Chapter 3

"Mittens?" Bolt peaked over his shoulder, only to find Mittens sound asleep on his back. He suddenly felt her arms softly embrace him around the neck as she purred happily in her sleep. He blushed to himself as he wasn't used to so much cuddling, even though he offered to carry her home.

He passed through the entrance of the park. It was late and the moon was nearly at its highest peak. The neighborhood was completely still and the eerie silence allowed him to hear his every paw step. Every house was dark and for a moment, he was concerned for his safety, but the quiet breathing from the cat on his back calmed him and eased his worries.

Many thoughts went through his mind as he struggled to remember everything that happened tonight. From their walk through the forest, to when they cuddled on the bench, to when their lips locked. Each memory replayed over and over and flashed before his eyes so quickly, he could barely remember himself what happened. Pretty soon, it became a blur to him the more he thought about it. The emotions he experienced tonight were unlike any other and he couldn't even describe what he felt exactly to himself.

There was something about Mittens that drew him to her, but he struggled to pinpoint what exactly. All he knew was that she was the source of all these strange, new feelings and there was something comforting about them. A warm, comforting feeling he enjoyed whenever he was around her. He always enjoyed her company and he cared deeply for her. He wanted her to be happy more than anything else, it made him happy too. And it made him wonder, was she happy being around him too? He was worried, was he falling in love with her?

He didn't need to remind himself of the obvious. Mittens was a cat and he was a dog. They could never be together because they were different. Was it wrong of him to have to have these feelings towards Mittens? A cat mating with a dog is unheard of and would be looked upon by others. He never really cared for how people thought of him, but he couldn't put Mittens through that kind of life. And yet, he also couldn't ignore the feelings he felt tonight. Real emotions that he wanted to experience again, but was he being selfish for his own happiness? He then realized he was jumping the gun a bit, for he didn't know if she even felt the same way towards him.

Either way, he wouldn't do that to Mittens, even if she was willing to. He felt stupid for letting his emotions get the best of him. He realized that tonight was a mistake. He should've never asked her out.

Mittens awoke to the soft patter of rain drops on the window above her. The warm blanket in her bed covered her body, but a faint and familiar scent lingered from the blanket. She then realized what it was as she slowly recalled the events of the night before. She felt tired so he offered to carry her. She also remembered burying her face into his thick, white fur behind his neck and inhaling the sweet scent that lingered from it. Was it… cologne? No, that just sounds silly. It's probably just the shampoo Penny uses.

She found the shepherd still sleeping in Penny's room. She examined his big paws, which were almost twice as big as her own. The way he brushed her face to wipe her tears away and how he embraced her with merely one paw. She had never felt so safe before in her life. And when they kissed… she wasn't sure herself why she did it. All she remembered was looking into his deep brown eyes that gave a warm, welcoming gaze. She smiled for she suddenly remembered how embarrassed he was after their kiss. The way he looked down at his paws and how he blushed brighter than a pink rose. There was something adorable about how shy he was, and yet, he was always so quick to comforting her when she didn't expect it. He even tucked her into bed. She moved closer to him to inhale his lovely scent once more.

Mittens never saw Bolt as more than just as a friend, but there was something special about last night that stirred up unknown feelings to her. Feelings that she never experienced before that suddenly kept resonating within her whenever she thought about him. She couldn't help but think if they could ever… well, obviously he was a dog and she was cat, but that didn't matter to her. Perhaps she was falling in love although she didn't know quite for sure yet, but there was one thing she did know. She knew she wanted Bolt in her life and she wanted to keep experiencing these warm feelings she felt around him. The thought of cuddling in his arms again made her heart race.

But the real question was; did Bolt feel the same way?

Bolt lay on the porch outside, watching the quiet sprinkling rain continue to fall from the roof that kept the porch dry. It was dark out now, so he could barely see past the animated wall of rain drops, but the two windows on the opposite sides of the front door left the porch in a dim lighting.

"Bolt, can we talk?" The cat approached him right as he rested his eyes, girls have the worst timing. But he opened his eyes and lifted his head to look at her.

"What's up, Mittens?" She padded closer to lie down across from him.

"I just wanted to thank you for last night. I had a lot of fun and…" She paused as he turned away to look outside the porch once again.

"Yeah, I had a lot of fun too," he admitted.

"I'd like to spend more time with you if-"

"Mittens…" He interrupted her and stood up to take a few steps to face away from her. "I don't think that's a good idea. We both know that."

"I know we're different Bolt, but I don't care if we are."

"It's not about that!" He snapped to her. She stood up defensively and felt her eyes tear up. She had never seen Bolt so angry before and it hurt her to see him like this.

"I don't understand, Bolt," she choked up as she tried not to cry, "Why else would you ask me out in the first place?" She raised her voice out of anger, but Bolt stayed quiet.

"Tell me!" She yelled even louder. He finally turned his whole body to face her.

"I had to figure out my feelings for you!" He matched her volume and it was only then when they both realized how quiet it had become since the rain had stopped. He sighed and padded up to her to sit in front of her. He felt awful for making Mittens cry, and more importantly, for lying to her.

"And-?" She softly asked.

"I found out-" he murmured, "that I care about you too much."

She smiled for his honest reply and stood up to hug him around the neck. She felt his paws gently squeezing her closer to him.

"You said it yourself," he continued, "we are different, but because of that, who knows what would happen if others saw us together." He let go of her. "I can't risk letting anything happen to you because of my selfish desires. I'm not going to put you through that kind of life."

"I'm sorry, Mittens." He apologized before walking away.

"Bolt, wait." As soon as he turned to look at her, he was tackled to the ground with Mittens on top of him. She immediately kissed him before he could even say anything.

"You dumb dog," she whispered, "I already told you I don't care that we're different. If it means us against the world, then I wouldn't want to be with anyone else, Bolt." They kissed some more, and even started to make out. "I don't care what happens to me, as long as I get be with you."

Bolt tried resisting, but the instant touch of the cat's lips quickly seduced him. Damn this cat, she's good. She started to pull away, but he wrapped one paw behind her head to keep her close to him while she gripped his scruff tightly. He suddenly felt a deep feeling of pleasure course through his body as they continued to make out.

"Wait, Mittens stop…" he panted heavily, "you're making me…"

"Good," she interrupted him, "let it."

Bolt realized the intentions of the cat and no longer tried to resist her. He accepted her love in exchange for his own.