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Max was nervous. More than nervous. He was the biggest bag of nerves tied up with nerves and nerves on the side. He was jumping out of his skin, he was so nervous. Had been ever since he’d gotten the message. Gosalyn had shaken her head fondly and kissed him, telling him he would be fine and to stop worrying so much.
Or, more accurately, to stop being a wimp.
After all, Negaduck only wanted to talk to him.
Alone.
In the Negaverse.
What was there to be worried about?
It wasn't like he'd never been there alone before. Wasn't like he'd never spoken with Negaduck alone before.
Heck, he’d sparred with Negaduck during his training. He’d gotten comfortable in his presence.
But there was one crucial difference between this time and all the others he’d spent in the Negaverse.
This time, Max was marrying Gosalyn. Negaduck's Baby Girl.
And while he'd had the ‘Negaduck shovel talk’ while he was dating Gos, he had a feeling that this time was going to be different.
Oh, he didn't have any proof that that was what was going to take place, but he had an idea that was where it would lead.
An idea mainly brought on because of how Gosalyn had described her last encounter with Negaduck.
So, yeah. Nerves. Max had bags full of them.
He stopped at the frost covered, crumbling gate posts in front of the icy, cracked path that led to the ominously normal looking door. He felt suddenly like a fly willingly entering a spider's parlour. He gulped and took a deep steadying breath, letting it out in a long, slow mist.
With a confidence he didn't feel, he strode up to the door, raising a fist to knock, and proceeded to all but jump six foot into the air when it was wrenched open.
"So, finally made the decision to actually come to the door, huh? Thought you were frozen solid." Max let out a shaky laugh, rubbing a hand against the back of his neck.
"Heh, yeah." Negaduck simply looked at him, his expression revealing nothing of what he was thinking. And then went back inside with a dramatic swish of black cape. Max followed after, making sure to close the door behind him.
He found Negaduck standing in the front room, arms folded and feet planted shoulder width apart. He tipped his head forward, glaring at the younger male, blood red fedora almost hiding his eyes.
The effect was really quite intimidating, and Max felt a chill run down his spine that had nothing to do with the winter weather.
Negaduck meant business.
He swallowed again, feeling very much like a specimen pinned flat to a tray under Negaduck's scrutiny. He opened his mouth to speak, just to fill the silent void, stopping when Negaduck raised a hand.
"You don't talk until I'm done. You just listen. And you listen carefully, because I'm only going to say this once. Got it?" Max nodded, mouth going dry. This was nothing at all like their first meeting. This was Negaduck deadly serious.
Emphasis on the deadly.
"Gosalyn is very precious to me. Very precious. She's the only decent thing I have in my life." Max smiled. He knew that already. The smile fell when he caught the dark glower in the duck's eyes.
"So, you'd better do right by her. You'd better take damn good care of her."
"I will…"
"What the hell did I say about staying quiet?" His voice was calm, but his eyes were sharp as knives. Not a good combination. Max made a show of clamping his mouth shut. Negaduck nodded once and continued.
"You take damn good care of her. Because if you hurt her, in any way, I will know about it. And they won't find your body. Am I clear?" His voice had lowered to an audible growl. Max gulped again.
"Yeah. Got it." Negaduck smirked, his stance relaxing. Max let out the breath he didn't realise he was holding.
"Good. Now, let's get to why I really asked you here. Take a seat." Max sprang towards the sofa, sitting on the edge. Negaduck perched himself on the arm of the armchair. He smirked again at the tension in the young male's body. Like he was about to take flight at any given moment.
"Relax, kid. I'm done menacing you. Had to get my point across." Max nodded and settled back slightly. "Besides, Gos'd have my head if I hurt you before the big day."
Max allowed himself a laugh at that, relaxing with Negaduck’s recognisable humour.
"Yeah, she'd probably have mine, too, for allowing it to happen." The duck's smirk widened.
"True enough. Our girl's a fiery one. Strong, determined. Knows what she wants."
"And how to get it." Negaduck hummed, eyes glazing in memory. How true that statement was. To think, just over a decade ago, she'd put a plan in motion that entwined their fates so completely, it was like they'd never been apart. She'd gotten exactly what she wanted, and more.
And he'd gotten precisely what he'd never realised he'd needed.
He became serious again as he pushed a hand in a hidden pocket and brushed a finger over a leather box. The same one that he’d pulled from the case in his bedroom.
"Has...has Gos got a ring yet?" He asked after a moment of consideration. Max sighed and pushed a hand through his hair. Clearly, this particular topic was causing some...issues.
"We've been looking. We just can't seem to find the right one. They're all either too big or too small or too…commercial, I think the last one was. Gos is trying to find the one that 'speaks' to her." Negaduck's hand closed around the box in his pocket, pulling it free of the confines.
"I might have a suggestion. Up to the both of you if you use it or not." He stroked the battered black leather, almost lovingly. Max watched him closely. Without a word, Negaduck handed it over. Upon opening the box, Max sat stunned.
A diamond ring twinkled in the light, four small, square cut emeralds sitting either side, set into the metal.
They were the same shade as Gosalyn's eyes, he realised with a smile.
It was neither too big nor too small, classic in its simplicity. It was obviously very well loved and cared for, the metal shining brightly as if newly polished. It was perfect.
"It's beautiful," Max managed to gasp out. He pointedly didn’t notice the minuscule smile that graced Negaduck’s beak.
"Yeah. It is."
"Where…?"
"It was my… my mother's. It's about the only thing I have left of her except memories." His eyes glazed over slightly, seeming to become a little distant, images from the past dancing behind them.
He remembered how he'd accepted it from her, promising to always look after it. He also remembered how Stellar had flown into a drunken, violent rage one day after she’d died and took a knife to her wedding dress, shredding it with shout after enraged shout. Young Drake had hidden himself away, thankful that he'd taken the ring before Stellar could destroy that too.
He shook off the painful memory and focused back on the young man in front of him.
"I...I don't know what to say...this is… this is really big."
"Not that big. It's an average size, really," he stated with a shrug. He was trying to come across as nonchalant, even though something was tearing in his chest at seeing the ring handled by someone other than himself.
"No, not the ring. I mean, this. This whole thing is...it's huge. Gos will be so happy you've given your blessing." Negaduck snorted.
"God, you really are a sap, aren't you? It's just a ring!" Max looked at him knowingly.
"But it's not just a ring. It's your mother's ring. It's sentimental to you. It's like… like giving away a piece of your heart." Negaduck blinked. Damn, but the kid was observant.
And he was right.
It was something very special to him, and it was taking a lot to give it away.
But this guy was marrying his most prized of treasures.
So really, it wasn't that hard at all.
"Still think you're overthinking it. But sure. Now go on, scram. Don't want Gos thinking you've been murdered or I'll never hear the end of it." Max smiled, reverently closing the box and pushing it in his pocket.
"I'll take good care of it. And of her. I swear on my life."
"You'd better, because that's what it'll cost you if you don't. On both counts. Now amscray." Max did, much more relaxed than when he arrived. Negaduck watched him leave before making himself busy.
And when Gosalyn suddenly appeared a few hours later and threw herself into his arms with happy tears in her eyes and whispering 'thank you, Papa Wolf', he knew he'd made the right decision.