After an evening of ghost hunting on the grounds of The Conjuring house, a group of ghost hunters sat down around a campfire to mentally cool down. To help in getting back to baseline, there were smores, smokies, and other campfire delights.
“I think we got some good evidence tonight.” Bonnebelle, a blue border Collie, said as she bit into a smore. She wagged her tail, it was perfectly cooked.
“Oh, absolutely.” Dan the bull nodded, turning his smokie over in the fire.
“Especially those EVPs by the bridge! And the - oh! Not again!!” Josh blew out his marshmallow that had caught on fire.
Seth, a vampire bat with long hair, laughed and threw a marshmallow at the toller’s head.
“Dude! This is like the tenth time!” Their feline friend Tyler exclaimed.
“I know! But I need one good s’more before bed!!” The toller shook his head and popped the charred marshmallow into his mouth. In addition to the many campfire snacks he'd wolfed down, he hadn't wasted a single burnt mallow. The sugary treats were turning into a warm heavy lump in his belly.
Bonnebelle giggled. “Here, I'll make one for you.” She cooked up two more perfectly browned marshmallows and created a double decker s'more with a splash of caramel drizzle on top.
“Aw, thanks Bon.” He wagged his tail as he took the s’more and eagerly gulped it down.
“That looks so good!” Tyler's tail twisted into a question mark. “Can you make me one too, Bon?”
“Gladly! Anyone else?” Bon wagged as everyone raised a paw. She happily set to work making her special s'mores for everyone, and another for Josh too. And then another.
-
When it was time to turn in and they retreated into the tent, a problem quickly arose.
“There’s five of us…”
“-And only four cots…”
“How'd we not notice before?”
“Right, someone's gonna hafta sleep on the floor!”
“Not it!”
“Nope!”
“I'll do it.”
“No no, I'll do it. Yo I'll be the sacrifice!”
“Guy, guys, I'll sleep on the floor. I don't mind, really!” Bonnebelle volunteered.
Immediately, there was a chorus of nos and a round of head shakes.
“No way are we lettin’ a lady sleep on the floor.” Dan said. “I'd say you could sleep on Josh's cot, but you might not fit after all those s'mores he's had.”
“Oh, that's a great idea!” Bon wagged her tail. “I'm small, I'll fit!” She giggled and gently pushed Josh's shoulder. “Right?”
He patted his belly. “If you fit I'm game!”
“Well there ya are then.”
And so, the five friends got ready for bed. Still spooked from their ghost hunting adventure, they would be leaving a battery powered lantern on overnight.
Seth, Josh, Bonnebelle, Tyler, and Dan sat together and talked a while longer, still wired up from their adventure of the night. Once the others had gotten comfortable in their own cots, Josh lay back in his and Bon came over to him.
“So uh, I guess I just…” Bonnebelle sat on the edge of the cot next to him and slowly laid down, putting her arm across his belly. It felt taut and round and grumbled quite loudly beneath her paw.
Josh blushed and awkwardly moved his left arm around, until he settled it around her back.
“Mm…comfy!” Bon snuggled in and closed her eyes. Despite the spooky night, she felt quite safe in the toller’s arms. Especially with his full tummy gurgling rhythmically, which was sure to lull her to sleep.
“Oh, hey, I almost forgot. Do you want a blanket?”
Bon flexed her paws and nodded. “It's not freezing…but I sleep better somewhere warm.”
Josh reached over the side of the cot and grabbed his blanket, a fluffy one with a picture of a castle with ghosts flying out of the windows and turrets. He spread it over them and Bon pulled it over her head.
She breathed in his scent, campfire and a lively cologne, and closed her eyes. As she felt her mind slipping, her paw gently rubbed at Josh's belly softly and his tail started to thump over the side of the cot.
Josh's paw absentmindedly rubbed her back, it seemed he was slowly starting to drift off himself.
Bonnebelle smiled and wagged her tail, thumping it eagerly against the opposite side of the cot from his tapping tail.
“What're ya two love birds doin’ over there? With ya tails waggin’ like tha’?” Dan chuckled, his voice heavy with sleepiness.
“Eh?!” Bonnebelle snapped into attention, her tail freezing. She hadn't fully known what she was doing….until she realized her paw had snuck under Josh's shirt and was buried in his soft tummy fluff.
Josh smacked his lips. “Mmm…tummy rubs…” He mumbled. It seemed he was half asleep and hadn't come to as Bon had.
“Oh yeah Bon, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach!” Seth snickered.
“Haha, lucky dog!” Tyler added.
Josh put his other paw over hers and pressed it into his soft tummy.
“G…goodnight, guys.” Bon stammered from under the blanket.
“Night!” The other boys echoed.
“Night night…” Josh hugged her tight and held her closer against his belly as she tentatively rubbed it again. A small burp rumbled up his throat and he groaned softly and contently.
Bon rubbed in small circles, blushing again as the sleepy toller melted beneath her gentle touch. Soft snoring slowly arose through the tent as the guys fell asleep. Beneath those sounds were crickets chirping and other nighttime noises, as well as occasional soft murmurs or embers crackling from other nearby campsites.
Bon yawned and closed her eyes again, smoothing Josh’s belly fur as he practically purred at her touch. When he went fully limp with sleep, she gave his soft full tummy an affectionate pat or two. The rise and fall of his chest, combined with the rumbles and gurgles from his belly, pulled her into a comfortable sleep.
Bon dreamed of a new arcade game, one where Josh was protecting her from marshmallow ghosts in an 8-bit castle built of Graham cracker bricks and chocolate mortar.
