough to dress to the nines than not at all. I just hoped it wouldn't come off as intimidating. Plus, I looked awfully underdressed when standing next to them, decked out in old jeans and a casual blue sweater under my rain jacket as I was...

A ping sounded. The elevator doors opened to the top floor. My legs didn't move, though. I was too busy assuring myself that Marek wouldn't mind how I'd dressed, not in a million years. But would that go for his parents, too?

"Sam?" Ma looked back, head tilted, holding the door open for me. "Coming?"

We kept to the sheltered path at the edge of the corridor, taking the final walk all the way to Marek's apartment at the far end. There wasn't much need. Apart from a muffled conversation coming from behind his neighbour's front door, this place was dead. Still, better safe than sorry. Fleeing the path of an unaware, unexpected Visoka wasn't something I'd planned on dealing with on top of everything else.

"That's a nice touch." Ma pointed up at some particularly fancy decorations fixed to the noticeboard on the opposite wall. A scene depicting the original disciples of the gods offering thanks for their blessing of a new year, all formed from colourful strips and scraps of paper. Very churchy. "Lovely decorations."

"Did you not see the ones downstairs?" I asked. "They were even nicer."

"Yes, they were."

"Oh..."

"All very plush," Dad mused. "Very clean, well-kept. Not what I imagined at all."

My jaw tightened. I sucked in air so hard that my parents turned to see it. "Please be polite. I know Marek's gonna be putting on extra effort today."

"Of course we will," he said, reeling back.

"Who do you think we are?" Ma added, equally puzzled.

"Just... please."

"Okay." "Of course."

Their joint insistence did help loosen me up. I hoped they'd remember it. "Oh, and one more thing... Try not to be surprised about how big he is."

"Come now." Dad shook his head. "You talk as if we've never met a Visoka before."

"Yeah..." My head sank. Voice lowered. "And that's always gone great."

"What was that?"

"Nothing." Maybe not low enough. "Just... It's a word of warning, that's all. Seeing him in his car and seeing him up close are two _very_different things."

We made it to the last Maleni-sized door along the hall, standing aside its looming Visoka partner, both displaying '38' in shiny brass numbers. It already sat ajar, waiting for us, allowing the familiar scent of both my 'panda and his apartment to waft outside. It filled my nose and sent my tail swaying.

"Hello?" I entered first. No need to search for long to find him. Dead ahead, dominating the hall, Marek lied in wait, kneeling on one knee, but still looming over me like a furry mountain. He held the most affectionate smile, those full cheeks and boyish charms that I'd waited so long to see again strengthening my tail even further. "Hey, big 'panda."

"Hey." He waved, holding position, waiting for my parents to follow me inside. What moves he did make, a shift here, a tuck there, resembled efforts to make himself look less imposing. Little chance of that.

Dad entered first, Ma just behind. They found Marek as fast as I did. Stopped dead in their tracks right after. I heard Ma's near-silent gasp and Dad's far less subtle "Wah". Warning or not, I couldn't fault them for those reactions. Even while kneeling, he couldn't have been too much shorter than a lot of other Visoka red pandas.

"Hello." Marek lit up even brighter. "Thank you so much for coming." My parents stayed right there against the wall, silent and gawking. It didn't faze him. Down came his paw, finger outstretched, offered up to Ma. "It's a pleasure."

"Oh." She snapped back into life, clasping her paw to his pad and accepting his thumb pressing at both. "The pleasure is ours."

"Thank you for having us," Dad said, adjusting his glasses to better see Marek as my 'panda's paw moved to him.

I waited... waited... No luck. I'd have to jump in to introduce them properly. "Ma, Dad. You've got names, right?"

"Ah, yes, yes." Dad chuckled, awkwardness only too obvious. "I'm Ben."

"Dana," Ma added.

"Lovely." Marek flashed once of his best, most handsome of grins. "And I'm Marek, of course." My parents still stood there. Grey-suited statues. "May I offer you a drink? Tea, coffee?"

"Oh," I blurted, almost like second-nature. "His coffee is really, really good."

"You drink coffee?" Dad looked puzzled. Not the expected response.

"Uh... Yeah, now."

"I have a batch ready," Marek clasped his paws. "If you'd like to try some?"

"No, I'll be fine." Dad nodded. "Thank you."

"Nothing for me either," Ma confirmed.

"Not a problem." Marek gestured around towards the front room. "Please, make yourselves at home."

My parents quietly left us, rounding the corner, once again sticking to the sheltered path offered by an arching panel fixed to the wall.

Back to my 'panda I turned, his glow reserved all for me now. Fuck, he looked fantastic, headfur combed into a neat wave, decked out in his smart red plaid shirt. The same plaid shirt that he wore on our first date. His best black trousers completed the look, sitting somewhere between me and my parents in the formality stakes. I felt a lot better at that. Better still once he reached out for me with cupped paws, pretty green eyes creasing further with his contentment. "Come here, little 'panda."

I dropped my bag, threw off my jacket and bounded forward. His magnetism pulled my up onto his waiting fingers. My fast beating heart made it hard to wait for him to lift me to his face.

His huge paws squeezed me to his neck and cheek, wrapping the whole of me, from shoulders to calves, tight within their softness. I rubbed what I could of him, nuzzled into his fur, breathing in yet more of that wonderful sweet scent. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too." The vibrations of my big 'panda's words struck, coursing through my whole body. A finger stroked the back of my head, delicate, as if to experience each and every strand of my fur. My senses came together in agreement; everything was Marek, and Marek was everything. "Dropping you at home Sunday night was so hard..."

"I know," I chimed. "I almost didn't get out of the car."

"Wouldn't have minded if you hadn't." His fingers turned their attention to my tail, playing with, running it between them. "Seeing you at the gym Tuesday... was nice." He choked a little, stumbling to add, "But I... Leaving to head home without you afterwards was almost as tough."

"Aww." I kissed him on the cheek. His gentle moan called on me to add a second. "Don't be sad, big 'panda. We've got another four days ahead to spend together."

"Amazing." His thick tail audibly struck the wall. A smile as warm and almost as wide as him lifted and firmed the cheek in my grasp. He watched over me, taking me in... Like he had something else to say to me.

"What's up?"

"Oh..." His face softened again. "No, nothing's up."

"Good." I treated myself to another intoxicating breath. "Did your folks make it here okay?"

"Yeah. They're in the spare room unpacking." He turned his head back towards the living room, carrying me around with him. "Let's go join your parents..." His next words were for my ears only. "Judging by how well-dressed they are, this should make for an interesting board meeting."

"Sorry." I snickered, patting the top of his nose. "I know it's overkill."

"Don't be. They look very nice." He shifted, grunted, hauling his huge self all the way up onto his feet. A nosing at the whole of my cheek came with it. "Just like you do."

Marek's far longer legs carried us into and across the living room at a far faster pace than my parents. We made it to the couch just as they did, peering down as they passed the coffee table twice their height.

He offered them help, gesturing to the Maleni seats and table built into the top of the arm. Of course, they opted to take the built-in lift around the side.

Actually, that suited me fine. It meant I got to ride with my 'panda all the way down to our seat on the couch, taking in every sensation of the cushions sinking and falling near instantly, a dull thud following, even with his noticeable attempt at taking it slow and easy.

His sprawling thigh still rippled as he settled me atop it. Likewise his barrel of a stomach, its softness offering the perfect backrest. At Marek's, I always had the best seat in the house.

We didn't have too long to wait for my parents to ride their way up and settle down, too. They took an armchair each, quietly making themselves comfortable. Quiet, even by their standards. Watching them from my seat, I began a frantic search for topics of conversation. Anything to prevent the awkward silence I saw fast closing in. Ugh. Damn it, I couldn't think--

Marek cleared his throat, leaning towards them. "If you change your mind about a drink, please just let me know."

"Thank you," answered Ma. Dad responded in kind.

As it turned out, that offer skillfully laid the foundations to a long line of questions. Marek asked if the journey down here was okay and if they themselves were well, which almost pried from them more than some polite 'yeses' and 'very well, thank yous'.

He then offered his apologies for not being able to host my sister Mila, too. Turned out that'd be the key to starting some actual communication.

"It is a shame," Ma said, easing back into her chair. "Mila did ask us to pass on her own apologies for not being able to come."

"Unfortunately she had to travel back to Pilsnec today," Dad explained. "She and her partner are spending the weekend with his family."

"Ah, well I can think of worse places to spend the weekend than the capital." Marek's cheeks lifted. He didn't skip a beat before rallying back the conversation. "Oh, Mr. Cerveny. Sam tells me you work in supply chain for DuraTech?"

"I do." Dad's ears flicked upwards. "I'm a team manager there."

"That's cool. See, I work for Fiala, in their engineering department. I'm sure we've used some of your components in the models we export to Polcia."

"Hmm..." He scratched his muzzle. I think he actually gave that more than a passing thought. "It's certainly a possibility. Automotive is an area we're getting more and more involved in."

I waited. Marek, too. I'm sure we both expected a little more back from Dad. No matter. My 'panda wasn't fazed. His eyes shone bright for Ma. "And you're a politics teacher, Mrs. Cerveny, if I'm correct?"

"That's right."

"At Cherniky Finishing School," I added on her behalf.

"Nice." Marek offered a firm stroke at my tail. "So you have a little more time before heading back into class."

"Not until Monday after next." Her ears lifted. The corners of her mouth, too. "My second year class has an essay on Vodak-Velikan relations due that first week back, so I'll be hoping they're all hard at work right now."

"Whew, that sounds tough. I hope they are too, for all their sakes!"

Ma chuckled through her nose. Both she and Dad brightened beyond polite smiles for the first time since we'd arrived. Clearly, they appreciated how much Marek knew and remembered of them. Way to go there, my big, smooth, clever 'panda.

Someone bellowed from somewhere down the hall, sudden and rumbling. I jumped in my seat, aided in part by Marek doing the same as they yelled out again, louder still. I assumed it to be his Dad, speaking in what I also assumed to be Zolnian. Whatever the case, I couldn't understand a word of it.

"Glad you're all settled, Dad," Marek called in reply, offering us here with him a real sheepish grin. "Sam and his parents are here now."

"Oh...! Right."

"Sorry, Sam." He lifted and set me up on the arm, beside my parents, standing up to meet his own. I watched him go, offering me my first glimpse of the weekend at that wonderfully huge, attractively round butt of his. A welcomed treat, but one I had to be sure not to get too transfixed by. Not while within arm's length of both Ma and Dad at least...

Two older 'pandas walked in, Marek's Ma first, then his Dad just behind. Both had a pattern similar to his; lighter orange fur coupled with gleaming white muzzles and chocolate-brown striped cheeks. A contrast to the reds, whites and blacks of me and my folks. How the Visokas in the room really differed though was in their size. Both Marek's Ma and Dad came only just about up to his chest, and while the latter wasn't exactly slim, he wasn't anywhere near as broad. They both played their part in emphasising how big my 'panda really was.

"Ma, Dad." Marek hovered between the coffee table and the TV, offering them space to see me. "This is Sam, and Sam's parents."

His Dad approached first, shuffling his wide frame between the table and the armchair facing it. "Name's Viktor. Great to meet ya, Sam."

Standing tall like he did wasn't the only thing to throw me off. His whole paw approached, as if offering to shake another Visoka's. I needed a moment to adjust, leaning around to clasp at his index fingerpad. "Great to meet you too, Mr. Gorecki-- Uh, Viktor."

He snorted, smirked. Very Marek-like. Stepping to the side, he gave room for Mrs. Gorecki to greet me. "I'm Magda. It's nice to finally meet you, sweetie." She radiated warmth, the orange of her face fur positively glowing. "We've heard an awful lot about you."

"Oh... good." I warmed right along with her, focused in my rising ears and cheeks. "Uh, really nice to meet you, too. Both of you... Uh, at last."

Marek watched me with an 'aww, how cute' kinda smile. I showed him my confusion, but he only got happier about it. I took it as a good sign.

The time then came for our parents to exchange greetings, massing around the couch as they were. It fast became a haze of shadows and paws, moving here, there and everywhere. Cordial, if not slightly awkward. At least my folks remembered to offer their names that time around.

As for Mr. and Mrs. Gorecki, standing tall, barely if at all leaning down, made their lack of experience in dealing with Maleni only too obvious. Personally, I didn't mind it. Not everyone came from a city as diverse as Koprovice. My folks on the other hand... They were real big on formality and such.

"I'm not sure what I'm doing with myself here," Mr. Gorecki quipped, paw shifting and twisting above Dad's head. "Stand, crouch? Pick you up? Heh--Oh!" That paw fast descended, fully extended once again. "Sorry..."

Dad pushed his glasses back to the bridge of his muzzle. Reaching out to clasp and shake just a single digit, I could see his jaw setting. "This is fine enough."

He went on to shake Ma's paw, while Mrs. Gorecki repeated the same full-pawed gesture. Neither of them realised the mistake, nor did they pick up on my folks' backward steps or twisting muzzles. Gods, I so badly wanted to lean in and tell them this wasn't a big deal, but no doubt that'd have made things ten times worse.

Mr. Gorecki rolled back on his heels, over and over. He found it tough to look right at my Dad. You'd be forgiven for forgetting who was the bigger of the two. "Not too many Maleni where we are in Karnik, y'see. Shaking paws with tiny folk's not something I do often."

Marek trembled, horrified. I myself tensed up hard inside at hearing 'tiny', but... I let it go. The poor dude was way out of his element here. Ma meanwhile, she was, or at least looked unfazed. Dad on the other hand, I could see his tail thrashing hard, countering the small nod and the faintest flick from the corner of his mount. "Heh, right... Hmm."

"It's fine," Marek insisted, hurrying around the table, throwing a paw out towards the couch. "Come. Come sit. Please."

I kept on watching my folks slowly give more and more away. Their ears flattened, Dad's arms folded, both of them peered away towards nothing in particular. Maybe I should've warned Marek to warn his parents before we got here... Gods damn it, Sam.

Everything got left there. A frostiness spread through the entire room as everyone not yet sitting moved to do so. I got a better view of the TV, paused partway through some show I didn't recognise.

Marek sat first, taking the armchair closest to the arm that me and my folks were atop. His parents meanwhile headed to the other end of the coffee table. Mr. Gorecki settled into the armchair opposite, while Mrs. Gorecki took a seat at the far end of the couch.

I searched for something to say, to talk about. Marek reached over to bundle me into his paws, bringing me back towards his lap. It wasn't until my feet found his thigh that a question finally popped into my head. "So, uh, you're a mechanic, Mr. Gorecki."

"Yeah. I am" His fuzzy, grey-tipped ears perked. "Please, call me Viktor. It's fine."

"Sorry." I cringed. I knew I didn't need to say that, but I couldn't help myself. Still, he looked way more at ease. "I suppose that's where Marek gets his interest in engineering from."

"Hah, maybe." He slapped his knee. A loud clap rang out. "I used to fool around with old cars in the backyard when he was a boy. They became our shared projects once he got a bit older."

"The number of times I had to drag them inside after dark," Mrs. Gorecki... Magda added. "They would have worked right through until the morning if I let them, I'm sure."

"It got addictive," Marek said. "Fixing one thing, then another, then finding something else to tweak."

I glanced up at my parents, still quiet on the couch arm, sitting and admiring... the view out of the far window maybe? "That's interesting, don't you think, Ma?"

"Hmm?" She turned, one ear perking.

"Uncle Denis is a mechanic, too."

"Oh... Yes. He is."

Oh, come on! This was like pulling teeth. Marek's Dad piled in before I had the chance to work some more.

"A_Maleni_ mechanic?" His head cocked. "How does that work then?"

Marek rocked, rocking me along with him. He glared green lasers at Dad, who in turn simply watched Ma with curious innocence.

"What I mean is, how does that work with them being... smaller?"

"Well, I don't know the details, you understand." She said that with so much bite that it made me wince. "But he has Visoka colleagues that likely perform the heavy lifting and the grunt work."

"You mean the physical work," I called, louder than I needed. "Right?"

"Yes."

"Maleni are usually good at getting into tighter, harder to reach places," Marek explained. "There are harnesses and special tools that help them work despite being smaller, and..." He went quiet. All eyes had turned on him. "At least, that's how it is at a larger company like mine."

That's where the topic died on its feet. No response, no follow up. Time to bury it and move on. Fast. "Mrs. Gorecki-- Magda, I mean..."

Her focus dipped to me, waiting. Patient and polite, pretty and well-presented from her fur to her festive gold pullover. She helped clear my throat and settle my own fur no end. "What is it that you do for work? I, uh, don't think Marek has mentioned it before. Assuming you do work, I mean." I went half-numb, wanting to bite back that last part. Too late. Fuck. Awkward. "Sorry."

"I work at a hotel back home in Karnik, sweetie," she replied. Not a hint of offence or annoyance. "On their reception desk in the mornings."

"Oh, nice." It was... but I needed someplace else to go. Gods damn, talking to and training my clients at the gym was a breeze compared to this. "I... guess you speak to a lot of people."

"You could say that, yes." Her welcoming glow shone brighter still. It should've made it easier for me to push on, but I couldn't find the words. The awkwardness dominated, helped in no small part by my parents. They sat there, still silent, infecting the rest of us. One by one, we all found distraction in the paused show on the TV, almost as if wishing for it to start up again and save us all.

"I think I'll go and figure out the meal prep," Marek announced, starting to shift. "You all stay comfy and... chat some more."

"I'll come help," I blurted.

"You don't have to. Stay and relax--"

"I want to." I grabbed his paw as it hovered beside me, peering up at him. "Please."

He watched me for a moment, puzzled I think. It wasn't long before I got a small smile and some help up into his paws, then his shirt pocket. Starting to stand, he looked around our parents. "Please, you can watch some TV, play a board game... whatever you'd like."

---

(Marek)

I'd been making excuses not to head into the kitchen all day. All the pots, plates and bowls, the waiting utensils and half-prepped food: an unpleasant reminder of how much work I still had ahead of me.

But, I had Sam with me now, and while he might not have offered much by way of tangible assistance, his moral support would come just as welcomed.

Not a single section of my countertops sat empty. I took pause for thought, eventually opting to settle Sam down between my chopping board and a bowlful of vegetables I'd prepared that morning, waiting only for some herbs and spices to be added before cooking.

"I'm really sorry," he called up, barely beyond a whisper, not even waiting for both feet to touch the counter. "My parents... It's like they're extra uptight today."

"It's fine." He wasn't wrong. I'd underestimated his warning by a long way. "They seem nice."

"They are. Once they're out of their shells, honest."

"I believe you."

"They're real fussy about greetings and stuff. I should've warned you."

"Sam, please, it's fine." I reached down to bump a finger to his nose. He looked so cute standing beside a waist-tall veggie bowl. "Did _I_get it right at least?"

"You were fantastic." He grabbed my finger with both hands, hugging it against his cheek. "Same as all those questions you had waiting. You broke the ice with them so fast."

"Phew. Good." I stroked at him. The rest of my fingers fit perfectly around his back and that tight little butt. "I practiced a lot. All of it." His little reddish and white tail pushed out from my paw, brushing and tickling. It asked for me to hold him closer, tighter, snugly against my stomach pressing at the counter. "You know, I should probably apologise too."

"Why?"

"On behalf of my Dad." I bent lower, making sure the conversation remained for our ears only. "For saying... 'tiny' earlier."

His surprise in turn surprised me. "It's okay."

"It is?"

"I know he... I don't think he meant it badly." His paws pressed beneath a shirt button near my navel, rubbing and kneading. "He seems nice. Your Ma, too."

"Right. Only..."

"What?"

"I seem to remember how badly you chewed me out over using that word."

"You_did_ use it more than once." Still hugging, he craned his neck to meet my gaze, soon peering off in space beyond me. A creep of his lips came before he added, "I guess I might've gone a little over the top when I called you out. Maybe."

"You didn't. Not really." I raised a finger to his ear, scritching a claw behind it. "I understand what it means to you. How people used to use it unkindly against you... and still do."

"Sometimes." The delight he'd shown for my attention tempered. "Not since that badger I used to instruct stopped coming to the gym. I'm definitely glad not to have to deal with that dick anymore."

"Good." My snickering bounced my stomach onto the counter's edge, which in turn bumped Sam and pushed him even closer to me. "That means more time free for you to instruct me."

"For sure." His tail flicked out, paws working to part my shirt. "When it comes to you... that's a dick I'm more than happy to deal with. Amongst other things."

I groaned, shook my head but spread a grin for him, revelling in the tickle of his nuzzling into my navel fur. "Best keep it down, little 'panda. I don't think we want to be heard over all that sparkling conversation going on out there."

We glanced over to the archway, listening to the quietness of the living room beyond. Only the TV offered any signs of life.

"Hey, listen." Sam patted my gut. "I'm sorry, too."

"You've already said sorry once. Don't feel the need to apologise for_everything_."

"Alright. Sor-- Heh, I mean. Got it." He beamed away, lifting his muzzle to show off more of his handsome red-tinged face and headfur. "But, like I said, my parents can be kinda... distant. Short."

I resisted cracking a joke at that last part, squeezing him into my stomach so tight that his feet left the counter. "No problem."

"It's the same during bigger family events, too. Only ever speaking more than a few words to certain aunts and uncles." He sighed into me. "I've never understood why they're so... uptight."

"Shyness isn't a crime. It takes all sorts."

"I guess, but... they could do more, y'know?"

They could. They definitely could. Sam didn't need to hear me say that, though. "You could put it another way. They've done an impressive job of keeping my parents quiet."

We chuckled away together, taking a few more moments to enjoy rubbing and hugging one another. Our reunions after time spent apart always came with a sense, a duty of making up for lost time. Even at the cost of diverting us away from valuable, ever-depleting time meant for prepping our Blessing Day dinner. For me, I took that as a more than worthy sacrifice.

"Oh, by the way!" Sam hopped back, ears perking to their fullest, waving an arm up at me. "Thank you so much for my SportMate! It's so much better than my old one."

I needed longer than I should have to process what he'd said to me. Only when I saw the small black band on his wrist, sporting a red stripe that the old one didn't, did I work it out.

"I loved opening it on New Year's morning." He gazed at it, caressing one side with a finger. "Just wish you could've been there with me."

"I wish I could've been, too." I grabbed him back into my stomach, leaning down, sharing a cuddle that drew the cutest grumble. "But I'm glad you liked it, and I loved your present as well. It was a real treat to wake up to."

"Were they good ones? There were a lot to choose from, and I wasn't sure which you'd like best."

"They're great!" I glanced over to one of the few dinner-related packages still on my counter; the four-pack of flavoured, 'artisanal' coffee beans that he'd gifted me. "I tried some of the Chocolate Cherry yesterday. It's so good. I don't think explaining will do it justice. You'll have to try some."

"Can't wait." He reached out for my finger, tugging it into an even closer hold around his side. His flicking, dancing ears demanded a stroke between them. "I'm happy you liked them."

"I liked it almost as much as your Happy New Year message that morning. I felt very loved."

"You are, big 'panda," he sang, nosing and licking at my fingerpad. "And it was the least I could do. I just hated the idea of you sitting here alone on New Year's Day..."

"It really wasn't that bad, sweetheart. I had today to look forward to after all."

"Still." His snout dipped. "We went to the clock burning at the park near my house in the evening. I was so close to calling and asking if you'd wanna come, but... I figured you'd not wanna drive all that way."

"Aww..." I tipped my paw beneath him, scooping him up for a hug to my cheek. "Well hey, whatever's come and gone, I've got my little 'panda now. I'm not alone anymore."

He kissed me right on the stripe of my cheek, blue eyes shining. A temptation I had no ability nor desire to resist. I turned, moving my muzzle to nose beneath his chin and lick away at his chest and neck. Each lap of my tongue sent him shivering in my hold; motivation enough for me to keep going, never mind the chance to taste and to smell his sweetness.

My mind though, it refused to focus solely on my 'panda. Idle, underlying thoughts dwelt on Sam's sorrow for my being alone on New Year's Day. Telling Sam that my solitude hadn't been unpleasant was no lie, and the thought of being able to see him today relieved any hurt I might've felt. But, deep down, I knew the plainest truth; spending yesterday alone had been an awful alternative compared to spending it with my boyfriend.

He kissed me on the cheek again, firmer, closer, then between my lips as I showered him in my own affections. Standing here, cuddling him with as much of my love as possible, I soon had thoughts only for how much I wanted to end what space remained between us...

"What you thinking?"

I jolted. Only a little. Sam surely still felt it. "Hmm?"

"I can tell when that brain of yours is working away, big 'panda."

His gleaming eyes pulled me in, tempting my thoughts out. "Uh, prep." Not tempting enough. "All the prep work and the cooking still to be done."

"You've done a lot already." He leaned away, peering down over his shoulder. "I've never seen so many bowls in one place before."

"Pfft." I rubbed at his back, down to his tailbase. The time felt right for a gamble. Or, more precisely, an educated guess. "What are _you_thinking about?"

"Me?" His paw found my nose. His scritching claws tickled. "Thinking back to presents. I was feeling kinda bad for not getting your folks anything."

"I put your name on what I had delivered to them." His ears flicked. "A Karnik Pirates jacket for Dad, and some perfume from Ma's favourite fragrance store. They both liked them a lot."

"Damn."

"What?"

"No, I mean, thanks." He threw a paw to his head, ears folding either side. "I didn't think to do that for what I got for my folks."

"Not to worry--"

"I'll explain. I'll say they were from both of us."

"I'm sure they didn't even pay it a thought. It's no big deal."

His mouth twisted. "Still... Sorry."

"It's fine." I kissed him again, from his nose to his neck. "Let's get to the food. My favourite part of the holiday."

"Oh?" Sam pecked back then peered down at my stomach. "Never would've guessed."

My smirk spread halfway to my ear. A poke at his butt won a squeaky yip and a cute sway of his tail. "Yeah, keep it up, little 'panda, and I'll be eating your share, too."

A matter of seconds. That's all the time it took to settle Sam down onto the counter, and to lose any and all motivation to face the task at hand. Not that that'd save me. Regardless, I couldn't avoid the food prep any longer, much as I'd have loved to.

As imposing as all this mess looked, I knew I had this in the bag. I'd done my part to help Ma cook over New Year's holidays growing up, and even taken the lead myself before now. Despite clinging onto all of that knowledge, my paws kept on grabbing plates and knives that I didn't need, and my focus continued to jump from one dish to the next. My ears splayed flat enough to feel through my headfur. So much to do and to deal with. Where to start?

"You're putting too much pressure on yourself." Sam shuffled over to where my stomach met the counter, leaning in to start rubbing. "Just take one thing at a time. You'll be fine."

I watched him spread his arms, felt him squeeze tighter, wanting to blurt out an attempt at denying his flawless, pinpoint accurate assumption. Heh. He really could read me like a book sometimes.

"C'mon. Let me help."

"No, you're okay... and you're right. I'll be fine." His small snout shifted, pointing up with warmth. "The main thing I need to do... What I should do next is prepare the fish and get it ready for the oven. After that, everything else should fall into place."

"There you go." Sam hugged with what must have been all his might, bundling a small mound of myself into his grasp. "See? More straightforward than you thought."

"Heh. Thanks, little 'panda."

"Welcome as always, hon. Just know my offer to help's not going anywhere."

"Maybe a little later, when it's time for the final prepping and plating."

"Alright..."

A space in our conversation offered an opening to the deathly silence beyond the archway. "What would be a big help would be for one of us to go and keep our parents company."

"Hmm." That limp tail, those crossed arms; all the confidence he'd instilled in me had left him behind.

"Just go talk, like we were before. I'll be in to join you once I have everything rolling in here." I tilted and dipped my head, getting a better look at his hanging muzzle. "I won't be long."

"Okay." He sighed so hard that he'd have rivalled a Visoka. "I'll go do it."

"Thank you." I helped him into my paws, offering a parting kiss to his cheek and neck before lowering him down to the tiles. "I appreciate it."

Watching Sam march off into the living room, I didn't envy the battle I'd just sent him off into. Then again, he wasn't alone in having a fight on his hands.

Standing back up, returning to the counter, it took no time flat for all these different bowls, packs and pots to threaten to overwhelm me again. But, Sam had it right. One thing at a time. Just like work, training or anything else.

In that spirit, I sucked in air, sighed to match my little 'panda, and headed for the fridge. All the lemons, vegetables and herbs I'd prepared and amassed that morning were waiting for a fish to prep...