Zake nodded and resisted the urge to fidget as he looked at the map; he really wanted to try some of the bigger rides, but he wasn’t quite sure how to feel about dragging Damien along with him. The thought of the man on a roller coaster was almost as funny as thinking of the alpha snoring in a movie theater, but, as the man had said, this was his day, and he did intend to do what he wanted.

After a minute’s consideration, Zake decided to just go with his gut and drag the man off to the roller coaster. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it as he saw the man wasn’t paying attention. His silver haired head tilted slightly as he observed the couple Damien was looking at; he didn’t see anything weird about them, so he supposed the alpha male just didn’t like them. They didn’t look like wolves, and Zake couldn’t smell anything but human, so… He didn’t pester Damien there, but had a feeling that staying in that particular place wasn’t a very good idea. Not wanting anything to happen between the man and the other two people, Zake grabbed Damien’s hand again and pulled him gently in the direction of the roller coaster.

When they were what he deemed to be a good distance away, Zake let go of the other man’s hand and looked up at him questioningly. He didn’t mention the couple; he figured Damien would tell him if he had to. “Hey, we’re gonna ride the roller coaster first, alright? It’ll probably be cold…but we just have to, you know?” Zake smiled at Damien and continued walking, soon reaching the waiting queue in front of the huge metal structure. There were only a few people there, so the wait wouldn’t take that long.

Zake relaxed against a wall and began staring at Damien, not noticing what he was doing until his eyes started watering. He blinked and looked away quickly, pretending he hadn’t been doing anything weird. He didn’t quite know how to feel about this man, or how he should act; Damien was handsome, he had to admit, and this was technically a ‘date’… But Zake definitely didn’t want to make any sort of move that the alpha male wouldn’t approve of. This would be a very bad idea, and Zake really didn’t want to die just yet. With any other person, Zake probably have known right away whether anything would happen, but with Damien… He just wasn’t sure what direction this day would go, and it almost made him nervous to think about.

It only took a few minutes for the pair to make their way up to the front of the line. Zake took a deep breath, trying his best not to smile. He had wanted to ride one of these things since he was little, but he had never gotten a chance until now. And… He glanced over at Damien, suddenly glad that this particular man was with him. He felt safe, though he knew this man could do nothing if he began to fall out of a roller coaster. When the little seats finally pulled up, Zake all but jumped into his, and motioned frantically for Damien to come strap in beside him. He had a distinct feeling that this was going to be a good day…one way or another.

((I'm so sorry that took so long! I've been kind of busy this week...))

((Don't worry about it. It happens. ^_^))

"Sorry. It's just my instincts acting up." Damien explained as Zake looked at him in a questioning manner. He was feeling quite happy at the moment so he gave the other werewolf a relaxed smile. He'd never thought that Zake would notice his distraction and actually try to get him away from a possible and not very friendly confrontation with the couple. Quietly, he followed the silver haired man, chuckling softly at his first choice of ride. He should have guessed that the roller coaster would be their very first destination.

As Zake relaxed by the wall and they waited in line, Damien felt the sides of his lips quirking up in to an amused smile. His date was staring at him. Damien, not one to be undone, started staring at Zake as well. When the other man looked away, he felt his shoulders shake with mirth before he shook his head in an effort to try and get control of himself.

While the two of them moved with the line, Damien noticed that a lot of people were staring at him. Some were raising their brow in bewilderment and others were simply...checking him out for the lack of a better word. He supposed he couldn't blame the former. He was wearing a business suit after all. It wasn't exactly the kind of clothes one would wear to the amusement park. The latter however, were another thing altogether. For Heaven's sake, he thought as he moved with the line and tried to ignore the need to roll his eyes, could they not see that he was on a date?

Very rude people.

He was snapped out of his disgruntled mood however when Zake got in one of the seats. Damien felt his lips curling up and he sent the other man a smirk before entering the same small attachment. He sat down carefully, very much aware that with his body structure he was pretty much squishing Zake against the wall. Quickly, he strapped himself in and double checked his seat belts along with Zake's before lifting his arm - the one that was pressed up against Zake's own - resting the limb across the back of their seats. He had to move the limb further inside the cart to follow the rule 'keep your hands within the cart at all times'.

"Apologies," he said as his arm gingerly touched Zake's back, "I figured this would be more comfortable."

And it was. It provided more movement for the both of them and at least now, they weren't uncomfortably squished together. His thigh was still pressed up against the other man's but their shoulders weren't bumping against each other's anymore. Zake would even be able to lift his arms without trouble if he wanted to.

The alarm went to life, signaling that the ride was about to begin. The attendant strode over to each cart, critically checking if the belts had been properly secured before pushing down the metal safety bar over their thighs. Damien had to adjust in his seat, slouching slightly and stretching out his legs - or as much as he could stretch them given the situation - in order to accommodate the safety bar. Relaxing as the ride let out a steaming hiss, the alpha male lifted his other arm and rested his elbow on the side of their cart. There were a couple of people at the back whom imitated him, putting their arm around their significant other and pulling them close against their side, but other than the few brave ones no one else wanted to let go of their safety bars.

The alarm sounded again and finally the carts started to move while Damien began to grin. His grin slowly started to grow bigger as the roller coaster began gathering speed. He enjoyed the scenery, eyes roaming the amusement park from such a high place. His eyes narrowed slightly as he caught the form of the couple his instincts had been telling him to confront. That was one, he thought to himself before turning his attention to Zake, face devoid of any suspicious thoughts. As the carts approached the very first drop, Damien had to speak.

"Don't hold back now," he said with an amused smirk, "yell and laugh all you want."

Zake exhaled loudly and scrunched his eyebrows together as he scooched over to make room for Damien. Not one for cramped spaces, he was quite relieved when the man moved his arm, though he didn’t know exactly how he felt about this new position… He glanced behind him and noticed several obvious couples doing the same thing. Would people think they were going out? Zake resisted the urge to release an exasperated sigh. That would just be his luck, though he supposed the situation could be worse.

A deep, collective breath of impressed awe could be heard from the passengers of the ride as the carts began their accent. This was a beautiful view, though that wasn’t what Zake was focused on. He had never told anyone, but secretly, Zake was a huge adrenaline junky. A shiver ran through his body, and he felt the beginnings of the wonderful, satisfying rush that he knew would leave his knees weak. His breathing began to get faster, and he could almost feel the blood pumping harder as his heartbeat sped up. He was allowed one more deep breath before the cart plunged downwards and he air was ripped from his lungs.

The ride was far too short for his likings, and Zake almost had a pouting expression on his face as he exited the ride. As soon as he was off the unloading platform, he leaned against Damien, his whole body shaking. Scared that his knees would give out, he found the nearest bench and sat down heavily, grinning like a madman.

“That was awesome…” Zake’s voice was quiet, and trembling just like the rest of him. “Before you ask, yes, I’m fine. I have a weird condition… If I get to excited, the blood starts going to my limbs instead of my brain. I get a little unsteady, but I’ll be fine in a minute.” He smiled up at the man, looking a little sleepy.

It took around five minutes for Zake to recover fully, but when he did, he was right back on his feet, pestering Damien about where they should go next. The more thrilling rides were much more appealing to Zake, though he knew he shouldn’t try anything like that too terribly soon… He could pass out if he did too much stuff like that in too quick a succession, and he certainly didn’t want to burden Damien by fainting on his watch.

“You should have brought some more appropriate clothes… Those might get messed up, and you look a little…conspicuous…” Zake couldn’t help but comment on this; they were getting some weird looks, and he really didn’t like it.

Damien glanced peculiarly at Zake as the other man leaned on him for support. Despite his curiosity, he didn't ask and simply acted as a support for the other werewolf. When the explanation was given to him, Damien felt his lips quirk in to an amused grin. "I understand." He said simply with a comprehending nod. He would make certain that too much excitement like the one they'd had in the roller coaster wouldn't overwhelm the other man. They'd be taking breaks from now own after the more thrilling rides.

"My clothes?" Damien repeated five minutes later when Zake mentioned it. He looked down at his suit which was still in pretty good shape despite all that had happened, " I suppose you're right. I've just never been too comfortable in anything but a suit whenever I am away from my home."

He didn't want to change his clothes truly but Zake had a point. If they were going to enjoy this day, then the stares everyone was giving him had to stop. Besides, it would probably help in disguising him from the couple that he suspected were following them. "Let's get me some new clothes then." He said and then grabbed Zake's hand. The alpha male lead them through the thin crowd and turned a corner. They passed by some cafe's and arcades before coming to a stop in front of an old looking shack that had the sign 'Ye Old Market'. Damien pushed open the door and went in, still leading Zake by the hand. The only time that the alpha male let go of the contact was when the door clicked shut behind them.

The old shack was simply an architectural illusion. Inside the seemingly small building were small establishments selling things that ranged from clothes to accessories. They were all arranged in to a circle so that the moment that guests entered the door, they were immediately visible. Damien took one glance around before honing in on the only clothes shop for males in the area. He gestured to the shop so Zake would see it before starting to walk to it. The minute he pushed open the door, someone inside told the two of them 'welcome'. Damien simply nodded and allowed himself to look around, frowning at the selection of clothes. All of them were rather informal and held no real attraction to him like his suit did.

Well...best to get it over with.

With the somber thought in his head, Damien grabbed a plain white collared shirt and a blue vest before holding them up for Zake to inspect. "Will these do?" he asked the other male. He wouldn't changing his pants...at least unless he needed to. He wanted to keep some semblance of his professional attire on his person. If Zake said they had to come off though, then they had to come off. He'd simply gather some black jeans and be done with it.

Zake’s eyes widened slightly as he was pulled along by the alpha male; he almost went a little bit pink at the ears, but held back the blush. He didn’t really know how he felt about the man holding his hand like this…though he had just done the same thing. But it wasn’t hard to ignore, and Zake eventually began to enjoy the feeling of having someone else take the reins of his life. No matter what, he had to go where Damien led. The grip on his hand was gentle enough not to hurt or be uncomfortable, but he didn’t think he could slip out of it very easily.

Zake’s nose twitched slightly as the pair entered the shop; he had never really liked the smell of places like this. His expression became more discontented when Damien dropped his hand, but he quickly put a small smile back on his face so the man wouldn’t be suspicious. He followed the man into the clothing section of the shop and leaned against a wall, nodding slightly when the man help up his selection.

“That should be fine, if you’re sure you don’t want pants.” Zake smiled slightly once again and waited for the man to buy his things and put them on. He then dragged Damien out of the shop and took a deep breath.

“So…where to now?”

((Fail. Dx Sorry that took so long... I was grounded... T.T ))

((It's alright. I can understand that. xD))

"Let's head for the astronomy tower. I hear that it has quite the nice view of the whole park. From there, we can decide on where we can go next." Damien replied and then started to lead the way to the tower by grabbing Zake's hand once again. He'd earlier seen the location in the map and as such, he knew exactly where he was going. The new clothes he graced himself with were a little uncomfortable (to him anyway) and he shifted slightly in them, trying to get himself to get used to the feel of the fabric.

"I hear there are fireworks at night. It's too bad that we can't stay and wait for them to launch them. They're supposed to be quite the spectacle and one of the things this amusement park is known for." He said, trying to break the silence as he led them across the street and through a couple of shops before stopping by the gates of the Astronomy Tower.

The alpha male gazed at the high structure before he took up a position in the line and waited for the tower to descend so that they could enter it. He hadn't let go of Zake's hand, hadn't even seemed to notice that he was holding the other werewolf's hand quite nicely. He was busy watching the tower and tugging at the neck of the sweater he wore with his free hand in an effort to make it more comfortable to him.

Zake nodded slightly, though he wasn’t sure if he was okay with this situation… He had had a slight fear of heights for a long time now, but he had gotten pretty good at controlling it. Maybe the tower wouldn’t be too high… The werewolf looked up at the man leading him, and debated saying something, but it couldn’t be that big of an issue. After all, he had just survived the roller coaster. But this was something different altogether. The platform would probably be swaying and rocking in the breeze… What if the supports snapped?

Zake shuddered slightly and squeezed his eyes shut for just a second, cleansing his mind of these dreadful thoughts. He knew he would be fine, just like the hundreds of other people that had been in the tower since its assembly. The silver haired werewolf tightened his grip on the other man’s hand as they neared the tower. He smiled as Damien began to speak, glad to have something to focus on.

“Hmm… Fireworks would be cool… But the movie, I don’t want to miss it.” Zake shrugged and let his mind wander once more, trying his best not to think about the height of the tower they were fast approaching. A few deep breaths allowed Zake to calm down enough to get in line without squeezing Damien’s hand to death, but it got harder and harder to keep his cool as the line steadily got shorter. He hoped that the alpha male didn’t notice the subtle changes; Zake’s breathing was faster and his eyes were open wide.

Nothing’s gonna happen, nothing’s gonna happen… Zake repeated this mantra over and over in his head, resisting the urge to curl up in a little ball as they boarded the elevator to the top of the structure.

Damien looked at Zake as he heard the other man's fast breathing. Frowning slightly, the alpha male looked around, trying to guess what made his...date feel so frightened. The wolf inside of him was demanding that he take care of it either in a very brutal fashion or by taking Zake away from the place. Damien looked back at the other werewolf as they took the elevator and slowly ascended to the top of the astronomy tower.

When they left the small box, they were greeted by a room not unlike a restaurant. Instead of walls though, there were windows that showed the whole of the theme park from a high angle. Damien looked around and found a secluded place that covered a bit of the windows. He smiled at Zake and tilted his head to the side before leading the other man to the spot where not a lot of people sat in since it covered quite a bit of the picturesque view. He let Zake take a seat on the booth first before he himself slid beside the other man.

Damien had let go of the other werewolf's hand when they sat but he'd taken the initiative to grab it again once they were comfortable. "Hey," he said, trying to make his voice subtly soothing, "Did you know that I can survive a fall from this high up?" he perked a brow and then smirked at the other man, "So if anything happens...not that I think anything will...I'll be able to do something to get the two of us out of here without a scratch."

Damien was trying to comfort the other man as his source of fear was pretty obvious now. He just didn't know if he was doing it correctly. He supposed he could put an arm around the white haired male but he didn't know if Zake would mind or not. They hadn't exactly set any clear boundaries before they went on this 'date'. Tilting his head to the side, he decided to take a chance.

"Here," he said again and placed an arm across Zake's shoulders and gently - definitely not forcefully - pulled the other man closer to his side, "I find that whenever I feel uncomfortable, the presence or warmth of another person eases my tension. If this is not at all acceptable to you, then I'll let you go. All you need to do is to say so and I'll apologize."

As the elevator opened onto the rather strange room, Zake was practically forced to close his eyes lightly; just the thought of how high up he was made him lightheaded. He tried to picture himself on firm ground, maybe at a beach somewhere, or a pretty mountain forest, but this didn’t help at all. In fact, it made matters worse as he promptly tripped over someone’s feet. He apologized to the man and sat down beside Damien, trying his best not to look out the window at the dizzying drop down to the pavement below.

Zake’s stormy eyes flicked around the room, unable to take much of it in in his current state. Turning his gaze to the people, he found that watching them made it worse; following moving targets across a room he could swear was swaying under his feet was not good for his stomach. So he focused his attention on Damien instead, trying and failing to come up with something to talk about. Eventually, he looked at his feet and waited for the other to strike up a conversation; it was too hard for him right now.

The grey eyes moved to Damien’s face as the man began to talk. Zake was glad to have something to focus on, though the man’s words made his eye begin to twitch. He hoped the alpha male was aware that that was a very bad choice of words, though he doubted it; he knew the man was just attempting to make him feel better. Zake simply nodded, now wondering if this was an alpha thing, or if all werewolves could live through something like that. Even though he wasn’t sure if this was true, the thought that he might be able to survive a fall like that helped his fear just enough to smile at Damien.

“Yes… I’m sure nothing will happen. I’ll be fine…” Zake’s last few words were mainly for his own benefit, and, surprisingly, hearing the words out loud did make him feel a little more like himself. His breathing was still slightly too fast and his thoughts changed to horrible, falling death every few seconds, but this was immediately solved by Damien gently placing an arm around his shoulders. This was so unexpected that Zake turned his head quickly, just missing Damien’s face and cricking his own neck. He raised an eyebrow, but otherwise didn’t try to move the arm draped protectively around him.

“It’s fine, I don’t mind…” Zake smiled, though he did feel a little awkward. He had no idea how far this whole ‘date’ thing would go; he didn’t even know if Damien considered this a date. He sighed lightly, trying to think of something productive to talk about.

“So… Do you do any martial arts or things of the like? I’m a black belt in karate, and I’m pretty good at tae kwon do.” Zake straightened his back, proud of his accomplishments. Now that he thought about it, a nice fight would probably do him some good right now… He figured he would go to the studio tomorrow, but years of experience had taught him to enjoy the moment, so he pushed tomorrow’s plans out of his head and waited for Damien’s answer.

Lord was he awful at comforting people when it came to his words, he thought as he saw Zake's eye twitch. He was quite glad though when the other man began to relax as a result of his actions. He may not be very good at comforting people verbally but he was quite certain that his actions could very well speak for themselves. Internally, he let out a sigh of relief as the other man didn't punch him in the face for his rather forward act. Zake did seem rather awkward though. The fact that they hadn't set any boundaries was starting to get on Damien's nerves. The moment they were out of here, he was going to discuss it with Zake. He was through floundering gracelessly in the air.

"I can't say that I'm a black belt on any martial arts but I've been studying boxing for a while now though I never really have the time to actually get in to any competition." He answered as he leaned back on his seat, relaxing now that the eyes that had been staring at him earlier were no longer doing so. Despite the fact that he felt uncomfortable in his current clothes, it was nothing compared to the relief he felt at simply being amongst the crowd so to speak.

"How long have you been a practitioner of karate and tae kwondo?" He asked, genuinely curious as to how long Zake had been studying the art. "And have you ever been in any tournament?"

He didn't move his arm nor made and caressing act for the other male. He was not going to go any further until after they had discussed the terms of this 'date'...and that thought led him to wondering if he really did want to go on a date with this silver haired werewolf. Subtly, Damien stared at Zake's features as he waited for the other man to answer his questions. He examined the man's face and cataloged what he knew of him in his brain.

Zake had been jumpy at first but that had been because of the werewolf thing. When he'd begun to relax, Damien had seen glimpses of the man beneath. So the question was...did he like what he saw? He blinked and remembered their time on the roller coaster and at how Zake had taken his hand earlier. And how at the entrance, Zake had practically dragged him inside the amusement park. Unbidden, his eyes filled with amusement and he smirked even as he accepted the fact that he did want to see where this was going to lead.

Now that he had decided, all he had to do was get Zake's opinion in the matter.

Zake smiled a little wider, glad that the conversation was taking a good turn. He quite liked talking about martial arts and the like, so he pounced on this opportunity to, hopefully, not be too terribly awkward.

“I’ve been doing both for around…thirteen years now. Wow…it’s been a long time…” Zake gazed wistfully at a point about a foot above Damien’s head for a few seconds before snapping back to reality. “Tournaments? I’ve been in a few, yeah… I did pretty well.” He neglected to say that he had been first by far in all the competitions he had entered; Zake was very humble about that sort of thing. “And I’m sure if you’ve been studying something like that for years, you have to be good at it, you know?”

Zake shrugged at Damien, feeling much more comfortable now that he was sure the tower wasn’t going to collapse under his feet. His eyes began to move around the room again, slowly scanning for something to catch his interest. When this attempt failed, he looked back at Damien, and tilted his head slightly when he saw the look on the man’s face. It was a weird mix of things…amusement in the forefront.

“What’s so funny?” Zake looked around again, thinking he might have missed something entertaining. Nothing sprang to his attention, so he turned his gaze back to the alpha male, a confused look on his face. “Did I do something?”

((Kinda short, sorry... ): ))

((It happens. ^_^ ))

Damien shook his head in response and chuckled softly.

“It isn’t something you did. I’m laughing at myself because I didn’t notice something earlier. And here I am, a man priding himself in his ability to quickly see things of the like.” He answered, making a bit of a joke of himself, and then leaned further back in his seat. He ran a hand through his hair a sign that he was slightly nervous. He was not going to discuss it now but he would later when they were away from such a high place.

“I’ll tell you about it later when I've actually thought of how to explain it.” He said again so that the other werewolf wouldn’t think he was telling a fib and was actually laughing at him.

“And…I’m not certain if I am actually good in boxing but I do have a powerful left hook and that’s always been good enough.” He added to the martial arts discussion earlier. He didn’t mention the fact that he knew how to use a gun nor the fact that he could rip apart both humans and werewolves with just his bare hands. He didn’t think that something so bloody was a very good thing to discuss on a first date. Maybe when they went on a couple more Damien would be inclined to tell Zake about that part of his life.

If they went on a couple more…

Suddenly, Damien was wishing that he had some smokes on hand. He wasn’t a chain smoker but he did indulge in that bit of guilty pleasure when he was feeling particularly stressed or nervous. This was one of those times. He rarely, if ever, asked anyone out. Usually they came to him in ‘offers’ which was why he had never truly had a relationship that he actually worked for.

“So…thirteen years eh? I’ve only been in the boxing business for seven. You must love martial arts to study it for so long. Mind telling me about the tournaments you’ve been to? Or about your training?”

Zake was not exactly pleased with the beginning of the other werewolf’s explanation, but stopped his eyebrow mid raise as the next part reached his ears. Making a mental note to remind Damien about this loose promise later, he nodded and smiled along with the man. The silver haired werewolf was a little confused as to why something needed to be thought over, unless… The man didn’t actually think this was real date, did he?

Zake felt his ears getting slightly red as he considered this theory. He supposed it wasn’t too bad… After all, it was just one date. Unless, of course, Damien decided he liked him… Then things might get a little complicated. But then again, what if Zake decided he liked this other werewolf? Would he be able to ask for another date if he wanted one? Did the man consider this a date at all? Was Zake just making stuff up? All of these thoughts churned around in Zake’s head, giving him a small headache behind his left eye.

An unnoticeable sigh of relief escaped Zake’s lips as the subject was changed. Fighting would certainly take his mind off of all the unruly thoughts he didn’t want to deal with. He smiled in spite of himself; he really could picture the older werewolf flooring someone with a single punch. Zake suddenly felt much safer and more relaxed, and he grinned.

“Yeah… Thirteen years. It makes me feel old.” Zake chuckled and sighed once again, gazing happily out the large window, his grey eyes seeming to swirl eerily as they reflected the clouds outside. He always got rather carried away when he was reminded of his martial arts; fighting was the one thing that always got his spirits up. He could talk about it no matter what, though he did feel rather awkward discussing if he was good or not… He was very ‘good’, some may say excellent, and he knew it, but he was a humble person and didn’t like shoving his prowess in other people’s faces.

Another smiled appeared on Zake’s face as Damien brought up his training. “Well… I have a private sensei… He’s really really good. We’ve known each other as long as I’ve been fighting. He’s like my second dad.” Zake’s smile changed to a grin. “I might introduce you to him sometime, if we…see each other again…” A cloud passed over Zake’s countenance, and he suddenly realized that he didn’t want to not see this man again. He was good company, and listened well and understood, and Zake felt safe with him. The younger man didn’t say anything else about this however, a little unsure of how to go about it. So, he changed the subject, focusing attention on Damien instead.

“So… Tell me more about you. What do you do in your spare time?” Zake sat his elbows in his hands and looked at Damien, more than a little curious about this man’s personal life. He didn’t seem the type to do what normal people did… After all, he was not a normal person. What did werewolves do in their off time anyway?

((I'm so sorry that took so long!! I had a long weekend and I was out of town the whole time... T.T ))

(( Don't worry about it. It's Halloween. Happy Halloween! xD ))

The hesitation made Damien hone in on the other man's obvious indecision. Like it or not, the alpha werewolf started feel the need for those smokes again. He was deeply regretting the fact that he had left his pack and his lighter in the compartment of his car. He hadn't expected to be this nervous during this 'date'. He never was during his dinners with other people. What made this one different though? He considered that. What did make it different? The company? Perhaps so. His usual dates comprised of people who were in the upper class and had the air of someone who was twirling a knife while smiling. Zake didn't feel anything like that at all.

He smiled slightly as the other man changed the subject and put him on the spot. It was a good tactic to keep away from the subject matter at hand...which was Zake itself. "My spare time...most of my time is dedicated to running the company and making certain that my pack is well-provided for and isn't being unruly." He said as he placed his other arm across the backrest of their seat. With the way he had positioned himself, he seemed rather relaxed and ready to simply chill. Nothing could be further from the truth. He was a nervous wreck inside since he knew that the more the minutes passed, the closer he was to having to fulfill his promise in answering Zake.

"I...usually just look out the window and think about how to help my pact prosper...or sleep or simply go to the boxing gym." He answered truthfully if a bit uncertain. He was wondering if that kind of answer would make him look pathetic in Zake's eyes. The truth was that he didn't really have anything to do in his spare time. All of his friends...or what friends he had were all a part of his pact and as such, were not exactly relaxing to hang out with. Miang was the only one who freely spent her time with him but between him, her work, and her own social life, their times together weren't exactly plentiful.

These days his spare time was spent investigating his sister's murder but well...Zake didn't ask about what he did with his time now. Damien felt it was safe to use that little loophole. He wasn't comfortable with discussing the death of his only family. Not just yet.

Just when he was thinking about ordering a drink from the bar he saw across from them, a soft bell rang from the speakers, alerting everyone that the ride was over. Heart almost leaping out of his throat, Damien slowly stood up and slid out of the booth. He waited for Zake before he grabbed the other man's hand again and lead them both back to the elevator. Once they were on the ground...he'd ask the other man out.

((Happy Halloween to you too! :3 ))


Zake rubbed his nose as he listened to Damien talk, almost feeling sorry for the man. If that was all he had time for in his life… Well, that couldn’t be very much fun. He didn’t say anything on this topic though, not wanting to upset the man or anything of the like. Biting his lip, he glanced around again, casting about for another topic. This was unneeded however, as the alpha male began to speak again.

Pack this, pack that…that all seemed pretty boring to Zake. But, then again, he wasn’t head of something like a werewolf pack, whereas Damien was. In fact, he had never been boss of anything in his life. He sighed inwardly, cursing in his introverted personality. Zake never did anything around people; he never mingled, never made new friends… This didn’t bother him that much, as he did have a few people whose company he enjoyed, but maybe if he got out more… Maybe he could be successful like Damien was.

Zake’s thoughts had completely wandered, and he missed almost everything Damien had just said. So, as if to remedy the situation, he nodded knowingly, not looking in the alpha male’s eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, which probably wouldn’t have made this state of affairs better anyway, but was interrupted by the announcement that everyone now had to leave the tower. He got up slowly, just realizing that his legs were rather shaky. Embarrassing as this was, Zake was quite pleased with himself; he hadn’t thrown up, he hadn’t passed out and he was still alive. A good day’s work, he decided.

It wasn’t until the pair was back in the little metal elevator that Zake noticed the large hand around his. He was very thankful for this, and squeezed it as the familiar claustrophobic sensation of elevators swept over him. The shivers were easily held back, along with his breath, which he released upon leaving the elevator. “I hate those things…” He spoke more to himself than Damien, but he was too preoccupied with breathing deep breaths of fresh air to notice he had said anything at all.

When Zake was feeling a little better, he smiled at the alpha male, who was still holding his hand. He led the man over to a bench and plopped down, then pulled out a map of the park. “So… What do you want to do now? It’s up to you.” His gaze then moved once again to Damien’s face, and he tilted his head in concern.

“Are you okay? You look sort of…nervous. And pale.” Nothing popped into Zake’s brain that he thought would trigger this kind of behavior in someone as confident as Damien, so he was rather worried. Was the man sick? Maybe he didn’t like heights as well… Either way, Zake kept his ears open, waiting for an answer.

Fear of heights and small enclosed spaces...I will remember that in future, Damien thought as they left the tower. He was beginning to relax with the return of Zake's normal mood. The moment he sat down next to the other man on the bench however, he felt his stomach drop to the ground. Zake just had to ask that question didn't he? Clearing his throat, Damien avoided looking at the other werewolf before sighing and nervously running a hand through his hair again. He was starting to get well and truly annoyed with himself. Why was it that he couldn't seem to keep his composure in front of this man?

Damien stared at the ground as he gathered his whatever calm he had left before facing Zake. He kept his face carefully neutral but there was no mistaking the nervousness in his eyes and the way he tightened his hold on the other man's hand. If Zake was observant enough, he would feel the way that Damien's heart was quickly pounding through their joined hands.

"...This isn't exactly the most traditional of dates," he started as he continued to stare at Zake's face. He refused to look elsewhere when he was discussing such an important manner, "...but I'd like it to be one." He really wanted to take a deep breath to calm his nerves again but doing so would present a weakness. That was not allowed. His instincts would not let him show the other man just how dangerously close he was to babbling and making a fool of himself.

"What I mean to say is...I like you. A lot. And I'd like for this outing of ours to be a real date," he stopped, giving Zake's mind the time to realize the implications of his words as well as to give himself the time to recover. It was only when Damien was certain that he wasn't going to panic and start babbling that he began to speak again.

"And at the end of this one date, if you like me enough, I'd like it if we could go out and have other dates."

At the end of the sentence, Damien had to remind himself to breathe. He still hadn't let go of Zake's hand, using the touch as some sort of life line. He waited in silence for the other man's reaction and response to his basically asking the other werewolf out.