Post by Elda Forever on May 15, 2011 2:10:50 GMT -5
Eeps...this should probably go in unseen scenes, but it needs a bit of an explanation, so I'm just gonna put it here.
This is the scene alluded to in the Kagukito scene at the hospital, when Kagayaki asks Yukito to go check up on his dog Momo for him. Yukito DID, in fact, go take care of Momo, and the whole scene was so strange and funny in my mind that I had to write it, with help from MTM. This isn't a very hilarious oneshot, nor a dramatic or even necessary one. I just felt like writing it, so here it is.
I added my first child in here because Yukito could only carry on so much conversation with a dog.
Sorry if it's choppy or whatever, because I wrote it in like four or five different intervals, and it doesn't exactly flow or always make sense. XD It was a challenging piece for me, I think.
~~~~~~~~
He remembered the way to Aidousan's house quite well, but it struck him as so strange to be walking up to it alone. To be honest, he had only come back when necessary or requested – things had definitely been different since their trip back to Japan – but here he was, walking up the sidewalk his friend must have strode across every single day. The keys jingled in his hands, feeling cool to the touch despite a warm afternoon. He had promised Kagayaki that he would check up on his dog since he was in the hospital, suffering burns and some pains for his visit to Cassie's.
About that. He still didn't quite understand what happened. Perhaps he wouldn't have thought much of it before, but time and teaching with Erin in the last couple of years was slowly opening his eyes to the strangeness of his relationship with Kagayaki, and he was coming to believe he would never understand his best friend. After all, they'd known each other since they were practically toddlers, but they rarely spoke. He'd been to his apartment so few times he could count them on one hand. Was that normal? Is anything quite normal for me? Besides, I can't tell him what he should do, or who he should date.
Maybe that's what was really bothering him about the whole Kagayaki thing. Kagayaki was usually the loyal type. He seemed to build his whole life around being there for people. But the last couple of years, Kagayaki had seemed to be flailing. As Yukito fit the key into the lock and pushed his way inside, he wondered if he should have been more direct about some things in the past. Cassie, Yumi, himself...was anyone really straightforward with him? It didn't feel like it. It felt like they were walking on eggshells, and desperately trying to make decisions without too much pressure involved.
Yukito let out a sigh as he stepped inside, so distracted by his thoughts he didn't notice the enormous, furry dog waiting on the doorstep.
As soon as he had passed through the doorway, Momo let out a little half-bark of delight and jumped up onto his hind legs, nearly knocking Yukito over, both yellow paws pressing hard on his shoulders as though the bear-like creature wanted a hug. “Woah!” he bellowed, his hands flying up to try and defend himself from licks, Momo pushing him against the door and drooling all over Yukito's front. “What the crap, Momo!? Get down! Down, boy! Gah!” He repeated the orders in colorful Japanese, pushing on the persistent dog. But by the time Momo let up on his happy welcome, Yukito's face was covered in fowl-smelling drool, and his hands were sticky with it, his shirt disheveled and his expression seething.
“And people wonder why I like cats,” he grumbled, nearly tripping over the beast on his way to the kitchen. Momo, undeterred by Yukito's growling, remained deliriously happy as he always was when Yukito came to visit. He always liked to pounce on Yukito, and for the life of him, Yukito could not figure out why. Kagayaki had sworn up and down that he was usually very well-behaved, and as a service dog, he was extremely well-trained and took his job quite seriously. The only thing Kagayaki could suggest as an explanation was that there was something about Yukito's scent that Momo liked and trusted. Hence, every time Yukito came to visit, Momo had practically flattened him to the floor, being easily over half Yukito's weight.
“Cats are clean,” Yukito complained, “And small. And don't attack you because you smell nice. I'd have to bathe in catnip for Chica to even look at me twice, but you? You jump on me because I smell nice. You stupid dog.” While he grouched, he dug around in the enormous bag next to the refrigerator, scooping out a sizeable container full of dog food for Momo. The instant his hand left the bag, Momo started doing little jumps and panting greedily, bumping into Yukito some more and almost knocking him off his feet. After swearing a few times at the beast, Yukito found his way to the dish and managed to get most of it into the dog dish, then refreshed the water for him, too. He let out a sigh of relief as Momo dug in hungrily, preoccupied for a moment. Unfortunately, Yukito knew enough about dogs to know that he would soon have to go out to complete the food-consuming cycle, which meant he'd have to wait around for the creature to finish, then take him out, too.
While he stood there, he took his first real look around Kagayaki's apartment, his eyes falling on the multitiude of photographs that adorned the walls. Yukito's lips pursed – he had never known Kagayaki was into photography. Just another mystery, another paradox, about their relationship. He leaned forward to inspect some, recognizing some faces while others were utterly unknown to him. He saw himself with Erin, at their apartment, at the park hanging out with everyone. He saw Kagayaki with a raven-haired girl with blue eyes he didn't recognize. They were more with the girl and Kagayaki, along with a huge, rowdy-looking bunch of kids. Probably from Kagayaki's daycare job. Then, there were some of Kagayaki's family. His parents, especially. Yukito didn't know what to think, or how to feel, looking at their familiar faces. What did Kagayaki think of his parents getting back together? Yukito still wasn't sure, and his own fears and confusion had not helped him be a good support system for Aidou Kagayaki. He stood there a moment, seeing that rare smile on Freya's face and that almost cocky beam on Hideo's.
He knew exactly what he thought of it. He was jealous. Now Kagayaki had both his parents, and Yukito had none.
Yukito turned away from the photograph, poking absently at a sweater of some kind that had been discarded on the back of a chair. He wouldn't have paid any mind to the enormous, multi-colored object, if the tag hadn't been sticking up from it, and caught his eye. Yukito's eyebrows shot skyward. It was one of those hand-bought cards you could sew any name onto, and usually said things like 'made by grandma with love' or 'mother-made', and such. This one said 'Made for Kagakun, by his Amanechan' in loopy, elaborately stitched lettering. Yukito let out a chuckle, smirking. She made him a sweater. She knit him a sweater. It was the only reaction he knew to give. People seemed to think he ought to be angry at them, though for what, he wasn't sure. It was a relief, more than anything, to know that they had found something good in each other. And if he was quite honest about it, it meant they weren't paying him any mind. The obsessive clinging that was characteristic of them both worked well toward each other, but had been frightening for Yukito. If they could preoccupy each other and forget about him, he figured he would be happy.
Just then, Yukito jumped in surprise and let out a shout, flipping around to send Momo a glare. The dog had nudged him. In the butt. Yukito kept his rear protected, backed up against the desk, but Momo seemed to not notice his discomfort in the least. Both furry triangles that were his ears perked up and chipper, his mouth open and drooling. “Haven't you ever heard of personal space, you beast?!” Yukito reprimanded, jabbing an accusatory finger that made Momo's ears flicker back and forth in confusion. “Stop. Bad dog. Teishi shimasu. Warui inu. Son'na koto wa shinai. Don't do that!”
Momo's ears continued to bounce from a forward position to an apologetic flat position, and he shifted his paws closer to himself, giving a whine, but sitting still. Yukito continued his teaching, still pointing a finger at the dog. “Teishi shimasu. Teishi shimasu.” Hesitantly, Yukito lowered his hand, slipping past Momo with one eye always fixed on that mournful yellow face, and went to find a leash for them. It took several minutes, but soon he knelt to clip the leash onto Momo's fuzz-covered collar. Momo's tail thumped against the doorway to the kitchen, panting and obviously just barely containing his enthusiasm. He did quite well for a moment, but then Momo jumped on top of him and let out a happy little bark, licking Yukito's face and letting out all his eagerness. “Momo! Teishi shimasu!” He pushed Momo away, who only took Yukito's scowl as a welcoming sign, both ears perked up and his eyes sparkling. But he sat still and let Yukito clip the leash on, and once it was on, the magic happened. Yukito stared, confused. The instant he clipped it to his collar, Momo sat still and obedient, tilting his head slightly to the side, not moving from his spot until Yukito stood up and began to walk toward the door. And even then, Momo walked close to his side and didn't fuss, or even rush for the door.
“You are a weird animal,” Yukito muttered, letting Momo lead the way out the door. They were met instantly by a woman coming up the walk. Yukito stopped, not sure who she was, but she was definitely headed toward Kagayaki's house. She had her long dark hair pulled back into a messy braid, and carrying a Subway bag, along with a little brown paper bag. Momo let out a bark, making the woman laugh. She sent Yukito a smile and said, “Hey!”
“Hello,” Yukito gave a little smile back, holding back Momo as the dog tried to sniff at the woman's hands.
“Is Brian home?” she queried, leaning down to give the dog a pet, who obviously knew her. Yukito looked at her in confusion. Then, she gave a sharp, “Oh!” as though realizing her mistake, and said, “The guy who lives here...Key-a-key?”
“Kagayaki's not home.”
“I'll never be able to say his name right,” she laughed, rolling her eyes, “Sorry, Brian is my nickname for him. I'm Lilith - we work at the daycare together. Are you a friend of his?” She reached into her brown paper bag, and pulled out a treat for the dog, bending down to offer it to him, “Here Momo,” she cooed, scratching his head while he ate, “You are such a gooood boy! Yes, you are!”
“Ah,” Yukito murmured, kind of confused by this point. “Yeah, I'm his friend. He got into a bit of an accident yesterday, and asked me to take of Momo for him today.”
“Oh no!” Lilith frowned, “What happened?”
This was the part he wished he didn't have to explain. Yukito decided to be as vague as possible, while letting her know what had happened. “He was over at a friend's house, and the house caught on fire. Everyone's fine, and he's just got some minor injuries, but they want to keep an eye on him for now.”
“Wow....” Lilith breathed, “I was just coming over to see where he'd been. I figured he was sick or something, so I was bringing us something to eat.” She held up the bags of sandwiches with a sheepish smile. Yukito wondered how well Lilith and Kagayaki knew each other. What would she say if he told her he'd gone to see his ex-girlfriend? Would she react at all?
Momo didn't give him time to consider it too long, a full night stuck alone in the house making him desperate enough to tug on his leash, pulling towards a tempting stretch of green grass. Yukito gave way, letting the dog over there so he could sniff at the ground before doing his business with simple efficiency. Lilith seemed undeterred, but Yukito felt a little uncomfortable standing leashed to the animal.
“Do you have any idea how long it'll be until he gets back?” she queried.
“Um...probably tomorrow, I should think. If not sooner,” he murmured. Lilith gave a nod, and a moment of silence passed between them. It lasted until Momo's business and follow-up had been completed and they both quietly headed back up the walk to Kagayaki's house. As soon as Yukito had let Momo off his leash, the solemn and strict obedience of the dog was forgotten, as he licked Yukito's face and gave a few whimpers of overwhelming happiness and thanks.
“Geh...Momo!” he grouched, wiping at his cheek and nose where the drool remained. A shower was definitely in order later. How did Kagayaki not walk around half-soaked all the time?
“Wow... that's really odd...he usually isn't like that. He must really like you..” Lilith commented with a chuckle. Yukito rolled his eyes.
“Yeah, that's what Kagayaki claims. I find it hard to believe, because he always attacks me.”
“He's not attacking you,” Lilith corrected playfully, kneeling down to pet the dog, who demurely nudged her with his nose. But didn't lick her, Yukito noted. “He just likes you. Some dogs are like that. They're very good judges of character.”
“If that's the case, you would think they could tell the difference between a tree and a fire hydrant,” Yukito commented, making Lilith laugh aloud, then nudge him suddenly with her shoulder. He looked up in surprise.
“Or maybe he just likes how you taste. Or...he knows you'll let him get away with it. Haha!” She giggled at the expression on Yukito's face, then stood up and went to put her sandwich for Kagayaki in the fridge. “It's a shame...I got him that chicken one he loves...and the lettuce on it will probably go bad. No tomato, of course...” Something about the fact that she seemed to know of Kagayaki's tomato allergy struck him, though he wasn't able to decipher precisely what it was about it. He wrestled a bit with Momo, rubbing him on his back automatically while he thought. Lilith came to stand nearby, watching the dog with his tail thudding back and forth with notable force. “Momo is a really good dog. I'm glad you came to check up on him for Brian.”
“Yeah...” was all Yukito said.
Lilith chuckled, moving to stand at Yukito's side. She watched Yukito playing with the dog for a moment before adding, “All of us girls love him, too. Sometimes I think Brian got himself a chick magnet, as well as a service dog.”
Yukito looked up at her face for a moment, meeting her eyes and sending her a smile before returning to his job of petting Momo. The dog was wriggling around in crooked circles, trying to get as much of himself beneath the boy's hand as he could. “I know my girlfriend wishes she had one. She just melts for any kind of pet. I bet she'd take a pet spider or tiger if I let her.”
Lilith gave a giggle, but it seemed to Yukito like it wasn't as enthusiastic as it was before. “Well, I should probably go. I need to call in to work and let them know about Brian.”
“Yeah, I need to go, too. I'll probably come by to check up on him one more time before he comes home.”
“Yeah,” Neither was sure what to say, so she just left without another word. Yukito gave a shake of his head, leaning forward to scratch Momo's head again. Then his nose crinkled as he sniffed his hand. It wasn't like Momo rolled in a bunch of garbage, but there was always that signature 'dog' scent to things. He wiped his hands on his jeans, frowning. He'd just started getting used to the dog's company when he of course remembered one of the many reasons he and canines didn't get along. He looked at the dog, a thought crossing his mind, and said, “Sit.” Nothing. “Suwaru.” The dog instantly fell back on his large bottom, staring back up at Yukito. He listens better in Japanese. I guess that makes the most sense.
“Fine, I'll leave you alone again, beast,” he grumbled, picking himself up and starting for the door. Momo gave a whine, and Yukito paused, looking back as Momo stared after him mournfully. “Teishi shimasu.” Momo gave another whine, but didn't move. Yukito gave a little smile, then left, careful to lock the door but feeling somehow mean for doing so.
What a ridiculous dog...
Erin would love to have him.
This is the scene alluded to in the Kagukito scene at the hospital, when Kagayaki asks Yukito to go check up on his dog Momo for him. Yukito DID, in fact, go take care of Momo, and the whole scene was so strange and funny in my mind that I had to write it, with help from MTM. This isn't a very hilarious oneshot, nor a dramatic or even necessary one. I just felt like writing it, so here it is.
I added my first child in here because Yukito could only carry on so much conversation with a dog.
Sorry if it's choppy or whatever, because I wrote it in like four or five different intervals, and it doesn't exactly flow or always make sense. XD It was a challenging piece for me, I think.
~~~~~~~~
He remembered the way to Aidousan's house quite well, but it struck him as so strange to be walking up to it alone. To be honest, he had only come back when necessary or requested – things had definitely been different since their trip back to Japan – but here he was, walking up the sidewalk his friend must have strode across every single day. The keys jingled in his hands, feeling cool to the touch despite a warm afternoon. He had promised Kagayaki that he would check up on his dog since he was in the hospital, suffering burns and some pains for his visit to Cassie's.
About that. He still didn't quite understand what happened. Perhaps he wouldn't have thought much of it before, but time and teaching with Erin in the last couple of years was slowly opening his eyes to the strangeness of his relationship with Kagayaki, and he was coming to believe he would never understand his best friend. After all, they'd known each other since they were practically toddlers, but they rarely spoke. He'd been to his apartment so few times he could count them on one hand. Was that normal? Is anything quite normal for me? Besides, I can't tell him what he should do, or who he should date.
Maybe that's what was really bothering him about the whole Kagayaki thing. Kagayaki was usually the loyal type. He seemed to build his whole life around being there for people. But the last couple of years, Kagayaki had seemed to be flailing. As Yukito fit the key into the lock and pushed his way inside, he wondered if he should have been more direct about some things in the past. Cassie, Yumi, himself...was anyone really straightforward with him? It didn't feel like it. It felt like they were walking on eggshells, and desperately trying to make decisions without too much pressure involved.
Yukito let out a sigh as he stepped inside, so distracted by his thoughts he didn't notice the enormous, furry dog waiting on the doorstep.
As soon as he had passed through the doorway, Momo let out a little half-bark of delight and jumped up onto his hind legs, nearly knocking Yukito over, both yellow paws pressing hard on his shoulders as though the bear-like creature wanted a hug. “Woah!” he bellowed, his hands flying up to try and defend himself from licks, Momo pushing him against the door and drooling all over Yukito's front. “What the crap, Momo!? Get down! Down, boy! Gah!” He repeated the orders in colorful Japanese, pushing on the persistent dog. But by the time Momo let up on his happy welcome, Yukito's face was covered in fowl-smelling drool, and his hands were sticky with it, his shirt disheveled and his expression seething.
“And people wonder why I like cats,” he grumbled, nearly tripping over the beast on his way to the kitchen. Momo, undeterred by Yukito's growling, remained deliriously happy as he always was when Yukito came to visit. He always liked to pounce on Yukito, and for the life of him, Yukito could not figure out why. Kagayaki had sworn up and down that he was usually very well-behaved, and as a service dog, he was extremely well-trained and took his job quite seriously. The only thing Kagayaki could suggest as an explanation was that there was something about Yukito's scent that Momo liked and trusted. Hence, every time Yukito came to visit, Momo had practically flattened him to the floor, being easily over half Yukito's weight.
“Cats are clean,” Yukito complained, “And small. And don't attack you because you smell nice. I'd have to bathe in catnip for Chica to even look at me twice, but you? You jump on me because I smell nice. You stupid dog.” While he grouched, he dug around in the enormous bag next to the refrigerator, scooping out a sizeable container full of dog food for Momo. The instant his hand left the bag, Momo started doing little jumps and panting greedily, bumping into Yukito some more and almost knocking him off his feet. After swearing a few times at the beast, Yukito found his way to the dish and managed to get most of it into the dog dish, then refreshed the water for him, too. He let out a sigh of relief as Momo dug in hungrily, preoccupied for a moment. Unfortunately, Yukito knew enough about dogs to know that he would soon have to go out to complete the food-consuming cycle, which meant he'd have to wait around for the creature to finish, then take him out, too.
While he stood there, he took his first real look around Kagayaki's apartment, his eyes falling on the multitiude of photographs that adorned the walls. Yukito's lips pursed – he had never known Kagayaki was into photography. Just another mystery, another paradox, about their relationship. He leaned forward to inspect some, recognizing some faces while others were utterly unknown to him. He saw himself with Erin, at their apartment, at the park hanging out with everyone. He saw Kagayaki with a raven-haired girl with blue eyes he didn't recognize. They were more with the girl and Kagayaki, along with a huge, rowdy-looking bunch of kids. Probably from Kagayaki's daycare job. Then, there were some of Kagayaki's family. His parents, especially. Yukito didn't know what to think, or how to feel, looking at their familiar faces. What did Kagayaki think of his parents getting back together? Yukito still wasn't sure, and his own fears and confusion had not helped him be a good support system for Aidou Kagayaki. He stood there a moment, seeing that rare smile on Freya's face and that almost cocky beam on Hideo's.
He knew exactly what he thought of it. He was jealous. Now Kagayaki had both his parents, and Yukito had none.
Yukito turned away from the photograph, poking absently at a sweater of some kind that had been discarded on the back of a chair. He wouldn't have paid any mind to the enormous, multi-colored object, if the tag hadn't been sticking up from it, and caught his eye. Yukito's eyebrows shot skyward. It was one of those hand-bought cards you could sew any name onto, and usually said things like 'made by grandma with love' or 'mother-made', and such. This one said 'Made for Kagakun, by his Amanechan' in loopy, elaborately stitched lettering. Yukito let out a chuckle, smirking. She made him a sweater. She knit him a sweater. It was the only reaction he knew to give. People seemed to think he ought to be angry at them, though for what, he wasn't sure. It was a relief, more than anything, to know that they had found something good in each other. And if he was quite honest about it, it meant they weren't paying him any mind. The obsessive clinging that was characteristic of them both worked well toward each other, but had been frightening for Yukito. If they could preoccupy each other and forget about him, he figured he would be happy.
Just then, Yukito jumped in surprise and let out a shout, flipping around to send Momo a glare. The dog had nudged him. In the butt. Yukito kept his rear protected, backed up against the desk, but Momo seemed to not notice his discomfort in the least. Both furry triangles that were his ears perked up and chipper, his mouth open and drooling. “Haven't you ever heard of personal space, you beast?!” Yukito reprimanded, jabbing an accusatory finger that made Momo's ears flicker back and forth in confusion. “Stop. Bad dog. Teishi shimasu. Warui inu. Son'na koto wa shinai. Don't do that!”
Momo's ears continued to bounce from a forward position to an apologetic flat position, and he shifted his paws closer to himself, giving a whine, but sitting still. Yukito continued his teaching, still pointing a finger at the dog. “Teishi shimasu. Teishi shimasu.” Hesitantly, Yukito lowered his hand, slipping past Momo with one eye always fixed on that mournful yellow face, and went to find a leash for them. It took several minutes, but soon he knelt to clip the leash onto Momo's fuzz-covered collar. Momo's tail thumped against the doorway to the kitchen, panting and obviously just barely containing his enthusiasm. He did quite well for a moment, but then Momo jumped on top of him and let out a happy little bark, licking Yukito's face and letting out all his eagerness. “Momo! Teishi shimasu!” He pushed Momo away, who only took Yukito's scowl as a welcoming sign, both ears perked up and his eyes sparkling. But he sat still and let Yukito clip the leash on, and once it was on, the magic happened. Yukito stared, confused. The instant he clipped it to his collar, Momo sat still and obedient, tilting his head slightly to the side, not moving from his spot until Yukito stood up and began to walk toward the door. And even then, Momo walked close to his side and didn't fuss, or even rush for the door.
“You are a weird animal,” Yukito muttered, letting Momo lead the way out the door. They were met instantly by a woman coming up the walk. Yukito stopped, not sure who she was, but she was definitely headed toward Kagayaki's house. She had her long dark hair pulled back into a messy braid, and carrying a Subway bag, along with a little brown paper bag. Momo let out a bark, making the woman laugh. She sent Yukito a smile and said, “Hey!”
“Hello,” Yukito gave a little smile back, holding back Momo as the dog tried to sniff at the woman's hands.
“Is Brian home?” she queried, leaning down to give the dog a pet, who obviously knew her. Yukito looked at her in confusion. Then, she gave a sharp, “Oh!” as though realizing her mistake, and said, “The guy who lives here...Key-a-key?”
“Kagayaki's not home.”
“I'll never be able to say his name right,” she laughed, rolling her eyes, “Sorry, Brian is my nickname for him. I'm Lilith - we work at the daycare together. Are you a friend of his?” She reached into her brown paper bag, and pulled out a treat for the dog, bending down to offer it to him, “Here Momo,” she cooed, scratching his head while he ate, “You are such a gooood boy! Yes, you are!”
“Ah,” Yukito murmured, kind of confused by this point. “Yeah, I'm his friend. He got into a bit of an accident yesterday, and asked me to take of Momo for him today.”
“Oh no!” Lilith frowned, “What happened?”
This was the part he wished he didn't have to explain. Yukito decided to be as vague as possible, while letting her know what had happened. “He was over at a friend's house, and the house caught on fire. Everyone's fine, and he's just got some minor injuries, but they want to keep an eye on him for now.”
“Wow....” Lilith breathed, “I was just coming over to see where he'd been. I figured he was sick or something, so I was bringing us something to eat.” She held up the bags of sandwiches with a sheepish smile. Yukito wondered how well Lilith and Kagayaki knew each other. What would she say if he told her he'd gone to see his ex-girlfriend? Would she react at all?
Momo didn't give him time to consider it too long, a full night stuck alone in the house making him desperate enough to tug on his leash, pulling towards a tempting stretch of green grass. Yukito gave way, letting the dog over there so he could sniff at the ground before doing his business with simple efficiency. Lilith seemed undeterred, but Yukito felt a little uncomfortable standing leashed to the animal.
“Do you have any idea how long it'll be until he gets back?” she queried.
“Um...probably tomorrow, I should think. If not sooner,” he murmured. Lilith gave a nod, and a moment of silence passed between them. It lasted until Momo's business and follow-up had been completed and they both quietly headed back up the walk to Kagayaki's house. As soon as Yukito had let Momo off his leash, the solemn and strict obedience of the dog was forgotten, as he licked Yukito's face and gave a few whimpers of overwhelming happiness and thanks.
“Geh...Momo!” he grouched, wiping at his cheek and nose where the drool remained. A shower was definitely in order later. How did Kagayaki not walk around half-soaked all the time?
“Wow... that's really odd...he usually isn't like that. He must really like you..” Lilith commented with a chuckle. Yukito rolled his eyes.
“Yeah, that's what Kagayaki claims. I find it hard to believe, because he always attacks me.”
“He's not attacking you,” Lilith corrected playfully, kneeling down to pet the dog, who demurely nudged her with his nose. But didn't lick her, Yukito noted. “He just likes you. Some dogs are like that. They're very good judges of character.”
“If that's the case, you would think they could tell the difference between a tree and a fire hydrant,” Yukito commented, making Lilith laugh aloud, then nudge him suddenly with her shoulder. He looked up in surprise.
“Or maybe he just likes how you taste. Or...he knows you'll let him get away with it. Haha!” She giggled at the expression on Yukito's face, then stood up and went to put her sandwich for Kagayaki in the fridge. “It's a shame...I got him that chicken one he loves...and the lettuce on it will probably go bad. No tomato, of course...” Something about the fact that she seemed to know of Kagayaki's tomato allergy struck him, though he wasn't able to decipher precisely what it was about it. He wrestled a bit with Momo, rubbing him on his back automatically while he thought. Lilith came to stand nearby, watching the dog with his tail thudding back and forth with notable force. “Momo is a really good dog. I'm glad you came to check up on him for Brian.”
“Yeah...” was all Yukito said.
Lilith chuckled, moving to stand at Yukito's side. She watched Yukito playing with the dog for a moment before adding, “All of us girls love him, too. Sometimes I think Brian got himself a chick magnet, as well as a service dog.”
Yukito looked up at her face for a moment, meeting her eyes and sending her a smile before returning to his job of petting Momo. The dog was wriggling around in crooked circles, trying to get as much of himself beneath the boy's hand as he could. “I know my girlfriend wishes she had one. She just melts for any kind of pet. I bet she'd take a pet spider or tiger if I let her.”
Lilith gave a giggle, but it seemed to Yukito like it wasn't as enthusiastic as it was before. “Well, I should probably go. I need to call in to work and let them know about Brian.”
“Yeah, I need to go, too. I'll probably come by to check up on him one more time before he comes home.”
“Yeah,” Neither was sure what to say, so she just left without another word. Yukito gave a shake of his head, leaning forward to scratch Momo's head again. Then his nose crinkled as he sniffed his hand. It wasn't like Momo rolled in a bunch of garbage, but there was always that signature 'dog' scent to things. He wiped his hands on his jeans, frowning. He'd just started getting used to the dog's company when he of course remembered one of the many reasons he and canines didn't get along. He looked at the dog, a thought crossing his mind, and said, “Sit.” Nothing. “Suwaru.” The dog instantly fell back on his large bottom, staring back up at Yukito. He listens better in Japanese. I guess that makes the most sense.
“Fine, I'll leave you alone again, beast,” he grumbled, picking himself up and starting for the door. Momo gave a whine, and Yukito paused, looking back as Momo stared after him mournfully. “Teishi shimasu.” Momo gave another whine, but didn't move. Yukito gave a little smile, then left, careful to lock the door but feeling somehow mean for doing so.
What a ridiculous dog...
Erin would love to have him.
