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Ryder stared down at the crumpled flyer in his hand. One of the pups had chewed on it, and dried saliva was stuck to the edge. It was probably Rubble.
Glancing up at the huge mansion in front of him, he stifled a groan. He shoved the flyer far into his suit pocket and straightened his tie. The moonlight reflected onto an elaborately carved stone fish fountain, making the water sparkle. That was probably intended when the architects had built this place. Every aesthetic detail had been thought of and carefully chosen with the stringency of a wedding planner.
He turned to wave goodbye to the driver of his limo (unfortunately, he still couldn’t legally drive) and began up the high stone steps to the double doors. He pressed a finger to the doorbell, but it was less than a few seconds before the door flew open.
“Ryder!” Mayor Goodway stood at the entrance. “It’s so good to see you. Your drive went well, I presume?”
“Splendid.” He gave an exaggerated grin. “I had a great view from the backseat.”
“Oh, ho!” The mayor stepped back to allow him entrance. He scanned over everyone, milling around in groups with glasses in their hands. They talked animatedly with their hands about whatever they had bid on in the silent art auction. It was all to support a local cat cafe in Adventure City.
He walked to the first painting he saw, but the majority were landscapes. They were breathtakingly detailed, especially to someone as uncreative as Ryder, but they didn’t evoke much emotion from him. His dress shoes squeaked on the polished floor. He could tell they would give him blisters tomorrow.
He stopped at a painting of a tiger. Its side was to the viewer, and its mouth was open in a snarl. The light shone off of its teeth. The tiger snaked between trees and weeds, staring in the corner at an unsuspecting water buffalo taking a drink.
“Who knew the great PAW Patrol leader liked cats?”
He twisted to see Harold. His purple suit (of course) was ostentatious at this event. His eyes had drifted to the tiger painting, but when he saw Ryder looking at him, he gave him a too-wide smile.
“I’ve never not liked your kittens.” He shifted from one foot to the other. “They’re just…strange. It’s like you modeled their appearances after my pups.”
“Surely you know how much my uncle envies you.” Harold brushed past Ryder to pick up a pen, writing his bidding amount for the tiger painting.
“I’m sure he’d envy anyone with a genius mind.”
“That’s your problem. You’re too nice.” Harold leaned against the stand.
He watched Harold for a while without answering. “And you’re too selfish.”
“Is that why you’re here, Ryder? We both know you have no reason to care about what goes on in Adventure City. Especially after what happened with your precious pup Chase.”
“I’m here because it’s the right thing to do.” He closed his hand around Harold’s, and he let the pen go without a fight. He doubled Harold’s bid and set the pen back on the stand.
“I like cats.” Harold said simply. His eyes had strayed back to the tiger painting. “They shed less and clean up their own messes. Cats are more self-reliant than your pups.”
“Sometimes all you need from an animal is their companionship. You know they won’t let you down or abandon you. They’ll love you longer than anyone else will.”
Harold looked at him. “You’re right. Is that what you started the PAW Patrol for?”
He shook his head. “Chase has always been my companion. But he’s better than I am. He wanted to help people, so I helped him by forming the PAW Patrol. Before, I would do a good deed now and then, but I never thought my actions really affected other people. Until I realized that if Chase could help people as a pup, I could help people too.”
“That’s a nice story.” He was close enough to realize Harold was a little shorter than he was, and his dress shoes were also purple. Did he have to get all this custom made?
“Now let’s get out of here.” Harold’s hand closed around his again, but this time his fingers clenched around Ryder’s in a firm hold.
Ryder followed to a supply closet tucked into a corner. The door opened easily, and total darkness filled Ryder’s vision before his eyes adjusted.
“Harold, what are you-”
He felt a warm sensation on his lips, and it took him a second to realize what was happening.
Harold Humdinger was kissing him.
And he didn’t absolutely hate it.
In fact, he actually liked it. A lot.
He wrapped an arm around Harold’s waist, backing him against the wall. He could feel Harold’s hands in his perpetually messed-up hair. He could feel friction against his dress pants. He was still a little shocked at just how right this felt. In all his fantasies, he had never anticipated this.
“Don’t stop.” He could hear the breathlessness in his voice. He lowered his hand to the button and zipper of his dress pants.
Ryder arrived back at the Lookout much later than he had been intending, sneaking up to his room in a rumpled suit. He was excited to put on his Chase pajamas (they were freshly washed) and to put on an episode of How It's Made.
"Ryder?" A familiar voice called from the entrance of a familiar pup's pup house.
"Hey, Chase!" He haphazardly smoothed a hand down the front of his suit. It was still wrinkled.
"Have fun last night?" Chase's tail thumped against the ground.
"So much fun. But, listen, I want to go upstairs -"
"No explanation needed." Chase nudged him with his head. "Keep having your fun."
"Uh, yeah. Thanks, Chase."
"Yup!" He ran to Marshall's pup house. To have his own fun or to gossip about him, he wasn't sure.
Ryder walked into his bedroom/garage (his bedroom was a small office he and Rocky had never used) and lifted his TV remote. A smile lingered on his face.