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It has been hanging around in limbo for far too long, and was way overdue for some TLC (read: serious overhaul!).\n\nMeet Foxie and Tousle, two intelligent android toys who find themselves lost and dumped in a junkyard, where they have to make a new home for themselves.\n\nOlder versions of this story may still be floating around out there; this is the internet, after all, nothing ever gets deleted for good. This is as of now the official one, though.", "description_bbcode_parsed": "This was one of the first furry stories I ever write, well over ten years ago. It has been hanging around in limbo for far too long, and was way overdue for some TLC (read: serious overhaul!).

Meet Foxie and Tousle, two intelligent android toys who find themselves lost and dumped in a junkyard, where they have to make a new home for themselves.

Older versions of this story may still be floating around out there; this is the internet, after all, nothing ever gets deleted for good. This is as of now the official one, though.", "writing": "[center][b][u]Toys[/u][/b]\nby Winter[/center]\n\n\nAs soon as it started raining, I crawled back into my hidey-hole. My home. It was a turned-over old car, with a side window just large enough for me to worm my way through. Rain made my fur smell bad, but it couldn't reach me in there, and I felt safer than I did when I just wandered around the junkyard. It would probably be very cold when winter came, but I didn't really expect to live that long.\n\nMy left arm was just about useless after it got broken, and I couldn't see very well anymore. I lay there, curled up and listening to the pitter-patter of raindrops on the car's undercarriage, wishing I had tears so I could weep properly. Cry with grief and anger and self-pity until I fell asleep, instead of just waiting for the lights to go out. I looked over to the rear mirror, trying at first to resist the temptation to use it. But to no avail.\n\nI always wanted to look my best, even now, and what I saw when I brought it close enough for my eyes to see, made me whimper. My eyes had lost their sparkly green and seemed lifeless and dull. My once so well-groomed and smooth red fox fur was filthy and matted, with knots and tangles all over my small body, and my left ear was torn. At one place, on my stomach, a seam had fallen apart slightly, exposing the electronics underneath. Funny, I didn't feel that happen. Or maybe I just couldn't remember it.\n\nI couldn't remember much of anything, especially what happened before I ended up here, rejected, thrown out. There had been a young boy, and he had been my best ever friend. I had loved him with all my heart. And his father, who was always nice to me. Try as I might, I just couldn't remember their faces anymore. Only that I had loved them, and that I had been safe there. Safe and sound and happy. One memory was still clear, though. I used to sleep with my boy, every night, sharing his bed.\n\nWe would chatter and laugh while we wound down after the day, then we would undress and crawl in underneath the blankets. He loved my fur, and we often cuddled and hugged before we drifted off to sleep. Sometimes he kissed me, and that always made me feel like the happiest little fox in the world.\n\nAll the drip-drop, drippety-drop soon made me feel like I had to pee, even though it had been many hours since I last had a drink of water. Soon I was biting my lip and squeezing my legs together, hoping and wishing for the rain to stop so I could make a dash for my pee-place. It was behind the junk pile that lay to the left as I crawled out of my hidey-hole. There was a pile of huge tyres, from a tractor or a truck or something, and next to them lay a blue sign with a white P on it. My pee place.\n\nJust thinking of it made things even worse, and in the end I just couldn't hold it in anymore. I crawled over to the front seat of the car and opened the window a bit, then did what I had to. Just a few more drops to the rain. I almost never ate these days, so my insides needed very little cleaning. What came out was almost pure water.\n\nIt didn't stop raining until it was almost dark, and by then I was feeling really thirsty. I tried to avoid the largest puddles of muddy water as I made my way to where I had placed the car's hub caps to collect rain water, and I drank a little from one of them. It didn't taste very good, kind of rusty from the metal, but it took away my thirst.\n\nThere was a lot of new junk that night; at least two truckloads had been poured on top of the southern pile. I walked around for a little while, not really hoping to find something useful. Just killing time until had to go to sleep. I soon began feeling drowsy, and even though I had only found a couple of toy cars, I decided to go back to my hidey-hole. That was when I first heard it.\n\nA sound I hadn't heard since I arrived at the junkyard. Someone was whimpering and sobbing, but I couldn't see who it was. The voice sounded young, boyish like my own. Even though the moon was shining, it was too dark for my poor eyes. So I tried to find the crying one by following my large fox ears. But to no avail. For a minute, I hesitated, not really wanting to expose myself, but in the end my curiosity won out.\n\n\"Hellooo!\" I called. \"Who's there? I can hear you, but I can't see you!\"\n\nImmediately, the crying stopped. I called again and again, but got no reply. By then, I was so tired I had to get back home or be in danger of falling asleep in a puddle. I crawled in through the car window, yawning so widely I could hear my jaws pop. Before curling up on the blanket I had found and used as a bed, I put the toy cars away above the steering wheel, where I had my tiny collection of various toys and other fun objects. I had no energy left to play with them, though. Maybe I would tomorrow, if I didn't search for the one who had been crying instead. Before I could make up my mind, I fell asleep.\n\n\n* * * * * *\n\nAs always, the first rays of the sun woke me up the next morning. I yawned and stretched, then wiped at my cheeks, even though I knew they would be dry. They should have been wet, though. I had dreamed about my old life again, about my family and about being all happy and safe and loved.\n\nTrying not to think of how much I missed all that, how much I missed my beloved boy and how sad it made me to not remember his name, I crawled out of the car to begin another day. This early, the first looters or dump truck drivers hadn't arrived yet, so I had a few hours to myself until it was time to hide away again. I shuddered at the memory of one time when a looter almost caught me. A huge bear of a man he was, and he yelled at me all the awful things he would do to me when he caught me. I ran for my life, and then spent the rest of that day in my hidey-hole, shivering and whimpering with fear.\n\nThe truck drivers were a lot nicer, even though they often made fun of me. Sometimes they would even feed me a sandwich or two, and their comings and goings usually scared the looters off, at least for a while. I stretched a little, enjoying the warm sunlight on my fur. I turned round and round to get really warm, then trotted off towards the newest pile of junk. Last night I had only had time to look through a little bit of it.\n\nThe thought of last night brought back another memory, though I had to concentrate really hard before it became clear in my mind. Someone had been out there, crying. Someone who sounded like a young boy. I laid aside all thoughts of finding more toys, and began searching for this someone instead. If nothing else, then just to warn him of looters. I looked around for a while, but couldn't find anyone, and since it was still too early for unpleasant visitors, I decided to risk calling out.\n\n\"Hellooo! Can you hear me? I heard you cry last night! Won't you come and talk to me? I'm not dangerous!\" As I yelled those last words, I realised that they were the exact same words the looter had used to try and make me come to him. No wonder the crying one stayed away. \"Really, I mean it! Look at me, I'm very little and my arm don't work! I couldn't hurt you even if I wanted to!\"\n\nStill no reply. Either he was gone, or he had died during the night. The thought of running into a dead person made me shiver, and I started moving away from this junk pile. But then something caught my eye; a tiny plush cat, no bigger than my hand. It was dirty and its fur was torn in places, but I picked it up anyway and hugged it to my chest. It would be really nice to have something fluffy and warm to hold on to during the nights. I had a big grin on my muzzle as I started walking, my thoughts preoccupied with my newest toy, and so the voice startled me badly.\n\n\"Ah, excuse me?\" I jumped and shied away, even though the voice sounded friendly and timid, not threatening at all. \"Oh, don't be afraid. I won't hurt you.\"\n\nMy eyes darted back and forth, until I finally spotted someone moving towards me. I bit my lip and forced myself to stop shivering. As the figure got closer, I could see that it was indeed a young boy, even smaller than me. I was kind of surprised to see that his body was covered with grey and white fur; he was a puppy dog, a collie. My cheeks burned a little when I realised that he had no clothes on at all, not even a pair of underwear like me. He smiled nervously and pointed towards my good arm.\n\n\"I see that... uhm... you found my kitty.\" There was a slight tremor in his voice, and I realised that this must be the boy I heard crying last night. \"M-may I have it back? Please?\"\n\n\"Sure.\" I handed over my prize with great reluctance. \"I didn't think it belonged to anyone. Most things that end up here are just tossed-away junk.\"\n\n\"I s'pose so...\" A tear ran down his cheek as he hugged the plush cat to his chest. \"But it was mine before we got throwned away.\"\n\n\"What happened?\"\n\n\"I guess... I guess it started when my stomach stopped working.\" He rubbed his white-furred tummy. \"I kept whining an' telling them I was hungry even though I couldn't eat. And when my tail broke as well, I guess my boy got tired of me.\"\n\n\"You poor thing.\" I hugged him, and he trembled a bit at first, but then he leaned into my embrace. \"It's not too bad here, you'll see. Especially with a little company.\"\n\n\"You're nice.\" He sniffled. \"How did you end up here?\"\n\n\"Too old, I guess. My eyes don't work very well, and my arm is dead.\"\n\n\"Did your boy throw you out, too?\"\n\n\"I can't remember.\" We started walking, and I led him towards my car. \"Maybe I hit my head or something, but I can't remember much of what happened before I got here.\"\n\n\"This is where you live?\" He nodded towards the car, and I replied by crawling in through the window. \"I hope I'll find a good place before it starts raining again. Otherwise, I think my fur will mould an' fall off or something.\"\n\n\"You can stay here with me if you want.\" Immediately, his eyes lit up, and I could see that he was trying to wag his broken tail. He slipped in through the window and hugged me with all his strength. \"Hey, don't choke me!\"\n\n\"I'm sorry, I'm just so happy. You're the greatest!\" He kissed my nose, then leaned back and eyed me quizzically. \"What's your name? Mine's Tousle.\"\n\n\"I don't know.\"\n\n\"You don't know? Aww, poor guy!\" He hugged me again, softer this time, and he rubbed his muzzle against the side of my face. \"Can I give you a name?\"\n\n\"Well, okay, I guess.\"\n\n\"Let's see... how about Foxie? You are a foxie, and the name is cute just like you.\"\n\n\"Okay.\" I smiled, and returned his nuzzling. \"You can call me Foxie if you want. Sounds nice.\"\n\n\"Yeah!\" I couldn't help laughing as he yipped happily. \"What model are you?\"\n\n\"See for yourself.\" I held up my right foot towards him, and he stared at the stamp on the sole. \"I can't see well enough to read it anymore.\"\n\n\"You need glasses.\" He giggled, and I couldn't help but join in. \"Red Fox (TM) IntelliPet, Ltd. Hey, we're from the same company! Look, look!\"\n\nI reached for his foot, but he just giggled and squirmed when I touched it, and instead he stuck his rump up towards my face. I blushed furiously, but I soon managed to calm down and look at the tiny stamp right where his buttock and thigh met. Squinting, I could just make out the letters.\n\n\"Collie Pup (TM) IntelliPet, Ltd. Does that make us brothers?\"\n\n\"I'd love to be your brother, Foxie.\" He yipped again, but his smile soon faltered and was replaced by a sad look. \"My boy used to call me his li'l bro, and I miss it forever. I miss him, too. Wonder if he's got a new pet.\"\n\n\"It's no use thinking like that.\" I put my good arm around his shoulder and gave him a squeeze, as he started crying again. \"We can't really decide what they do. Please don't cry, Tousle.\"\n\n\"I'll try,\" he sniffled. Our eyes met, and though his face was kind of blurred in the semi-dark of my hidey-hole, I could see the longing in his bright blue eyes. \"We can stick together, can't we? I mean, we're both junk, aren't we? I could be your pet and you could be mine.\"\n\n\"I'd love that.\" His thin voice and his desperate plea would have made me cry, if my eyes had worked properly. Instead, I just whimpered a little as we sat there, holding each other. \"I'd really love that. Do you wanna say it first?\"\n\n\"You mean you gotta hear it, too? The magic words?\"\n\n\"Yeah, at least I think they're still the same. You're a newer model.\"\n\n\"I love you, Foxie.\" He leaned back until our eyes could meet. \"Will you be my friend?\"\n\nAs soon as he had said it, a warm feeling spread through me, and I felt my heart swell with love for the little pup. Nodding vigorously, I leaned in and kissed him on the lips. Tousle was my dearest, dearest friend, and I knew beyond all doubt that I would love him forever and ever. He giggled again, a sound made even more sweet by my newly awakened love. \n\n\"Now it's your turn.\"\n\n\"Just a second.\" I grinned while trying to regain my composure. \"I forgot how great this is. It's the best feeling in the world!\"\n\n\"Yeah, I know. Now say it! Just like I said it.\"\n\n\"I love you, Tousle, will you be my friend?\"\n\n\"Yah!\"\n\nWe kissed again, then rolled around in the car, wrapping ourselves in our arms and in my blanket and spreading my toys all over the place. When we finally emerged from the blanket, we both had our ears laid flat against our heads, blushing and with wide grins on our muzzles. Tousle kissed me again, and I pressed back against him. It felt so right, so perfect. I had a flash of a memory; other arms, furless ones, and other lips that kissed mine. My boy. No, not mine. Not anymore! I was Tousle's now. And he was mine.\n\n\"I love you so much, my Foxie,\" he whispered, breaking our kiss, then he yawned widely. \"So much.\"\n\n\"You can't be tired already?\" I giggled, poking his sides until the tickles made him squirm with laughter. \"It's still morning.\"\n\n\"I didn't sleep much last night. Hey! Noo, not my armpits! Eep!\"\n\n\"Give up?\"\n\n\"Yes! Yes! Yes! Please, I give up!\"\n\n\"Who wins?\"\n\n\"You win, Foxie.\" He kissed my nose. \"But I really am tired.\"\n\n\"Wanna sleep in here?\" He nodded. \"I'm gonna go out and have a look around, but I'll be back soon, okay?\"\n\n\"Please stay. Can't we sleep together?\"\n\n\"I can't sleep when it's light outside. My batteries are kinda dead, so I'm on solar power.\"\n\n\"Oh. But will you stay with me until I'm asleep?\"\n\n\"Sure!\" Tousle grinned widely as I used my blanket to tuck him in, then placed his kitty on his chest. \"Nighty-night.\"\n\n\"Night.\"\n\nHe yawned again, then closed his eyes. It didn't take long until he was sleeping soundly. I sat there for a little while, just looking at him. Even without the bonding words, I could very well have fallen in love with him. He was so cute with his floppy ears and his slim muzzle. His mouth hung slightly open with his tongue lolling out, and he snored a little while he slept. I sighed deeply. So adorable.\n\nI leaned in and kissed his cheek, then I crawled out through the window and looked around. The junkyard still looked mostly deserted, though I could hear the sound of someone rummaging through junk. Still far away, I decided, and I hurried over to the pile where I had found Tousle.\n\nHalf an hour later, I was beginning to feel disappointed and frustrated. Most of the new stuff was electronics, smashed and broken and pretty useless since I had no idea how to repair anything. All I had found that I intended to keep was a small RC car. It had no batteries and the controller looked broken, but I figured it would still fit into my toy car collection. The rest of the junk, I decided to leave to the looters.\n\nThe sounds of them had come closer, and I was beginning to feel scared. I could hear their voices as they traded stuff or argued over who found what bit of scrap first. Time to head back home, otherwise they would soon be bartering or bickering over bits of me. I took a quick glance around and listened for any close-by sounds, then I darted across the open space between the piles as fast as my legs would carry me. Before long, I was back at the turned-over car.\n\nTousle was sitting up when I crawled in through the window, and I felt a smile creep onto my lips when I saw him. He hadn't heard me, because he was too busy playing with my cars. The blanket had turned into a road, and he was muttering to the little cars as he moved them around, making the sounds of engines and honking horns now and then. It was really cute. I sat up quietly, and just watched him for a while. He was so into his game that he jumped when he saw me, dropping the cars and clutching his chest.\n\n\"Don't scare me like that!\" he squealed, but his pout soon turned into a smile when I picked up a car and started driving it down his road. \"I hope it's okay... I found them, and...\"\n\n\"Sure. Any time you want.\"\n\n\"Thanks...\"\n\n\"Let's go out for a while first. I need something to drink.\"\n\n\"Yeah, me too. Do you know where we can find water?\"\n\n\"I thought you said your stomach didn't work.\" I gently pushed him aside and straightened out the blanket, then gathered up all the toys, including the kitty, and put them away above the steering wheel. \"Or is it just that you can't eat food?\"\n\n\"Yeah. Anything 'cept water just comes right back up again, like a fountain.\" He laughed as I winced at his choice of words. \"But I can still drink, and you saw before that I can cry.\"\n\n\"Yeah, me too, although I can't make any real tears. I can eat, though, but most water just goes right through me.\"\n\n\"Still lucky. You have no idea how hungry I am. Sometimes I wish I could kick the one who made us able to eat at all.\"\n\n\"Maybe.\" I crawled out of the window, then helped him come after me. \"Or maybe they should just have given us an ‘off' switch. I think I'd much rather be shut off than thrown away while I was still alive. And feeling.\"\n\n\"Don't talk like that, please!\" He turned me so we faced each other. There was fear in his eyes. \"You can't die, I need you!\"\n\n\"I wasn't talking about now, Tousle.\" I gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder, which seemed to calm him down a little. \"I love you, and I'm not gonna leave you, it's just that it wasn't very nice to be here all alone.\"\n\n\"Okay. Thanks for everything, Foxie, you saved my life.\"\n\n\"And you made mine a happy one.\"\n\n\"Yuck,\" he said, looking as if he had bit into a lemon. \"We're so mushy.\"\n\n\"Yeah!\"\n\nWe both collapsed with laughter and giggles, rolling around like little puppies. All through the day, we ran around the junkyard, playing and looking for new things and enjoying our newfound friendship. After speaking the magic words, we were now deeply in love with each other, and we often had to stop what we were doing so we could kiss or hug or just hold hands.\n\nIn the afternoon we watched the truck drivers dump more junk into the yard, and we played with some of it until the sun began to set. I told Tousle about my batteries, and that I would fall asleep almost as soon as the sun had set, and so we made our way back towards the car. That was when I heard a noise up ahead. The new junk had attracted looters! I stopped dead in my tracks, and pulled Tousle to a halt, signalling to him to hush up before he gave us away.\n\n\"What is it, Foxie?\" he whispered. \"I'm scared.\"\n\n\"Me too. It's a looter. If he catches us, he'll tear us apart for scraps, or worse.\" He whimpered, and I realised that so did I. \"Come on, we've got to hide before the sun's out!\"\n\n\"He is between us and the car, isn't he?\"\n\n\"Yeah. And I can't let anybody see me hide there. If they find out, they'll stalk me when I sleep and kill me.\"\n\nSince I knew the junkyard better, I took Tousle's hand and led him as we started running, making sure not to step on something that would make noise. I knew of an older pile of junk where a couple of steel bars had fallen to form a little tunnel, big enough for me and Tousle, but too tight a fit for any looters. But to my horror, I could hear another looter roaming around ahead of us.\n\nThere was only one way left to go now, and that was towards the newest piles, where I didn't know any good hiding places and where I knew the looters were heading. I whispered this to Tousle, who only whimpered in return. My poor pup was frightened, and there was very little I could do to help him. I figured that our best choice would be to cover me up with junk before I fell asleep, then for him to stay out of their way; to run if necessary. But to my surprise, he rejected this idea at once, with a stern look on his face.\n\n\"No! No, no, no, no, no! Listen, Foxie, you stay right here, and when you hear them run, you head back to the car.\"\n\n\"What are you...? Oh no! You're gonna let them see you, aren't you?\"\n\n\"It's the only way. The sun's almost down. Just hide inside the car, and I'll be there as soon as I shake them off.\"\n\n\"And if you can't shake them off?\"\n\n\"Then I'll come back tomorrow morning.\"\n\n\"Tousle, what if they catch you?\" I was building up to hysteria, almost forgetting to be quiet. \"I don't want to lose you!\"\n\n\"If they catch me,\" he whispered with a wry grin, \"you can have my kitty.\"\n\n\"No!\"\n\nBut it was too late. He dashed away from me, and I knew I had to stay quiet. If I distracted him, we'd both die. Besides, I was quickly losing my strength. I heard the looters yell to each other, and I knew they had seen him. They were chasing my little love!\n\nI bit my lip to force back a whimper, and as soon as they were out of sight I ran as fast as I could to the car, and crawled in through the window. Every now and then, I could hear yelling from outside, but by then I was all but asleep, and could do nothing to help. I curled up beneath the blanket, shivering with fear and hugging the kitty tight. Tousle's scent was strong on it, and it gave me some comfort. Just before I drowsed off, I could have sworn I felt something moist run down my cheek. But before I could marvel at this, everything got dark.\n\n\n* * * * * *\n\nAs the first rays of the next day's sun tickled my whiskers, I sat up straight, looking around in the car. Everything was just as it had been the day before, at least as far as I could remember. There had been... there had been something else, hadn't there? Maybe even... someone else. I stared at the plush toy I was hugging, wondering where I had got it from. Then its scent hit my nostrils, and I remembered everything that had happened yesterday.\n\nTousle!\n\nI looked around, but there was no sign of my beloved collie pup. No Tousle at all. I now recalled having such terrible dreams about him, about what might have happened to him after we got separated. To wake up without him nearly broke my heart.\n\nPart of me was too scared of what I might find to go out and look for him, but yet I forced myself to disentangle from the blanket and head for the opening. But just as I was about to stick my head out through the window, I met with Tousle's grinning muzzle. I was so startled I jumped back and banged my head on the opposite window. Through the pain flashes, I saw him come in, and I could feel my heart skip a beat. He was so beautiful.\n\n\"I thought I'd lost you,\" I whispered. \"I thought you were gone.\"\n\n\"Nah, I gave 'em the slip right away.\" He beamed with pride. \"But you were asleep when I got back.\"\n\n\"I woke up alone and...\" I sobbed. \"I had such bad dreams.\"\n\n\"Aww, my poor Foxie.\" He took my head in his hands and licked my cheek. \"I was gonna be there for you, but I had to pee. Besides, you're kinda spooky when you sleep. Almost like you're dead.\"\n\n\"Not dead, just low on electricity.\" He giggled, then licked me again. \"Hey, what are you doing?\"\n\n\"Doing?\" He laughed. \"I'm kissing your tears away, sweetie.\"\n\n\"I was crying?\"\n\n\"Yeah. But don't worry, I won't leave you again. And I sure won't let no stupid, clumsy loiterers get me.\"\n\n\"Looters,\" I corrected. \"But, Tousle, I can't cry! That bit of me was broken!\"\n\n\"And you still cried,\" he cooed. \"Just for li'l ol' me?\"\n\n\"I guess so. I'm always scared of the looters, but this time I was scared for you.\" I hugged him with my good arm, while I kissed the nape of his neck. The touch made him giggle. \"Promise me you'll never do that again!\"\n\n\"Only if you promise me we'll build more hideouts. Places where we can hide if they're after us.\"\n\n\"All right.\" I leaned back and looked into his eyes. \"That's a great idea! You're one clever doggie.\"\n\n\"Thanks.\" His eyes literally shone with pride, but then all of a sudden, he got a serious look on his face. \"Listen, Foxie, there's something I've waited all night to ask you. Something really important.\"\n\n\"What is it?\"\n\n\"Wanna snuggle?\"\n\nWith a growl, I pounced him, and we wrestled fiercely, bumping against both windows and backrests. In the end, I pinned him down and began to tickle him without mercy. He giggled and screamed, begging me to stop before he wet himself, but I did not relent.\n\n\"You said you were out peeing just now, remember?\"\n\n\"Ahahaha, noo! Please, stop!!!\"\n\nThis time, I did stop. We spent the whole morning cuddling underneath the blanket, kissing and kissing until my mouth could taste nothing but sweet, sweet Tousle flavours. In the afternoon we went out for a little while, but the new junk had brought too many looters for us to do any real foraging. We soon returned to the car, but this time our kisses were interrupted as Tousle yawned widely.\n\nI had him snuggle up to me, then held him while he drowsed away. Looking at his lithe, beautiful form, sleeping so sweetly right there with his head on my chest, I felt my heart fill with love until it flowed over. Tears ran down my cheeks, tears of joy. And it felt oh so good to be able to cry again.\n\n\n* * * * * *\n\nOur lives were pretty good over the weeks to come. We settled into a daily routine that we hardly ever deviated from; in the morning, we'd cuddle for a while as soon as I woke up, then we'd spend most of the day prowling the junkyard, looking for neat stuff. Tousle taught me to not be so afraid of the looters, that they were really quite harmless as long as we stayed out of their way.\n\nEvery now and then, we'd beg for drinks and treats from the dump truck drivers, then have a party with what we got. I didn't much like eating in front of Tousle, knowing that he was always so hungry, but he insisted, the sweet boy. Then as the sun began to set, we'd head on home to the upturned car where we'd kiss and hug and caress each other all over until we were both tingling all over.\n\nWe were happy together, in the little home we had made for ourselves, and we stayed that way until the day when Tousle got caught by a looter.\n\nMy poor puppy had been having problems with his hips, and wasn't too quick anymore, but it wasn't really a major issue since it caused him no pain and he had me to look out for him. But one day the trucks dropped off a huge pile of junk, and Tousle spotted something that looked like a plush animal a few feet up.\n\nNow, I was always ready to do anything for my lover, so when he asked me to see if it could be a new friend for his beloved kitty, I naturally complied and started climbing. I had just reached what turned out to be a pelt of some kind, and not a toy. Since it would be soft and warm and nice to sleep on, I was working to pry it loose from the rest of the junk, when I heard a stranger's voice from below.\n\n\"Well, what have we here?\" My heart froze as I saw a looter walk up to Tousle, who had been watching me and had no chance to get away. \"What a cute little thing.\"\n\nTousle said nothing, but I could see his shoulders sag in defeat. He was trapped against the junk pile, and the man who had found him looked a lot stronger than him. I knew that I should get down there and help him, if nothing else then to die with him, but my old fear of looters returned. I just sat there shivering and crying. The thought that I might lose him, that I might be left alone again, was tearing me apart, but I was too scared to move or even look away. But then something happened that I wouldn't even have dreamed. The man knelt down next to the shivering Tousle and cupped his chin, lifting up his muzzle until their eyes met.\n\n\"Don't be scared, little guy, I'm not gonna hurt you.\"\n\n\"Y-you're not?\" Tousle seemed as puzzled by this as I was. \"B-but I thought...\"\n\n\"That I'd scrap you and sell your parts?\" The man laughed as Tousle nodded meekly. \"Don't worry, I'm not that kind of looter. Actually, I've been looking for something like you.\"\n\n\"Really?\" Again, my heart froze to ice. So my little love wouldn't die, but be taken from me anyway? But he pulled away from the man. \"I... I can't go with you.\"\n\n\"Why not? Please! It's my little brother's birthday next week, and you'd be a perfect present for him.\"\n\n\"Me? But I'm broken! I'm just junk!\"\n\n\"Well, I can fix most mechanical things,\" the man said with pride in his voice. \"You'll be as good as new.\"\n\n\"Wow. But...\" I silently urged him on. He was given a chance to be repaired, to come to a new home, and I just knew he would throw it away because of me. As much as I loved him, I wanted him to go, wanted him to be happy. But he surprised me again. \"I've got a friend here, sir, can't you take him too? I don't wanna leave without him.\"\n\n\"Where's your friend?\"\n\n\"Hiding. He's scared of looters, but he's really sweet.\"\n\n\"Will he come if you ask him?\"\n\n\"I hope so. But he's a bit worn down, just like me.\"\n\n\"Don't worry, I'll fix him, too.\" He laughed. \"My brother will think I'm spoiling him.\"\n\nTousle called for me, and the sound of his voice shook me out of my stupor. I slowly made my way down the junk pile, taking a good look at the man as I approached them. He was young, I saw now, no more than sixteen or seventeen, and his clothes were well-worn and a bit dirty. In a way, I pitied him, having to look for toys for his brother in a scrap heap, but then I realised that I had been doing that, too. Maybe we'd fit right in, Tousle and I. The man looked me up and down, then nodded.\n\n\"I'll fix you up, little guy, no problem.\" He laughed again as I broke into a wide grin, and I found that I liked that sound. Then he reached over and rubbed a finger against my tummy, making me squirm as it tickled. \"Are you guys designed to be sensitive? Like, touching and stuff?\"\n\nIn reply, Tousle leaned in and kissed my lips. Part of me was still set on losing him, and the kiss felt like the best thing ever, times ten. My tongue met his, and I cupped his butt with my good hand, pulling us tighter together. A moan escaped my lips, and I closed my eyes to let myself drown in the feelings.\n\n\"Well, that answers that. My brother is a little young for kisses and love and such, so I hope you'll take things slow with him.\"\n\n\"Oh, certainly,\" I said, blushing a bit. Both Tousle and I had got a little bit excited, and it showed. \"After all, we have each other for cuddling.\"\n\n\"So I see,\" the man commented as Tousle kissed me deeply once more. \"Wanna go, then?\"\n\nWe both nodded, and Tousle introduced us. The man's name turned out to be Jerry, and he was seventeen years old. He and his little brother Bobby lived alone in a small countryside house a couple of kilometres away, where he ran a workshop to keep them with money while Bobby went to school. After Tousle and I had picked up our things at the car, and I had shed a tear of farewell to my old home, we set off towards our new one. I walked with my arm around my little love, firmly believing that our new life would be a good one.\n\n\n* * * * * *\n\nJerry was true to his word, and by the time the sun rose on Bobby's birthday, Tousle was delightedly wagging his tail and looking forward to a good helping of birthday cake, while I took great joy in just looking around, staring at this and that just to prove to myself that I could. I also took every opportunity to give my beloved puppy two-armed hugs.\n\nI had new batteries, as well, and Tousle's hips were as good as new. We had lived in Jerry's shop for a few days to keep ourselves a secret from Bobby, but now it was time for the surprise. Jerry came out to get us just as we were getting into some serious kissing, and we were led into the house, up a staircase and into Bobby's bedroom. Our new boy sat on his bed, holding a couple of small wrapped gifts, and his eyes lit up with joy as he saw us. He was a few years younger than Jerry, but there was no mistaking the similarity between them. They both wore the same blinding smile as they hugged.\n\n\"Happy birthday, little bro.\"\n\n\"Wow, thank you so much! I can't believe it!\"\n\n\"Here, read this.\"\n\nHe handed Bobby a note, and I felt absolutely certain I knew what was written on it. So did Tousle, judging by the way he squeezed my hand in happy expectation. I was all but shivering with excitement as Bobby began to read.\n\n\"I love you, Foxie and Tousle. Will you be my friends?\"", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "
Toys
by Winter



As soon as it started raining, I crawled back into my hidey-hole. My home. It was a turned-over old car, with a side window just large enough for me to worm my way through. Rain made my fur smell bad, but it couldn't reach me in there, and I felt safer than I did when I just wandered around the junkyard. It would probably be very cold when winter came, but I didn't really expect to live that long.

My left arm was just about useless after it got broken, and I couldn't see very well anymore. I lay there, curled up and listening to the pitter-patter of raindrops on the car's undercarriage, wishing I had tears so I could weep properly. Cry with grief and anger and self-pity until I fell asleep, instead of just waiting for the lights to go out. I looked over to the rear mirror, trying at first to resist the temptation to use it. But to no avail.

I always wanted to look my best, even now, and what I saw when I brought it close enough for my eyes to see, made me whimper. My eyes had lost their sparkly green and seemed lifeless and dull. My once so well-groomed and smooth red fox fur was filthy and matted, with knots and tangles all over my small body, and my left ear was torn. At one place, on my stomach, a seam had fallen apart slightly, exposing the electronics underneath. Funny, I didn't feel that happen. Or maybe I just couldn't remember it.

I couldn't remember much of anything, especially what happened before I ended up here, rejected, thrown out. There had been a young boy, and he had been my best ever friend. I had loved him with all my heart. And his father, who was always nice to me. Try as I might, I just couldn't remember their faces anymore. Only that I had loved them, and that I had been safe there. Safe and sound and happy. One memory was still clear, though. I used to sleep with my boy, every night, sharing his bed.

We would chatter and laugh while we wound down after the day, then we would undress and crawl in underneath the blankets. He loved my fur, and we often cuddled and hugged before we drifted off to sleep. Sometimes he kissed me, and that always made me feel like the happiest little fox in the world.

All the drip-drop, drippety-drop soon made me feel like I had to pee, even though it had been many hours since I last had a drink of water. Soon I was biting my lip and squeezing my legs together, hoping and wishing for the rain to stop so I could make a dash for my pee-place. It was behind the junk pile that lay to the left as I crawled out of my hidey-hole. There was a pile of huge tyres, from a tractor or a truck or something, and next to them lay a blue sign with a white P on it. My pee place.

Just thinking of it made things even worse, and in the end I just couldn't hold it in anymore. I crawled over to the front seat of the car and opened the window a bit, then did what I had to. Just a few more drops to the rain. I almost never ate these days, so my insides needed very little cleaning. What came out was almost pure water.

It didn't stop raining until it was almost dark, and by then I was feeling really thirsty. I tried to avoid the largest puddles of muddy water as I made my way to where I had placed the car's hub caps to collect rain water, and I drank a little from one of them. It didn't taste very good, kind of rusty from the metal, but it took away my thirst.

There was a lot of new junk that night; at least two truckloads had been poured on top of the southern pile. I walked around for a little while, not really hoping to find something useful. Just killing time until had to go to sleep. I soon began feeling drowsy, and even though I had only found a couple of toy cars, I decided to go back to my hidey-hole. That was when I first heard it.

A sound I hadn't heard since I arrived at the junkyard. Someone was whimpering and sobbing, but I couldn't see who it was. The voice sounded young, boyish like my own. Even though the moon was shining, it was too dark for my poor eyes. So I tried to find the crying one by following my large fox ears. But to no avail. For a minute, I hesitated, not really wanting to expose myself, but in the end my curiosity won out.

"Hellooo!" I called. "Who's there? I can hear you, but I can't see you!"

Immediately, the crying stopped. I called again and again, but got no reply. By then, I was so tired I had to get back home or be in danger of falling asleep in a puddle. I crawled in through the car window, yawning so widely I could hear my jaws pop. Before curling up on the blanket I had found and used as a bed, I put the toy cars away above the steering wheel, where I had my tiny collection of various toys and other fun objects. I had no energy left to play with them, though. Maybe I would tomorrow, if I didn't search for the one who had been crying instead. Before I could make up my mind, I fell asleep.


* * * * * *

As always, the first rays of the sun woke me up the next morning. I yawned and stretched, then wiped at my cheeks, even though I knew they would be dry. They should have been wet, though. I had dreamed about my old life again, about my family and about being all happy and safe and loved.

Trying not to think of how much I missed all that, how much I missed my beloved boy and how sad it made me to not remember his name, I crawled out of the car to begin another day. This early, the first looters or dump truck drivers hadn't arrived yet, so I had a few hours to myself until it was time to hide away again. I shuddered at the memory of one time when a looter almost caught me. A huge bear of a man he was, and he yelled at me all the awful things he would do to me when he caught me. I ran for my life, and then spent the rest of that day in my hidey-hole, shivering and whimpering with fear.

The truck drivers were a lot nicer, even though they often made fun of me. Sometimes they would even feed me a sandwich or two, and their comings and goings usually scared the looters off, at least for a while. I stretched a little, enjoying the warm sunlight on my fur. I turned round and round to get really warm, then trotted off towards the newest pile of junk. Last night I had only had time to look through a little bit of it.

The thought of last night brought back another memory, though I had to concentrate really hard before it became clear in my mind. Someone had been out there, crying. Someone who sounded like a young boy. I laid aside all thoughts of finding more toys, and began searching for this someone instead. If nothing else, then just to warn him of looters. I looked around for a while, but couldn't find anyone, and since it was still too early for unpleasant visitors, I decided to risk calling out.

"Hellooo! Can you hear me? I heard you cry last night! Won't you come and talk to me? I'm not dangerous!" As I yelled those last words, I realised that they were the exact same words the looter had used to try and make me come to him. No wonder the crying one stayed away. "Really, I mean it! Look at me, I'm very little and my arm don't work! I couldn't hurt you even if I wanted to!"

Still no reply. Either he was gone, or he had died during the night. The thought of running into a dead person made me shiver, and I started moving away from this junk pile. But then something caught my eye; a tiny plush cat, no bigger than my hand. It was dirty and its fur was torn in places, but I picked it up anyway and hugged it to my chest. It would be really nice to have something fluffy and warm to hold on to during the nights. I had a big grin on my muzzle as I started walking, my thoughts preoccupied with my newest toy, and so the voice startled me badly.

"Ah, excuse me?" I jumped and shied away, even though the voice sounded friendly and timid, not threatening at all. "Oh, don't be afraid. I won't hurt you."

My eyes darted back and forth, until I finally spotted someone moving towards me. I bit my lip and forced myself to stop shivering. As the figure got closer, I could see that it was indeed a young boy, even smaller than me. I was kind of surprised to see that his body was covered with grey and white fur; he was a puppy dog, a collie. My cheeks burned a little when I realised that he had no clothes on at all, not even a pair of underwear like me. He smiled nervously and pointed towards my good arm.

"I see that... uhm... you found my kitty." There was a slight tremor in his voice, and I realised that this must be the boy I heard crying last night. "M-may I have it back? Please?"

"Sure." I handed over my prize with great reluctance. "I didn't think it belonged to anyone. Most things that end up here are just tossed-away junk."

"I s'pose so..." A tear ran down his cheek as he hugged the plush cat to his chest. "But it was mine before we got throwned away."

"What happened?"

"I guess... I guess it started when my stomach stopped working." He rubbed his white-furred tummy. "I kept whining an' telling them I was hungry even though I couldn't eat. And when my tail broke as well, I guess my boy got tired of me."

"You poor thing." I hugged him, and he trembled a bit at first, but then he leaned into my embrace. "It's not too bad here, you'll see. Especially with a little company."

"You're nice." He sniffled. "How did you end up here?"

"Too old, I guess. My eyes don't work very well, and my arm is dead."

"Did your boy throw you out, too?"

"I can't remember." We started walking, and I led him towards my car. "Maybe I hit my head or something, but I can't remember much of what happened before I got here."

"This is where you live?" He nodded towards the car, and I replied by crawling in through the window. "I hope I'll find a good place before it starts raining again. Otherwise, I think my fur will mould an' fall off or something."

"You can stay here with me if you want." Immediately, his eyes lit up, and I could see that he was trying to wag his broken tail. He slipped in through the window and hugged me with all his strength. "Hey, don't choke me!"

"I'm sorry, I'm just so happy. You're the greatest!" He kissed my nose, then leaned back and eyed me quizzically. "What's your name? Mine's Tousle."

"I don't know."

"You don't know? Aww, poor guy!" He hugged me again, softer this time, and he rubbed his muzzle against the side of my face. "Can I give you a name?"

"Well, okay, I guess."

"Let's see... how about Foxie? You are a foxie, and the name is cute just like you."

"Okay." I smiled, and returned his nuzzling. "You can call me Foxie if you want. Sounds nice."

"Yeah!" I couldn't help laughing as he yipped happily. "What model are you?"

"See for yourself." I held up my right foot towards him, and he stared at the stamp on the sole. "I can't see well enough to read it anymore."

"You need glasses." He giggled, and I couldn't help but join in. "Red Fox (TM) IntelliPet, Ltd. Hey, we're from the same company! Look, look!"

I reached for his foot, but he just giggled and squirmed when I touched it, and instead he stuck his rump up towards my face. I blushed furiously, but I soon managed to calm down and look at the tiny stamp right where his buttock and thigh met. Squinting, I could just make out the letters.

"Collie Pup (TM) IntelliPet, Ltd. Does that make us brothers?"

"I'd love to be your brother, Foxie." He yipped again, but his smile soon faltered and was replaced by a sad look. "My boy used to call me his li'l bro, and I miss it forever. I miss him, too. Wonder if he's got a new pet."

"It's no use thinking like that." I put my good arm around his shoulder and gave him a squeeze, as he started crying again. "We can't really decide what they do. Please don't cry, Tousle."

"I'll try," he sniffled. Our eyes met, and though his face was kind of blurred in the semi-dark of my hidey-hole, I could see the longing in his bright blue eyes. "We can stick together, can't we? I mean, we're both junk, aren't we? I could be your pet and you could be mine."

"I'd love that." His thin voice and his desperate plea would have made me cry, if my eyes had worked properly. Instead, I just whimpered a little as we sat there, holding each other. "I'd really love that. Do you wanna say it first?"

"You mean you gotta hear it, too? The magic words?"

"Yeah, at least I think they're still the same. You're a newer model."

"I love you, Foxie." He leaned back until our eyes could meet. "Will you be my friend?"

As soon as he had said it, a warm feeling spread through me, and I felt my heart swell with love for the little pup. Nodding vigorously, I leaned in and kissed him on the lips. Tousle was my dearest, dearest friend, and I knew beyond all doubt that I would love him forever and ever. He giggled again, a sound made even more sweet by my newly awakened love.

"Now it's your turn."

"Just a second." I grinned while trying to regain my composure. "I forgot how great this is. It's the best feeling in the world!"

"Yeah, I know. Now say it! Just like I said it."

"I love you, Tousle, will you be my friend?"

"Yah!"

We kissed again, then rolled around in the car, wrapping ourselves in our arms and in my blanket and spreading my toys all over the place. When we finally emerged from the blanket, we both had our ears laid flat against our heads, blushing and with wide grins on our muzzles. Tousle kissed me again, and I pressed back against him. It felt so right, so perfect. I had a flash of a memory; other arms, furless ones, and other lips that kissed mine. My boy. No, not mine. Not anymore! I was Tousle's now. And he was mine.

"I love you so much, my Foxie," he whispered, breaking our kiss, then he yawned widely. "So much."

"You can't be tired already?" I giggled, poking his sides until the tickles made him squirm with laughter. "It's still morning."

"I didn't sleep much last night. Hey! Noo, not my armpits! Eep!"

"Give up?"

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Please, I give up!"

"Who wins?"

"You win, Foxie." He kissed my nose. "But I really am tired."

"Wanna sleep in here?" He nodded. "I'm gonna go out and have a look around, but I'll be back soon, okay?"

"Please stay. Can't we sleep together?"

"I can't sleep when it's light outside. My batteries are kinda dead, so I'm on solar power."

"Oh. But will you stay with me until I'm asleep?"

"Sure!" Tousle grinned widely as I used my blanket to tuck him in, then placed his kitty on his chest. "Nighty-night."

"Night."

He yawned again, then closed his eyes. It didn't take long until he was sleeping soundly. I sat there for a little while, just looking at him. Even without the bonding words, I could very well have fallen in love with him. He was so cute with his floppy ears and his slim muzzle. His mouth hung slightly open with his tongue lolling out, and he snored a little while he slept. I sighed deeply. So adorable.

I leaned in and kissed his cheek, then I crawled out through the window and looked around. The junkyard still looked mostly deserted, though I could hear the sound of someone rummaging through junk. Still far away, I decided, and I hurried over to the pile where I had found Tousle.

Half an hour later, I was beginning to feel disappointed and frustrated. Most of the new stuff was electronics, smashed and broken and pretty useless since I had no idea how to repair anything. All I had found that I intended to keep was a small RC car. It had no batteries and the controller looked broken, but I figured it would still fit into my toy car collection. The rest of the junk, I decided to leave to the looters.

The sounds of them had come closer, and I was beginning to feel scared. I could hear their voices as they traded stuff or argued over who found what bit of scrap first. Time to head back home, otherwise they would soon be bartering or bickering over bits of me. I took a quick glance around and listened for any close-by sounds, then I darted across the open space between the piles as fast as my legs would carry me. Before long, I was back at the turned-over car.

Tousle was sitting up when I crawled in through the window, and I felt a smile creep onto my lips when I saw him. He hadn't heard me, because he was too busy playing with my cars. The blanket had turned into a road, and he was muttering to the little cars as he moved them around, making the sounds of engines and honking horns now and then. It was really cute. I sat up quietly, and just watched him for a while. He was so into his game that he jumped when he saw me, dropping the cars and clutching his chest.

"Don't scare me like that!" he squealed, but his pout soon turned into a smile when I picked up a car and started driving it down his road. "I hope it's okay... I found them, and..."

"Sure. Any time you want."

"Thanks..."

"Let's go out for a while first. I need something to drink."

"Yeah, me too. Do you know where we can find water?"

"I thought you said your stomach didn't work." I gently pushed him aside and straightened out the blanket, then gathered up all the toys, including the kitty, and put them away above the steering wheel. "Or is it just that you can't eat food?"

"Yeah. Anything 'cept water just comes right back up again, like a fountain." He laughed as I winced at his choice of words. "But I can still drink, and you saw before that I can cry."

"Yeah, me too, although I can't make any real tears. I can eat, though, but most water just goes right through me."

"Still lucky. You have no idea how hungry I am. Sometimes I wish I could kick the one who made us able to eat at all."

"Maybe." I crawled out of the window, then helped him come after me. "Or maybe they should just have given us an ‘off' switch. I think I'd much rather be shut off than thrown away while I was still alive. And feeling."

"Don't talk like that, please!" He turned me so we faced each other. There was fear in his eyes. "You can't die, I need you!"

"I wasn't talking about now, Tousle." I gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder, which seemed to calm him down a little. "I love you, and I'm not gonna leave you, it's just that it wasn't very nice to be here all alone."

"Okay. Thanks for everything, Foxie, you saved my life."

"And you made mine a happy one."

"Yuck," he said, looking as if he had bit into a lemon. "We're so mushy."

"Yeah!"

We both collapsed with laughter and giggles, rolling around like little puppies. All through the day, we ran around the junkyard, playing and looking for new things and enjoying our newfound friendship. After speaking the magic words, we were now deeply in love with each other, and we often had to stop what we were doing so we could kiss or hug or just hold hands.

In the afternoon we watched the truck drivers dump more junk into the yard, and we played with some of it until the sun began to set. I told Tousle about my batteries, and that I would fall asleep almost as soon as the sun had set, and so we made our way back towards the car. That was when I heard a noise up ahead. The new junk had attracted looters! I stopped dead in my tracks, and pulled Tousle to a halt, signalling to him to hush up before he gave us away.

"What is it, Foxie?" he whispered. "I'm scared."

"Me too. It's a looter. If he catches us, he'll tear us apart for scraps, or worse." He whimpered, and I realised that so did I. "Come on, we've got to hide before the sun's out!"

"He is between us and the car, isn't he?"

"Yeah. And I can't let anybody see me hide there. If they find out, they'll stalk me when I sleep and kill me."

Since I knew the junkyard better, I took Tousle's hand and led him as we started running, making sure not to step on something that would make noise. I knew of an older pile of junk where a couple of steel bars had fallen to form a little tunnel, big enough for me and Tousle, but too tight a fit for any looters. But to my horror, I could hear another looter roaming around ahead of us.

There was only one way left to go now, and that was towards the newest piles, where I didn't know any good hiding places and where I knew the looters were heading. I whispered this to Tousle, who only whimpered in return. My poor pup was frightened, and there was very little I could do to help him. I figured that our best choice would be to cover me up with junk before I fell asleep, then for him to stay out of their way; to run if necessary. But to my surprise, he rejected this idea at once, with a stern look on his face.

"No! No, no, no, no, no! Listen, Foxie, you stay right here, and when you hear them run, you head back to the car."

"What are you...? Oh no! You're gonna let them see you, aren't you?"

"It's the only way. The sun's almost down. Just hide inside the car, and I'll be there as soon as I shake them off."

"And if you can't shake them off?"

"Then I'll come back tomorrow morning."

"Tousle, what if they catch you?" I was building up to hysteria, almost forgetting to be quiet. "I don't want to lose you!"

"If they catch me," he whispered with a wry grin, "you can have my kitty."

"No!"

But it was too late. He dashed away from me, and I knew I had to stay quiet. If I distracted him, we'd both die. Besides, I was quickly losing my strength. I heard the looters yell to each other, and I knew they had seen him. They were chasing my little love!

I bit my lip to force back a whimper, and as soon as they were out of sight I ran as fast as I could to the car, and crawled in through the window. Every now and then, I could hear yelling from outside, but by then I was all but asleep, and could do nothing to help. I curled up beneath the blanket, shivering with fear and hugging the kitty tight. Tousle's scent was strong on it, and it gave me some comfort. Just before I drowsed off, I could have sworn I felt something moist run down my cheek. But before I could marvel at this, everything got dark.


* * * * * *

As the first rays of the next day's sun tickled my whiskers, I sat up straight, looking around in the car. Everything was just as it had been the day before, at least as far as I could remember. There had been... there had been something else, hadn't there? Maybe even... someone else. I stared at the plush toy I was hugging, wondering where I had got it from. Then its scent hit my nostrils, and I remembered everything that had happened yesterday.

Tousle!

I looked around, but there was no sign of my beloved collie pup. No Tousle at all. I now recalled having such terrible dreams about him, about what might have happened to him after we got separated. To wake up without him nearly broke my heart.

Part of me was too scared of what I might find to go out and look for him, but yet I forced myself to disentangle from the blanket and head for the opening. But just as I was about to stick my head out through the window, I met with Tousle's grinning muzzle. I was so startled I jumped back and banged my head on the opposite window. Through the pain flashes, I saw him come in, and I could feel my heart skip a beat. He was so beautiful.

"I thought I'd lost you," I whispered. "I thought you were gone."

"Nah, I gave 'em the slip right away." He beamed with pride. "But you were asleep when I got back."

"I woke up alone and..." I sobbed. "I had such bad dreams."

"Aww, my poor Foxie." He took my head in his hands and licked my cheek. "I was gonna be there for you, but I had to pee. Besides, you're kinda spooky when you sleep. Almost like you're dead."

"Not dead, just low on electricity." He giggled, then licked me again. "Hey, what are you doing?"

"Doing?" He laughed. "I'm kissing your tears away, sweetie."

"I was crying?"

"Yeah. But don't worry, I won't leave you again. And I sure won't let no stupid, clumsy loiterers get me."

"Looters," I corrected. "But, Tousle, I can't cry! That bit of me was broken!"

"And you still cried," he cooed. "Just for li'l ol' me?"

"I guess so. I'm always scared of the looters, but this time I was scared for you." I hugged him with my good arm, while I kissed the nape of his neck. The touch made him giggle. "Promise me you'll never do that again!"

"Only if you promise me we'll build more hideouts. Places where we can hide if they're after us."

"All right." I leaned back and looked into his eyes. "That's a great idea! You're one clever doggie."

"Thanks." His eyes literally shone with pride, but then all of a sudden, he got a serious look on his face. "Listen, Foxie, there's something I've waited all night to ask you. Something really important."

"What is it?"

"Wanna snuggle?"

With a growl, I pounced him, and we wrestled fiercely, bumping against both windows and backrests. In the end, I pinned him down and began to tickle him without mercy. He giggled and screamed, begging me to stop before he wet himself, but I did not relent.

"You said you were out peeing just now, remember?"

"Ahahaha, noo! Please, stop!!!"

This time, I did stop. We spent the whole morning cuddling underneath the blanket, kissing and kissing until my mouth could taste nothing but sweet, sweet Tousle flavours. In the afternoon we went out for a little while, but the new junk had brought too many looters for us to do any real foraging. We soon returned to the car, but this time our kisses were interrupted as Tousle yawned widely.

I had him snuggle up to me, then held him while he drowsed away. Looking at his lithe, beautiful form, sleeping so sweetly right there with his head on my chest, I felt my heart fill with love until it flowed over. Tears ran down my cheeks, tears of joy. And it felt oh so good to be able to cry again.


* * * * * *

Our lives were pretty good over the weeks to come. We settled into a daily routine that we hardly ever deviated from; in the morning, we'd cuddle for a while as soon as I woke up, then we'd spend most of the day prowling the junkyard, looking for neat stuff. Tousle taught me to not be so afraid of the looters, that they were really quite harmless as long as we stayed out of their way.

Every now and then, we'd beg for drinks and treats from the dump truck drivers, then have a party with what we got. I didn't much like eating in front of Tousle, knowing that he was always so hungry, but he insisted, the sweet boy. Then as the sun began to set, we'd head on home to the upturned car where we'd kiss and hug and caress each other all over until we were both tingling all over.

We were happy together, in the little home we had made for ourselves, and we stayed that way until the day when Tousle got caught by a looter.

My poor puppy had been having problems with his hips, and wasn't too quick anymore, but it wasn't really a major issue since it caused him no pain and he had me to look out for him. But one day the trucks dropped off a huge pile of junk, and Tousle spotted something that looked like a plush animal a few feet up.

Now, I was always ready to do anything for my lover, so when he asked me to see if it could be a new friend for his beloved kitty, I naturally complied and started climbing. I had just reached what turned out to be a pelt of some kind, and not a toy. Since it would be soft and warm and nice to sleep on, I was working to pry it loose from the rest of the junk, when I heard a stranger's voice from below.

"Well, what have we here?" My heart froze as I saw a looter walk up to Tousle, who had been watching me and had no chance to get away. "What a cute little thing."

Tousle said nothing, but I could see his shoulders sag in defeat. He was trapped against the junk pile, and the man who had found him looked a lot stronger than him. I knew that I should get down there and help him, if nothing else then to die with him, but my old fear of looters returned. I just sat there shivering and crying. The thought that I might lose him, that I might be left alone again, was tearing me apart, but I was too scared to move or even look away. But then something happened that I wouldn't even have dreamed. The man knelt down next to the shivering Tousle and cupped his chin, lifting up his muzzle until their eyes met.

"Don't be scared, little guy, I'm not gonna hurt you."

"Y-you're not?" Tousle seemed as puzzled by this as I was. "B-but I thought..."

"That I'd scrap you and sell your parts?" The man laughed as Tousle nodded meekly. "Don't worry, I'm not that kind of looter. Actually, I've been looking for something like you."

"Really?" Again, my heart froze to ice. So my little love wouldn't die, but be taken from me anyway? But he pulled away from the man. "I... I can't go with you."

"Why not? Please! It's my little brother's birthday next week, and you'd be a perfect present for him."

"Me? But I'm broken! I'm just junk!"

"Well, I can fix most mechanical things," the man said with pride in his voice. "You'll be as good as new."

"Wow. But..." I silently urged him on. He was given a chance to be repaired, to come to a new home, and I just knew he would throw it away because of me. As much as I loved him, I wanted him to go, wanted him to be happy. But he surprised me again. "I've got a friend here, sir, can't you take him too? I don't wanna leave without him."

"Where's your friend?"

"Hiding. He's scared of looters, but he's really sweet."

"Will he come if you ask him?"

"I hope so. But he's a bit worn down, just like me."

"Don't worry, I'll fix him, too." He laughed. "My brother will think I'm spoiling him."

Tousle called for me, and the sound of his voice shook me out of my stupor. I slowly made my way down the junk pile, taking a good look at the man as I approached them. He was young, I saw now, no more than sixteen or seventeen, and his clothes were well-worn and a bit dirty. In a way, I pitied him, having to look for toys for his brother in a scrap heap, but then I realised that I had been doing that, too. Maybe we'd fit right in, Tousle and I. The man looked me up and down, then nodded.

"I'll fix you up, little guy, no problem." He laughed again as I broke into a wide grin, and I found that I liked that sound. Then he reached over and rubbed a finger against my tummy, making me squirm as it tickled. "Are you guys designed to be sensitive? Like, touching and stuff?"

In reply, Tousle leaned in and kissed my lips. Part of me was still set on losing him, and the kiss felt like the best thing ever, times ten. My tongue met his, and I cupped his butt with my good hand, pulling us tighter together. A moan escaped my lips, and I closed my eyes to let myself drown in the feelings.

"Well, that answers that. My brother is a little young for kisses and love and such, so I hope you'll take things slow with him."

"Oh, certainly," I said, blushing a bit. Both Tousle and I had got a little bit excited, and it showed. "After all, we have each other for cuddling."

"So I see," the man commented as Tousle kissed me deeply once more. "Wanna go, then?"

We both nodded, and Tousle introduced us. The man's name turned out to be Jerry, and he was seventeen years old. He and his little brother Bobby lived alone in a small countryside house a couple of kilometres away, where he ran a workshop to keep them with money while Bobby went to school. After Tousle and I had picked up our things at the car, and I had shed a tear of farewell to my old home, we set off towards our new one. I walked with my arm around my little love, firmly believing that our new life would be a good one.


* * * * * *

Jerry was true to his word, and by the time the sun rose on Bobby's birthday, Tousle was delightedly wagging his tail and looking forward to a good helping of birthday cake, while I took great joy in just looking around, staring at this and that just to prove to myself that I could. I also took every opportunity to give my beloved puppy two-armed hugs.

I had new batteries, as well, and Tousle's hips were as good as new. We had lived in Jerry's shop for a few days to keep ourselves a secret from Bobby, but now it was time for the surprise. Jerry came out to get us just as we were getting into some serious kissing, and we were led into the house, up a staircase and into Bobby's bedroom. Our new boy sat on his bed, holding a couple of small wrapped gifts, and his eyes lit up with joy as he saw us. He was a few years younger than Jerry, but there was no mistaking the similarity between them. They both wore the same blinding smile as they hugged.

"Happy birthday, little bro."

"Wow, thank you so much! I can't believe it!"

"Here, read this."

He handed Bobby a note, and I felt absolutely certain I knew what was written on it. So did Tousle, judging by the way he squeezed my hand in happy expectation. I was all but shivering with excitement as Bobby began to read.

"I love you, Foxie and Tousle. Will you be my friends?"", "pools_count": 1, "title": "Toys", "deleted": "f", "public": "t", "mimetype": "text/rtf", "pagecount": "1", "rating_id": "0", "rating_name": "General", "ratings": [], "submission_type_id": "12", "type_name": "Writing - Document", "guest_block": "f", "friends_only": "f", "comments_count": "14", "views": "222" }