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CHAPTER 4: CUP(i)D

Sean stayed awake. Robbie must not have been lying about his exhaustion, because after another twenty minutes Sean managed to slip off of his cock without even waking him. After wiping what he could out of his fur with a dirty t-shirt, he put on his briefs and jeans without making a sound and slipped into the driver's seat. He found some hand sanitizer and located his cellphone. Squirming in the driver's seat, the husky let out a long sigh. His ass felt like he'd fallen down a flight of stairs and landed on a broomstick.

He glanced at the big jock sprawled out in the cargo bay. Totally worth it.

It was 7:30 and the sun was almost fully-risen, based on the glow from the snow all-but covering the windows. The next engine-on cycle was supposed to start at 7:40. Figuring that an extra ten minutes wouldn't hurt, Sean turned the key.

The engine roared to life and settled quickly into a rumbling idle. Sean looked into the backseat to see if he had woken Robbie. The bull terrier didn't even stir, snoring obliviously through the entire experience. The car would be warm by the time he woke up to get dressed.

Watching the big moron sleep, Sean found he couldn't help but smile.

Robbie had said he wanted to date. And while the big athlete was obviously bisexual at the very least, Robbie was also under the mistaken impression that he'd crossed some fictional line from affectionate bro to cock-seeking homo. And maybe that affected how he did the math.

Reaching behind the driver's seat, Sean grabbed one of his hoodies. He slipped it over his naked chest, pulled up the hood, and slowly rolled down the driver's side window.

The snow had drifted all the way up the driver's side, almost up over the roof of the car, but at the height of the window it was only a few inches thick. He pushed it away with his paw, making tiny little avalanches down the eight-foot drift which had tried to swallow the entire Blazer. The snow on either side of the car was at least three or four feet deep. The thermometer in the upper console said 27º.

The storm had long-since passed and the world was frozen, fluffy, and silent. Lit by a barely-risen sun, it was as much gold and crimson as it was white, the deeper colors streaking across the landscape like errant paintstrokes. On either side of the ditch, the highway was completely invisible, even the guardrails. Sean could just as easily have been stranded in a cornfield as a major highway, except half a mile down the road there was a buried highway overpass.

He could could hear plows in the distance. It wouldn't be long now.

Rolling the window back up, he turned to the sleeping terrier, snoring in the cargo bay. He had curled up with Sean's other hoodie, the one that smelled like him.

Sean felt his heart flop over again.

"Robbie," he whispered softly, and then his phone alarm went off again. Beepbeepbeepbeep!

Robbie jerked violently awake, eyes wide.

Sean rolled his eyes, swatting at his phone screen. "I'm sorry!" he grunted. "I forgot to turn it off!"

It was 7:40. The plows sounded like they were just around the bend. In the distance, there was the ear-splitting beep of construction equipment backing up.

Robbie looked around, bleary-eyed. He located Sean in the driver's seat, and smiled lopsidedly. "Hey," he grunted, sleepily.

Sean grinned at him. "Good morning, sunshine," he said. "I hear the plows a'comin, so you might want to put some clothes on."

Robbie nodded, yawning. "Yyyyaaaaoookay," he rumbled. He rubbed his eyes and looked around. "Hey, it's morning," he said, sleepily. "We made it." He grinned dopily.

Sean watched him, and felt his stupid heart flutter again. "That we did, big guy," he said.

Robbie chuckled. He threw the blanket off of himself. "I thought you were gonna call me Spike," he said, lifting himself onto all fours. He crawled around the car, stark-naked, and in the glow of morning his white fur seemed to glow.

Sean finally got a good look at the big jock dog completely naked in real light, and found himself unable to speak.

Robbie crawled around until he found his underwear, and flopped onto his back to pull it up over his big feet. He looked up at Sean, curious.

Sean realized he was staring with his jaw hanging open just in time to avert his eyes and turn crimson.

Robbie laughed, low and amused. "I always knew you had a thing for me, Sean," he chuckled, grinning.

"Hey, listen," Sean said, feeling the heat in his face. "About last night."

Robbie turned to stare at him.

"It's not true," he blurted. "All that stuff I said about the rule and our balls touching and us being together now. It's not a rule." He looked up, blushing fiercely. "I was just fucking with you. You don't have to date me."

Robbie stared at him, his jeans halfway up his thighs. "Dude, no shit," he said, wide-eyed.

Sean stared at him. "O-oh," he said. He looked at everything but Robbie. "Oh! Okay. I, ah, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't accidentally screwing with you."

Robbie finished buckling his belt and pulled his jersey over his head. He crawled his way up to Sean's side. "I'm not...as stupid as I act," he said, softly.

Sean finally looked at him. He didn't look mad, or mocking, or annoyed. He just looked like a big sweet bull terrier.

"You don't have to worry about accidentally tricking me," he said, softly, smiling crookedly.

Sean nodded, still blushing fiercely. "Good. Because you're a really nice guy, Robbie, and the last thing I would ever want to do is upset you," he blurted.

Robbie nodded. He reached up and gently patted Sean on the shoulder. "Thanks," he said, softly.

Sean let out a long sigh. "I'm sorry, man," he said. "I'm just tired." He looked down, closing his eyes.

Robbie nodded, and took a few slow breaths. "So," he said, softly. "Do you not _want_to date me?"

Sean lifted his head, wide-eyed.

Outside, a police siren wailed. _Woop-WOOOP!_It was close: yards away. The snow in the windows began subtly flashing red and blue.

They looked at each other.

"Oh, shit, man, I think we're rescued," Robbie said, grinning. He turned to his window, behind Sean's seat, and began to roll it down. Snow piled into the car. He started pushing it away. Ice-cold air poured into the car.

Sean rolled down his window and looked toward the road. There was nothing in the southbound lanes, but in the northbound lanes, closer to campus, there was a police SUV and some massive piece of yellow construction equipment with a huge plow on the front of it. Sean didn't realize it until he saw the vehicles, because the snow must have muffled the sound, but they were only a couple dozen yards away.

Robbie grunted in surprise. "Is...is that Cupid?!" he said, loudly.

Sean turned to stare at him. "Wh-wh-whut?" he asked. "Dude, I just said you don't have to date me if you don't want t-"

"Not CUPID-Cupid," Robbie said, incredulously. "C-U-P-D. Carrington University Police Department?!" He pointed at the second vehicle.

He was right. The SUV was a mustard-yellow Ford Explorer bearing the Carrington University Police Department logo in its badge. It was a cop from their school.

"What the hell? Why would the school send out an officer?" Robbie asked, frowning, and then Sean stopped listening, because both front doors of the CUPD vehicle opened and one of the figures who stepped out was shockingly familiar.

"Uncle Travis!" he gasped.

Robbie turned to stare at him. "Uhhhhh?" he said, confused.

"I'll be right back!" Sean barked. He lifted himself up in his seat, scrambled out of his window, and dropped down into the snow. It came up to his armpits.

"UNCLE TRAVIS!" he yelled again, charging through the snow.

Travis MacGregor was dressed in plainclothes, jeans and huge boots and a thick navy blue jacket that made him look like a cop even though he wasn't in uniform. He had a crew cut and he was in his late thirties, but other than that he looked like an older version of Sean.

Standing on the highway, Travis lit up, his blue eyes going wide, when he saw the younger husky. "Sean!" he yelled, happily.

"UNCLE TRAAAA-AAAAVIS," Sean whooped, scrambling up the hillside out of the ditch. The plow, which was actually a bulldozer, had only cleared a lane and a half, snaking back unevenly down 49, pushing up big furrows of snow on either side. Sean had to scramble over the snowbank, which was at least four or five feet tall, and slide down onto the pavement.

Uncle Travis was there to meet him. Sean leapt into his uncle's arms. "Hey, buddy! Fancy meeting you here!" his uncle rumbled, lifting him up off of the pavement.

"Oh my God what are you doing here!" he demanded, burying his muzzle in his uncle's collar.

"Keeping your fluffy butt out of trouble," Travis grunted, squeezing him tight.

"You must have driven all night!" Sean squealed. "I can't believe you came! I'm so happy to see you!" He muzzle-bumped the older husky.

Travis cleared his throat. "Don't worry, I hitched rides with other troopers." He grinned. "I'm just glad you're safe." He nodded, gritting his teeth.

Sean nodded, and then leaned in and hugged him tightly again.

There was a CUPD officer there in full uniform, too, a young ferret who didn't look much older than Sean. She had dark eyes and long black hair up in a ponytail and a nametag that read REESE. Sean recognized her from campus, except uncharacteristically, she didn't seem to be in a very good mood. She looked like she had somewhere unpleasant to be.

With a loud grunt, Robbie dropped over the snowbank and landed shakily on the highway._"Whuffh!"_he said.

Both cops stared at him with open-mouthed astonishment.

Oblivious, Robbie brushed snow off of his jeans and his jacket. "Ungh," he grunted. He looked up. "Does anybody have something to eat? I am starving."

Travis opened his mouth. "Is that your missing ki-"

The CUPD cop cut him off. "Are you Robert Brandt?!" she demanded.

Robbie stared at him, wide-eyed. "Um...yes?" he asked, cautiously.

Officer Reese looked him up at down. "Do you need medical attention?" she asked, slowly. "Are you injured?"

Robbie cocked his head. "N-no, I'm fine. Thank you," he added awkwardly.

"Show me your fingers."

Wide-eyed, Robbie held up both of his hands and waggled his thick fingers.

The ferret leaned forward. "No sign of frostbite. Did you abandon a disabled Jeep Wrangler about a quarter-mile up the road?"

Alarmed, Robbie nodded slowly. "Yeah. It was pretty fucked."

"Was there anyone with you?"

Robbie shook his head. "No, just me. Is...everything alright?" he asked, quietly.

She smiled, and now she looked familiar. "Everything is fine. Everything is great!" She laughed. "How did you _get_here?" she asked, incredulously.

The bull terrier cleared his throat. He looked a little freaked out. "Uh, Sean came and got me." He gestured toward the husky.

Oops. Sean didn't look up, but he could feel Uncle Travis' eyes boring into him.

Officer Reese smiled and shook her head. "Well, you're very lucky. Give me just a second, boys," she said. She reached up and hit the button on her radio mike. "Dispatch, this is Unit 4."

The radio crackled loudly. "Unit 4, go ahead."

"Dispatch, please cancel search request to State Police. We have located the missing student."

Sean felt his jaw drop open. A search?

"Unit 4, roger. Do you need Med-Evac or Coroner?" There wasn't a third option.

Sean and Robbie looked at each other, wide-eyed.

The officer turned awkwardly away. "Neither, Dispatch!" she said. "Subject was in the care of our other missing student. They are both safe and sound. Repeat, safe and sound."

"Roger, Unit 4. We'll pass along the good news. Out." Before the radio cut out, there was the distinct sound of cheering in the background.

Officer Reese turned back to Sean and Robbie. "We found your Jeep about an hour ago," she explained, exchanging a glance with Travis. "It was shaping up pretty grimly." She shrugged, breaking out into a grin. "Hey, listen, you two should get in out of the cold!" She stepped toward the rear of the cruiser and opened the back door.

Sean cleared his throat. "Uh, my car's still running," he said, softly.

Travis stepped forward, shaking his head. "We'll take care of it." He shooed the boys toward the backseat. "Get in there and warm up. There's a bag of Clif bars and water bottles for you."

That was enough for Robbie to hear. He hauled himself up into the backseat, making the big truck rock on its shock absorbers.

Sean frowned. "Uncle Travis, I can go turn the stupid car off by myself," he said, carefully avoiding eye contact.

"I know, you can," Travis told him. "But you've clearly had a hell of a night, and I'm going to take it easy on you." He grinned. "I'm not even going to chew you out for leaving this car after I told you a hundred times not to!" he growled, through his teeth.

Sean stared at him, wide-eyed. Obediently, he turned toward the open door of the Explorer.

Travis raised one eyebrow, cracking a smile. "Good boy." He stared at him, and slowly cocked his head. "The engine was destroyed in the Jeep we found. You...saved that boy's life, didn't you," he said, flatly.

Sean swallowed. "I guess so," he said.

Travis frowned. "Did you walk all the way to that car?"

Guiltily, Sean nodded.

Travis took a deep breath and let it out as a sigh. "Well...we didn't expect this to end well, so...you did a good thing, Sean," he said. "All that matters is that you're okay." He leaned in and muzzle-bumped his nephew. Sean climbed up into the backseat and Uncle Travis carefully closed the door.

Sean took a deep breath and let out a shaky sigh.

The inside of the Explorer was roastingly warm and had that unique smell only squad cars seem to develop.

"They thought I was dead," Spike said, his mouth full of granola.

Sean rumbled unhappily. "Yeah, I got that impression," he whispered.

"I woulda been," Robbie said, pausing to guzzle half a water bottle. "If you hadn't saved me." He stared at him. "You should get like an award or something."

Sean nodded. After a moment, he glanced sideways at him. "Hey, I gotta ask you something. Why'd you...why'd you go along with it?" he asked, softly.

Robbie stared at him, eyes wide. "With you saving my life?"

Sean frowned. "With the dating thing. If you knew I was bullshitting you about having to go out with me, why'd you play along?" He knew it was a pointless question to ask. He didn't even know why he was asking it. "That was kind of...mean."

Robbie paused in his foraging, and stopped.

Sean let out a long sigh.

"I, ah," Robbie said.

Sean watched him.

"Maybe I kind of, um...liked the idea," Robbie said, awkwardly.

Sean looked back up at him, his eyes widening.

Robbie played with a Clif bar in his hands, looking down at his own big paws, and now _he_started to blush, the edges of his muzzle tinting pink, all the way down his chest.

Sean narrowed his eyes. "Dude, are you fucking with me?" he asked flatly.

Robbie swallowed, looking around, turning ever-more crimson by the moment. "No! Look, Sean...this was...the weirdest night of my life. I'm exhausted, I almost froze to death, and I have never thought about another guy in my entire life." He looked up, finally making eye contact with Sean, unsure and embarrassed. "But we been friends for a real long time, and last night, I really, like..._felt_something, man," he said. He glanced at the husky, blushing madly.

Sean stared at him for a moment, his eyebrows up. "So...if I asked you out right now, you would date me for real?"

Robbie looked down at his Clif bar, smiling shyly. "Prooobably," he said.

Sean leaned forward, grinning. "Robbie, do you want go to out sometime?"

The big dog stared at him, and then slowly smiled. He nodded. "Yeah, I do."

Grinning, Sean unclasped his safety belt and scooted across the backseat. He slid in next to Robbie and snuggled tightly up against him.

Robbie straightened up in his seat and leaned back against him, sighing. He put his arm around Sean's shoulders and squeezed him. Sean cuddled happily up to the bigger dog. Robbie leaned down and kissed the top of his muzzle.

They stayed like that for a minute, just enjoying it.

"So, what do gay people do on dates?" Robbie asked.

Sean cocked his head, pretending to think about it. "Actually, last night was a pretty typical gay date," he said, nodding thoughtfully.

Robbie laughed loudly, right in his ear. "Great!" he said. "What time should I crash my car?"

They were still giggling over that when the driver's door opened.

Officer Reese got in. She climbed behind the wheel and turned to face them. If she noticed that they were cuddled up together, it didn't particularly surprise her. "Hi, boys. I know you're probably eager to get out here, so I'll make this quick. Sean, your car should be dug out by this afternoon and will be flat-bedded back to the University. Either your car insurance will pick up the tow or your parents will have to pay for it. Robert, once your car is recovered today or tomorrow, it will end up in a state wrecker facility. The impound will contact your insurance."

They nodded, and Travis climbed up into the passenger seat, carrying Sean's keys and backpack and, for some reason, blushing bright crimson. Officer Reese kept talking.

"The bulldozer went on ahead and has probably met up with the Chesterton plows by now. We'll go on ahead until I can turn around and then I'll take you back to the University. Expect a very quiet drive, because your uncle is dying of embarrassment over how painfully obvious it was that you two were up all night having intercourse." She smiled. "Any questions?"

Sean felt his jaw drop open. Travis looked horrified. Robbie laughed.

The cop looked at them expectantly.

Robbie cocked his head. "Actually, did you find my phone when you found my car?"

Reese and Travis exchanged a glance. "Mr. Brandt, your car was filled with snow when we found it. Top to bottom. It took us twenty minutes of digging to establish that you weren't inside it."

Robbie stared at her, and then shivered.

"You got very lucky last night, Mr. Brandt." She stared at him a moment, and then brightened. "Get it?" she said, waggling her eyebrows. "Got lucky?"

Robbie processed that for a moment, and then laughed. "Huh-uh!" Smiling, Sean shook his head. Uncle Travis let out a long, pained sigh.

"Alright!" Officer Reese said, cheerfully. "Buckle up, boys, and we'll see if I can be the first one on your little road trip to actually keep the car on the pavement!" She turned back in her seat and put the Explorer in gear.

Collectively breathing a sigh of relief, they drove off into the cold morning air.