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However, their night doesn't go quite as smoothly as either of them would have liked.\n(Also on [url=https://archiveofourown.org/works/50201683/chapters/128050414#workskin]AO3[/url])\n\nEach chapter has its own \"soundtrack\"; these are completely optional to listen to, but I feel that these add to the experience as this story was partly inspired by music. Some songs are for specific scenes, and some are just there to add to the tone of the story.\n\nChapter 4, in order:\n\n‘Give a Dog a Bone’\n[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfL8IMg__WU]Little Bit of You[/url] - Chase Bryant\n\n‘Porch’\n[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtcQgVuk9z4]Chills[/url] - James Barker Band\n\n‘Traffic Light’\n[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WOODJ7lYi0]I Want Crazy[/url] - Hunter Hayes\n\n‘I’ve Missed This’\n[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kM6Hz4aZBfA]Drive[/url] - Black Stone Cherry\n\n‘Even When You Can’t See Me’\n[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9h2Su1uUHRs]When I Look to the Sky[/url] - Train\n\n‘A Funny Feeling’\n[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrnYnM-tYlg]lofi circus (Entry of the Gladiators)[/url] - Crazy Monkey\n\n‘The Maize Maze’\n[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbmf7aLU2fE][/url]Pilgrim - Fink\n\n‘Among the Lightning Bugs’\n[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUw7R6zxbT4]Holding Pattern[/url] - Nickel Creek\n", "description_bbcode_parsed": "Colby takes Smooch out on a date. However, their night doesn't go quite as smoothly as either of them would have liked.
(Also on AO3)

Each chapter has its own "soundtrack"; these are completely optional to listen to, but I feel that these add to the experience as this story was partly inspired by music. Some songs are for specific scenes, and some are just there to add to the tone of the story.

Chapter 4, in order:

‘Give a Dog a Bone’
Little Bit of You - Chase Bryant

‘Porch’
Chills - James Barker Band

‘Traffic Light’
I Want Crazy - Hunter Hayes

‘I’ve Missed This’
Drive - Black Stone Cherry

‘Even When You Can’t See Me’
When I Look to the Sky - Train

‘A Funny Feeling’
lofi circus (Entry of the Gladiators) - Crazy Monkey

‘The Maize Maze’
Pilgrim - Fink

‘Among the Lightning Bugs’
Holding Pattern - Nickel Creek
", "writing": " Hot adrenaline pumped through Colby’s veins with a scorching burn, his eyes quickly opening as he awoke on the floor of the Pooches’ living room floor once again. Another nightmare, no surprise there. \n [i]‘Fuck…’[/i] he thought as his paws trembled, rubbing his eyes and sitting up in his sleeping bag as the blurry and distorted visions of the worst memories he’d ever lived through were still lingering in his mind. It was like he had been stuck in a limbo of his own personal hell and unable to break free. \n He looked around the room for a moment before getting out of the bag, seeing the faintest hint of the morning sun peeking through the window. Far too stressed to be able to fall back asleep now, he meandered around aimlessly as he tried to find some way to distract himself from those images burned into his mind. Colby slicked back the raised fur on the back of his neck as his eyes moved from one place to another, beginning to truly appreciate just how colorful everything was around him. The calming shades of blue on the walls, the natural green of the couch, and even the more mundane brown tones of the floor were something to be cherished. In his head, Colby silently vowed to never take even a second of peace like this - a life full of color, full of stability and safety - for granted. \n He found his way to the bookshelf beside the TV, taking a closer look at the kinds of books Smooch kept in her home as he slid them out one by one before placing them back.\n “[i]‘Lord of the Fleas’, ‘Of Mice and Mutt’, ‘The Picture of Dorian Greyhound’…[/i]” Colby whispered to himself, finding it somewhat amusing how each title was one eye-rolling dog pun after another. However, a seemingly-unassuming book on the highest shelf suddenly threw Colby for a loop.\n [i]‘Pawma Sutra: Unleashing Passionate Pawsitions for Canine Connection’[/i]\n A reddish blush immediately appeared on the yellow Labrador’s face, hardly expecting to find a book like this so easily-accessible. He thought that perhaps this had accidentally mixed in with Smooch’s other books when she first moved here and simply forgot about it. But regardless of what the case may be, Colby couldn’t help but let his morbid curiosity get the better of him as he took the book from the shelf and opened it to a random page somewhere in the middle. \n “O–oh. Wow, these are…” he said aloud under his breath with a slight quiver in his voice, feeling a natural reaction swelling within him as he gulped. “Nice.”\n He snuck a quick look over his shoulder, making sure he wasn’t being watched before flipping through the pages with an ever-growing smirk on his face. Admiring the tastefully-done photography and artwork was definitely a successful distraction from his bad dreams, his mind now filled with increasingly-lewd fantasies of himself and a certain female blue terrier in the various sensual positions laid before him on the pages within his paws. \n Just as he reached the last page, Colby noticed he had a bit of a… problem; one that, if he didn’t get rid of quickly, might prove disastrous if anyone saw. As much as he wanted to take care of it in the ‘ideal’ way, he figured it was best to distract himself by other means. He put the scandalous book back on the shelf in the same spot, flipping through others for the most unappealing title he could find. \n “Here we go,” Colby muttered, pulling out a copy of [i]‘Corn: An Unabridged Agricultural History’[/i] and seating himself on the couch to quell his masculine instincts. \n But before he could even finish skimming the first page, he heard a door slowly open down the hallway, with his host appearing in the living room seconds later. \n “Oh, mornin’ Colby. I guess you must be an early-riser, huh?” Smooch sleepily gave him an endearing smile that did nothing but make his situation even more difficult. \n “G-good morning. Yeah, an ‘early-riser’, that’s me alright.” Colby grinned awkwardly, crossing his leg to obscure any chance of her seeing his predicament as he tried to learn as much about corn as fast as possible.\n “Readin’ up on corn, huh?” Smooch said as she noticed the cover of the book in Colby’s paws from across the living room. “Whaddya think of it?”\n “Oh, it’s [i]riveting.[/i] Fascinating stuff.” Colby nodded quickly, making sure to place the book in just the right position on his knee as he frantically skipped through the long and arduous chapter about breeding. \n “You really think so?” Smooch’s eyes lit up, her tail wagging behind her joyfully behind her. \n “Mhm. Just can’t seem to put it down!” Colby chuckled nervously through his teeth.\n “That just gave me a great idea!” Smooch gasped softly as though a lightbulb went off in her head. “But it’s gonna be a surprise for tonight. I’m really lookin’ forward to our date, Colby!”\n He glanced back over at her as she giddily disappeared into the kitchen, his nerves finally settling down once he’d reached the section on common pests and diseases as he let out a sigh of relief.\n “Me too.”\n\n Once Scooch awoke and the three ate a breakfast of bacon and cornbread pawcakes together, Colby was off on his own for the time being as Scooch had gone off to finally take Tag to the windmill museum and Smooch requested some time to herself to prepare for their date. \n [i]‘I should probably do something to prepare too, it’d be a bad look for me if I show up under-… groomed?’[/i] he thought to himself, looking down at his own nude furry body - save for the red collar around his neck. \n “HELLO!”\n Colby gave a startled jump in place as he train of thought was suddenly broken by a posh feminine voice, looking up to see a slim pink poodle wearing a comically-complex hat standing before him. It was like some kind of fully-functional marble drop machine, with several marbles rolling down ramps at the top of her head before being elevated back to the top again with little escalators. \n “Do you like my hat?” the poodle asked expectantly, as though she was taking some kind of survey to get everyone in town’s opinions on it.\n “I… actually [i]love[/i] that hat! Did you make it yourself?” Colby couldn’t help but stare in awe and wonder at the hat, his tail beginning to wag behind him as he found the rolling marbles soothing the longer he followed them with his eyes down the wired rails. \n “I [i]did![/i] And you’re the first dog to like my hat today!” She handed him a small pink card embroidered with fancy golden lettering. “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you in Pawston before, I’m Lady Lydia. I run a hat shop, [i]‘Lydia’s Lids’[/i]. You’ll flip your [i]lid[/i] when you see the other hats I’ve made!”\n “Thanks, I’ll be sure to check it out.” Colby nodded. “Oh, by the way, do you know where I can find a-”\n “Good-by!” Lydia said with a smile, suddenly turning around and leaving just as abruptly as when she came. \n [i]‘Well that was… bizarre.’[/i] Colby thought as he looked back down at the card before putting it behind his back. [i]‘But man, what an awesome hat.’[/i]\n\n After several more blocks further down the street, Colby finally came across the town’s barber shop, [i]‘His and Furs Groomers’[/i]. \n “Finally, a place to get cleaned-up,” he mumbled to himself as he entered, the pleasant flowery smell of fragrant shampoos and conditioners immediately hitting his canine nose like an invisible wall. \n “Good morning!” The red male dog with a short ponytail gave Colby a toothy smile as he entered. “You’re a new face in Pawston, interested in a haircut?”\n “Not a major cut today, just a grooming if you’re available.” Colby gently scratched at the yellow fur covering his arm.\n “Gotcha. I can take you right now, have a seat anywhere.” The barber gave him a thumbs-up as he went to get his tools briefly, and Colby made himself comfortable on the nearest chair. Within moments, Colby immediately felt himself spin around and dip backwards as the back of his head was submerged into a basin. \n “Name’s Hambonio,” the barber introduced himself as he turned the sink on, Colby’s mind suddenly feeling like it was melting with pleasure as the warm water ran down his scalp. “And you are…?”\n “Colby,” the yellow Labrador managed to say as his brains were being pleasantly scrambled by the heated jets of liquid.\n “Got anything special planned for today, Colby?” Hambonio asked, scrubbing shampoo into the brown hair atop the yellow Labrador’s head.\n “Well, uh… a date, actually.” Colby smiled a little, though it felt a bit weird for him to say. \n “Congratulations! And who’s the lucky dog?” Hambonio sat Colby back up after rinsing him off, immediately getting to work styling and lightly trimming bits of hair and fur. “If you don’t mind me asking, that is.”\n “Smooch Pooch.”\n “[i]Sergeant[/i] Pooch?” Hambonio stopped for a brief second in surprise before resuming with the grooming. “Well good for her! I just gave her a trim a few weeks ago, and lemme tell ya, you picked one of the good ones. Real nice gal. Treat her right and give her a date she won’t forget, yeah? Because she deserves it.”\n “Absolutely…” Colby agreed, a ticklish chill running down his spine as he felt a brush suddenly stroking the fur down his back.\n [i]‘...She deserves it.’[/i]\n\n With a clean coat of fur and a slight spring in his step, Colby’s eyes eventually fell upon the ball store - which, in actuality, was much less of a ‘store’ and more like a gigantic gumball machine filled with rubber balls of all sizes and colors. When he approached it, he stood by for a few moments to watch several other dogs use the machine; the balls it dispensed were apparently completely at random, both in style and in quantity. Most dogs only got one ball, while others got more. Some balls were detailed with various patterns and designs, but others were plain. Finally, once the area was clear, Colby decided to go in to try his luck. With a push down on the giant turning handle, the cranking gears of the machine began loudly whirring and rattling until out of the metal flap at the bottom rolled two blue balls.\n The Labrador picked each one up with his paws, silently rolling his eyes at the unsubtle irony.\n From there, he crossed the street to the doorbell store, which was surprisingly busy for a place with such a specific and limited inventory with a nearly lifelong use. Colby practically had to squeeze past dogs left and right to look around at all the different doorbells on display - most of them were dog-related, such as tennis balls, bones, and fire hydrants, but Colby decided against them. It had to be a doorbell that had some thought and care put into it, something that described Smooch [i]perfectly[/i]. He eventually caught a glance of a doorbell shaped like a police badge, keeping it in mind but continuing to look around further. Another doorbell was a corncob, definitely a contender. But it was then that Colby found the [i]perfect[/i] doorknob for Smooch - an acoustic guitar that softly strummed a chord when he pressed the button. \n “Found what you’re looking for?”\n Colby’s ear perked up at the sound of a deep but friendly voice, turning around to see a tall brown dog - presumably the store’s owner - wearing a flat red cap, goggles, and a green scarf.\n “Yeah, I think this is the one,” Colby replied with a smile, feeling confident in his choice. \n “Couldn’t have said it better myself! Wait here just a moment, I’ll go get them for you,” he said before disappearing into the back.\n [i]‘“Them”? But I only need-’[/i] Colby was about to say something, but was stopped when the dog already returned with two small boxes. One was even gift-wrapped.\n “One for your date, and one for you!” he said, handing Colby the boxes with pride.\n “Thanks, but… I didn’t even mention I was getting this for a date,” Colby’s brows furrowed in confusion. “How did you…?”\n “I’ve been doing this a long time.” \n Colby opened the regular box, seeing an identical guitar doorbell to the one he’d chosen for Smooch. He began handing it back to the dog. \n “I don’t have my own house, so I don’t really need-”\n “Not every doorbell is for a house, but all doorbells are for a home.” The tall brown dog smiled, placing his paw firmly on Colby’s shoulder. “Just keep it. You’ll know what yours means when the time comes.”\n “O…kay?” Colby gulped, feeling a little unnerved by the way this dog spoke so cryptically about his destiny. It was like he was some kind of fortune-teller, but with doorbells rather than a deck of tarot cards or a crystal ball.\n “See, the thing I love about doorbells is, they don’t just let you know when someone’s at the door,” the dog continued, “They bring us together.”\n “I… I think I get what you mean,” Colby said as he put the little boxes behind his back and they disappeared, though he still couldn’t understand the logic of it. “Thank you, uh…”\n “Paw Barker, at your service!” Paw shook Colby’s paw, giving him a happy-go-lucky grin as though he didn’t have a care in the world. “Nice to meet you, and your name is…”\n “Colby.”\n\n Colby returned back to Smooch’s house just as the sun passed its peak in the sky, still unsure if he’d given her enough time to prepare. As he didn’t have a phone to contact her and didn’t want to presumptuously allow himself inside, he figured it polite to simply knock on the door and wait to see if she would answer.\n As he stood in front of her door while waiting awkwardly for it to open, he began to feel pre-date jitters as he wondered if all of this was really okay. If he could manage to keep himself together. If this was all too good to be true.\n If he could really learn to be happy again. \n But just as the darkness began creeping into Colby’s inner-thoughts, he was brought back to reality as the door opened; the sight before him took his breath away.\n Smooch stood at the doorway and took a small step out onto the front porch, a subtle glisten in the fur on her fluffy blue cheeks like a trickling creek in the countryside as the sunlight shimmered across it. She was wearing an intoxicating perfume with earthy tones that smelled of fresh-cut grass and cedarwood combined with floral notes of pear and jasmine that seemed to be a perfect fit for a country girl like her. Even her dark blue lips, though mostly hidden by her muzzle, had a new but subtle glossy shine to them.\n “U-uh… uh…” Colby opened his mouth and quietly stammered but said nothing, at a complete loss for words.\n “Is everythin’ okay, Colby?” Smooch asked with a light blush in her cheeks as she looked up into his green eyes, secretly hoping he was impressed with how she looked. However, another small part of her was worried that she might have a tick on her face or something. \n “Y-yeah, I just…” He gulped. “I just got chills. You look so… beautiful. N-not that you didn’t before…!”\n Smooch’s heart skipped a beat as Colby was clearly flustered by the mere sight of her, the pink in her cheeks getting darker as her lips curled into a bashful smile. The butterflies in her stomach were flying around wildly as though they were forming a tornado.\nColby cleared his throat.\n “Anyway, I just wanted to ask if you’re ready to go, or if I should come back another time…?”\nSmooch chuckled; it was rather reassuring to know that Colby seemed just as nervous about today as she was, maybe even more so. \n “Let’s not wait for the grass to grow.”\nShe closed the door behind her and took him by the paw, leading him to her police car.\n “I know this ain’t followin’ the proper protocols, but since you’re the one who asked me out I figure it’s only fittin’ that [i]you[/i] drive us to wherever you have planned for today.”\n “Me, drive a police car?” Colby rested his paw on the black and white paint, admittedly tempted to take it for a spin. “Are you sure that’s alright? I won’t get in trouble, will I?”\n “Yeah, you’re with me, so the rest of the force will look the other way even [i]if[/i] they catch us. We’ll be fine.” Smooch gave him a reassuring wink as she tossed him the key and hopped into the passenger seat, buckling her seatbelt. \n “Alright, I’ll drive then. It’s been a while, though.” Colby hopped into the driver’s side, putting his seatbelt on and turning the key in the ignition.\n\n “So, as a police officer, what’s the number one crime you’ve had to deal with here in Pawston?” Colby asked as they took a leisurely drive through town.\n “‘Crime’?” Smooch tilted her head in confusion.\n “Yeah, y’know, like arson, drugs…” \n “What’re you talkin’ about, Colby? It’s like you’re speakin’ a different language again.” She scowled, trying her best to understand what those words meant but completely at a loss.\n “Have you never had to use a gun?” Colby glanced over to her with a look of surprise.\n “A ‘gun’? What [i]is[/i] that?” Smooch shook her head. Whatever it was, she didn’t really like the way that word sounded coming out of her mouth. “Sorry, maybe I just have some fluff in my ear, but you’re just confusin’ me.”\n “That’s… good.” Colby sighed in relief to hear that. “That’s actually really good to hear. Sorry, what I meant to say is… what does a typical day of work look like for you?”\n “Oh, well most of the time, they either have me directing traffic or monitoring speed limits. But once in a while we’ll have a [i]really[/i] crazy day, like a dog wagging in a ‘No-Wag’ zone.” Smooch’s eyes widened with a serious expression on her face. \n “A what?” Colby chuckled a little, “What’s a ‘No-Wag’ zone?”\n “You’ve never seen a ‘No-Wag’ zone before? It’s places where you’re not allowed to wag your tail, obviously,” Smooch replied.\n “Not allowed to-” Colby was about to say something, but stopped himself. “Interesting.”\n Smooch shot Colby a side-glance of suspicion, finding something awfully peculiar about him but still unable to place exactly what it was. Of all the dogs in her life, Colby was certainly one of the oddest ones she’d ever met. Not that she minded that about him - with the subtle way he’d look at her with those green eyes of his, the sound of his voice as he spoke her name, and the way everything else about him made her heart beat faster than it had in years, it was enough to make her look past hi[i]s[/i] funny way of talking.\n [i]‘Must be a Woofsconsin-thing,’[/i] she thought.\n “By the way, maybe this is a silly question, but what does this car run on?” Colby asked. “I feel like I’ve been all around Pawston by now, but I haven’t seen a single gas station.”\n “A ‘gas’ station?” Smooch turned to him.\n “Yeah, gasoline.”\n [i]‘There he goes again with that dialect,’[/i] Smooch said to herself, trying to figure out a way to clearly explain. “Well, here we call ‘gasoline’ solar-power.”\n “O-oh. Right. Like from the sun. That makes sense. Back home we call it gasoline because uh, the sun is a ball of… gas.” Colby nodded casually, trying to find a way to change the subject. He had to find some way to make this date memorable instead of awkward.\n And then, he got an idea.\n \"You know, I'd always wondered what it's like to drive a police car and be part of a chase... is it fast?\" He grinned at her.\n “Oh, probably. I wouldn’t know, though.” Smooch shrugged. “Honestly, I’ve never once had to take it over 55. I’m a ‘slow’ dog, remember?”\n “[i]Are[/i] you, though?” Colby asked, making sure to keep his eyes on the road. “Scooch is the one who told you to drive slow the other day, are you sure you’re not just a slow dog for [i]his[/i] sake?”\n Smooch was silent, pondering Colby’s question as he came to a stop at a red traffic light just on the edge of town. \n “Maybe I’m totally wrong about this, but… even though you come across as mild-mannered and disciplined, I swear you have this, this [i]fire[/i] in your eyes.” Colby turned his head to face her, making sure to look deeply into Smooch’s eyes as she looked back into his. “Deep inside you… it’s small and dim, but I think you must’ve been pretty wild back in the day, right? I mean, you were in a band!”\n “Oh, ‘back in the day’, huh? I may be over the hill, but I’m still young at heart, y’know!” Smooch felt flustered as she recalled her conversation with Maw the other day. “I-I remember what ‘fun’ is! Just ‘cause I’m a cop now don’t mean I’m a stick in the mud!”\n “So does that mean you’re up for something a little crazy?” Colby leered at her, an unusually-mischievous tone in his voice.\n “What’d you have in mind?” Smooch squinted back, eager to do anything to prove she was still just as fun as she always was.\n “...This.”\n Just as the traffic light in front of them turned green, Colby looked both ways and slammed his foot down on the pedal and his grip on the steering wheel tightened. Smooch clung to her seat as he drove her out into the rural outskirts of Pawston, his speed picking up rapidly.\n 50. 60. 70. 80.\n “This is [i]way[/i] faster than the speed-limit!” Smooch yelled, her paw tightly gripping Colby’s thigh as she sat next to him.\n “Want me to slow down?” Colby asked, glancing quickly over to her before his eyes returned to the road. Smooch thought about it for only a short moment, her exhilaration overcoming the panic she felt as she began to laugh. \n “...No!”\n 90. 100. 110. 120. No matter how fast Colby went, he seemed to be in complete control of the vehicle as they gradually made twists and turns around the sloped corners of the empty countryside road. Smooch had never seen the telephone poles and cornfields move by so fast before. \n “We are breaking [i]so many laws[/i] right now!” she shouted, still smiling widely.\n But Colby couldn’t hear her anymore, his ears flapping in the wind and temporarily deafening him. \n 130. 140. 150. 160. Although Smooch didn’t notice it, Colby’s determined eyes began to glow as a bright green flame ignited from the car’s exhaust. He was drifting through tight corners with the reflexes of nothing less than a professional racecar driver. \n 170. 180. 190. 200. The speedometer on Smooch’s police car didn’t even measure past 160 mph, and yet the vehicle was somehow surpassing it. Smooch knew she [i]should[/i] be scared for her life at this speed. And yet, with Colby behind the wheel and her adrenaline pumping like never before, she somehow felt safer than ever with this strange yellow Labrador by her side - this new dog in town that had inexplicably entered her life, seemingly out of thin air. But because of him, for the first time since her husband’s passing, she felt truly invincible. \n As they approached a hill with a lone tree just outside of Pawston, Colby finally slowed down to a smooth and gradual stop under the shade.\n “Th-that… was… somethin’ else.” Smooch’s body trembled, her wrists and ankles visibly shaking from the stress her body had been under. \n “Sorry, did I overdo it?” Colby asked, his eyes having returned to normal.\n “Ya sure did! Shoot, you could give Sam Whippet a run for his biscuits!” Smooch chuckled, giving him a playful slap on the shoulder with the back of her paw.\n “I don’t know who that is.”\n They were silent for a few moments before they both broke out into loud and uncontainable laughter.\n The first time that Colby had truly laughed in ages. \n\n “I really missed this,” Colby said with a sigh as he and Smooch laid together in the grass under the umbrella-shaped tree, looking up at the clouds slowly passing them by. \n “Drivin’ fast?” Smooch turned her head to face him, looking at him with a loving smile on her face that she wasn’t even aware of. \n “Being happy.” \n A tear trickled down Colby’s cheek, and Smooch was quick to wipe it from him before her paw gently moved into his. They continued taking a short rest together under the tree, looking up at the sky and silently remembering the ones they’d each lost. But in the tranquility of this moment, everything felt okay. [i]More[/i] than okay, in fact. Great, even. Greater than either of them had felt in quite a long time. For once, it felt great to be alive. Because on days like this, they could sense that the ones they loved were still watching over them, in one way or another. For longer than either of them could say, Smooch and Colby had both felt lost and alone. But when they were together, all of their worries and fears seemed to disappear without a trace. When they were with one another, they felt whole. Like what was missing inside them had finally been filled. \n Colby slowly closed his eyes, being lulled into total relaxation by the sun’s warmth and the calm rustling of the wind through the leaves.\n\n When he opened his eyes again, it was evening. More importantly, he was looking directly at Smooch’s sleeping face inches apart from his as they held each other in their arms; apparently, they had begun snuggling together in the grass after accidentally dozing off. \n As Colby sat up, he realized something - he hadn’t had any nightmares. Careful not to startle Smooch awake immediately, he reached down and gently shook her awake as she let out a yawn. \n “Hm?” She mumbled, smacking her lips tiredly as she regained her awareness. “Oh shoot, I went and slept the whole day away? And ya didn’t wake me?”\n “We both did. But the day’s not over yet.” Colby cracked his back as he stood before kneeling down and helping Smooch up. “Wanna go-”\n But then, his floppy ear perked up slightly as he heard a faint buzzing noise getting closer and closer. Apparently, a black mud-dauber wasp had recently begun building its nest in the tree just above them and was startled by the sudden movement below. When it curiously approached Smooch with a bobbing and weaving flight pattern to see if she was a threat, Colby’s arm suddenly shot forward with lightning-speed and grabbed the wasp’s head. \n He killed it immediately as it squished between his fingers. \n “Ah!” Smooch gasped, taken aback more by the speed of his reflexes and the wrathful expression on Colby’s face rather than the wasp itself. For a moment, it was like he was a completely different dog. \n “I [i]hate[/i] wasps… anyway, wanna go to the Amusement Bark?” he asked after a sigh of relief as his face returned to normal, casually wiping off the insect's innards on his waist.\n “Uh… s-sounds like fun,” Smooch cleared her throat, bumping into Colby playfully as she put it aside. After all, he’d just saved her from a painful sting. “But uh, I think [i]I’ll[/i] drive this time.”\n “Fair.”\n\n The smell of delicious sugar donuts and candy apples filled their noses as they entered the Amusement Bark, looking around at all the colorful neon lights illuminating the area as dusk began to fall on the town.\n “Oh, by the way, I almost forgot to give you these,” Colby took out one of the blue balls and the small gift-wrapped box from behind his back. \n “You didn’t have to get me anything, Colby! But thank you, I love it!” Smooch giggled as she gave the blue ball a squeeze, her pupils getting slightly bigger at the squeaky sound of it. She then opened the box, pulling out the little guitar doorbell inside and pressing the button to hear it strum.\n “Oh…” she said quietly, her expression hard difficult for Colby to read.\n “I-I hope it’s okay, I just thought that since you used to be in a band that maybe this would be-”\nColby was interrupted when Smooch suddenly wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him tightly. \n “This was so gosh-darn thoughtful, Colby… thank you.” Smooch wiped her eyes as she let him go. \n “Whew, I’m just glad you like it. I got worried for a second there.” Colby smiled, gesturing over to the rollercoaster. “So do you wanna go on some rides while we’re here?”\n “Oh, I dunno… I never been on one of them things before.” The blue terrier nervously scratched her arm as she looked at the coaster rolling up and down the tracks.\n [i]“Never[/i] been on a-!” Colby grabbed her paw, leading her to the ride without another word.\n “Well, I guess there’s a first time for everything…” she mumbled reluctantly.\n\n “...So I guess that’s a ‘no’ for the rides, then…” Colby awkwardly patted Smooch’s back as she was dry-heaving over a garbage can.\n “I don’t get it, I was just fine when you were drivin’ like a mad-dog earlier, and I even have a helicopter license!” Smooch retched again over the can, though thankfully nothing came up. Not that it mattered to Smooch, she still felt the same amount of embarrassment either way.\n “Maybe it’s the G-forces,” Colby suggested, “All those quick ups and downs might’ve been what did it.”\n “Maybe… either way, I think Amusement Bark rides just ain’t for me. Sorry.” Smooch finally recovered as she straightened her posture, taking slow deep breaths.\n “No need to be sorry, Smooch, how about we just-”\n “Hi there, can I borrow a minute of your time?”\n They turned their heads to find a pinkish-orange labrador with a camera coming up to them.\n “I’m Cam Snapshot, a local photographer. I need some new images for my portfolio and I saw you from across the crowd, do you two mind if I quickly take a few of you together? I can just [i]feel[/i] the chemistry radiating from you two!” The dog held up a professional-looking camera.\n Colby and Smooch’s faces grew hot, and they looked at each other with a bashful smile.\n “Sure, but do we get to keep a copy?” Smooch asked.\n “Of course! Just stand right there, that spot is perfect!” Cam said, taking a few steps back. “And keep looking at each other like that, don’t move an inch!”\n They did as she asked, and Cam quickly moved all around them as she got several angles of Colby and Smooch with her camera with the two of them holding their eye-contact all the while. Even if they tried, they couldn’t help but smile. \n “Okay, I think I got everything I needed. And here’s one for you.” Cam handed an instant-print photo to Smooch before walking away to find more dogs to take photos of. “Thanks!”\n As Smooch and Colby looked at the photo in her paw, they secretly agreed with Cam - they did seem to visibly radiate a certain chemistry with one another. \n “Hey, Sergeant Pooch!”\n The two looked over to a little white beagador now approaching them, with purple ears and a purple patch on her left eye, multicolored spots on her body, and wearing a rainbow bowtie with a flower on it. “What’cha up to tonight? Having fun?”\n “Oh, hey Cheddar. I’m just out on a nice date with Colby here. Colby, this is Cheddar Biscuit, Tag’s older sister. She’s a clown.” Smooch said as she put the photo away and introduced Colby and Cheddar, suddenly noticing the strange coincidence that they both had names relating to cheese. \n The instant Cheddar Biscuit and Colby locked eyes, the little beagador’s brow furrowed slightly in confusion. Time seemed to slow down for her when she saw his green irises, sensing some kind of familiarity in them - even though she couldn’t place it, like something at the tip of her tongue. \n “... Do I… know you…?” Cheddar asked.\n “Uh… no, I don’t think so, sorry. I’m still pretty new to Pawston, I’ve only been here a few days.” Colby shrugged as he scratched the back of his head, though he started to feel a slight headache. \n “...Do you want a balloon-animal?” \n As if driven by some kind of instinctive urge, Cheddar held up a pink balloon twisted into the shape of a unicorn on a string. \n “Oh, sure, thank you.” Colby gave her a polite smile as he took the balloon animal from her.\n “Well, um… h-have a good night!”\n With that, the little spotted white clown-dog ran off out of the Amusement Bark without another word. Colby winced as he held his paw to his head, suddenly feeling rather light-headed and dizzy for several seconds.\n “Huh, she’s actin’ a little funny tonight, isn’t she? And not in the ‘ha-ha’ kinda way. Hey, are you feelin’ alright, Colby?” Smooch rested her paw on Colby’s shoulder, noticing his discomfort.\n “Yeah… yeah, I’m fine. I think I’m ready to go though, all these bright lights are probably just getting to me.”\n\n Meanwhile, Cheddar Biscuit rested on a bench just outside of the Amusement Bark once she had gotten some distance away from Smooch and the strangely-familiar yellow Labrador. She was clutching her chest, a sickening feeling in the bottom of her stomach.\n [i]‘Why do I suddenly feel so… empty?’[/i]\n\n So where are we going now that’s so far out of town?” Colby asked as Smooch slowly drove them down the road through the farmlands outside Pawston, the balloon-animal tied to the backseat as it gently floated behind them.\n “You’ll see.” Smooch grinned coyly. “This is the surprise I mentioned this morning. This place is real special to me, and I think you’re gonna like it too.”\n After several more minutes, Smooch pulled over and parked on a small gravel parking lot on the side of the road. \n “Is this the place?” Colby asked, looking around and seeing nothing but cornfields as far as the eye could see - at least, with what limited vision he had in the dark. \n “Yep, we’re here.” Smooch unbuckled her seatbelt, turning to Colby with a serious tone in her voice. “Listen, the reason this spot is so special to me is because… when my husband died, I couldn’t bear to live in Barkansas anymore. Too many memories. No matter how hard I tried to forget, everything there reminded me of him. That’s why I moved to Pawston in the first place, to get a fresh start. But after a while… I began to miss home. So for me, this spot is like a little part of home away from home.” \n Colby remained silent. There was so much he wanted to say to her, yet he couldn’t find the words. He wondered if he ever could. \n “C’mon, follow me.” Smooch got out of the car, and Colby followed. “And stay close.”\n The blue terrier disappeared into the cornfield, with Colby sticking close behind her. He brushed large leaves from the stalks out from his eyes as he tracked her movements through the gaps, though as the night grew darker it was becoming increasingly-difficult to follow her.\n\n And then, before he knew it, Colby had gotten hopelessly lost.\n\n “Smooch?” Colby asked aloud, no longer able to hear her rustling through the corn stalks in front of him. No matter which direction he looked, the tall rows he was surrounded by only seemed to be a black and infinite maze of maize.\n “Smooch?!”\n A dark and barren emptiness, devoid of life. No matter how many rows he sprinted through, the corn never ended. Forever and ever, the cruelty of eternity mocked him as he ran… and ran… and ran. His heart was pounding loudly in his head like war drums, tears spilling uncontrollably from his eyes and wetting the dry dirt below his feet. He looked up to the sky for any sign of hope, finding only the vast void of space. Lost in the corn, lost in his heart, lost in the cycle of all and nothing.\n [b][i]“ALONE”.[/i][/b]\n A voice that was not his own, one deep and guttural, rang in his head clear as day.\n “I can’t be alone again, I CAN’T DO THIS ALONE, I [i]CAN’T!”[/i] Colby cried out, cursing the voice that taunted him as the whole world seemed to get darker around him and envelop him in his own despair.\nSuddenly, two furry arms tightly wrapped around his waist and stopped him in his tracks.\n “Colby!”\n He knew the sound of Smooch’s voice instantly, coming back to reality as he tightly clung onto her and wept.\n “I gotcha, I gotcha. It’s okay. Everything’s okay. I’m sorry I left you behind. But you’re not alone,” Smooch said in her motherly tone; she didn’t know what had Colby so distraught, but it was clear that he was dealing with some severe separation anxiety.\n When Colby’s pounding heart eventually dropped to a normal pace, he slowly let go of her without a word. \n “C’mon, this way, Colby. Just hold my paw… and keep me close,” Smooch spoke ever so softly and gently, in a much similar way that she would speak to her son when he’d had a nightmare. “Don’t ever let go.”\nColby dried his eyes as Smooch led him through the cornfield, her thumb slowly caressing the back of his paw as she held it. Eventually, he was led to an opening that took his breath away.\n In the middle of the cornfield was a small patch of short rhubarb plants that had apparently been seeded by mistake; floating all around it were hundreds of lightning bugs, their soft neon-green bioluminescence lighting up the area with their warm and comforting glow as they sought out mates. In a way, Colby thought this rhubarb patch looked somewhat like a dance floor, lit up by a disco ball during a slow song.\n Smooch seemed to have the same idea, turning to face him as they reached the center. \n “May I have this dance?”\n Colby nervously nodded and wrapped his paws around Smooch’s waist, and she rested her paws over his shoulders in return. They began to gently sway together between the rhubarb leaves among the glow of the dancing lightning bugs and the melodious croaking of frogs resounding from a distant pond, shifting their weight from side to side as they rotated around each other. With their bodies pressed against one another, their heartbeats were perfectly in sync as Smooch rested her cheek against Colby’s chest with a gentle hum. Colby let out a quiet sigh into her ear as he exhaled, finally feeling completely at ease in her presence. Though there was no music to set the rhythm of their feet, they could almost hear the quiet melancholic strum of an imaginary acoustic guitar to the beat of the flashing green lights around them. \n “...What are we doing, Smooch?” Colby whispered. “I mean… what are we even [i]doing?”[/i]\n Smooch looked up at him, his green eyes glowing just like the lightning bugs around them. \n “...You tell me.”\n Colby looked down at the beautiful blue terrier before him, finding himself hopelessly in love with everything she was. He held her waist tighter against his, his breathing getting slower and heavier as a defining moment was imminently upon them. He stopped swaying, slowly caressing his paws up her body to her jawline and tilting her head up to meet his own. \n They stood in complete stillness for what felt like a lifetime, gazing into each others’ eyes. The tension between them was at its peak as Colby inched his face closer to Smooch’s. Before he even realized it, their wet canine noses were touching. Colby could feel her breath gently tickling his lips, their cheeks both burning a vibrant red hue as he paused with their mouths mere millimeters away. \n He tilted his head. There was no use in fighting it anymore. It was time to allow themselves to be happy, to be free of this holding pattern they’d been keeping themselves in. They had been alone for long enough.\nAlthough the lightning bugs continued to light up the night around them, time itself stood still.\n\n Colby closed the space between them. \n\n Neither of them was sure just for how long their first kiss lasted. It could have been a second, minutes, or even hours - it didn’t matter. But when they finally broke the kiss, their lips were like magnets that couldn’t resist reuniting again for another. And another. And another. Colby was about to go in for yet another when Smooch pressed her palm against his chest as she caught her breath.\n “You make me feel so special, Colby. Ever since we met, every moment I’ve spent with you has been the best part of my day. I… I haven’t felt this way about anyone in a really long time.”\n “I hope this means you want to see where this goes.” Colby caught his own breath as well, his mind reeling with bliss from what had just happened. “I’m… really attracted to you, Smooch Pooch.”\n “I absolutely do, and I’m really attracted to you too. It makes me feel so good to hear you say that.” Smooch’s heart still felt like it was on the rover-coaster to hear him confess his attraction to her in his own words. “I’m so glad I met you, Colby. This feels like a new chapter in my life.”\n “I’m really glad I met you too. I’m already loving every chapter of our story so far.” Colby softly laughed, pressing his wet canine nose against hers. “And to think, we wouldn’t be here together tonight if you hadn’t hit me with your car.”\n Smooch gave him a playful smack on his shoulder as they both blushed.\n “Oh, hush yer mouth, you!”\n “I know one way…” Colby leaned forward for another kiss, but Smooch held him back once again.\n “Sorry, Colby, but uh… I think we’d better stop here for tonight. One more kiss like that, and I… I dunno [i]what[/i] I might do.” Smooch hated rejecting him like this, as she wanted to take it further as much as he did. But this was the smart thing to do. “Things are just… movin’ a tad fast for me, ya know?”\n “Aw, now you got me [i]really[/i] intrigued!” Colby chuckled with a breathy sigh as his face felt like it was on fire. “But okay, I hear you. One step at a time. Is a hug okay before we head back, at least?”\n “C’mere.” Smooch wrapped her arms around him, smiling widely as she pressed her cheek to his beating heart. Colby rubbed her soft furry back with his paws, resting his chin on the top of her head as they embraced.\n\n They left the cornfield together holding paws, leaving the soft neon green glow of the dancing lightning bugs in their wake. \n And just as they’d hoped, it was indeed a date that neither of them would ever forget.", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "            Hot adrenaline pumped through Colby’s veins with a scorching burn, his eyes quickly opening as he awoke on the floor of the Pooches’ living room floor once again. Another nightmare, no surprise there.
            ‘Fuck…’ he thought as his paws trembled, rubbing his eyes and sitting up in his sleeping bag as the blurry and distorted visions of the worst memories he’d ever lived through were still lingering in his mind. It was like he had been stuck in a limbo of his own personal hell and unable to break free.
            He looked around the room for a moment before getting out of the bag, seeing the faintest hint of the morning sun peeking through the window. Far too stressed to be able to fall back asleep now, he meandered around aimlessly as he tried to find some way to distract himself from those images burned into his mind. Colby slicked back the raised fur on the back of his neck as his eyes moved from one place to another, beginning to truly appreciate just how colorful everything was around him. The calming shades of blue on the walls, the natural green of the couch, and even the more mundane brown tones of the floor were something to be cherished. In his head, Colby silently vowed to never take even a second of peace like this - a life full of color, full of stability and safety - for granted.
            He found his way to the bookshelf beside the TV, taking a closer look at the kinds of books Smooch kept in her home as he slid them out one by one before placing them back.
            “‘Lord of the Fleas’, ‘Of Mice and Mutt’, ‘The Picture of Dorian Greyhound’…” Colby whispered to himself, finding it somewhat amusing how each title was one eye-rolling dog pun after another. However, a seemingly-unassuming book on the highest shelf suddenly threw Colby for a loop.
            ‘Pawma Sutra: Unleashing Passionate Pawsitions for Canine Connection’
            A reddish blush immediately appeared on the yellow Labrador’s face, hardly expecting to find a book like this so easily-accessible. He thought that perhaps this had accidentally mixed in with Smooch’s other books when she first moved here and simply forgot about it. But regardless of what the case may be, Colby couldn’t help but let his morbid curiosity get the better of him as he took the book from the shelf and opened it to a random page somewhere in the middle.
            “O–oh. Wow, these are…” he said aloud under his breath with a slight quiver in his voice, feeling a natural reaction swelling within him as he gulped. “Nice.”
            He snuck a quick look over his shoulder, making sure he wasn’t being watched before flipping through the pages with an ever-growing smirk on his face. Admiring the tastefully-done photography and artwork was definitely a successful distraction from his bad dreams, his mind now filled with increasingly-lewd fantasies of himself and a certain female blue terrier in the various sensual positions laid before him on the pages within his paws.
            Just as he reached the last page, Colby noticed he had a bit of a… problem; one that, if he didn’t get rid of quickly, might prove disastrous if anyone saw. As much as he wanted to take care of it in the ‘ideal’ way, he figured it was best to distract himself by other means. He put the scandalous book back on the shelf in the same spot, flipping through others for the most unappealing title he could find.
            “Here we go,” Colby muttered, pulling out a copy of ‘Corn: An Unabridged Agricultural History’ and seating himself on the couch to quell his masculine instincts.
            But before he could even finish skimming the first page, he heard a door slowly open down the hallway, with his host appearing in the living room seconds later.
            “Oh, mornin’ Colby. I guess you must be an early-riser, huh?” Smooch sleepily gave him an endearing smile that did nothing but make his situation even more difficult.
            “G-good morning. Yeah, an ‘early-riser’, that’s me alright.” Colby grinned awkwardly, crossing his leg to obscure any chance of her seeing his predicament as he tried to learn as much about corn as fast as possible.
            “Readin’ up on corn, huh?” Smooch said as she noticed the cover of the book in Colby’s paws from across the living room. “Whaddya think of it?”
            “Oh, it’s riveting. Fascinating stuff.” Colby nodded quickly, making sure to place the book in just the right position on his knee as he frantically skipped through the long and arduous chapter about breeding.
            “You really think so?” Smooch’s eyes lit up, her tail wagging behind her joyfully behind her.
            “Mhm. Just can’t seem to put it down!” Colby chuckled nervously through his teeth.
            “That just gave me a great idea!” Smooch gasped softly as though a lightbulb went off in her head. “But it’s gonna be a surprise for tonight. I’m really lookin’ forward to our date, Colby!”
            He glanced back over at her as she giddily disappeared into the kitchen, his nerves finally settling down once he’d reached the section on common pests and diseases as he let out a sigh of relief.
            “Me too.”

            Once Scooch awoke and the three ate a breakfast of bacon and cornbread pawcakes together, Colby was off on his own for the time being as Scooch had gone off to finally take Tag to the windmill museum and Smooch requested some time to herself to prepare for their date.
            ‘I should probably do something to prepare too, it’d be a bad look for me if I show up under-… groomed?’ he thought to himself, looking down at his own nude furry body - save for the red collar around his neck.
            “HELLO!”
            Colby gave a startled jump in place as he train of thought was suddenly broken by a posh feminine voice, looking up to see a slim pink poodle wearing a comically-complex hat standing before him. It was like some kind of fully-functional marble drop machine, with several marbles rolling down ramps at the top of her head before being elevated back to the top again with little escalators.
            “Do you like my hat?” the poodle asked expectantly, as though she was taking some kind of survey to get everyone in town’s opinions on it.
            “I… actually love that hat! Did you make it yourself?” Colby couldn’t help but stare in awe and wonder at the hat, his tail beginning to wag behind him as he found the rolling marbles soothing the longer he followed them with his eyes down the wired rails.
            “I did! And you’re the first dog to like my hat today!” She handed him a small pink card embroidered with fancy golden lettering. “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you in Pawston before, I’m Lady Lydia. I run a hat shop, ‘Lydia’s Lids’. You’ll flip your lid when you see the other hats I’ve made!”
            “Thanks, I’ll be sure to check it out.” Colby nodded. “Oh, by the way, do you know where I can find a-”
            “Good-by!” Lydia said with a smile, suddenly turning around and leaving just as abruptly as when she came.
            ‘Well that was… bizarre.’ Colby thought as he looked back down at the card before putting it behind his back. ‘But man, what an awesome hat.’

            After several more blocks further down the street, Colby finally came across the town’s barber shop, ‘His and Furs Groomers’.
            “Finally, a place to get cleaned-up,” he mumbled to himself as he entered, the pleasant flowery smell of fragrant shampoos and conditioners immediately hitting his canine nose like an invisible wall.
            “Good morning!” The red male dog with a short ponytail gave Colby a toothy smile as he entered. “You’re a new face in Pawston, interested in a haircut?”
            “Not a major cut today, just a grooming if you’re available.” Colby gently scratched at the yellow fur covering his arm.
            “Gotcha. I can take you right now, have a seat anywhere.” The barber gave him a thumbs-up as he went to get his tools briefly, and Colby made himself comfortable on the nearest chair. Within moments, Colby immediately felt himself spin around and dip backwards as the back of his head was submerged into a basin.
            “Name’s Hambonio,” the barber introduced himself as he turned the sink on, Colby’s mind suddenly feeling like it was melting with pleasure as the warm water ran down his scalp. “And you are…?”
            “Colby,” the yellow Labrador managed to say as his brains were being pleasantly scrambled by the heated jets of liquid.
            “Got anything special planned for today, Colby?” Hambonio asked, scrubbing shampoo into the brown hair atop the yellow Labrador’s head.
            “Well, uh… a date, actually.” Colby smiled a little, though it felt a bit weird for him to say.
            “Congratulations! And who’s the lucky dog?” Hambonio sat Colby back up after rinsing him off, immediately getting to work styling and lightly trimming bits of hair and fur. “If you don’t mind me asking, that is.”
            “Smooch Pooch.”
            “Sergeant Pooch?” Hambonio stopped for a brief second in surprise before resuming with the grooming. “Well good for her! I just gave her a trim a few weeks ago, and lemme tell ya, you picked one of the good ones. Real nice gal. Treat her right and give her a date she won’t forget, yeah? Because she deserves it.”
            “Absolutely…” Colby agreed, a ticklish chill running down his spine as he felt a brush suddenly stroking the fur down his back.
            ‘...She deserves it.’

            With a clean coat of fur and a slight spring in his step, Colby’s eyes eventually fell upon the ball store - which, in actuality, was much less of a ‘store’ and more like a gigantic gumball machine filled with rubber balls of all sizes and colors. When he approached it, he stood by for a few moments to watch several other dogs use the machine; the balls it dispensed were apparently completely at random, both in style and in quantity. Most dogs only got one ball, while others got more. Some balls were detailed with various patterns and designs, but others were plain. Finally, once the area was clear, Colby decided to go in to try his luck. With a push down on the giant turning handle, the cranking gears of the machine began loudly whirring and rattling until out of the metal flap at the bottom rolled two blue balls.
            The Labrador picked each one up with his paws, silently rolling his eyes at the unsubtle irony.
            From there, he crossed the street to the doorbell store, which was surprisingly busy for a place with such a specific and limited inventory with a nearly lifelong use. Colby practically had to squeeze past dogs left and right to look around at all the different doorbells on display - most of them were dog-related, such as tennis balls, bones, and fire hydrants, but Colby decided against them. It had to be a doorbell that had some thought and care put into it, something that described Smooch perfectly. He eventually caught a glance of a doorbell shaped like a police badge, keeping it in mind but continuing to look around further. Another doorbell was a corncob, definitely a contender. But it was then that Colby found the perfect doorknob for Smooch - an acoustic guitar that softly strummed a chord when he pressed the button.
            “Found what you’re looking for?”
            Colby’s ear perked up at the sound of a deep but friendly voice, turning around to see a tall brown dog - presumably the store’s owner - wearing a flat red cap, goggles, and a green scarf.
            “Yeah, I think this is the one,” Colby replied with a smile, feeling confident in his choice.
            “Couldn’t have said it better myself! Wait here just a moment, I’ll go get them for you,” he said before disappearing into the back.
            ‘“Them”? But I only need-’ Colby was about to say something, but was stopped when the dog already returned with two small boxes. One was even gift-wrapped.
            “One for your date, and one for you!” he said, handing Colby the boxes with pride.
            “Thanks, but… I didn’t even mention I was getting this for a date,” Colby’s brows furrowed in confusion. “How did you…?”
            “I’ve been doing this a long time.”
            Colby opened the regular box, seeing an identical guitar doorbell to the one he’d chosen for Smooch. He began handing it back to the dog.
            “I don’t have my own house, so I don’t really need-”
            “Not every doorbell is for a house, but all doorbells are for a home.” The tall brown dog smiled, placing his paw firmly on Colby’s shoulder. “Just keep it. You’ll know what yours means when the time comes.”
            “O…kay?” Colby gulped, feeling a little unnerved by the way this dog spoke so cryptically about his destiny. It was like he was some kind of fortune-teller, but with doorbells rather than a deck of tarot cards or a crystal ball.
            “See, the thing I love about doorbells is, they don’t just let you know when someone’s at the door,” the dog continued, “They bring us together.”
            “I… I think I get what you mean,” Colby said as he put the little boxes behind his back and they disappeared, though he still couldn’t understand the logic of it. “Thank you, uh…”
            “Paw Barker, at your service!” Paw shook Colby’s paw, giving him a happy-go-lucky grin as though he didn’t have a care in the world. “Nice to meet you, and your name is…”
            “Colby.”

            Colby returned back to Smooch’s house just as the sun passed its peak in the sky, still unsure if he’d given her enough time to prepare. As he didn’t have a phone to contact her and didn’t want to presumptuously allow himself inside, he figured it polite to simply knock on the door and wait to see if she would answer.
            As he stood in front of her door while waiting awkwardly for it to open, he began to feel pre-date jitters as he wondered if all of this was really okay. If he could manage to keep himself together. If this was all too good to be true.
            If he could really learn to be happy again.
            But just as the darkness began creeping into Colby’s inner-thoughts, he was brought back to reality as the door opened; the sight before him took his breath away.
            Smooch stood at the doorway and took a small step out onto the front porch, a subtle glisten in the fur on her fluffy blue cheeks like a trickling creek in the countryside as the sunlight shimmered across it. She was wearing an intoxicating perfume with earthy tones that smelled of fresh-cut grass and cedarwood combined with floral notes of pear and jasmine that seemed to be a perfect fit for a country girl like her. Even her dark blue lips, though mostly hidden by her muzzle, had a new but subtle glossy shine to them.
            “U-uh… uh…” Colby opened his mouth and quietly stammered but said nothing, at a complete loss for words.
            “Is everythin’ okay, Colby?” Smooch asked with a light blush in her cheeks as she looked up into his green eyes, secretly hoping he was impressed with how she looked. However, another small part of her was worried that she might have a tick on her face or something.
            “Y-yeah, I just…” He gulped.  “I just got chills. You look so… beautiful. N-not that you didn’t before…!”
            Smooch’s heart skipped a beat as Colby was clearly flustered by the mere sight of her, the pink in her cheeks getting darker as her lips curled into a bashful smile. The butterflies in her stomach were flying around wildly as though they were forming a tornado.
Colby cleared his throat.
            “Anyway, I just wanted to ask if you’re ready to go, or if I should come back another time…?”
Smooch chuckled; it was rather reassuring to know that Colby seemed just as nervous about today as she was, maybe even more so.
            “Let’s not wait for the grass to grow.”
She closed the door behind her and took him by the paw, leading him to her police car.
            “I know this ain’t followin’ the proper protocols, but since you’re the one who asked me out I figure it’s only fittin’ that you drive us to wherever you have planned for today.”
            “Me, drive a police car?” Colby rested his paw on the black and white paint, admittedly tempted to take it for a spin. “Are you sure that’s alright? I won’t get in trouble, will I?”
            “Yeah, you’re with me, so the rest of the force will look the other way even if they catch us. We’ll be fine.” Smooch gave him a reassuring wink as she tossed him the key and hopped into the passenger seat, buckling her seatbelt.
            “Alright, I’ll drive then. It’s been a while, though.” Colby hopped into the driver’s side, putting his seatbelt on and turning the key in the ignition.

            “So, as a police officer, what’s the number one crime you’ve had to deal with here in Pawston?” Colby asked as they took a leisurely drive through town.
            “‘Crime’?” Smooch tilted her head in confusion.
            “Yeah, y’know, like arson, drugs…”
            “What’re you talkin’ about, Colby? It’s like you’re speakin’ a different language again.” She scowled, trying her best to understand what those words meant but completely at a loss.
            “Have you never had to use a gun?” Colby glanced over to her with a look of surprise.
            “A ‘gun’? What is that?” Smooch shook her head. Whatever it was, she didn’t really like the way that word sounded coming out of her mouth. “Sorry, maybe I just have some fluff in my ear, but you’re just confusin’ me.”
            “That’s… good.” Colby sighed in relief to hear that. “That’s actually really good to hear. Sorry, what I meant to say is… what does a typical day of work look like for you?”
            “Oh, well most of the time, they either have me directing traffic or monitoring speed limits. But once in a while we’ll have a really crazy day, like a dog wagging in a ‘No-Wag’ zone.” Smooch’s eyes widened with a serious expression on her face.
            “A what?” Colby chuckled a little, “What’s a ‘No-Wag’ zone?”
            “You’ve never seen a ‘No-Wag’ zone before? It’s places where you’re not allowed to wag your tail, obviously,” Smooch replied.
            “Not allowed to-” Colby was about to say something, but stopped himself. “Interesting.”
            Smooch shot Colby a side-glance of suspicion, finding something awfully peculiar about him but still unable to place exactly what it was. Of all the dogs in her life, Colby was certainly one of the oddest ones she’d ever met. Not that she minded that about him - with the subtle way he’d look at her with those green eyes of his, the sound of his voice as he spoke her name, and the way everything else about him made her heart beat faster than it had in years, it was enough to make her look past his funny way of talking.
            ‘Must be a Woofsconsin-thing,’ she thought.
            “By the way, maybe this is a silly question, but what does this car run on?” Colby asked. “I feel like I’ve been all around Pawston by now, but I haven’t seen a single gas station.”
            “A ‘gas’ station?” Smooch turned to him.
            “Yeah, gasoline.”
            ‘There he goes again with that dialect,’ Smooch said to herself, trying to figure out a way to clearly explain. “Well, here we call ‘gasoline’ solar-power.”
            “O-oh. Right. Like from the sun. That makes sense. Back home we call it gasoline because uh, the sun is a ball of… gas.” Colby nodded casually, trying to find a way to change the subject. He had to find some way to make this date memorable instead of awkward.
            And then, he got an idea.
            "You know, I'd always wondered what it's like to drive a police car and be part of a chase... is it fast?" He grinned at her.
            “Oh, probably. I wouldn’t know, though.” Smooch shrugged. “Honestly, I’ve never once had to take it over 55. I’m a ‘slow’ dog, remember?”
            “Are you, though?” Colby asked, making sure to keep his eyes on the road. “Scooch is the one who told you to drive slow the other day, are you sure you’re not just a slow dog for his sake?”
            Smooch was silent, pondering Colby’s question as he came to a stop at a red traffic light just on the edge of town.  
            “Maybe I’m totally wrong about this, but… even though you come across as mild-mannered and disciplined, I swear you have this, this fire in your eyes.” Colby turned his head to face her, making sure to look deeply into Smooch’s eyes as she looked back into his. “Deep inside you… it’s small and dim, but I think you must’ve been pretty wild back in the day, right? I mean, you were in a band!”
            “Oh, ‘back in the day’, huh? I may be over the hill, but I’m still young at heart, y’know!” Smooch felt flustered as she recalled her conversation with Maw the other day. “I-I remember what ‘fun’ is! Just ‘cause I’m a cop now don’t mean I’m a stick in the mud!”
            “So does that mean you’re up for something a little crazy?” Colby leered at her, an unusually-mischievous tone in his voice.
            “What’d you have in mind?” Smooch squinted back, eager to do anything to prove she was still just as fun as she always was.
            “...This.”
            Just as the traffic light in front of them turned green, Colby looked both ways and slammed his foot down on the pedal and his grip on the steering wheel tightened. Smooch clung to her seat as he drove her out into the rural outskirts of Pawston, his speed picking up rapidly.
            50. 60. 70. 80.
            “This is way faster than the speed-limit!” Smooch yelled, her paw tightly gripping Colby’s thigh as she sat next to him.
            “Want me to slow down?” Colby asked, glancing quickly over to her before his eyes returned to the road. Smooch thought about it for only a short moment, her exhilaration overcoming the panic she felt as she began to laugh.
            “...No!”
            90. 100. 110. 120. No matter how fast Colby went, he seemed to be in complete control of the vehicle as they gradually made twists and turns around the sloped corners of the empty countryside road. Smooch had never seen the telephone poles and cornfields move by so fast before.
            “We are breaking so many laws right now!” she shouted, still smiling widely.
            But Colby couldn’t hear her anymore, his ears flapping in the wind and temporarily deafening him.
            130. 140. 150. 160. Although Smooch didn’t notice it, Colby’s determined eyes began to glow as a bright green flame ignited from the car’s exhaust. He was drifting through tight corners with the reflexes of nothing less than a professional racecar driver.
            170. 180. 190. 200. The speedometer on Smooch’s police car didn’t even measure past 160 mph, and yet the vehicle was somehow surpassing it. Smooch knew she should be scared for her life at this speed. And yet, with Colby behind the wheel and her adrenaline pumping like never before, she somehow felt safer than ever with this strange yellow Labrador by her side - this new dog in town that had inexplicably entered her life, seemingly out of thin air. But because of him, for the first time since her husband’s passing, she felt truly invincible.
            As they approached a hill with a lone tree just outside of Pawston, Colby finally slowed down to a smooth and gradual stop under the shade.
            “Th-that… was… somethin’ else.” Smooch’s body trembled, her wrists and ankles visibly shaking from the stress her body had been under.
            “Sorry, did I overdo it?” Colby asked, his eyes having returned to normal.
            “Ya sure did! Shoot, you could give Sam Whippet a run for his biscuits!” Smooch chuckled, giving him a playful slap on the shoulder with the back of her paw.
            “I don’t know who that is.”
            They were silent for a few moments before they both broke out into loud and  uncontainable laughter.
            The first time that Colby had truly laughed in ages.

            “I really missed this,” Colby said with a sigh as he and Smooch laid together in the grass under the umbrella-shaped tree, looking up at the clouds slowly passing them by.
            “Drivin’ fast?” Smooch turned her head to face him, looking at him with a loving smile  on her face that she wasn’t even aware of.
            “Being happy.”
            A tear trickled down Colby’s cheek, and Smooch was quick to wipe it from him before her paw gently moved into his. They continued taking a short rest together under the tree, looking up at the sky and silently remembering the ones they’d each lost. But in the tranquility of this moment, everything felt okay. More than okay, in fact. Great, even. Greater than either of them had felt in quite a long time. For once, it felt great to be alive. Because on days like this, they could sense that the ones they loved were still watching over them, in one way or another. For longer than either of them could say, Smooch and Colby had both felt lost and alone. But when they were together, all of their worries and fears seemed to disappear without a trace. When they were with one another, they felt whole. Like what was missing inside them had finally been filled.
            Colby slowly closed his eyes, being lulled into total relaxation by the sun’s warmth and the calm rustling of the wind through the leaves.

            When he opened his eyes again, it was evening. More importantly, he was looking directly at Smooch’s sleeping face inches apart from his as they held each other in their arms; apparently, they had begun snuggling together in the grass after accidentally dozing off.
            As Colby sat up, he realized something - he hadn’t had any nightmares. Careful not to startle Smooch awake immediately, he reached down and gently shook her awake as she let out a yawn.
            “Hm?” She mumbled, smacking her lips tiredly as she regained her awareness. “Oh shoot, I went and slept the whole day away? And ya didn’t wake me?”
            “We both did. But the day’s not over yet.” Colby cracked his back as he stood before kneeling down and helping Smooch up. “Wanna go-”
            But then, his floppy ear perked up slightly as he heard a faint buzzing noise getting closer and closer. Apparently, a black mud-dauber wasp had recently begun building its nest in the tree just above them and was startled by the sudden movement below. When it curiously approached Smooch with a bobbing and weaving flight pattern to see if she was a threat, Colby’s arm suddenly shot forward with lightning-speed and grabbed the wasp’s head.
            He killed it immediately as it squished between his fingers.
            “Ah!” Smooch gasped, taken aback more by the speed of his reflexes and the wrathful expression on Colby’s face rather than the wasp itself. For a moment, it was like he was a completely different dog.
            “I hate wasps… anyway, wanna go to the Amusement Bark?” he asked after a sigh of relief as his face returned to normal, casually wiping off the insect's innards on his waist.
            “Uh… s-sounds like fun,” Smooch cleared her throat, bumping into Colby playfully as she put it aside. After all, he’d just saved her from a painful sting. “But uh, I think I’ll drive this time.”
            “Fair.”

            The smell of delicious sugar donuts and candy apples filled their noses as they entered the Amusement Bark, looking around at all the colorful neon lights illuminating the area as dusk began to fall on the town.
            “Oh, by the way, I almost forgot to give you these,” Colby took out one of the blue balls and the small gift-wrapped box from behind his back.
            “You didn’t have to get me anything, Colby! But thank you, I love it!” Smooch giggled as she gave the blue ball a squeeze, her pupils getting slightly bigger at the squeaky sound of it. She then opened the box, pulling out the little guitar doorbell inside and pressing the button to hear it strum.
            “Oh…” she said quietly, her expression hard difficult for Colby to read.
            “I-I hope it’s okay, I just thought that since you used to be in a band that maybe this would be-”
Colby was interrupted when Smooch suddenly wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him tightly.
            “This was so gosh-darn thoughtful, Colby… thank you.” Smooch wiped her eyes as she let him go.
            “Whew, I’m just glad you like it. I got worried for a second there.” Colby smiled, gesturing over to the rollercoaster. “So do you wanna go on some rides while we’re here?”
            “Oh, I dunno… I never been on one of them things before.” The blue terrier nervously scratched her arm as she looked at the coaster rolling up and down the tracks.
            “Never been on a-!” Colby grabbed her paw, leading her to the ride without another word.
            “Well, I guess there’s a first time for everything…” she mumbled reluctantly.

            “...So I guess that’s a ‘no’ for the rides, then…” Colby awkwardly patted Smooch’s back as she was dry-heaving over a garbage can.
            “I don’t get it, I was just fine when you were drivin’ like a mad-dog earlier, and I even have a helicopter license!” Smooch retched again over the can, though thankfully nothing came up. Not that it mattered to Smooch, she still felt the same amount of embarrassment either way.
            “Maybe it’s the G-forces,” Colby suggested, “All those quick ups and downs might’ve been what did it.”
            “Maybe… either way, I think Amusement Bark rides just ain’t for me. Sorry.” Smooch finally recovered as she straightened her posture, taking slow deep breaths.
            “No need to be sorry, Smooch, how about we just-”
            “Hi there, can I borrow a minute of your time?”
            They turned their heads to find a pinkish-orange labrador with a camera coming up to them.
            “I’m Cam Snapshot, a local photographer. I need some new images for my portfolio and I saw you from across the crowd, do you two mind if I quickly take a few of you together? I can just feel the chemistry radiating from you two!” The dog held up a professional-looking camera.
            Colby and Smooch’s faces grew hot, and they looked at each other with a bashful smile.
            “Sure, but do we get to keep a copy?” Smooch asked.
            “Of course! Just stand right there, that spot is perfect!” Cam said, taking a few steps back. “And keep looking at each other like that, don’t move an inch!”
            They did as she asked, and Cam quickly moved all around them as she got several angles of Colby and Smooch with her camera with the two of them holding their eye-contact all the while. Even if they tried, they couldn’t help but smile.
            “Okay, I think I got everything I needed. And here’s one for you.” Cam handed an instant-print photo to Smooch before walking away to find more dogs to take photos of. “Thanks!”
            As Smooch and Colby looked at the photo in her paw, they secretly agreed with Cam - they did seem to visibly radiate a certain chemistry with one another.
            “Hey, Sergeant Pooch!”
            The two looked over to a little white beagador now approaching them, with purple ears and a purple patch on her left eye, multicolored spots on her body, and wearing a rainbow bowtie with a flower on it. “What’cha up to tonight? Having fun?”
            “Oh, hey Cheddar. I’m just out on a nice date with Colby here. Colby, this is Cheddar Biscuit, Tag’s older sister. She’s a clown.” Smooch said as she put the photo away and introduced Colby and Cheddar, suddenly noticing the strange coincidence that they both had names relating to cheese.
            The instant Cheddar Biscuit and Colby locked eyes, the little beagador’s brow furrowed slightly in confusion. Time seemed to slow down for her when she saw his green irises, sensing some kind of familiarity in them - even though she couldn’t place it, like something at the tip of her tongue.
            “... Do I… know you…?” Cheddar asked.
            “Uh… no, I don’t think so, sorry. I’m still pretty new to Pawston, I’ve only been here a few days.” Colby shrugged as he scratched the back of his head, though he started to feel a slight headache.
            “...Do you want a balloon-animal?”
            As if driven by some kind of instinctive urge, Cheddar held up a pink balloon twisted into the shape of a unicorn on a string.
            “Oh, sure, thank you.” Colby gave her a polite smile as he took the balloon animal from her.
            “Well, um… h-have a good night!”
            With that, the little spotted white clown-dog ran off out of the Amusement Bark without another word. Colby winced as he held his paw to his head, suddenly feeling rather light-headed and dizzy for several seconds.
            “Huh, she’s actin’ a little funny tonight, isn’t she? And not in the ‘ha-ha’ kinda way. Hey, are you feelin’ alright, Colby?” Smooch rested her paw on Colby’s shoulder, noticing his discomfort.
            “Yeah… yeah, I’m fine. I think I’m ready to go though, all these bright lights are probably just getting to me.”

            Meanwhile, Cheddar Biscuit rested on a bench just outside of the Amusement Bark once she had gotten some distance away from Smooch and the strangely-familiar yellow Labrador. She was clutching her chest, a sickening feeling in the bottom of her stomach.
            ‘Why do I suddenly feel so… empty?’

            So where are we going now that’s so far out of town?” Colby asked as Smooch slowly drove them down the road through the farmlands outside Pawston, the balloon-animal tied to the backseat as it gently floated behind them.
            “You’ll see.” Smooch grinned coyly. “This is the surprise I mentioned this morning. This place is real special to me, and I think you’re gonna like it too.”
            After several more minutes, Smooch pulled over and parked on a small gravel parking lot on the side of the road.
            “Is this the place?” Colby asked, looking around and seeing nothing but cornfields as far as the eye could see - at least, with what limited vision he had in the dark.
            “Yep, we’re here.” Smooch unbuckled her seatbelt, turning to Colby with a serious tone in her voice. “Listen, the reason this spot is so special to me is because… when my husband died, I couldn’t bear to live in Barkansas anymore. Too many memories. No matter how hard I tried to forget, everything there reminded me of him. That’s why I moved to Pawston in the first place, to get a fresh start. But after a while… I began to miss home. So for me, this spot is like a little part of home away from home.”
            Colby remained silent. There was so much he wanted to say to her, yet he couldn’t find the words. He wondered if he ever could.
            “C’mon, follow me.” Smooch got out of the car, and Colby followed. “And stay close.”
            The blue terrier disappeared into the cornfield, with Colby sticking close behind her. He brushed large leaves from the stalks out from his eyes as he tracked her movements through the gaps, though as the night grew darker it was becoming increasingly-difficult to follow her.

            And then, before he knew it, Colby had gotten hopelessly lost.

            “Smooch?” Colby asked aloud, no longer able to hear her rustling through the corn stalks in front of him. No matter which direction he looked, the tall rows he was surrounded by only seemed to be a black and infinite maze of maize.
            “Smooch?!”
            A dark and barren emptiness, devoid of life. No matter how many rows he sprinted through, the corn never ended. Forever and ever, the cruelty of eternity mocked him as he ran… and ran… and ran. His heart was pounding loudly in his head like war drums, tears spilling uncontrollably from his eyes and wetting the dry dirt below his feet. He looked up to the sky for any sign of hope, finding only the vast void of space. Lost in the corn, lost in his heart, lost in the cycle of all and nothing.
            “ALONE”.
            A voice that was not his own, one deep and guttural, rang in his head clear as day.
            “I can’t be alone again, I CAN’T DO THIS ALONE, I CAN’T!” Colby cried out, cursing the voice that taunted him as the whole world seemed to get darker around him and envelop him in his own despair.
Suddenly, two furry arms tightly wrapped around his waist and stopped him in his tracks.
            “Colby!”
            He knew the sound of Smooch’s voice instantly, coming back to reality as he tightly clung onto her and wept.
            “I gotcha, I gotcha. It’s okay. Everything’s okay. I’m sorry I left you behind. But you’re not alone,” Smooch said in her motherly tone; she didn’t know what had Colby so distraught, but it was clear that he was dealing with some severe separation anxiety.
            When Colby’s pounding heart eventually dropped to a normal pace, he slowly let go of her without a word.
            “C’mon, this way, Colby. Just hold my paw… and keep me close,” Smooch spoke ever so softly and gently, in a much similar way that she would speak to her son when he’d had a nightmare. “Don’t ever let go.”
Colby dried his eyes as Smooch led him through the cornfield, her thumb slowly caressing the back of his paw as she held it. Eventually, he was led to an opening that took his breath away.
            In the middle of the cornfield was a small patch of short rhubarb plants that had apparently been seeded by mistake; floating all around it were hundreds of lightning bugs, their soft neon-green bioluminescence lighting up the area with their warm and comforting glow as they sought out mates. In a way, Colby thought this rhubarb patch looked somewhat like a dance floor, lit up by a disco ball during a slow song.
            Smooch seemed to have the same idea, turning to face him as they reached the center.
            “May I have this dance?”
            Colby nervously nodded and wrapped his paws around Smooch’s waist, and she rested her paws over his shoulders in return. They began to gently sway together between the rhubarb leaves among the glow of the dancing lightning bugs and the melodious croaking of frogs resounding from a distant pond, shifting their weight from side to side as they rotated around each other. With their bodies pressed against one another, their heartbeats were perfectly in sync as Smooch rested her cheek against Colby’s chest with a gentle hum. Colby let out a quiet sigh into her ear as he exhaled, finally feeling completely at ease in her presence. Though there was no music to set the rhythm of their feet, they could almost hear the quiet melancholic strum of an imaginary acoustic guitar to the beat of the flashing green lights around them.
            “...What are we doing, Smooch?” Colby whispered. “I mean… what are we even doing?”
            Smooch looked up at him, his green eyes glowing just like the lightning bugs around them.
            “...You tell me.”
            Colby looked down at the beautiful blue terrier before him, finding himself hopelessly in love with everything she was. He held her waist tighter against his, his breathing getting slower and heavier as a defining moment was imminently upon them. He stopped swaying, slowly caressing his paws up her body to her jawline and tilting her head up to meet his own.
            They stood in complete stillness for what felt like a lifetime, gazing into each others’ eyes. The tension between them was at its peak as Colby inched his face closer to Smooch’s. Before he even realized it, their wet canine noses were touching. Colby could feel her breath gently tickling his lips, their cheeks both burning a vibrant red hue as he paused with their mouths mere millimeters away.
            He tilted his head. There was no use in fighting it anymore. It was time to allow themselves to be happy, to be free of this holding pattern they’d been keeping themselves in. They had been alone for long enough.
Although the lightning bugs continued to light up the night around them, time itself stood still.

            Colby closed the space between them.

            Neither of them was sure just for how long their first kiss lasted. It could have been a second, minutes, or even hours - it didn’t matter. But when they finally broke the kiss, their lips were like magnets that couldn’t resist reuniting again for another. And another. And another. Colby was about to go in for yet another when Smooch pressed her palm against his chest as she caught her breath.
            “You make me feel so special, Colby. Ever since we met, every moment I’ve spent with you has been the best part of my day. I… I haven’t felt this way about anyone in a really long time.”
            “I hope this means you want to see where this goes.” Colby caught his own breath as well, his mind reeling with bliss from what had just happened. “I’m… really attracted to you, Smooch Pooch.”
            “I absolutely do, and I’m really attracted to you too. It makes me feel so good to hear you say that.” Smooch’s heart still felt like it was on the rover-coaster to hear him confess his attraction to her in his own words. “I’m so glad I met you, Colby. This feels like a new chapter in my life.”
            “I’m really glad I met you too. I’m already loving every chapter of our story so far.” Colby softly laughed, pressing his wet canine nose against hers. “And to think, we wouldn’t be here together tonight if you hadn’t hit me with your car.”
            Smooch gave him a playful smack on his shoulder as they both blushed.
            “Oh, hush yer mouth, you!”
            “I know one way…” Colby leaned forward for another kiss, but Smooch held him back once again.
            “Sorry, Colby, but uh… I think we’d better stop here for tonight. One more kiss like that, and I… I dunno what I might do.” Smooch hated rejecting him like this, as she wanted to take it further as much as he did. But this was the smart thing to do. “Things are just… movin’ a tad fast for me, ya know?”
            “Aw, now you got me really intrigued!” Colby chuckled with a breathy sigh as his face felt like it was on fire. “But okay, I hear you. One step at a time. Is a hug okay before we head back, at least?”
            “C’mere.” Smooch wrapped her arms around him, smiling widely as she pressed her cheek to his beating heart. Colby rubbed her soft furry back with his paws, resting his chin on the top of her head as they embraced.

            They left the cornfield together holding paws, leaving the soft neon green glow of the dancing lightning bugs in their wake.
            And just as they’d hoped, it was indeed a date that neither of them would ever forget.", "pools_count": 1, "title": "Love is Lawless - Chapter 4 - Holding Pattern", "deleted": "f", "public": "t", "mimetype": "image/png", "pagecount": "1", "rating_id": "2", "rating_name": "Adult", "ratings": [ { "content_tag_id": "4", "name": "Sexual Themes", "description": "Erotic imagery, sexual activity or arousal", "rating_id": "2" } ], "submission_type_id": "12", "type_name": "Writing - Document", "guest_block": "f", "friends_only": "f", "comments_count": "1", "views": "171" }