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The Simple Things

Chapter Fourteen

By Roofles

It was late at night when we finally returned, back to Richard's place. An though I was grateful to the bull terrier for covering my furless ass, he didn't even offer to lift a finger to help carry to nearly catatonic chocolate labrador into the house. With Richard full weight leaning against me, I found it rather troublesome getting him inside. Seeing as how he was even far more affectionate when he was drunk off his ass.

"You have the most purty...lips." Richard burped after and rubbed his index finger over my bottom lip. "And such TINY," he said loudly in a somewhat squeaky high voice. "Canines! How do you like CHEW," he hiccuped the word. "Your food? Oh my god! Can you not chew your food." I rolled my eyes as he looked at me aghast. "No worries," he slurred leaning even more against me or attempting too anyways. "I will chew your food for you! And it'll be like the puppy chow!" He said now getting excited. "And that stuff is soooo good it's like...like...it's pre-chewed!" Richard gasped and tried to stand up resulting in me having to go with him and over to his other side to catch him before he face planted the cement.

Keep in mind this all happened in the ten steps or so to the open door Max had so kindly forgotten to close.

While I had cut off at my second beer, if that, Richard had taken it on himself to drink for the two of us. He was still nursing a fat lip from the sucker punch he had received. There seemed to be something underneath it all, as if he were nervous about something and this resulted in him downing one drink after another. I couldn't make head or tails of what it could be as he went from a depressed shut in to an overly friendly molester.

"Easy does it, easy does it." I coaxed Richard back onto the couch. He gave my chest a honk, as if I had something to honk. And ended up just letting go and watching him slump face first into it. I rolled my eyes and pushed him onto his side, turning his head to one side so he wouldn't suffocate. I made sure he was breathing and headed around to get something for my killer head ache that I had been getting the past half hour or so.

"Will he...uh, be ok in there?" I asked the bull terrier who had come out of the side room, shirtless (canine-sapients really did like to go shirtless), and cut me off as he went into the kitchen. The canine began rummaging in the fridge.

"Does it once a week." Max grumbled something else. Probably along the lines that he had to be the one to take care of him. Max must've just been glad there was another patsy to do the dirty work. I wasn't looking forward to it if Richard hurled all over himself. That'd be bad enough as it was but scrubbing it out of his fur just didn't seem worth the effort.

"Binge drink like that?" I asked remembering the shots he ordered. The chocolate labrador wasn't a light weight but there were limits.

Max shrugged as he stood back up with some sandwich meat, lettuce and cheese. "Sam'ich?" He asked giving me a sideways glance before turning away.

I rubbed my gut remembering the fried food I had and gladly agreed to something far more stable. The bread would help absorb any remaining alcohol at the very least and something of some kind of nutritional value would go a long way.

To my surprise Max had somehow procured fresh vegetables and slid a cutting board with a used knife over towards me with a tomato and lettuce on it. I just gave a half nod and began cutting everything up to be used. On the plastic wrapper around the lettuce I could make out in black sharpie reading simply "Touch and Die." I guess they were Max's. In this dump I'm surprised anything would keep.

"He isn't in college anymore." I said offhandedly as if trying to make some sort of attempt at both talking with the dog and thanking him for sticking up for us. I didn't even get a grunt in reply. I saw one of his ears twitch at my words and knew he had at least heard me. "Trying to live his younger years again?" I asked with a half chuckle before holding my head a bit at the sharp pain that ran through my skull.

There was a rattle then something hit the counter. I looked up to see a bottle of ibuprofen Max had seemingly gone to get in the other room. That or just so happened to have it on him.

"Thanks." I said only after popping a few into my mouth and draining a full glass of water. I took a moment. "Thanks, for like..." I muttered a bit never good with this whole touchy feely stuff.

This time I at least got a grunt in return.

Without his shirt on I could really make out the muscles this canine was sporting. If I wanted too I could actually use a finger to trace them out. Max was a bit taller than I was and had broad shoulders, firm pecs and a jaw line that looked like it had been chiseled out of stone. His face appeared much the same way and though he looked disgruntled I couldn't be sure if he naturally looked that way, was actually angry or was actually thinking of dancing muffins. Hell it could've been all three an I wouldn't be the wiser.

"Dude just pissed me off was all." Max said as the only explanation for what he did. He slapped two thick pieces of turkey onto a slice of bread and topped it with everything on the counter. "So what's up with you and Rich?" The bull terrier asked making me nearly do a spit take at the sudden question.

"W-what about what?" I asked trying to appear innocent, naïve on the matter and failed even before I tried. I was a horrible liar half the time and didn't even own a poker face.

Max didn't take notice or really care. "Out here in the middle of the slums, with a bunch of strange dogs, hooking up with one ya' only met a couple days a'go." Max said rather frankly laying out everything I had tried not to be thinking about ever since I came over for a visit. "What if we were like drug dealers?" He inquired with a smirk and a lifted eyebrow. "Or rape ya'." He chuckled at the very idea. "Wouldn't be hard..." He felt the need to add as he turned back towards the fridge to get some OJ out. I ended up giving him a good once over and figured I'd be his bitch in prison hands down if he was my cell mate. "Sell your organs while we're at it. Skin ya' alive," Max barked a loud laugh at that and poured a second glass for myself. He slid it over neatly and I nearly missed catching it.

"Hah, ya'. Real funny. Hah." I said not fully taking my eyes off the dog. Who then promptly gave me a heart stopping scare as he turned towards me with raised hands quickly with a barking "boo."

Max laughed loudly at that as I held my heart.

"So ya' got a thing for our Rich." Max went back to the conversation rather than threatening my life. "Risking life and limb just to come bang his tail hole." The bull terrier said crudely with another chuckle. "Oh!" He said suddenly even before I could fully register what was said before. "Are you like the bottom in this case..." And now he was confused over the matter and I was trying not to watch him stab the knife into a circular piece of tomato as if that was the case. I the tomato and Richard the knife.

Max could be rather...vocal when it was to my torment it seemed.

"We're just friends. We've never done-," I said defensively not actually thinking it over and just saying the first thing that came to mind. You know, what dumb prideful people do.

"I can still smell him on you." Max gave me a sideways look and a frown. His nose twitched and he wrinkled it in disgust. I could recall Richard being overly...humpy that morning but didn't think it'd last for so long. I flushed at being found out. You really couldn't hide much from a dog's nose. "So I'm curious though," he went on as I bowed my head a bit. "Why ya' still around? Got to play with your kinks; got the bone, even slept in the dog house. So why ya still around??" He repeated this time eying the collar I was still wearing. He frowned as he looked at it but didn't say anything further on the matter.

"Kinks?" I dared to asked only picking one of the things out to focus on.

"Well why else would a man be hangin' around with a mutt like Rich." Max asked heading around and over to the counter to use as a table. I dared to join him, if at a respectable distance. I also held my tongue about that mutt remark.

"I still don't follow."

"Ya' dumb?" Max asked lifting an eyebrow and looking at me before going back to his food. "You got your brains humped out by a dog," the way he said it made it sound he was offended by the dog part more than anything else. "So you got that out of your system. So why ya still around? Or is it 'cause he gave ya' a lift? I can take ya' home, free of charge." He shrugged now really not seeming to invest any kind of emotional time or effort into it as if this was just another day in the life of Max.

"If you want me to leave." I said still standing up not finding a good seat to actually sit at and didn't dare take the bull terrier's chair he had left open, tauntingly so. Richard took up the whole couch still snoozing away. I had half a mind of just sitting on the labrador's back but didn't dare turn my own on the bull terrier.

"Never sa'd that." Max gave a half shrug at that. "Rich like family tho." He growled a bit now. "So it' a habit o' mine to keep an eye on the mutt. Make sure he doesn't go makin' the same mistakes as before."

"Like date a human?" I asked getting a bit irritated at the canine now.

"Never sa'd that." Max just repeated not even defensively. One can only get defensive if they actually cared on the matter. "Rich not the best with...relationships. Guy like him can't get a good guy," I frowned a bit at the insult to me and to the chocolate lab. "Not much in the looks departed, emotional as fuck." Max rolled his eyes at that. "Disgusting. Don't want him sobbin' round here no more."

"Richard cries?" I asked losing my anger and growing concern a bit.

"Huh?" Max lifted an ear and looked at me. "Did, sure. I mean when he got his ass dumped last time. Oooh, boy. That was a ba-had break up." Max shook his head and chuckled a bit in remembrance. "A human like you can't tell but Rich isn't the best lookin' kind of guy." Max jabbed a finger over at the dog. "Not bad, not ugly sure. Just not someone that stands out is all."

"I think he looks good." I said without thinking much and Max just gave a chuckle at that. "Well I mean he does," I flushed looking away. It's true that I found Richard to be more...appealing than any of the other dog's I had come crossed.

Human, woman, man, dog or cat everyone does have a preference. Not to be rude or racist or close minded. Some people are just not attracted to others and the opposite is true too. This is why you don't see cats and dogs going out or birds and mice; or more so in my case humans and canines. It wasn't exactly socially acceptable to start with when humans date any other than human. Combined with this and dozens of other things, even old laws that havn't been removed, religious point of views and the political agenda most don't even bother or try to go outside their respectable species. Life was hard enough and so why try and make it harder. The mass media only enforced this...stereotype further to the point people think its abnormal to see other species hanging out. Segregation, in some areas, might as well not have been abolished for either or it was the same thing sadly enough. Tonights events were evidence enough for that.

"He's nice." I tried to explain myself and only shoved my foot farther inside. "He's funny and friendly, and warm and welcoming. Richard was the only one not to even question or take a second look at the fact I was human; he's the whole reason this transaction was so easy." I flushed a bit as I spoke and looked away from the dog. "He's like my best and only friend here and like he's really cute when he...does that eyebrow thing." I muttered at the end, flushing even more with a smile picturing the dog giving me it now as I said such things. That quizzical look of his. "I'm kind of envious of him. So friendly, open and charismatic. People love him. How couldn't I like him?"

Max looked at me flatly before his frown deepened. "Well fuck my blue balls," the bull terrier grumbled with a growl as he got up just leaving his plate and cup behind. "We got another emotional fag on our hands." For a second or two I thought he was just going to head out to town or something. Max just locked up the door, walked over to the couch and looked at me. "Well you helping me help your boyfriend out or not?"

"He's not," I began.

"And I don't care." Max just replied cutting me off as he bent down to toss one of Richard's arms over his shoulder. I wasn't sure Max even needed my help as he hoisted the dog up by himself and began making his way towards the room we had used before. I went over to help him out still just so he couldn't grill me on it later. "You're goin' to have to put up with this, you know." Max said as he kicked the room door open with a foot and moved inside nearly dragging both me and Richard with him.

I frowned. Max made it sound like we were getting married or something. "What are friends for?" I rolled my eyes. "Helpin' each others drunk asses out seem to be part of the package."

"Ya', boyfriends." Max just said tossing Richard onto the bed. He gave him a looks over and just waved it off, ignoring the fact Richard was half on and off the bed. "Good 'nough." The dog muttered.

I didn't argue or get on him for just leaving Richard like this and did my share of the work by getting the dog the rest of the way into bed. His shirt was wet so I took it off. His shorts were wet, so I too took them off - it was only reasonable. Of course his shoes and socks had to come off. Richard's fur was warm from the summer night and had that musky tinge to it. It was soft underneath my fingers and the dog groaned a bit at my massaging touch. It was about the time I was staring at the chocolate labrador impressive bulge that I realized Max had stuck around.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"What are you doing?" He asked. He had me there, I'll admit.

"Just making sure he doesn't have to sleep in wet cloths." I had stopped by now and just covered Richard up a bit with the covers.

"And I'm just sitting in my room." Max replied. I didn't respond at first seeing as how he was standing.

"I thought this was Richard's room."

"Both of ours." Max replied.

"Ah, well this is awkward." Was the only tactful reply I could give.

"Could b' worse." That was true, I'll give the dog that. "So'n you want me to give ya' some privacy before'n I take ya' home?" The bull terrier asked looking over at the snoozing chocolate labrador and then eying me.

"Not about to do anything to the poor guy while he's out of it." This time I rolled my eyes. "An was just planning on crashing here for the night. Me an' Richard have plans in the morning." That'd wasn't actually finalized but I just assumed the dog wouldn't mind that seeing as how, even drunk and asleep he was still pawing at me. Well with his foot but still.

"Where?" Max just grunted. For a second I thought he meant where Richard and I were going to go too. It only dawned on me the second I opened my mouth in reply he meant where I had planned to sleep.

"Well just, there." I motioned with a hand next to Richard and thinking nothing of it.

The bed was spacious, much larger than my own back at the hotel the company supplied me with. The bed sheets were nice velvet silk and there were numerous covers and pillows. It looked like a spot you would crash at for a full day than just a nap. There was enough for me and all the canine-sapients here to spread out on; I tried to get that image out of my head as Max vocalized his complaint with that.

"That's my spot."

"Oh." Was the only thing I could say on that, unsure where to actually move too now and so stayed where I was.

"An' no ones makin' hanky panky in my spot. You can sleep on the couch." He waved me off like I was the....well, dog here really. That made me frown, I didn't point this out to Max however. That'd bring a whole different sort of trouble my way.

"THAT!" I said a little loudly. "Was Richard's idea, not mine."

"So you don't want to make a move on Rich? What? He not good enough?" Max growled a bit and I wasn't sure if he was just trying to make me feel bad or was genuinely angry about it.

"I was the one who kissed him." I said motioning at the dog at my side. Richard licked at my hand; I scratched behind his ears and at that strong neck of his as I scooted a bit closer. The man grumbled a bit and scooted a half inch closer to me. I smiled down at the lab and pet over his face a bit. "What?" I finally asked looking over at the dog who was now the one frowning.

"Disgusting." He muttered before walking out. "If I smell even a whiff of you on my side of the bed." He leaned forward a bit. "We are going to have a few words..." And with a snort from his nostrils he turned around and headed out shutting the door.

Normally I would've probably thanked him for giving us some privacy, which seemed a gift in itself around nosy dogs. However the way he wrinkled his nose at me made me feel rather...unclean, as if I needed to shower with bleach and scrub myself down with steel wool.

I shook the thoughts from my head and turned back towards Richard who was half curled onto his side. Not wanting to bring the wrath of a bull terrier down on me, I gave a few shoves to move the chocolate lab over towards Max side and crawled in beside him.

Without anyone else around I didn't feel so bad taking off my shirt and undoing my shorts. Still I found myself leaving my briefs on not one to walk around butt naked or even sleep that way. Being so exposed was...unnerving. I nearly forgot about the collar around my neck and, for some reason, kept it on as I laid down next to my friend.

It was hard to lose my train of thought or have no thoughts at all with that cold bumpy black nose bumping into my bare, naked side. Follow shortly but that caressing lick that lathered my side like a well roasted turkey in dog saliva; lovely. Richard mutter a bit as an arm flopped, semi painfully, over me and he tossed his leg up over mine scooting in closer as he pinned it between his two fine toned thighs; that were warm. His toes danced over mine as he scooted that half inch closer between us, his snout slid over my bare chest and he shuddered a sigh as those fingers curled and pulled me closer.

He muttered a bit more against me and nuzzled against me fondly, and rather roughly making me wince at those bristle whiskers scratching against my chest.

"What is it, boy?" I asked with a soft chuckle and an equally soft smile, petting over Richard's had and down over his back. I gripped it hard and gave him a squeeze and got one in return. His grip on the other hand didn't relax as mine had.

"Alex..." Richard grumbled a bit, muttering in his sleep now. One of his ears twitched.

"Yes?" I continued to smile. "What is it, Richard?"

"...do you think I'm ugly?" Richard muttered a bit more and a soft whine whimpered from those usually perky black lips that were now downcast in a frown.

"No, no sweetie." I soothed the best I could as if speaking to a big, sick baby. "I think your a handsome stud. Big and strong, covered in rich chocolate fur with a gooey hazelnut center." And his tail thumped a bit. Richard squirmed as if his back itched so I scratched at it for him, just gently rubbing over the back of it after. It seemed to calm him down thankfully; I rather not have a horny drunk Richard humping my leg all night.

"Did I do something...wrong?" Richard whined a bit and it made my heart sink at the sound. Richard was such a happy go friendly guy I nearly forgotten he could possibly be depressed about anything. I suppose we all have our inner demons.

"You did nothing wrong." I just continued to comfort him giving him a strong hug and ended up pulling the heavy dog up over me as if he were a rug blanket. "Nothing wrong at all." He continued to whine a bit and I ended up rolling my eyes at that. Comforting a drunk was difficult enough. Still my heart went out for him. "It's time for bed, ok Richie?" He thumped his tail at that.

"Ok..." The dog appeared to have fallen asleep when he spoke again. "Why no...hate...me?" Richard muttered in and out and I just scratched the back of his head unsure exactly what he had said. He was out of it and just mumbled things here and there between partial snores at this point. Not like it was much better before.

"No, no. No one hates you. We all love you." I said without thinking much and that made the dog's tail thump several more times.

"...Love...you too..." Was the reply I got and though Richard seemed to be happy about it, it left a rather sinking feeling in my chest.

So I just huffed a sigh and rested back on his pillow, as Richard used me as a body sized one. As much as I cared for him, I thought giving him another one arm hug. The fact of the matter was... I wasn't sure. And it'd be better to hold my tongue than just blatantly lie to him. Not like I could take his words too seriously at the moment. And not that he wouldn't remember any of this. I just...didn't want to ever lie to Richard, was all.

Besides, I cruel thought lingered at the back of my head, I had never seen us going anywhere far. It really was just suppose to be a friendly fuck; maybe with some friends with benefits after. Nothing more, nothing less. As the date on the calender, off to my side an hanging from the wall, was enough of a reason in and of itself. I only had roughly three more weeks here.

And it was going to be the longest three weeks of my life; I frowned as my leg got humped.