The somehow cold wind moves the short, brown hair of the Shepherd and gives him a strange but also good feeling all over his body. The cold sensation mixes with the hotness of his body while he stares at the male next to him, which eyes are focused on the big blue in front of them. "Zuma... How long have you been here?", Chase asks and gains a glare in return, followed by a smirk. "Maybe thirty minutes, maybe less, maybe more... You lose any track of time when you're all alone... When you're concentrated on one thing that is very important to you." While he explains himself he moves his glimpse back onto the ocean, which sparkles even more because a small cloud, which formerly blocked the warm and beautiful sunlight, moved on. "You really love the ocean, right?" Chase knew the answer already but the sentence his beloved friend just said erased his brain from any kind of memory connected to any kind of thing. Like a total shutdown but not in a bad way. It felt awesome to just let go of everything and to say without thinking about it.
A giggles escapes as the brown pup closes his eyes and lowers his head. "Yeah, I really love the ocean... It is like a second home for me. Someday I just wish I could dive into the blue and breath... Breath underwater and explore everything... See everything and just stay there forever..." "I never knew he had the desire to leave... Is this just a dream, a fantasy? Or is it really something he wants to do one day? Even though he knows it is impossible he surely would try it! That is just the way he is... Try everything out until the bitter end... Until you can't try anymore... Until you finally reached your goal!" The German Shepherd slowly realizes that his mind drifts away but he can't help himself. He never dreamed of something like that or even thought about it... Why should he? He is just a normal pup, nothing special. Why should he dream of something he can't get no matter how hard he tries. But then again... When he fell in love with Zuma he also thought it would never happen... Maybe dreams aren't just fantasies but also desires your heart seeks for. A paw wakes him up and brings him back to reality. "Chase? Are you alright? You seemed a little bit distracted... Is everything okay with you?", the brown Labrador asks him with a worried mimic and a taste of fear in his lovely voice. He surely is scared. What if Chase got sick or something? What would he do? What could he do? But, luckily, Chase just shakes his head, stares into Zumas face and begins to grin. But not a grin out of amusement or joy. It is more likely a grin out of embarrassment. "What? Oh, yeah. Everything is fine. I just imagined something...", the police pup replies and returns his glare onto the water in front of him. Zuma copies his move and just stays silent until he can't ignore it anymore. This urge to know everything about this fantasy! Every detail and every possible thing his best friend could explain and describe. "Chase?", he begins but keeps his eyes on the glittering scene in front of him as the other male stays quiet. "What were you imagining?" A little bit shocked he looked over to the Labrador who still watches the blue ocean.
"Well...", he begins while his cheeks turn slightly red and his front paws shake. "Yeah... I'm listening, don't worry..." "I imagined you leaving us..." These words were the only ones the water-loving pup never thought he would hear from Chase. "Why would I leave him? Why should I leave him?" A little bit shocked Zuma stares at the German Shepherd and turns his attention onto him as he continuous. "Your fantasy... The dream you described before led me to think about it. What if the thing becomes reality and you were able to breath underwater?", he slowly lowers his glimpse and tries to keep himself from crying as he goes on, "What if you could leave and live underwater? What if you... really leave us... forever... Leave me forever..." The voice begins to shake and a quiet whimper escapes as he stops his explanation. Zuma can't believe what he just heard. Was Chase really depressed because of him leaving? Leaving him forever?
"Chase...", the chocolate-brown Labrador begins and places his left paw on one of the police pups shoulders. This sudden pressure leads him to pay attention to the brown paw on his body and the face of its owner. "I would never leave the Paw Patrol. I would never leave Skye, Rocky, Rubble, Marshall or Ryder... And I would never, never, never ever leave you... I were nothing without my best friend. When I ever decide to leave... I would either take you with me or stay! Never let such thoughts invade you ever again! It is nonsense and you know that!" "Zuma seems angry... Wait! Not really angry... It it something else. Is it... Is he hurt? Is he hurt because I thought he would ever leave my side? Is he hurt because I don't trust him? Is he hurt because... He really likes me? Does he also love me?" The thoughts are running wild in the brownish pups brain and they repeat themselves again and again as he watches the brown pup. In the meantime Zuma closes his eyes and gasps for air. He is not really sure what just happened but he feels a little bit better now... Something in his brain most likely snapped as he heard these fears, these thoughts... these conclusions... "Chase... Please... Never say something like that ever again... I am and I will stay your best friend forever... Until the very e-" "No!", the German Shepherd shouts as he grabs the soft, brown paw on his shoulder with the paw on the other side of his body, his right paw.
This sudden actions leads to a quiet noisy shriek from Zuma side, not because he got scared but because he got surprised. "Wh-wh-what? What do you mean with no? I thought we were be-", the Labrador tries to form a sentence but gets cut off by his counterpart, who first focuses the paw he holds and then the gorgeous face... the golden eyes. "I don't want you as my best friend for the rest of my life Zuma! I... I...", he stops and tries to find the right words as his hold looses up and frees the other pups paw. But unlikely every other pup, Zuma leaves it there and just stares into the reddish face of the friend he cares the most for in his entire life. "What is up with him? He blushes! He is shaking and he tells me I should not stay his best friend? Something is surely strange here... What is he trying to tell me?" The Labradors brain is working as hard as it can to solve the puzzle but without success. Is it too hard? Is it too complicate? Or is it something you can't solve on your own? In the meantime Chase organizes his thoughts and forms a sentence out of them. But before he starts his explanation he asks for a very, very important favor. "Zuma... Could you just listen to what I have to say and after that you can do whatever you want. Hate me or not, leave or stay... Answer or ignore... It is your choice but please give me the chance to say what I wanted to say for such a long time! Please..."
"Wow... it seems very important to him... His paw is shaking and it only gets worse! His whole body is shaking! But his tail stands still... I must accept! I can't say no to him... And surely not right now!" The decision is settled and, with a determined mimic, he nods as his cheeks slightly blushes too. "Wait! Why am I getting so hot right now? And why is my paw shaking too? My whole body shakes!", he suddenly notices the changes and takes a quick look at his paw but turns his glimpse back onto Chases face, who smiles slightly.
"You remember the first time we met each other? You remember the thing I told you? That I thought you were a girl and that I was shocked when I found out you are a boy? Well... The truth is... I fell in love with you when I saw you the first time. Even though we talked a few minutes later I already liked you a lot when I saw you... Just because of your face, your body, your eyes, your name and, when we first talked, your voice... I fell in love with you because of you! But when I knew you are a boy... these feelings didn't vanished... They became stronger every day I saw you, I talked to you... Every day you were by my side. I thought it was only liking you or liking you a lot but no... I loved you from the very first time I saw you and these feelings aren't gone... Not even today..." The heartbeat of the Labrador increases its speed and synchronizes itself with the fast beating of the other pups heart as he gulps and searches for his next words. In the meantime Zuma tries to think about what he just heard but his mind is blank and his brain isn't working... His heart is giving the commands right now and it orders him to stay where he is right now. And wait... "Zuma, I still love you... This is the reason why I was so distracted, so scared and almost traumatized by the thought of you leaving me for the rest of my life... I need you in my life! I want you in my life! I want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side... But not as as a friend or even my best friend... I want you to become my mate, my partner, my lover... I want a relationship with you." He finally said the words he always wanted to say but now it is Zuma turn to react. He has the power to fulfill the Shepherds dream or to pop his little bubble and everything connected to it... His happiness, his hope... his whole future.
I tried to give Zuma some personality in this chapter but the next one will surely show some more of it.
I also tried to describe this confession as realistic as possible by letting Chase interrupt Zuma. I hope you liked this chapter and feel free to tell me your opinion AND what you think will happen in the next chapter(s):
Will Zuma understand what Chase tried to tell him?
Does he feel the same?
Will Zuma accept?
Will they become a couple?
Will they tell the other?
How will they react?
Uhhhhh! So many questions!