A Drop of Light in the Night ( Catnap X Dogday )

Chapter 5: Not Enough Rest

Don't count yourself out when including "everyone."

I could feel myself starting to wake up, my eyes barely pulling themselves open. "Ugh..." I groan.

What another "fantastic" dream. I think to myself. At least I'm finally back here where I was meant to be. Sleeping in my bed at the Smiling Critters Home. I toss and turn over to take a peek next to me. There's no one in sight.

Hm. Looks like Dogday's already out of bed. That's to be expected though.

I yawn and stretch a bit. What an eventful last three days... They've gone by in a flash though. But this truly is the most time I've ever spent around Dogday.

Slowly sliding out of bed, I land on my feet and rub my eyes. "Speaking of Dogday... I wonder what he's doing at the moment," I talk to myself.

I make my way downstairs and look into the kitchen. Nope, not there. Then I look into the living room. Ah, there he is.

The dog in question is busy sweeping up the place with a broom and wiping a little sweat from his forehead. He lets out a gentle sigh.

"Dogday," I start. He quickly turns his attention to me. "Good morning," I tell him.

"Oh! Good morning, Catnap!" He smiles.

"You're already putting yourself to work. Does it have to do with your friends' return?" I ask.

"Our friends, sleepyhead," He softly chuckles. "But yeah... they'll be here soon. Just making sure everything's all fixed up before they get here." He leans against the handle of the broom.

"Then, perhaps, I could be of assistance?" I walk over to him.

"Huh? Oh, no. You don't have to. I can do this no problem!" He says, persuading me with even more sweeping.

I would normally let him take care of it himself since that's what he's asking for, but I honestly can't just let him do so much on his own. Especially since I owe a lot to him.

I go over and grab the dustpan, kneeling to the floor. "Two pairs of hands are better than one," I tell him. "Now, come on, I'm waiting."

He looks at me with a bit of surprise, but puts on a sweet grin. "Thanks, kitty." He sweeps the dust and dirt into the dustpan that I hold. Afterwards I empty it into the nearest trashcan. We spend about another ten or so minutes doing this before the dog looks over everything and nods, feeling satisfied.

"That should do it!" He says, breathing out a nice sigh of relief. "A clean home is a happy home..."

"Surely there's more to a happy home than that, Dogday," I smile to him.

"Well, yeah... but..." he yawns. "Still a good start!" He finishes.

"Still a bit tired?" I question. "You really should have gotten even a little bit more rest, you know."

"Nah, I'm totally fine! Don't worry about it!" The canine says, leaving the broom against a wall.

"Even I plan to get a nap or two in for today. I feel like you should do the same."

"Naps? You haven't even napped for the last few days," he brings up.

"Because I wanted to make sure I gave you my full attention for helping me out," I respond. "Besides, I'm also used to this level of exhaustion."

"Well... if you can get used to it, then I can too! Seriously, I'll be okay!" He reassures me. But somehow, I don't exactly feel like he will be.

Either way, I find myself taking some deep breaths to prepare myself for what's to come.