Cherish || A Chase x Sweetie Fanfiction ||

(S1-C10) • When the Cold Wind Blows •

Cruising the streets of the kingdom was a taxi cab, holding the invaluable group of pets, tense shoulders becoming a bothersome for the shaky-hand driver. The rowdy arguing in the back didn't help him at all, especially with the calmest pup beside him solemnly apologizing non-stop since they got on.

"Beatrice, I know you're worried but you can't blame me for Sweetie's condition. You're the one who pulled her to the rides!"

"Yeah, well, you're the caretaker. Why didn't you stop us? Now she's feeling sick."

Chase and Beatrice continued to bicker without shame, the latter holding a paw around Sweetie's head, who covered her ears in annoyance, laying herself on Beatrice's chest which was a warm, makeshift pillow with all her fluffiness. Beatrice only had her pride to account for her unending onslaught of blames, hoping the Shepherd would finally accept his fault. Incoherent words were all she could return, unfortunately, lending the logical police pup the upper hand.

Responsibility was the least Beatrice wanted. However, after arguing with Chase through a prolonged fight she couldn't win, she felt obligated to care for her friend in his stead.

After they got out of the vehicle, thanking the driver with his face looking pale like his life was sucked out of him-being held hostage for the longest ten minutes of his life-the friends turned to head inside their hotel.

Everyone was awkwardly silent, embarrassed from what happened during the ride back to their temporary sanctuary. Except for Sweetie.

As one would think she would start complaining about everything around her as she always did back in her castle, it came as a surprise. Once she wasn't being shoved left and right due to the lack of space, she silently headed to the elevator in the corner of the room, still disguised as a random customer. They remained wishing to be served normally unlike prior from the restaurant they went in.

"You're uncommonly calm, Sweetie," Maria admitted, following suit. The two who were against each other before copied the action, mouth shut as they shrunk in the back of the elevator, feeling as if their friend was absolutely done with their nonsense, the doors closing. The lack of a lash out and flurry of insults, it became heavier weights in their mind, beginning to blame themselves that they may have gone overboard. They wanted to apologize, but what they heard next was unexpected.

"The ride wasn't as soothing as I thought, but that just goes to show that I shouldn't add to the problem."

Chase's bottom jaw lowered, not gaping yet still shocked from the fact of Sweetie being able to understand, up to the point of gesturing Beatrice to pull his ear, which she gladly did so, who asked for the same treatment in return. Finishing with pain, they both unwillingly accepted that they were breathing reality.

The catchy tune of the machinery faded out as the pups walked through the hallway after they reached their level, led by Maria. It wasn't long before their rooms were spotted in the unspeakably sanitized structure, every inch of the smooth floor shining the reflections of the passersby back to them in a slight blur. They even noticed Sweetie staring below her for a few seconds which was a cause for wonder, and the urge to slap themselves in the center of their faces came as they saw her smiling to herself right before she sashayed back on track. Mirror, mirror on the floor, and if only it tells who's the smuggest of them all.

"Finally, some alone time." Chase had sought this time of the day for far too long, and life had now taken it easy on him. He could already imagine the soft bed, the warm sheets, the prepared slippers for every guest who hiked mountains and sailed vast oceans just to feel the comfort for their feet in the room in front. He kept visualizing how he's going to take care of himself tonight, thinking of eating an apple after a warm bath. Hot milk would be nice too, he thought, failing to immediately notice the door of the room beside them closing shut, which spooked him out of his imagination. Coming back, he noticed that, for some reason, Sweetie was staring at the same Room 48 that just closed. Alone, other than him. "They're already in their rooms?" He chuckled. "And I thought I was the one who wanted it the most."