Chapter Text
…
*beep*
A muffled groan.
*beep* *beep*
Sheets rustling.
*beep* *beep* *beep*
“ALRIGHT, THAT'S ENOUGH.”
A disgruntled, disheveled border collie arises from his bed, vision still fuzzy. The beeping noise of the alarm next to him souring his mood in a swift manner. He mumbles something under his breath and gets up, quickly turning off his alarm and checking his bedroom window.
“Mmm, shouldn't have expected anything.”
Expectedly it was dark, but the night felt different, almost lively. It faintly reminded him of the color of the labrador that he was going to see in a few hours. As a result, even in his current gruff spirit, a tiny smile crept on his lips.
He sighs and turns around, only to be met with the sight of his bags—either open or closed—all over the floor. As he's about to reach over one of them and check its contents, a couple of knocks hit his door, with a soft voice coming from outside.
“Mackenzie, hun, are you awake?”
“Yes, mum.”
“Okay, breakfast is ready. Your friends texted me and said they'll be here in thirty.”
If Mackenzie still wasn't fully awake, hearing that sentence made him so—he did not expect for them to come this early.
“Alright.”
Once the noise of footsteps vanish, he proceeds to change into a fresh set of clothes he chose the night earlier: sweatpants, a t-shirt and a leather jacket. Since he's aware that it's currently summer in Canada and winter in his place, he goes for an outfit that wouldn’t leave him at the mercy of the weather of either place.
Mackenzie does one final quick inspection of his bags before retreating from his bedroom. Met with the incandescent warm orange lights of the hallway, he instinctively squints his eyes, adjusting with the sudden brightness.
As he's in the middle of walking down the stairs, he realizes he forgot something, foot stopping midair.
“Fuck, my phone.” He huffs, not keen on having to go up again.
Quickly grabbing the device from his nightstand, the collie walks down the stairs with a tingle of unease. As much as he wanted to visit his boyfriend again, going on an international flight alone—a transpacific one at that—made his stomach turn. Going through customs wasn't precisely a fun process for him, either.
As soon as he steps on the dining room, his pocket buzzes. “It must be them.” He said, unlocking the phone and opening the messaging app. Sure enough, it was their group chat, Bluey being the sender of the message. He reads the message as he settles down on the table whilst his mum serves breakfast.
Heeltsune Miku – 05:09 AM
hey sleepyhead! rusty overslept so well be there in like 20
🤪
Before he could think twice, his fingers were already tapping the keys.
マッケンジー – 05:10 AM
K.
Probably stayed late with Jack again.
Jack's fanboy – 05:11 AM
HEY
Mackenzie rolls his eyes before turning his focus at the table. His mum, who just finished setting the plates, sits down next to him, with his dad across the table reading yesterday's newspaper.
“Ay, g'day mate. Slept well?”
Mackenzie lets an audible grunt in response.
“Yeah, you could say so. I only slept a bloody four hours. I'll probably get eye bags once I arrive over there.”
“Oi, don't be so moody! At least ya will see your bloke. It almost reminds me of your mum when she came back from Wellington back in Auckland.”
“DAD!” He barks with an exasperated sigh, his mum shooting daggers at his dad. As an attempt to change the subject, she chimes in while he's eating.
“You've got your passports? ID, driver's license, bank cards?”
“Yes, and yes, and yes. I have everything packed.”
“I'm just worried you'll forget something or that you'll miss your flight.”
Mackenzie rolls his eyes, but no actual annoyance is present. “Tch, don't patronize me.”
Only a chuckle could be heard, followed by a head shake.
As the bantering comes to a close, replaced with the quiet eating of the three border collies, the anxieties that brought turmoil to the youngest one subside as well. He was still a bit on edge—most notable at his way of eating—but talking with his parents cooled down some of his concerns. At least, he was no longer visibly shaking.
That held true until he glanced over the clock, noticing it was five to a half.
“Wait, shit.” He says, not caring if his parents heard him or not. He could not afford to arrive late to the airport; he's heard too many horror stories of people losing their flights—he does not want to become another one.
He could barely mutter a “thank you” before bolting up the stairs, forgetting he still had some unfinished business to take care of.
A red metallic box sliding across the grey white-striped worm. Clear skies, verdancy as far as the eye could see, accompanied with yellow grass. A lone barn every once in a while, like an oasis in a desert.
“Welcome to Saskatchewan.
Land of Living Skies.”
Two midnight blue paws on the steering wheel, one tapping it in rhythm with the song playing on the car radio, which was sung by a Japanese female singer. The lab sings alongside the lyrics he could understand with his thick Quebec accent.
“Magic, magic, magic.”
A rhythmic hum.
“Watashi no love, love in labyrinth.”
Alongside the content singing, his thoughts always led to the same outcome: unable to wait any longer to see his collie. Just like his counterpart, the thought leaves his lips in an upcurve. Much to his dismay, however, he can't but have to stop in Calgary for the night; the previous one being in Winnipeg.
The light at the end of the tunnel was nearing though, that much he was sure.
Once Mackenzie does the final zips to his bags, he hurriedly turns back to the bathroom. Hospital white lights reflecting his image with the mirror before him.
It was him, really him. The ability to grasp all the events that led to this moment being almost incomprehensible. All the ups, all the downs. All the blessings, all the laments. Meeting the best dog he could ever ask for—as sappy as it sounded—at that camping Bluey invited him when they were twelve. It all culminated with this reflection.
Mackenzie's train of thought came to a screeching halt once slightly frantic knocking came from his right, ears perking up.
“Kenzie, love, Jack called me and said they'll be here in five.”
He sighs. No time for getting existential now.
“Coming!”
Not wasting any more time, the collie does his final cleaning routine before leaving the bathroom and starting to pick up the luggage to bring them downstairs. Once everything's in the living room, he plops on the couch, just waiting for the others to pick him up.
As he's starting to doomscroll, his mum decides to step in, in an attempt to get him out of the trance.
“You've got your boarding pass? I told you to print it.”
“Mum, I told you I can show it from my phone just fine.”
He realizes the choice of words could've come off as insensitive, quickly retracting into something more reassuring.
“Don't worry, I'll be okay… hopefully.”
She opens her muzzle as if to respond, but closes it afterwards. She exhales; she knows Mack has been a bit.. blunt ever since he was a kid. She can't do much to change him now, but she knows he means well at the end of the day.
His dad, who was silent until now, has a smirk growing on his face.
“So, how did ya fall for this Jean-Luc bloke? Everyone thought you fancied Bluey back in secondary.”
All that could be heard in the next few seconds were an exasperated sigh and the sound of arms falling on the cushions.
“Daaaaad…! I've told you before!”
Mackenzie, behind his annoyed facade, couldn't prevent his cheeks from getting red. Both of his parents cackle, with his dad being the louder one.
“Relax mate, just your old man taking you for a ride. We don't care who you like or date, we just want you to be happy with them and have a happy life.”
Mackenzie scoffs.
“You two are so sappy.”
“...But thanks.”
The moment he opens his phone to check for new messages, a pair of honks echo through the house, with the doorbell ringing.
“Oh, looks like they're here.” His mother says.
With the three of them standing up, both he and his dad start carrying the heavier bags onto the doorstep, while his mum opens the door for them. A witty blue heeler awaits at the door, with a grin so wide they were worried her muzzle would break.
“Well, look who we've got here!”
What she saw was nothing less of an indifferent face. She can't help but chuckle.
“Hey, quit that face! You know you're happy seeing me here.”
Mackenzie huffs, but not without his tail slightly wagging.
“Yeah, okay, if you say so. Mind if you help me with the bags?” He asks, stretching one of his arms so the heeler could grab one.
As the four approach the car, the young collie notices two silhouettes on the front seats. Shortly after, the window of the front passenger seat rolls down, revealing a russell terrier.
“Hi Mackenzie!” He says, with a tiny wave.
“Hey Jack, is your boyfriend there?”
The terrier's grin widens. “Yup, right here!” He exclaims, turning to look at the kelpie, with Mackenzie tilting his body so he could see clearly. Rusty, for some reason, was wearing sunglasses and a beret-like military hat. The kelpie turns and gives a salute towards the two, but mainly at the monochrome canine.
“Sup, mate.”
“Hey Rusty.” Mack says with a slightly amused headshake at how the kelpie looked. “Care to open the boot?”
“Of course.”
Once the backdoor is opened, Jack pushes his door open to help the two put the luggage in the trunk. Right before Mackenzie was about to put the first bag, he felt a paw on his shoulder and turned behind. He saw his mum with a slightly worried but warm face, his dad following behind.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” She asks, still unsure about her son traveling overseas. “It’s just…” She stops herself abruptly, shaking her head afterwards. “No, nevermind. It’s fine.”
Expectant of the usual huff, surprise washed over her face by seeing instead a deep sigh, eyes looking down with a contemplative gaze.
“Nah, you’re right. This… is scaringly new to me as well.”
A brief pause.
“...But by this point, it’s better to just dive and swim through the darkness rather than float motionless, ya know? Chickening out, especially to someone I haven't seen for so long, would be the last thing I’d do.” He says with an exhausted tune, still unable to make eye contact with his parents. “...I promised to him that we’d see each other eventually.”
Right before he could say anything else, a paw firmly but gently lands on his left shoulder, squeezing it slightly. Looking up, he noticed that it was his father, face unreadable like a doctor's handwriting. He initially was unsure of what else they were going to say next, but once he realized he was in good hands he felt a tingle of relief in his heart.
The older collie smiles.
“Listen, mate.
I know this is a big step for you. And while I may be too old to understand your feelings,” he chuckles sheepishly as he jokes. “I know that this is something you long wanted. You're still our kid after all, and we may worry about you a lot, but we'll always support you along the way. Whatever you choose now, we'll respect it. And I'm sure you'll have a great time over there anyway, so just go! He's waiting for you.”
Mackenzie can't help but feel touched at the words, a small chuckle and vision becoming blurry as a result of the glistening of his eyes. He smiles, before being pulled into an embrace by his mum.
“Be safe.”
“Will do, don't worry. And.. thanks, you two, for supporting me.”
“Anytime. That's why you're our son after all; we'll always be here for you.”
After the exchange of words, the two pull away with a smile plastered on their faces. However, their moment of bliss swiftly derailed once the car honked next to them.
“Oi Kenz! You coming or not?!”
He turns to them and closes the distance of his index finger and thumb before turning back to his parents. The three nod simultaneously as an unspoken farewell before the younger one finally approaches and opens the passenger’s door next to Bluey. Through the partially tinted windows Mackenzie gives a tiny wave back at his parents, with them waving back just in time before the car speeds off to the deserted streets of early morning.
The first minutes of driving were met with a particular silence that Mackenzie couldn't decipher if it was good or bad. It's not because there was any tension in the air—because he didn't feel any—but because nobody had asked him anything about the trip. Were they unsure about what to ask first? Or-
“...So how are you holding up? What are ya two gonna do over there?” Jack unknowingly interrupts his mind. Mackenzie leans against the window as he collects his thoughts.
“Eh, barely slept for four hours or so, I'm bloody tired. Hopefully I'll catch some more hours while I'm aboard. And to be honest I'm not sure what we'll do, he didn't tell me.”
Bluey raises an eyebrow. “He didn't tell you?”
“W-well, he did tell me we'll stay somewhere but didn't tell me where. Said that “I'll see” and that it's a “surprise””. A stammer escapes his lips—he hated those questions that felt confrontational to him, even if the asker says it isn't.
“Huh, that is very… unlike him.”
Met with silence, the two behind watch the city scenery unfolding before them on their respective sides. The windows turn wet with a million droplets racing to the bottom as an unexpected drizzle catches them by surprise. Rusty activates the windshields and Mackenzie chooses his favorite droplet to win each race, while mentally playing Teto’s “Birdbrain” song. He must have been humming a bit too loudly, as the kelpie takes notice of it and replies with a cheeky grin.
“Dear dog, you really like the song that much, don't you? Can't say I'm surprised.”
“Hey! What can I say? It’s got good lyrics.”
“At least it's not that cheesy k-pop song you always listen to, either. Wasn't its name “jellyous” or whatever.”
“Ey, watch it!” Bluey interjects rather quickly, right before Mackenzie could form any defense. “You will not slander any of those bands, you just got terrible taste.” Rusty rolls his eyes.
“I still think that Vocaloid thing is a bit silly, but hey, more power to you I guess. By the way, how has college been?” Rusty changes the topic. “You didn't tell us how it went in your finals.”
“You guys are missing out, and it's been alright.” He retorts. “Though I had to pull some all-nighters for the exams. This semester’s been tough.”
“Tell me about it.”
“Well, I guess I didn't expect for medicine to become hard. I mean, I knew it would, but not this much. I think next year we'll start going to rural hospitals back in the bush. To put it simply I hate dog anatomy.”
Rusty nods and hums in agreement. “Yeah, I get you. Not easy for me either. Sure, the scholarship’s nice, but having to study and play cricket at the same time takes a toll on me. Jack said I looked like a zombie every time I came over.”
“That’s because you were!” The terrier emphasizes rather quickly.
The conversation derails yet again into Jack and Rusty bantering with each other. Uninterested, Mackenzie decides to talk with Bluey instead. Seeing she's with her headphones, he waves with his paws to get her attention. Taking notice she takes them off and fully faces him.
“Yeah?”
“Whatcha listening to?”
“Oh, just some of the songs you told me to listen to last week. I like them, especially Senbonzakura and Meltdown.”
“Nice, what about Ado’s “Villain” cover?”
“Yah, that's also a good song.”
Mackenzie nods in contentment as he hears the positive responses, with the orange tunnel lights making his fur blink like a flickering light bulb as the car travels through the Airport Link.
“At what time is your flight?”
“Uh, let me check.” He opens his phone in search of the boarding pass he downloaded two days ago. After some triple checking—as he tends to overlook due to him taking a glance at things too quickly—he finds it.
“10:45 am, give or take. Knowing them, it'll probably take off half an hour later.”
“What about the gate number?”
“Doesn't say here. I'll check it at the airport though, I'm a bit too stressed right now.” He says, wiping a stray sweat drop in the process.
Closing his phone, Mackenzie turns back to the car window as it starts going up the ramp to get out of the tunnel. Noticing that the typical buildings were gone and replaced with a more industrial landscape, he figured that he'll have to disembark and give his goodbyes in no time. He could sometimes feel his heart leap out of his chest as they got closer.
The seconds pass with no regards to the collie's increasingly fidgety state, whose mind was already planting doubts on him. Hearing the SatNav’s robotic voice didn't exactly put his nerves at ease either, and as the outside gradually turned greener, he long realized he crossed the point of no return.
“In one hundred meters, take the third exit in the roundabout to ‘International Terminal’.”
On his right, beyond the occasional cars and treeline, a glass building could be seen that imposed on the otherwise unassuming area, most likely the railway station. Mackenzie decides to ready his mind as the imminent farewell catches up to him.
“On the roundabout, take the third exit.”
The car turns around following the signs, and through the third exit it goes.
“In twenty meters, keep right.”
It goes up the ramp with welcome banners visible on the left side, the car taking a bit too long for Mackenzie's liking. Finally, a canopy with multiple signs could be seen, indicating that the entrance to the airport was right next to it.
“You have reached your destination.”
The car stops. Rusty sets the gearshift to parking mode, making a thunking noise.
“We’re here!” Was the last thing Mackenzie heard before hearing three doors simultaneously open.
No turning back now.