Work Text:
12:09 AM.
Nearly ten minutes past midnight.
Nearly ten minutes since Catnap told himself it was time for bed.
Why was he still awake?
Because he didn't deserve to rest.
Because he couldn't sleep.
He was lost in thought.
The past few days had been a blur.
He remembered it all, though.
He and Crafty's argument.
Leaving Dogday on the ground-
The bridge.
Sawyer.
..
God, he remembered everything with Sawyer. It wasn't exactly pleasant to think about.
Freeing Yarnaby. Being cornered. Getting trapped in that case.
The threats. Sawyer promising to reassign his hands where they didn't belong.
It was honestly a little nauseating to think about.
..At least he'd been on anesthesia. But, god, that procedure had been painful even then.
He remembered waking up in that suit. He remembered breaking the glass when he escaped. He remembered the look Sawyer's assistant had given him.
The ‘good Doctor’ hadn't even seen it coming.
And yet, the guilt of everything still lingered.
He wasn't pleased with himself. Not in the slightest.
Even if he had promised to get better, it still hadn't been all that long since everything happened. Bobby was still in the hospital. Dogday was still barely talking to him.
It was all still..so upsetting to think about.
At least he hadn't hurt Crafty.
But he did.
Their friends were mostly alright, too.
But Bobby wasn't.
..He shouldn't have ever went with Sawyer on that bridge. He shouldn't have ever left Dogday by himself, either.
He was surprised everyone still kept him around after that.
Dogday, especially.
That..damn dog was way too forgiving. Stupidly so.
After everything he'd done, Dogday still wanted to be his friend. Still wanted to give him another chance.
..
He should be grateful.
He IS grateful.
It just..feels wrong.
Why should he get another chance? He sure as hell didn't deserve it.
Not after everything he'd done.
Not after everything he'd said.
Not after..everything.
And yet, Dogday still trusted him enough to not let him down. Dogday still believed there was good in him.
..He was grateful for that. He didn't want to lose that trust, even if he knew he didn't deserve to have it in the first place.
He didn't know how long he laid there in the dark, just thinking to himself. Time had passed without him realizing.
By the time he did realize, he'd already forgotten what time it was to being with.
He still wasn't tired.
He still couldn't sleep.
So, he got up. He threw on a hoodie, and he left his room.
He got some water from the kitchen.
He sat on the couch for a while.
..Maybe a little too long.
He grew restless.
It was too late to go do anything. He didn't exactly feel like taking a walk, either.
Maybe he could sit outside?
..
Nah. Too cold.
(He knew it wasn't cold out there. Hell, it wasn't even cold inside. He didn't know why he had a hoodie on.)
..Yarnaby?
There's an idea.
He could go visit Yarnaby.
He hadn't checked on the dog in a while.
(Lion. Yarnaby was a lion, and he KNEW that-)
Catnap rose to his feet, finished off his water, and walked around to the stairs to the basement.
He could faintly hear Yarnaby moving around down there.
"Yarnaby? You awake, bud?" Catnap mumbled, stopping at the end of the stairs. He could see Yarnaby's rainbow head peeking up from the couch.
There he was.
"Heyy.. You doing alright?" He smiled faintly, taking cautious steps over to the back of the couch. He backed up when he heard a growl building in Yarnaby's throat.
Yikes.
"Okay.. Still upset. That's fine. I'm not gonna hurt you, bud." Catnap said, carefully sinking down to a knee beside the couch.
He was acting so uncharacteristically soft.
Usually, he wouldn't treat the animal like this.
Usually, he'd be laid back.
Usually, he WAS, when it came to Yarnaby.
But then again, they both didn't usually break out from the Doctor's lab, so..
Thought for another time.
..
"You mind if I chill down here? Just for a bit. I'll be quiet." Catnap huffed, moving to lean against the couch.
He brought his knees up to his chest, looking over at Yarnaby as the lion sprawled out over the cushions.
Yarnaby stared at him for a while, before lowering his head back down onto his paws and going back to sleep.
Neat.
"Uh.. Alright. G'night, bud." Catnap mumbled, looking up at the ceiling.
That's where he ended up spending the rest of his night.
The next morning, Dogday found him sprawled out on the floor with Yarnaby napping nearby, and he didn't say a word.
..A picture that was sent to Baba's phone an hour later told another tale, though.