Dylan sat next on the couch beside Neil, who looked dejected. Whenever he got really drained like this, he was usually dead silent and pretty reclusive. The rumors really got to him, and Dylan wanted to help in any way he could. While Dylan thought of a way to lift his boyfriend's mood, even a little bit. Suddenly, the boyfriend in question rested his head on Dylan's shoulder, making him smile and wrap his arm around neil's shoulders as the gears in his head kept turning until he finally got an idea. Mom had gone into work about 20 minutes ago and uncle was busy at meetings so no one would be around to question anything.
"hey angel food cake, mind walking with me for a sec?" he smiled as his tail started wagging.
"what are you planning?"
"You'll see, just work with me for a little," the cocker spaniel grinned as he dragged neil into his bedroom and let go of his hand before sitting on his bed and lifting away a corner of the blankets to reveal the bedsheet before he tucked his legs under the blanket and laying on his back. Neil looked confused as he walked up to him and sat next to him.
"C'mon, lay on top of me!" dylan smiled again, patting his stomach.
"How is that supposed to help?" the American shorthair asked as he stretched his back out. Suddenly, the pair heard a series of pops. Dylan sat up as they both laughed in shock.
"What the hell, is your back ok?!" dylan exclaimed as neil stretched out his tail. That ended up cracking a ton, too.
"Y'know that... that actually fixed my back pain. But seriously, how is lying on you supposed to help me?" neil chuckled.
"It's supposed to help you relaaaaaax~ you like getting cuddles and this is cuddles to the max!" dylan smiled as he pulled neil down with him.
"Aw, you know me too well!" neil cooed before getting comfortable on top of his boyfriend, wrapping his arms around the cocker spaniel's neck and tucking his calves under his knees while his head was snuggled into his chest fur. Dylan giggled at the american shorthair as he pulled the blanket over the both of them before gently running his claws up and down his back. Neil started purring and fell asleep within minutes. Dylan closed his eyes and listened to his boyfriend purr, ready to fall asleep himself before he suddenly got a call. He glared at his phone, angry that someone would dare to interrupt his quality time with neil. He silenced his phone and let it ring. It stopped before ringing again. He sighed as he put in an earbud and answered the call; it was kai.
"Hey, is nini with you? He's not answering his phone."
"his phone is in the living room and he's asleep, so I'm gonna have to be quiet."
"oh, it's ok. i can call him later, unless you can answer for him."
"depends, what is it?"
"did neil ever tell you his full side of the locker incident?"
"why do you wanna know?"
"so i can spare myself from getting in trouble with my pastor... and my parents... who are both in front of me and you're on speaker, so be careful what you say."
"What did you do?"
"I'll explain later, just please give me Neil's side of the story!"
"Ok. According to him, he was changing to go to 6th period, 'business as usual,' to quote him directly. once he was done, he went to leave when he saw an eagle owl snickering to himself with his phone in his wing. he tried to catch him because he started running as soon as neil turned around. they got a little physical until the eagle owl shoved him into a wall and hurt his back," Dylan recounted, all the while, neil's chest was softly vibrating from his purring. There was a moment of silence.
"are you in a car or something?" he asked.
"what do you mean?"
"What's that buzzing noise?"
"oh, that's neil. listen," Dylan whispered before going silent, allowing Kai to hear Neil's purring.
"ho-ly! he sounds like a jet engine, what are you doing?!"
"rubbing his back while he's laying on top of me," Dylan smiled before the purring suddenly got quieter, causing Dylan to look down and see that he stopped rubbing his back and quickly resumed, making the purring to its original volume.
"kewl. Thanks for giving me Neil's side, I'll let you get back to whatever you were doing. See ya tomorrow!" Kai waved off before hanging up. Dylan sighed and put his phone back on the nightstand, took out his earbud and put it away. He went back to giving the cat he held dear his undivided attention. The scene was so peaceful that he ended up falling asleep.
kai POV -
Kai put his phone away and looked at simon expectedly, waiting for him to say something.
"That's not valid evidence. You didn't even get the yokai I supposedly recorded!" Simon defended.
"Oh really? Then what about the fact you posted it on instagram?"
"I never posted anything like that."
"Then why do I have a screen recording of the video being on your account?"
"You faked it. Plain and simple."
Kai felt himself reeling to punch him again before he flattened out his feathers and took a breath. Bryson said that in arguments, he should try and get the yokai he was arguing with to accidentally confess to what they were claiming against. Kai could do that, but not when he wasn't thinking completely straight.
"Then show everyone your instagram account."
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because it's not important."
"Well considering there are multiple rumors going around about him, i think it's very important."
"Look it's not my fault he does heroin, that's his problem."
"Where did you hear he does heroin? He's never done heroin in his life!"
"Someone at school told me."
Kai pointed at him. "What. a. Coincidence. Because that was one of the rumors that people were spreading thanks to your video. So do you have something to share with the class?"
Defeated, Simon pulled out his phone and tapped on the screen a bit as kai looked over his shoulder, and low and behold, there was the video on his account.
"And you can't delete it right before you show them either."
Simon glared at him as he handed his phone to the pastor, who immediately saw the video and started to give him a tongue lashing. Kai stepped back and watched in satisfaction as simon was scolded by both the pastor and his parents. Once his family was finally let go, kai's parents bashed him for attacking simon.
dylan POV -
(ok, this part gets really weird. don't ask what i was smoking while i wrote this)
when he woke up, Neil had moved the both of them onto their sides and was hugging his neck and left arm. dylan's tail started wagging as he felt Neil's chest vibrate as he purred. After a few minutes, the american shorthair looked up at his boyfriend.
"Good morning, angel food cake. Did you sleep good?" he asked, separating from them a bit to look at him. Neil nodded and mrrped before snuggling back into dylan's chest fur and rubbing his scent on him. He smiled and went to grab neil's hip, only for his paw to accidentally land on his thigh, causing neil to tense up and stop purring.
"Sorry!" dylan whispered, immediately taking his paw off his boyfriend. Neil responded by taking one of his arms away from dylan and taking his paw before carefully guiding it down his thigh as he slowly relaxed before eventually putting dylan's paw down on the mid part of it and returning his arm to its original position.
"If you don't like your thigh being touched, you don't have to force yourself to put up with it. I was going to grab your hip anyway."
"No no, it just caught me off guard a little, you don't have to keep your paw there, i don't even know why i did that."
"Ok, if you say so."
They went back to being silent, apart from neil purring as he adjusted himself in dylan's chest. After a few minutes, neil suddenly jolted his hand down to dylan's hip, a place he's never really touched before, and squeezed his love handle. Dylan was never the most secure about his weight, even though most people wouldn't really call him fat, he was a little pudgier than your average 14-year-old. He was about the same weight as mom and a little skinnier than bobby, who was always on the chubbier side, but it suited her. And besides, she didn't seem to care. Upon neil grabbing dylan's hip, he pulled away as his pupils dilated in wonder. Dylan remembered him having a similar expression when he hugged him for the first time. His pupils dilated and he had this sense of euphoria on his face before continuing the hug for a solid minute and a half. Dylan remembered thinking 'huh, it's like this is the first time he's gotten a hug,' and in hindsight, it probably was. Neil looked up at him with that same euphoric expression.
"You never told me about this!" he smiled slightly as he squeezed it again.
"Yea, 'cause i don't like it."
"Why not? It's so nice," Neil shoved his muzzle back into dylan's chest and kept squeezing that bit of pudge.
"I dunno, i was teased about it in 4th grade and i guess that just wired me to not like that i'm chubby."
"Well, i'm gonna teach you to like that you're chubby, because i love it."
Dylan relaxed when he heard that as neil kept squeezing his love handle before eventually stopping to rub his scent on him while dylan kept rubbing his thigh with his thumb. They stayed like that for a while until dylan felt neil's stomach growl.
"Wanna grab something to eat?" he asked.
"I can deal with it, don't worry. I wanna stay like this."
"What time is it, anyway?" dylan thought aloud as he reached for his phone to check the time. It was 2 PM. for reference, neil had gotten there around 7:40 AM and they got in dylan's bed around 7:50.
"Holy shit! We've been here for 6 hours!" the cocked spaniel exclaimed, sitting up.
"Really?" neil asked, turning onto his back to look at his boyfriend.
"Yea. what did you say you had for breakfast again?"
"A piece of toast."
Dylan gave neil an annoyed look. "Seriously? You had a single piece of toast in the past 6 hours?"
"Yea, it's not that big of a deal. Don't worry."
"Don't fucking tell me that you eating one slice of crunchy bread for half the day is not a big deal! I'm making you something to eat," Dylan huffed as he moved to the edge of his bed.
"Wait," neil reached for his shoulder before he got off the bed. Dylan looked at him as he quickly tied up his bangs and hair moved to his back and wrapped his arms around his neck and his legs around his hips.
Dylan sighed and stood up to leave. "You're lucky your light."
He went into the kitchen and started making lunch while neil stayed koala-ed on him. It was pretty peaceful, there was no talking, just the sound of food cooking and neil purring like an engine, at least until the door opened.
"Hey baby! Guess who got done with his meetings early and is gonna spend the rest of his day with youuuu!" uncle cheered as he opened and shut the door. The shock caused neil to scramble off dylan and stand at the counter closest to him just before uncle could see what was going on.
"Oh, is this your friend?" he asked upon seeing neil.
"Yea, his name is neil," dylan nodded. Uncle introduced himself to neil as dylan plated the food and gave it to neil and uncle.
"Oh, you can have that. I had something before i got here," uncle declined, pushing the plate away from himself.
"Are you sure? I don't mind making more food for myself."
"Mhm, i'm sure. You can eat, i'll even clean up for you!" uncle offered.
"No no, it's fine. It gives the food some time to cool," dylan smiled as he went over and started to wash the dishes as neil stirred his food on his plate, impatiently waiting for it to cool.
"So, since your mother is working late again i'm gonna treat you to the best cheese steak i can make you," uncle smiled. Dylan looked at him to respond only to see neil about to take a bite of his food.
"Neil, don't eat it yet. It's still hot," he told him as the american shorthair glared at him and started running his fingers through his hair.
"Ok, how late is she working?" he asked.
"12."
"That's how late she usually works. The only difference in her schedule is that she had to go in early."
"Mm. well still, she asked me to make dinner and i'm going to give you the best i can provide."
"alright, thanks," Dylan smiled as he finished the dishes and sat beside neil and started eating. They talked and went outside to spend time with the others. They decided to spend time at the park. Camila brought her easel to paint while she was there. Once kai got there, dylan went up to him.
"Hey, so why did you call me earlier? Weren't you at church?" he asked.
"Oh, i was at church, i just wanted to spare myself from more trouble."
"What kind of trouble?"
"I sucker punched a church mate kind of trouble," the rooster smiled smugly, like he was proud.
"Why do you sound so happy about that?"
"It's how i cope, ok?! I snuck out because i don't wanna face my problems so if i randomly leave, just know that mom found me. But ignoring my shitty home life, look what hollie gave me," he grinned, holding up a squeaky ball.
"Holy shit, a ball!" Dylan exclaimed upon seeing it.
"Yea, you want it?"
"Fuck yes, i want it!"
"You reeeeeaaally want it!?"
"Yes, yes, yes, yes! I really really reeeaaally want it!"
2318 words (almost an accidental monsters inc. referance)