"What's the best way to do this..."

Pegasicorn's picture
Well. This certainly took long enough to happen. The "after" will probably take even longer, knowing the characters...
Go read "Mystery Solved" first if you haven't. It's short, but important.

---

"How would I even start...

"'Hey Touk! Remember all those birds I kept drawing and how they were my subconscious trying to tell me I had a crush on Silvery back when and how I didn't realize it for a long time even though it was obvious but then it just eventually clicked? Well, my subconscious is up to it again. Guess who the wolf is!'" A sigh was exhaled as the fake enthusiasm was dropped. "Yea, like that would go over well..."

"What would go over well?"

!

Kinsha's heart nearly stopped as he spun around, only to see a silver reindeer looking at him curiously. "Touk! When did you get here?!" And how didn't I hear him? Was I that out of it?

A brow went up. "You were so distracted with rambling to yourself you didn't notice you walked right past me." The reindeer gestured with his head behind himself. "I was sitting at those trees over there."

The golden stag blinked at said trees, coloring a little in embarrassment. "Oh." Just how much had Toukan heard?

"So..." Kinsha flinched a little at the word, his heart speeding up with apprehension. "What were you rambling about anyway?"

"..."

Kinsha wasn't sure he wanted to talk about this yet. But his best friend just waited, not prodding him on like he sometimes did. He probably knew he didn't need to.

He sighed.

"There was...something I wanted to talk to you about..."

"Oh?"

"It's..." Oh, get on with it! "Is it possible to suddenly become a little bit gay?" The question came out in a tumbled rush, almost too fast to be understood.

Toukan paused with a blink. "...come again?" Apparently not what he'd expected to hear.

Now he was losing his nerve. Kinsha hesitated, looking away. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea..."

"Whoa whoa, wait. Help me understand this. This is about that wolf you keep drawing, right?"

Kinsha nodded.

"And...would the 'wolf' be a guy?"

He blushed, but nodded again.

"You have a crush on a guy?"

He swore his face got even hotter.

Toukan must have taken that as another yes. A smirk slowly appeared on his face. "So you decided to bat for the other team, huh?"

Kinsha sputtered. "What?!"

Toukan laughed at that. "Sorry, couldn't resist," the reindeer apologized, getting his amusement under control. "Trying to lighten the mood, y'know?" He shrugged.

The gold stag frowned, clearly not amused.

"So..." The silver deer took on a more serious tone, dropping all forms of teasing. "You like a guy, and you never have before because you're straight." It was a statement, but clearly he expected a response, so Kinsha nodded. "And you wonder if this is normal."

Another nod.

Toukan shrugged. "I don't see why not. I mean, if the right person comes along, it could happen."

"...I guess that's true..." Kinsha had to agree with that.

"Alright. Now I gotta know. Who is it?"

Ah, here was where it got complicated. This was going to be awkward to admit...

"Is it someone I know?"

Ok, he supposed answering that was a place to start. Kinsha nodded.

"Someone I know well?"

Hesitating a bit, he nodded again.

"...it's not Kylar, is it?"

Sputtering, Kinsha barely got out, "What?! No!"

Toukan smirked. "Just checking. But really, you have me curious. I don't really know everyone that you do, but you say it's someone I know well..." He trailed off, frowning. "Wait...no, can't be..." He started mumbling to himself.

Kinsha waited, wondering what his friend could be thinking and at the same time, a little apprehensive that he'd figure it out himself.

"Or maybe it...there isn't really anyone else...so..." Toukan looked back to Kinsha. "It's not Tundra, is it?"

The "ninja" deer nearly choked, sure his face was bright red now. Shifting his eyes away, he barely managed to nod.

Toukan froze, blinking. "Wait. Really?"

Another reluctant nod.

Toukan blinked again. "Huh. I didn't know he was into stags..." He trailed off in thought.

"I'm...not sure if he is..." A reluctant admittance.

Another blink. "You mean you haven't told him?"

Kinsha shook his head almost sadly.

Toukan frowned. "Ok. This could be tricky then. Hmm, what's the best way to do this..." he thought out loud to himself.

Now Kinsha blinked. "Wait."

"Hm?"

"You're not bothered that I like your brother?"

Blink. "Why would I be? You're practically like my brother already, so if this works out, it just makes it more official," he ended with a shrug and smirk.

Kinsha blushed at that, almost smiling.

"Alright then. The best way to go about this... Uhh, you're going to have to help me out here. I doubt I know Tundra as well as you do," Toukan admitted, sounding a little guilty.

"I'm not really sure what to do..." The gold stag frowned in thought.

Toukan frowned himself, but then his eyes suddenly lit up. "Tell me about this wolf you draw."

Blink. "Eh? Why?"

"Your subconscious causes you to draw it. It probably notices something you don't, which may help us out. So describe the wolf."

Another blink. "Well..." Kinsha looked away as he pictured it. "It's not a full grown wolf. Kind of young, but not a pup. And it's usually...looking at me..."

"Looking at you? How?"

"Like it's...expecting something. Waiting for something to happen. Or maybe hoping for me to do something..."

"Hmm..." Toukan sounded pleased at this. "He's expecting you to make the first move."

Kinsha blinked. That...made sense. Tundra did watch him a lot. Maybe he really was waiting for the "ninja" to act first. That could be a good sign. Except...

"I'm not sure how to approach him about this though..."

"Well, like I said, you know him better than I do. You probably already know the best way to tell him."

He frowned. That didn't really help him.

Toukan sighed at the look he was given. "Look. I wish I could help more. But all I can really do now is wish you luck." He smirked, winking. "Go get 'im, ninja!"

The "ninja" sputtered.

Toukan just laughed.