Chase was awake.
The greatest lie he ever told himself was that he'd start sleeping properly again. That, along with the second one where he insisted he'd return time for breakfast to his schedule. The promises had been declared in the privacy of his own kennel at the crack of dawn, a powerful drive of determination moving him forward at the time. He welcomed his vows like a new day on the horizon, eager to finally get himself back on track. Only for him to open his kennel door into the morning light, get blinded by the sun, and instantly retreat back into the comfortable darkness of his police kennel.
The vows were forgotten like paper notes discarded in a trash can, and Chase settled himself down for another lonely night. Beginning his nightly ritual of aimlessly roaming his kennel at three in the morning, he stood in the center of his room and looked straight up at the ceiling. "I should just do it, I gotta do it, what am I so afraid of?" He said out loud to himself, walking in circles around his bedroom. He stopped in front of the mirror, curling his face at the sight of himself. "God I look awful," he whimpered, flattening his ears as he turned his face at several angles. "I should do this another night, I'm clearly…" he trailed off, losing his train of thought like a lightbulb suddenly burning out. He stood still staring blankly at his reflection before snapping back to reality. "I'm clearly… not," he muttered, "clearly… uh… I'm hopeless." He hung his head, sitting down on the floor.
Suddenly whipping his head around, Chase remembered he had things to do. "Wait, what was I doing?" Hopping up on all fours, he sped over to his desk as his paws kicked aside dusty pencils and food scraps. "I think…" he stared at his desk, processing the blank paper in front of him. "I think I can just do this tomorrow. There's a lot I need to do right now anyway, like uh…"
The clanging knock of echoing sheet metal made him jump, spiking his fur in surprise. "Ah! Who's there!?" He faced his door, tail and fur sticking straight up. "I don't have it, Rubble took it!"
A soft voice flowed in from behind the door. "Chase, what the he- … are you okay in there?" Came the dry, exhaustion-riddled words of a familiar dog.
"Rocky?" Chase quickly tried to groom his fur down, but he made a horrible miscalculation and ended up licking the floor. "Why are you awake?"
"Because you're keeping me up," the mixed breed grumbled. "Who are you talking to in here?"
"The ghost of Christmas past, obviously."
"Chase are you okay?"
It was a valid question, Chase put a paw to his chin as he pondered the inquiry yet his mind brought him nothing but static. "Words," he mumbled into his paw, "wait, did I already…" he slowly narrowed his eyes and glanced to his left, "I did, didn't I?"
A small thump was heard from the other side as Rocky put his paw against the door. "Chase how long has it been since you've slept?"
"Uh, when was uh-" Chase leaned in, his muzzle pulling into a cheeky smile, "when was the first mobile phone invented?"
"1973." Was the flat response.
The shepherd let out a giggle, "okay that." Pressing his cheek up against the door, his tail wagged as he tried to think of more random one-liners.
On the other side, Rocky sat in the grass, staring absently at the gray metal door. Tilting his head sightly, a faint smile curved up the side of his mouth. He had arrived at Chase's kennel to snap his jaws and tell him to shut up and sleep, but suddenly there was an opportunity for entertainment. "Are you drunk?" The mix chuckled, a warm feeling lighting up within him.
"I had a root beer earlier," Chase let his tongue stick out, "so I'm pretty much plastered, yeah."
"Root beer isn't real alcohol, Chase."
"And how would you know that?" The shepherd fired back with a playful tone, giddily tapping his paws.
"Wha- because it isn't? That's common knowledge…"
"Your face is common knowledge."
The door of the kennel was instantly opened from the outside, taking Chase by surprise as he was met face-to-face with his grey colleague. Rocky merely stared at the police dog with an amused expression, blankly raising his eyebrow. Unable to keep a straight face any longer, Chase broke into a fit of laughter and rolled backward. As he struggled to contain himself on the ground, Rocky let himself inside the kennel and closed the door behind him, putting both dogs into the lowlight.
Walking forward over the shepherd, Rocky's face was bathed in the gentle moonlight shining through the window. Perhaps it was just his sleep deprivation, but Chase swore he saw Rocky's eyes glowing in a brilliant gold. Seeing the shepherd on the ground made Rocky soften, instantly won over by Chase's endearing playful side.
"Let me guess," Rocky sat down and reached his left paw under Chase's head, letting his right paw lower to the shepherd's side. "Two whole days without sleeping?" He shook his head disapproving, "why do you do this to yourself?"
Giggling from the touch, Chase emitted a noise that could only be described as a mangled sound that barely sounded like a word.
"What?" The mix glanced aside in confusion, letting his arms wrap under Chase's torso.
"Imma do it, Rocky," the police dog said with sudden sternness, looking directly up into his partner's eyes. "I'm going to eat Ryder's shoes."
"I think he'd kill you."
"If Ryder knew half the shit I do when I'm bored," Chase stretched out his arms, arching his back in Rocky's hold, "then he would've killed me long ago." Taking a deep breath, he met the mixes' gaze, and realized how deeply he was staring into his eyes. "What if, and hear me out," Chase said softly, placing a paw on Rocky's shoulder, "what if I eat one shoe, then go hide his socks, but only the left ones?"
"I think it's time you start sleeping again." Rocky said with a laugh, looking up at Chase's bed. "Come on let me-" he stopped mid-sentence, grunting as Chase completely dead-weighted himself.
"I don't wanna," the shepherd whined, leaning back and letting his limbs and neck hang down. "I'm gonna be awake forever and ever and there's nothing you can do about it."
Biting back a retort, Rocky noted that Chase's underside was now perfectly available given the position he was in. "Oh really?" Rocky smirked, "what if I gave you a tummy rub?"
Chase stiffened his body, looking up in alarm. "You wouldn't dare." Fear flashed in his eyes, knowing he'd fall asleep instantly at the heavenly feeling of being petted.
"Don't test me, Chase."
"But…" the delirious dog leaned back up, "what if I gave you a tummy rub?" Chase jumped into his attack, exploding into action as he clamped his paws onto Rocky's chest. The mix grunted in surprise at the action, but grinned as the two dogs wrestled with each other. Play-fighting in such an enclosed area was usually ill-advised, and Rocky's tail clipped the wall and knocked over a picture frame in the scuffle. Locking their arms together, both dogs were charged up with competitive spirit as they pushed against one another, each one trying to overpower the other.
The carpet underneath began to deform as it was being pulled in two different directions, struggling under their weight. Gritting his teeth, Rocky flattened his ears and summoned all the brute force he had within him. Slowly Chase began getting pushed back, and the shepherd attempted to save himself but he was already leaning too far. In a few short seconds, Rocky completely overpowered the police dog with raw strength, harshly pushing him backward. The kennel shook as Chase hit the wall, bouncing off it and landing in his bed.
"Ow," the shepherd let out a pained groan, lying on his stomach.
Breathing heavily, Rocky had the overwhelming urge to gloat his victory when a sudden realization hit him. "Holy hell," his eyes widened, "Chase, I'm stronger than you!"
"Well great," Chase sulked on his blanket, "there goes my chances of ever winning an argument with you again."
"Don't worry, I won't tell." The grey mix ignored the biting soreness in his arms. Physical altercations had never been his strong suit, and his body wasn't used to the explosive movement. "I keep quite a few secrets for you, now that I think about it."
"Like what?"
Chase couldn't have set Rocky up more perfectly for the final punch. He proudly puffed out his chest, smirking as he walked over to Chase. Leaning his head down until they were mere centimeters apart, Rocky delivered the final blow: "That you're really just a big cuddly puppy?"
Flattening his ears, Chase's playful expression melted into annoyance. "I told you not to call me that." He said with a growl, although his face was slightly turning red.
"Come on, Chase," Rocky shrugged, smiling down at the brown dog. "It's just us here, if you want something from me, you just have to ask."
Blush burning the sides of his face, Chase quickly buried his muzzle into the blanket, averting Rocky's gaze. "I don't know what you're talking about." His ears were flattened so tightly it almost looked like he didn't have any at all, and his tail retreated underneath him.
Slowly beginning to circle the bashful dog, Rocky chuckled out loud. "I think you do want something."
"I want you to stop being weird," came Chase's mumble though the blanket.
Giggling at Chase's enclosed position, he bowed his head and give the shepherd a lick on the forehead. A tiny wet streak was created, slicking up the police dog's fur slightly. The gesture sent a burning heat through Chase's skin, forcing him to hide his face in the blanket as if steam would start emitting off him. "Dude you can't just… come out of the gate with that" He said, voice muffled.
Still the mix hadn't moved from his position, silently gushing at the shepherd below him. "If you want me to stop, then just say so." Softly caressing him between the ears, a part of Rocky already knew he had the shepherd well wrapped around his paw. "Do you want me to stop?"
Leaning into his partner's touch slightly, only silence was Chase's response, thanking the heavens above he wasn't a cat otherwise he'd be uncontrollably purring. If no words were to be said, it was all the indication Rocky needed. "Look, I know you're really exhausted," he said in a soft voice, carefully laying down beside the shepherd. "Maybe I can help you fall asleep?"
"I doubt you could do anything," Chase muttered, making no effort to push the mixed breed away.
"Hey, look at me."
The shepherd went still, further tensing his limbs against himself.
"Look…" Rocky reached a paw around the dog's face, gently starting to turn it towards him. "At me."
Slowly Chase lifted his head at the touch, revealing his reddened face. With a flustered expression, he refused to make eye contact, keeping his amber eyes averted. "Now you," he stammered, kneading his paws anxiously. "You listen to me. I'm your leader and…" he choked over his words for a moment. "You shouldn't talk to me like that." Saying such a simple sentence somehow took great effort on Chase's part, a piece of him fearing the mix's response.
"Then tell me to stop," Rocky whispered in his flattened ear. "You haven't yet."
A violent shiver went down Chase's spine. "That's… not," he tried to hide the burning sensation by feigning irritation. "God, you're really pressing this after that movie night we had."
The grey dog tilted his head, "I thought you liked what we did."
"I… did, but-" Chase struggled to find the words, getting warmer the closer Rocky was. "We… aren't really supposed to do things like that. It's frowned upon." He let out a sigh with a sad shrug, "even if we do… like it, we can't let others find us like that."
"Then we won't." Said Rocky with a waving of his paw, "that's why I closed the door behind us."
"You're…" the shepherd's heart was beating out of his chest. "You're really just gonna catch me in here like this?" He was unable to stop the smile spreading across his face, forcing him to keep his gaze averted. Unfortunately for him, Rocky had already seen it well before Chase even knew it.
Knowing he had a foothold in, Rocky decided to play his hand. "Chase, the door is shut, it's the dead of night, and everyone is asleep. Who would even know?" Discreetly moving forward slightly, coming closer to the shepherd yet not fully laying down to appear taller.
"No, that's not-" Chase made the terrible mistake of turning his head, finally locking eyes with Rocky. It was their met gaze that completely broke him, "I don't… uh," he said, struggling to get something out. "You're… doing this to me," he coughed over himself, sweat starting to pool at his paws. Flicking his eyes at Rocky's soft fur, he began to feel the incredible feeling of longing. "Ugh… fine."
Smiling at his victory, Rocky began to lean in, only to get stopped in his tracks as a paw pressed against his chest. "But you can not tell anyone about this," Chase said, desperation in his tongue. "You hear me? If they know they'll… we just can't-"
"Chase," A single annoyed word uttered from Rocky, looking down at him with an unamused expression. "It's okay, now come here."
Helpless to resist, Chase gave in to his desires and removed his paw from Rocky's chest, officially removing the barrier between them. He was pulled into a loving embrace, two grey arms reaching around his body as Rocky nuzzled his shoulder. The feeling was immeasurable, as Chase's worries increasingly melted away the tighter he was hugged. With all hesitation gone, the puppy went limp into Rocky's arms, his day's worth of exhaustion finally rearing its ugly head. Seizing the moment yet careful not to drop his puppy, Rocky felt a call of instinct, and gently he began to rock Chase back and forth. He couldn't describe why he felt the sudden urge to rock him, but memories of his mother began surfacing in his head.
A lullaby echoed in his mind, loving words that lulled him to sleep countless times before. He remembered every word, the song becoming increasingly clearer with each breath Chase released into his fur. A frown of disappointment briefly crawled on Rocky's face, interrupting his moment of bliss. A deep regret pulled him, knowing he'd never have the voice to efficiently sing the lullaby.
While Rocky was lost in old memory, Chase was in a whole world of his own. The fluff of Rocky's dull grey fur was like the softest pillow in the world, warmth building around them like a personal cocoon. His eyes went heavy, threatening to draw him into sleep. He fought it defiantly, desperately wanting to stay in the moment more than anything.
"Did your mother ever… sing to you?" Rocky asked without realizing it. A jolt went through him as he remembered Chase's traumatic experiences. "I- I'm sorry, that was insensitive."
"No, no," the shepherd waved off, his voice faint and slow as sleep further dug its claws in him. "She did, before the first family adopted me from the shelter anyway." He let him arm wrap around Rocky's back, leaning his face into Rocky's neck. "It was the only way I could ever be put to sleep back then." A chuckle left him, followed by a yawn.
"I'm sorry that happened to you," the mix frowned, tightening his hold on the police dog, "I was abandoned too, if it helps. I still remember bits and pieces of my mother though, before she disappeared."
Letting his gaze drift to the wall, Chase was overcome with unwanted memories. "I really miss them. I mean, I don't hate Ryder but…" He trailed off, a low whine piercing the air.
Affectionately nuzzling his nose along Chase's shoulder, Rocky felt himself growing warmer. "I miss mine too, it's okay." Cradling the shepherd to him, he gently pulled away to meet the shepherd's gaze. "I just remembered this song that she used to sing to me. I don't… I don't really remember the words, though." He lied.
"Well don't hurt yourself trying," Chase giggled, drunken with the lull of sleep. "You're pretty in the moonlight."
Now it was Rocky who couldn't help but laugh softly, ensnared in the shepherd's gaze. "And you're a cute puppy."
"I said I'd bite your ear if you called me that again."
"Then bite me," Rocky leaned forward with a smug grin, challenging his partner. Annoyed, Chase let out a huff that his threat had fallen to pieces. Rocky could see him inside and out, there was nothing he could hide from him. Flattening his ears he drew back with a cross expression, only for it to quickly bleed away as his body protested separating from his friend.
"I'm going to get you one day," Chase let his nose touch against Rocky's, drawn to its cool feeling.
"Sure," Rocky giggled at his partner's expense. "I'll be waiting for your move, I just need to…" his voice lowered into a dominate growl. "Leave my mark first." Holding Chase's face steady, Rocky leaned in to kiss him. Electricity surged between them as they connected, leaving both dogs feeling light on air. Nothing else in the world mattered, a warm silence uniting them together as they embraced each other. Chase moved in tandem with the kiss, overcome with wanting. He wouldn't tell Rocky tonight, but within him were fiery urges now starting to become louder. Such interactions were for a later time, where they could be properly done in a better setting where they wouldn't be interrupted.
Gently breaking apart, brown eyes met amber, a silent gaze keeping them attached even after they broke away. Feeling as if he should say something, Chase struggled to find any possible word to say here until his mind defaulted to a single word; "Blep," he chirped, sticking his tongue out with a cute expression.
Rocky couldn't help but become further enamored with the police dog's hidden talent for being seamlessly adorable. Chase held the face for a few seconds before exhaustion pulled him back down, yet still he furiously tried to keep his eyes open.
"Time for bed, puppy." Rocky said with a nod, starting to lower his partner down.
"Don't leave," whined the smitten police dog, making grabby motions with his front paws.
"What makes you think I'm going anywhere?"
Letting his grey paws drift along Chase's chest, Rocky let out a yawn before settling down himself. Positioning himself behind the shepherd, he let his arms wrap around Chase's stomach, spooning him tightly as his muzzle rested on his lover's cheek. "No one has to know," he whispered into the brown ear, his breath causing it to twitch. "This can just be our own little thing, you and me, no one else." He laid still for a moment, the sounds of gentle breathing barely audible. "I want this, you know. I always have, and I'm… happy we finally got to do this." Smiling softly as he fought to become emotional, Rocky gave his partner a nuzzle to his face. "Tomorrow everything else will be the same, but not us. You won't even have to look at me, I won't mind, as long as we can meet at night when everyone's asleep." He let out a small sigh, then realized with a frown that his partner wasn't answering. "Chase?"
Chase was asleep.
