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Chuuya made his way to their usual spot at a leisurely pace. Trotting at his side, Kuma took his time to sniff the grass and chase the odd beetle he scared into flight. The bench they were heading for was unoccupied, as per usual. It was further back into the park, the bushes growing behind it hadn't been trimmed for some time, meaning their tiny branches and leaves poked through the wood. He supposed that was why it wasn't a popular sitting spot.
Having a 'usual spot' wasn't something Chuuya had intended to acquire. There was a natural reluctance in him to form easily predictable patterns in public due to the criminal life style he led. It was bad enough coming to the same park and talking to the same dog walkers most days. Having a bench that was 'his' was asking for trouble.
But then, there was a reason Chuuya kept coming back to this spot.
He sat on the bench, shaded by a near-by tree and Kuma hopped up beside him, waiting expectantly for the bag of treats Chuuya was about to pull out. Normally, Chuuya would try to take treats out as quietly as possible, so as not to alert Kuma, but this time he purposely rustled the bag. Much to Kuma's obvious excitement.
Behind him, came another rustle, separate from his own. One of the branches being pushed back as a great shaggy dog cautiously emerged from the bushes. She had a lopsided gait to her walk, he presumed from a badly healed injury on her left front leg, as she favoured standing on her right one.
"Hey girl." Chuuya whispered as she paused at the corner of the bench to inspect him.
Her thick coat was mostly black, with brown brindle stripes and if one wasn't close enough to see her gentle and timid eyes, her size would make her look quite intimidating. Her back was just a little taller than the seat of the bench. Chuuya guessed at her being a Kai Ken after looking up pictures of the breed.
Kuma's attention turned from the treats to the stray, he tilted his head and whined as he lowered himself to lie flat on the seat. The stray responded to this as she always did, by cautiously stepping forward enough to sniff at Kuma, their little noses twitching in sync as they greeted each other.
Doggy formalities taken care of, the stray turned her attention back to Chuuya and the treats in his lap.
"You want some of these, Nezumi?" He asked, trying to sound as non-threatening as he could, whilst taking as few treats out the bag and dropping them on the floor next to himself.
He'd nicknamed the stray Nezumi because despite her size and deceptively imposing face, Nezumi was always hiding and trying to make herself look as small as possible. He didn't think he'd ever heard her make a noise either. If Kuma was a bear in a tiny body, Nezumi was a mouse in a large one.
She wouldn't take the treats from his hand, but they'd worked up trust enough that she would eat by his feet. As she dipped her head down to crunch the treats, Chuuya slowly reached out his hand and let it gently rest between her shoulder blades. They poked out too much and he felt her skin flinch when he touched her, but she didn't run away anymore.
Not to be ignored Kuma, nuzzled at Chuuya's free hand, reminding him he hadn't been given anything yet.
"Okay, Greedy, hold on." He held out a treat for Kuma to take and the terrier made sure to lick all of Chuuya's fingers as well as take the treat.
At the sound of the bag, Nezumi looked back up at Chuuya, she sat down sniffing the air, also eager for more.
Instead of meeting the dog's demands, Chuuya unclipped a spare lead from his belt loop and held it out for Nezumi to inspect. She eye it cautiously, leaning away from his hands but not running. Chuuya couldn't help but grin at the dog's natural aversion to being captured.
"Yeah, I'd be suspicious of me too." He held up the loose collar attached to the lead, as if trying to show her there was nothing to fear. "But if you let me put this on you, I can get you all the food you want."
This would be his fourth attempt at trying to catch this stray.
Realistically, he knew that with his fast reflexes and ability, catching this dog should be an easy task. That was, if he wanted to force it. But he'd worked so hard for Nezumi's trust, he wanted her to choose to come with him.
"Come on, girl, I know where there's a nice warm bed waiting for you." He inched closer, the collar slowly made it's way over Nezumi's muzzle and Chuuya allowed himself to grin wider as his heart beat faster. His hands crept over her head and just as their shadow hit her eyes, Nezumi reeled back and bolted.
"Wait!" He called, Kuma jumped down ready to give chase. Which they'd done the first time, but it only scared Nezumi more, so Chuuya simply flopped back on the bench in defeat.
— — —
She wasn't there the next day. Nor the day after that.
Her absences after a failed attempt was always what pained Chuuya the most. He'd worry after her like a mother does when their child is late coming home. The thought that each failed attempt could be the last time he ever saw Nezumi ate away at him every time.
All Chuuya could do was return to the bench and hope.
— — —
"Will you stop with the side eyes already?" Dazai huffed, crossing his arms over his chest as they walked. "You're being ridiculous!"
"I'm being reasonably suspicious, actually." Chuuya retorted.
Kuma said nothing as he walked ahead of them, busy with much more important things than their squabbling, like making sure this spot or that tree was still his territory.
"Well, excuse me for wanting to enjoy the outdoors with my partner."
"If it was as simple as that I wouldn't be suspicious!" Chuuya insisted as he stopped in his tracks, due to Kuma picking up on a particularly interesting scent. He narrowed his eyes at Dazai looking him up and down. "You don't do the outdoors, especially when said outdoors has dogs in it."
Dazai's eye twitched, he chewed his bottom lip with irritation because he couldn't argue that he suddenly liked dogs. "Firstly, you can't have something 'in' the outdoors, that's an oxymoron, moron. Secondly, I'm here for your company not the mutt's."
"Kuma and I are a package deal, so sucks to be you." Chuuya replied smugly. "And I still don't believe you."
Once Kuma had finished his inspection they set off walking again, the argument seeming to have naturally come to an end.
So far, they had been walking through the park without a destination in mind, neither truly leading or following, their steps naturally falling in almost perfect sync. Which was why it came as a shock to Chuuya when his bench came into view ahead of them. He'd been drawn to this spot as if it had it's own pool of gravity.
There was no sign of Nezumi. Not that there ever was before he sat down.
His pace slowed only for a few seconds, as he considered the spot before it picked back up again. Chuuya hadn't told Dazai about his attempts to befriend Nezumi and he doubted Dazai would want to join him on such an escapade.
"Want to sit?" Dazai asked nodding to the bench.
He asked it innocently enough, but Chuuya knew better than that, Dazai must have noticed the change in pace and gotten curious. He also knew there was no point fighting against Dazai's curiosity. Especially not now they've stopped and Kuma was antsily dancing about, trying to encourage Chuuya over to the bench where he got so many treats.
With a sigh, Chuuya gave into the inevitable and replied. "Sure."
Kuma pulled all the way to the bench, instantly hopping up and excitedly whining for his reward. An action that had Dazai physically recoiling.
"Bad dog, this is a people bench!" He pointed to the ground, expecting Kuma to jump down at the action like he would for Chuuya. "You belong down there."
Kuma stared at him with his head tilted in confusion, before snuffing and very pointedly sitting down in the middle of the bench. Chuckling to himself Chuuya sat down next to Kuma patting his head affectionately. "That's right boy, don't take no shit from no-one."
"I'll remember that the next time you want me to do the dishes." Dazai grumbled, walking around Kuma to squeeze himself beside Chuuya on the tiny space left on the end of the bench.
"There's room on the other side, you know."
In lieu of a reply, Dazai shoved himself against Chuuya, pushing him towards the centre of the bench. The attempt was successful for only an inch as Chuuya immediately tensed with a squawk and pushed back.
"What the hell is your problem?!"
"You said there's room! Make room!" Bracing his heels into the ground, Dazai turned his back to Chuuya, to better press against him. Not that this added effort moved Chuuya any further across the bench.
"This is the reason you don't get invited on walks!"
Seeing his owners squabbling like this must have perturbed Kuma, for he jumped back off the bench and started barking at them. Which in turn had Dazai freezing up. It was subtle when he froze like this, his muscles tensed up and jaw clenched shut. Outwardly he hardly reacted at all, but Chuuya knew his quiet in the face of Kuma barking was more serious than Dazai ever let on.
Chuuya truly believed that exposure to Kuma was helping Dazai's distrust of the canine species, however moments like these were set back. He gave up his space on the bench so that Dazai could sit more comfortably and turned his attention on Kuma.
"Kuma, no, quiet boy." He said firmly, hand up in a stopping motion. To which Kuma tested the seriousness of the tone by whining and pawing at the air. "Ah, no. Quiet."
Instead of settling, like he would normally, Kuma only grew more frustrated, not understanding why he hadn't been offered treats yet. The terrier whirled around and ran off down the path, his lead dragging along the ground.
"Kuma!" Chuuya jumped up without a second thought and sprinted after the dog.
Leaving Dazai alone, to deflate against the back of the bench.
Or so he thought.
For out from the bushes came a great shaggy dog.
— — —
Kuma made it a good way down the path before Chuuya was able to catch him again. Despite his tiny legs, the terrier could move when he wanted to and Chuuya was at the disadvantage of not wanting to use his ability in public. He scooped Kuma up, holding him up to his face.
"That was dangerous!" He chided. "Don't run off like that!"
Kuma didn't seem to take any of Chuuya's in, panting happily, he simply looked towards the ground as if planning his next great escape.
Sighing Chuuya placed the terrier down, keeping a firm grip on the handle of his leash. "Come on, lets get back to Dazai."
What Chuuya saw when he returned to the bench made his heart leap into his throat. For Nezumi had finally returned. Not only, had she returned, but he'd taken an interest in Dazai, much to Dazai's dismay.
Dazai sat rigid, with his back plastered to the back of the bench, his hand gripping the wood of the seat under him. The sight of him so openly uncomfortable was startling enough to Chuuya, but what really threw him off was Nezumi. She sat in front of Dazai, her tail lazily wagging and her head resting gently on Dazai's knee. Eyes that were usually fearful and cautious, were so clearly full of adoration.
At the sight of his fellow canine, Kuma happily yapped to get Nezumi's attention. She heard him, for her ear twitched in Kuma's direction, but she never took her eyes off of Dazai.
Dazai however quickly glanced Chuuya's way to confirm who it was before fixing his stare back on Nezumi.
"Chuuya, Chuuya, it's going to eat me."
It shouldn't have been funny. Dazai's discomfort was real, but his suggestion was so ludicrous, Chuuya couldn't quite hold back his laugh. Remembering his feet, Chuuya stepped up the bench. "No she won't, she's friendly."
"There's hunger in those eyes, I can see it." Dazai hissed.
Now that they were close enough, Kuma trotted up to Nezumi and finally got her attention. She turned her head to the smaller dog and they sniffed at each other as per their usual greeting. Dazai wasted no time in taking this opportunity to jump up and hide behind Chuuya, his hands clamping onto Chuuya's shoulders so he could shove him at the dogs as a sacrifice.
Something that was apparently necessary, for as soon as the dogs had finished greeting each other, Nezumi was fixed on Dazai again. She tried limping around Chuuya, only for Dazai to roughly pull Chuuya in her way again.
"Oi! I'm not a damn doll!" Chuuya complained as he shrugged himself free of Dazai's grasp.
His human shield taken from him, Dazai yelped and leapt up on the bench. Nezumi followed him, unable to jump up with her hurt leg, she rested her chin on the bench seat and stared up at Dazai. "Okay, I give in! I'll never come on another walk again, call off your demon dog! Shoo! Shoo!"
Again, all Chuuya could do was laugh at Dazai's dramatics, before kneeling down to Nezumi and petting her shoulders. "You have terrible choice in men, girl."
He made his movement slow as he unhooked the spare leash and collar he'd taken to carrying with him from his belt loop.
"What are you-"
"Shh! You want me to get her away from you, or not?"
The hushing didn't actually seem necessary as Nezumi paid no attention to Chuuya fastening the collar around her neck. Chuuya beamed, having finally managed to catch Nezumi. It might not have happened how he planned to, but what matter was he could get her the help she needed.
"Now what?" Dazai asked, still not coming down from the bench.
"Now, we get her to a shelter."
— — —
Betrayal.
Unequivocal betrayal.
It was the only fitting way to describe what Dazai felt when he broke in to Chuuya's apartment a few days later and found twice the dog beds. Twice the food and water bowls.
And, worst of all, twice the damn dogs.
When Chuuya returned home that night, it was to the sight of Dazai crouched upon his kitchen counter tops, hissing Nezumi and Kuma, who thought he was playing such a wonderful game.