Part 12

The lab was in complete silence.

Petey didn't move.

Dog Man didn't either.

The kiss had been so brief, so light, it could have easily been an accident. But it wasn't.

The warmth of the contact still burned on his cheek, as if his skin refused to forget what had just happened.

Petey felt the world blur around him. His brain screamed at him to react, to say something, to step away, to do anything to break the moment. But his body refused to obey.

Because Dog Man was still there, looking at him.

His eyes were calm, steady. There was no trace of doubt in them, no remorse. Just a serene confidence that Petey couldn't understand.

Because... how the hell could he be so sure?

Petey swallowed hard. His breathing was uneven, his tail was bristling, and every part of his instinct was screaming that this was dangerous.

Dog Man didn't look away.

He didn't say anything.

He just watched him, patiently.

And that was worse.

If he had joked, if he had made some excited puppy noise, if he had acted like the clumsy dog Petey always said he was, then it would have been easy to ignore him. But he didn't.

Because this was real.

Petey felt his heart pounding too hard in his chest.

No.

It couldn't be real.

He forced himself to breathe. To calm down. To find the damn coldness he had always used as a shield.

But then—

—!!!DADDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!

The scream hit him like thunder.

Petey blinked, as if coming out of a trance.

He turned just in time to see Lil' Petey standing in the doorway, his eyes wide with pure excitement. Next to him, Molly floated in the air, her tail wagging with pure joy and her tiny hands waving around her.

—I KNEW IT! —Lil' Petey shrieked, pointing at him with a paw— I said it at camp! Molly and I had a discussion about this and I WAS RIGHT! I JUST SAW THE KISS!!!

—IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!!! —Petey yelled, almost at the same time.

—Oh, please —Molly rolled her eyes and floated a little closer—. It's EXACTLY what it looks like.

Dog Man didn't say anything. He just tilted his head calmly.

And for some reason, that made Petey panic even more.

—Kids, stop making things up! Dog Man just...! Just...!

—He just kissed you —Molly finished.

—On the cheek —Petey growled, feeling like the situation was slipping through his paws.

—A kiss is a kiss, Dad —Lil' Petey grinned with satisfaction—. And Dog Man looks really happy about it!

Petey shot him a warning look.

—Don't be!

Dog Man tilted his head.

—I am.

Lil' Petey squealed with excitement.

—AAAAH, DAD HAS A BOYFRIEND!!!

Petey felt his soul leave his body.

—DOG MAN IS NOT MY BOYFRIEND!!!

—Not yet —Molly said maliciously, spinning in the air with an elegant move.

—Exactly! —Lil' Petey nodded determinedly—. But he will be!

Petey felt a chill of pure panic.

—... Excuse me?

The kids exchanged knowing looks.

—Molly —Lil' Petey said seriously—, I think we know what our mission is.

—Oh, definitely —Molly nodded, floating beside him—. It's our duty as good friends to help love blossom.

—NOOO!!! —Petey screamed, but the kids were too excited to listen.

Lil' Petey turned to Dog Man with a look of complicity.

—Dog Man? Would you like to go on a date with my dad?

Dog Man, without hesitation:

—Yes.

Petey felt like he was drowning in his own horror.

Molly and Lil' Petey jumped for joy (well, Lil' Petey jumped, Molly floated with happiness).

—IT'S DECIDED!

—IT'S NOT DECIDED ANYTHING!!!

—It is! And we're going to help you guys! —Lil' Petey clapped with excitement—. We have it all planned!

—A romantic dinner! —Molly listed in the air using her telekinesis to form small floating objects—. Candles! Music! The perfect atmosphere so Waldo doesn't act all dumb!

—We can even do a compatibility test!

—LEAVE ME ALONE!!! And my name's not Waldo, for god's sake, how many times do I have to say it?!

But the kids were already running (or floating) in circles, planning what, in their minds, would be the greatest love story ever told.

Petey buried his face in his paws, while Dog Man just looked at him with the same calm expression as always.

—I'm going to die.

—No, you won't —Dog Man tilted his head and smiled—. Unless you die of love...

Petey shot him a death glare.

The kids laughed in the background as Petey realized his nightmare was just beginning.

Petey was trapped in a nightmare.

And the worst part was that there was no escape.

Lil' Petey and Molly were completely convinced that their "mission" now was to make sure he and Dog Man went on a date. And by the way they looked at him, with those sweet yet malicious smiles and bright eyes full of excitement, Petey knew they wouldn't rest until they succeeded.

—Hey, kids, listen... —he tried to reason, lifting his paws in desperation—. You can't force me to go on a date with this... this... this bird-brained guy!

—Why not? —asked Lil' Petey, tilting his head with an expression of complete innocence.

—Because it doesn't make sense, because it's unnecessary, because— I don't like him!

The silence that followed was so heavy that Petey felt he had made a mistake.

Molly floated closer and narrowed her eyes.

—Liar.

Petey clenched his jaw.

—I'm not lying!

—Oh, yes you are —said Molly, her tail flicking slightly in the air—. We can feel it in the atmosphere.

Lil' Petey nodded enthusiastically.

—Exactly! I can see how your whiskers twitch when Dog Man looks at you! And how your ears move when he says something sweet!

—I don't have twitching whiskers! And my ears always move! I'm a cat!

Molly placed a tiny hand on her chin, thoughtfully.

—Hmm... then why did you turn so red after the kiss?

Petey froze.

—I... I didn't...

Lil' Petey dramatically pointed at him.

—MORE EVIDENCE!

Petey felt his eye twitch.

Dog Man, meanwhile, watched the scene with his typical calm, as if nothing happening bothered him in the slightest. Worse yet, he seemed to be enjoying it.

That irritated him even more.

Petey turned to Dog Man and gave him a light push on the chest.

—Say something, damn it! Tell them to stop with this craziness!

Dog Man tilted his head, thoughtful.

—It's not craziness.

Petey froze.

Lil' Petey and Molly exchanged a knowing look.

—What... what do you mean by that? —growled Petey, feeling a chill run down his spine.

Dog Man looked at him with the same calmness as before.

—It's not crazy to want to be with you.

Petey felt like the air was choking him.

Lil' Petey and Molly were silent for a few seconds... before letting out a scream of excitement so high-pitched that Petey almost covered his ears.

—AYYYYYYYYYYY!!!

Molly spun in the air with pure excitement, using her telekinesis to make some papers float around her like confetti.

—WE'RE WITNESSING THE ROMANCE OF THE CENTURY!

Petey felt like he wanted to evaporate right then and there.

—Enough, ENOUGH! —he shouted, grabbing Lil' Petey by the shoulders—. There's no romance, no love, no dates, nothing!

Lil' Petey blinked slowly.

—But Dog Man wants to.

Petey tensed and slowly turned his head toward the dog.

Dog Man looked at him calmly and nodded.

—Yes.

Lil' Petey smiled triumphantly.

—And I think you do too.

—I don't!

—Then —Molly floated a little closer—, if you don't want to... why can't you look him in the eyes when you say that?

Petey opened his mouth to respond but stopped.

... Damn.

Damn, damn, damn.

He couldn't look him in the eyes.

Every time he tried, every time he saw the way Dog Man looked at him—calm, sure, fearless—he felt something inside him crumble a little more.

And he couldn't allow that.

—That doesn't prove anything! —he grunted, turning around sharply—. Just leave me alone!

He rushed over to his workbench, pretending to be busy with something. But even without looking at them, he could feel Dog Man's amused gaze and the kids' contained excitement.

—Molly —Lil' Petey whispered in a tone that wasn't at all discreet—, I think we need to take more extreme measures.

—Oh, definitely.

Petey tensed.

—I don't know what you're planning, but DON'T DO IT.

Lil' Petey ignored his warning and approached Dog Man with a big smile.

—Dog Man, do you want to stay for dinner?

Petey spun around with an expression of utter horror.

—NO!!!

Dog Man, completely unfazed:

—Sure.

—PERFECT! —Lil' Petey clapped with excitement—. Dad, Dog Man is staying for dinner!

—HE'S NOT STAYING ANYWHERE—

—Too late —Molly interrupted, floating by his side—. We already decided.

Petey felt his patience collapse.

—THIS ISN'T YOUR DAMN LAB! I DECIDE WHO STAYS AND WHO LEAVES! AND FOR GOD'S SAKE, YOU DON'T EVEN LIVE HERE!

—Then tell him to leave —Lil' Petey challenged.

Petey opened his mouth to scream yes, that Dog Man had to leave, that he didn't want to see him for even one more second.

But when his eyes met Dog Man's, he froze.

The dog looked at him with the same patience as always.

With the same tenderness.

As if it didn't matter how many times he pushed him away, he would just... stay there.

Petey gritted his teeth.

—... Do whatever you want.

Lil' Petey and Molly exchanged victorious smiles.

Dog Man smiled slightly.

Petey just sighed, defeated.

This was going to be the worst dinner of his life.

And the worst part... was that a part of him didn't hate it as much as he should.

Petey regretted many things in his life, but at that moment, his greatest regret was not inventing an instant escape portal.

Because sitting at the table, with Lil' Petey on his right, Molly floating just beside him, and Dog Man there, smiling with that calm, irritatingly charming expression, he felt more trapped than ever.

—I hope you're hungry! —announced Lil' Petey as he placed a plate of... something on the table.

Petey narrowed his eyes.

—What the hell is that?

—A secret recipe I learned at camp!

Molly floated excitedly.

—We put everything in it.

Everything.

Petey looked down at the plate.

There were noodles. But also pieces of something that looked like melted cheese, a suspicious-looking sauce, and what were clearly marshmallows floating in the mix.

—You didn't make this at camp.

Lil' Petey smiled.

—Well, not exactly! At camp, we only made marshmallows, but Molly said we could get creative.

Molly floated a little closer.

—It's culinary art.

Petey felt a pang of despair.

—This isn't art, it's a crime against nature.

Lil' Petey ignored his comment and turned to Dog Man.

—Dog Man, you try it first!

Petey smiled maliciously.

—Yeah, sure, let him be the guinea pig.

But Dog Man, instead of hesitating, buried his snout in the plate and began devouring the food with enthusiasm.

Petey watched with a mix of awe and horror.

Dog Man chewed... swallowed... and wagged his tail with joy.

—It's good!

Petey stared at him.

—You don't have taste buds, do you?

Lil' Petey clapped.

—I knew you'd like it! Dad, now it's your turn!

Petey felt a drop of sweat run down his temple.

—No, thanks.

—Dad...

Lil' Petey looked at him with the same expression he used when he wanted a bedtime story. The expression that said: "If you turn me down, you'll be the worst creature in the universe."

Molly floated closer with a teasing smile.

—If you're not scared... then try it.

Petey gritted his teeth.

—I'm not scared.

—Then eat it.

Petey looked at the plate like it was poison.

He took a deep breath.

He scooped a small amount with the spoon.

He brought it to his mouth.

And then...

His life flashed before his eyes.

It was worse than he imagined.

He felt the flavors clash on his tongue in a senseless battle. The sweetness of the marshmallow collided with the acidity of the mysterious sauce, while the noodles, too soft, made the texture even more unpleasant.

His soul left his body for a second.

But he couldn't spit it out.

Because Lil' Petey was looking at him with hope.

Because Dog Man was eating it without issue.

Because Molly was floating with amusement, waiting to see him give up.

Petey, with the dignity of a soldier in battle, swallowed.

—...

Lil' Petey smiled widely.

—So?

Petey placed the spoon down on the table with all the calm in the world and stood up.

—I'm going to eat something real.

Lil' Petey puffed out his cheeks.

—But, daaaad!

—No.

He walked over to the fridge, grabbed some fish and bread, and served himself some real food like a normal person.

Lil' Petey sighed but didn't argue.

Dinner continued, and Petey tried to focus on ignoring Dog Man's presence. But it was impossible.

The dog was still there, calm, devouring his food with his face buried in the plate as if he were at home. As if he were simply happy to be here.

Petey tried not to look at him.

He tried to ignore the way Dog Man smiled slightly when Lil' Petey talked about his adventures at camp.

He tried not to notice the way his tail moved gently.

He tried not to think about the fact that his presence didn't annoy him as much as he wanted to believe.

—Dad.

Petey blinked.

Lil' Petey was looking at him expectantly.

—What?

—Can we have a movie night after dinner?

Petey sighed.

—Depends. Are you going to force me to watch something cheesy?

Lil' Petey and Molly exchanged glances.

—No.

—You're lying.

—We're not lying!

Molly floated mischievously.

—We just want to watch something... romantic.

Petey felt a twitch in his eye.

—No.

Lil' Petey made a sad face.

—Not even an action movie with romance?

—No.

—Not even if it's fun?

—No.

—Not even if—?

—NO.

Lil' Petey sighed dramatically.

—Ugh. Fine.

Petey felt relief for a second.

Until Molly spoke:

—We can do something else.

Petey looked at her warily.

—What kind of something else?

Molly smiled.

—We can play Truth or Dare!

Petey choked on his food.

Dog Man tilted his head, curious.

—Truth or Dare?

Lil' Petey smiled excitedly.

—Yes! It's a game where you ask questions or give people dares!

—Oh —Dog Man nodded—. Sounds fun.

Petey felt a chill.

This wasn't good.

This was not good.

But before he could say anything, Lil' Petey was already raising his paw.

—I'll start!

Petey closed his eyes.

He felt it coming.

Lil' Petey turned to Dog Man with a big smile.

—Dog Man, truth or dare!

Dog Man didn't hesitate.

—Truth.

Lil' Petey clasped his paws together with excitement.

—Alright! Then tell me...

The tension in the room grew.

Petey felt his fur bristle.

Lil' Petey smiled even more.

—What do you like most about my dad?

Petey felt his soul leave his body for the second time that night.

Molly giggled softly.

Dog Man, without hesitation, answered:

—Everything.

Petey banged his head against the table.

Lil' Petey and Molly screamed with excitement.

—¡¡¡AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

This was going to be a long night.

The excitement from Lil' Petey and Molly's scream still echoed in Petey's ears.

Dog Man just smiled with that peaceful expression, as if he hadn't just said something terribly embarrassing in front of the two biggest gossips on the planet.

Petey sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

—It's late.

Lil' Petey immediately stopped laughing.

—Nooo! We just started...!

—No. It's time to sleep.

Lil' Petey puffed out his cheeks.

—But, dad...

—No buts. You need rest. And Molly needs to go home too.

Molly floated in the air with a mischievous expression.

—I can stay a little longer.

—No.

—What if—?

—No.

Molly sighed.

—Fine, fine...

Lil' Petey lowered his ears, clearly disappointed.

—Does Dog Man have to go too?

Petey glanced sideways at Dog Man, who was still watching him with his usual patience.

—Yes.

Lil' Petey sighed dramatically.

—Ugh. Ok.

Petey stood up, pointing to the stairs.

—Go brush your teeth.

Lil' Petey dragged his feet heavily but obeyed. Molly floated behind him, keeping him company.

Petey took the opportunity to gather the dishes (ignoring the culinary abomination on the table) and carry them to the sink. Dog Man stood up, and to Petey's surprise, started helping him clean.

Petey watched him out of the corner of his eye.

—You don't have to do that.

Dog Man just wagged his tail.

—I want to.

Petey huffed but didn't argue.

They worked in silence for a moment, and for the first time all night, Petey felt like his heart wasn't about to explode from discomfort.

Until Dog Man spoke.

—It was a good night.

Petey stopped for a second before shrugging.

—If we ignore the part where I almost got poisoned, I guess.

Dog Man laughed softly.

Petey felt a slight warmth in his chest.

He hated to admit it, but... it hadn't been that bad.

A few minutes later, Lil' Petey came down the stairs with shiny teeth. Molly was floating beside him, ready to leave.

—I'm ready!

Petey nodded and leaned down to give him a kiss on the forehead.

—Good night, little one.

Lil' Petey smiled and returned the kiss on the cheek.

—Good night, dad.

Molly looked at Petey with amusement.

—No good night kiss for me, Waldo?

Petey looked at her with boredom.

—No.

Molly laughed and began floating toward the door.

Dog Man followed her, but before leaving, he turned to Petey.

—See you tomorrow.

Petey crossed his arms.

—Don't think this is going to happen again.

Dog Man tilted his head with a little smile.

—If you say so.

Petey narrowed his eyes.

—Go.

Dog Man laughed and finally left, following Molly.

When the door closed, Petey let out a long sigh.

He looked around his house in silence.

It had been a chaotic night.

But for some reason, he couldn't help but smile a little.

He rubbed his face with his hands.

—Damn stubborn dog.

And with that, he headed up the stairs, ready to sleep.

Although, deep down, he knew that Dog Man wouldn't be leaving his life that easily.

And maybe...

He didn't mind it as much as he said.

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Hi! I take this opportunity to make a mini spam... I already uploaded the first chapter of Killing & Barking in case you are interested in reading it, it is in my profile hehe

Hope you liked this chapter! I needed to do something less intense after the last, like, three I wrote...