Pets

AN: here's chapter two!^^ I hope you guys like it :P

Chapter 2 Puppy

The APC seemed infinitely colder and more sterile today, but the little bunnies infinitely more cuddly and adorable. And their asses weren’t bleeding!


Number Seventeen B. however, hadn’t lasted the night. Raimi sighed, wrapping the poor thing’s carcass up and wondering again what had been done to it.

“Bet you wish you were a dog right now,” he said pulling a living one from its cage. “Wanna try eating, Puppy?”

Oh no! He’d named it! Number Eleven C. was no longer Eleven C., he was Puppy!

“Shit!”

The little thing looked up at him, weary, but too weak to fight.

“You’re going to live whether you like it or not!” he whispered fiercely. He couldn’t handle the death of a loved one right now.

...loved one?

He was screwed.

By the end of the day three of them had names and distinct personalities and he was sure that one more week and he’d have to steal them all from the compound. Maybe he could ask for one? Let them take some money out of his pay check or something... he could say it wasn’t going to make it anyway. Maybe he’d take Hound? No, he couldn’t bear to leave the others....

Yup. He was screwed.

He looked at his watch wondering when he should give up for the day. Yesterday Paul had been let off at seven so maybe if he waited till eight or nine he wouldn’t see the boy.

His cheeks flushed brightly at the reminder of his night.

“What a jerk,” he muttered. “No, not you Rover.” He stroked the Hare’s head affectionately. “You would never use me to cheat on someone; you’re a good bunny.” He sighed heavily.

How had he let that happen? He knew what most men were like, which was exactly why he wasn’t easy! Of course his one slip up and he was a cheating tool. He felt sick.

But even so, Paul was really good at giving head.

He groaned and dropped his forehead against Rover. The bunny paused and sniffed his hair.

“I can’t believe I still let him go down on me....”

“You okay?”

Raimi started violently and whipped around to face the door.

Paul stared at him, trying unsuccessfully to hold back a grin.

“Sorry,” he said, “Didn’t mean to startle you... or your bunny.”

Raimi looked down realizing that Rover was struggling in his tightened hold.

“He can move again!”

Paul burst into laughter.

Raimi tried not to blush as he placed Rover back into his cage with a soft apology.

“I’ll finish feeding you later,” he said.

“They look better.”

“No more bleeding,” Raimi said smiling. This was awkward. Should he say something–?

“I have to go.” Paul stepped more fully into the room. “Well, I don’t have to leave but–well–I have a meeting.” He looked at the camera and walked to the corner by the desk. “What’s this?” he asked suddenly.

“They’re my reports.” It seemed pretty obvious. Paul gestured for him to come nearer, a very serious look on his face so Raimi did. “What is it–?”
Paul lifted onto his toes and pressed their mouths together, sliding a hand into Raimi’s hair and sucking on his lips. Hard. Like he was angry.

He pulled away, catching his breath silently, his forehead against Raimi’s chin.

“Do you mind not having an escort tonight?” he asked quietly. “I’ll be busy.”

Shaken, Raimi shook his head.

“I don’t mind.”

Paul nodded.

It was weird; he didn’t look his usual pleasant self. The frown didn’t suit him.

He stepped past Raimi and didn’t pause until he reached the door.

“Oh, and you won’t tell anyone, right?” he asked looking back at him. He didn’t wait for an answer, but after he left Raimi didn’t hear the door lock behind him.

That wasn’t right.

He managed half a moment wondering before realizing that Paul wasn’t going to a ‘meeting’. His boyfriend, the department head, was probably here, and of course, they were both ‘working’.

He felt sick.

With a groan he sat down staring blankly at the reports in front of him. He hoped to god all of their dog experiments always went well, he didn’t think he could face that department.

And to make matters worse Paul was a powerful kisser. He looked up at the camera knowing that the corner that they had stood in was out of sight and considered relieving himself.

He sighed.

No, he couldn’t do it in front of the bunnies.

“Two more to feed,” he sighed. “And then I’m going home.”

He carefully fed the last two–accidentally naming both–and left as quickly as he could. The door had been left, very slightly open so that it hadn’t locked, but it did automatically when Raimi closed it.

It was strange walking through the halls of the APC alone. He never had before. The entire place felt empty and lifeless even though he knew there were people still working, and there were hundreds of animals as well. How could people work here every day for months on end? It was so lonely.

The walk through the grounds was longer than usual, far longer than it had been last night and then the walk home was another hour.

Raimi chose not to drive so that he would be forced to get some exercise, and he wasn’t very social so he didn’t mind being in a frozen wasteland in the middle of nowhere, but other people had minded. His mom had minded. His sister had minded. Kevin had definitely minded.

And what was it for? Some shitty job healing doomed animals and being alone? It hardly seemed worth it. He should just move back home where the winter was less than eight months of the year. As his feet trudged through the snow that sounded incredibly appealing. Finally home, he kicked off his boots and headed straight for the shower.

Maybe he would speak to Jenna about it when she came down. He had only been here for three months, but he wasn’t sure how much longer he could last. At most, until all the bunnies were gone. He frowned resolutely. Yes, if the bunnies died he would have to leave at once.

His phone began to ring as he turned off the water. Wrapping himself in a towel he went into his bedroom and picked it up.

“Open your door.”

Raimi’s heart began to pound at once at the sound of Paul’s voice.

“What?”

“Open your god damn door, it’s freezing out here.”

He rushed to the door whipping it open, and found Paul clutching his phone to his ear shivering.

He stepped inside quickly closing and locking the door against the cold as though he was being chased by it.

“What are you doing here?” Raimi demanded.

“I came to see you,” he said innocently.

“Paul, you have a boyfriend.” He turned and walked away feeling suddenly overwhelmed. “Please don’t do this, I don’t like it–.”

“Then why did you greet me in a towel?” Paul was suddenly against him, draping sensuously over his back. “You owe me,” he whispered. “I went down on you and you didn’t do anything for me. I was hard all day thinking about it.”

“Paul...”

“Please?” Again, he sounded so desperate for it, like he would die without it. He pried the towel gently from Raimi’s hands letting it drop to the floor.

“Can I suck you again?”

“No. You’ll just hold it against me.”

Paul laughed gently and tugged Raimi to the bedroom.

“Why am I letting this happen again?” he asked himself.

Paul just laughed.

Later, when they finally pulled apart, Paul went at once for his clothes. Raimi’d almost forgotten.

“See you tomorrow,” he whispered leaning over Raimi’s motionless form and kissing him. “Make sure you don’t tell anyone about this,” he said at the door.

And who exactly was Raimi supposed to tell? He didn’t know anyone up here.

This was ridiculous. He didn’t think he’d ever been so disgusted with himself.

It was hours before sleep finally took him and when it did he dreamed of puppy dogs and sex.

He woke to sirens and lay still a while wondering if he was really hearing them, or if some sleep fogged area in his brain was telling him to run from his current situation. But no, they were really there.

He got up at once realizing where it must be coming from and ran to the window. Fighting against the frost, he pushed it open, the noise instantly growing louder. It was definitely the lab. Their emergency sirens.

He looked at the clock.

And he was late.

He frantically phoned all the numbers into the place that he had, but no one answered. By the time he had toast in his mouth and clothes on his body the sirens had stopped. There was nothing else to do. He had to find out what was going on. He was supposed to work anyway. The bunnies needed him.

He left almost an hour late cursing Paul for keeping him up and then cursing himself for letting it happen. He walked the full hour through the woods till he got to the gate wondering all the while about the sirens and when he got there the gate was closed.

He pressed the buzzer.

“Hi this is Doctor Raimi Hanna, I was supposed to be in at nine.”

There was a pause.

“The entire APC facility is in lock-down, employees will be notified when the doors are re-opened.”

Raimi stared at the little speaker.

“How long will it take? If I’m not in there the animals I’m healing will be–.”

“You will be notified by the head of your department.”

“Seriously...?” He thought wistfully of his bunnies. “Shouldn’t have named them....”

Turning around, he grudgingly began the walk back to his cottage-like home. Clearly it was worse than he’d thought. A lock-down? Then it was really serious–and dangerous.

It was a military facility under severe security, why was he so surprised? Hopefully his family and friends down south didn’t get wind of this or they’d make him come home for sure.

He frowned. Would that be such a bad thing? Maybe he should send them an anonymous tip...

Raimi abruptly stopped walking. For a moment he stood in silence thinking he may have gone crazy. There it was again. Someone had moaned. He looked around, a chill traveling up his spine. It was a distinctly human noise.

Where was it? The sound of his feet drowned out the noise so he stopped again, his heart thudding in his chest.

Behind him.

He spun around and tore through the trees, stopping quickly at the site. It was a young man, eighteen or nineteen at the most laying naked in the snow, his brown hair spread about him in a halo.

Raimi dropped to his knees next to him checking for a pulse. The boy moaned and opened his big brown eyes. He was reminded instantly of a puppy and suddenly realized why.

The ears.

Raimi stared for a long time but it wasn’t until he touched them that he realized they were real.

He felt dizzy.

Breathe, he reminded himself. Keep breathing.

The boy moaned and pushed his head against Raimi’s hand. Well regardless of what kind of ears he had, he was going to freeze to death here.

Raimi ripped off his coat throwing it over the boy, and wrapping it as best he could around the limp figure. He slid his arms under him and hoisted him up, surprised by how light he was.

What was that?!

“Whoa!” He caught the boy before he fully hit the ground and held him more tightly.

“No, he doesn’t have a tail, deal with that later...”

Where to go? Back to the lab? Looking down at the round face and puppy-like ears something told him that would be a horrible idea. Well he was halfway home already, he would take him there and warm him up and then decide what to do with him.