Part 16

The way back home was peaceful.

Lil' Petey, who at the beginning of the journey had been chattering excitedly about the day at the fair, gradually reduced his enthusiasm until his words turned into long, interspersed yawns. His fur slightly bristled with the nighttime breeze, and his ears drooped more and more.

—Today was the best day ever —he murmured with a sleepy smile, clutching tightly the stuffed animal Petey had won for him.

Petey glanced at him sideways, with his usual neutral expression, but inside, he felt strangely satisfied.

—Yeah, yeah. Better hurry up before you fall asleep in the middle of the street and I have to carry you.

Lil' Petey just chuckled softly and took his father's hand, his tail moving lazily.

When they arrived home, Petey noticed the little one could barely stand. His blinks were slow and heavy, and when he tried to undress to put on his pajamas, his movements were clumsy and sluggish.

—Oh, heavens —Petey huffed, kneeling to help him—. Couldn't you stay awake five more minutes?

—I tried... —Lil' Petey whispered with a sleepy smile, letting his father pull the shirt over his head—. But the train... it made me sleepy...

Petey shook his head but couldn't help but smile gently.

When he tucked him in, he watched him for a few seconds. Lil' Petey quickly sank into sleep, his chest rising and falling rhythmically, holding the stuffed animal as if it were his most valuable possession in the world.

—Dog Man had so much fun today... you did too, right, Dad?

The question hit him like a wave, like an echo that refused to fade.

Petey remained silent, staring at the quilt.

The answer was in his head.

But not in his mouth.

—Go to sleep, kid —he murmured, turning off the light and carefully closing the door.

He stayed for a moment in the hallway, arms crossed, staring at the floor.

The house was in complete silence.

A silence different from the usual.

He sighed and walked to the kitchen. Without turning on the light, he opened the pantry and took out a mug. Tea, that would do him good.

As the water boiled, he rested his elbows on the counter and closed his eyes for a moment.

And there they were, the memories of the night, coming back to him like a movie in his head.

The house of mirrors, where Dog Man bumped his nose several times against his own reflection.

The shooting game, where Petey showed off his perfect aim and won the stuffed animal Lil' Petey was now holding.

The Ferris wheel.

Petey opened his eyes and frowned.

He saw himself sitting in the cabin, arms crossed, pretending indifference, but with his heart beating harder than usual.

Dog Man, eyes closed, enjoying the breeze.

And then he remembered that moment.

Just a second, where Dog Man, without opening his eyes, leaned slightly toward him, barely resting his weight against his shoulder.

It wasn't obvious, nothing exaggerated.

It almost seemed... like an accident.

But it wasn't.

And Petey knew it because he stayed still. He didn't pull away.

He could have.

He could have pushed Dog Man away with a huff, made a sarcastic remark.

But he didn't.

Because, for some reason, at that moment...

It didn't bother him.

The whistle of the kettle snapped him out of his thoughts, making him jump slightly.

—Dang it! —he muttered, turning off the stove brusquely.

He poured the tea into his cup, but when he brought it to his lips, he realized he was smiling.

He immediately frowned, as if his own body had betrayed him.

—Ridiculous, totally ridiculous... —he whispered, taking a sip, feeling the warmth spread through his chest.

And he wasn't sure if it was because of the drink or something else.

.

.

.

Dog Man flopped onto his bed, paws behind his head, a silly grin on his face.

It had been a good day.

No, more than good.

It was incredible.

He could still hear Lil' Petey's laughter, the noise from the park, the blinking lights.

But most of all, he could see Petey's smile.

A smile that wasn't mocking or sarcastic.

A real smile.

Dog Man closed his eyes and sighed.

He couldn't remember the last time he saw Petey have so much fun.

Sure, the cat would never admit it, but Dog Man had seen it.

And on the Ferris wheel...

Dog Man opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling.

He had felt something strange in his stomach when they were up there.

Like the world had stopped for a moment.

Like the only thing that mattered was the nighttime breeze and the warmth of Petey beside him.

And it was just a second.

But Dog Man leaned his head against his shoulder.

And Petey... didn't pull away.

Dog Man smiled to himself, hugging his pillow with a dreamy expression.

Petey wasn't an easy one.

He wasn't going to admit what he felt, he wasn't going to open up overnight.

But Dog Man knew him.

He knew that, little by little, Petey was letting his guard down.

And if that meant he could see him smile like that again...

Dog Man was more than willing to wait.

He turned to his side, his heart beating a little faster.

He definitely needed to ask him out again.

Maybe this time, Petey would accept without so much resistance.

And with that thought in mind, Dog Man closed his eyes.

Not knowing that, on the other side of the city, an orange cat was sipping his tea in the dark, trying to ignore the same warmth that he was feeling.

.

.

.

The morning sun poured through the curtains, painting the room in golden, warm tones.

Petey woke to the sound of hurried footsteps in the hallway. Barely opening his eyes, the door to his room suddenly swung open.

—Dad, dad! We have to do something fun today too!

Lil' Petey, in pajamas and hugging the stuffed animal Petey had won for him, looked at him with overflowing excitement.

Petey rubbed his eyes and grunted.

—What time is it?

—Doesn't matter!

—Of course it matters...

Lil' Petey ignored his complaint and jumped onto the bed.

—We could go to the park, or to the ice cream shop, or—

—We can stay home and you can let me sleep for two more hours.

Lil' Petey pouted.

—That doesn't sound very fun.

—It does to me.

The little one sighed and leaned his head against his father's chest.

—Dog Man had so much fun yesterday. I'm sure he wants to do something today too.

Petey felt a slight shiver at hearing his name.

Dog Man.

The memory of the previous night hit his head like a brick.

The fair, the Ferris wheel, the closeness, the warmth...

He sat up suddenly, making Lil' Petey wobble a bit.

—Hey!

—Don't even think about inviting Greg to come here —he said immediately.

Lil' Petey looked at him with amusement.

—why?

Petey turned his gaze away, irritated.

—Because no.

Because he still didn't know what to do with what he felt.

Because he still didn't know how to deal with that strange feeling in his chest when Dog Man was near.

But Lil' Petey didn't seem convinced.

—I'm calling him.

—Don't!

But it was already too late. Lil' Petey had already jumped off the bed and was running toward the phone.

Petey buried his face in the pillow and groaned.

Why did he feel like this was just going to get more complicated?

.

.

.

Dog Man yawned and stretched on his bed, feeling lighter than ever.

The memory of the fair still fluttered in his head like a pleasant dream.

Petey had smiled.

He had had fun.

And it hadn't just been with Lil' Petey.

Dog Man turned over, hugging his pillow.

Could he make him smile like that again?

Could he get him to stop putting up that barrier between them?

Just as he started to lose himself in his thoughts, the phone's ring snapped him out of his daydream.

He hurried to answer, unable to stop his tail from wagging with excitement when he recognized the voice on the other side.

—Dog Man! Good morning!

Lil' Petey.

—Do you want to come to our house today? Dad says no, but I say yes!

Dog Man blinked and gave a soft snort.

So Petey didn't want to see him.

Did that mean he was embarrassed?

Or was he avoiding something?

After a few seconds, he smiled.

—I'm coming over.

—Yes!

Dog Man barely contained a laugh at hearing Lil' Petey's excitement on the phone.

Yes. He definitely had to see Petey again.

And if the cat played hard to get... well, Dog Man was stubborn.

HELLO, sorry for the short chapter... thanks so much to everyone who read up to this point and especially to those who commented!