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Travis was alone so much, he didn't care. He did miss his mother, but that was part of life. Especially the life he had been given. The life he lived because of his father. Being alone was something he was so used to. Sometimes it hurt to be alone. But over time, he had grown used to the constant sting that was being alone.
The half demon walked through the woods, his sword in his hand. He needed to get food. One half of him was human, so he needed to eat. It always felt horrible to kill an animal just so he could eat like his life was more important than the animal's. But in a way, it was. He was the only one that could truly keep his father at bay. That was such an awful was to go about thinking. His life is only valuable in one way, and that way was such a burdened life.
He never would blame his mother. She had intended that he would take the job on much later in his life, but she had died unexpectedly. That meant that he had to take the burden much sooner than planned. But that was never her fault. It was only his father's fault.
Halfway through his journey, he found a man. Travis walked slowly, gripping his sword tighter. The man's hair was blue and he wore a bronze looking set of armor. He was bent over and crying. Travis walked silently, having mastered the skill of making no sound as he stepped.
The man didn't notice Travis, seeming too caught up in whatever was upsetting him. Was he okay? Travis hasn't ever seen an imp cry, so it was pretty unlikely they were an imp. Plus, he wasn't getting any of the normal vibes that he did get when it was an imp. So, if he wasn't an imp or from the village, who was this man?
Travis sheathed his sword on its case that was strapped to his back then knelt next to him. "Hello," he said softly. "What's you name?"
He jumped and looked at Travis. He examined Travis carefully then sat up, sitting on his feet. "Dante Morrison."
"I like it. I'm Travis Valkrum." Travis helped him up. "Are you hurt at all?"
"No," Dante answered honestly. He wiped his cheeks. "Where are we?"
"The Island of Enki." Travis gestured for him to follow then started walking back to his home. "Where are you from?"
"Phoenix Drop." Dante followed him and looked around. His hand hovered over his sheath that rested on his hip. He was ready to defend himself if he needed to. "Where are we going?"
"My place. Or I can take you to the village if you'd prefer. I live alone." Travis paused then slowly walked over to a rabbit. Before Dante could react, the half demon pounced on it and easily snapped its neck. He held it up. "Dinner for tonight."
Dante looked at the rabbit, biting his bottom lip. He didn't comment on it and just followed Travis back to his lone house. When they went in, Dante looked around. It was a nice place, just... lonely feeling. Travis went to the kitchen to skin and cook the rabbit. While he did so, Dante sat on the couch. Did... Travis live alone?
There was no one else that understood it as much as Dante did. It was only recently that Dante had started being around people again. But now, he was somewhere that he didn't know. With someone he didn't know. He missed his wife. His pregnant wife.
Oh, Irene. He was going to miss the birth of his little girl. Dante was trying really hard not to start crying again. He just wanted to see his girls, he couldn't wait to hold his baby for the first time. But... who knew when that would be. If he ever did. That was a thought he never wanted to think.
He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice that Travis had sat by him. Travis gently started to rub his back. Dante leaned against Travis and sobbed. He didn't want to say goodbye to his family. He had just barely gotten people back. He had just gotten married and found out that his wife was going to have their first daughter. Lucinda herself told them that it was a girl. He was so excited to be a father, not that he knew that Nicole and him had a son together.
"Let it out," Travis said softly. "I'll listen if you want to talk about it. I won't give advice unless you want it."
"I want to go home," Dante sobbed out. He wiped his cheeks and sniffled. "I just want to go home. I have a life to live. I have someone that I need to wait for. I need to go home."
Travis nodded and kept rubbing his back. He didn't mention anything about how Dante's armor hurt a little to rub, Travis knew he needed the reassurance more than Travis needed to not be hurt. In truth, Travis didn't know how to help with this, but he could lend a listening hear.
"I-I have a wife," the older admitted. "And she's expecting our first baby. I want to be there for her during this. I want to go home to be happy with her."
"Do you love her?"
"More than anything."
Dante and Travis had fallen into a routine over the next few months. Dante was still depressed about not being able to go home. Travis had explained to him that it was near impossible to leave the island with the Demon Warlock there. Right before he explained that the demon was his father. He didn't know how to react after learning that information, but Dante didn't treat Travis any different. And Dante could see that was so relieving for Travis.
Travis was out hunting for their dinner, so Dante tidied up the place. Once he was done, he tried his hand at drawing again. Travis was very supportive of his art, which was really nice. Dante was so glad that someone was supportive. Drawing was something that had helped pass his time during waiting for Lady Aphmau's return. He usually did it in the dirt with a stick, so it was never permanent.
But here with Travis, Dante had his own sketchbook. He was given a quill and some things of ink. There were some colored ink, so Dante was able to somewhat color things in. Instead of doing a specific way of coloring, Dante used different colored ink for parts of his drawings. Like using pink ink for his wife's hair.
He found himself over time, drawing her less. He still drew her, and drew what he thought their daughter would look like. But he drew Travis almost as much as he did his two girls. Dante didn't really even notice that he had made the change. Dante often just drew absentmindedly. He wouldn't really focus on it, just letting his hand do whatever it wanted while he kinda zoned out.
Travis returned and went to the kitchen. Once he was done with what he had started to cook, he sat next to Dante. He watched him draw, a silent awe washing over him. Art was always something that he thought was so cool. He was never good at it, which is why he was so quick to support Dante's enjoyment of it.
Neither of them said anything for a while. It took a bit before Travis realized that he was Dante's muse. A small smile formed on his lips.
The anniversary of Dante's first full year was not an easy day. It was full of tears and stories from Dante about the life he used to live. Travis listened carefully, excited to learn how other culture's worked. Travis learned so much about Ru'uan cultures and customs.
Dante was glad that he wasn't going through this alone. Sometimes Dante would venture into the village to get supplies. The people there liked him. But today, Travis decided to go and get a small present from the village to help cheer Dante up. He got another notebook and a few tubs of ink for him.
Travis wrapped it and gave it to him over dinner. He loved the way Dante's face lit up. His old notebook had almost been out of pages, so this was another thing for Dante to draw in.
Dante watched Travis sleep. Yes, it was probably a creepy thing to do. But Dante had learned to look over someone as they slept through his guard training. Even after all these years, Dante hadn't lost that part of his training. He really never lost any of the habits. Plus there was only one bed, even after the two years that they've been living together. They usually just swapped who was asleep and who was awake.
The older found himself only thinking about his daughter anymore when he thought about his family. He didn't even think about his wife much anymore, as bad as that sounded. Dante found himself fantasying over Travis. Why was he thinking so much about Travis? The half demon was just so... fascinating. And pretty. Travis was pretty. Almost, if not more so, as Kawaii~Chan.
He bit his bottom lip and looked away. Dante's cheeks were red the more the thought about Travis. There was nothing more amazing than a crush. Oh, shit. That's what this was. A crush. On Travis. Dante never really cared what gender someone else loved, he knew that he liked guys sometimes.
Oh boy, this was going to be so complicated. What would happen if he did get off this island? He'd be able to go home and see his wife. The woman who probably thought she was a widow. But more importantly, he would be able to be there for his girl.
But Irene, he wanted to be with Travis. Should he even tell Travis that he wanted that? Would Travis even understand? Dante gently ran his hand through his hair. Dante wanted to run his hand through Travis' hair, it looked so soft. How soft would Travis' lips be?
Travis slowly woke up and looked at Dante. He smiled a little and poked Dante's cheek. The former guard jumped a little and looked at him. Travis grinned when he saw Dante's cute little startled face. "Hey. Were you watching me sleep like a creep?"
Dante sputtered than hid his face. "Nooooo."
"You were! That's so creepy," Travis was teasing him. He got up and subconsciously pulled Dante into a tight hug. "I don't mind. I can be creepy sometimes too."
The former guard looked at Travis then pressed his lips onto Travis'. He really hoped this was the right move. And it turned out to be when Travis kissed back. Dante could feel the grin on Travis' lips, which only made him more excited about this.
He didn't know how long the kiss lasted, but when it broke. Both of them were grinning widely. Dante reached up and gently rubbed Travis' cheek with his thumb. He had long since started to wear Travis' clothes, especially liking the fingerless gloves. It felt like it was Travis was holding his hand all of the time.
They both started laughing. Dante held him close. He was so glad that he was stranded on this island. It felt like he was supposed to be here, be with Travis.
Travis acted like today was any other day, and for all Dante knew, it was. They've been dating for just over five years. He figured now was the time to do this. Travis knew that Dante was the one for him. Legally, yes, Dante was still married. But Dante was stuck on this island, and he doubted that they would ever get off.
He made Dante's favorite, a slow roasted rabbit stew with carrots and potatoes. It took a while for him to make it, so he didn't make it a lot. But Dante never really notice that it was usually for special occasions because Travis did it just enough on non-special occasions that Dante would never suspect it.
And that's how he wanted it to be.
The half human stirred the stew with a smile. Travis was just so excited for tonight. It was going to be so awesome. He really hoped that Dante would say yes. He hopped around, Dante was out gathering some supplies they needed that wasn't food. It was going to be so perfect. Travis prayed to Enki that Dante would say yes.
Travis enjoyed learning more about Irene. And he loved teaching Dante about Enki. They never clashed heads about religion, because in some way, they both believed in the same thing. They just worshiped different Divine Warriors. That was just fine. It gave them more things to talk about, and Travis enjoyed it.
Dante eventually came home, right after the stew was ready. Travis dished it up and set it on the table. He leaned forward and kissed his boyfriend's lips. Travis felt so addicted to them, the taste, the texture, Just everything about Dante was perfect in Travis' eyes.
The two ate and went over their days. After the meal, the two went to the couch to cuddle. Travis pulled out the box while Dante grabbed some blankets for them. He put it onto the coffee table and casually lounged back. He was going to play this cool. Sure, he was going to ask the love of his life to marry him. But it shouldn't be a big show. It should just be intimate and personal.
His lover came back and wrapped the blanket around them. He started to read a book, Travis leaning over his shoulder to read with him. Dante hasn't seen the box, but Travis wasn't going to point it out.
Eventually, Dante spotted it. He set the box to the side and picked it up. He looked at Travis. "Is this yours?"
"It's just something small that I got you."
Dante shrugged and opened it. Over the ring was a folded note, so Dante hasn't noticed the piece of jewelry. He opened it and read it. His cheeks darkened and looked at the ring. He covered his mouth then looked at Travis. Dante's eyes were watering as he silently nodded.
Travis grinned and gently kissed him. He grabbed the ring and slipped it onto Dante's finger for him. It had been a few years since Dante had stopped wearing his wedding ring. Travis hadn't minded that he worn it while they were dating, he understood that it was one of the few things that Dante had from his past. But now it was on a necklace that hung around Dante's neck most hours of the day.
It felt so weird to be going home. It's been almost seven years since he had been there. Dante didn't even know if he considered Phoenix Drop his home anymore. He still loved that place, it will forever be the first place he guarded. He had dedicated so much of his time and energy to that place. It felt so weird that Dante had missed Lady Aphmau's return. She had come back years after he left.
Dante had fallen into the ocean by the docks and got swept up in the currents. He had heard his wife yelling at him to come back. Dante had tried, but nothing had taken worked. In the end, Dante was glad that he had fallen. According to Travis, all currents eventually led people here. Dante had just been lucky that he hadn't drowned during then.
Lord Aphmau had explained to him and Travis that they were looking for ways to get Garroth back from the Irene Dimension. Dante felt awful that that had happened to them, but it wasn't all that surprising once Dante thought about it. Fifteen years for him had only been fifteen minutes for them. That's how they stayed so young. That's how they went missing.
Now that the Demon Warlock had been banished for the time being, Travis said that he doubted he wouldn't come back for a long time if he ever did, Travis and him were able to go back to Ru'uan. That was such a surreal feeling. Travis had helped him gather up everything they would need from their little house. It was even odder to leave the place he had been staying for almost a full seven years.
The former guard decided to ask how everyone else was. How Kawaii~Chan and his little girl were. Apparently her name was Nekoette~Tan. Irene, Dante loved that name. It was such a cute name. Lord Aphmau also revealed that Lord Nicole, his ex-girlfriend, had also gotten pregnant with his child. It was also revealed that both Nekoette~Tan and Dmitri to him that they had stowed away. Something that Dante found both hilarious and frustrating at the same time. They could've gotten hurt. Especially with the imps around.
Irene, this was complicated. Dante could tell that everyone else assumed that he would get back with Kawaii~Chan when they returned to Phoenix Drop, but he knew that wasn't going to be the case. He was so happy with Travis. But they didn't know that Travis and he were together. He really didn't know if they would ever directly tell them.
Admittedly, Dante would rather it be like that. He didn't want it to be a big deal. He just wanted to be happy with his fiancé. There didn't need to be a big scene. They hadn't pointed out his ring, he doubted that they had even noticed. But that was fine. He didn't need them to notice.
Laurence sat next to him and smiled. "Hey, Dante. How have you been lately?"
"Pretty good, actually. I got lucky with who I ran into." Dante smiled softly then looked at him. "How's it been like getting back after fifteen minutes?"
"Weird. I'm sorry that Aphmau asked you to stay back. I know it must've hurt that you we never returned after so many years."
"Oh, no. Don't apologize. Things kinda worked out in the end." Dante had been alone for just under six years, dated Nicole for a few months, moved back home, was married for less than one, then stuck on the island for seven. He really didn't mind. He liked how things were now. "I mean, it was rough for a while, but I've learned out to deal with whatever life throws at me."
"Did you really wait so long for us?"
Dante nodded. "Lord Aphmau has, and will always be, my lord. She was my first lord. I will always be loyal to her."
Laurence grinned and nudged him. "But there's another woman you're loyal to now. I think it's great that you and Kawaii~Chan are together. She's going to be so happy to learn that you're still alive."
"Is she single?"
"Yeah. Still wears the ring too. It's really cute that she's held onto you for so long."
The former guard internally winced and nodded a little. "I see. That's very sweet of her to do. I'm happy to hear that she's so invested in me."
"Where's your ring?" Laurence asked.
Dante suddenly remembered that he had put the engagement ring into his pocket this morning, which is why no one's noticed it. That, or Travis was wearing it since they both had the same ring size, a miracle since Dante was taller than Travis was, and the two liked to share it on who was wearing it. He pulled the wedding ring necklace from under his shirt. "Didn't want to lose it, y'know. The Island of Enki is a little bit of a hostile environment. Hard to know who to trust sometimes."
"Right, the imps." Laurence looked back at Travis, who was talking to the two kids. "So, what's Travis' story?"
"What do you mean?"
"How did you find him?"
"Oh. Well, I had just arrived here. I had gotten myself lost in the woods, I didn't show up anywhere near the village like you all had. He was out hunting for food and found me. He offered to take me in or take me to the village. I decided to go with him. I could just tell that he was lonely. He had been living alone for at least a decade. I'm sure you were told who his father is?" Dante continued after Laurence nodded, "well, they didn't really like that. So he was forced into exile. He taught me how to survive here, taught me how to tell if someone's an imp or not."
"So, you've known him the whole time you've been here? What was it like to live with him?"
"It was really nice. He likes having someone to just talk with. At first, he would rarely shut up. I think it was because he just needed someone to get his thoughts out to and them actually talk back. Then he kinda went back to how he was before, apparently. Silent, but strong. He still does talk to himself, but I don't mind."
Laurence looked back at Dante then nodded. "Well, we're happy to have you back, Dante. I do wish you met your kids in different circumstances. They really shouldn't have stowed away."
Dante laughed softly and looked at them. "They're cute kids. Must've got it from their mothers." He smiled and patted Laurence's shoulder. Dante went over to the two kids and Travis. He knelt in front of little Dmitri, who glared at him. "Hey, bud. Do you know who I am?"
The young boy nodded. "You're my father. Who left me."
"I didn't mean to leave you. Your mother and I had gotten into a fight that ended up in our breakup. I didn't know she was expecting you. I wish I had."
"You mean that?"
Dante nodded and carefully took Dmitri's hand in his. "I would never willingly leave any of my kids." He took Nekoette~Tan's hand with his other. "I never meant to leave either of you. I wasn't told about you, Dmitri, and I was taken away from you, Nekoette. I promise you that I will be the father both of you want and need."
Nekoette hugged Dante tightly, small tears welling up in her eyes. "Mama's told me so many stories about you. Were you really a guard?"
"I was. I have a lot of stories about that that I'd be happy to tell you about."
"You don't look like any guard that I know," Dmitri said.
"Well," Dante rubbed the back of his neck after he let go of his young daughter. "I'm not one anymore. The Island doesn't do guards, and I was away from the only village there. I did protect people, I never stopped doing that."
Travis, who had been quiet for this whole thing, nodded. "Your father is so cool. I got lucky that I met him." He knelt next to Dante and gently nudged his shoulder with his own then laughed. "He's helped me just as much as I've helped him."
Lord Aphmau walked over with Lady Katelyn and announced that they were almost back to Phoenix Drop. Travis got up to help them get everything ready while Dante looked back at his kids, his kids. It had been a weird thought that he even had one, let alone two. He picked both of them up then went back over to Laurence. Nekoette had decided to lean against his shoulder and play a little with his hair.
Soon enough, they had docked. Both Kawaii~Chan and Nicole were on the docks, both women looking pissed. Dante was so glad he wasn't the target of their rage. But then again, it was unlikely that either of them were expecting to see him since Lord Aphmau had told him that everyone had thought he had ended up drowning.
Nicole was over first and picked up her son. She started to scold him. Dante had forgotten just how scary she could be when she was mad. He knew she would never, ever hurt her kid on purpose, but she was still pretty pissed. Kawaii~Chan arrived next. She scolded Nekoette as well, but not in the same way that Nicole was.
Dante helped Laurence, Aaron, and Travis brings things off the boat, so no one had even noticed his presence yet. They were planning on getting back onto the sea to continue their journey, but they needed to drop off the two stowaways before they did anything else.
Once they were done, Travis pulled the ring from Dante's pocket and put it onto his own finger. Dante smiled at that, staring at Travis like he was the only thing on the world. The two were up in the tree with Zoey, but she barely acknowledged them. Dante didn't even know if she realized who he was.
Lord Aphmau came up and smiled. "Hello, Zoey. How are you?"
"Pretty well. I believe everyone's settling in quite nicely." Zoey picked up one of Donna and Logan's kids with a smile. "I should get them back to their parents, then we can talk over some tea?"
"That sounds lovely, thank you. It will have to be in a little while, I hope you understand." Zoey nodded and went down the tree. Lord Aphmau then walked over to the couple and sat down. "Dante, we haven't told Kawaii~Chan of your return. We've all agreed that it should be you who tells her."
Dante looked at her then nodded. "That would make sense. Where is she?"
"In her home. I can lead you there." He nodded again then got up. Travis moved to get up, but Lord Aphmau stopped him. "I'm afraid that this doesn't involve you. You could go help Laurence get some food for our travels?"
Travis pouted just a little, only Dante noticed, but left the tree nonetheless. Dante followed Lord Aphmau down the tree and truly took in Phoenix Drop for the first time. It was more built up than what he had remembered it to be seven years ago, which was a good thing. There were more people, some faces he knew, others that he didn't. He did notice that no one had come up to greet him, which meant that he looked different enough not to be recognized.
Which was fair. Back then, he had looked tired all of the time with heavy eyebags. His hair was unkept, and he wore completely different clothes than what he was in now. But now, Dante was well rested with hair that Travis made sure was taken care of, and he wore a sized up version of Travis' clothes because that's what Travis knew how to sew and that's the kind of materials they had.
Dante was the one to knock on the door. The two waited a few minutes before Kawaii~Chan opened the door. The Meif'wa smiled at her friend. "Aphmau~Senpai! What brings you here?"
"I was hoping to come in and discuss things with you?"
"Of course." She moved aside so the two could come in. "Who is this?"
"That is for him to tell you."
The former guard took a deep breath and held his hand out so Kawaii~Chan could shake it. "Dante Morrison, at your service."
Kawaii~Chan's eyes widened. She used his outstretched hand to pull him into a tight hug. "Dante~Senpai! Kawaii~Chan has missed you so much."
He wrapped his arms around her. It was such a foreign, yet familiar sensation. "I've missed you too." That was true, but he knew that he didn't miss her as much as she did him. Dante didn't want to tell her that. But he knew he'd have to. He was with Travis.
Oh, he hoped the two didn't get defensive with each other. Kawaii~Chan would sometimes get hostile when Nicole was brought up because of his past relationship with her. If she truly hadn't gotten over him, then she wasn't going to like Travis. And Travis was just as possessive. Dante really didn't mind. He knew Meif'was were territorial like cats were. Travis was possessive of Dante because Dante was not only the first person who's chosen to stay with him, but Dante knew that demons could be possessive as well.
Soon, she pulled back and examined his face. "You've gotten taken care of. Did you find someone that has been helping you learn how to take care of yourself? Kawaii~Chan has told Dante~Senpai that he needed to take care of himself more."
"I did find someone who's taken care of me." Dante laughed then smiled. He took a step back. "I think you'd like him."
"Dante~Senpai's usually right about what Kawaii~Chan would like. She would like to meet this man. What is his name?"
"Travis. His name is Travis."
She thought carefully. "Travis~Kun? Kawaii~Chan thinks she can get along with him. When can she meet him?"
"Once he's done helping Laurence help gather some food." Dante paused then smiled. "I don't know if he's ever had cake. Mind making one with me for him?"
Kawaii~Chan lit up and nodded, her tail flicking excitedly. "Kawaii~Chan would love to! Does Dante~Senpai know what his favorite flavor is?"
"No. He's never had one before. There's just not any ingredients where he's from for them. Well, there were some in the village, but he was never welcome there. And I rarely ever went there." He thought then laughed. "I'm no good at baking without your help anyway."
"Oh, Kawaii~Chan knows. She'll pick out the perfect flavor and give it to him." She ran to the kitchen, pulling Dante with her. Dante smiled softly, happy that she still had such a strong passion for baking. "Does he have any allergies that Kawaii~Chan should know about?"
"Not that I know of." Dante looked around for anything she asked him to grab. Nekoette and Dmitri had at one point came in to just hang out. Nicole was quick to follow them in. Dante stopped helping Kawaii~Chan for a bit, knowing that she could easily handle it, and went over to Nicole. "Hey."
"Heh, when Dmitri said that you were back, I didn't believe it. But it really is you." She lifted his arms up and examined every inch of him. "You look a lot different. I'm very glad you're out of that armor."
"It's on the ship," he said honestly. "More for sentimental reasons than anything else now."
"So, you're really not a guard anymore?"
He nodded and patted Nekoette's head since she was clinging to his leg. "Where I was, there wasn't really any chance to be one. But I was kind of the protector. Which was fun. I did get a chance to get a lot more rest than normal, so I feel a lot better than I used to physically. Not that you and Kawaii~Chan weren't helping with my physical help, but I needed someone to really get me to rest." Dante laughed a little. "Sometimes, he would tie me up until I fell asleep."
"Who?" Nicole asked, her eyes narrowing. Dante couldn't tell if she was able to tell how he felt for Travis or if she was just suspicious of Travis. Which was fair as Dante had just said that Travis used to tie him up.
"Oh, Travis." Dante shrugged. "He's a chill guy. He can be pretty quiet sometimes. Kawaii~Chan and I were just baking a cake for him. He's never had one before."
Nicole did a doubletake. "How has he not?"
"He grew up isolated in a place that didn't have ingredients for cake. And he wouldn't have know about it since no one told him about it." Dante shrugged. He didn't tell Travis about cake because he didn't want to tell Travis about something so amazing that they couldn't have. He didn't want to get his hopes up.
"Why didn't you tell him?" Nicole sounded like she was accusing him of murder.
"Well, I didn't want to tell him then we never have it. Cake is so good. I don't want to get his hopes up over something he might never have had. It just seems cruel to do."
She hummed then shrugged. She went to the living room, so Dante went back to the kitchen. Nekoette was still holding onto his leg. He didn't really care. Sometimes Travis would do that, and she was much smaller than Travis. Dante helped Kawaii~Chan bake a cake for Travis. Once it was done, the two women, the children, and Dante went to the town square.
Travis was there, grinning like a maniac. He held up a few rabbits to show Dante, very clearly proud of himself. "Laurence and I caught a lot of meat. He's going to teach me how to jerky meat. I have no clue what that means. Oh," Travis caught eye of Nicole and Kawaii~Chan, the second of who was holding the cake, "who are they?"
"This is—"
Nicole cut Dante off and pushed him to the side. She held her hand out. "I'm Nicole. This is Kawaii~Chan."
"I've heard of both of you. I'm Travis. It's really nice to finally meet you. It really is an honor." He did a silly bow then shook her hand.
Kawaii~Chan smiled and held up the cake. "Kawaii~Chan and Dante~Senpai made Travis~Kun a cake!"
"Am I Travis~Kun?" He asked as he dropped the rabbits into a bag that Laurence was holding out. Laurence rolled his eyes and left, still trying to figure out why Travis had wanted to show off his kills to Dante.
"You are! Nekoette~Tan, do you have the plates that Kawaii~Chan asked you to bring?"
"I do!" The young girl held them up. "Dmitri brought the forks and serving knife."
Travis looked at Dante, who nodded with a reassuring smile. The group went to a table and sat down. Kawaii~Chan served up the cake and gave everyone a good sized slice. Travis poked at it with his finger then noticed everyone else was eating it.
Dante made sure to watch Travis' reaction to the first bite. It didn't look weird since Kawaii~Chan and Nekoette were both watching as well. Dante loved the way Travis' face lit up when he tried it. He loved the little giggle that Travis did.
"This is so much better than roasted duck," Travis mumbled as he finished the slice. Roasted duck was Travis' favorite food. "And I didn't think that was possible."
Kawaii~Chan smiled while she scooted just a little closer to Dante. "Oh, Kawaii~Chan is so happy that Travis~Kun likes her cooking. She takes great pride in what she's able to make for everyone."
Travis, who sat across from Dante, raised an eyebrow and looked at his lover. Dante shrugged and took another bite of his cake. He had honestly forgotten how good Kawaii~Chan's cakes were. He knew that they were good, but they were even better than what he remembered. Maybe it was because he hadn't had them in so long. Whatever the case, Travis took in how stunning Dante looked as he enjoyed the sweet treat.
Nicole wasn't sure if she was the only one who noticed it, or if Kawaii~Chan did as well, but Travis looked absolutely smitten with Dante. Maybe Dante returned those feelings, maybe he didn't. But there was definitely feelings on Travis' side of things. Honestly, Nicole was fine with that. She and Dante haven't been together in years.
She was, however, unsure of how Kawaii~Chan would feel about it. Nicole had noticed that Dante wasn't wearing his wedding ring, so he had likely already accepted that he and Kawaii~Chan were no longer a thing. But Kawaii~Chan hasn't. The Meif'wa still got defensive if she even thought that someone had feelings for Dante. That probably how it was going to go. Nicole didn't want to have to break up a fight with Kawaii~Chan and Travis. Even if it was a one-sided fight.
Dante and Travis cleaned everything up and went to find Lady Katelyn. Nicole looked at Kawaii~Chan once they were gone and the two kids were off playing.
"I need you to promise me something, Kawaii~Chan."
"What is it, Nicole~Sama?"
Nicole took a deep breath and put her hand on Kawaii~Chan's shoulder. "I don't think they're together, but I believe that Travis has feelings for Dante." Because the other could say anything, Nicole continued, "I know you still have feelings for him, but it's been seven years. Someone was going to fall in love with him at some point."
Kawaii~Chan looked at her, her eyes watering. "No, Nicole~Sama's wrong. Travis~Kun doesn't like Dante~Senpai. He can't. Kawaii~Chan loves him."
"I know you do. But, they've been alone for seven years. Together. You need to think about it. We don't know what kind of people that Travis likes."
"But Dante~Senpai doesn't like men. He likes women. He likes Kawaii~Chan."
Nicole gently squeezed her shoulder. "It's okay. I know it hurts. I've been where you're in right now. He got with you just after we broke up. It hurts, it really does. It's going to be okay. You'll get over it. But you do need to talk to him about it."
Travis looked at Lord Aphmau, then at Dante. He really wanted to lace his fingers with Dante, but Travis didn't know how Dante felt about the people he had missed for so long learning about the feelings they had for each other. He wasn't sure if it was the right move. Travis didn't know how the people here felt about LGBTQ people. He barely knew if the people in the village on the Island accepted it.
He took a small step closer to Dante, not really thinking. Nicole and Dante were talking about something while Lord Aphmau put some input on their conversation. Travis didn't add anything into the conversation, it still was weird to him to talk to more than one person. Travis tuned their conversation out then laughed a little to himself. A funny thought that had just crossed his mind. He didn't notice that the two women had stopped talking.
Lord Aphmau tapped Travis' shoulder, getting a yelp from the half human. She paused and looked at Dante, who had a small smile on his face. That only confused her more. "Travis, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm okay. Why?"
"You were staring into space then laughed."
"Oh." Travis pulled back from her then stood behind Dante. "I'm okay. I just sometimes forget that other people are here too." He put his chin on Dante's shoulder and smiled. "It is nice to be around people, don't get it wrong. I like being with you guys."
Lady Katelyn raised an eyebrow. "You two are close, aren't you?"
Dante nodded and patted Travis' cheek, who nuzzled into that touch. "We've been stuck with each other for seven years." He smiled happily. "I don't see why we wouldn't be."
Kawaii~Chan walked over and interrupted the rest of the conversation. "Dante~Senpai, Kawaii~Chan make you a cake pop." She held it out for him. It wasn't hard for anyone to see that she was giving him things in hopes to show him that there were still something between them.
The man smiled and took it. "Thank you, Kawaii~Chan." Dante took a bite of it then hummed. "It's really good. Wanna try some, Trav?" He didn't notice how Kawaii~Chan's face fell a little when he offered to share it.
Travis took it and finished it. "Oh, that is good."
"Isn't it?" Dante put the stick into his pocket so it could be thrown away later. Travis put his chin back onto Dante's shoulder and shut his eyes.
Kawaii~Chan did not like Travis. He was getting in her way to be with her love. She wanted to be with Dante again, he was the perfect person for her. She knew that Dante would feel the same, but he must be a little scared to tell her because of whatever Travis was doing to him. Kawaii~Chan could save Dante if she needed to, and she thought she needed to.
She pulled Dante to her and growled at Travis. Travis blinked and stared at her in confusion. Once he realized what was going on, he narrowed his eyes and a low growl rumbled in his throat. Lady Katelyn blinked and shared a confused look with Lord Aphmau. Travis gently tugged on Dante's arm to get him back, but she tugged back.
"Guys," Dante said. "Please stop." Travis let go, but Kawaii~Chan didn't. Dante looked at her. "Can you please let me go too? I don't want you two to fight."
"We're not fighting," Kawaii~Chan said, pulling him even closer. "Even if we were, Kawaii~Chan would win against Travis~Kun. He doesn't stand a chance against her. She's got claws."
Dante sighed and pinched his nose with his free hand. "Kawaii~Chan, please. I don't want a fight between anyone. Why don't you like Travis?"
"Because Travis~Kun is in Kawaii~Chan's way."
"Of?"
"Her being with Dante~Senpai!"
He blinked then looked at Travis. He looked even madder and more protective. This was exactly what he was trying to avoid. "Kawaii~Chan, I understand your feelings for me. And I really don't want to tell you that I like you that way when I don't. I don't want to lie to you, to string you along. I don't feel that way for you, I wish I could say that I did, but I don't. I'm sorry."
Kawaii~Chan paused and gripped tighter on his arm. "But, Kawaii~Chan and Dante~Senpai were in love. He has to understand that that isn't something that can go away overnight."
"It's been seven years. It hasn't been overnight. I'm sorry, Kawaii~Chan. I really am. Can you please let go of my arm?" She shook her head and pulled him closer.
Travis managed to pull her off and glared darkly. "When someone asks you to stop and let go of them, you stop and let go of them. I get that you like him, it's understandable that you like him. But he isn't yours anymore. You have to accept that."
She glared right back and pushed him with a loud hiss. He stumbled back a little then tackled her down. Dante ran over and pulled Travis off her. He turned Travis around and trapped him into a tight hug.
"Deep breaths, Travis. Just listen to my heart. It's going to be okay, just deep breaths." Travis put his face into Dante's neck then took a deep breath. Dante could feel him shaking a little with anger, so he just squeezed him a little tighter. "It'll be okay. I know she's getting on your nerves."
Travis shut his eyes and kept taking deep breaths. Slowly, he calmed down. Lady Katelyn was working on calming Kawaii~Chan down. But Dante was more focused on Travis. He kept quietly reassuring him, gently rubbing his back.
Once he was calmed down, Travis looked up at Dante. He carefully took in his features and smiled. The half demon leaned forward and gently kissed his lover's lips. Who cared about things right now when Dante was right there? Everything he needed was right there.
Dante had never been so glad to be leaving Phoenix Drop before. Kawaii~Chan and Travis were basically fighting every time they were near each other. And it got exhausting. Travis was coming with them, Kawaii~Chan wasn't. And the agenda had changed from getting people to help getting Garroth out, while that wasn't going to be changing, but now they were looking for somewhere to set up base.
Travis was currently talking with Lady Katelyn, but Travis' familiar was wrapped around Dante's arm. Dante loved Emerald. He knew that the snake had known Travis much longer than Dante ever will, but Dante loved the green snake.
The scales were an unnatural shade of green, matching Travis' emerald eyes perfectly. Emerald was the perfect size. And a really good friend. Dante could tell him anything, and he would listen. If Dante said not to tell Travis, Emerald didn't. Dante gently scratched Emerald's chin, if that was the right term for it was. The snake leaned into it and hissed happily.
Laurence went over. "Hey, Dante. What's on your mind?"
"Travis," Dante answered honestly. His cheeks were dusted pink. "I'm a little glad that we're leaving. I like her, just not in the way that I used to."
"I understand. Why didn't you say anything that you and Travis are dating?" Laurence didn't sound offended, just curious. "You two are actually really cute together."
"We didn't want to make it a big deal. If someone found out, that was fine. If they didn't, that was also fine. All we really need is each other."