Cherish || A Chase x Sweetie Fanfiction ||

(S2-C15) • Part 2: Alive •

His eyes felt sore upon raising the blinds but it was a pinch compared to the pain in his body. It ached like the next morning after doing a long workout in the gym. His vision was blurry and every movement was rusty, as if he was a machine lacking oil, but he was able to lift himself up and slouch on the cold, vertical metal surface behind him.

Where am I? He struggled to take in his location, having boxed in a large, rectangular container. However, a few meters away to his left, rays of pinkish light filtered through the trees and inside his resting place, which was the helping hand for him to recognize his surroundings.

Suddenly, his brain functioned to its fullest, blinking rapidly from the small, white pup that sat on the only entrance and exit of the place.

"Sweetie?" he called, feeling drunk. His head was pounding and a pain shot up his spine after moving an arm to reach for the pup. He couldn't help but curl into a ball once more, taking deep breaths to lessen the pain within his vessel.

His ears followed the sound of footsteps, approaching him with small taps on the metal flooring, and he was able to raise his head to greet the unexpected saviour.

"Wait... Rubble?" He admired the face of the pup he thought wrong in identity. In front of him was a Bulldog, his little eyes expressing sadness, yet fear was absent.

"Are you okay, Chase?" Rubble asked him, biting on the yellow blanket below Chase's feet after he got it off from his most recent movements, bringing it up the Shepherd's chest after he shivered and released a visible cloud from his muzzle.

"I'm fine, Rubble."

Chase avoided the youngest's pupils that stared at him, gripping the given cloth tightly from the sudden rush of regret, remembering what happened. It seems that Rubble saved him, and now, he wouldn't be surprised if the police were waiting for him outside. He deserved jail yet he still couldn't bring himself to get arrested. It was a conflicting thought, and a part of him hoped he just drowned back in the river instead. He thought wrong.

"No one knows you're here. They don't even know you're alive," Rubble admitted, sitting beside the shaking pup, whose fur was still a bit damp. "I let the sun dry your gears, and luckily, the insides weren't wet at all. But your pup-tag probably continued to flow down the river, which might be good because they could track you."

"But what about—"

"Mine?" Rubble lifted his connected pup-tag, it's former bright light replaced with a darker shade of yellow. "Rocky taught me how to turn it completely off before."

"I see..." Chase lowered his gaze, ashamed and, to be honest, afraid. Afraid of what his paws would do to the little pupper that helped him. Just thinking of how Rubble pulled him out of the raging current, it scared him of what the Bulldog had to go through. The anxiety, the mental drain, and the panic. He slowly scooched away from him, literally keeping his paws to himself.

To his surprise, warmness placed itself on his belly, Rubble's head resting above the cloth. It was a warming sight, and in reflex, Chase lowered a paw on the side of his friend's face, giving him a gentle rub for being the goodest boy he was.

To Rubble, it was a selfless act he did based on his natural instincts. He knew, better than anyone, how Chase felt. Honestly, he knew everything about his struggle yet he kept it a secret, doubting what he could do for being someone incredibly young. Right now, he just felt the need to comfort the most fragile pup at the moment. And immediately, he felt wetness landing on the flabs of flesh on his cheek.

He moved his head slowly to look at the Shepherd, watching as he wiped his eyes from the tears that escaped his grasp, and Rubble smiled. It wasn't a smile a sadist would make in seeing others suffer but quite the opposite. He was smiling because the tears that came out were tears that were held back for years. The Bulldog always tried to persuade everyone that he was strong and invaluable for the team, but seeing Chase, he was contented that he couldn't do what others can. It reminds him he's imperfect yet living a life he can smile through truthfully.