Sorry this update has taken awhile, but thank you all for your reviews! :D
Kisses!
TBF101
The Pack Leader
Part II
"C'mere Momo! Oh good boy Momo-chan! Who's a good boy?"
Hiroki grimaced at the sound of yipping barks that accompanied Nowaki's moronic puppy talk. The professor grabbed his nearby mug and took a swig of hot tea (though he could really have used a beer) before going back to a student's essay, his red pen of death scribbling more franticly than usual.
Nowaki was kneeling on the floor, laughing as he rubbed the squirming dog's belly. Hiroki sighed, not really understanding the appeal.
"Momo," Nowaki said, reaching into a small bag of treats. "Can you sit?"
Seeing the treat, the puppy complied for a brief second before bounding back to Nowaki and licking the man's outstretched hand.
"Good boy! Now stay. STAY." Nowaki said, standing up and backing away from the dog. But Momo wasn't one to wait.
"No no Momo!" Nowaki said in disappointment as the dog leapt forward against his command. But the puppy licked the top of his bare foot and Nowaki felt his heart turn to mush. He smiled, picking the dog up and nuzzling him.
"That's okay Momo-chan." He said. "You're a smart dog and you'll learn more tricks eventually."
Hiroki raised a skeptical eyebrow.
"What makes you think that thing can understand you anyway?" He mumbled, still focused on his paper.
Nowaki smiled.
"Dogs are very smart Hiro-san." He replied. "And they are very eager to please their masters."
Hiroki doubted it. If that dog was so eager to please why didn't he go check himself into a hotel for three days…
Nowaki sat back down on the floor, ruffling the puppy's long ears.
"Ayame-san has been training Momo ever since she got him. Apparently 96 percent of behavioral problems in dogs are due to the owners not getting them adequate training. So Ayame-san has decided to get a head start on turning Momo into a good dog!"
Nowaki pressed his nose into the puppy's fur and laughed as Momo barked and licked his face enthusiastically.
"And Momo is a good dog already." Nowaki cooed. "Aren't cha' boy?"
"RUFF!"
Hiroki sighed again, pushing back some of his unruly auburn hair as he got up and walked out of the living room.
"Where are you going Hiro-san?" Nowaki called.
"Aspirin."
Hiroki had just had another exhausting day at work. His footsteps were weary as he stumbled down the hall of the apartment building, and his eyes were half closed. He doubted that he'd be able to get any work done tonight at home, as he was just too tired.
Stumbling into his door, he drearily dug his key out of his coat pocket and stuck it into the lock. He walked into the apartment with half-closed eyes, barely looking at anything as he dropped his things and walked into the living room and flopped down onto the couch, drifting off into an exhausted sleep.
About an hour later, Hiroki was shaken out of his slumber but a quiet scuffling coming from the floor. Hiroki cracked open an eyelid and groggily looked at his watch before yawning and sitting back up. He reached over to a night table and flicked on a lamp, instantly casting light into the dark apartment.
The professor's eyes shot towards the other end of the room as he heard a quiet yip, but his lips tightened irksomely as he saw Momo sitting by the end of his wire playpen, quietly panting.
Hiroki growled under his breath and stood, padding over into the dark kitchen. He immediately spotted a pink sticky note placed on the fridge with Nowaki's handwriting.
"Hiro-san,
Your dinner is in the fridge. Please try to eat all of it and get plenty of rest and fluids. I'll be home at midnight. Please feed Momo.
Love you lots! XOXOXOXOX
Nowaki."
In spite of his exhaustion, Hiroki cracked half a smile at the note and opened the fridge, quickly locating the vittles and popping them into the microwave. When they were finished reheating, he grabbed a plate from the cupboard and served himself a portion of the food. He glanced around the counter and also spotted a dish full of dry dog food that Nowaki had left. Grimacing slightly at its appearance he picked it up and walked over to the playpen. Momo gave a quiet yip as Hiroki approached, his rear swinging back and forth as his tail wagged furiously.
The professor remained impassive as he stood in front of the wiggling creature. It was so small and furry and happy it made him slightly disgusted, though he didn't know why.
Well, maybe he had some idea.
Nowaki had called Momo "cute"…and he regularly used the same word to describe his partner as well.
Was that big goof implying that a studious, accomplished professor like himself was just as bright-eyed and happy and bullshitty as this stupid dog!
The very thought made him very angry and very scared at the same time…
"Yip!"
Hiroki was broken out of this thought train wreck as the dog gave another bark, pattering around in excited circles as it saw the food dish. But in the mood he was in, Hiroki wasn't about to give the food/positive reinforcement to the stupid animal.
At least not for free.
Using his free hand, Hiroki pointed down at the dog, using the same hand signal he'd seen Nowaki do.
"Sit." He growled.
The little dog immediately responded by plopping his hind quarters down on the floor, his full puppy attention focused on Hiroki.
A little pleased that he had been able to lord over a lesser creature with no resistance, Hiroki's anger briefly subsided and he set the dish down inside the pen, watching Momo gobble it up for a few seconds before heading back over to grab his own dinner.
After the professor and the dog had eaten their food in relative silence, Hiroki had reached into his bag and taken out a pile of student essays, wanting to get at least a little bit of work done this evening. However, when it became apparent that he really did not have the patience to read complete crap at the moment, he put them aside and grabbed the TV remote.
Hiroki leaned back on the couch, watching a segment of local news with only mild interest. And when he heard light growls coming from the playpen, it didn't take much to peak his curiosity. He glanced over and studied Momo as he chewed on a rawhide bone with vigor. And deciding once again to stoke his inner god complex, Hiroki let out a low whistle.
Momo's black and white head immediately shot up and he left the bone, going over to the wire mesh and wagging his curly tail. Hiroki stood up from the couch, studying the dog with impassive eyes.
"Sit." He commanded. Momo immediately complied, his pink tongue lolling out of his mouth as he gazed at Hiroki. Having gained victory once again, Hiroki wanted to try doing a bit more. With a hesitant gaze the professor looked down at the dog, reaching a hand for the gate latch.
"Alright dog," He growled. "I'm gonna let you out, but if you so much as sniff ANYTHING, I'm gonna wack you on your little wet canine nose."
"Woof…" Momo yipped back, pattering around in a little enthusiastic circle.
Not quite believing he was actually doing this, Hiroki unlatched the gate and the puppy clicked out, pressing his nose down to smell Hiroki's socks.
"Okay, now." The brunette said, grabbing the treat bag off the coffee table. "Stay."
Hiroki took a few tentative steps back, all the while giving the dog a rather fearsome glare. The puppy put a paw forward, but stopped, sitting down on the floor and watching Hiroki intently.
The professor made it all the way down to the hall, and was amazed that the dog actually stayed put.
"Huh," He said. "Good boy…alright, come here."
The puppy yipped and raced down the hall as Hiroki knelt down to the floor, placing a treat down for Momo. The dog gobbled it up and put his paws on top of the man's knees, lifting up his mouth to try and lick Hiroki's face.
Hiroki grunted in slight astonishment that they had succeeded, and let a slight smile curl his lips.
"Well that was good for a first try dog." He said. "Now…let's see if we can teach you to stay away from books."
Thanks to a sudden emergency at the hospital, Nowaki didn't manage to make it home until almost two a.m. The weary doctor trudged up to the front door of the apartment and shoved in the key, practically stumbling in and taking off his shoes. The lights were on, so Hiroki probably hadn't gone to bed yet. Even still, Nowaki crept quietly into the living room, and felt his mouth drop to the floor as he laid eyes on the couch.
The distinguished doctor quickly clamped a hand over his mouth in order to contain the biggest squee of his life.
Laying on his back in a deep sleep was his unruly boyfriend, and curled up in between his arm and torso was Momo, snoozing quietly with his head perched on Hiroki's chest.
Nowaki was trying so hard not to burst that tears began to form in his eyes, and he immediately bounced over and whipped out his camera phone, snapping pictures of the adorable scene from several angles.
Once he was satisfied that the delightful scene had been embellished in photographic memory forever, Nowaki reached out a gentle hand shook Hiroki's shoulder.
"Hiro-san." He whispered. "It's time to go to bed."
Hiroki's eyes fluttered open and he let out a yawn.
"You're late." He muttered. "What time is it?"
"Almost two." Nowaki replied, trying not to smile too widely.
Hiroki groaned, starting to sit up.
"Ugh…I have class tomorrow."
"Let's go to bed then." Nowaki replied. "Here, let me take Momo."
Hiroki raised an eyebrow in confusion, but slowly registered that there was a sleeping animal next to him.
"Oh. Forgot about that." He grunted, swinging his legs over the side of the couch. Nowaki gently took the sleeping puppy into his arms and walked over to the playpen, placing Momo in his dog bed. Nowaki took in the sight with teary eyes, still not quiet recovered from the puppy and boyfriend cuteness missile.
Hiroki yawned again and stood up, padding off to the bedroom. Nowaki finally let loose his held back grin and gave the puppy a good petting.
"Good dog Momo." He whispered. "Good dog!"