Part 15

"Oh, please, don't be ridiculous," he told himself.

The carousel finished its ride, and Lil' Petey ran to take his father's hand.

—Dad, we should all go on a ride together! Let's go to the bumper cars!

Petey raised an eyebrow.

—Bumper cars? You want us to crash into each other for fun?

—Yes! —the kitten replied without even a doubt.

Petey clicked his tongue and shook his head.

—...

But still, he followed him to the line, where Dog Man was already waiting excitedly.

When it was finally their turn, Petey got into a red car, while Lil' Petey and Dog Man shared a blue one.

The music started, the lights flickered, and the bumper cars began.

Petey didn't intend to be aggressive, but as soon as Dog Man and Lil' Petey crashed into him from behind with surprising force, he knew he wasn't going to just stand there.

—Oh, so that's how you want to play, huh, Greg?! —he exclaimed, turning the steering wheel with feline precision and gaining speed.

Dog Man laughed, challenging him with a look, and Lil' Petey squealed in excitement when his father hit them back.

For the next few minutes, Petey forgot everything else.

He forgot that he used to avoid these kinds of things. He forgot that he always preferred to stay on the sidelines.

He forgot his fear.

For the first time in a long time, he simply allowed himself to enjoy.

When the ride ended, all three got out, still laughing.

Lil' Petey was jumping for joy.

—That was amazing! Dad, you're awesome at bumper cars!

Petey snorted, pretending to be arrogant.

—Obviously. If you're going to do something, do it right.

Dog Man looked at him with amusement.

—Admit it, you had fun.

Petey gave him a death glare, but the blush on his ears gave him away.

—Tch, don't talk nonsense.

But Dog Man just laughed.

.

.

They continued walking, trying different games: a house of mirrors that confused Dog Man more than expected, a shooting game where Petey showed off his impeccable aim and won a stuffed animal for Lil' Petey, and even a Ferris wheel, where Petey, reluctantly, finally agreed to sit next to Dog Man.

When they arrived, Lil' Petey was escorted by a guard to a separate children's area. Petey watched him as he walked away, noticing how the little one joined three other kids in line, looking at the park with a mix of excitement and sleepiness. Seeing everything was fine, Petey turned to Dog Man, who was already waiting for him.

The Ferris wheel began to rise slowly. Petey looked down, watching how the park became smaller while the lights of the carousel and the rides flickered in the distance. Dog Man, beside him, had his eyes closed and a relaxed expression, enjoying the night breeze. Petey couldn't help but look at his face a little longer than he planned, noticing the calm emanating from him.

That's when Dog Man, noticing Petey's gaze, opened his eyes and looked directly at him. He didn't say anything, but his calm smile was enough to make Petey feel a tingling in his chest.

—It's beautiful up here—, said Dog Man, and his soft voice made Petey feel even stranger.

—It is—, Petey replied, not looking away, though a slight blush began to tint his cheeks. The silence they shared next wasn't uncomfortable; on the contrary, there was something comforting in the calm that settled between them.

The descent was slow, but Petey couldn't stop feeling a strange sensation in his chest. Something warm, that he didn't want to analyze too much, but that wrapped him in the softness of the shared moment. Dog Man stayed by his side, so close, so... comforting. Petey didn't move, letting himself be there.

When the Ferris wheel finally touched the ground, Lil' Petey ran toward them, jumping with joy. The little one, seeing them, exclaimed excitedly:

—Dad! Dog Man! That was amazing!

Petey smiled and bent down to pet his head.

—Yeah, it was—, he replied, casting a fleeting glance at Dog Man, who smiled back at him as if everything was fine.

—Dad, Dog Man, can we go get cotton candy?!

Petey stretched, pretending the ride hadn't impressed him at all.

—If you keep eating sweets at this rate, you'll get cavities.

—Just a little! Please!

Lil' Petey gave him puppy eyes, that expression that always weakened his resolve.

Petey sighed, crossing his arms.

—Fine, fine, but just a little.

The kitten cheered with a little jump and then took Dog Man's hand to drag him to the cotton candy stand. Petey followed them calmly, hands in his pockets, pretending indifference.

He watched his son pick the biggest cotton candy he could find, while Dog Man bent slightly to pay with an amused smile.

Petey stayed behind, in the shadow, observing in silence.

It was absurd, but the scene gave him a warm feeling in his chest.

He wasn't used to this.

To feeling... safe.

To feeling that someone else was there, backing him up, that he didn't have to do it all alone.

He had always believed he had to be on the defensive, that he couldn't let his guard down.

But now, seeing how Dog Man handed Lil' Petey a piece of cotton candy with that natural tenderness in his face, he felt something different.

—Dad, try a little.

Lil' Petey's voice snapped Petey out of his thoughts. The little one was holding out a piece of cotton candy toward him with a big smile.

Petey raised an eyebrow.

—I'm not a fan of these things.

—But this one is special, it's blackberry flavored! I know you like blackberry!

Petey narrowed his eyes but ended up giving in.

He took the cotton candy with an exasperated sigh and tried it.

Sweet. Too sweet.

But when he looked at Lil' Petey, with those little eyes full of anticipation, and Dog Man, who was watching him curiously, Petey simply chewed in silence and looked away.

—It's not bad —he admitted, as if it was a great effort to say it.

Lil' Petey smiled even more.

—I knew you'd like it!

Dog Man laughed and took a large piece of cotton candy, turning toward Petey with a mischievous grin.

—Want some more?

Petey squinted.

—No, thanks.

But Dog Man had already gotten closer than necessary, holding the piece in front of his mouth.

—Come on, just a little more.

—I said no!

—Come on, Petey, open your mouth.

The cat instinctively pulled back, but Dog Man insisted, pushing the cotton candy toward him with an amused look.

Petey felt the heat rise in his face.

—Greg, get that out of my face!

But Dog Man didn't move an inch.

Lil' Petey watched the scene with bright eyes, entertained by the interaction.

—Come on, Dad! Just a little bit more!

Petey gritted his teeth and, to end the nonsense, took a quick bite of the cotton candy, still scowling.

Dog Man laughed.

—See? It wasn't that hard.

Petey chewed in silence, looking away, the burning sensation still in his cheeks.

—Don't enjoy it too much, Greg.

Dog Man just smiled.

After finishing their cotton candy, Lil' Petey ran to another ride, pointing at a little train going along a path lit with small colored lights.

—Let's go on that one, let's go on that one!

Petey and Dog Man exchanged glances.

—One more ride and then we'll go —murmured Petey, pretending to be annoyed.

—Sure, sure... —Dog Man smiled and ruffled his head affectionately before following Lil' Petey.

Petey stared at him for a second, feeling his heart beat a little faster than normal.

He sighed and rubbed his face.

Something was definitely wrong with him.

.

.

The little illuminated train moved slowly as the park filled with warm lights around them. Petey adjusted himself in the seat, feeling the familiar weight of Lil' Petey on his lap.

—Are you comfortable there? —he murmured, not really expecting a response.

Lil' Petey snuggled a bit closer to his chest, his tail wagging excitedly.

—Yes! This is the best seat!

Petey sighed but made no attempt to move him. Beside him, Dog Man smiled with amusement, looking at them with affection.

—you look very comfortable too, Petey —he commented, resting an arm on the back of the seat.

The cat shot him a deadly glare.

—Shut up.

Dog Man just laughed.

The train moved into a tunnel filled with blinking lights and small animal figures moving slowly. Lil' Petey clapped in excitement.

—Look, look! It's a deer!

Petey looked reluctantly, but he couldn't help but notice that the atmosphere of the ride had something... special. It wasn't impressive or dazzling, but there was something comforting about the softness of the lights and the distant sound of the artificial waterfall.

It was... pleasant.

Too pleasant.

He felt Lil' Petey adjust himself more comfortably on his lap, his little ears moving with excitement as he rambled on about the details of the ride.

And Dog Man, beside him, was a reflection of that enthusiasm.

He kept nodding, following Lil' Petey's excitement, sharing that childlike joy so easily...

Petey looked at both of them and felt something strange in his chest.

Something warm, that he didn't quite know how to handle.

That's when he felt a slight weight on his shoulder.

He tensed immediately.

He turned his head and saw Dog Man slightly leaning against him, his eyes half-closed in a look of complete tranquility.

—...What do you think you're doing? —he murmured, his voice low and rough.

Dog Man tilted his head just a little, with an easy smile.

—It looks like you're having fun.

Petey frowned.

—I'm not.

—Sure? Because you've been quiet the whole ride, but you haven't complained.

Petey pressed his lips together.

He didn't want to admit it.

He didn't want to acknowledge that, deep down, the moment didn't bother him as much as it should.

But he had promised to change.

So, with a resigned sigh, he just let Dog Man stay there.

And to his surprise... it didn't feel so bad.

The rest of the ride continued with Lil' Petey talking nonstop, with Dog Man still slightly leaning on him, and with Petey, for the first time in a long time, allowing himself to let his guard down just a little.

It wasn't much.

But it was a start.

.

.

.

Finally, the little train came to an end. Lil' Petey, as always, was the first to jump out, but this time, something in his energy seemed to have faded. He rubbed his eyes and, with a small whine, walked over to his father.

—Dad... I'm a little sleepy —he said, making a face. Petey smiled fondly, stroking his son's head.

—It was about time, wasn't it? —he replied in a soft tone, almost as if he himself was more tired than he wanted to admit.

Dog Man looked at Lil' Petey, who was starting to fade a bit after so much excitement. Then, he looked at Petey with a smile.

—Looks like it's time to go home. But it was a good day, wasn't it? —he said, with a warm smile.

Petey nodded, but when Dog Man approached to hug him, he felt a twinge of discomfort. It was a simple gesture, but for him, anything related to showing affection had always been tricky. Dog Man's hug, so warm and sincere, made his heart race, and without meaning to, his ears turned red.

—Well... —he muttered, trying to seem indifferent as he remained stiff—. Don't get used to this, Greg.

Dog Man, however, didn't let Petey pull away so easily. He hugged him with a bit more tenderness, making sure the cat couldn't easily escape from that simple, yet meaningful moment.

—Take care, Petey —he said softly, his voice low and warm, almost as if he were caring for a fragile part of him.

Petey didn't know what to do. He froze for a moment, unsure whether to pull away or just accept Dog Man's closeness. The warmth of his embrace enveloped him, and though he tried to keep his distance, a part of him couldn't help but feel good. Reluctantly, Petey allowed the hug to last a little longer, though his ears were still burning from embarrassment.

—Tch, enough already —he finally murmured, pulling away from the hug with a slight forced smile.

Lil' Petey, who had already taken several steps toward the park exit, turned toward them and, with a sleepy voice, urged them to follow.

—Come on, Dad! Dog Man! I'm sleepy! —he said, rubbing his eyes.

Petey looked at his son with a mixture of affection and exasperation.

—Alright, little one, we're coming. —He looked at Dog Man one last time, noticing how his face lit up with a genuine smile—. See you later, Greg.

Dog Man gave him one last glance, his eyes shining with a softness that Petey couldn't help but notice.

—See you soon, Petey —he said, with a smile so warm it made Petey's heart skip a beat.

With a final breath, Petey turned and began walking toward home, with Lil' Petey by his side, who was now walking slowly due to exhaustion.

"It was... nice," Petey thought to himself, not realizing he was smiling. Maybe it wasn't about avoiding emotions, but knowing how to handle them.

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Hey! Sorry, I've been a little absent... I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Also, I want to mention something I've been thinking about. On Twitter/X, there's something called "space" or something like that, where you join and it's like a Tiktok live but you can talk like on a call with people. I was thinking about doing something like that, in case you'd like to comment or just listen to me ramble while I write about these gays.

Anyway, that's all... let me know if you're interested !!