Chapter Text
Upon reaching his house, an enraged Dogday marched up the lawn, swung the front door open dramatically and proceeded to slam it shut behind him with so much force, he nearly tore the entire thing off its hinges, but the dog critter couldn’t give much of a damn.
He began to pace in circles around the living room and it took everything in his power not to rampage and turn his house upside down. He liked to think he had come a long way with his temperament, (Bubba really tried to help him with his anger issues) but he was reaching his limit. Catnap had to have known exactly what he did to push him to this point. He had to have done this to provoke him because WHY ELSE…
Why else…
Why else would he have remembered what his favourite flower was otherwise?
He came to a stop in the middle of the room and glared down at the carpet, clenching his fists and grinding his teeth in his fury. He was all too aware that his eyes were starting to water up again. But this time, he felt completely helpless against it when he was brought back once again to the distant past.
The flashback of unwanted memories beckoned him to a simpler time spent around bright, primary coloured walls, and children’s laughter. A younger version of himself, (untainted, upbeat, innocent and incredibly dumb) was spending an afternoon with the muted feline, who had been quiet, stoic and bordering emotionless back then, a shadow of his present self minus sharing the signature grin.
In this memory, Dogday expressed his love of sunflowers to Catnap and it was the one and only time he ever mentioned it. He confided in Catnap and made him swear to keep it secret between them because, well, a dog toy themed on the SUN liking SUNflowers? That was just embarrassing and asking for everyone to bully him for being so unoriginal, predictable and more…Boring, than he already was.
So for Catnap to conveniently remember that ONE time and use it against him? Along with all the other amounting list of things he did over the span of a year?
He plonked himself down to sit on the couch and brought his hands up to wipe the fat tears that started to roll down his cheeks.
He just…hated him so damn much.
He hated how fragile Catnap pretended to be around him and the others, as if he couldn’t defend himself when Dogday knew best out of everyone, he could. He hated hearing the words ‘I’m sorry’ escape the feline’s lips each time he reacted to the cat’s annoying antics and how a part of his core started to hurt afterwards.
On the topic of his antics, he hated the acts of ‘consideration’ the purple critter never seemed to cease with and how he would be surprised anyone would go to that extent for him. He hated how ‘thoughtful’ he was and how he remembered tiny things about him that left him feeling strange and confused.
He hated how he always kept him company and how he always searched for Catnap’s presence when he wasn’t next to him. He hated it when that long, fluffy tail would wrap around him with care that the deceitful cat shouldn’t be able to possess, and how he just allowed it for who knows why! He hated how he reacted everytime the downright clingy feline touched him in general. And most of all, he hated the way his heart pounded every time he saw the feline's honey coloured eyes sparkle prettily over anything that fascinated him and how he lit up whenever he got passionate about his interests. He hated how smooth and soothing his voice was and how he found himself listening to it for hours when it should make him sick.
And he really hated that big adorable, beautiful smile the most and how much he wanted to kiss it off his stupid face and-
He froze, shivering as a chill ran down his spine.
He muttered to himself dumbly, near whispering. ”...Wait what?”
His hands fell limply to his sides as his mouth fell open. His eyes wide and staring ahead as he processed.
Did he just…
“No…”
Dogday grabbed the ends of his ears tightly in disbelief, trying hard not to freak out.
”No. No. NO!!!”
And failed.
What the hell was wrong with him?? Hadn't he gave up on those feelings a long time ago?!
The canine yelled and snatched one of the pillows up from the sofa and launched it across the room where it hit the wall and narrowly missed colliding with a framed portrait of his friends, with Catnap, the source of his distress in it as well as if to mock him.
He groaned and then tried to flop back on the couch, but cursed and cringed when something jagged dug into his head and prevented him from resting comfortably against the couch ledge.
Grumbling to himself, he reached up to take off whatever it was stopping him from trying to lie down and interrupting a mental (gay crisis) breakdown. He would have been thankful for the random distraction after such awful intrusive, spiralling thoughts, but that was until he produced the item responsible for the discomfort, which was the flower crown that Catnap gifted him earlier.
Oh he wanted to shoot himself so badly. He forgot to take the damn thing off when he was angry.
He held it up to the light of the window, where the now yellow hues of the afternoon sky shone in from (which he noted he apparently left the window open when he headed off to the picnic earlier, but once again, he didn't care right now, no-one was around to see him anyway) and narrowed his eyes at the offending gift.
He snarled at it. That audacious feline. He should toss it around the room until the petals were all shrivelled and crumpled in ruin. He should stamp on it until his feet bled from the broken stems. He should then burn the remains and send the ashes to Catnap’s house to make his feelings abundantly clear to that nuisance!
But annoyingly…he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Instead his heart thudded painfully and he exhaled a shaky breath and held the damn flower crown close to his aching chest.
He had never received a gift from Catnap until now and contrary to his more arguably masculine inclined interests, he really liked flowers; though everyone also had crowns made for them too, his was different and no amount of denial could trample over the fact the feline took the time and effort into making his, and that was…
Oh good God. He was in deeper than he thought. He had always thought he was on his guard around Catnap but then, how did this happen? Where did these conflicting feelings even come from?!
He grunted and facepalmed himself hard with his other paw.
That damn cat. Why was this so difficult? This was nothing compared to before and here he was, crying and getting wound up like a cringy teenage girl because of the feline’s kindness and a bloody gift? As if that was the worst thing Catnap had subjected him to?!
A much stronger phantom stabbing pain made him gasp as the sensation coursed through his body from the waist down, causing him to curl up on his side and bite down on a whimper when it felt like something was…
Flowing out of him.
Dogday covered his mouth and gagged. He regretted thinking about that time. He may have started to get more accustomed to moments like this, but the trauma of his past was the last thing he wanted to deal with right now.
He took slow and measured deep breaths, waiting for the invisible pains to run their course. He unconsciously grasped the flower crown closer to his chest for comfort and the mixed aromatic scent of lavender, sunflowers and the assortment of fresh flowers managed to help aid him and by the end of the episode, he was only lightly shaking, dazed and he had no energy to attempt to move from his position.
He sighed and resigned his fate to a nap on the sofa. It wouldn’t be the first time anyway.
The canine hazily stared at the flower crown in his arms and bundled them even closer, too tired now to be bothered by it. Annoyingly, it was like Catnap was watching out for him and if he was being honest with himself, he was...grateful.
He wondered what the flowers symbolised before he closed his weary eyes and fell into a deep slumber.
The sun had set by the time everyone parted ways and returned to their respective abodes, though Catnap took his time on the way back after a visit to Bubba for a quick health check up.
After the incident from earlier, his ‘ailment’ had flared up and he was lucky this attack was quite mild in comparison to other ones he’s had, but it still left him with an excruciating headache and so tired that he was surprised he didn’t fall asleep on his feet by now.
Though he likely deserved it, after what happened with Dogday.
The feline sighed miserably and fiddled with his tail, now without the others around him, he could put down the chirpier mask he often wore. He was usually somewhat optimistic that tomorrow was another day to try, and he was well aware he was always treading a tentative path with the resentful canine, who reacted with disdain and a haughty attitude at the slightest gesture of affections which Catnap simply couldn't help, he just wanted to. But he thought he was making some progress today (it had been so long since he saw the canine’s tail wagging more energetically, it was promising!) but…The way Dogday lost his temper and how his voice cracked still made his heart twinge.
Admittedly, he was still trying to figure out what exactly triggered him to react like that in the first place. He had been understandably distrustful, angry and violent in the first couple of years reunited together, Catnap definitely deserved the resentment for what he did to him and the others, that was an understatement and...he couldn't change what happened in the past as much as he wished he could. But this year the canine had been somewhat docile (for him, anyway) and even allowed him close despite how on edge he was, but this seemed like a build up compared to his usual little tantrums. No it was different, he could feel it painfully in his soul. So what could have set him off?
The canine’s words echoed in his head.
‘You were just what?! Pretending you give a damn about me?!’
His grip on his tail tightened as he tried to brainstorm. Was he upset because he knew the Victorian language of flowers and the meanings behind the ones he presented him with? The thought made him nauseous, the whole point was to be somewhat secretive, which was why he and Bobby didn’t tell him or anyone about those specific flowers, not that they were given a chance anyway. But such a reaction would make sense if he was disgusted…
He shook his head to dismiss it. It didn’t seem right. The canine didn't harbour much enthusiasm in reading, and the only other critters that were remotely educated on the subject was Bubba (if he knew the meanings behind the flowers he gave to Dogday, he didn’t make it obvious and he was thankful) and now Bobby. So he doubted Dogday knew.
But a more disheartening thought struck him.
Was he angry because Catnap was the one who made his flower crown?
The feline’s ears drooped and he let go of his tail to hold his tattered pendant.
Of course. That had to be it. Why would Dogday want a flower crown or any form of gift from him in the first place? It only just occurred to him, but he had never gifted Dogday before this. And why would the canine want anything from him?
The flower crowns were just a nice little idea Bobby came up with and he got a bit too invested with making the canine's crown when he spotted the pretty sunflowers. He had been so blindsided by his excitement to see Dogday wearing his favourite flowers that he never thought to consider how the dog critter would react in the first place. Perhaps it was a worse blow to use sunflowers, considering he was the only one who knew about Dogday’s love of them. Did he bring back unsavoury memories of how close they were before? Dogday stared intensely at them specifically and looked as though he had struck him when he recoiled from his touch…
No wonder he was furious. Why didn’t he think any of this through?
He glanced dejectedly at said canine's house as it was enroute to his own, but paused and furrowed his brows when something unusual caught his attention. Dogday had a habit of leaving his living room windows open in the daytime, but it was unlike him to leave them like that when the night was approaching. The lights were also off, as if to indicate no-one was home or awake.
Dogday wouldn’t go to bed without closing his windows, surely?
His eyes widened apprehensively.
Did he return from the forest at all?
Despite his own frayed nerves and knowing he was the last critter Dogday wanted to be around, he had to make sure the canine was inside. It was dangerous in the woods at night and worse if you’re alone.
He cautiously slinked over towards the window and went on the tips of his toes to peer inside. The living room seemed to be in order, Catnap was lucky to be a critter blessed with night vision as most would not be able to investigate from a window as easily as he could in the darkness. Upon closer inspection, he noticed a pillow propped up against a wall and tilted his head, had it always been there? Unlikely. Did Dogday throw it or something? Probably. That did seem on brand for him. But where was he? Was he in his bedroom?
Directly below him, a light rustling noise made him flinch and his eyes darted down to the source of the sound. The sight that greeted him had him stop functioning to the point he almost forgot how to breathe.
As if to answer his question, there on the couch below the window ledge was none other than the sunny dog critter himself. He was draped across the couch, led on his back with one leg dangling off the padded furniture. He snored soundly with a rare peaceful expression, a stark contrast to his scowl he wore on a daily basis. He also still had the goofy bright plasters on his face and body which added another layer of softness and a sense of vulnerability to his sleeping form.
But what really got Catnap’s undivided attention was that cradled against the dog’s buff chest in an almost protective manner, was none other than the lavender and sunflower crown he had made for him earlier that day.
A surge of warmth spread through his torso like a searing flame and the feline’s heart began to race erratically in his chest as though it was about to explode. The smile he wore on his face morphed into something more tender as he committed this adorable image to memory. He wished he could take a picture, but he opted to sketch in his diary later that night to ensure he would never forget. (Not that he could.)
Oh it was so unfair how cute and endearing he could be when he wasn’t trying to uphold his hard as nails tough guy image. He would have felt guilty stumbling on Dogday sleeping, but he wouldn’t regret being able to see this.
After a year of dancing on a fine line that was Dogday’s patience, it was like achieving the near impossible; never in a million years did he think he'd witness the grumpy, headstrong canine keep something he had made him and actually fall asleep cuddling it! He thought Dogday hated the gift, but did he like the flower crown after all? Oh Catnap could sing!
But as much as he wanted to stand there and gush over the super sweet sleeping canine and brainstorm all the ideas he could do for Dogday in a way that wasn’t too overwhelming for him, he needed to address the issue that got him running over here in the first place. Catnap could feel a chill coming from inside Dogday’s home, meaning the canine had left the windows open for a lengthy amount of time and he could seriously catch a cold if he continued to be exposed to the night time breeze like this.
The feline decided to silently climb in through the window, then with his tail, he managed to carefully shut the windows behind him before manoeuvring himself as sneakily as possible around the corner of the sofa to retrieve a bone patterned blanket he knew Dogday kept. He used it to cover the resting dog critter and tucked him in to keep him cosy. He debated on retrieving the pillow from the other side of the room, but the thought vanished when Dogday shifted under the blanket.
Catnap froze in fear, worried he would wake up and cuss him out for trespassing, but he breathed a sigh of relief when the canine was just re-adjusting his position and was now facing the purple feline.
When the new angle gave him a better view of the handsome canine’s face, his wide smile dimmed and his stomach dropped when he could make out tear tracks staining the sleeping critter’s cheeks. Catnap sighed softly and reached out to wipe them gently away with his thumb pad, careful not to rouse the canine.
Of course. Accepting his gift was not easy for the stubborn and proud dog to do. At his core, Dogday had always been a very sensitive crybaby, and he must have gotten himself into a tizzy over it. He resented him the most out of the others, so it made sense. He wished he didn’t let him leave like that, but he knew Dogday would have gotten worse if he followed him and that would have hurt them both more.
The feline smoothed over the tear marks. Just as he was about done, his pulse spiked when the dog critter leaned against his paw and nuzzled it.
Okay. This was officially dangerous for his soul. He pulled away carefully but continued to watch him in adoration. He couldn’t help but refocus on seeing the usually uptight dog critter actually cherish something he made for him in his own unique way (and not rip it to shreds) and it made him more determined to continue to try to reach out to him.
This was reassuring evidence to keep going. The feline knew he had time to show Dogday how much he cared about him. He might not be able to fix everything, but he could surely try to mend some things! So if he were to disappear in the near future, he would have no more regrets…
And hopefully, one day, Dogday would believe him, and maybe even smile for him as brightly as he used to?
The purple critter laughed quietly to himself and shook his head. He was asking for too much now. It was a miracle Dogday accepted the flower crown to begin with. Catnap was lucky just to be allowed to be near him at all and he wasn't going to push it that much, even if his own feelings for the canine made him do such silly things, such as apparently standing over him and watching him sleep like a creep…
Hm. Yeah. On that note, he knew he should give Dogday some privacy. He'll probably be furious if he knew he came by and saw him like this. Hopefully the canine wouldn't figure out it was Catnap who checked up on him…
Well, that was future Catnap's problem, right now, he would cherish this small, yet sweet accomplishment.
The feline allowed himself one guilty pleasure though. He leaned over the sleeping dog and innocently kissed Dogday’s forehead.
He whispered softly. “Goodnight Dogday…
Please don’t break my eardrums in the morning.”
He left through the front door, (everyone knew Dogday left the door unlocked all the time, in case any of the critters wanted to visit) and toddled back to his own home to rest for the night, with a slight skip to his step. He had a feeling that his dreams tonight were going to be filled with a certain dog critter and for once, they weren't going to be nightmares.