Alone. Yes. Darklett scratches at one of his ears as he leans against a wall in the spring room, enjoying the relative quiet that's here and not in many other places in the mountain. That, and the environment is conducive to thought, the major has found. So there he sits.

Only thing is that the underground spring seems to draw /others/ looking for solitude. This means Jakk hurries down into the caverns, glancing over his shoulder as if he expects someone to come down after him, before he folds his arms and moves into the room - not noticing Dark at first. However a quick survey of the area makes the difference there. "Oh... crud.." Maybe not the response that would be wanted. The young buck rubs his cheek to wipe some of the grit off of it and goes towards the entrance again with a sigh.

Darklett looks up as he sees Jakk when the young hare first enters the room. He's about to try and greet the young buck, but Jakk soon turns and starts to leave, and he gives that up. Until about a second later, when he speaks up, going to stand and follow should he continue. "Jakk, wait up."

Jakk tenses somewhat as he pauses, then looks back to Darklett as he turns. "Yes... sir...?" He's restraining himself perhaps, just gazing up at the Major without saying much else - looking a bit small because his arms are tucked in against his chest and his posture isn't the best right now.

"Hey. Can we talk?" Darklett jogs a little to come up to Jakk, looking down with a hesitant smile. "I mean, come on in here, it's quiet. At least /talk/ to me about this..." His voice comes off as pleading more than anything else.

Jakk watches Dark, always seeming to try and judge his mood. Finally the recruit nods, glancing away as he goes to move into the cavern again. "Yeah. Alright." Softly. Maybe that sound in the other buck's voice threw him off.

Darklett lets Jakk walk past him, and smiles. At least it's a start. He follows the buck and then passes him up, going back to the wall he'd been leaning against again. "...I understand how you must feel, and what your mom probably told you. She's right, but I think you deserve to hear an explanation, at least."

Jakk stays standing, arms still folded, though every now and then he rubs dirt off of his muzzle or tunic. He just nods his head again scuffing his footpaw against the ground. "I guess..."

Darklett doesn't sit, either, once Jakk doesn't, and just sorta stands, leaning against the wall. "...So you know that I left your mother before you were born... But when your mom told you this, she didn't know that I /had/ to."

Hah. Maybe not the best way to start. Jakk glances up to Dark with his ears starting to lower backwards a little as the fur on his spine stands on end a little. "Mm hmm...." The young hare is just on guard.

Well, he never claimed to be good at this. Darklett looks down at Jakk. "...When I fell in love with your mother, I was in with a bad group of beasts..." Dark sighs. "Do you wanna sit? Please." He does sit, looking now up at Jakk, not continuing until he sees the reaction of the younger hare.

Jakk isn't sure if he wants to sit, but he is also grumpy as he watches Dark with an almost worried look. The young recruit glances at the floor as if considering his options before /slowly/ lowering to the ground. His gaze remains there while listening to the other.

Darklett manages another smile as Jakk sits, taking pleasure in the small victories. "By bad group of beasts, I mean vermin." Pause. "And by vermin, I mean a band of thieves. ...And murderers." Darklett sighs, looking back towards Jakk. "I had to leave, or else they'd kill me."

The buck is slumped forward as he watches Dark, one ear sinking back as the other perks. Finally he sighs. "Shouldn't.. treat ya like I do.." Jakk may have been thinking this for a while - in a random flash of maturity. Though this information /does/ help a little. Now he goes back to scruffing at his cheek fur as if he thinks more dust will be there.

Darklett's brows go up at this little revelation. "...Nah, I mean... Don't feel bad. I'd probably react the same way." The major smirks, trying to up the mood a little bit, though... Probably not possible. "I just wanna be able to start over with your mom, and get to know you."

Jakk looks up at Darklett, calculating that smirk with a slight lift of one of his brows. Sighs a little as he looks away from the older buck once more. "Kay.." He awkwardly begins to fidget with his pants, not sure what else to say. It really is an odd situation to be in.

Darklett notes the fidgeting and chuckles out a quiet laugh through his nose. "I, uh... This is going a lot better than I thought it would. Thanks for not being too upset about it. Me and your mom are straightening things out, slowly, so... Maybe we can be a normal family in a few seasons or so, heh."

"I was." Mumble. Jakk has gone back to acting younger once again. "Gotta.. get used to it though, right?" Darklett gets another glance, before he moves forward a little just so there won't be that far of a gap in between them. So, he's got a father. But what do you /do/ with a father? One must ask oneself. XD

Darklett nods to Jakk, still hesitantly, but at least he's not in danger of being walked out on now. "Mmhmm. If, uh. If you need anything, if you need me, just ask. I'll try and be there for you." That's a heck of a promise, and he raises a paw to scratch at his ear again. "You should meet Audri."

Jakk sighs, letting it trail out as if.. his soul just escaped his body. Audri? "Audri?" Perhaps he has heard the name, but for the moment he can't remember where. He draws his knees up to his chest.

"Yeah, um... She's a squirrel. Orphan... I kinda took her in as my daughter." Darklett nods to Jakk. "I think you should probably meet her. Maybe help her understand... I don't know how she feels about me suddenly having a son."

Hah! Jakk suddenly lets out a small burst of laughter. "Oh." The buck starts to get up, rubbing at his eyes as he grins a little, though out of place. "This.. gets better.. I'm sure." He can only assume how this squirrel will feel about him.

Hey, a grin is better than a scowl any day. "I'll talk to her first... Don't want her clawing you or anything. She's a little prone to things like that." Dark smiles back, heaving a huge sigh of relief. "Oh, and... You don't have to call me sir."

Jakk sighs a little, as his dad obviously doesn't notice the stress that came with that grin. It only increases at the thought of being clawed at. "You don't /have/ to try and be my dad, you know.." This is all really complicated. He starts towards the entrance, rubbing his forehead.

And all of a sudden, this sucks. Darklett watches Jakk go, speechless. "Hey... Hey, where are you going?" He starts to stand up himself, though not immediately following.

Jakk comes to a complete halt. "Would have been happy. Wanted you there when I was tiny." He isn't looking at the other. "Know you /had/ to leave though.. what am I supposed to do?" Might as well ask Darklett - cause maybe he has the answers. Maybe he can tell him how he /wants/ him to act. Plus his mom is happy with this?

"...I want you to be happy with whatever you do." Darklett doesn't even say anything for a few seconds, and sits back down. "Do what you think's right. You lasted this long without a dad, it's... Sorta selfish of me to just expect you to accept me. If..." The major sighs, his legs pulling up a bit, arms resting on his knees. "If you don't want a dad, then I'll just be your major."

The problem with Jakk is his stubbornness. That sigh gets his attention, definitely. Both ears flick back, right before the small hare turns around slowly, both footpaws planted to the spot. He's watching the Major once more - more thoughtful than he has been in a while. Oh what he would give to be spontaneous again. Finally he gets himself to move. Shuffle, shuffle.. bound. Almost like a small child once more the buck springs forward after the first awkward movements to latch onto Dark. That seems better than words?

Darklett looks over at Jakk as he hears the footpaws stepping toward him. Another one of those half-smiles flashes, more nervous than anything... And he blinks, and suddenly he's being hugged. Swallow. After a few moments of surprise, one of his arms hugs his son back, smile finishing across his face and spreading from cheek to cheek. He doesn't say anything, 'cause... If he does, he might ruin something.

Jakk drops all the way into a relaxed position, his legs curled to the side so that he is tucked up against the other buck. He almost appears to be hiding there, ears pushing into the fur at the back of his neck. After a moment of just clinging to Darklett he mumbles out again. "... I want a dad ..."

Darklett just... hugs back. A little squeeze is added here and there, and the smile spreads to a grin. "Then that's what I'll be." A big breath is taken, leaving his lungs in a much happier sigh than that of before.

Jakk seems calm at least, and good news is he isn't running away at the mere sight of Dark anymore. After a few moments of more silence, he nods his head with a soft smile then starts to pull away. "Thanks." And that is all.

"...No, thank you. This makes me happy." Dark grins at Jakk, obviously true to his word. "Like I said before. If you need anything, just let me know, and I'll do whatever I can." And you know what? He gives another hug to his son. He's that happy.

"Kay.." And then Jakk is suddenly tugged into another hug, just resting in against it with one arm going lazily around Darklett as he gives a more relaxed and content sigh than before. Wow. This just seems weird to him.