Doggie Do's and Doggie Dont's. Chapter Four.
Doggie Do's and Doggie Dont's. Chapter Four By Roofles
Tom sat in his car, in the parking lot to his apartment. His eyes were closed as he rested his forehead against the steering wheel. He was panting heavily, flushed in the face. It felt like there was a large rusty hook in his chest weighing him down. It would go away but that thought didnt make it feel any better. It was his own fault. "My own fault." He thought aloud sitting up and resting back against the seat.
It took him another couple of minutes before pulling the keys out of the ignition and climbing out of the vehicle. He breathed the fresh, cool air in letting out a long sigh afterwards. It was raining lightly and the chill air felt good though in his lungs. He shut the door locked it with the button on the key. His grip tightened on the plastic device as he took another slow breath, tucking it away into his pocket before he'd loose his grip on the damn thing.
Tom lifted the collar of his shirt up blocking the rain from going down the back of his neck. The small raindrops stung like hail though as they began to increase in numbers and velocity. He made his way underneath the second floor over head and took a bit of a longer way around in order to stay out of the rain. Climbing up the inevitable steps though he found himself growing faint once more, exhausted and panting. Flushed in the face and with no other accord took a seat right there and then. The rain continued to fall overhead.
"Pitiful." He muttered closing his eyes and putting his head between his legs. It usually helped clear his head. Even though he was still flushed in the face he felt better already. Not good enough to stand up and take the rest of the steps to his apartment.
A neighbor passed by without a word even though he was clearly in some kind distress. Tom figured it looked as if he were just dumped by someone or had gotten rather bad news than anything serious. The rain had soaked his close and his hair was beginning to droop over his eyes. He hated long hair or guys with it and needed to get it cut. At least it wasn't to the "faggy emo douchebag" stage yet. The thought made him laugh which made him cough several times forcefully. He held his chest still bent over and decided he'd go in in a few mintues.
"I usually do that indoors." A gruff voice said from behind him. Tom didn't need to check to see that it was Axon. The dog had a rather loud footsteps that always announced where he was coming or going to.
"I can only assume thats a quip at my head between my legs?" Tom asked not even turning to look at him. He still felt flushed in the face and his voice was a bit harsher than he had wanted to come across. He just always was in a rather self hating mood after physical therapy. He always pushed himself to hard and then got mad that he couldn't do something so simple as play a game of tennis. Reggie usually went easy knowing his limits but his substitute this time didn't and Tom hadn't felt the need to tell him until he was in the sorry state he was in now.
"Sorry." Axon said back harshly offended by the tone he had gotten. Tom figured his own words were the cause of the reaction but he didn't hear the dog walk away and decided to look over at him. Axon was still smiling, wagging his tail now looking down at him. It was a soft gentle smile. "Just kiddin'," the dog said looking down the walk way towards Tom's apartment. The saint bernard looked back down at him, carrying a large bag of groceries in one arm. Tom could see a rather popular brand of doggie biscuits poking out of the top of the paper bag.
"So..." The dog spoke up. His voice gave away how uncomfortable he was. Tom couldn't figure why. It wasn't like he was the one sitting on a step just far enough down to be hit by the rain. "Working out?"
Tom raised an eyebrow before realizing that in his rush to get home he hadn't taken a shower yet. He didn't need to sniff under his arm to know he was a sweaty mess. "And you've been...what? Eating?" Tom asked his tone having grown far more friendly than before. He looked at the bag before at the dog who was guiltily grinning.
Axon rubbed his gut with his free paw. "A dog's got to eat." He barked with a laugh standing there awkwardly still as the other man stared at him. It was kind of like the first day they met. Though it had been the other way around. Axon staring at him after a smarmy but friendly remark Tom had made. The man first interested him because he always seemed to wash far more underwear than a single man needed; let alone the smell of said used underwear. A clear sign that someone wasn't getting any and was needing to satisfy themselves, thus single.
The smell was the second reason. Most nights Tom smelled of dog or hyena. Nothing sexual but the smell allowed the dog to know that he would be tolerated if nothing else. The heavy colon of musk from a rather friendly, touchy feeling hyena might as well have been a calling card for the dog. An invisible one that masked Tom in an open invitation for anyone to smell, something that would go otherwise unnoticed by humans.
"So..." Axon began looking back down the hallway towards his apartment as if insinuating that he should in fact be going to his apartment than sit in the rain. "Nice weather we're having." He mused aloud looking upwards at the sky.
"Very refreshing." Tom snidely replied rolling his eyes. He place a hand on the wet stair rail and pulled himself up feeling far older than he was. He rested against it for a few seconds. "I love sitting in the rain. Singing as well." Tom said half assedly feeling flushed again. He decided it was best to take a seat and tuck himself in for the time being.
"Looks like snow." Axon said offhandedly although to Tom's ear it sounded as forewarn to some impending doom to come. At this rate it was for the man sitting on the stairs.
Tom just frowned rubbing his arms now as his breath became fogging in front of his flushed face.
Axon set the bag down and took the three steps down the steps to join him. He sat next to him filling up the full space of the step and looked out across the parking lot. The rain had begun to turn to slosh and although it was even colder, and wetter to the touch, in the view of the street lamps it looked almost poetic. Perfect unique pieces of frozen frost drifting from the dark clouds above down onto the dirty apartment complex. Or something like that, Axon figured looking out over it. He wished he was more poetic. More romantic or witty. Able to come up with something to say in this moment but he was just his oversized, goofy awkward self.
The saint bernard ruffled his curly locks. They usually blended in well but when they got wet they began to curl on themselves being the springy springs they were. He hated the curls. They made him look "cute." As so many have told him before. He wanted to look sexy. Cute sexy just didn't fly. That "cute" always turned into "just friends" and that "equals no sex."
"Everything alright?" Axon finally asked figuring from his disheveled apperance he had either just been fired from work or got bad news such as a relative dieing.
Tom kept his peace at first. He looked up and at the street lamp across the street. The one on their side never worked, ever since he moved in. It would flicker on and off at times but never when you needed it. The one across however worked perfectly to watch the snow fall.
"A winter's night's dream, huh?" Tom said aloud watching the slush change over into snow. "Funny how precipitation frozen into flakes of crystallized water can trigger such powerful emotions inside oneself." He raised his palm skywards in front of him and watched a single flake fall into his palm. "Maybe its because each one is unqiue. Brilliant and beautiful and yet cold to the touch." The flake melted on his warm palm. "Or maybe it's because just as soon as we can see it. It's gone. In a blink of an eye." He muttered closing his palm and rubbing his thumb over his index finger thinking of his life in the very same aspect.
Axon folded his ears bowing his head. He mimiced the man's gesture catching a snowflake in his palm. It melted and he didn't get what it was. Instead he opened his muzzle out and stuck his tongue out to catch stray flakes. He looked at the man next to him as he continued to try and catch them. Tom smiled and that caused the dog's lips to raise high into a grin his tail beating against one of the side bars.
"Do you mind helping me inside?" Tom asked looking up at the night sky.
"Sure." Axon said standing up quickly. He ducked down almost getting on his knees to wrap one of the man's arms around his neck. Axon's arm wrapped around his back and to his side holding onto Tom's hand with his other paw, slowly guided him to his feet.
Tom didn't need the extra support but rested against the dog anyways. It felt good and was easier. The soft fur warmed his nose making him laugh softly against the larger male. "Thanks," he said softly still flushed in the face and tired.
"Do you want to come over for some hot choco Kanga'?" Tom was utterly confused by what that implied so Axon walked the two up to the top of the stairs before fishing in his grocery bag for a box of hot chocolate. There was a kangaroo on the front as a mascot. It was made of chocolate, resting up only on his tail drinking something from a mug. A voice bubble was above him asking "Do you want my hot chocolate inside you?" Something Tom thought was inappropriate but wouldn't say no if offered. Underneath the kangaroo was a tip. "Add marshmallow's for a more rich, creamy taste."
Tom laughed after reading it and agreed. "That sounds delicious actually." The dog perked up and scooping up his legs began carrying him off to his apartment as if they were going to their honeymoon. Tom protested against it but he doubted he could fully get there on his own.
"What about your groceries?" Tom asked after the dog kicked his door wide open. The first thing Tom noticed was just how warm it was inside. The dog was practically sweating after only taking a few steps inside. Being set on the couch with care the dog retreated back outside to get his groceries.
Tom sat on the couch tuckng his legs underneath him. It was really warm in here and even though he shivered it was only from the change in temperature. As Axon came back in he could already see how the heat was effecting the now panting dog. "Do you need any help?" Tom asked although hoping he would decline.
"I just need to put some water on." Axon barked a laugh before poking his head around the corner. "Do you want yours extra creamy?" He asked with a toothy grin.
"Only if its your special blend." Tom teased back, coughing afterwards covering his mouth. He felt flushed and not from the cold air anymore. Tom looked down at his hands feeling rather uncomfortable under the dogs gaze for reasons he wasn't exactly sure as to why.
"I'll see what I can do." Axon replied waving him off as he went back to the kitchen to hunt for some marshmellows feeling rather pleased with himself however. The scent Tom was giving off was exactly how the dog had felt about him. An uneasy, almost confused mix of emotions jumbled up together in a giant melting pot. As long as one of them was attraction.
It was handy Axon had to admit. You could tell when someone was attracted to you. Just a simple whiff or two, a couple of scents and you'd know if you were barking up the right tree. And Tom wasn't subtle at all with his unspoken feelings.
Popping two marshmellows into his cup, Axon licked a finger slowly at the droplet that landed on it carrying the mugs into the living room. "For you my good sir." Axon half bowed setting the cups onto the table. Tom slid his underneath a coaster that Axon didn't even knew he had. The dog half wondered if Tom just carried one around with him.
"Thanks." Tom said half talking about the mug he took timidly with both hands. He held the glass in front of him smelling the chocolate and watching the white puffs of marshmellow slowly melt in the steaming cup of hot water. "Your very helpful." Tom said more just to have something to say than anything else. It was like a teacher thanking a student for passing out papers.
"Can't help it." Axon shrugged. "I'm a saint bernard. It's what we do, a ha-cha-cha-cha." Axon grinned shaking his paws like jazz hands. The reference wasn't lost on Tom who looked back at his mug in his hands and smile softly.
Once more the dog found himself turning away to mentally give himself a pat on the back before facing him. The saint bernard folded a leg over the other and rested back against the couch laying his arm out across it. Rather obviously trying to put his arm around him. Tom leaned in a bit as the paw landed heavily on his shoulder, nearly making him spill his drink.
"I'm going to a party a couple nights from now. I'd like it if you came as my plus one." Tom asked finally taking the first sip of the hot coco and spilling it all over himself as the dog agreed bouncing on the cushion next to him far to eargerly. Even covering his muzzle after seeing what he caused, Axon's tail still wagged glad that he was included. That Tom had asked him out, sort of.