Catnundrum. Chapter Three.
Catnundrum Chapter Three By Roofles
"The storm is coming in from the Eastern front as you can see here on the chart," weather man Paul, a rather large polar bear, said slapping a paw onto the blue screen behind him and nearly knocking it over. "It won't be passing," he continued in that monotone voice. "Until late Sunday night at the earliest. Back to you Ms. Rambottom," he finished just standing there staring at the camera man.
The tv droned on in front of them illuminating the dark living room where the two sat in. The only light came in from the kitchen.
Rob turned the tv off, resting back and kicking a leg up. "Well fuck," the dog said loudly in the silence that had fallen. "There goes my overtime hours."
"Easy for you to say." Simon cursed sitting on the lazy boy chair on the other side of the room, crossed legged and biting his thumb as he stared at the screen. It meant more than one thing. Lack of hours was always a curse, not a blessing and if what they said was true he would be stuck here, HERE for the next two days. After his little outburst no less; he still was trying to get over. Thankfully the dog seemed to have forgotten about it or have the common sense and courtesy not to bring it up for the time being.
The apartment already stunk of dog, being trapped inside wasn't helping at all with the cat's pusillanimity. The siamese shivered once more in the cold room and began rubbing his arms cursing under his breath as he glared at the now dark screen, naturally blaming the weather man for causing the storm as was the American way. Simon could see his own breath in front of him, inside no less! This was just getting out of hand. He had hoped, figured he'd have at least have enough time to make it to his own place. That can of tuna really wasn't going to eat itself.
Rob's ear twitched and he stood up, stretching out, flexing his arms and rocking his chest side to side popping his back with a loud yawn to follow. Scratching his reddish mahogany belly fur he walked past the cat not even looking at him as the canine headed down the hall with heavy foot steps, ducking into one of the rooms and vanishing from sight. The primarily black fur dog was still in nothing but a loose pair of shorts.
The rottweiler popped out the next second buried underneath a very large, grayish blue wool patch blanket that looked to belong in his grandmother's time. Lifting it up the dog marched down the hall, blindly bumping into the wall and into the tv as Simon watched with only what he would explain to be a cat's curiosity. And pity. A lot of pity. This was before recoiling as the mass of wool was dumped ontop of him burying beneath him under its fabric.
"There." Rob said wiping his paws off as if he had just thrown the garbage out. "That should help." His stubby tail wagged as he moved around back into the kitchen to pull out the second pizza from the freezer and toss it into the oven seemingly unfazed by the freezing cold.
Simon fussed with the blanket before his martin like head broke free of it's warm, woolen, musky surface and looked over at the dog with a glaring frown. The blanket was clearly the dog's and from the smell of it, hadn't been washed in weeks. It stunk of the large natural mascular canine that was currently busy finishing off the first pizza as he reset the timer for the second. And from the smell of it, the dog slept naked. Amongst the other things he did in this blanket. It was still comfortable however.
Flushing hottly Simon ducked his head down a bit tossing it up over his ears and snuggling into it not proud that he enjoyed the warmth provided by it. How the smell was in fact relaxing and the idea of the dog using it making him feel butterflys in his stomach. Giggiling stupidly he poked his nose out to look over at the dog who had in turned looked at him.
"So...you like my blanket?" The dog asked tail wagging as he looked over at the cat glad at least that something like that didn't bother him.
"It's warm." Simon replied flatly leaving it at that, Rob didn't press the issue any further but wagged his tail.
"You don't mind that you're stuck here do you?" The canine asked still trying to sound nonchalant about the whole thing as he scratched the side of his thick neck.
"At least it's you." Simon said not paying his own words much mind, it made the dog grin ear to ear though tail wagging a mile a minute. The cat figured out of all the dogs he had to be trapped with this was the worst of all the evils. The idea of being stuck with the great dane for instance would've been too much to bare for his faint heart.
"Ok. Good." Rob just clapped his paws together, wiping his hand off on his shorts and heading back down the hall. Simon watched with that curiosity again before turning towards the counter wondering if he could reach his beer from here without getting out of a chair. Or rather leaving the warmth of the blanket that was as if the dog had quickly rolled about on it several times. Simon frowned, sure that was indeed the case. Dog's were wierd like that. Says the cat who was currently trying to catch the mouse on the game on his phone.
There was a crash from the other room that caught his attention and soon half a mattress was shoved out into the hall. The dog grunted, flexing as he lifted the king size bed up and moved the other half out, down the hall before resting it against the wall knocking a few pictures about. Wiping his forhead off Rob moved over to clear some space out in the middle of the room while Simon watched.
"The hell you doing?" The cat finally asked as the dog's tail never stopped wagging as he picked up the side table, flipped it on its side and pushed it out of the way with his foot. He tossed the chair's foot rest up onto it and began cleaning up a bit. Only to drop the objects off to the side.
"Making a fort, duh." The dog rolled his eyes making the cat's jaw nearly drop.
"Come again?"
"That's what she said." Rob chuckled crudely to himself as he headed back into his bedroom to come out with several pillows and blankets. The dog was nearly skipping like a puppy as he tossed everything onto the floor before positioning the mattress.
The dog's rear rose up as his front quaters fell and he began setting everything up building around the edge of the mattress rather than stacking things up, creating a sort of wall around his mattress. The rottweilers ears rose up and he looked around, tail wagging as he inspected his work proudly. He hopped over and stole the cushions from the couch to add and reinforce his fort with.
"Some fort." Simon muttered looking at it, and at the same time wishing he had a fort.
"Time to get the beer!" Rob said loudly with a clap of his paws and jumping up and over his makeshift wall, heading towards the kitchen.
Simon watched the dog before moving quickly, slipping his shoes off and plopping himself with the heavy wool blanket down into the middle of the fort.
"The hell!" Rob whined looking at the cat with a six pack in hand and a very downcast face on that broad lug of a head of his.
"All your bases are belong to us." Simon replied smugly. "No dogs allowed." He added.
"B-but but!" Rob protested looking at him before motioning at all the hard work he had done to make it.
"My, usurped, fort my rules." Simon just replied.
"And if I bring offerings of beer and pizza?" The dog asked hopefully.
"I don't plan on sacroficing my principals for trivial things." Simon just said bundling back up in the blanket.
Rob frowned wondering why in the nine hells he was actually putting up with this and just stepped over the knee high barrier and took a seat next to the cat who had quickly scooted over. Simon just wrapped himself more in the blanket as if it'd protect him if something were to happen. Rob just set the case on the side and reached over for the remote on the couch behind them. Turning back around he turned it on beginning to flip through the channels aimlessly.
Simple, easy, a bit childish but nice. That's what this was. All it was, Simon told himself. Again. And again. It was just two guys, in a couch/bed fort watching tv. That was all. With beer, he noted as one was set next to him. Otherwise the dog seemed to have forgotten all about him. Rob was just jaded about him, not carrying it seemed anymore. Simon wasn't sure if that was a plus or not. A part of him kind of missed that relentless attention the dog used to show him. Another part of him was screaming at the first part to shut the hell up and enjoy the civility while it lasted.
The siamese just rested back, easing up a bit on the covers before unzipping his uncomfortable sweater. Staying mostly under the blanket Simon took off most of his winter wear. Folding his scarf neatly and putting it to the side with his jacket, mittens and the fuzzy socks he wore, allowing his fur (and toes) to breath. A little breathing breathing room goes a long way when your covered head to tail in fur. Pulling on the undershirt the cat just rested back closing his eyes, cuddling back into the blanket.
From the corner of the rottweiler's eyes he watched the exchange. How his fit arms pulled free from the sweater, his chest breathing in fresh, unconstricted air and how his paws scratched at his sides trying to smooth his fur out a bit more. His feet were sticking out a bit, toes wiggling as the siamese just laid back. Rob almost offered for him to just take his shirt off but held his tongue as the cat sat up a bit more.
The canine scooted a bit closer, sliding his legs under the blanket. One of his feet bumped into Simon's leg but the cat only moved aside a bit looking away.
"You don't mind, do you?" Rob asked watching his face closely, swallowing loudly with both ears up, eyes earnest to what he wanted.
"It's your blanket." Simon just stated looking away.
Rob took another second watching the cat before that shivering face made him move a bit closer, sliding a bit more into the blanket and resting his leg against the cat's. Simon could feel the dog's body heat like a furnace against his flesh making his fur stand on end. A conflict of loving that warmth and a dread of the dog enveloped him like a straight jacket. Simon didn't stop him however as Rob slid a bit more in, that muscular thigh now resting against his own.
The rottweiler kept behind him, out of the cats view and began flipping through channels before starting up netflex. "How about a movie?"
"Sure." Simon just offered pulling the blanket up over his head a bit and almost subconsciously moving closer to the dog and that warm body heat radiating him from him. A fuzzy, warm, musky space heater.
Rob jolted a bit without moving as a hand touched his leg. Just a brush of those padded fingers as Simon propped himself up on a pillow.
And the movie they watched....
"Who you gonna call!" Simon and Rob practically shouted as the wind howled from outside smacking against the window like a crazed man trying to get in, shaking the very frames. Clinking their beers together they took a long drink before shouting, "Ghost Busters!"
And from here it began a long chain of quoted lines before and as the actors themselves spoke them. Simon was embarrassed to realize that he knew almost every line of the movie from the primary cast. The dog was no exception.
And with it the longer the movie ran the more lax the two became. "I'd be a gatekeeper for that keymaster." Rob laughed as the demonic dog flew through the air.
"And here I figured you were more a keymaster than a gatekeeper." Simon chuckled.
"Depends on whose key and gate we're talking about here." Rob tried to reason rubbing the cat's back with a chuckle. The dog swallowed loudly afterwards, nervously just leaving his heavy, mahogany fur paw where it was.
Rob had scooted his lower hunches under the blanket and as the movie began to draw to an end, the dog found the cat resting between his legs. This was due to the fact the dog was still trying to keep behind him the whole time. And Simon wasn't saying anything about it. Apparently, the dog surmised, as long as the cat wasn't directly looking at him (and drunk) there wasn't any problem with this close distance between the two. Beer helped, he knew it would though. Beer solves all problems. Well not solve, helps. Helps with most problems. Unless it is the problem. Rob just frowned trying to make heads or tail of it.
"Ray, when someone asks you if you're a god, you say "YES"!" They both said in unison, Simon smacking his forhead afterwards with a loud doi! Dropping the bottle to the side he motioned for another, the dog's fingers brushing the cat's as Rob placed it in his paw. No flinch, no reaction, just a thanks. And if that didn't made the dog's tail wag nothing would.
"Honestly Ray," Simon shook his head.
"Come on, Ray." Rob just agreed loudly. "For fuck sake!"
Simon chuckled, a soft sound that made the dog's ears perk up. A genuine, unforced sound. "Promise me that if someone ever asks if your a god," Simon said rubbing his arms a bit from the cold, resting back a bit as he spoke.
"I'll say that I am." Rob chuckled back scooting a bit closer and resting with his chest on the cat's back.
Strong, muscular arms wrapped casually around the siamese from behind making him hold his breath. He could feel the heat pouring from the dog now directly behind him, feel the dog slowly breathing in and out and even hear the loud pounding of his heart in his ears. Then again that might've been Simon's own that had jumped into his throat. Simon swallowed it, closing his eyes and doing everything he could not to focus on it.
"Good, you better." Simon replied to the dog. Rob just pressed his nose between the cat's ears before moving a bit to take a drink of the beer still in hand. That large snout was pressed once more between the cat's ears, taking a slow heavy breath of him before a hot one was release over his hair.
Dog's did that. Did this. They were friendly, sometimes overly so. It was just a natural thing of the breeds that got a lot of them, and others, in trouble because of it. They needed, craved that physical contact and attention. So Simon wasn't surprised that the dog had eventually done just that. Simon was handling this far better than he feared he would, even as he took another long smoke. His heart was still pounding and his paws sweating and throat having grown dry.
"Good movie." Rob said as the credits began to roll.
"A classic." Simon chuckled thinking that it belonged in the great movies of old like Casablanca and Citizen Kane.
The cat got a grunt in reply but no answer as the dog continued a mix of hugging, nuzzling from before. Rob swallowed loudly stopping himself from just biting the cat's ear just savoring this fleeting moment as it was.
"So..." Simon began, seeing the irony in it. "Another movie?" It was only Ten and the two wouldn't be able to go into work tomorrow in this storm.
The shutters outside rattled and the windows shook, the very wind being able to be heard as it wailed outside.
Simon shivered again.
"Here," Rob said softly moving the blanket up and over him some more, turning the cat around slowly, carefully in the same gesture a bit. "Just close your eyes." His voice was soft, reassuring and warm like his embrace. "Focus on my voice, my scent. Don't think about it." Rob continued as he slowly guiding the cat's head against his burly chest, feeling those whiskers rub against his pecs. Rob placed a padded hand on the side of Simon's face as a low rumble began in his own chest at the feel of the smaller male against him.
Simon could indeed hear his heart beat, pounding like a drum in that black fur, burly chest of his. The cat kept his eyes closed, still breathing heavily and trying not to think that this was indeed a dog. Just listening to that sound as he shivered, smell that heavy warm musk as he clawed at that chest a bit and try to think of nothing but how this felt as the dog held his head in that strong, large padded hand of his and nuzzled down at his head once more.
Rob turned him around some more, letting him rest against his chest fully and lay back with the cat, keeping the covers over his head so Simon couldn't even see the dog's face. And in turn trapping that warm muskiness inside with the cat who was still gripping at his chest tightly, shivering slightly. "Sh, sh." The dog continued. "Easy does it, just listen to my voice." He lifted up an arm a bit and allowed the cat to rest a bit in his arm pit. "Just focus on my scent," Rob comforted him. "My warmth. You're perfectly safe." Rob spoke as his own eyes closed, enjoying the feel of the smaller male on him.
Simon's ear was resting on on the dog's chest and could hear his words rumble inside before they were even spoken. Add in the heavy breaths Rob was continuously sucking and breathing out and the drumming of his heart, the Siamese was able to at least trick his drunken mind on the matter. Still he shivered every now and then. It only got that hand on his face to pet it a bit more, the other hand now rubbing at his back.
Reaching over for the remote, Rob could feel that black nose nosing into the crook of his arm; cradling his head Rob turned onto his side turning the tv off and just holding the cat with in his arms. He opened the blanket a bit and with a drooling maw licked at the top of the cat's head before covering him back up. "Good night, little buddy." The dog said softly giving him a strong, secure squeeze.
Rob nearly froze as a sound met his ears, vibrating up from his chest and filling his head with that rhythmic tune. The sound of a purring cat.