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It was early in the morning when Shinsou woke up to a panicking Neito. When he saw the reason behind all of the tears, his chest constricts, and he was snapped out of sleep in a heartbeat. He gathered himself, reached out for Neito to give him a reassuring kiss, as well as words of encouragement that screamed nothing but false truths. Neito knew this very well, and Shinsou knows it all too well- when they said they were prepared, they didn’t mean it to end this way.
Watching the soft furry belly rise and deflate in a painfully slow pace, Shinsou reaches for its head- giving it the finger comb treatment it always adored. Neito watches everything unfold, watches the barely alive black orbs look back at him because he was crying- how can you think of me when you’re like this, honey? He thought, and with his last few ounces of strength he reaches for its belly, giving it a solid yet gentle rub that it always loved. The couple watched second go by in intimate yet dead silence. Questions arose, lightbulbs were dull. Is it possible to give half of your life to a dog?
“Say, boy. How about we go on a road trip, yeah?” Shinsou mumbles, placing the pet’s head on his lap, continuing the ministrations from earlier. The other listens, and when they hear a breath they deem as agreement they shared a longing look- the periwinkle that held back tears, and ocean blue that was worn out, yet alive. “I’ll go start the car. Let daddy take care of you, okay?” Neito leans forward, pressing a long gentle kiss on the pup’s head, right between its hazy eyes. When he stood up, he doesn’t dare look back- because the tears that betrayed him would make Honey sad. He fumbles with the car keys, finding it quite hard to start the engine with fuzzy vision. At long last he was able to rev up the engine, and he does this twice, in hopes that a set of paws would come running his way, but there wasn’t- only his husband, carrying a very big baby in his arms wrapped in his favorite baby blue blanket. Neito looks away, and his heart was bludgeoned into a million pieces more. Shinsou notices this, and as he seated the dog on the front seat comfortably, he makes his way to Neito, capturing him in a tight embrace where no words were exchanged- Shinsou deems they didn’t need it for now, because he already knows. “I’ll drive. Hold him, okay?” he spoke in a whisper, and Neito simply nods. Planting a soft kiss on the blond’s head, Shinsou steps into the driver’s seat, while Neito sits with his beloved Honey. Shinsou watched the quivering arms cradle the pet in his arms, and he takes note of how strong his husband had been all this time. He gave the hand a reassuring squeeze, before starting the road trip of a lifetime.
45-miuntes into the drive, minimal exchange of words happened- and they were okay. Neito watched the scenery change from time-t-time while Shinsou drives. The pup fell asleep, and as if on cue, he wakes up once they were meters away from the stunning view of the mountain range, hustling from his parent’s arm with every last bit of energy he could muster. Neito and Shinsou catches a glimpse of each other’s tear stricken eyes, and they knew. “Drive slow, Toshi.” Was the gentle command, and Hitoshi does as he is told. He drove the car by the railings with much finesse to provide a better view of the formation of land that the dog held onto with much thought, enough to bring him even just a tad bit of life. Watching the pup’s eyes glow underneath the sun, he feigns a wide, satisfied smile. The heaviness in his chest was gone, and so was the dreaded thoughts of the future. Neito took this sight in, and it completely left him breathless. To whoever created the mountain range, Neito owes his sanity to you. The car comes to a gentle stop, and Shinsou takes a photograph, unbeknownst to Neito. He couldn’t bring himself to speak, and neither did the blond. This moment was Honey’s, and no one is allowed to take it away from the darling of a pet. As the sound of nature began flooding the interior of the car, both of their hearts jumped out of their rubcages, and a punch to the lung was delivered to breathe out the air they dodn’t know they held… when they heard the familiar yelp. That one familiar bark of hope. The two strives on this, and they absolutely were okay. As heavy as the implication this phrase brings, Neito and Shinsou doesn’t regret anything- the ripped sheets, the mess, the daily chase when Honey manages to jump and sprint away from the fence- the couple held it dear- for a dog’s lifetime is an hour of a human’s life. Hold it dear, because you never chose the dog, the dog chose you.