Not down on any map

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He doesn’t immediately rise from the bed, though. For it is still cold outside, and there’s nothing better than to cuddle beneath a warm heap of feathers and a woolen blanket. It’s pure bliss.
After a while Daniel notices that he isn’t lying in his and Gavin’s bed. He dimly recalls having rented a room the night before, pretty far into the night, too. But the reason for doing so escapes the man’s memory. Daniel only knows it must have been a good one. Everything feels right, as things should be.

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Eventually Daniel pushes back the blanket. His Sulani-style wrap and the woolen jumper provide some protection against the cold, but what would really do the charm now, is a Full English breakfast. If whatever guest house they have ended up in doesn’t offer that treat, then Daniel is ready to invade the kitchen and fry one up by himself.

“Hey, Gavin, do you fancy blackpudding with your breakfast? And would you like toast or fried bread?”

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“Hey, Gav… veeeeeeeeeeeeen?!”

This is the point where Daniel realizes that the brunette dozing next to him is not his husband, but Connor Anderson. Has he just slept with Connor? Well, of course he has. But has he just slept with Connor?!

“There better not be a baby”, Daniel groans. “That would mess the family tree up beyond salvaging.”

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“Baby?” Connor mutters. “Do you mean to say that we just woohoo’d, Daniel?!”

“Well, we woke up in the same bed with our memories scrambled. What do YOU make of that, detective?”

“I honestly have no idea. Kara and me don’t generally do… that.”

“Say what?”

“Between the two of us, you always were the more humanlike. I don’t even have the required parts plugged in at the moment.” Already Connor moves his hands to loosen the knot of his girdle, thinking nothing of the action. “Look, I’ll show you!”

“Noooooo!” Daniel almost screams. “No need to!!! I believe you!”

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“But why would we share a bed, Connor? That’s pretty suspicious, don’t you think so, too?”

“Not if we really ended up in the last cycle of magic. In the 19th century guys shared beds way more casually than in our time. It wasn’t thought of as inherently romantic.”

“No kidding?”

“No kidding. The only worrying part is how readily we follow the customs of this time. It is as if it was trying to pull us in, to override our real memories and even personalities.”

“So what do you suggest?”

“Focusing on the thought of Family Echo crashing when we try to add the baby we definitely haven’t made last night to the family tree. Terribly missing Gavin in your case, Kara in mine. Things like that, any strong emotion should do.”

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Strong emotions are something that comes easier to Daniel than to Connor. In their own time the teacher is much more susceptible to slamming his fist on his principal’s desk than the detective is to yell at a suspect. However, in this time their roles seem to be reversed. When the duo takes turns sponge bathing at the sink, Daniel’s movements are deliberate and restrained, while Connor seems itchy, as if he couldn’t get out of town quickly enough.

“My land legs are worn off, Daniel”, the detective claims. “I really need to take to sea again soon!”

“No, you don’t!” Almost desperately Daniel gesticulates in front of the other. “Connor, try to remember, you are not interested in sailing at all! The most you did in this regard was joining Gavin and me on a steamboat tour on Lake Erie a full two years ago.”

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“Why are you looking at me like this? It’s the truth.”

“Your facepaint… It re-attached itself while you were dressing!”