Part 4

The city lights were just beginning to flicker as the clock struck 3:53 AM. Dogman shifted restlessly in bed, his mind swirling with obsessive thoughts, his eyes fixed on the ceiling. He couldn't sleep. Every minute that passed without seeing Petey made him feel more anxious, more desperate. He recalled the moment Petey had fired the Love Ray 2000—how everything had felt so... strange, yet at the same time, so necessary. The attraction he felt toward him was everything. And now that Petey was gone, Dogman couldn't bear it. The need to be close to him, to see him, to hear his voice, burned inside him.

Anxiety had completely overtaken him, and no matter how hard he tried to calm himself, he couldn't. However, the night slowly passed, and finally, morning arrived. Petey was fast asleep, unaware of what had begun to take shape within Dogman. But something shattered the silence of the peaceful morning: a loud and persistent knocking on the door.

The sound was so thunderous that it made Petey jolt awake, annoyed by the interruption. He glanced at the clock—he had overslept! Who could be so desperate at this hour? He huffed in frustration.

"I'm coming!" he called out, his voice groggy, though not particularly enthusiastic, as the knocking didn't stop—it only grew louder and more frantic. "I said I'm coming! Can't you hear?! Are you deaf?!" he shouted, storming toward the door, unable to contain the irritation the visitor's persistence was causing him.

He yanked the door open, and standing before him was Dogman. But it wasn't the confident, energetic Dogman he knew. Deep bags darkened his eyes, his fur was ruffled, and his posture was that of someone who hadn't rested at all. The desperation on his face was unmistakable.

"Pfft... what happened to you?" Petey let out a mocking laugh, unable to help himself, because he couldn't comprehend how someone like Dogman could look so... defeated.

Dogman, however, didn't share Petey's amusement. He was so tired, so consumed by anxiety, that he couldn't even speak. Instead, he lifted his front paws and began signing rapidly in sign language, desperately seeking to be understood.

"This is your fault," he signed, moving his hands quickly in front of Petey.

Petey frowned, confused. "Excuse me?" he responded, clearly irritated by Dogman's accusation. "How is it my fault that you look like you got run over by a truck?" He crossed his arms, eyeing Dogman with a sarcastic smirk. He remained silent for a few seconds, scratching his head. Then, as if a lightbulb had gone off, he muttered to himself, "Oh, the Love Ray 2000... right, that happened."

A small chuckle escaped his throat, though he knew he couldn't take this too lightly. Somehow, this whole thing with Dogman was far from a joke.

An awkward silence settled in after Petey's words. The two of them stood there, looking at each other, unsure of what to say. Dogman seemed to struggle to find the right words, but his smile, however timid, never faded. The anxiety that had consumed him all night disappeared in Petey's presence, and a strange sense of calm began to take over. Despite the weirdness of the situation, something inside him knew he couldn't be happier.

Finally, Petey broke the silence, scratching his head as if he wasn't entirely sure of what he was doing. "So... you wanna come in?" he asked, stepping aside and opening the door, giving Dogman space to enter. The invitation wasn't grand, but the way he said it made it clear that he didn't entirely mind having him there.

Dogman looked at him for a moment, as if checking whether this was a joke or a genuine invitation. Then, without overthinking it, he stepped inside. His tail started wagging more relaxedly, and as he crossed the threshold, a warm smile spread across his face. The anxiety had vanished, as if just being near Petey was enough to soothe his restless mind.

Petey closed the door behind him, and a quiet stillness filled the room. There was something strange about all of this. Normally, people despised him. After all, he was Petey—the world's most evil cat. Most people feared him, hated him, or even laughed at him. But Dogman... Dogman saw him in a completely different way. It was as if he were looking beyond his past, beyond his reputation, beyond his criminal nature. And that, somewhere deep in his heart, made him feel... something he hadn't experienced in a long time.

It was a strange kind of love, no doubt. Artificial, as Petey thought. After all, the Love Ray 2000 was just a machine he had built to manipulate others' emotions. But still, something inside him felt warm, recognizing that, somehow, someone cared about him—even if it was due to a force he himself had created.

Dogman began to explore the hideout, curious. He had never been here so freely before, without the excuse of picking up Li'l Petey and leaving immediately after. Petey's hideout was chaotic—so messy that it looked as if time had frozen amid the piles of crumpled papers, scattered tools, and metal parts that hinted at something important—or dangerous—being in the works. Dogman's eyes gleamed with a mix of surprise and fascination as he wandered through the clutter. It was a strange world, different from what he was used to, but at the same time, part of him found it intriguing.

"Wow, I didn't know your place was so... creative?" Dogman said with a nervous laugh.

Petey, standing at the entrance of the room, felt slightly embarrassed but tried not to show it. "Well... I'm not exactly a professional organizer," he replied dryly, almost defensively, crossing his arms. Despite his tough attitude, he couldn't help but feel a hint of satisfaction at the fact that Dogman wasn't judging him for the mess.

Dogman continued looking around, picking up some papers and examining the odd contraptions Petey had left scattered. "What are all these inventions for?" he asked, eyeing a strange box with buttons and wires.

Petey sighed, walking over to the object. "They're part of my... projects," he said cryptically. "The thing is, I'm always busy, and well, sometimes the mess helps me think." He added the last part almost as an excuse, but somehow, Dogman seemed to accept it without question.

Even though everything was strange, Dogman felt... good. It was as if he had finally found a place where, despite the chaos, he at least felt like he belonged. And the best part: he was close to Petey. And for a moment, Petey felt at peace too.

Dogman walked slowly toward Petey's couch, looking around as his paws carefully stepped over the cluttered floor. Finally, he plopped down onto the couch, which, though covered in scattered bolts and blueprints, seemed comfortable enough to sit on. Petey watched him, following his movements with his eyes before finally sitting down beside him. He kept a careful distance, as if wanting to avoid any contact, though part of him felt that the space between them was already meaningless. The fact that Dogman was here, in his hideout, felt... strange, but somehow, right.

Dogman settled into the couch, unable to suppress a long, deep yawn. The night had been rough on him, filled with anxiety and chaotic thoughts about Petey. Now, at last, after all the stress and tension, he was in a comfortable place, surrounded by the calm that only Petey's presence could bring, even if the circumstances were unusual. He felt his body slowly relax, his mind letting go of the whirlwind of thoughts he had been carrying.

Petey, for his part, was trying to think of something to say, some way to ease the tension in the air. His mind raced through trivial topics, as if talking about something mundane could make this situation feel more normal. But as he thought of what to say, a sudden warmth interrupted his focus.

He looked down and, to his surprise, saw Dogman resting his head gently on his lap, already fast asleep. Exhausted, the dog had practically collapsed into a deep slumber.

Petey froze completely, staring at Dogman in his lap. A discomfort rose in his chest. He wasn't used to this kind of closeness, and though his instinct was to pull away, a small spark of something warmer flickered inside him. Had Dogman really spent the whole night sleepless because of him? All that anxiety, that desperate need to be close?

He looked at Dogman now—so peaceful and vulnerable, so completely trusting—and an unfamiliar feeling of pity washed over him.

"Wow, Dogman..." Petey whispered, though the dog couldn't hear him.

At first, Petey remained still, his arms crossed, fully aware of how little he wanted to move so as not to disturb Dogman. The situation was strange. He didn't know how to react. He had never had anyone this close to him in this way. In his world of crime and loneliness, he had always been used to keeping his distance. However, seeing Dogman sleep so peacefully, he felt that maybe, just maybe, this was a moment when he didn't need to protect himself so much.

Time passed slowly, and as he looked at Dogman's serene face, the discomfort began to fade. The dog no longer made him feel invaded; instead, something softer began to grow inside him. He allowed himself to relax, slowly moving his hands from crossed arms to the sides of the couch, careful not to wake Dogman. Although at first he had tried not to touch him, the contact didn't seem as strange anymore. After all, Dogman was resting.

Petey lowered his guard, and for a moment, in his small, messy world, things felt... less lonely. He looked at Dogman once again, feeling a strange mix of affection and responsibility wash over him. Although he knew the circumstances weren't what he would have chosen, Dogman's presence felt comforting. Maybe what puzzled him the most was how something as artificial as the Love Ray 2000 could have led to this situation.

Despite how strange and complicated everything was, Petey couldn't help but think that, maybe, in this chaos he lived in, he was starting to experience something he had never felt before: a genuine connection. And even though doubts still lingered in his mind, he couldn't deny that he wanted to protect Dogman, to make sure he was okay. Perhaps, in the end, that feeling was the only real thing in all this madness.

So, while Dogman slept soundly in his lap, Petey stayed there, still, letting the peace of that moment envelop him. Unintentionally, and unknowingly, he was beginning to open a door to something much bigger than his solitary, criminal life. Something he might not be able to control, but in that instant, he didn't mind.