*growls* This was supposed to be the second half of the second chapter. (shows how well I proofread it). Instead of reposting the last chapter, I'm just adding this as another. I didn't realize it until I logged in today, or I -would- have fixed it sooner. Sorry.
Thanks to all my lovely reviewers so far!
*****
Unfortunately, they couldn't play soccer for eleven hours. By noon, they were sweatty and breathless, and ready to leave the field for someplace else.
"What do you want for lunch?" Daisuke asked from his place on the ground. He had finally conceded defeat to Ken, but only after losing fifty points to two. He had dropped to the ground in half-feigned fatigue and had refused to budge until Ken promised him a rematch, and now that the other had agreed to allow him a chance to redeem his honor, Daisuke had decided that food was a good idea.
Ken shrugged. "I don't care. Whatever you want to eat. I don't have any money, though, so we have to go to your place, or mine."
The brunet sat up with a yawn. "Back to the house. I forgot that Jun was going to go visit a friend of hers today, so she won't be home until later-later tonight. I have to let the cats in and feed the dogs."
"You have dogs?" Ken asked. Daisuke frowned up at him, hearing the odd tenor of the other boy's words.
"Yeah. Why?" Daisuke asked.
"We've never been allowed to have pets. We've always lived in apartments where they weren't allowed." There was a wistful quality in Ken's voice, and Daisuke felt himself more drawn to him than he'd ever been to anyone. It disappeared quickly, though, shuttered behind Ken's realization that he may have revealed too much.
Daisuke rolled to his feet, dusted off the back of his pants, and then waved an arm in the general direction of his house. "Come on, then. I'll introduce you to Worm and Vee, and the rest of the animals that Jun feeds."
*****
"Why 'Worm'?" asked Ken. He was sitting on the back porch of the house, scratching behind the ear of a pug-nosed dog.
"When he showed up on our doorstep, he had worms," Daisuke explained briefly. He was seated next to Ken, but the dog he was petting was too big to fit onto his lap. The large Doberman was sitting two steps below them and leaning on the brunet's legs.
"And why 'Vee'?"
Daisuke laughed. "The guy that dropped him off hear had named him Vernon, and I absolutely -refused- to torture any dog by calling it that. He came to 'Vee', well enough, I think because that's what his name started with, and it just stuck." The dog in question raised his head, gave Ken a dubious glare, and placed his head on Dai's knees in a silent request for his ears to be scratched.
They were silent for a couple of minutes. Lunch had been postponed in leiu of Ken meeting the assorted animals that Jun took in. She had a habit of bringing home strays, and so the backyard was littered with fences and carrying cases, and dog pens.
"Vee is obviously yours," Ken noted. "So that must mean that Worm belongs to Jun."
"Actually, no," Daisuke corrected. "He always growls at Jun, and he generall doesn't like to be petted by anyone but me, and that's only when Vee is around. I think his last owner hurt him, and Vee is kind of his protector." he grinned and reached over to pet the top of the little pug's nose. "He likes you, though, so I guess that makes him yours."
And I guess that solves the problem of what you're going to do for the week, Daisuke thought to himself. //Note to self: when Ken looks bored, let Worm into the house.// Maybe, if he was lucky, the week wouldn't seem so long after all.
Thanks to all my lovely reviewers so far!
*****
Unfortunately, they couldn't play soccer for eleven hours. By noon, they were sweatty and breathless, and ready to leave the field for someplace else.
"What do you want for lunch?" Daisuke asked from his place on the ground. He had finally conceded defeat to Ken, but only after losing fifty points to two. He had dropped to the ground in half-feigned fatigue and had refused to budge until Ken promised him a rematch, and now that the other had agreed to allow him a chance to redeem his honor, Daisuke had decided that food was a good idea.
Ken shrugged. "I don't care. Whatever you want to eat. I don't have any money, though, so we have to go to your place, or mine."
The brunet sat up with a yawn. "Back to the house. I forgot that Jun was going to go visit a friend of hers today, so she won't be home until later-later tonight. I have to let the cats in and feed the dogs."
"You have dogs?" Ken asked. Daisuke frowned up at him, hearing the odd tenor of the other boy's words.
"Yeah. Why?" Daisuke asked.
"We've never been allowed to have pets. We've always lived in apartments where they weren't allowed." There was a wistful quality in Ken's voice, and Daisuke felt himself more drawn to him than he'd ever been to anyone. It disappeared quickly, though, shuttered behind Ken's realization that he may have revealed too much.
Daisuke rolled to his feet, dusted off the back of his pants, and then waved an arm in the general direction of his house. "Come on, then. I'll introduce you to Worm and Vee, and the rest of the animals that Jun feeds."
*****
"Why 'Worm'?" asked Ken. He was sitting on the back porch of the house, scratching behind the ear of a pug-nosed dog.
"When he showed up on our doorstep, he had worms," Daisuke explained briefly. He was seated next to Ken, but the dog he was petting was too big to fit onto his lap. The large Doberman was sitting two steps below them and leaning on the brunet's legs.
"And why 'Vee'?"
Daisuke laughed. "The guy that dropped him off hear had named him Vernon, and I absolutely -refused- to torture any dog by calling it that. He came to 'Vee', well enough, I think because that's what his name started with, and it just stuck." The dog in question raised his head, gave Ken a dubious glare, and placed his head on Dai's knees in a silent request for his ears to be scratched.
They were silent for a couple of minutes. Lunch had been postponed in leiu of Ken meeting the assorted animals that Jun took in. She had a habit of bringing home strays, and so the backyard was littered with fences and carrying cases, and dog pens.
"Vee is obviously yours," Ken noted. "So that must mean that Worm belongs to Jun."
"Actually, no," Daisuke corrected. "He always growls at Jun, and he generall doesn't like to be petted by anyone but me, and that's only when Vee is around. I think his last owner hurt him, and Vee is kind of his protector." he grinned and reached over to pet the top of the little pug's nose. "He likes you, though, so I guess that makes him yours."
And I guess that solves the problem of what you're going to do for the week, Daisuke thought to himself. //Note to self: when Ken looks bored, let Worm into the house.// Maybe, if he was lucky, the week wouldn't seem so long after all.