Arrow Lake if you see me comin', you'd better step aside

@Remy; set shortly after this thread.

Day was back to feeling worried and irritated, but the new lack of tension in his body lent him fresh reserves of patience. They'd get back eventually, and it was best they had a Plan before they got there. So he didn't snap at Remy to hurry up or quit wasting time. In fact, Day himself slowed down, chuffing at his new partner-in-crime to signal a break in their march back toward home.

"We should probably decide how much we're going to tell everyone," he sighed, looking Easthollow's direction. Nothing at all would be optimal, of course, but he needed to know that Remy could keep a secret. And if he couldn't, then they really needed a plan. Steady had been lenient once, but Day didn't want to press his luck.

Remy was living on Cloud 9 — he'd needed the relief for a while, and his mystery woman had come in at just the right time. With each stride came a burst of confidence and euphoria, as though he were once again a child. That is, until Grayday spoke up, asking about how much they would share. I assumed we weren't telling anyone anything. Is that what they did at Easthollow? Shared their intimate stories in some wierd show-and-tell circle? Remy's face showed obvious confusion, though he said nothing else.

"That was the plan," he admitted, relief flooding through his system. He wasn't sure what else he thought Remy's plans could have been. Maybe, like Day, he would've tried to explain things to Steady, to seek an understanding before he sought Amber out again. "And what about the woman - will you look for her again?" he wondered, trying to keep his tone neutral. He would be disappointed, to be sure, but in that case, he didn't know whether or not he'd follow through on his promise. He wouldn't tell Steady, that was for sure.

Remy flicked out his tongue to lick at his nose and considered what Grayday was asking. Would Remy look for her? He wasn't quite sure. Where things were going in that moment, he thought the answer to be no, but he knew that once his high faded, that answer might change. No, he told Day, going with the answer he thought to be the most appropriate. He wouldn't want to worry him with his inner conflicts when he knew there were so many other things to worry about. No, I won't.

Day gave Remy a long, measuring look. No, he said, but Day knew what men did for their children, real or not. Part of him wondered if he would return. The woman had smelled familiar - the same pack-scent as another he'd encountered, many months ago. It wouldn't be difficult to track down that pack, to ask after the woman, to see the pup she was bound to bear... he wondered what he'd do, if one of them looked like him.

"I want to ask you to tell me, if that changes," he said after a moment. "For this, I won't judge you, Remy. How can I? But if you do go, I... well, I'd like to know. Maybe I would visit, too."

He didn't know why they were talking about this. This was dangerous, and if he knew what was good for them, Day would leave it at no and hope it never came up again.

"But you're right. It would be best if neither of us went back."

Remy spoke no words, but offered a simple nod of his head instead. If things changed in the months to come, he wouldn't hesitate to tell Grayday. He just hoped that there wouldn't be a reason for him to. It was only a one night stand, after all. And sure, he had a chance at siring a child via the sylph, but if she'd been so open to the two of them mating with her, who's to say she hadn't responded the same to others? No. Remy decided then and there that he wouldn't waste his thoughts on such a questionable outcome. Rather, he wished to focus on getting home.

Day gave the other male one last once-over before looking back to the trail, ready to head home. His tail wagged absently at the thought of getting back into the territory. They hadn't been gone long at all, but it was still long enough that he worried for his family - the kids especially.

"Well, there's another story I'm never going to tell my kids," he said with a wry chuckle, still trotting jauntily east. "Next time I need a lay, I might look a little closer to home. I gotta stop leaving those two with Krypton every other day." He was not feeling particularly chatty, but there was a certain kinship he now felt with Remy that made him want to get to know the other male better.

Haven't met her, Remy said in reference to Krypton. He hadn't met Grayday's pups either, though he didn't much long to see any young faces for a while. Anybody caught your eye? Remy was enamored by the ever timid Mara Susi, which only made him feel worse about his and Grayday's recent endeavors.

Day sighed, thinking of Adeline. "Yeah," he admitted, perhaps a little shortly. He made and effort to soften his voice when he next spoke: "Things are complicated," he murmured. "It's not a good idea for me to get involved with anyone."

If he did, he'd only end up hurting them. He wasn't going to fool himself into think he'd ever be able to choose another girl over Adeline. "What about you?" he wondered, glancing toward the male. Was Remy running from his troubles as well?

Remy sighed in agreement; things certainly were a bit more complicated than he would've liked. Yeah man, I feel that. He liked Mara quite a lot — he was enamored by her, even — though he wouldn't want to hurt her, should something like this happen again. He was a man of little consideration when it came to temptation, so perhaps a relationship wasn't the best option for him. It's nothing. Remy looked down at his paws and then back up, taking in a strong inhale and allowing the chilled air to sting his nostrils. You've got kids, then? Don't think I've met 'em.

Seemed like he wasn't the only one with a shady love-life. Well, he could've guessed that by last night either way, but having it confimed was something of a relief to the sterling male. "What the pack doesn't know can't hurt them," he said after a moment, and the words tasted like acid in his mouth, but he knew that it was true. They'd sinned, but not against Steady. Not unless they went back.

"Yeah, two of 'em," he replied, a ghot of a smile crossing his face. "You'll know 'em if you see 'em. Look just like me and all."