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Lucas rarely ever celebrated his birthday, but this year, he had a really excellent reason to: one Lieutenant Cam Rylan, aka his boyfriend, aka the one he also missed the birthday of by what felt like mere days, aka s**t was gonna go south real fast and they really needed this time together to remember what they were fighting for. The werewolf needed approximately zero reasons to try and steal the firefighter's time and, given all the batshit crazy things they'd had to endure since the whole 'boyfriend' thing, he decided it was time they went back to their flirty, goofy roots and spent some time together -- away from the bullshit. Away from the world. Just him, Rylan, and trees as far as the eye could see.

Or would be able to see, if Rylan wasn't blindfolded. Lucas was all cheeky grinning the entire drive, though he felt he'd earned the right -- getting Ry to agree to moving his two days off to the ninth and tenth of August had been one battle, and getting the blindfold on had very nearly been a war. Luckily, he had a killer kicked-puppy look and wasn't above pleading, and now, successful, he was all toothy grins that his better half couldn't see. He occasionally held Rylan's hand as they drove and made sure to sing along with all the 80's songs that came up on the radio, playfully serenading the firefighter with some U2, Depeche Mode and - because it came on and Lucas is Lucas - some Justin Timberlake.

He'd almost feel bad for Rylan, if he wasn't so damn excited about the surprise.

After a short bit of an offroad ride, he pulled the truck into park and practically scrambled out of the vehicle, jogging around to Rylan's side and opening the door. "Don't you dare peek," he lightly warned, though he was sure the smell alone was enough to give Rylan an idea - sun-warmed trees, the dust still settling from the drive, the air that was almost infinitely cleaner. Only once he helped his boyfriend out did he start to untie the blindfold, grinning so hard it hurt. "Alright sunshine, here's your surprise: we are spending the next two days -- here!" The blindfold came off, Lucas having made sure Rylan was facing the best part of the view -- the trees that stretched out for what seemed forever, the distant glimmer of a lake, the sloping hills that promised a hell of a hike once they got started.

Letting Rylan take in the view (and still grinning), Lucas pulled down the tailgate and hopped onto it, pulling up his left pant leg and starting to unfasten the prosthetic. "Lemme get my personal gear in place and I already packed us provisions." He paused long enough to hike his thumb over his shoulder, indicating two Army-style packs. "And don't worry about there not being tents." The man was positively giddy, grinning as he unfastened the 'real' looking leg and laying back in the truck to grab its replacement.

"Well," he started, seizing the different looking prosthetic, "if you haven't figured out I'm unconventional yet, surprise!" Lucas grinned toothily at Rylan, fixing the piece in place and folding his pant leg back down, tying his boots. "Besides, my surprise is you actually letting me get away with this."

Hopping back onto the ground, he grabbed the packs and tossed one to the firefighter, slinging the other over his good shoulder. "I packed light - snacks, drinks, waterless showers - though our destination is by a small pool of water - " another grin was flashed, "climbing gear, gloves, lighter, standard survival stuff." Tugging a hair tie out of his pocket, he started to loop his hair up in a ponytail. "And if you have no questions and no objections, we can move in a general northeast direction. Take lead! Explore!"

With his hair out of his face, he stepped next to Rylan and smiled at him. "You've got me for at least twenty-four hours, and I you. If you wanna just hike, we hike. If you want to talk, we talk. All I want is this time with you."

Ah, that magnificent grin. Lucas felt warmed. "You know me well," he agreed, looking pleased at the response to his suggestions. He was content to take up after the larger man - the view was nice, so sue him - expression brightening even further to see the shrike. "Imp, buddy, I didn't bring you anything but I figured the fresh hunt would do you." He was still trying to befriend the bird that had his boyfriend's eyes, and it seemed the forest called to both of them.

"To answer your previous question, the place we're spending the night is already arranged, yes." Tent might have been a loose term for it. "It may or may not be a selfish gift to myself." He chuckled, mostly teasing -- he was pretty sure a fair-sized tent-like structure with a large bed with a view of the forest valley and the stars would appeal to Rylan as well.

His eyes, nearly silver in the sunlight, flit from Imp to Rylan again, his smile crooked and fond. "Alright, hot stuff. Let's start off heavy. How many kids you want?" The smile became a grin, clearly having no intent to make light of anything just then.

He laughed, light. "Never planned on kids. Never planned on having a significant other." Lucas was, for the time being, able to keep pace with his able-bodied boyfriend, relishing the stretch of limbs and the sweet scent in the air. "I think I'm more of a -- see if I find the partner that's capable of raising kids with and go from there-type. So, assuming you don't tire of me anytime soon," his grin was audible, "three."

Would they survive long enough to actually have kids? He didn't know, and that wasn't the point of this. Right now, it was just -- them.

"You've got the house, so, obviously you want one of those. What about land? Swimming pool?" Lucas grabbed a low hanging branch, moving around the tree it belonged to. "My big concerns are life goals, you know? Housing, children, finances. And pets. We need a herd of dogs."

"Yeah, I know," he chuckled, "they don't get paid at all in some parts of Brazil. That's part of what drew me to you." The suggestion that Rylan would do something else was met with a disbelieving snort. "And maybe Fidget will learn to fly. Please. I don't pretend you're something you're not and I know you sure as hell don't." Lucas remembered the house-swap conversation and smiled to himself, wondering if there'd be a day he'd get to meet these dads --

And then Cas came up. He was sure Rylan could hear his brief scowl. "I'm not dating Cas, I'm dating you," he muttered sullenly, "unless you haven't told me something." It was mostly a joke, but there were times he wondered if dating one was dating both; sometimes it seemed like the firefighter talked more about his buddy than himself.

It occurred to him that maybe that was Rylan's form of deflection - maybe he didn't want to look that far forward with Lucas. Not that he blamed him, they were only four months in, but it was enough of an awareness that he let it go. "I still need to decide what dog to start the herd with. I want to steal Fidge more often than not, but I know you'd miss him."

He actually stopped for a moment, surprise on his face, and with the same clip, he responded, "I never said he wouldn't be, I just said I wasn't dating him." ******** wasn't even there and he was ruining things; how could Lucas like someone that immediately set his boyfriend against him? Catching up with a few longer steps, he was grateful Rylan's back was turned, a twinge of sadness and distance playing over his brow as they walked.

"Haven't looked into anything," was his noncommittal reply, trying to not feel bitter that the playful banter had been swept away just in the mention of a guy who wasn't involved. "Wasn't going to bother until I had the space, and I guess I'll research when I have the time." Work, full moons and Otherworld s**t had siphoned all his time; what little he got to himself, he tried to spend with Rylan. With Cas around, maybe a dog would be better for him after all.

A sigh answered the question. "I dunno." Not wanting to come off like he was being difficult, he added, "I don't dream in specifics, not after the Army. Just a 'this would be nice' thing, and if it happens, it happens, and if not...then there's no disappointment."

"I know," he sighed quietly. "I do pay attention." Maybe too much attention.

A short snort answered the last part. "No, it doesn't." It was hard for Lucas to lift his mood after the sudden crash; it was much easier to just get lost in the movement of his body among the knots and tangles of the forest. "Goes both ways. You run into burning buildings, I try to make sure they don't catch fire." His shrug was audible in his tone. "And when they do, I also deal with the aftermath. The two of us handle the entire scenario, just different parts of it."

And there was no damn space for Cas at the moment. They had to find their groove as a couple, one that seemed to have been hitched on the absent friend.

"My entire life was planned, and now it's not. I don't think I could bear that being taken from me again, so it's better for me this way. That's why I like to ask you questions, you know?" Grey eyes flit to Rylan's back, to the bird nestled against the pack. "We both have a short history of commitment, in different parts of our life. We're -- " no, he wouldn't speak for Rylan. "I'm doing the best I can, it's just a learning curve."

It was almost like his run in with Cas - Rylan being vague, impersonal. He supposed that was how the firefighter tried to deal with compensating his two worlds - the one he'd started with Lucas, and the one he'd already come from with Cas.

Rather than let the gnawing uncertainty of if he fit in, the werewolf sighed deeply through his nose, and did as he was told.

Inane questions about Rylan's work and Blackfriar's rebuilding tapered into topics about their surroundings, bringing them out of their past, future, and settling in the present. Lucas took to enjoying the small things: pointing out flora and fauna that he knew, talking about wanting to plant flowers at home even though he was just renting, revealing that he'd been taking cooking lessons.

In a round about way, it was because of their first, unofficial date that he'd started the cooking -- the fear of burning their food. It brought a grin to Lucas' face as they walked, previous grievances mostly tucked aside for now.

"You should have seen me, when we were having that little text off -- I was tripping over myself like an idiot in the grocery store. You had me completely tied up in knots trying to impress you, to flirt, to have fun. Hell, sometimes, I'm still that moron, tongue-tied and twisted in attempts to make you smile and laugh." There was a fondness in his tone, a warmth in the memories -- back before s**t had hit the fan. Back when Rylan had thrown back everything he dealt, in spades. It made him realize that for the most part, the other had refuted the majority of his attempts at flirting since that time. Was that Rylan's way of keeping Lucas close but in the same space as his past 'relationships'?

"You still owe me a dance from that," he added, though it was soft and could be missed.