PAW Patrol Adventures
Chapter One: Love Hurts
(Note: You may want to read my earlier stories "Puppy Love" and "Pups Under The Mistletoe" before starting this one, as it follows on from events in those stories.)
It was a nice spring morning in Adventure Bay. Ryder had gone out on a nature walk, and over at the PAW Patrol's watchtower, most of the pups were playing soccer. Chase and Skye, however, had chosen to sit the game out. They were inside Chase's pup house, nuzzling together. They had confessed their love for each other just a little while before Christmas, and as such were in the early stages of romance, barely able to be apart for a single moment.
"Hey, guys!" Rubble called. "You wanna play?
"Yeah, sure." Chase said dreamily, unable to take his eyes off of Skye's.
"Just give us a minute, okay?" Skye sighed happily.
"We get it." Rocky rolled his eyes. "You're all lovey-dovey, and we think that's great. But do you think you could reign it in long enough to play?"
"We can try." Chase said sheepishly.
"I guess we have been going a little overboard..." Skye blushed.
"It's cool, dude and dudette." Zuma smiled. "No harm, no foul."
"It's just that games are always more fun when we play them together." Marshall declared. "The whole team."
"We'd like that, too." Chase nodded.
"Just don't ask us to be on opposite teams." Skye added.
The rest of the soccer game went quite well; Chase and Skye only caused slight disruptions to the game, mostly by pausing to congratulate each other on their moves. All too soon, the alarm clock they were using to keep time went off, signalling the end of the game.
"Great game, pups!" Rubble smiled.
"You were amazing, Skye." Chase grinned.
"No, you were." Skye blushed.
"No, you." Chase countered.
"You!" Skye cooed.
"Let's just say you were both awesome." Zuma rolled his eyes.
"At least you were able to take your eyes off each other long enough to focus on the soccer ball." Rocky smirked.
"Marshall!"
A lavender blur suddenly crashed into Marshall, knocking him down.
"Whoa!" Marshall yelped. As he recovered, he noticed that it was Everest who had knocked him down. "Hi, Everest." He chuckled.
"Hi, Marshall." Everest rubbed her nose against his.
Marshall and Everest had also recently started dating. And Marshall had found that Everest was quite... Exuberant with her affections. More often than not, she would greet him by diving at him at top speed.
"Did you miss me?" Everest grinned, as she let Marshall get up.
"Always do." Marshall nodded. "You just missed a great game of soccer."
"That's too bad." Everest nuzzled against Marshall. "I bet you were great."
"Do you wanna play, Everest?" Rubble asked.
"Only if I can be on Marshall's team." Everest declared.
"Totally saw that coming." Zuma whispered to Rocky, who snickered in response.
"I'll switch over to your side." Rubble told Rocky and Zuma.
"So it'll be couples versus singles, huh?" Rocky noted. "Sounds good. If Marshall and Everest are as mushy as Chase and Skye, it'll make things pretty even."
"We'll see about that!" Everest smirked. "Right, Marshall?" She gave Marshall a nudge, causing him to stumble sideways a little.
"Right." Marshall nodded, after taking a moment to steady himself.
And so the game began. Despite Rocky's beliefs, Marshall and Everest were able to remain focused on the game. In fact, both sides were neck-and-neck in the final moments.
"Just enough time for one last goal!" Chase declared.
"And we're gonna be scorin' that goal!" Zuma bragged, getting control of the ball.
"I don't think so!" Marshall suddenly took the ball.
"Go, Marshall!" Skye cheered, as Marshall ran towards the opposing goal.
Rubble, in his position of goalkeeper, readied himself to defend the goal. At that same time, Rocky started closing in on Marshall. But before he could catch up, Marshall misjudged his strides, and accidentally stepped on the ball.
"Whoa!" He yelped, all four paws awkwardly positioned on the ball as it continued rolling onward.
"Runaway ball!" Zuma gasped.
"Not for long!" Rocky yelled, keeping up the chase.
At that point, Marshall's already-shakey balance finally gave out. He fell off the ball, and the force of the slip sent it flying wild.
"Oh no!" Marshall gasped.
"I got it!" Everest dived forward, striking the ball with her head and sending it flying back to the goal
Rubble tried to stop it, but ended up falling short, and the ball hit the back of the net. Barely a second later, the alarm clock rang, signalling the end of the match.
"We did it!" Everest cheered.
"Nice move, Ever-whoa!" Marshall found himself knocked down mid-sentence as Everest gave him another tackle hug.
"You were amazing!" Everest beamed, sharing a nose rub with her beloved.
"Thanks." Marshall blushed, very aware that their show of affection was being observed by the others. "You were great too. That last move was incredible."
"I couldn't have done it without you." Everest grinned.
The grumbling of Rubble's stomach interrupted their congratulations.
"I think my tummy's saying it's time for lunch." Rubble joked.
"I'm kinda hungry too..." Rocky admitted.
"We have been playing for a while now." Chase acknowledged. "A little food sounds great."
"Ooh, yeah!" Marshall grinned. "Ryder got some new pup food before he went on his hike. I can't wait to try them!"
"Me either!" Zuma agreed.
"Wait, shouldn't we clean all this up first?" Skye pointed out the various sports equipment scattered around the lawn. "Ryder won't be happy to see that mess."
"I'll take care of it." Everest offered. "I had a big breakfast."
"Need any help?" Marshall offered.
"That's sweet of you to ask." Everest beamed. "But that's okay. I can handle clean-up myself."
"I'll miss you, though." Everest grinned.
"I'll miss you more." Marshall rubbed noses with her.
"...Is that how me and Skye look to you guys?" Chase asked.
"Pretty much." Rocky nodded.
"I guess it does look a little sappy." Skye admitted. "Still, you can't blame them for expressing their feelings for each other."
"Guess not." Rubble declared. His stomach growled again. "Lunch time!"
The pups headed over to the lookout, while Everest busied herself with cleaning up. Before long, the six original team members were enjoying their food.
"Mmm, so good!" Rubble managed to say between mouthfuls.
"Easy there, dude." Zuma chuckled. "You'll take a bite outta your bowl if you're not careful!"
"I can't help it." Rubble shrugged. "We had a lot of fun today."
"It was a good game we just had." Chase smiled.
"Totally." Zuma nodded.
"You guys were great." Rocky told Chase and Skye. "Good to know being so mushy hasn't thrown you off your games."
"Thanks." Skye smiled. "But even if it did, it'd be worth it." She nuzzled Chase.
"Don't forget who actually made the winning shot, guys." Marshall said proudly. "Me and Everest. How's that for teamwork?"
"That was a totally tubular finish." Zuma admitted.
"You two work as well together as me and Skye." Chase smiled.
"And you're just as cute together." Rubble nodded.
"Even if Everest is a little more... Open with her feelings." Rocky chuckled.
"Huh?" Marshall frowned. "What do you mean?"
At that moment, Everest was about to enter the lookout (having finished cleaning up), but stopped as she overheard the conversation.
"C'mon." Rocky rolled his eyes. "Ever since you guys got together, she usually says 'hello' by running over and tackling you."
"That's just how Everest is." Marshall shrugged. "What's wrong with that?"
"Yeah." Skye agreed. "There's more than one way for a pup to show affection."
"So you're saying Everest being so affectionate with you doesn't... Hurt sometimes?" Rocky asked Marshall.
"She is kind of a big pup." Rubble noted. "I know it'd hurt if she jumped at me all the time..."
Everest's face dropped, with her ears drooping to match.
"Well, er..." Marshall said awkwardly. As he looked away, he spotted Everest standing just outside the lookout door. "...Oh, hey, Everest! Done cleaning already?"
"Yeah..." Everest frowned.
"Great!" Marshall smiled.
"Come and join us!" Chase offered.
"Thanks, but... I think I might just go back to Jake's." Everest said dejectedly.
"What?" Marshall frowned. "But you just got there! Don't you wanna hang out some more?"
"...I think I've done enough for one day." Everest turned and walked away.
"Everest, wait!" As Marshall made to follow, he tripped over his food bowl. "Whoa!"
The others winced as Marshall crashed into a pile of pup toys.
"I'm good!" Marshall clambered back to his paws and raced out of the lookout.
Marshall caught up to Everest just as she was about to board her snowcat.
"Everest!" He called. "Why are you going so soon?"
"It... It's nothing." Everest lied. "Really."
"It doesn't look like it's nothing." Marshall acknowledged.
"It's nothing you should be worried about." Everest said quietly. "I've caused you enough trouble already..."
"Trouble?" Marshall repeated, confused.
Everest fell silent, her head bowed.
"Come on, you can tell me." Marshall assured her. "What's wrong?"
"I... I heard about what the other pups said back there." Everest admitted. "About how I get so... Affectionate whenever we see each other."
"You heard that?" Marshall frowned.
"Yeah. And I'm sorry if I ever hurt you just by saying 'hi'." Everest bowed her head. "It's... Well, I'm always so happy to see you, I just can't help myself."
"It's okay, Everest." Marshall nuzzled against her. "I really like seeing you you too. And I don't really mind that much, anyway."
"You don't?" Everest looked up.
"Nah." Marshall chuckled. "Honestly, my daily wipeouts hurt more than that. Besides, it's kinda nice to know I make you so happy. Because you make me happy, too."
"You really mean that?" Everest smiled.
"Of course." Marshall rubbed his nose against hers.
"Thanks, Marshall." Everest blushed. "But I think I'll try to tone things down anyway, just in case. You look way better in black and white than you do in black and blue."
"In that case, maybe you should try to go easier on me when we play 'tag' and you're it." Marshall joked.
"Oh, you!" Everest nudged Marshall, sending him flying into the nearby flower bed.
"Whoa!" Marshall yelped, crashing headfirst into the flowers.
"Whoops!" Everest gulped.
"I'm good!" Marshall scrambled back upright. He found he had caught a flower between his teeth. "For you." He offered it to Everest.
"Aw, thanks!" Everest blushed, accepting the gift. "You really are the sweetest..."
"I try." Marshall blushed. "Come on, let's get back to the others. They're probably wondering what happened to us."
"I hope there's plenty of pup food left." Everest smiled. "Between cleaning up, and all this feeling sorry for myself, I've worked up quite an appetite."
"I'm sure there is." Marshall nodded. "But if there isn't, I'll be happy to share mine."
"You're the best, Marshall." Everest nuzzled against him again.
"You deserve the best." Marshall grinned as he nuzzled her back. "Lucky for you, we've got the best pup food in town..."
The two young pups headed back to the lookout, side-by-side.
To Be Continued...
(PAW Patrol and all related characters are the property of Keith Chapman and Nickelodeon.)