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Doggie Do's and Dont's Chapter 6 By Roofles

It was an early Saturday afternoon downtown during the beginning of spring. The sun was still beginning to peak into the sky and morning was just beginning to roll around. The season of spring showers were on them and even the ground beneath the saint bernards paws was cold and wet from the night rain. He lumbered along with his hands tucked safely into an old moth eaten rust color sweater. Inspecting those around Axon smiled softly to himself, giving a nod that he was sure this was indeed going to be a good day.

The only other people out at this time it seem were the early birds out doing their morning shopping with only a few other stray crows fluttering about. Some others came and went with cars occassionally heading down the central street. Everyone else out at this hour were shop owners getting ready to open their business for the day.

This part of town was one of his favorites in the city. It felt more like a small homely city within the town than just a part of it. It was mostly dominated by furs like himself which he'd be lieing if he said that he felt comfortable around just humes. It was a natural thing he smiled to himself looking at a pair of crows bickering amongst themselves as they window shopped. Birds of a feather do flock together.

"Parden," he grunted turning on his side to let twin peacocks walk by. He frowned as the two gray feather birds talked amongst each other ignoring him. No wonder why he was gay, he thought sticking his paws roughly back into the sweater; females were just ugly - birds or not. At least the males had those lovely tail feathers to boast about. The females it seemed had little to nothing to offer specially for a dog like him.

The large dog shuffled his paws before spinning back around and walking down the street block. The gritty wet cement stuck to his paws as he heavily thumped back down them. The sky was cloudless and the sun was beating down from above making him pull at the sweaters neck. He was regretting wearing the itchy thing. It had been a late present from the very man he was waiting for. He wanted to show him that he enjoyed the gift he hated so much. So much so that he was now scratching at his burly chest through the wooly fabric with his dull blunt claws with both paws.

Growling Axon scratched furiously at it wanting nothing more than to rip it off and throw it onto the ground; and then to use it as a paw buffer. Or at least something to wipe his feet clean with like an old used rag. He doubted even a stray homeless dog would sleep on the itchy fabric. Hell he wouldn't even want to use it as a paw buffer.

Most stores, in this part of town, had a paw buffer. It was like a shoe buff but for those who prefered to go bare foot. It always did tickle his toes however when he used the machine. Axon always had worried he'd crush it with his large clumsy hind paws having to stick one toe in at a time as it was. It would've been easier to lift the machine off the ground and use it manually but they were always bolted down to his chagrin and annoyance.

It was these thoughts that distracted the dog as the man came up from behind. A quizzical expression came across Tom's face as he saw the look on the dog's face. With a paw on his chin Axon still mulled the troublesome problem over.

"If I brought a screwdriver with me..." He muttered aloud deciding that he could always just unscrew the paw buffer and use it that way.

Tom stood next to him waiting a moment or two for some kind of recognition. A frown crossed his face, wrinkling his brow as the dog continued to ignore him. "What are you going to screw?" Tom asked innocently enough though his overtone wasn't even lost on himself.

Axon half jumped standing on one leg, his hackles rising as he turned around. "Hi." Was the clumsy response he gave slowly settling back down letting a heavy breath out as he did so. He placed a paw over his heart feeling the thumping of echoing inside. "Hope you found the place ok." He followed up trying to recover from his blunder with a goofy half grin as he tried to calm his racing heart.

"There's always the internet." Tom shrugged paying it no real mind as he passed him by. He looked around the street at the mitch match colored stores lining both sides of the street. Antic shops, restaurants, book stores and the like were all pushed together on this small street at the South West part of town. There were no large signs or place markers to indicate it but even Tom could tell when he stumbled across the place; it was a community.

The shop owners pulled up their drapes waving at the passing window shopping crows. A snake placed his open sign out in front and began chatting with the neighboring store. Even though the two were in compition with one another they were fairly chummy Tom thought looking at them. Their specials for the evening even conflicted with each other. And at the same time worked perfectly. If you didn't want the tiramisu you could always go a few steps over and have the pineapple cheesecake. The mongoose shook the snake's hand and the two headed inside for "another riveting competition, eh?" The mongoose just grinned in turn and headed inside with a wave.

"Interesting place." Tom said finally turning back to the nearly sweating dog.

Axon was panting now as the sun continued to rise higher into the cloudless blue sky having been waiting for him for almost a half hour. He pulled on the neck of the sweater with his muzzle wide open, his tongue hanging out. Licking the side of his muzzle he swallowed loudly before panting some more.

Tom gave him the once over. The ugly maroon sweater his grandmother had given him years ago over loose baggy shorts that hung down below the saint bernards knees. The dog never wore any jewelry or rings and there wasn't a time Tom could remember seeing him with socks on let alone shoes. The dog wasn't even wearing the leather bound straps he had during the holiday party.

"I really can't believe your wearing that." Tom laughed covering his mouth with a hand again. His face lit up though at his own joke. Axon had made a comment about a sweater he had worn in one of their frequent passings. How itchy it would be for him to wear it and how uncomfortable it must've been. "I didn't actually mean for you..." He finished just shaking his head side to side figuring that the dog would've just enjoyed the inside joke between the two of them. "To think that you did?" Tom just continued to laugh.

A familiar sound came from Axon as he growled glaring at the man. Grabbing the bottom of it he quickly pulled it up and over head giving Tom a clear view of his fluffy, burly chest and heavy set shoulders. He was a big dog and built like one too with extra fluffy fur to boot. Axon groaned after pulling the sweater off slumping on his legs and smiling skywards as if some giant burden had been lifted off his back. He brought his paws down to scratch his chest and get some air underneath his fur. He brought them down further to fix his belt.

"Don't you dare." Tom said taking a step back with a half laugh.

Axon looked at him in confusion before barking a laugh. "I'm just fixing my pants." He said pulling them up before letting them drop back to where they had been before.

"Sure you were." Tom said eyeing him supsiciously. "And what do you mean pants?"

"These are pants." Axon said motioning down at the garment. However the dog ended up using both his large hands to point at his groin. The inside of his floppy ears burned red and he cough straightening up quickly afterwards looking off to the side. "Those," he said his ears lifting up as he spied one. "Are shorts." He motioned over towards a fur across the street.

The stallion wore short-shorts (in Tom standards) with nothing but a cowboy hat on. They were black leather and clung to his thighs and as he walked they seemed to become more of a thong than shorts. Tom stared blatantly before laughing and shaking his head. He looked at Axon then down at his 'pants' and laughed again.

Axon flushed up some more putting the pieces together. "I would look damn good in those." The dog barked poking a finger against the mans chest. "Damn. Good." He repeated with a low growl.

Tom lifted an eyebrow keeping an otherwise blank face. It was only after the dog began laughing that the tension in his shoulders eased up and he released the breath he was holding. Tom was sure, if he tried, he could fit his full head into the dog's muzzle. He must've been part pitbull, he figured, as the dog grinned toothily before laughing and placing a paw around him and on his shoulder.

Holding him closer Axon began guiding them down the sidewalk.

It had been some time since that party a little after the holidays. The two had remained in better terms but their scheduals were never in sync afterwards. One would work and the other would have the day off. The next day Tom was called in and the one after that Axon was held up for several hours due to traffic build up. Tom was in the hospital the next day for a check up where he met an old friend and ended up spending the entire day with her. It was but one thing after another until Axon schedual this small outing for the two. Taking no "buts" for an answer Tom finally agreed making the dog skip for joy the entire week until this very Saturday rolled around.

It was supposed to rain but Axon just thanked the unseen gods for the fortune at hand and wasn't about to jinx it by thinking of it any further. The man in his strong grip was warm and the feel of him between his fingers was a welcome change. It just felt right. His arm flexed hugging Tom closer to his side as they walked down the street. Axon was standing a bit more upright than his usual slouching posture Tom thought.

Axon was looking around, taking large breaths of the fresh air and rolled his shoulders every now and then stretching his long neck and flexing some more. He felt like a new dog as he stopped in front of the small shop he had in mind. His tail wagged as he opened the door for the man staring up at the sign.

"Green Badger's Greenery?" Tom asked looking over and up at the dog who shrugged in turn. With that reply he just shrugged himself and headed in.

Every corner of the small store had some kind of plant life growing in or on it. Planters had been built into the very walls and ground work and as Tom took a few steps in the ground beneath his feet crunched like a dirt path in the mountains. Light soil covered the ground with small dead twigs and pebbles accompanied it. The very air smelled of pine and that of the forest. He could even hear the sound of running water and as he went passed the counter and the large fern (seeming to grow from the very ground itself) Tom stopped. Splitting the floor in two was a small stream of water cascading down from a waterfall fountain on the other side of the room. Small two person tables filled up most of the main room. The side room had several larger tables in it. A corner of the room had several bookshelves and large fancy lounge chairs. Tom wasn't sure exactly what the shop was trying to sell.

"WELCOME!" A deep husky voice said and a rather short, stout badger came around the counter. Other than his black markings the male badger was in fact green much to Tom's suprise. That and the fact the smaller male shuffled over on his heavy bare paws and wrapped strong arms around the man lifting him up in a rib crushing hug. "Welcome, welcome my friends!" His voice boomed around the room as he set Tom down to allow him to rub his sore sides and moved over to the dog. "Table for two? Fancy a spot of tea? Or you more the chaps that wants a pint?"

The badger couldn't have been more than five feet tall but he was a heavy set fellow and Tom was sure he could easily go toe to toe with the big dog behind him. He had a long face like most badger with the classic black stripes running down from his ears, over his eyes and to the sides of his large black nose. Every trace of white fur on his body had been dyed green. Even the dread locks hanging down in front of his face had traces of that swamp green color. He looked as if he was trying to camouflage his whole body into the very store he ran and owned..

"Table for two." Axon said placing a paw on Tom's shoulder again. "And I'll have some coffee. Irish." He added with a wink getting a grin from the badger.

"I'll have a coffee as well. Non-irish."

"Two cups of mud coming up." The badger said clapping his large clawed paws together and heading into the back through a door Tom could've sworn was part of the wall.

"This place...is something, huh?" Tom laughed unsure of the right words to use as Axon pulled a chair back for him.

"It really is." Axon agreed waiting for Tom to take the seat and push it in before getting his own.

The tables were made of fresh oak wood and Tom could see that parts of the table itself had sprouts of new twigs and leaves giving it an apperance that it still belonged to the wilds. Or at the very least was still alive. Strings of leaves hung from the sides serving as a make shift table cloth.

Plucking the menu's from a spot on the wall (after stretching across the isle) Axon handed him one and began to look over it already knowing what he planned to order.

The menu had a bark finish to it. It was as if Tom was holding a piece of bark rather than a menu.

Everything had a strange but literal name to it. For instance marsh pit was a vegetable soup that looked like a salad filled with plant broth and mock lilipads floating on top. There was whiskers delight; grilled catfish that was decorated to look like a living one using different kinds of sprouts to make up the face. Otter's choice was a small section that seemed to be nothing more than fresh clams and seafood dishes; most of the dishes even came with a rock to open them with. The shellfish that is.

"Please don't tell me." Tom said setting the menu down and rubbing his brow. "Your going to order the dog bowl?"

Axon just grinned guiltily, folding his ears back as he did so.

Axon continued to look over the menu as Tom waited for their drinks. He kept busy looking around the room at the plant life and interesting take on the cafe, bookstore, restaurant, plant shop mix. There weren't any photo's or pictures rather using the architecture and atmosphere to paint the picture. Tom frowned a bit as he shifted his feet against the dirt underneath them. Someone should take a picture of this place and put it into a restaurant, that was his thoughts on the matter anyways. You didn't need to try and create an atmosphere when you just took a piece of the forest and put it inside.

The other stores outside had similar names and Tom wondered if all of them were so...literal in their translation. If the dog house was actually a house for dogs. Or the rabbits warren was... Or The Den? He was sure that one was just a pub...for grizzlies. It was as if all the places had bad puns for their names and yet he wasn't about to point that out as the badger came back with two steaming mugs of "Mud!"

The badger said heavily stomping over to them and with the care of a cat gracefully set the cups down in front of them. Tom couldn't help the raised eyebrow as he looked at the large brown coffee mug set in front of him. The milk foam ontop of his cup had been drawn into a rather well done resemblance of the dog across from him.

This piqued his curiosity and Tom looked over at Axon's cup to see his had been skillfully done as well. Into the shape of a small dog house, food dish and pile of bones. There was even a collar and what he assumed to be a chew toy in the mix.

"Sorry." The badger said inspecting his nails. "I don't do hume's too well."

Tom could see a bit of foam still on his nail. "But dog houses just fine." Tom teased the dog who was busy sipping his drink.

Axon stopped mid swallow and looked at him, placed the drink down and finished swallowing. "It's not like I asked."

"He asked." The badger grunted pulling a book pad from the front of the apron he was wearing. "What would you like?" He asked far sweeter.

"I'll have the...steamed scallops?" Tom asked pointing to the item he wanted.

"Ah yes, Taiwanese steamed scallops." The badger said looking underneath the Otter's Choice section of the menu. "Very good. And the doggie bowl for you, pup?" The badger said turning towards the dog.

Axon frowned but nodded a single head bob of shame. His ears drooped matching his saint bernard jowls. He still frowned but to Tom it looked more like he was but a pouting puppy.

"Thank you." Tom said repsectfully as the badger went to greet two more customers placing the paper pad into his apron once more. The flying fox that had walked in seemed just as startled as Tom had been as the badger greeted him with a hug. "Well at least I'm not the only one to suffer." He shrugged turning back to the dog.

"Your not suffering are you?" Axon lifted his ears eyes widening slightly. "It's not your heart is it? Do we need to call someone? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

Tom rolled his eyes. "I'm fine, you idiot." He chuckled.

"I thought you needed to take medicine. For your heart. Thing." Axon frowned trying to think what he told him a while back. He scratched the side of his head with a finger.

Tom shrugged. "Well sure. I mean its not like I'd die if I didn't though." He took a sip of his drink still amused over the sculptured image of the dog. "Well maybe." He thought it over then shrugged again. "Probably. Not sure. I've never tried."

He took another sip and a long silence followed.

"Well thats...depressing." Axon stated.

"Reason why I don't bring it up." Tom said looking across at the dog a bit amused reminding him of the one who had.

"Oopsie?" Axon said apolgetically folding his ears back slowly.

Tom shrugged. "It is what it is. Do you come here often?" He asked changing the subject. "It's very...homely."

"Oh yeah!" Axon said sitting up more and wagging his tail. "Bob keeps the place nice and clean."

Tom shifted his feet again. "Clean. Right." He stopped and looked across at the dog. "Bob? Bob the badger?" Tom had to ask.

"Yeah. He's a swell guy." Axon said wagging his tail and looking over. He closed his eyes and took a large breath of the fresh air and scent of water, as well as the kitchen in the back and sighed happily tail wagging slowly as he looked back at the man across from him. He lifted a paw up underneath the table and rubbed the side of Tom's leg. "You are too."

Tom smiled then covered his mouth as he chuckled at him making the dog frown. "That was pretty gay." Tom said with an amused smile on his face.

Axon laughed with a roll of his eyes. "Not much of a sweet talker huh?"

"Not particularly." Tom smiled softly.

Axon leaned acrossed and bumped noses.

"Not particular on pda either." Tom replied wiggling his nose after the large wet one that had bumped into his; his voice and face was as bland and empty as ever but with a smile playing at the corner of his mouth which made the dogs tail wag.

"I'll try and be good." Axon smirked.

"Good boy." Tom teased in turn.

"Cute." Axon stuck his tongue out.

"I try." Tom shrugged. "I rather be sexy than cute though."

"You could be cute sexy." Axon offered.

"Cute sexy doesn't exsist." Tom laughed lightly. "Though doesn't stop people from trying, heh."

Axon was taken aback. "You don't find me cute or sexy?" He pouted.

"Well." Tom coughed a bit uncomfortably. He wasn't expected to be put on the spot. And his face flushed because of it. Axon grinned at his victory. And the dogs tail continued to wag as Tom shifted in his seat clearly his throat once more. Axon had to admit he looked sexy when he was embarassed. "I find you...enjoyably....appealing...to be around." Tom said with a forced smile afterwards.

"Well I'm glad I'm enjoyable appealing." Axon laughed. "Does that mean I'm sexy?" He teased some more making the man even more uncomfortable.

"Well I mean for a dog." Tom said wishing he had just shut up while he could.

"What do you mean for a dog?" Axon asked leaning across the table. A low threatening growl crept into his voice. It was soon broken by a bark of a laugh. "Haha, oh man you should see you face." Axon laughed. "I really had you going."

"I think I feel five years older." Tom groaned resting on a hand and looking at the dog. "Your horrible."

"But loveable." Axon pointed out with a chuckle.

Tom rolled his eyes unable to think of anything else and was thankful to see the badger coming their way with their plates. The dog literally got a dog bowl with half a dozen different chunks of meat sliced and cubed with bread bits soaking in gravey. Tom got an open bowl with several steamed scallops at the bottom floating on sauce.

An exchange of thanks were given as the badger bowed with a heavy. "Enjoy your meal." And with a wink towards the dog the badger headed on his way to greet some unfortunate pidgeons who had walked in.

"Looks delicious." Tom frowned looking at his bowl of what appeared to be dog food.

"It really is. Want a bite?" Axon offered ladeling his spoon into it and lifting up several pieces. Gravy dripped off of the spoon like the drool dripping down from the dogs muzzle.

"It's...all yours." Tom said shaking his head. Axon shrugged and began diving into his meal.

Tom picked at his own food turning the scallops over with a fork. He had to admit the celery cut up into small otters was a nice touch. He felt bad biting the head off of one though. It had been the same way with the coffee. It was so artistic he hadn't wanted to take a drink. Looking across at the dog shoveling the food into his muzzle Tom was sure the aesthetic effect of the artwork was lost on him.

Tom had to stare as Axon continued to eat. It was like watching a car crash no matter how horrible one just couldn't look away. Axon was a man with little to no table manners and the dog had stopped using utensils.

"Oh yes, so attractive." Tom said looking at him. Axon stopped and looked up at him, his ears lifting up at his voice.

Axon pulled back grabbing his napkin to clean up the mess on his face. "It's good." Axon said as if that explained everything.

"I can see that."

"Would you...like some?" He offered again with a sheepish grin.

"I'll pass," Tom laughed. "Do you want some?" He offered lifting his own meal up for him to snag a piece.

Axon made a "bleh" face and shook his head. "Disgusting sea food." Tom couldn't help but see the irony in this seeing as how the gravy soaked dog bowl of food was still dripping down one side of his face.

"Yes. Seafood is the disgusting thing here." Tom mused setting his meal down and picking at it some more. "Maybe I should've dated an otter. They could appreciate me tastes."

Axon brow dropped at this. "I can so too!" The dog even stood up a bit but took his seat soon afterwards as several of the others in the place were watching him.

"Oh really now?" Tom smiled.

"Of course! You are the peanut to my brittle." Axon said raising his paws up as if it were so obvious.

"Dog's and their peanut butter." Tom laughed.

"Only sometimes." Axon said laying his head on both his arms and looking across at him lifting his eyebrows up several times. "It's true you know." He grinned slyly. "A dog will lick it any place."

Tom laughed unsure of how to respond to that.

"You know we could always cut dessert and head back to my place to test the theory out?" Axon offered, half joking. Half hoping. "And if you don't like peanut butter." He cut in before Tom could reply. "Whip cream works just as well."

"Axon," Tom laughed shaking his head. He took the dogs paw in both hands and rubbed the top of it. "You know." He leaned across the table a bit. "I've never been a fan of dessert." And with that a smile was exchange between the two as they rushed to finish their meal.