Chapter Text
DAY 1 - 7th July - Brisbane Domestic Airport
Jack's wandering eyes waltzed section after section of the rustic bookstore. A strange mix of the satisfying wooden scent of books swirling around with the more sanitised stench airports tended to have curled up inside the terrier's nose.
Action/Adventure? Eh, he's already read plenty of that recently. What else is there?
Psychology? As much as he adores the topic, too much of the good thing can be bad, or whatever it is they say. Maybe next time. He'll study it in Uni one day anyways.
Crime? Sounds interesting. Very interesting ... He rubbed his paw on his chin, eyes squinting and pondering the possibilities ... but nah. Perhaps another day! He shook his head with a docile smile before he kept looking.
Dystopian? Now you're talking!
The terrier shuffled his excitable feet, reaching up on his tip toes to swipe at the spine of the nearest book as his tail wagged softly. A few grunts and quiet squeals of effort were expended before he finally managed to yank it down, taking a good look at the cover of a red and white spiral: Brave New World.
He tutted his lips with a disappointed sigh as his smile faintly faded and his tail ceased all movement,
"Aw man..."
With his gaze unfortunately plastered onto a book he's more than familiar with, he knew it wouldn't get him anywhere near entertained on the flight. Tapping his foot on the floor like one of those 'broken hippo grabber game things', he shoved the book into the nook of his armpit,
"C'mon, there has to be something new."
Flexing his neck to the side, he got a slightly clearer view of all the book's spines: 1984, Animal Farm, Hunger Games, The Time Machine.
"Agh, I've read these all before!" His head had to shake side to side at the disappointingly vanilla selection of books, even if they were all fantastic reads. His foot accelerated to a rapid pace of a jackhammer.
His ear flicked at the sound of a melodic chime ringing out, much to his own dream-like ignorance, "Attention all passengers; Jetstar Flight: JQ811, flying from Brisbane to Sydney, your gate: Number 42, has just been opened. We invite all passengers flying on JQ811 to come to gate 42 in preparation for boarding, thank you."
"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, there's gotta be something here." He soon found his curious stare on a genre he knows, 100%, will have him glued in it's pages in no time:
Romance
His half brown tail instantly kickstarted back into action, bum wiggling with it, clenching his fists and bringing them up to his chest, just oozing elation along a wide adorable grin. The anticipation he felt surging through him at the prospect for a new book made it borderline impossible for him to notice the massive flood of dogs hoarding around the gate labelled: 42.
Although it was no secret to his loving boyfriend, Rusty, that he was completely enthralled with the idea of 'romance' and all the fulfilment it can achieve for someone (particularly himself), Jack would still find a way to blush and melt his cheeks off if he ever let himself get caught reading it (which he regularly does anyways).
That is, he'd be more prepared of that eventuality now if he remembered where everyone else was in this chaotic maze people call an airport.
Eh, he's sure it doesn't matter. He has bigger fish to fry.
Setting his sights on the highest shelf of the store, the small multicoloured terrier began hopping and carelessly grasping for the books. Yet lo and behold, his paws slapping at the edge of the shelf fell too short to ever hope for a simple time just collecting the damn book off.
"Hmph!" He stomped a foot on the carpeted floor with a muffled thump and a scowl.
He looked up and back to his other foot. Then back up. Then back down. His fingers soon started tapping on the book still firmly wedged under his arm. Surely he won't injure his ankle again with just a tiny jump! He's done way worse with it before: Hiking with Rusty last week, surfing, skateboarding all along winter break ... Oh crap, now that he thinks about it, he hasn't been taking care of his ankle at all!
He wiggled his left ankle around, regardless, testing if any pain would erupt ... but none arrived, "Okay, Jack. You got this, it's all good, mate. You'll be fine."
"attentionallpassengersflyingonJQ811fromBrisbanetoSydneyGate42isnowopenandpreparedforboardingfromthefrontdooronlythatsJetstarflightJQ811nowboardingthankyou."
He targeted the entire shelf, uncaring to whatever book he would snag and dying to finally get out that goddamn store. Bending his knees down, he wriggled around on the spot hyping himself up, "3, 2, 1 and-"
"-Gotcha, Hot Stuff!"
"Woah!!!" The brown capped terrier felt his entire torso become engulfed in a warm, yet suffocating, sensation as he was forcefully ripped from the world, inside his head, he was slowly losing himself in. Instead he was now presented the greyed out terminal blurred and spinning out of control! Plus Brave New World toppled to the floor, the pages flapping until they slapped shut.
"Rusty, you knucklehead! Put me down! Hahaha!!" Chuckling at the absurdity of his boyfriend, it didn't take long for him to wriggle out of Rusty's arms as he plonked right back onto the floor.
"Ow! My ankle..." The terrier slightly winced at the momentary dull ache erupting in his foot.
The red kelpie's kidding and jester-like antics instantly evaporated into a sharp concern, "Shit! Sorry Bean, is your ankle okay?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine but- What- What are you doing??" The terrier shook his head in confusion, clutching at straws whether or not Rusty saw where he was trying to get a book from.
The taller kelpie simply crossed his arms together in response, assured his boyfriend was all good and unhurt, "Well, what are you doing?"
Not a good start, "I'm trying to get a book for the flight. Y'know, so I won't get bored."
"What? Another book? Am I not entertaining enough for an hour flight?" The red and tan dog spread his arms out before sharply nodding his head down, letting the sunnies on his forehead collapse loosely on his nose with a charismatic attempt of a smile.
All Jack did was raise an eyebrow before he let a small cheeky laugh squeeze past his mouth, "No, you're not."
"Hm!" Rusty went back to crossing his arms, "Well, maybe if you'd let me show you what I can do to you in an hour, you'd take back that statement." That dorky smile the kelpie surely thought was 'off the charts' seductive proved useless on the terrier.
"In your dreams." Jack playfully pushed away the red and tan kelpie's face away at the sheer insinuation.
"Uh-huh." Rusty easily reached up to the highest shelf, grabbing a jet black book from the 'Romance' section and handing it over, keeping his eyes locked onto his boyfriend's annoyed, yet grateful, pair of beautiful eyes, "You say that, but we both know it's gonna happen one of these days, Mr. 'I-wanna-take-it-slow'."
As Jack took the book out the crimson dog's paws and realise he couldn't possibly pry his lovestruck glare away from his irresistible partner, his deep hot blushes took over as Rusty rested his elbow on the bookshelf, "Yeah... You're probably right-"
"-Oh, I'm definitely right-"
"-But I'll decide when I'm ready, 'kay, mate?" The brown tipped terrier fiddled with the book's cover.
With a defeated chuckle, the red kelpie simply scratched the back of his head, as if to apologise, before taking his sunnies off and shoving them down his pocket, "You got it, Jackie."
Leaning forward and bending down a tad, Rusty gave off a warm and affectionate smile, "Kiss, at least?"
Those relentless blushes soon raided Jack's cheeks again as he finally became aware of the vast sea of people trudging their way through the terminal, catching him completely off guard, "Huh? Not here!"
Rusty abruptly went deadpan, "Oh yeah, good point. I guess our flight is also kinda just about to leave."
"What!?"
The red and tan dog shrugged his shoulders, "I mean, that's why I came over in the first place."
"Well we gotta go!" The brown tipped terrier took a tough grip on his partner's paw, yanking him out the shop as he hauled his ass out the shop,
"Babe, you gotta pay for that." Rusty pointed to the black book he so clearly just straight up shoplifted with a raised eyebrow,
"Oh, goddamnit!"
*****
It was kind of hard to ignore how accurate the name 'skybridge' applied to this contraption Jack, his schoolmates and everyone found themselves in. The terrier felt like he had to permanently keep his balance otherwise he'd go tumbling off the edge and zoom to the ground with a splat.
That combined with the idle whirring of the plane's engines vibrating literally everything, the claustrophobic nature of all these bodies crammed into the narrow walkway and the voices of those familiar to him give piled on sensory overload upon overload.
"Yes! I got a window seat. What about you Kenzie?" Bluey's chirpy but mellow voice pierced through into the terrier's mind.
"Oh, I think I'm sitting next to coach..."
"Oh..."
"Alright, guys, parents; Please make sure not to switch seats and get everyone on board, 'kay?"
Jack couldn't help but cringe at the nature of school trips invading such a already strained, yet docile, atmosphere that travelling can bring. It struck him that they were the only ones talking amongst the entire set of passengers.
"I'm sure we can switch with whoever's sitting next to me, if you want."
As if on habitual command, Bluey was already bending rules and stuck with Mackenzie. How those two haven't gotten together or even showed any signs that either of them want to was beyond Jack, Rusty or anyone for that matter. Parent's included!
But as everyone funnelled through the curved door of the plane and got that one step closer, the white and brown dog's face grew more and more squeamish and uneasy. His ears folded back and his stomach felt like someone was tightening a screw and building up pressure within him. A tortuous feeling that just kept growing and stirring in the midst of his delicate innards.
Rusty, with his more deadpan expression smeared across his idle face soon sensed a disturbance making shockwaves he could only feel. Tuning into the wavelengths, he veered his head over to his side, catching his partner folding in on himself and gradually sinking into the red dog's arm like a magnet.
His poor terrier's eyebrows were raised whenever he got nervous, those bright pupil's of his kept darting around the place and his paw was anxiously holding his opposite elbow.
Eyes widening and painfully aware of his partner's fear, the red kelpie scooped Jack so that no space could possibly be left between them. Gently wrapping his digits around the brown tipped terrier's soft paws and pulling him off his own arm, they soon locked eyes once more. Rusty soon got his signal that whatever he was doing was working as he received a nervy smile, appreciating the effort.
"Hey," He shook the smaller dog's arm as he rubbed careful circles on the top of Jack's paws, "You all good, babe?"
"Oh yeah, yeah, just still not keen on airplanes, I suppose."
"You're biting your lips." Rusty delivered the information factually, but with care.
The terrier immediately stopped his quivering lips from engulfing each other, "I am?"
Rusty roughly rubbed the side of his boyfriend's torso before catching his paw in his own again, trying to calm him down, "Don't worry, Jackie. I'd never let anything bad happen to ya."
Jack took a deep breath into his nerve wrecked chest before letting it out, "If you could actually stop a plane from crashing, I'd probably believe you right now."
The red kelpie tightened his reassuring grip on his partner, "You know, you were more likely to die on the bus ride here than on the plane." He couldn't resist leaning over and giving a quick peck right on the terrier's soft and supple lips, much to the stinging shock overcoming the smaller of the couple as a fresh wave of blushes rummaged his white face.
If it wasn't for the surprise kiss, the terrier's radiant and bashful smile would've been replaced with something much more irate. But now he caught himself simply melting into his luscious boyfriend instead, resting his tired head on his plush muscled shoulder, "Thanks, hun, you goof."
"Yeah. So you'll be alright, Bubblebutt."
Not a second past after hearing that stupid nickname and Jack was already firing daggers from his icy stare, with a small grunt, right between the red and tan dog's eyes. Even though it elicited a spooked chuckle from his teasing boyfriend, Rusty was wise enough to relent and dare not to push further.
"Russie! Don't call me that."
The red and tan dog had no way to stop the impending fits of laughter leaking out his face, "Sorry, gorgeous."
"God, Jack, it's like you want to wear a fluorescent sign saying 'Look at me! I'm such a sub!'."
The multicoloured terrier quickly swung his head around to the origin of the eavesdropping feminine voice echoing just behind him, "Lulu!"
Sneering his grievances through bared teeth, the flustered dog clenched a fist and threw it down by his side.
Another frustrated snappy groan was all he added in the face of his sisters mocking, yet somehow still digestible, laughter. She was still his sister after all. A little monster of a sister, but still his.
”Hey, Lulu,”
Rusty’s considerable more bush accent kicked up a notch in twang; something he only did when he got more serious, “You wanna know a secret about Jack?”
Lulu shrugged her shoulders and nodded.
“Your brother might be the most shy, indecisive, gentle, sweet and quiet dog I’ve ever seen in my life,” He cupped his boyfriend into his arms and wrapped around his shoulders like a scarf, “But I’ll be damned if I ever live to see the day he lets someone walk all over him. He's far from any 'sub'.”
"Oh, I know. He's just fun to tease."
Rusty sent a playful nudge into Lulu's shoulder, totally switching the mood, "God, right?"
The current butt of this joke just rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose,
"Nah, yeah though, in all seriousness though, this dog is fuckin' tough. You shoulda seen him when he got injured!"
Lulu's ears perked up a little higher, even if the tips were still flopped over, "Ooh! Yes please! He always brushes this story off whenever I ask!"
A worried look replaced Jack's vexation, tugging on his boyfriend's arm desperately. Just thinking back to what he did afterwards made a freezing shiver crawl down his back, "No, Rusty, please. I don't want her to hear it."
All three of them were at the edge of the plane, the permeating smell of a freshly cleaned airplane rising right up into their noses, "Why not?? It was fuckin' badass, mate!"
With another modest and blushing smile, the terrier ultimately folded without much resistance, "... Fine." He guessed the phrase 'flattery will get you everywhere' was somewhat true, after all.
Lulu's intrigue pulled her in.
"Right. So, get this. He's on the wing, dancing with the ball and fooling defenders with his left foot, right foot, he doesn't care!" The red kelpie quickly leaned over to Jack, his mouth just above the brown tipped terrier's ear, "Still have no idea how you can use both feet like that, by the way. But anyways, one of the players on the other team finally decides he's had enough and plows right into him, studs up and all, and shatters his ankle."
Letting go of his partner, the red and tan dog utilised his paws for effect, crashing one into the other right in front of Lulu's face, before slipping a quick second of attention back to Jack, "You didn't see this part, but I ran up to the cunt and pushed his ass to the ground! He can fucking think twice if he thinks he can mess with my fluffball."
Jack just rolled his eyes again.
The youngest of the three threw up a more than amused face seeing Rusty so evidently relish in that classic 'Saviour' role, " 'Fluffball'? Man, you aren't really helping his case, are you?"
"Ah." The red kelpie held a patient digit up, "But you see: Coach wants to take him off, but Jackie says he'll play on. So he does."
Rusty had to stifle a laugh just seeing the scene play out in his head, "And, like, 10 minutes later, running around with a sprained ankle, the guy has the ball and Jack tackles that cunt and slams right into his knee! Swear you could see his bone almost bulge out of his skin. There's all this commotion and he's on the ground crying to the point where he's stretchered off! Then, Jack just asks to be subbed off ... He just walks off the pitch like nothing happened."
Lulu simply shows off an impressed stare, nodding in approval.
The red dog chuckled in disbelief, "I mean, you couldn't write it! No one could believe Jack did that!"
The shorter terrier poked a paw into her brother's stomach, "Not bad, bro."
"Do you blame me?" The white and brown dog unfurled his shying arms with a determined look, "That cunt robbed me a final in my last year of high school! Even if we lose, I was meant to be on that pitch, making memories and having fun. I can't have that anymore." A regretful shine flickered in his eyes, "I'm gonna have to live with that."
All three of them shoved their paws into pockets and bags alike, scouring for their boarding pass, "The worst part?" He gazed his sorrowful eyes right into Rusty, instantly infecting the kelpie with the terrier's disappointment, "I don't even get to play with you..."
He shrugged his nonchalant shoulders, "So, yeah. Fuck him."
"Wow..."
"Well, don't you worry for a second, Jackie, cause I'm gonna bring that fuckin' trophy home. For us."
The terrier felt a warm grin spread from edge to edge of his face. The determination and conviction in Rusty's rural voice, the assurance sent a hearty wave of undying affection throughout the white and brown dog. He wanted nothing more than to see Rusty achieve one of his dreams. He hoisted himself up his toes and pecked his lips onto his partner's, blocking out the stares he may or may not be drawing.
Setting aboard the aircraft, all three of them took turns presenting their little pieces of card to the steward who promptly gestured a paw down the only aisle to their right and making their way further and further until the occupants in the seats gradually change from total strangers to teammates, coach and parent's alike. It was almost like they had their own section of the plane cut out just for them.
With Lulu now wriggling her way into the window seat among her Mum, it left both Jack and Rusty to continue onwards, finding the rows filled out with dogs more their age. Scanning the boarding pass and the numbers just above his face, Jack finally sussed out that row 28 couldn't be much further.
Out the corner of his eye, he caught a blue blur burrowing up from her seat and climbing all over poor Mackenzie who, unsurprisingly, was trying to pry her insatiable paws off him; all in an effort to try and get the terrier's attention,
"Hey, Jack! Is it true? Did you break someone's knee? Mackenzie just told me about it and- Oh! Was there blood!?"
"Bluey! Inside voice!"
She whipped her head round behind her, facing her Dad, "Ohp, sorry!"
Jack couldn't mute the mellow chuckles he usually got whenever Bluey's crackhead energy surfaced. Not many other people could either, but hey-ho.
Finally reaching row 28, both dogs chucked both bags off with a contented sigh of releif, "Oi, give us your bags, 'ey guys?"
The most senior Russell gestured both boys to hand over their bags as he unlocked the baggage compartment. A small supply chain was established, starting at Jack, finding the middle road in Rusty before finally every bag was hoisted up and closed off with a click.
"Cheers, Dad,"
"Thank you, Sir."
"Rusty, for the last time. You're family. Please, call me Ken."
"Yes, Sir."
Kenny Russell just shook his head in amusement.
Sleuthing his way through and, rather hastily, seating his butt down, the teenaged terrier wasted no time shoving his seatbelt together and securing it with a force that even nuclear fusion would envy. Rusty could see the stretch marks bend and pull on Jack's stomach with how friggin' tight he made it.
But once again, the red kelpie wasn't blind to the jitters, nerves and tension pulsating all over his boyfriend's erratic movements. His healthy foot was bouncing on the spot and both paws firmly grasping his seatbelt, trying to thrash it around despite it being impossible to move.
Rusty found his way into his own seat and lifted up the armrest separating the couple. Not forgetting his own belt, the kelpie dared not to waste any time before he scooted right next to his literal vibrating partner and curled his paw around right into his, tender in the way he pried him off the piece of fabric around his waist. Securing their current position, he tilted his head gently into Jack's.
Focusing his pupils onto the smaller dog, Rusty took notice that his foot was no longer bopping and he was no longer attached to the seatbelt. And although Jack was oblivious to the affectionate smile shining towards him, staring out the window and at the people zooming around on the tarmac and enjoying the view, the kelpie leaned back and peacefully enjoyed his own view.
And yet, neither of them saw the elder terrier looking on with a merry smile, totally missing the immense pride swelling in his father's eyes at the sight of his boy's utter happiness.
*****
7th July - In a Hotel, near Sydney CBD
Jack trudged into the cozy looking room, lugging his suitcase behind him and itching to get to their room already. Even if it was an hour flight, being actively conscious since the early morning was a tortuous experience the young terrier would never be able to get used to.
Rushing his way through and blasting past him, Rusty bolted into the petite room and hoisted himself into the air, abandoning his luggage in the narrow corrider,
"Hup!"
Aiming for the bed, he eventually plopped right in, imprinting his frame into it as he spread out in the velvety sheets.
Jack, on the other paw, let a weak groan squeeze out his mouth as he let himself go limp and plummet into the mattress, face first.
"Aaah... Finally." With his muzzle pressed into the pillows, his muffled voice rang out as he tugged on his partner's arm, "Hey, Russie, can you wake me in, like, an hour?"
Rusty quickly pressed his face off the bed and onto his paws, rolling to shoot a confused gaze at the terrier, "What? But we just got here!"
The inanimate dog, in a rare singular moment for once, didn't move an inch. He laid there completely and utterly still, only the gentle tidal waves of his mellow breathing rising his chest up and down, "I'm tired, hun and I don't have your energy."
Sensing the larger body near him shuffling around the duvet, Jack twisted his neck round to be greeted with the sight of his boyfriend crawling on all fours towards him before seeing him heave himself above and crashed right on top of him.
The brown tipped dog coughed out a strained grunt, "Oof! Rusty!" He whined.
Digging his arms under Jack's belly, the red kelpie wrapped around his love as if he was the filling to his tortilla (Rusty was kind peckish for a wrap anyways), "Aw, c'mon, babe. Don't you wanna explore and have a look around town? We've never been to Sydney before!"
Eventually giving up trying to heave his heavy partner off, not that Rusty realised he was trying to, the exhausted terrier was forced to accept his fate. Wriggling into the mattress and getting himself comfy, Jack thought to himself that the red and tan dog, at least, made a decent blanket, "Later."
"Uuuuugh." Jack couldn't help but let a cute little snicker out as he relaxed his already closed eyes, feeling the hot but soft breaths of his partner just by his ear. If it weren't for him being pinned, he surely would've been shivering at the sensationally odd feeling of how ticklish it felt whenever his breath flowed past each strand of fur on his neck.
The terrier felt himself sink even further into the lush bed with a satisfied sigh, finally reaching the point where every other sense his groggy brain has to process was gratefully shut out. Just the blissful realm of pure relaxation,
"Hey, Jackie?"
An instinctive sigh flew out his tired mouth, "Yeah?"
...
"How come your Dad is so nice to me?"
Jack's eyes flew wide open at the suddenness of the topic, "Huh? What do you mean?"
A small stretch of silence fell onto the two, "I mean ... I just ... It's like ... I wanna ask him what it is about me where he kinda just goes 'Oh yeah, I'm totally happy for this guy to be the one for my Son' y'know?"
The fresh memory of Mr. Russell's faint but emotional smile back on the plane as he held onto Jack's soft paws was seared into the kelpie's soul. Just allowing his mind to reel back to that moment made him wanna hold onto his boyfriend just that bit tighter.
The multicoloured terrier freed his squished arm and enveloped his partner's arm into his chest, holding it with pure affection, "What's not to like? You're sweet, loving, tenderhearted, adventurous, passionate, funny, you've always got my back and the best intentions for me."
He didn't have to look up to know what kind of humble grin must've been on his face. Although the next set of words flying around Jack's head did make him sniggle instead, "You're also a massive tease, frustrating, impatient and it does get on my nerves whenever you let my feelings fly over your head, even if I know it's not your fault ... usually."
Rusty smacked his lips with a humoured but confused face, "Okay?"
"But most of all, and I think this is why Dad likes you so much ... You make me happy."
The kelpie felt a faint heat swell behind his almost tearful eyes. Hearing Jack's tender voice say something so meaningful hit right into Rusty's being. He burrowed his muzzle into the back of his boyfriend's neck, nuzzling his fur delicately.
Wasting away further into the comfort Rusty gave, the brown tipped terrier, hummed happily as he felt his partner on his back, "Since the day I arrived at school, you've done nothing but make me happy. I've told him you make me happy; he know's how much you mean to me. Both my parents do. So, yeah. He's known you for ages and he knows you're a good guy and that you love me so ... Yeah. Of course he likes you."
Jack tried his hardest to roll onto his back, shuffling underneath his larger boyfriend and prying himself out the pin; longing to see the kelpies handsome face. The red kelpie lifted himself a bit to allow the terrier to move so that he's now lying on his back. Rusty settled himself down so that he could rest his chin on Jack's chest, getting his arms around his waist, grasping onto him once more.
Bending his head down, the terrier got a good look at the red and tan dog: There was a weird unsure kinda glow in his pensive eyes as he laid there on his chest. Something wasn't right, "Is everything okay, Russie?"
That kind, sensitive voice the red dog fell head over heels for welled up it's magic within his ears. The love he had burning in the furnace he called a heart was fed more fuel, combusting even brighter, "Yeah, I'm good."
And yet, after all that, he deflected the question. Now wasn't the time for this. He had a final to play in 2 days. He had to start thinking about training, tactics, the game itself. He had to get into the zone. He has a team to take care of and an example to set. Whatever was going on inside his mind just had to wait.
"Rusty, you can't do that. Something's clearly up." The terrier pressed even further, shaking Rusty's back with a paw, trying to get his attention, "You can tell me. I'm here for you."
The kelpie heaved his eyes up and locked his pupils into Jack's own concerned pair, shattering any possibility of him bottling this up for later. The longer they stared into each other's eyes, the longer each of them had to know they were both unequivocally always going to be able to lean on each other.
Rusty was the first to break their connection, shuffling around and hauling his partner closer, "I wish my Dad liked me as much as Ken."
In an instant, the problem became nothing but clear, "Oh..."
The terrier's mind was viscously flung backwards a year ago. He could still see everything that happened with just as much lucidity as he had seeing Rusty right in front of him now. The almost prophetic powers of the mind acting as a magnifying glass into the past was truly something strange:
Rusty had asked him to come over one night. One thing led to another and the both of them were just enjoying each other's company in bed. Nothing too much, or anything like that, but the one moment Jack decides he wants to snag a quick kiss in,
Rusty's Dad walks in on them.
He remembered the shock in his voice; the sheer surprise and confusion. He remembered just receiving a verbal battering from him. Jack remembered just standing there and taking it. What was he supposed to do? What could he have possibly said? He remembered Rusty's Dad saying he never wanted them to see each other again.
A few hurtful insults as well, sure, but ... Nothing will ever come close to how painful it was to hear him say that. He couldn't possibly imagine how awful it must've been for Rusty.
After knowing his family for years, after how many countless times he'd come over to theirs or they come over to his for breakfast or dinner; after more than a decade and a huge chunk of his own life ... After all that, seeing all that history melt away into nothing but dust flying off into the wind? It hurt. Being told that he never wanted to see them together again? It really hurt.
The kelpie scratched his chin, "I miss him. I miss the way things used to be and I miss us. I always feel like there's something I can do but ... I think it's hard to ignore the fact I've lost him."
Jack was hopeful it was a 'heat in the moment' kinda deal. Rusty's Mum was nothing but supportive. Still, after a year, Rusty's relationship with his Dad took a thorough dip into the mud after that. Plus creating a small stain on their own relationship; it was probably the toughest thing they had to deal with. And evidently, Rusty was still dealing with it.
"Hey, look." Jack got his paws underneath his partner's arms, pulling him up so that his face was right above his. The terrier slid a paw behind his head, caressing it before he drew his partner onto his lips, both their eyes peacefully closing and melting into one another. For a sweet moment, feeling their warmth between them, all their troubles vanished away.
Eventually though, Jack was the first to pull away, bringing his paw to gently rub the side of Rusty's muzzle, "I wish things were different, and I believe they will get better. Honestly, I really do. But until then, I think we just have to be happy that we've still got each other."
Even though Jack meant every word he just said, he had to admit it was almost too difficult to believe. Rusty and his Dad were inseparable. Their worlds revolved around each other. When your Dad is constantly off on tour, fighting for his life in God knows where, it wouldn't surprise anyone how watertight they used to be ... Jack sometimes feels he was the one to ruin all of it.
How could he not?
Never the less, the multicoloured terrier gave one of his trademark adorable smiles. Rusty could feel the sincerity in his voice flow throughout his veins, lending him that sense of security he needed. The only comfort he had in that situation was he still had his fluffball.
The crimson kelpie lowered himself back onto his love, mushing themselves together in another amorous kiss, pressing his face deeper before releasing the awestruck terrier. Rusty's thick tail began to follow suit, wagging side to side in a content display of affection.
Stealing a couple breaths away, Jack's eyes were still tranquilly closed, all the while Rusty gleamed a bright smile at the sight of his boyfriend underneath him. Rusty will just never get how Jack understands him so well. Never in his life will anyone make him feel the way he does now or know the exact words to say to set his mind off the events after that traumatic night.
Rusty bent down again, brushing himself against the terrier's muzzle before moving up to his ear, "I love you. Nothing will change that."
With nothing but a few words, the notion that Jack had anything to be guilty of regarding Rusty's Dad thankfully dissipated away into pure nothingness. Giving a brief peck to his forehead, Jack couldn't help but let out one small giggle feeling one of his weakspots be assaulted by his red kelpie once again, desperately ready to catch those elusive zzz's,
"I love you too, Russie."