Teekay eyed the strange layout in front of him, unsure what to make of it. He had received a message telling him to go to the “obviously out of place bench” at the Picnic Park located in lower Palaestra. Being the winter months, the park was mostly empty, its main occupants being Ksithans walking their various pets and kids in a bid to get them to calm down, and most of them were wearing coats. Teekay was wearing a plastic overall in case it rained, but was regretting not bringing a thicker tummy wrap or gloves. Thankfully, the strange display of food in front of Teekay was keeping him preoccupied, as a whole three course meal had been cooked and laid out on the wooden bench, decorated with a rather tattered red blanket and two heavy duty metal mugs.
“I am sorry…”
The being muttering this apology looked very out of sorts. Dark bags drooped beneath their ruby red eyes and their armour plating, their natural armour, was very rough and untrimmed, with extra clothing-armour thrown on top. Elkay looked absolutely dreadful, having been worn down by stress and exhaustion. Yet somehow he had managed to make this meal in the middle of the park, using nothing more than some saucepans and a bag full of ingredients. Grilled white cheese with a tomato sauce, a wheat-pasta dish with a cheese sauce and cured meats and some sort of cocoa-y cake thing that was still in the saucepan.
“You, uh, look dreadful…” Teekay hesitated, ignoring Elkay’s gestures for him to sit down. The fact that Elkay had changed so much in the last few weeks was bothering him greatly. “Have you even slept since you… rushed off?”
“Not, really, no…” Elkay gave up and sat down, pouring himself a drink. To Teekay’s surprise, he was drinking a cheap honey mead, sweet and warming but rather out of character for the normally alcohol-free Rethan. Then again, Elkay only just looked like a Rethan. He was still just over 2m tall and had the extra Rethan shoulder plates and trimming on his head plate, but the rest of his armour was oddly Skyan-like and odd-fitting.
Teekay shrugged, then sat down. Elkay pushed two plates, one with the starter, one with the main course, towards him. “You’re not having a good time, are you?”
“I do not know who I am. It turns out that the ability to form change has a habit of doing that to you. On top of…” Elkay’s shoulders dropped. “You know… All of… that… stuff… It felt wrong, being with you, hiding away, pretending to be a Skyavok, when my birth race is suffering.”
Rather than be annoyed, Teekay nodded in agreement. “Had the opposite happened, had all of this happened to me rather than you, I probably would have done the same sort of thing…” Teekay shrugged, tasting the food. It was all pretty alright, all things considered. “I forgive you.”
“You… wait… what…” Elkay blinked in confusion. “You forgive me? Despite me having an argument with you and running away?”
“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I? You are a good vok, Elkay, you’re just insanely stressed right now and… I don’t know why you made all of this.”
Elkay glanced down at the meal he had cooked. “Well, I borrowed the cooking apparatus. Everything else cost me 5 Evra. I am… to put it politely, skint right now.”
“You have no money?”
“You think I would abandon you with no money?”
Teekay smiled, then gently reached forward and patted Elkay on the head. “You are such an adorable, considerate retard, you know that, right?”
“I guess…” Elkay shrugged. “When things… when all of this mess settles down, can we get back together?”
“We can get back together right now, if you want.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Elkay smiled weakly. “I… Thank you. I love you, Teekay.”
“I love you too, Elkay…”