2D x Reader - Somefink In The Air

Chapter 8

"BORF!" Whale announced happily, sitting atop two bodies with one of his paws pressing into your rib cage and his other into Stuart's. After lunging at you like a bull seeing red, Whale had forced you two to the ground for the second time that day.

"Yeah, yeah, I missed... you too." You gave a feeble laugh. "But Whale, we... need air..."

"'e's wettin' my shirt, look." Stuart protested, dazed.

It was true Whale was sodden. And he smelled of sun dried sushi. 

"Borf!" Whale piped up, his tail wagging harder than before, flicking water around like a boat propeller. You managed to slowly push him off you and sit up with a squeak of effort.

"Well I'm sorry I didn't look inside the lake, but I definitely went there." You said crossly, folding your arms as Stuart hunched over with a groan.

"BoRf!"

"Because I cant breathe underwater, obviously."

"Borf."

"Uh, you know, I checked the surface. Saw the ducks. They always seem like they know something I don't." You narrowed your eyes, becoming lost in thought.

"Are yew 'avin' a conversation wif your dog?" Stuart gawped. "A proper one? Yew speak dog?"

"Fluent since birth." You assured him with a smile, standing and helping him to his feet.

"Blimey! Tha's amazing!" 

"Hah, you're too gullible, you know that Steve?"

"Eh? I am not! An' my name's Stuart, not Steve." Stu looked hurt.

"You fell for it again!"

"Whaa'?!"

Whale sat and watched Tweedledum and Tweedledee converse with interest. He loved his owner [Y/n] with all his heart, but yikes was she bad at flirting.

Inching closer to the duo, Whale decided you needed a wake up call.

So, like one of those dogs in those cleaning product adverts, Whale did a dramatic whole body shake, sending water absolutely everywhere. It drenched you and Stu from head to toe, soon your clothes were clinging to your bodies as a result of the sudden downpour.

Stuart stood, dumbfounded. His hair fell limp in front of his eyes. You shivered but you weren't surprised about what just happened. Sighing in defeat, you looked to your house and back at Stu. You then looked to the slowly dimming sky, and back at Stu. You looked at Whale, then to Stu again. Seems you had no choice.

"Guess you'd better come in."

"Maybe I should g-" Stuart was beginning to say when he cut himself off. "Huh?"

"It's getting late, you live far?" You asked.

"No. U-um. Yeah. Kinda, a bit." 

"Listen, I cant let you leave like that - you're soaked! You'll catch a bad cold!" You looked at Stuart with a serious expression. Water droplets slid down your face.

Stuart glanced down to see Whale nodding his head in agreement.

Stuart thought of Murdoc and gulped. He didn't want to be the victim of another of his violent mood swings when he got back. But, he felt safe with you. 

"Awrite, yeah. Can't argue wif tha' now can I." He grinned. "Lead the way."

Gladly, you walked Stu up to your garden and through the gate, shutting it behind him and Whale. Whilst fumbling around your pockets for your keys, your mind drifted and you couldn't help but question - was this, letting a stranger in, really a good idea?

"Ah-" Your keys slipped from your fingers and fell onto the floor.

"Wotchit, butterfingers!" Stuart laughed. It put you at ease.

Ok, you thought with a smile. Maybe this wont be so bad.

As you opened up the [favourite colour] door and ushered Stu inside, Whale plopped down on the doormat to admire his handiwork. Boy, was he was pleased with himself.

"Whale, get in!"

Not so long later, you were running up and down your home like a headless chicken, doing errand after errand. You'd left your home unattended all day in your mad search for your dog, and - just your luck - today was the day you had a guest.

You had provided Whale a large tub in the kitchen so he could bathe away the lake residue, and he was in there having the time of his life. Stuart, meanwhile, stayed hovering in your living room as if he wasn't welcome here. 

"You can sit down, you know." You told him, whizzing past on your way to the thermostat.

"Don' wanna ruin your furniture." He admitted. Stu was quite content, gazing around the room. 

He noticed the pictures of Whale and you that were stuck to a crowded pinboard above your sofa. Puppy Whale, baby you, older you, older Whale. He drew closer, his eyes wandering to the transparent pouch of seashells you'd collected from [favourite beach]. These were pinned beside the neatly folded napkin you'd taken from [favourite out of town restuarant]. He saw the battered train tickets from the time you'd gone to [favourite city] and the quirky birthday card from [friend's name]. Carefully crafted pencil sketches you'd drawn recently contrasted wildly from the hurried and brightly coloured marker pictures you'd done as a kid, they were all pinned there too. Stu grinned a lopsided grin, thinking all this was adorable.

Something else caught his eye. Trailing red ribbons and heart shaped cut outs. The cursive title of a well known chocolate box. There was also a stiff plastic [favourite flower] that had a paper tag attached to it. The tag read 'Prom?' and was signed with a name he didn't recognize - [previous crush's name]. Stuart then decided he didn't want to look anymore.

"Oh, right." Came your voice from another room. "I need to get you a change of clothes. Think fast, Stu pot!"

Somehow, he managed to catch the towel that was hurtling at his face. He gave a weak smile of thanks.

"Can I get you a drink? Juice, tea?" There was a pause before your head popped round the living room door, startling Stu. "Oi, mister!" You said in mock anger. "Am I talking to myself here?"

"Ah, no, i'm 'ere."

Smiling, you made your way over to him, clothes in hand.  "I have here my biggest clothes - an oversized hoodie that I wear as a sweater dress and some baggy..." You wrinkled your nose and looked at the ground. "Uh, they were called 'boyfriend jeans' in the store. I think."

"Fanks! Really appreciate this." Stuart automatically began to pull his shirt off.

"WAIT WAIT-" You blurted out, before your eyes fell on his bare chest and upper arms. "...Oh. Oh, I, uh."

"Wh-wha'?" Stuart looked at you, flustered.

"I'll just... I'll go get the first aid kit."

You left the room.