Dog gone (6)
Dog Gone (6) By Roofles
"For heaven's sake," I panted struggling with the last few steps. "Slow down. I'm not built for this like you are."
"Your the one that wanted to go on this trip." Brutus nealt down and offered his paw, his weight sagging a bit on those heavy almost tree trunk like legs of his. He was panting, his tongue drooping out long over his chin. His cheeks curved up into a smile as dogs always seemed to be doing when they were panting. Brutus was shirtless wearing open fly shorts in his favorite hot dogs sandals. The sweat trickled down his arms and chest clearly defining his muscles through his fur.
The incline was steeper than I had originally thought. My shoes dug into the dirt beneath me as I grasped his hand. The course pads scratch my palm, his fingers curling around my hand before tugging me up the rest of the way. I barely had time to push off as he helped me up.
I leaned against him for a second to catch my breath before you know... pulling away and all cause hes a big stinky, sweaty dog. I sat back on the rock he had been standing on. I just shook my head looking out over the sites. Several trees still blocked our view but through them I could see the landscape before me fold out like ripples in a pond. A sea of green tree tops stood before us, waving down the mountain side and up again through the hills around us. The birds sung above in the clear blue sky as they danced in the air. The sun was just reaching its peak, the perfect lighting for the world around us. It was breathtaking. Well I was still breathing heavily so it didn't actual take my breath away... But you understand what I'm saying.
Brutus didn't seem to have any interest in the world before us. But he was defiantly enjoying himself. His tail wagged as he stood looking around. His ears perking every now and then to a new sound, his nose sniffing wildly at a new smell or scent with that dopey panting grin a dog had. And I didn't think he would stop grinning. Or maybe that was just because he was panting. With the whole smiling panting thing dogs do... It was impossible to tell the difference between the two. His tail wagging back and forth lazily was the only sign he was actually enjoying himself. Unless I specifically asked he wasn't one to share what he was thinking or feeling, which all in all was a sign in itself he was adapting to human society well enough.
He had this habit of running ahead of me...even when it was uphill before standing there waiting for me to catch up before running ahead again. He jog back and forth and all around as if mocking me. But the second I stopped to catch a breather he'd run on back and stood above me waiting for me to continue. We chatted here and there but he was too giddy and energetic for any proper conversation. Just a "how awesome is this?" or "look at that!" Sometimes a "hey look at that! hey bird! i see you! I hate you bird!"
Like a large energetic puppy dog. I just watched him bounding around, skipping about, prancing, strutting and over all just being a large airhead. Goofball. Dork. Idiot. BLunderbus...I don't think thats the word but you get the picture. Arrogant prick came to mind when he came back around again. You know those guys that work out way too much and are stamina gods putting the rest of us mere mortals in our place? Brutus would've put them to shame.
"Come on, come on." He tugged my arm before jogging up the nintey degree slope. Ok, it wasn't that steep. It sure felt that way anyways... "We're almost there!" He called down the path...again...for like the fifteenth time.
"We're almost always there!" I called back up but he was gone lost in the brush again like some hill person...dog. Dogson. Perog. Dog people. Whatever. "I'm going to just lay here and die."
I didn't get a response so I pulled myself up a few more feet before saying it again. "You look fine to me." He said nearly making me jump out of my skin. He had a nasty habit of sneaking up on me. I'm not even sure how he got behind me.
"Not. Funny." But he was grinning larger than before, or panting larger...or whatever. The dog could really get under my skin sometimes.
Like how he brushed my sweaty back afterwards with his paw, down to my ass giving it a strong firm squeeze. That was what really made me jump. The damn sneaky brute snuck up on me and grabbed my ass, again! He...could be very friendly those days. He was really obsessed with TV when I wasn't around always watching romantic comedies and sitcoms and other bad influences on his fragile, horny mind.
I'm not sure how long it had been. Rather days, hours or weeks had past but our numbers had twindled down to three. The sergeant, Ms. pencil tapper and the gentleman. All three had gotten onto my blacklist.
"We're in public. We've been over this." I grumbled swatting his hand away. He scooted around nosing...my nose. That cold wet, black button dog nose pressed against mine as he continued to pant. I'm glad he was eating my toothpaste. The minty breath barely masked the smelly dog breath under it...
I was getting distracted just by thinking of it. That warm breath washing over my face as he bumped our noses together. Smiling and panting like that. One paw roaming up my side aimlessly as the other pressed against my chest. Heavy, strong and enduring. Rubbing his thumb against my bear, slightly fuzzy chest and looking down at me with those large caramel drop eyes. Tilting his head to the side and giving me a soft peck on the lips. Soft, loving. Before wrapping an arm around me and pulling me in a much more forceful one.
It wasn't as if I was going to tell them that. Hell, I was getting hard just thinking of it. I wasn't about to tell them that he had been fishing around about 'kisses' for the past several days trying to find out the proper way, time and place to do it. And I wasn't about to tell them that he just up and kissed me when we woke up one morning.
His heavy, musky body laying on me like some kind of throw rug. Waking up with him slobbering on my chest, my legs trapped in his as he cuddled against me. Groaning and muttering things. Nosing my chest and licking up the slobber he had left behind. Still with closed eyes, still asleep. I want to say I pet his face but that wasn't true. It was more gentle, soft and I just let my fingers trace through his whiskers and fur up to his cheek. Just for once truly feeling that fur of his. It was part of his body like hair yet thicker, softer than I would've imaged (when washed anyways) and was warm underneath. And I couldn't help as I looked at that soft sleeping face, give him a slight peck on the nose. Nothing much or meaning full but closing the little distance there was between us.
Brutus woke up at that. Opening his eyes and looking up at me before yawning loudly in my face. Morning dog breath was always the worst. I could've almost fit my head in that muzzle of his when he yawned like that. Smacking his lips together before leaning up and just kissing me. Tender, sweet and quick. Nuzzling under my chin afterwards. "Morning." He murmurred against my chest taking a long breath before slowly letting it out through his nostrils. A snort like he was some pig...my old dog used to do that too.
I was stunned, confused and well aroused. Days I had spent with him with me. I never had any alone time, hell we slept in the same bed. He was very open about his nakedness what with the camera's finally being gone. Not like the show was actually getting good ratings. It was a bore watching a man and his dog after all. And it wasn't like they saw things like this anyways. But never once did I, at the time, think of him more than just some straight roommate that happened to be really hairy.
I didn't have much else to do so I scratched his back and kissed the top of his forhead, flustered and embarassed unsure of what to do or say. So my mind, at the time, shut it out. Thinking it was just something that meant nothing at all. That was until he kissed me before I went into the shower and when I got back out. When we were eating breakfast or before work. During our lunch break and when we got home and all throughout the night...
Just lazing on the couch with him on me. Kissing and licking my chin as we both, boringly, watched the tv. I'm not sure what was on. He had rolled over pressing me against the back of the couch and we spent the last hour 'n half kissing like high school teens.
Uh...that was about it. We got to the top of the slope and we spent are day just goofy around. I got a bad sunburn on my back. We didn't see anyone else and we mostly had the place to ourselves.
It wasn't like we headed back down the mountain and went skinny dipping in the lake at the bottom or anything. That wasn't exactly my choice but he dunked under the water and pulled my briefs off, swimming away with them in his muzzle. Doggy paddle here and there as I chased him around trying to get them back. In the end...I never got them back. I wonder what he did with them. I lost more underwear that way.
The next day was about the same really. We did the show in the morning. Boring news and weather and what not. Brutus didn't do or say much. Just kind of watch the people around us and laugh a little too hard at my jokes. Doing his best to chip into the conversation but not really contributing anything of while. I guess its the thought that counts.
We headed through the park. He seemed to enjoy it for whatever reason a dog would enjoy a park for. Smells, sights, playing frisbee. I don't know. Ask him.
My voice grew cold at the end and I was staring up at the three. The silence around me was unsettingly. The eye before the storm. But nothing came of it. They just looked back. I think. It was hard to tell exactly what they were doing in the dark.
"That's good enough for today." The gentleman said buzzing the guard in. "Take him back to his cell." The fact he said that alone meant I had at least had some kind of reaction on in. But he had all but lost interest in me as he collected his papers in front of him. He was conversing with the other two. Literally about the weather today.
I tightened my fist and looked away. Letting the guard do his job before following behind. My footsteps echoed on the grates leading down the hallway. It looked like a bad sci-fi spaceship enterior. It remembed me of that show firefly, it was stupid how they canceled it... Ok, I was a bit of a nerd sometimes. But it got me to thinking again. About Brutus. A part of our days together that they would never know or take away from me...
We had gone to the mall. It was really the only thing to do in town. Which was sad. It was too early to go to any bars and with the dog clinging to me it wasn't like I wasn't going to get lucky or anything...in retrospec though I did already have a drooling guy leaning on me. Giving me his undivided attention and was more than friendly to warrant something more out of it. He was a dog with a bone after all...
The mall was crowded as always but we didn't get much notice strangely enough. The crowd did part before him as if he were a leper but they didn't yell or shout or shun us. They didn't get pitchforks and torches and try to run us out of town. But it was odd until I came across him. A sight I would never have expected to see even after meeting Brutus.
I was showing Brutus a comic store. Being a nerd and all. He took great interest to the people in it at least but little care or no how to the ink pieces of paper and figurines. Extremely confused why the "Fat store clerk" was "infatuated with the large breasted woman in the golden bikini." At least his vocabulary was increasing. Yet he kept 'honking' the models tits and giggiling like a little school boy. So it was easy enough to lose him for a few seconds as I went to grab us some jamba juice.
Thanking the clerk I looked around. I was rather surprised he hadn't followed me for once. Which was both comforting and a little depressing. I was a little worried that something happened. Before a spotted face nearly jumped into mine.
I didn't even jump as the dalmation sniffed me. His cold nose touched my neck and face before I managed to push him off. The dog fidgeted looking around before grabbing my shoulder and pulling us aside nearly spilling my drinks which only further aggrivated me.
"Look I already got a dog. I don't need another." The image of having two dogs walking around naked in my apartment...ok I really did need to get laid. My thoughts kept drifting into the gutter. Or more like crash diving into it without even an explosion...rude.
He leaned closer fidgeting, twitching his ears and looking around as if someone was watching us. His grip was strong, tight even as he pushed me against the wall. I was getting a bit scared there for a second until he spoke. His voice cracked in and out and he kept fidgeting like some kind of abused pet. "We're not alone." He mouthed. His breath was rank and smelled of garbage. I could only figure what he had been doing or rather eating.
"Of course not." I patted his shoulder leaning back away from that breath. The breath was stale and the grossness of it cut out the fear that had been building in me. "Brutus is around here somewhere. I'm sure he'd love to see another dog clinging to me..." I half laughed, that reporter laugh. I did want the dog off me and Brutus would've been the perfect one to do it.
"They're everywhere!" His eyes widened and he looked around again, closing the distance between us as he did so. Clinging to my chest and shivering or shaking I wasn't sure which. "Watching. Waiting. Observing. They hear our thoughts and read our dreams. And put it into folders."
I wondered if all of them were like this...
At the time I thought he was schizophrenic or something. Thinking about it now...I guess I knew better. The poor thing must've been through hell and was honestly trying to warn me. And I took him for granted...I hope he's ok.
"5. 4. 5. 1. 2." He said muttering more to himself than me. He shirked away as a group of loud teenagers passed by. Cowering agaisnt my chest with wide eyes. "5.4. 5.1.2." He muttered again before looking up at me. "5.4.5.1.2!" He said loudly into my face and again that awful breath hit me in the face like a slap.
"Of course it is..." I petted his shoulder trying to push him away in the same motion. If I gave him a doggie biscuit maybe he'd leave me alone. So I dug into my pocket and pulled out the biscuit offering it to him.
He looked at it before looking at me. Licking his lips slowly before swatting it away and cowering in the corner holding his head. "They put the eyes in the food!" He whined but looked at the crumbled biscuit across the ground.
"Damn my heart," I took a drink of his juice before bending down and offering it to the dog. "It's healthy. I just got it to. Watched them make it and everything. And they didn't put no eyes...or anything in it." It wouldn't be very filling but it might help the growling of his stomach.
The dalmation looked up at him and back down at the drink. "No eyes?"
"I promise. No eyes."
The dalmation stood up slowly. He was taller than me. His fur clung to his skinny bones and although he was wearing a shirt I could swear I could see his ribs. The shabby clothes he was wearing would've made a bum look like a prince. Torn and dirty, the scarf he wore had half the threads missing from it. The edge was torn and several junks looked as if they had been ripped out.
I wish I helped him more. If I had known I would've done more...no matter how many times I tried to tell myself, I'm sure I would've just done the same thing as I did.
"Here." I handed him the new scarf I bought. Brutus was growling low but didn't say anything. He had been whining the whole time until I bought him one so I was sure the dalmation would've liked it too.
Taking the old scarf off slowly I brought a collar up to his neck. He flinched away. Shivering and whining softly.
"Don't worry. It'll help..protect you." I asked around and found out that he hung out around the mall. Fishing through the dumpster and keeping to himself. The people at the mall would give him things but he didn't trust any of them. They all said he wouldn't let anyone get near him so the fact he found me was saying something. "I promise. Look. It even has your name on it." I pointed towards the black markings of the name 'Roger.'
He looked at it. And then me. And then it. Then me and then me again. I'm not sure but he did a double take. "5.4.5.1.2?" I nodded and with that he lifted his head higher and I was able to put it on him.
I'm not sure what compelled me but a scratched the side of his neck. "Good boy," I said softly. "Thing's will be ok." I handed him the hot dog I bought for him, between the buns with extra mayo of course. "I also got this for you. No eyes. Promise."
He didn't even seem to have heard me as he looked around still cowering in the hall leading back to the maintence room. The dalmation took it though and greedily chowed it down making a mess everywhere.
With that we bid him farewell and I wished him the best of luck. I might've stayed longer if Brutus was pulling me away. He was most likely jealous. My old dog would always make a fuss if I should any other dog attention. He was a big baby but his stupid cute mug would always still my heart away...like the dog pulling me away now.
"He smells bad." He spoke with a growl.
"Of course he does. He's kind of a bum. They smell bad." I laughed, looking up into that face but he wasn't laughing or smiling. He looked as if he was lost in thought. Thinking things over deeply before pushing me against a wall.
We were in another of those side alleyways of the mall. A place where most people would walk past without ever noticing. A place that hold little to no interest for a cosumer. A fist hit the wall and he was growling low looking away from me still.
I touched his chest a little worried now. "Brutus," my voice was trapped as he kissed me forcefully. Tongue pushing down my throat. A paw ran down my side grabbing my tightly and I gasped only furthering his probing.
He pulled back and I breathed quickly. "The hell..." I stopped looking into that face. He was worried, scared and the next thing I knew he was hugging me. Pressing me against the wall and hugging me. Tightly, securely as he whimpered into my shoulder.
"Don't let them take me. Don't wanna leave." He muttered a bit incoherently. I pet his back by I was cut off again as he continued. "I was a good boy. Don't get rid of me. I don't want to leave." He sobbed against me his heavy bulk weighing me down. I thought my knees would give.
"Brutus, Brutus! Your not going anywhere. I'm not going anywhere. We're still together aren't we? It's going to stay that way. I promise." He sobbed further against me. Nuzzling me with his muzzle over and over again he said he didn't want to leave. He wanted to stay.
"Don't worry bud, I promise. Your not going anywhere." I patted his back and at the time I was worried he would snap like the other dog had but he just sobbed against me saying nothing more.
I sat up on the bed. Looking down at my feet. I had promised him then. I stood. And headed for the door pounding on it loudly. And I was going to keep my promise. One way or another. And I heard the footsteps of the patrol coming over...