Mess

 Kay crouched down, so he would be at the same eye level as Paetyn. "Since forever, I loved only you. The ring was meant to be given to you yesterday." Everybody was left silent. Ivaylo swallowed hard. No! He can't take her from him. She won't change her mind, won't she? At least, he hoped so.

Kay looked behind her at Marsh menacingly. "What lies did you tell her?!" Marsh taken aback, since he had never been looked like that by Kay, made a step to the back. "I... I... I had to protect her... at any cost."

Kay slowly stood up and shouted even louder. "WHAT... LIES... DID YOU... TELL HER?!" The animalistic temper was obviously taking over the Beastman's body. Marsh's legs reacted to that incoming dread and he began to run.

Kay's instincts kicked in and he took off after him. Ivaylo figured out, that if he won't intervene, Kay might accidentally kill Marsh out of rage. What he didn't expect was Paetyn to be quicker than him. He just saw her back moving away from him.

Marsh did a U-turn and was going back to the bar. Kay was already over his head and Paetyn grabbed her cousin into her arms trying to shield him. Kay was in action to punch into Marsh, but he couldn't break off his attack on time.

Terrified, he was just watching in slow motion, as he was about to hit her but Ivaylo put himself in between and protected her from the impact of Kay's punch, spitting up some blood. All those circumstances snapped Kay out of his fury trance. Kay fell to his knees in realization of what he almost did to that one person he had sworn to love.

Marsh with a small voice still didn't back down. "I only did that, to protect her..." This stung in Kay's heart. Because of this specific behavior, he understood what Marsh meant. Paetyn turned to the hurt Ivaylo he just gestured, that he was fine and coughed out some more blood. "You aren't fine!" He tried to assure her that he, in fact, was okay.

She looked at Kay with judgmental eyes and he took off. That guilty feeling was eating him up. Ivaylo stood up and brushed his clothes. "I will find him and talk to him." Marsh joined in. "I should muster an apology and have a lot of explaining to do..." Paetyn wanted to go too but both told her off, that this would be a "man talk". Begrudgingly she agreed and left for a coffee shop.

Ivaylo turned to Marsh and asked him about Kay and if he had a special place to escape, when he felt down. Marsh looked at him for a minute and then Ivaylo saw how the lightbulb lit up in his eyes. A bridge in a park over a stream running into a little artificial lake. That was the most favorite place for Kay to withdraw.

Marsh was correct. They found him there sulking. Kay didn't even turn to them, as they came closer. He could smell them at a great distance. "Why are the lying and the thieving bastards seeking me out? Did you come to mock me?"

Marsh stepped to him as first. "I came to apologize for meddling in your relationship with Paetyn. I knew it was wrong... but I couldn't let her stay in a never-ending danger." Kay turned to him furious. "I would never..." This time, Marsh didn't even flinch. "You almost did... not a while ago."

The truth of Marsh's words sank in and Kay lowered his head down. He was right, he almost did hurt Paetyn. "I am glad, that the thief took the punch instead." Ivaylo would punch him now back, but this time he will let it slide.

Marsh didn't stop now. "I will be honest from now on... I always hated you in the past. I despised your lingering around my cousin, so I took it upon myself to be her protector. After, you got into a relationship and the dislocated shoulder...

I promised, to keep you at a distance from each other. I was glad, that you pushed her away first... That you feared, to hurt her even further... I was satisfied. On the other hand, I hated to see her in heartbreak, so I made up a story, that you found a girlfriend... that human-hating kind, so that's why, we never met her. Paetyn believed it and I never did correct her. After some time, she accepted it and moved on with her life.

But truth to be told, spending time with you, I learned not all Beastman are vicious animals and I did begin to like you as a friend, ever since then I felt guilty and horrible for tearing you two apart... but I still think, it's for the best, the size difference..."

Marsh pointed at Kays 3,05 meters in height. "She is not even the half of your height, you almost crushed her, when you were just 2,25 meters. Also, can't imagine, what you are hiding in your pants. Hope you didn't plan to play Dracula the Impaler with her."

Ivaylo swallowed hard because he was 2,10 meters tall. Could it be impossible even for him to be with her? "You do not want to imply, I will have to break up with her because of our size difference..." Marsh turned to him and sized him up and down. "Depends, on how heavy you are. Kay was twice as heavy, as you now at that height I mentioned." Relieved, Ivaylo let out a sigh. Kay gave him a side-eye.

Now it came the turn of Ivaylo to apologize. "I am sorry, for taking her away from you... Probably you already guessed, that I had feelings for her. You once asked me that question..." Kay stopped him. "Yes, I did. Why do you think I bought this." He took out the box with the ring and eyed it intensely.

"When you mentioned her scent, I knew, it was my last chance to get her back into my paws. I had to beat you in this game, but you cunningly won. I expected her to fall for you as well. You are the epitome of a perfect marriage material... You have the looks, the education, the job, and the money. I know she isn't that kind of a woman, but she still is a female. I envy you so much, it hurts."

Ivaylo raised his arm to pat him on the back but suddenly, he felt some pain inside his chest. After a few seconds of hesitant stop, he proceeded in it. "You should talk to her, she is confused and both of you be honest this time about everything..." Ivaylo also looked at Marsh.

Marsh reached out with his hand. "Are we friends again?" Kay looked at his tiny human hand and then just grabbed it. "Yes, friends we are." Even, when Marsh was 1.87 meters tall, he looked so short in the presence of two Beastmen.

The trio spotted Paetyn sitting in a small coffee shop. Ivaylo told them to go without him, he would be waiting at home instead. They agreed and went inside. He saw, how she lit up and smiled at the two. Satisfied he walked to their apartment.

Later in the evening, Paetyn came back to the Outskirts apartment. The lights were off and she was confused because Ivaylo should be home. As she entered the living room, she was left mortified. Ivaylo was lying on his stomach with a puddle of blood in front of his face.