I am really bad about washing stuff, and this is no different. In fact, when I'm supposed to do something around the house you have to watch me for the first few minutes to make sure I actually do the work. After you leave, though, I'll still be doing it.

It's just the getting started part that gets to me.

Day Seventeen: Washing something

"Alright, back up as far as you can and hand me the towel." He followed her movements, eyeing the dog as it jumped out and shook twice before Taylor lunged forward and wrapped him in the towel. The Shih Tzu didn't care- he was a pretty mellow dog, after all. He even sat all nice and quiet as they bathed him, and didn't try to jump out a single time.

Saguru watched as Taylor furiously wiped the towel over Wilson's hair, trying to get him as dry as she could. "Are we done?"

"We are with this one." She kissed the top of Wilson's head before looking at Saguru, grinning. "Now, do you want to catch Duke or shall I?"

He held out his arms. "You're more likely to catch him than I am." She laughed and placed him in his arms.

"Nonsense!" He followed her out into the hall. "We both have an equal chance at getting him."

"You have more experience than I do." They both looked at the Siberian Husky sitting on the couch. Duke looked up and his ears instantly fell back against his head. "You see? He already knows what's going to happen."

"That's cause he's smart." She said, her grin growing. "Keep drying Wilson- Duke!" Duke let out a small whine and Taylor cooed at him. "Aw, sweetie, you're okay-"

Duke barked.

"Don't give me sass, young man!" She said, placing her hands on her hips. "Now come on, you're getting a bath and you're going to like it!" Saguru chuckled and shifted Wilson as he watched the exchange. He could feel a wet spot forming on his shirt from holding him.

Duke stood up and barked again, moving to dash around her to run to the kitchen. But Taylor already figured that he was going to do that so as he ran past her she bounded forward and grabbed his middle, successfully stopping him in his tracks. He squirmed in her grasp as she carried him into the bathroom.

"Very nice," Saguru said sarcastically as she passed him. "You caught him without a hitch!"

"Ha ha, very funny." She murmured, trying to work his body through the doorway without his paws getting caught on it. "You can let Wilson down now, and grab his paws, won't you?"

"Alright," The second he let Wilson down he bolted, rubbing against the floor and furniture. He tilted his head in thought. "Does this happen every time he takes a bath?"

"Yes- Duke's paws, please?" Taylor grunted as Duke squirmed even more. "Hurry!"

"My apologies, here," He grabbed his paws and they twisted so they could enter the bathroom again. "How difficult is this going to be?"

"On a scale from one to ten? Difficult." He closed the door and she awkwardly shifted to place him in the bathtub with a sigh. "Okay, one of us has to hold him while the other washes him. Pick your poison, detective."

He made eye contact with Duke and he whimpered. Saguru scratched one of his ears in an effort to comfort him. "I think I'll hold him down." It should be easier than washing him, he would think. At least, that's what he thought before he noticed the smirk Taylor had on her face. He frowned. "What?"

"You really need to hold him down." She said, running her hand over his fur. Saguru got on his knees next to him. "'Cause he's going to try and jump out, aren't you boy?" She cooed.

Duke let out another small whine as Saguru went to hold him.

"Alright, let's get started," Taylor said, clasping her hands together before turning to the water. Duke saw an opportunity and took it. He barely caught him in time and grunted when his elbow banged against the tub. She gave him a look. "I just told you that you needed to hold him."

"Well, you didn't specify how hard he was supposed to be held!" He shot back. Taylor scoffed.

"I didn't think that I needed to!" She sighed, running a wet hand through her hair. "Alright, sorry. Don't worry, though, he only tries to jump out when we aren't physically touching him."

"Is that so?" He mused. "So all we have to do is keep touching him?" That should be simple enough.

"It's not as simple as you're thinking it is," Taylor replied, grabbing the shampoo and scrubbing Duke with it. "He'll take any opportunity he can to try and jump out, and when he does you're going to help me catch him."

"When he does?" He repeated, giving her a cocky look as he helped to rub the shampoo in. "You underestimate me, Taylor."

"You underestimate the dog, Saguru." She pat the top of Duke's head. "He's going to escape, and he's going to pout and ignore us when he gets put back in. But Wilson will still love us, so it's not all that bad."

"Wilson doesn't- woah!" Just as Taylor said, Duke jumped out off the bath and slid on the tile. Duke stared at them and they stared back, no one moving. Then Duke shook, sending water and bubbles everywhere.

Taylor shrieked and threw up her arms to cover her face. "Duke, no! Saguru!"

"Sorry! So sorry!" He said, immediately reaching the dog only for him to run out of his reach. "Duke, come back, boy!"

"Just grab him!" Taylor darted out and wrapped her arms around Duke's middle again, grunting as she picked him up. "Please help me!"

"Right." Saguru moved and grabbed at Duke's kicking feet again, making sure it wouldn't hit Taylor as she moved to the tub again.

"Here- just set him down gently."

They moved to the tub and slowly started to lower him back into the water. However, Duke decided to give one final squirm and Saguru accidentally let go of him. Taylor couldn't handle it all by herself, so Duke accidentally fell back into the water with a splash. Taylor stared at him and he grimaced. "Sorry."

She sighed and reached for the cup they used to rinse Wilson, filling it with water. "You're not cut out for this just yet."

"Just yet?" He grinned at her. "Are you saying that this is a skill that I will master?"

"Saguru, dear, I've been washing Duke for years and I still don't have it mastered." She pat his leg, which was soaked with water. "You will never get to that point."

"I feel as if that's a challenge. Was that a challenge?" He moved the water around as Taylor poured it.

"If that means that you'll wash Wilson for me for practice then yes." Duke shook and they cried out, covering their faces with their arms. Taylor peeked at Saguru and laughed. "You look so done with this."

"I wouldn't say that." I'll think it, though. Saguru grimaced. Taylor laughed harder.

"Don't worry, we're almost finished." She dumped another cup of water on Duke. "Go and get a towel ready. We have to try and get him as dry as possible before he runs out of here and gets everything wet- no, no, don't get the same one we used for Wilson. Get a bigger, dryer towel."

"Got it." He said, grabbing a towel and sharing a look of agreement with her.

She ran her hand over Duke one last time before jumping backwards. "Duke, out!" She didn't even finish the words before Duke jumped out and slid on the tiles again. Saguru let him shake once (though he regretted it immediately) before he engulfed him with the large towel. "Dry him off, dry him off!" She cheered, laughing as if it was a game as they ran their hands over him.

He moved over to the door and put his hand on the knob. "Ready?"

"Ready." She lifted the towel at the same time he opened the door. "Be free, dear puppy! Be free!" She laughed even harder when Duke nearly tackled Saguru on his way out the door and was nearly on the point of tears when she watched him rub himself over everything- including Wilson, to the elder dog's dismay.

"Your dog is insane." Saguru commented, glancing between her and her dog. "Are you okay?" She nodded. "Do you really find this that funny." She nodded again, practically gasping for breath. Saguru couldn't prevent the smile from appearing on his face as he watched her. "Alright, as long as that's the case. I'm going to go get changed."

Taylor sighed, wiping at her eyes. "That's a good idea." She tried to stand up straight and grimaced. "My back is hurting me."

"That's because we were bent over for so long." He explained, moving his hand to her lower spine and pressing against it. She gasped and arched her back. "It would benefit us both if we layed down for a few minutes- or we could do some exercises."

Taylor looked very put off. "I'll prefer to lay down."

He grinned. "I knew you were going to say that."

Aaargh, I'm tired of rewriting it, correcting mistakes and rewriting, then going back to change the previous work of it (it allows me to double check for errors, which I've actually caught on nearly every single chapter before updating). It takes forever. I want to pay someone to do this for me.

And they can wash my dogs for me. Jesus, my back kills me afterwards. I'm tired and I just want to lay down afterwards, which is exactly what Saguru and Taylor are doing here. (I might just do that after this chapter, and stay a prompt behind god damn it)