Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Did you always want to be a teacher?”

“It wasn’t my first choice, no.” Ms. Delight cheerfully answered after a moment. “Believe it or not, I wanted to run a business with my sisters. A boutique perhaps. Why do you ask?”

DogDay tore his eyes away from Ms. Delight to look over the other critters gathered in the distant tennis court, each doing their own thing. His gaze was surely fixed on his friends, but somehow, his vision was trying to see beyond the horizon.

“I just wondered how jobs worked, that’s all!”

He shook his head to drive an unknown, unnerving feeling; something he had been doing more often than not recently.

“Then, is there something you’d like to do in the future?”

When DogDay’s tail stopped wagging and slowly flopped onto the soft grass, Ms. Delight stood up and walked back to the schoolhouse after leaving a few more words.

“You don’t have to trouble yourself to find an answer, DogDay. There’s plenty of time to figure it out.”

The canine crossed his legs together and rested his chin over a paw as he mulled over the conversation with Ms. Delight just now.

It just occurred to DogDay that he…doesn’t know.

A career, a lifestyle, a purpose.

Picky was excellent at cooking and eating. She could easily be a judge at food fairs, or open up a restaurant or some bakery. Write a cookbook, and get it published.

Hoppy, she had always been athletic. She was flexible, both in body and mind. Though her patience was short, the rabbit was always open to new ventures and ideas.

Bubba was diligent in his studies, and could certainly get very far himself.

Bobby has a heart of gold; she is empathetic and could easily tap into other’s feelings, perhaps she would be a great therapist or guidance counselor.

Crafty’s career could very well stem from her creativity and resourcefulness. She had a knack for thinking outside the box and making do with whatever she had.

Kicken, though rowdy and needed more discipline, was certainly charismatic and witty. Street-smart, if you will. He might find success in hosting or commentating on games.

CatNap, too. His lazy and reclusive nature did nothing to hide his fast comprehension and good memory. He was grounded in practicality. Made decisions based on rationality rather than emotions. It will serve him well in life.

As for DogDay, well…it’s not like ‘looking out for others’ could be written on a resume. And, even if it did, it was a stretch to call his mediocre leadership a ‘skill.’ He’s not even sure if he’s doing that right.

A faint ache seared his chest. Again.

Ugh, DogDay didn’t like this feeling at all.

Just then, a familiar shade of purple invaded his vision. The canine turned around to see CatNap a few inches above him, his white eyes idly observing the other.

“You good?” A deep voice whispered.

DogDay awkwardly scratched his ear, before his smile stretched. The cat truly had his way of sensing the thoughts that clouded the dog’s mind. “I’m excellent! Just…thinking about the schedule for next week. I hope it’s enough.”

CatNap yawned. “Whatever activities you have for us will be alright. I would know, you’ve dragged me to participate every day, and I haven’t crashed out of one yet.”

“…sorry, kitty.” DogDay chuckled.

The feline paused at the nickname for a while. “Just, worry about yourself more and less about us. Those guys, they’ll find a way to enjoy themselves regardless.”

“How about you? Is there anything you’d like to do? I’d be happy to put it in the schedule for you.”

By now, CatNap had already leaped down from the branch and sat beside DogDay. He was close enough so that the next words that escaped his lips reached only two pairs of ears.

“Your company.”

“Wha- That’s it?”

CatNap rolled his eyes when DogDay wore an incredulous look on his face before stumbling backward from laughing.

“I’m not high maintenance like you and your heavy vanilla-scented body wash.”

DogDay frowned and brought his arm to his nose. “I don’t smell like-”

But CatNap had already gone by the time he looked up.

The next morning, DogDay was awakened by persistent ringing from his main doorbell. It was Picky.

“Hey, DogDay! I was just wondering if you could help me today? If you don’t have plans, that is.”

“Sure, I’ll help! What’s up?”

The two critters walked side by side over plain grasses and through mellow meadows. Their little place here in the forest was serene and peaceful, especially so under the rising sun.

“Today, I wanted to experiment with baking. I need help tracking the measurements and working on the ratio of ingredients. Apparently, a little bit more egg whites or a little less baking soda makes a whole lot of difference!”

Before DogDay could agree, a blur of blue had joined in.

“That sounds interesting!” Bubba interjected. “Can I help, too, please?”

Picky snorted a laugh, “Of course, Bubba! It’d be nice to have extra hands around.”

“Awesome! Operation: Baking Research and Recipe Development is a go!”

DogDay followed them to Picky’s kitchen, and it didn’t take very long for DogDay to realize that the both of them could do this better without him messing up things. It took approximately his fourth mistake to leave.

“DogDay, I told you, you need to mix the wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls first and then, you mix them.”

“Uhm, I mixed them extra so that there wouldn’t be any lumps this time.”

Picky frowned. “Overmixing the batter just makes it tough and dense afterward.”

He must’ve let his confusion known through his expression because Bubba explained further, “Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour.”

“Oh.” DogDay kept a straight face, trying his best not to let his disappointment show. Coolly, he removed the gloves and hair cap, and headed for the door outside. “Sorry for ruining that batch, I’ll make it up to you next time, Picky.”

“DogDay…”

“Hey, no worries.” The canine opened the door. “Bubba’s your best baking buddy. If you guys need help on something else, let me know.”

Thud!

The bright pink door closed behind him.

DogDay, mysteriously not having the appetite to return to his house and eat breakfast, walked towards the schoolhouse directly. Perhaps he could be of some use to the other critters instead.

“Could you please get Bubba for me, DogDay?”

Ms. Delight absentmindedly pleaded with him as she typed away on her computer, messing around with charts and tables filled with numbers. Disbursements, bonds payable…what was she working on?

“He’s helping Picky with baking right now. They’re developing some recipes.”

“I see.” Ms. Delight sighed, massaging her temple with a free hand. Although she was smiling, the way her eyebrow knit in frustration was pretty telling.

“Should I get him, Miss?”

The teacher shook her head. “It’s alright, DogDay. He’s not really into this type of paperwork. Financial matters. Bubba likes the science side more.”

DogDay’s ears perked up. That was an extremely rare case of Bubba not being that interested in any brain work. “In that case, maybe I could help you out.”

“Really?”

“I’d like to try, Miss.”

Ms. Delight patted him on the head once before grabbing two thick hardbound books from her shelf. Their titles were padded on the front in golden: Financial Management, and Fundamentals of Accountancy and Business.

“Uhm…”

“Keep these books for now. The topics will serve as a guide on what you need to know. Until then, you can grab other materials from other sources. If you’re able to get a grasp on the theories, let me know so we can apply them in real life.”

“Miss…?”

“You have to start with the foundations before I can explain why stuff is measured like this, or how stuff is recorded.”

DogDay resigned. With a hopeful sigh, “Alright. I’ll handle it.”

“Thank you, DogDay. That’s nice of you. Think of it as additional and exclusive lessons. Should you want to give up on it, just return the books to me.”

“Got it.”

After taking the books home, DogDay skimmed through the pages, hoping to get at least a little grasp on the subject but he was met with words that looked like it was from another language. Contingent liability, what even is that?

Knock Knock

“Come in.”

DogDay figured he wouldn’t be able to understand it now anyway so, he tidied the books in his cabinet and greeted the critter who came to visit.

“DogDay!” Bobby grabbed his hand immediately and led him to the forest a bit farther. “Kicken and Hoppy were playing flaming frisbee and accidentally destroyed the embroidered blanket that Crafty and I had been making for the past few days.”

“I see. Thanks, Bobby, I’ll handle them.”

Upon their arrival at the messy scene of Kicken and Hoppy blaming each other while Crafty grieves over her burnt art piece, DogDay dealt with the chicken and rabbit first, sternly telling them to sit by the nearby tree trunk until he was back, making his displease known.

DogDay, with Bobby’s help, comforts Crafty as she attempts to hug what’s left of the blanket.

“I s-spent a lot of time on this…” she sniffled, her voice shook even in such a soft manner. “I…I was excited- hic- to show it to everyone for our hike. I wanted to set it up in the tent…”

DogDay hummed. “We understand. Thank you for making the blanket, Crafty. It means a lot.”

“He’s right, Crafty. Besides,” Bobby sat down beside the unicorn and pulled her into a loose hug. “…we can always make another one, hmm?”

Crafty smiled a little. “It wouldn’t be the same…”

“And it doesn’t have to be!” DogDay gave her a thumbs up. “Everything you create is different in every way. This blanket is not ruined, it just…foreshadowed what I’m about to do with Kicken and Hoppy: roast them over an open fire!”

They all shared a delicate laugh before DogDay continued in a more serious tone.

“If you still feel unsettled, you guys can count on me and know where to find me. Bubba and Picky are baking back in her kitchen. They probably have loads of leftovers or muffin test subjects.”

Bobby seemed delighted at the suggestion. “What do you think, Crafty?”

The unicorn took the invitation with much glee, her wide smile returning as she sat up. “I think yes.”

When both critters had left, DogDay returned to Kicken and Hoppy at their designated tree trunk. “As for the two of you, I presume you know what you should do to make amends…?”

“Yes, boss…”

“And?”

Kicken faced the ground with frustration, “Hoppy and I will apologize. Properly. When Crafty’s not mad anymore. And, with a gift, maybe.”

“Which is?”

Hoppy’s ears dropped. “We thought about working on another blanket with Crafty’s colors or pendant or something.”

DogDay relaxed his arms from crossing hard. His tail slowly picked up a pace, “I’m proud of you guys. Still disappointed about the recurring accidents, but proud of the progress. Why were you playing flaming frisbee by Crafty’s piece anyway?”

Hoppy said, “We just wanted to spend time with them.”

“Our bad, man. Didn’t know my throw would be that good; it went farther than I thought it would. I just wanted to hit Hoppy’s knees or something.”

“Hey!” The rabbit pinched the chicken’s arm.

DogDay sighed, some things never change. “I suggest you two start on that apology or Crafty’s not preparing your share of the smores for next week.”

“NO! Anything but that!” In unison, they started running to find a plain blanket.

DogDay chuckled a little to himself as he watched the critters retreat hurriedly back to the playhouse, unknowing of the purple feline that watched him from a distance.

Chapter Text

DogDay sat by a tree trunk. Thinking about how these past few days were certainly full of events. Recently, everyone seemed hell-bent on their own thing.

Ms. Delight gave them a week off to focus on her work, Picky and Bubba were halfway through their cookbook’s second volume, Crafty and Bobby were there to decorate as well, and Kicken and Hoppy struggled to embroider a single flower so they moved to painting a portrait of Crafty.

And CatNap…hadn’t been around lately, much to his dismay.

DogDay wanted to look for him but he had been tied up in his house for the majority of the day (and night) to study the books Ms. Delight had provided.

Still, consecutive late-night studying sessions made his paws yearn for the green grass. So, here he was.

Faint chirping, a gentle breeze, and the fleeting clouds kept DogDay company as he sat there unmoving. The distinct pang in his heart was back. A frown settled on his lips. He truly didn’t like this, and it’s not like he wanted to ignore it forever.

Why am I feeling this way?

DogDay felt it was crucial to know the answer.

“Hey there, canine o’ mine.” A familiar deep voice came from beside him.

The dog gasped and his tail wagged in surprise, “CatNap!”

DogDay leaped forward with his arms open to embrace the cat, but the latter had smoothly stepped to the left, leaving DogDay to roll over the dry grass.

“Where have you been?”

“Where have you been?” CatNap mirrored. “The cemetery? No offense, but you don’t look…good. Not to mention you smell like a barrel of coffee- ah.”

DogDay carefully took the open spot of comfortable grass beside CatNap. “I was just learning about some stuff that Ms. Delight wanted me to look over.”

A faint growl reverberated against CatNap’s chest.

“She didn’t give you a month’s worth of ‘homework’ due to some nonsense again, did she?”

“N-no, this time, I asked to help.”

By the way his eyebrows were raised, CatNap was still skeptical. “And how’s that going for you?”

“Uhm, pretty well?” DogDay wasn’t entirely sure where the feline was going with these questions but it was better than not talking with CatNap at all. “I learned that Ms. Delight has to keep making these financial statement budgets so that we can keep living here with the stuff we need.”

At this, CatNap’s frown deepened. “It would do you well not to pry on it too much.”

“Alright…?” DogDay didn’t plan on any prying anyway.

“And,” CatNap fidgeted with his paws before continuing, “If I ever see you out and about in the dead of the night again, I am taking matters into my own hands. Got that?

“Huh?”

DogDay didn’t have the time to understand what CatNap was talking about, all he was able to register at that moment was that his vision spun and suddenly, his head was resting on soft purple fur.

Lavender flooded his nose, and in an instant, knocked him out of the consciousness realm.

“Sleep well, buddy.”

“DogDay, Ms. Delight told me to refer to you about the concerning low stock of supplies. Could you please account for that?”

“Of course, Bubba!”

“Alright, here’s a list of each of the critter’s requests!”

The blue elephant then dumped a truckload of papers and thick documents that were barely held in various folders. DogDay struggled to maintain his balance after catching them in his paws.

Bubba seemed apprehensive, “She said to turn these in in four days. So, I’ll come around to help you later when I finish reviewing for an exam.”

“What? No, you focus on what you need to do.”

“I’ll check on it anyways.”

“Nope, I’ll get it done when you do. Now go, I can handle this.”

“DogDay! There you are.” Crafty approached him around noon of the same day. “Are you busy? I need your help with something…”

DogDay figured he could always just continue to deal with the documents in his free time, so without hesitation, he agreed to help his friend. “Anytime!”

“I’m decluttering some old artworks in my tower and maybe, perhaps, sketch some illustrations with me for Hoppy’s short story?”

“Sounds fun, let’s go!”

“I was gonna ask Hoppy or Bobby, but they went to help Picky finish some recipes for their ‘girl’s night.’” Kicken quoted the air and crossed his feathers again. “Besides, I know I could count on you. So, will you help photograph me in these cool new fits I bought?”

“I’ll do it.” DogDay stretched a smile, albeit weaker than usual, he took the small camera and tried his best to assist his friend.

“So, about that hike, have you already decided on the trail?” Hoppy asked with much fervor, her feet tapping the soft ground quickly.

“I-” Forgot. DogDay let his main job slip his mind: preparing the critter’s weekly activity schedules. But, he didn’t want any of them to think he was falling out of touch. Not when he finally started feeling useful as a leader. “-was actually on it. I’ll check out other trails and let you guys choose after I make sure which ones are safe.”

“Hooray!” Hoppy did a backflip and landed on all fours. “I’d like to join you, but I’m working on something for girl’s night, hehe!”

“You have fun, Hoppy. Your leader got this.”

“Thanks, DogDay!”

After Hoppy left, DogDay found Bobby carefully picking up flowers in the garden near the tennis court. He figured he should make sure everything was alright with the critters. Because despite forgetting about the schedule, DogDay should never forget about checking up on his friends every now and then.

“Hi, Bobby!”

“Oh, DogDay!” The bear clutched her basket closer. “What brings you here?”

“Just wanted to know how my friend is doing.”

“I’m great, thanks!” Bobby paused for a moment. “Are you still worried about Crafty with the blanket incident?”

DogDay scratched his ear, “Kicken and Hoppy seemed well enough going about their stuff so I figured it has been settled. But, how’s Crafty anyways?”

“She’s great, thanks! And oh, could I trouble you with something real quick?”

DogDay gave a small smile. “Anytime. How can I help?”

“Ms. Delight was looking for you. She told me to send you to the playhouse when I see you. While you’re there, could you maybe ask her if we could borrow a cookbook? Apparently, one of her sisters was a baker!”

“No problem!”

“DogDay, I will leave you in charge of the critters for the next few days or so.” Ms. Delight instructed after she gave him the cookbook and the key to the schoolhouse. “I’m visiting one of my sisters in a far village, but I’ll be back as soon as possible. Make sure to submit your schedule sheet for the hike by then.”

“Roger that, Miss!”

“I’m counting on you, DogDay. I’ll be off, then.”

When Ms. Delight left, DogDay found himself barely surviving the hoard of tasks he had yet to do. And, with the multiple and unexpected side quests the critters kept on giving him, well…who was he to say no?

“DogDay, we need you to unlock the schoolhouse. Picky left her favorite apron in her locker by mistake.”

“DogDay! Kicken just scratched my console! Don’t accept his request for another dozen sunglasses all right?”

“DogDay, I looked through the updated file but you forgot to include the interests before the taxes again. Sorry, this needs to be redone.”

“I hope this won’t be any trouble but DogDay, please add some light blue acrylic to my list. I ran out.”

“Would you like to listen to this song I’ve been working on?”

“What, she started it, alright? Believe me, DogDay!”

“DogDay.”

“DogDay!”

“DogDay?”

“AHH! STOP! STOP!”

DogDay woke up with cold sweats on his forehead.

In front of him were chaotic drafts of computations about notebooks, sugar, and…trees? Huh. What a mess. He accidentally fell asleep while working on the schedule and studying at the same time.

The canine left the desk to grab himself a cool glass of water, something to pull him back to his game. On the way there, he saw the clock.

1:48 AM. It read.

Knowing this, he lifted a paw to feel his chest. It was aching again. DogDay returned to his work desk only to recognize that he didn’t want to look at these anymore. He was…

“Okay,” He breathed out a hollow promise. “I’m okay.”

DogDay left his house and strolled through the trees, humming a melody to fill the comfortable silence with his presence. Under the moonlight, no one would look for him. No one would call his name. DogDay felt utterly alone under the dark blanket of the sky.

He felt lonely.

But had no desire to be found.

DogDay simply wanted…

This felt stupid.

He was supposed to thrive under the bright sun. DogDay was the critter’s leader, he was their companion. Helping them was supposed to be as easy as breathing. He was supposed to handle this. He was supposed to lead others, keep them happy, and look after their well-being seamlessly.

DogDay wasn’t good at everything. This he knew, of course.

He was only one critter. But he was the one who shouldn’t fall behind when it mattered the most. Ms. Delight needed him to take care of their home, and the critters counted on him to be there. If he wasn’t dependable, then they wouldn’t turn to him for help anymore.

Without them asking for his help, well…what purpose would he have left?

DogDay stopped walking.

Perhaps he just needed someone to talk to, about this. Maybe Bobby or Bubba would know how to deal with it. Or maybe, he should just eat something in the morning? Picky did once mention it could lift up moods.

Hmm, but he didn’t want to worry them.

Plus, DogDay figured that it would be more productive to spend his free time working on the documents again instead of letting the stars know he was sulking.

Sigh…

“Keep it together, DogDay.” He muttered to himself.

Chapter Text

“Keep it together, DogDay.” He muttered to himself.

“Do that when the sun’s up.”

CatNap’s voice was low, laced with care, and comforting.

“…I didn’t see you there, pal.” DogDay smiled, and only then did he notice the dampness of his cheeks, now wet from the tears that pooled since earlier. “Uhm, sorry you had to see me like this. Did you uh, need something?”

The feline frowned, seemingly disappointed at DogDay. “As a matter of fact, I do. Come with me.”

DogDay followed without any questions.

Soon enough, they both found themselves on CatNap’s roof with a small bowl of biscuits and two cups of earl grey tea. All without a single word exchanged. But DogDay had to break that streak.

“I’m not usually a fan of hot leaf juice, but this smells nice and it tastes fitting. It’s warm. And the view is nice.” DogDay quietly spoke in slow syllables. Truly unlike his usual demeanor. “I hope I didn’t disturb your sleep.”

CatNap sipped before replying, “Not this time, at least. And, I did swear I’ll do something about you the next time you guzzle on five cups of coffee and bang pans on midnight pancakes.”

“Sorry, was I being loud?”

“Our houses are more than twenty meters apart, what do you think?”

Oh.

He was worried.

But, somehow, DogDay relished that fact. If it was the other critters worrying about him, perhaps he would worry back, doing his best to hide his problems beyond their knowledge. CatNap, though, was an entirely different case.

DogDay felt warm when CatNap worried for him.

“I was just finishing on the budget and schedules. I was supposed to have done them already yesterday, but the critters needed me in the day. So, I could only work on them at night, sorry.”

CatNap nodded in acknowledgment. “I’ve seen those documents. I don’t think you’ll be done at all even if Ms. Delight returns in a week.”

This earned a small whimper from the canine. “I know. I’m supposed to be doing them right now instead of troubling you like this, but…”

The corner of his eyes stung.

“But?”

“…I’m tired, CatNap.” DogDay sniffled; keeping his tears at bay and his heart collected. “I’ve never been this busy before, but I don’t want to let them down either. I know I could trust them to take care of themselves. They’re not that incapable as to need my help at every little thing…you know?”

His voice cracked a little as he rambled.

“But, what use am I if I don’t help? I-” He placed his paw on his mouth to stop them from trembling. “I am afraid, of them realizing that I am not needed. That I am nothing more than a loud, emotional, dumb mutt.”

DogDay felt CatNap’s tail gently rub his back.

“I can’t even solve my problems on my own. I don’t have anything I’m good at. I make the schedules to make sure the teamwork is going strong and that they don’t die out of boredom, but let’s be honest, they can figure that shit themselves.”

DogDay finally turned, finally met CatNap’s white eyes. He just listened with intent, keeping all his focus on the dog. “What’s wrong with me, CatNap?”

The cat said nothing for a few minutes.

Then, CatNap cracked his knuckles and started counting on his paws. “First, you do your laundry and hang them out even when it’s raining. Second, you pour the milk into the bowl first before the cereal- I mean, seriously, that’s just unsettling. Third…”

CatNap took DogDay’s paw before resuming. With a gentle claw, he traced certain shapes on the back of the dog’s paw. “…you’re too hard on yourself and don’t let the others help you when you need them. You also keep on referring to the critters without me.”

“Huh?”

“Haven’t you noticed?” CatNap feigned a sad expression. “You don’t want them to worry. You don’t want them to stop asking for help. You don’t want to disappoint them. Ms. Delight included. Why is that?”

“That’s…”

“Am I not your friend?”

“No! I meant, of course, you are, kitty.” DogDay held CatNap’s paw back. “You’re important to me, too. It’s just…different.”

CatNap’s presence had always been distinct from the others.

“The thing is, I like that you’re worried about me. I’m sorry. I don’t mean anything wrong by that. I just- You’re- You…” DogDay inhaled a sharp breath, trying very hard to stop his tail from wagging uncontrollably out of nervousness. “CatNap, you have the force of the night with you. I can’t explain it well; I don’t understand it myself. You just ground me back to where I need to be.”

“…”

“Whenever I feel overwhelmed or frustrated, you’d be there and suddenly, I’m not mad about Hoppy dropping my book on a puddle of mud anymore. Even if Picky were to stab me with a spatula, I wouldn’t bat an eye if you were purring on my knee.”

At this, CatNap actually purred in jest before a gentle smile sat on his lips. DogDay knew that smiling was pretty much their trademark, but to see such a genuine and delicate expression on the feline’s face…it made his heart leap so hard it almost won the gymnastics’ international competition.

“A part of me even hoped you would find me strolling the forest tonight. For some reason, I’m confident and secure in you. That, no matter how much I pester you, or even if you see me at my worst, you would be within my sights. After all, how’s the sun gonna take a break without the moon to take over, right?”

“That’s…”

“Cheesy, I know.” DogDay knit his eyebrows in a quiet apology. “And, I kind of see now why I am comfortable talking to you about the things that bother me. The things that I don’t like. The weird and ugly side of me.”

“There’s no side, you’re weird all over.” CatNap retorted affectionately. “Which just makes you stand out from the rest.”

DogDay laughed, his joy echoing in the moment between them. “And you’re not just a friend to me, CatNap.”

At this, the feline’s ears perked up. He straightened his back and his face was devoid of any expression but anticipation in DogDay’s words.

“You’re my companion, CatNap. My partner in life. The moonlight that guides me through the dark.” DogDay gazed longingly at his teacup that had long cooled by now. “If you hadn’t been patrolling the forest, I would’ve guzzled on my seventh cup of coffee and mindlessly stared at empty numbers until daylight.”

“I…” CatNap’s tail gave a little swish, his lips forming a thin line built on hesitance and melancholy. “I wasn’t patrolling, I knew you’d be awake so I looked for you.”

DogDay’s tired eyes softened. “Well, you’ve always been the more observant one between us. Thank you, CatNap.”

A very, very low opacity of red dusted CatNap’s cheeks before he rolled his eyes. “It’s nothing, compared with what you did for me; refusing to leave me alone and still standing here by my side despite…”

“Hey,” DogDay gently interrupted. “I told you. We see through our challenges together, alright?”

“…hypocrite. Why didn’t you ask me to help with your burden, then?”

“I suppose I just wanted to prove it to myself. That I’d be fine with only me and I. That I’d be able to handle that, you know?”

“Idiot. You can’t.”

“What?”

“You can’t survive being alone.”

DogDay opened his mouth to retort, but he found none. It was simply the truth. He was nobody if he had none.

“I couldn’t either.” CatNap whispered just low enough for DogDay to hear. “So, I will spend my eternity like this; by your side.”

“CatNap, I…” DogDay swallowed the lump that had been hopping in his throat. “I, too, find myself the best when beside you.”

“And when you’ve slept your mandatory 8 hours a night. So, take a rest already, will you? Here, want me to help?”

CatNap’s white eyes and smile widened, and the red mist from his mouth slowly intertwined with the cold breeze around them. DogDay had been subjected to his gas frequently enough to actually welcome them.

“Thanks, kitty, your breath is calming as always, but tonight, I’d rather just lay with you, hmm?”

“Should I grab your favorite bone-shaped pillow?”

DogDay shook his head. “Nah, just you, kitty.”

CatNap was about to lead them back to his bedroom when DogDay tapped his shoulder. “Actually, yeah, I’d love my pillow, too. But, I don’t want us to go back to my house just to get it.”

“And that’s why I have a duplicate.”

CatNap pulled a bone-shaped pillow from his cabinet full of bed sheets and blankets. It really was similar to his own, except for the yellow color.

“CatNap!” DogDay’s tail wagged furiously as he leaped to peck CatNap’s nose. “You’re the best.”

CatNap lightly kissed his cheek in return. “Take a rest now, DogDay.”