The King's Collie

Part IV, Chapter 6: Fireworks, and what they led to

"What's happening out there?" Felix yowled.

"Your Highness, they are fireworks," the dog quickly explained. "Why the noblemen are setting them off at a time they'd be alarming to your continued sleep, I know not."

"We're being fired upon? We must—" the King hastily began.

"Fireworks, Felix. It's flashy entertainment. There's no danger, even if whoever's behind these is setting them off so uncomfortably close," Cameron assured, trying to put his enjoyment of the show above his annoyance at the time of night.

Having approached in the light of the bursts and outside streetlights, Felix could see that this collie was as nude.

"I would have gotten some clothes on, had you not barged in," the collie spoke. "I see you must have hopped out of bed, too."

"Oh, hell... I'm sorry," the King softly groaned in embarrassment, realizing he was only exacerbating the situation that Cameron had so sharply but truly brought up.

"No. You know what? It's nothing. If anything," the collie barked, suddenly turning. He meant it tenderly, but the King misinterpreted it as a tired anger. "I was going to say I was sorry for how harshly I spoke to you. I had been reading too much of this, and listening—" the collie was interrupted with another firework, "—to too much of that. What I said back on the ship wasn't truly me."

Felix was silent, staring at the golden-lit, slow-fading flashes of the bare figure in front of him. Cameron was as beautiful as he'd pictured in his unkept thoughts. "You will apologize for nothing," he retorted. "I overreacted. And now I'm intruding. I'm only further—" boom! "—proving your point."

"No, what I said was so—" then came another explosion while Cameron spoke, "—spiteful. But enough of that," the dog now chuckled, reaching for a sheet of his own, wrapping it around his waist like the King's. "Hah! There. We've both got—" boom! "—got our coverings. Perhaps you'd like to come over and see the show for yourself."

The lion made no hesitation in accepting this offer. The two stood in front of the window, and saw the plentiful rockets being set off before their eyes, not too far away from where they stood. They reached so high before bursting so loudly, then let their glowing ember-like remnants sizzle down. As much as this show was a feast for the eyes, though, Felix found his gaze soon averted from it.

Instead, he watched each time Cameron's face was freed from its prison of the dark, only softly outlined between each firework set off. He couldn't help it now.

When the dog next looked over, he saw a pair of bright blue eyes staring at him more deeply than anyone else's ever had, save for his own mother's; it was a sight that frightened him with the sudden burst of another firework.

"Oh Lord," he yapped in a frightened hush. "Felix—!"

The King turned his head away, and shivered coldly. "I'm sorry," he groaned.

"No. Felix, I can see in your face that something's bothering you," the concerned canine voiced, before another bright blast came along. "Is everything alright?"

"I'm the one in the wrong. I must go," Felix dismissed.

"Oh, no, now you have—" BOOM! "—to wait! Please!" the collie insisted. "It  must have been something urgent, with the way you looked at me like that," he told.

"And it deserves to never be said! Now leave—" BOOM! "Now leave me be!" Felix now growled, having to raise his tone a second time over the continued fireworks.

"I'm serious, Your Highness! You— ahgh, HERE!" the collie's voice broke as he angrily yelped, reaching out for the royal's hand, and grasping it tightly.

At this feeling, Felix made an unrestrained, reflexive pull of his arm, intending for it to only be rough enough that he hoped this would make Cameron let go of it. Instead, though, it brought the poor young dog tumbling quickly to the floor.

"Whuh— ah!" the dog made a squowl of pain as he faceplanted. Felix heard the thump, and the groan afterwards, and realized what he had done.

"Oh! Cameron! Oh, no, I'm sorry, I—" he gasped, and quickly bent back down to pick the now stunned collie up. "I didn't think that would..."

"Don't cast me aside!" Cameron suddenly blurted a deeply-welled fear, tears flowing from his eyes. "I know I'm just a street-dog, but I—"

"What?! Cameron, you speak nonsense!" the King tried to comfort.

Cameron took that to mean the opposite of the reassurance Felix meant, and reckoned that his nightmare of being left behind was coming true. "No! At least let me say something to change your mind, Your Highness!" he yowled, and suddenly threw himself into the arms of the lion man, of whom quickly held onto him. "Please..."

BOOM!

"I— Cameron! I meant to say that having you leave would be the last thing I'd consider, now, with what grace and goodness you've brought into my life," this lion elaborated, but fell silent soon afterwards.

They were holding each other closely, now, only sheets between them. Felix's stress so soon melted, and Cameron's pain so soon faded, as they looked so fondly at each other. The lion brought his other closer, and shook his head

"Now I really am sorry," Felix huffed.

"For what?" Cameron asked, unsure of what the problem was.

The royal feline shook his head, his mane shimmering along. "For being such a fool as to not say what I fear to."

BOOM!

"How is it so hard to say it?" Cameron asked. This made Felix pause, but he answered resolutely:

"I'm afraid, Cameron," the king answered. "Mine is a course of feelings with consequences, and they are dire."

BOOM!

"Are they?" the collie now shifted closer, suddenly reaching a hand up to to the lion's chest. "You can tell me anything. I hate to see you like this."

The lion held the dog closer, their bodies meeting, and Cameron realized what Felix meant by this.

"We've gotten this close already," Felix said, reaching around his trusted knight's back. "Are you really going to make me say it?"

"No. I will," the dog felt his cheeks grow hot with the intimacy. "I love you. I love you, Felix."

There were no further words. By the time the next explosion settled, the two had already gotten in fully into each other's arms. They held each other tight, with Felix hoisting Cameron off the ground and onto his lap, the smaller man's legs hanging a little before settling. And that last question was never finished, for Felix gave Cameron the deepest kiss he could muster. There sounded another loud burst, right then, but along with it, a piercingly bright shimmer. Not some gentle, still shimmer of gold; no, this was a violent shimmer, of burning gunpowder and metal. Through their window, their whole room was lit up by this show's apparent dazzling end.

Cameron looked into Felix's eyes, and the lion stared right back, disconnecting their lips. When things got brightest, they kissed each other again, firmly. Cameron turned his head as he locked lips with none other than his King. His tail wagged furiously. It took a moment to realize that their covering sheets had both so gradually fallen, but that much was more convenient than anything now.

This shimmer was the last of the fireworks that were being unloaded along the nearby street, by a noble who wanted to show his party tricks. A bear knight guarding the inn then loudly and harshly informed this nobleman that royalty was sleeping, along with the general area, and that if so much as even another Roman candle was lit, a fine would be incurred.

Felix wasn't sleeping, though. He was holding his new collie lover so close, as the both of their dreams came true.

"Cameron. I love you," he said back, between deep kisses.

"Hold me closer," the sweet canine urged, and the lion so did.

They fell to the bed, continuing their embrace. Cameron's hands explored Felix's mane, while the King pet the collie's fluffed cheek with his thumb.

That, along with the feeling of their snouts against each other, was the last thing they remembered of that night, before drifting off in each others' arms.