FSE

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Ring-a-ding. The noise reawakened a Pavlovian response in the rhino. He, instinctively, turned towards the door to see who came in. No one he knew, just a stranger. Not Deacon. He sighed out as he relaxed, and then mentally chastised himself for being silly. 'Come on, keep calm. He's not late, you're just-' The rhino checked his phone and grimaced, 'thirteen minutes early.'

Kane sighed and fell forward onto the small table he was seated at. The cool marble felt wonderful on his flushed face. His fingers tapped, tapped, tapped anxiously on the surface while Kane once again tried to calm himself down. 'Should not have had that first chai.' he told himself. The empty plastic glass was sweating on the table next to him, the condensate running down the sides in trails of moisture. Kane took a deep breath in, and slowly let it out, another deep breath in, slowly out. He repeated the exercise, trying to calm himself down, each breath trying to quiet the never ending swirl of nervous thoughts and feelings trapped under his skull. It felt unreal, almost like a dream that could just as easily turn into a nightmare for the young rhino. He sat here at Roasta Rica at a table now just, he checked his phone again, eleven minutes before he was to meet Deacon for a date. A date with Deacon, his childhood pal, his best friend, his crush, and so much more.

The weekend was spinning by so quickly, Kane couldn't process exactly how only 48 hours ago he was still harboring his secret crush on the alligator. It felt like another era or a different Kane, like he was remembering a movie about someone who walked, talked, and thought exactly like he did, only not himself. Hence why it didn't feel real, why Kane was so scared that in just a minute, any second he would blink and it would all be gone. He'd wake up and have to return to the unfortunate existence of being in love with your best friend and hiding it from everyone. He didn't want that, not after coming so far, getting so close.

"Kane, I like you too." Those five words have been looping on repeat inside his mind, so much that they almost lost meaning. Deacon said those words to him two nights ago, when they were alone in his room after his party. Deacon said those words to him right after Kane admitted to the gator, the universe, to any deities listening in to that conversation that Kane liked Deacon. Kane smiled to himself, his head was still down on the table but his thoughts were more manageable. That was always the case when he thought about Deacon.

Deacon the alligator was everything that Kane felt he wasn't: popular, confident, athletic, incredibly attractive, and wonderful. And that person told Kane that he liked the rhino. He was still riding that high, even after two nights apart. Last night was almost unbearable, he kept thinking about today, the day of his first date with Deacon. The rhino couldn't sleep for hours, of course that's partially since he ricocheted from being ecstatic one moment to overwhelming dread and back again.

The rhino had never been on a date before, besides Deacon there hasn't been anyone else he wanted to go on a date with. He could barely decide what to wear; he currently wore a diagonally striped zebra print shirt with simple blue jeans today. At home were three other shirts and two other pants that he was considering. He had been trying each combination multiple times for the two hours preceding his departure from home.

Kane rushed to get over to the cafe, his anxious treadmill of a mind convincing him that any manner of delays or impedances could occur on his drive over and that he needed to leave early. Kane also, of course, took it to an extreme level. Arriving twenty minutes early and now suffering the company of his thoughts alone. Well, almost alone.

"Hey, Kane, you alright?" A kind voice came from his left. It caused Kane to jump up from his resting position on the table. The person next to him jumped back too in surprise. While he blinked, he recognized the voice and face. The raven was wearing a Roasta Rica cap and a casual t-shirt and shorts.

"Oh, Gale, sorry for scaring you." Kane said quickly while she composed herself.

"Jeez, you alright. You barely said two words to me while ordering, chugged your chai, slammed your head on the table, and laid there for a couple of minutes." Kane couldn't hold her gaze, the near constant flush of heat to his face bloomed a step higher.

"Oh, was I? I'm sorry. I just, I'm a bit preoccupied. Ha ha" he laughed nervously. He reached out to his large cup of ice to grab something in his hand. The cold feeling kept him focused on something in the here and now, keeping him grounded.

"Must be something big, you don't even have your sketchbook today." Her beak clacked with her syllables and her large black eyes reflected back Kane's image. He always had trouble holding eye contact with people but Gale, she was a lot harder to look at. 'Breathe, breathe, you can do this.' he told himself. He tried to focus on her beak, her neck, anywhere but her dark eyes. But also enough that he wasn't coming off as rude or dismissive.

"Yeah, I'm, well, meeting someone here. Just waiting for them."

"Ooh, hot date?" She said, the sides of her beak turned up and her eyebrows raised. Kane's arm twitched and sent his cup skittering across the table and promptly to the floor. The plastic lid popped off and ice spilled everywhere.

"Shit!" He cursed before he leaped down to try and clean the mess he made. Next to him, Gale leaned down next to him and together the two scooped the ice back into the cup. Kane apologized to the other two patrons next to his table where ice slid under. He put the ice cup back on the table before slumping down into his chair with a large sigh. Gale stood up and wiped her hands on her shorts. "I'm so sorry about that." He apologized again to Gale who he absolutely couldn't look at now.

"It's fine, Kane. But are you sure you're okay? I mean, I know you're normally tense, but like, you seem particularly on edge today." Kane drummed his fingers in the table and contemplated how much, if at all, he wanted to share with Gale.

He didn't have a problem with Gale, they were coworkers who started at about the same time. They trained together and were on quite a few different shifts together. While they hadn't explicitly said it, there was an agreement between them where she handles the register as much as possible while Kane fixes the drinks. Kane was sure that she understood he's generally anxious and it was frankly a godsend she stepped up to help him like she did. It was people like her that made such a customer service role like being a barista manageable to the young rhino.

'She's never given me any reason to distrust her. Come on, you can say something.' he tried convincing himself. He summoned up some courage and swallowed. "It, it is a date. I have a date in.. eight minutes" he said, checking the time once again on his phone.

"Oh, right on! Is it first date jitters then? Or just regular old date jitters?" She asked.

"Uhh, it's first date and first date ever jitters, I guess." Kane responded. Ring-a-ding. The door bell rang again. Kane and Gale both turned to the door. It wasn't Deacon again. Kane sighed in relief. 'Am I more scared if he shows or doesn't show?' he asked himself. Kane wiped his brow, a fine layer of moisture and sweat was building up despite the cool A/C keeping the cafe at a moderate temperature.

"Not them?" Gale asked while taking the seat opposite of Kane. The rhino shook his head. "Well, I think it's normal to be nervous. First date or otherwise. Don't worry, I'm sure it'll go great." Kane snorted.

"Your optimism is appreciated but unfounded." Kane flatly responded. Then he flicked his head in annoyance. "Sorry, that was.. snippy. I'm obviously, well, being me. Unconfident and uncertain." Gale shook her head.

"It's that attitude that will be more detrimental than your nerves. Gotta be positive. They agreed to the date, right?"

"Yes, obviously." Kane responded.

"Then they already dig you! At this point it's just about how well you compliment each other."

"What do you mean?"

"Kane, would you go on a date with someone you aren't interested in?"

"Well, no."

"I bet your tips for the next four shifts your date is the same. So we're sure they like you, now you just need to foster your relationship. And, honestly, if they know you enough to go on a date, they recognize all the other qualities you have besides lack of confidence and certainty. So buck up, it's going to go great." she gave the rhino a wide smile and a peace sign. Kane blinked a bit. Her energy was a lot different than others he talked to, Shirley was upbeat and peppy. Gale was direct and authoritative. The way she more or less commanded Kane to get over himself stunned him. It broke the cycle in his mind at least enough to not be outright dismissive of what she was saying.

There was a certain sense to what she said. "Kane, I like you too." That's what Deacon told him two nights ago. And while it's been playing on repeat, Kane couldn't deny how he's been hesitant to believe it. 'He likes me, even though I'm me?' He asked himself that a lot last night. While he went over just how awkward and scared and nervous and timid and stressed he can be, he couldn't believe anyone could like him, least of all Deacon.

But, Deacon knew all that, Deacon supported him through all that. Romantic attraction aside, Deacon stuck with him through the thick and thin of his struggles without abandoning him. Was it really so hard to think that Deacon could like him despite all that, given their long lasting friendship? The thoughts gave Kane pause. He was silent for a while.

"Sorry, that was a bit heavier than I was going for." Gale said after a couple moments.

"No, no, it's fine. I- I was just thinking about what you said." Kane apologized quickly. He held his hands out to reassure her and himself that he was okay. "I mean, maybe you're right! He knows me better than anyone, and he asked me on a date! So maybe.." 'Maybe what?' he thought. "I don't know, maybe you're right." He tried, he really tried to remain confident. But a lifetime of worries and anxiety can't be fixed in a three minute conversation.

"You really like him, don't you?" Kane could only nod silently, his face was downcast and looked into the abstract pattern of the table in front of him. "And you don't want to mess it up." he again nodded. "Then you need to make me a deal, right here and now." she said. Kane looked into her eyes for a moment and saw himself in the reflection. She looked quite serious, which was a change from her normal demeanor.

"You need to promise me that while you're with him, you're with him. Don't go off into your own world. I can tell you'll spiral and that'll tank your date faster than you can make our limited edition unicorn frappe." Kane smiled. That frappe was notorious for all of its ingredients and Kane was the only employee that could make it in less than a minute. He understood what she was saying and she was right. He was already getting stuck in his own insecurities and the date hadn't even started yet. Last Friday he had somehow let go of all that for a time and enjoyed himself. That was the main reason he felt like it was a different Kane. But maybe...

Maybe, he could do it again, maybe he could let go of all those anxious thoughts for a time again, maybe lightning could strike twice. Being hopeful for the alternative, for something better and greater, sounded a lot better than resigning himself to fear. But could he do it?

"I'll... try." he said as he gripped his hands together. Gale nodded before clicking her beak together. She stood and headed back towards the kitchen. She patted his shoulder.

"Just be you. You're great and if he can't see that, screw him." She said as she walked off. Kane smiled at her back. He did feel better, a little more sure of himself. More sure that being here wasn't a mistake or a dream.

"Thank you, Gale." He said to her back as she walked off. She flashed another peace sign to him and slipped behind the counter.

Kane looked at the walls, the fractal, abstract patterns and colors would help inspire him if he was here to sketch. He loved the colors and textures where every wall was different, he switched what tables he sat at so he could admire them from different angles. He wondered who was the artist that painted the interior. Kane wanted to meet them and ask them how they designed their work. The humdrum of voices around him finally met his ears after he had been tuning it out for the last fifteen minutes, the sound of people, of meetings, of companionship. Kane felt connected to the aura that permeated the space and felt a strange sense of peace. Even if he wasn't great at conversation and communication, there was a sense of belonging here in the sea of consciousness. The waves of anthro connection that rippled from each table that he absorbed. It felt peaceful, it was one of the reasons he loved this place. He felt, for lack of a better word, normal here.

He was so lost in his moment of calm in the storm that he didn't notice the time nor the presence that walked up behind him. A new storm that approached, one more enjoyable.

"Well, well. Here you are." Kane flung himself around to look at him, the alligator that was now here. Deacon had a smile on his face, his eyes mirthful as he gazed at the sitting rhino. He was wearing a yellow graphic tee showing a star with a graffiti "stellar" word and some black cargo shorts. The ensemble looked really nice and complimented his natural green scales well. He looked so comfortable, brimming with confidence.

"Oh! He he, Hi Deacon." Kane responded with a nervous chuckle. He looked good, well he always looked good to Kane, but the knowledge that he was looking good for their date made the attraction even greater.

"Have you been waiting long?" Deacon asked as he slid into the seat opposite of Kane.

"Oh me? Pshh, nah. I only got here like five minutes ago" he lied, badly. Deacon raised an eyebrow at the fumbling rhino, a silent call on his bluff. "Well, alright. Like maybe closer to ten" Deacon cocked his head to the side and crossed his arms.

"Kane, be honest." He said knowingly. Kane scratched his neck.

"Okay, maybe twenty." He finally admitted. His face's blush was back.

"Nervous?"

"I was, but..." he sighed out his nervous energy, "I mean, you're here now, and I'm here now. That's what matters, right?" Deacon smiled sweetly.

"Right!" The pair smiled at each other for a moment. "You look... good." He said.

"Thanks, would you believe that I didn't know what to wear?" Kane responded.

"Ha, same, bro!" Deacon said while rolling his eyes, "I just kinda had to throw this on and run out the door." He said while pulling his shirt collar.

"Really? You expect me to believe you just threw that on and came here?" Kane responded incredulously.

"What? Is there something wrong with it?" He said looking down at his outfit.

"Uh, no. The opposite, in fact. You look really cool and put together. I'm jealous actually." Kane admitted.

"Oh! Well, are you sure it isn't my naturally good looks?" The gator said with a smirk and a wink. Kane snorted and shook his head, there it was. The natural charisma that leaked from every pore on his body. A body that drew the eyes and an ego that drew the heart, a wonderfully, frustratingly perfect combination.

"God, your ego. How do you put up with yourself?"

"Well it has some perks." He responded as he leaned forward and rested his elbow on the table.

"Oh yeah, like?"

"It gets me dates with handsome rhinos for one." The flirt was smooth, it sent tingles down Kane's spine and he felt his heart stutter a little.

"Well, that sounds like a good perk." Kane breathlessly responded. Deacon chuckled, clearly aware of the effect it had on the rhino. He leaned back in his seat and glanced up towards the menu.

"Switching gears. It's not a coffee date without coffee. What do you suggest, Mr. Barista?" He asked. Kane followed his gaze to the menu.

"Anything but the unicorn frappe." Kane responded.

The two got their drinks: Kane got a refill on his chai with a shot of apple syrup and Deacon chose a sweetened tea with lemon. Kane was more than willing to pay before Deacon swooped in and placed a 20$ note on the counter before Kane even got his wallet out.

"I invited you out, I'll pay." He said matter-of-factly.

"My, it seems chivalry isn't dead." Kane sarcastically responded while he stuffed his wallet away.

"Well, as I like to say. My momma raised a gentleman." He replied with a flourish as he placed his hand on his chest. Kane met eyes with Gale who took their orders and they exchanged a smile.

"We'll have that right out for you two" she said as she passed Deacon his change.

"Thank you" he said pleasantly as he put most of it into the tip jar. They shuffled off to the side as the crew went about making their order. Kane was watching Gale and one other employee work on their order as they moved about the space. It was an odd dance where they weaved passed and around each other to grab what they needed. The late afternoon sun coming in from the window arced the scene in a golden yellow light. It reflected off the many shiny surfaces and into Kane's observant eyes. The shadows were just as vibrant as they crossed the floor. Dark specters of limbs phased around as the two handled cups, lids, and bottles. It was quite a shame that Kane didn't bring his sketchbook and colored pencils, but there were other things to focus on now. Kane glanced over at Deacon who had a sly smile on his face as he side-eyed the rhino.

"What?" He asked under the scrutiny.

"You have the look." He said.

"What kind of look?"

"It's your artsy look." Deacon said as he turned and grabbed a couple straws from the counter. "You have it when you look at something you find interesting. I imagine you are trying to remember it for later so you can stretch it."

"Well, I was. I have a look?"

"For sure, dude. It's like a quiet intensity. You grow still and your eyes get focused and it seems like you're tuning out everything else. Even me." He added the last bit a little mockingly with an eye raised as he fiddled with the straws in his hands.

"I'm sorry. Were you saying something? I didn't mean to ignore you, it just. It was- you know." He said quickly.

"Naw, man, don't apologize. You just see the world differently than me. I can only imagine what your drawings are like. If only you showed anyone." He said with a nudge to Kane's forearm.

"Hehe, yeah. Well, they're not that good. I doubt you'd like them." Kane said abashedly.

"Pfft, I highly doubt that. But, you know, if you ever feel like sharing, I'd be down to look at them." He said as Gale placed their drinks in front of them. Kane nodded his thanks as they went back to their table. He sat down and took a straw that Deacon offered. He sipped his chai slowly, trying to savor this one, especially with the apple syrup. Deacon did the same and took a big swig before releasing a satisfied "ahhhhhh".

"That is delicious tea." He said as he looked at his cup.

"Right! Love the stuff." Kane said.

"I can see why you spend so much time here, bro." He said as he looked around the cafe. "It's got a good vibe."

"Yeah, you know, I like the energy. I spent so long here that one day they asked if I was interested in working here. And, uh, I said yes." He said.

"Is that really what happened? You said yes to that? I don't believe it, bro." He said while shaking his head. Kane laughed.

"Yeah, well. I was sort of too nervous to say no." Kane said as he shied into his chair. Deacon stared at him for a moment. He busted out laughing, full on body heaving laughs, he slammed his fist on to the tables. The reaction was absolutely unexpected, Kane immediately noticed the stares from the other guests at the cafe and wanted to just sink into the floor. He covered his face with his hands. Deacon was almost falling out of his chair before he righted himself up. All the while still failing to contain his laughter. It would have been infectious, had it not been at Kane's expense.

"No fucking way," he started between deep breaths and trying to get air into his lungs. "No way, there's no way you got a job by being too shy to say no. No way, bro. Oh, no way!" Deacon's grin was as wide as his face as he looked at Kane. The rhino just sort of shrugged at his remarks. 'Oh God. Please let it end.' he silently begged.

"Because that is the most Kane thing I've ever heard. That's awesome! Bro landed a job at his favorite spot since he was given an offer he literally couldn't refuse. That's amazing! I still don't believe it, but that's so amazing. Ahh, that's incredible!" Deacon was just chuckling now, holding his chest as his breathing got back to normal.

"It's not that amazing." Kane countered, peeking out from his cocoon of arms.

Deacon just stared at him with half closed eyes and a side smile. "Seriously, bro?"

"I'm not-" Kane stopped himself. A stray look over at Gale behind the counter reminded him of their conversation earlier. He was feeling himself spiral, it was always like this when he received praise. He was quick to deflect it back and deny it. All of the other thoughts and feelings in his mind jumped in and tried to force their way to attention. 'While you're with him, be with him' Kane thought. "Do you... really think I'm amazing?" He sat up as straight as he could and gripped his knees with his hands.

"Yo, my man Kane here? He's the best! Bar none. He'd absolutely be the one to get a job by enjoying a place. I'm really happy for you!" He said, his toothy smile across his face. He looked so genuine, so honest. It soothed Kane's tumultuous heart, a port in the storm. He smiled shyly back at Deacon, as he tried to take the praise. "Though, I have to ask." He stared, "Are you... okay? Doing a job like this? I imagine you need to talk to a lot of strangers, bro." It was a valid question, anyone who knew Kane knew that he wasn't the most conversational, especially with people he didn't know.

"Well, at first, it was hard, you know. And now, it's still hard, but I'm getting better, I think" Kane said, trying to give an honest answer. It was hard, it grated on his energy with every customer he interacted with. While he didn't initiate conversation, he tried his best to respond appropriately and work on his customer service skills. He still much preferred to work on the drinks and let people like Gale take the brunt of customer interaction. But still, he hasn't quit because of it.

Deacon's smile smoothed a bit and his eyes became more tender. He looked just plain old happy for Kane. "That's awesome, bro." He said softly. Kane grabbed his drink to take a sip. The sweet apple and chai danced on his taste buds, if he added cinnamon syrup he could have pretended he was drinking apple pie. Deacon followed as the conversation petered out.

Kane took the moment to assess how it's going. They were hanging out, talking to each other, enjoying a drink, Deacon was laughing at Kane, it was going, well, normal..?

Like, it felt so natural, like they were just hanging out together, like they've done for years, and it made Kane feel odd. Like it was nice, but it was their default. There wasn't the something more that Kane was expecting, that fluttering feeling in his stomach, the tingles of new love that he heard about in books and movies, that first date feeling where friends become something more. And Kane wasn't sure how to feel about it. 'Am I overthinking? Probably.' he told himself, but it didn't alleviate the problem at hand. Which, of course, was that there wasn't a problem at hand. 'This is nice, why am I making up a problem if there isn't one?' he scrunched his brow. He looked at Deacon who was looking around the cafe while sipping his tea. He looked just so.. the same as always. 'Maybe I'm the problem?' he thought. And it started sapping his confidence. He didn't hear it when Deacon asked him something.

"Huh? What? Sorry, I missed that." He replied as he snapped back his attention.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go on a walk. The park's right there and maybe we could even go up to the lookout point?" Deacon asked with a shrug.

"Oh, umm, yeah. I'm down to walk." He said enthusiastically as it would be a good distraction from his not-problems. They got up and grabbed their drinks and walked out. The late afternoon sun was still warm and Kane was happy the drink in his hand was still cold. The rhino squinted as his eyes adjusted from the softer light indoors to the bright outdoors. Deacon was walking across the street and Kane followed after him.

Passing into the park, they were under leaves and branches from tall oak trees. The dry leaves under foot crunched with their steps and the shade provided them shelter from the sun above. A dozen or so people were out and about with the two of them. A family at the playground, friends having a chat around a picnic table, a pair on a bench, all living their lives and unconcerned with the going ons of other people enjoying the space with them. The smell of nature pulled into his nostrils as he was already a little winded from Deacon's slightly faster gait that he was trying to emulate.

"So," Deacon started after they had been walking in silence for a bit, "what's up with you?" He asked.

"Umm, not much, just here walking with you." Kane responded.

"That's not quite what I meant, bro." The gator said, turning to Kane. "You've been, uhh, quiet, or uh, more quiet than usual the last few minutes. Something on your mind?" Kane's ear flicked a little in annoyance. 'Have I really been quiet? I guess so.' he thought to himself. He'd been trying to puzzle out his feelings about the date for a while now and guessed that he'd been preoccupied on that instead of the date itself. 'I'm spiraling.' he told himself. He breathed in and let it out slowly.

"How are you feeling? You know, about our date so far?" He asked. Kane figured that maybe he should gauge what Deacon was thinking about it, maybe it would help him sort through his own chaotic emotions.

"I'm having a great time, bro. Got a delicious tea," he held up his cup as he took a swig, "the weather isn't too bad under these trees, and you're here. I'm feeling great. Why? Are you, are you not having a good time?" His tone shifted to concern as he asked about Kane. 'No, I am!' he wanted to immediately respond but he hesitated a moment. He felt Deacon's eyes on him but he couldn't meet them.

"It's not that I'm, you know, not having fun with you. I just, it feels, I don't know, normal" he said back he was looking at the ground as they walked around the park. Deacon was leading them towards the stairs that would take them up the hill and to the lookout point.

"Normal? You mean like any other day?" He asked.

"Yeah. Like, if we haven't called this a date, it would just be another hangout. I don't know if that makes sense." He admitted back to the gator. They were at the base of the stairs leading up but Deacon waited at the bottom step.

"I'm sorry, not to sound like I'm changing the subject but I wanted to check if you're okay going up the stairs." He said while thumbing behind him. Kane looked up the eye of the hill. It wasn't steep, but it sure was a lot of steps. Kane was already hot and huffing lightly from the walk. He was glad that Deacon took a moment to check in with him before starting up.

After considering a moment he said, "Let me just catch my breath on that bench for a moment." He said as he pointed to a faded green seat near the base. Deacon nodded and sat down while Kane followed him. Kane sipped the last precious few fluid ounces of cold nectar from his cup, trying to keep the taste in his tongue as long as he could. The outside of the cup was wet with condensate and Kane had a sudden realization that he was probably getting sweaty too. 'Just another thing to worry about." He thought resigned. Deacon was making faces and looked like he was in thought about something.

Eventually he started, "Is it that it doesn't feel like a date, or that the date isn't romantic?" Kane considered the question before answering.

"I guess, a little of both. Like, don't get me wrong, I am having fun. But, like, it's the same fun I had at your party Friday or if we went to a movie with your friends or, heck, just if I wanted to meet and have a drink with you. It's so.. normal."

"Hmm. I get exactly what you mean, bro. It feels just like any other time we hang out." Kane nodded solemnly. 'So he's feeling the exact same as me.' Kane concluded he looked at the ground. A green leaf skirted along the ground as a slight breeze pushed it along. Kane's breath returned but he felt so conflicted in his heart. 'Maybe we're too close for this?' he considered. It hurt to think but his anxious mind couldn't help it. "But, you know, bro. Maybe that's not a bad thing for us." The statement pulled Kane up and he looked at Deacon. He was looking at the sky before turning his head slightly to smile at the rhino.

"What do you mean?" The nervous rhino asked

"Have you been on a date before, bro?" He asked, fully knowing the answer. Kane shook his head. "Me neither, so I honestly could not tell you what a date should be like." He reached out for Kane's empty cup and tossed it and his own into the trashcan next to them. "But, I like you. I like this too" he pointed between the two of them, "I'd rather keep this, then try and make it something it's not. Or try too hard to force something." He stood up and stretched his arms above his head. Kane wished his eyes hadn't flicked right to his midriff as his shirt pulled an inch higher. He quickly looked back up to Deacon's face but the raised eyebrow and mischievous smile the gator had noticed. He continued all the same, "But that doesn't mean that this is all we'll be. Honestly, bro, I was feeling the same thing. Like we were just going through the motions, but then you admitted to feeling like me. And I realized, well, it takes time. Like, what, two days ago we were only friends and now we're on a date. That's crazy, bro." Kane had to agree. Two days isn't really a lot of time for anything.

"Like we took a big step forward, so let's just, keep focus on the next step." He reached out a hand to Kane. Kane blinked a bit and reached out too. Deacon's hand gripped his wrist and pulled him up from the bench. The gator headed to the first step. "Speaking of steps, you ready?" He asked.

"Yeah, yeah I am." The rhino responded.

The view at the top was wonderful. The sky's colors were turning vibrant shades of orange and yellows as they reached the top. A few hundred feet off the ground and the view of the town was amazing. Shadows stretched from houses as the setting sun made them grow. Cars looked like little ants, ferrying their passengers towards home. It was quite a perspective. Kane hasn't been up here in years and was regretting it. If he hadn't missed out on bringing his sketchbook before he definitely was now. Kane was leaning on the safety rail as he took deep breaths. He needed to stop once or twice on the way up, but Deacon didn't mind. The gator was next to him and appreciating the same sight.

"Wow," Kane praised breathlessly.

"You said it, dude." Deacon agreed.

They continued to stand in silence as the setting sun crept lower and lower towards the horizon, both of them admiring the beauty in the moment. It soothed Kane's heart and soul, up here he could imagine his problems were far away and he could just enjoy the moment, the moment with Deacon. He was less than a foot away. The presence was nice, he was happy for the advice at the bottom of the stairs. It really recontextualized what Kane was thinking. 'Maybe that's what Gale was talking about. Being with Deacon also means not putting too many expectations on it either.' Kane did just want to enjoy himself. He wanted to be better at accepting what was happening in the moment. "It takes time" as Deacon said. 'Well, I can do it.' he told himself.

Kane glanced over to Deacon and found the swimmer looking back at him. A sly smile on his face. His eyes glowed in the magic hour light. Kane raised an eyebrow in a silent question.

"You got a look again." He said.

"My artsy look?" Kane offered a guess. Deacon shook his head.

"No, a different one. Not sure what this one is, but it looks good on you." He said

"I think, it's my happy where I am look." Kane offered as he turned towards his date.

"Oh, yeah? Is it the view?" Deacon asked.

"Well, something has caught my eye, that's for sure." He said as he looked right into Deacon's eyes. He hoped it came off like the flirt he wanted it to be.

"Oooh, Ceros. You didn't tell me you've got lines." He responded.

"Really, bro? My sketchbook's full of them."

"Oh, he's got jokes too. The full package, then." Deacon chuckled at his own quip. Deacon turned to lean his back on the railing and looked the other way. Kane followed suit and turned away from the view. "Me too, by the way." Deacon said a moment later.

"Hmm?"

"I'm happy to be here too. With you, bro." He said. He was looking at the ground and had an arm across his body. He looked sheepish, but he had a pleasant smile on his face. Kane nudged his arm.

"Hey now, being a nervous wreck is my thing. You're supposed to be the confident one." Deacon snorted.

"You're right, bro." he said as he turned back towards the vista.

They sat in silence, the sun was passing into the horizon. Kane was happy. He let his smile free and gazed across the world. Deacon pulled out his phone after a bit.

"Hey, I have an idea. Let's take a picture together, to remember our first date." Kane didn't have a chance to respond and just reacted as Deacon lifted his phone in the air and pressed the shutter button. Deacon brought it down to look at the picture and started laughing.

"What?" He asked, feeling self-conscious. The gator turned his phone over to Kane to show him the picture and the rhino's fears were realized. Deacon looked good, his smile was on point, which made sense since he was prepared for the photo. Kane, on the other hand, looked surprised and it wasn't a flattering face either. He cringed at the photo.

"Delete it! Let's take a better one." He practically begged.

"Hmmm, no. I like this one." Deacon denied. He pulled his phone away from Kane who lunged for it, trying to get rid of the evidence.

"Deacon, please!" He did beg.

"Look, if you want I'll take a good photo on your phone. But this one," he tapped his phone, "this one's mine." Kane pouted at his date, who only coyly smiled in return as he put his phone back into his pocket. As it became clear it wasn't going to convince Deacon otherwise, Kane sighed and pulled his own phone out. He shook his head as he pulled open his camera app and put it into selfie mode.

"Seriously, Deacon. Make it a good photo, please."

"On my pride as a swimmer." He said as he lifted a hand. Kane had to take him at his word. He lifted his phone to the side as Deacon shuffled into view next to him. The gator leaned over the taller rhino's shoulder. True to his word, Deacon was being serious about it. Kane smiled, Deacon smiled, Kane snapped the photo. And felt a peck on his cheek? He turned to look at Deacon. It was only then he realized how close together their faces were. He could hear Deacon's breath, look right into his eyes, feel him on his back. Kane could swear his eye was twinkling in the fading light. Kane flipped to his camera roll to look at the picture he took.

There he was staring right at the camera, a big grin on his face. To his side was a green gator leaning over to peck his cheek. 'Oh God. He kissed me!' Kane realized. It was a perfect shot, right as his lips pressed into the rhino's cheek. He snapped the phone to his chest, an instinctive response to keep it safe. His heart started jack hammering in his chest.

"Hmm, you looked pretty handsome in that photo. That other guy, though, he seemed pretty distracted by something." Deacon teased.

"Deacon... I, you." Kane couldn't form words.

"Actually, can we retake that? I think I blinked."

"What!!? No!" Kane said, pulling his phone away from Deacon's hand.

"Oh, you're good with it? Then I guess I get to keep mine." He said as he patted his pocket where his phone laid. "No take backs now."

"You kissed me?" Kane finally said. Deacon who had been wearing a face of mischief suddenly looked sheepish and turned to look out the side of the point. Not meeting Kane's gaze.

"Yeah, uh, was that okay? I didn't ask but I just kinda saw the opportunity and went for it." His eyes were skittering all around the scene. Kane noticed a reddening around his cheeks, was he actually embarrassed? Kane smiled and felt a touch of blush on his own cheeks. The normally confident gator looked so sweet like this. Kane stepped up next to him, their hands were close on the rail.

"Well, that sounds exactly like you, see the opportunity and take it." Kane said.

"Yeah, sure, but what if you-. You know what if-"

"Deacon.." Kane said softly. He saw Deacon turn towards him a little. "I thought it was sweet." The rhino said with a smile. "I told you yesterday, the way you jump towards what you want is part of your charm."

"You think I'm charming?" He asked a wiry smile on his lips. Kane suppressed a snort, as much as he wanted to stroke his ego he wanted to get something off his chest.

"I think, you're amazing. I think you just have this great amount of self-confidence. I sure don't have anywhere near as much. And... it sometimes, lots of times, holds me back. I mean, it's like you said, we've gone from friends with crushes on each other to this date in just two days? That's quick, but if it was just me. I have no idea how long it would have taken to get to this point." Deacon was holding on to every word Kane said with a quiet intensity. Kane continued, "So, I think you're amazing, I think you show me a world where I don't have to overthink, over analyze, or obsess over every decision I've ever made or will make." Kane gestured out over the land for emphasis. "I think you said it best at the bottom of the stairs, 'focus on the next step', right? Well keep doing that, and I'll.. I'll do the same, like this." The rhino edged his hand over and on top of Deacon's. He seemed shocked at first when they first made contact, but he quickly relaxed as Kane's broad mitt of a hand dwarfed over Deacon's slender ones.

"Kane.." he said softly while looking at their hands. Kane smiled at the gator, but his own heart was beating very quickly. He talked a big game but he was still quite nervous. He felt his heart race and became very aware of how sweaty his hand was. Part of him wanted to pull away, but another part of him, a louder part of him, held his ground. 'I can do this, I can do this.' he repeated over and over in his head. Eventually, Deacon's hand rotated under Kane's. His scales rubbed across Kane's skin and tickled his palms. Their fingers interlocked there on the rail as they held each other's hand. Their reverent silence stretched between them as they focused on their touch. Seconds turned into a minute.

"Yeah, this is nice." Deacon finally said. "This feels so nice."

"It feels.. right." Kane offered.

"Yeah, bro. Now, not to one-up you but I'm going to do this!" He said as he shuffled over closer to the rhino until their sides were touching. Deacon then leaned over so that his head rested on Kane's shoulder. The touch along his flank sent little sparks across Kane's body, the feeling of weight resting on his shoulder felt comforting. Their hands were still grasped together on the rail. The feeling of being near Deacon, of holding Deacon, shattered all the worrisome thoughts left in Kane's head. Following his partner's lead, the taller rhino rested his head against the gators. A calmness spread over him, just like the calm that spread over the town as they sat and watched the sun set on the world.

They didn't spend too much longer up there, it was a school night for the both of them, but that time, they spent it together.