Chronicles of Tommy


“Son, could you come in here for a moment?” Levi called out, the large grey-furred Labrador sitting at the kitchen table, drinking his morning coffee with one hand while holding a newspaper in the other, the sound of birds chirping outside filling his floppy ears.


“Coming, Dad,” came a tired response from upstairs, the smaller Lab having slept peacefully into the late morning, just as his parents had intended after yesterday's family trip.


“You know I can schedule for me and him to meet up at a motel. We don’t have to cause a ruckus for Tommy so often,” Chloe called out from across the table, the grey-furred Labrador dressed in her real estate agent attire as she’d been preparing for the day's last meeting.


"And you know those bed covers are filled with all sorts of nasty things. I won’t let my wife sleep in a poorly kept motel, especially if it isn’t necessary," Levi said as he tapped a finger against the wooden table before returning his attention to the paper before him.


“Can’t argue with that, my dear, yet I still feel like we’re burdening Mara and her parents a little too much with our son,” she said. Her floppy ears twitched ever so slightly as she heard Tommy coming down from the first floor, the handsome Lab dressed in his favourite dressing gown. The blue robe kept his body cosy and warm just as he liked it.


“There’s my big boy. Are you still tired from yesterday’s family trip?” Levi put down the paper and repositioned himself to face his only offspring. The shorter Lab always brought a smile to his face; Tommy would always be the pride of his life, messy fur and all.


“I know I said I was interested in sports, Dad, but did we have to spend the whole of our Friday on trying out different types?” He rubbed his tired eyes before leaning against the door frame for support, the sound of the summer breeze heard from their porch.


“Of course we did. After all, it’s a father's job to guide his offspring,” Levi assured him before his smile faded and the moment became serious. 


“Anyway, I’m sure you know that I’ll be off on a business trip. I need to scout out some more models for the firm I work for so I’ll be gone for a while,” Levi explained, pointing at his large briefcase by the kitchen counter.


“Best of luck, Dad. Just try to stay out of trouble,” Tommy teased, a small smile appearing on his face as he looked back at his old man.


“Ha! Ha! I see you’ve found your energy once more,” Levi said, his deep voice tinged with sarcasm at his son's taunting. Nonetheless, the Labrador dad smiled, happy that his son wasn’t negatively affected by that not-so-professional episode he’d caused in Peru.


“So, what’s this really about? Because I already knew about your trip,” Tommy called out, the tired canine thinking more about his warm bed than the family meeting.


Levi got straight to the point and gestured towards Chloe. "Your mother will have guests over from work later, so we’d like you to go visit Mara," he said. His wife looked at their son with anticipation, mainly because she preferred not to sleep in public bed covers.


“But it’s Saturday. Don’t they normally come over for longer?” Tommy asked, confused. His mother often had ‘guests’, but usually, he knew about it before Friday had come to a close.


“Last-minute agreements, my dear. I’ll make it up to you by buying that computer you’ve been hoping for,” Chloe bargained, knowing the current computer her son had was about ready to combust from being so overloaded with school and home use.


“Hmmm, deal!” Tommy walked over and extended his hand to his mother, the Lab glowing with excitement at the prospect of not having to endure another night of deleting files from his computer to free up space for homework.


“Deal. Now go pack up what you need before you head over to Mara’s.” Chloe took his small hand, shook it firmly, and playfully nudged him back upstairs.


“Sure thing, Mama. Oh, and before I forget, it looks really weird when you both wear pants,” Tommy pointed out, the Lab having grown up in the bottomless district of town, Tommy was not the biggest fan of such attire. 


He quickly rushed off before any of his parents could comment on this, the sound of his small victory hum vibrating off the walls, reaching all the way into the kitchen, until he closed the door to his bedroom on the first floor.


“You know we were going to give him that PC anyway.”


“I know… but it was as good a bargaining chip as any I could come up with. Don’t forget, you still owe him your share of gifts,” Chloe said as she stood up and walked over to Levi’s side of the table to give him a kiss.


“I’ll buy him sports gear when he figures out what he’d like to dedicate himself to,” Levi assured her, the two separating to finish up their preparations before leaving the house.


“I expect you to be out of the house before I return from work, my little sugar cube,” Chloe shouted from the bottom of the stairs, the distant sound of her little sunshine saying okay echoing down to where she stood.


With that, she left for work, with Levi not far behind as he had to catch a plane for his long flight to Fiji with a coworker. He placed the spare house keys on a table next to the main door along with a small letter. The note reminded his son to lock the door before leaving for Mara’s house at the end of the villa street.


*****


Knock! Knock! Knock!


“Who could that be?” Lucy said, her floppy ears twitching as she picked up the faint sound of someone knocking on her front door.


“Mara! Could you answer the door, please?” Bill looked up from his large cutting board in the white-tiled kitchen, as the sound of his daughter's feet skipping across the floor was heard moments later. Her bedroom, being located right above the kitchen, was always a convenience, the grey-furred father thought.


“Who do you think it is?” Lucy asked her husband before directing her attention back to the food before her. The Weimaraner parents were in the middle of making lunch for themselves and their two energetic daughters, the smell of smoked fish filling the kitchen.


“Not sure, but I hope they like sandwiches.” Bill leaned over and gave his pregnant wife a small kiss on the ear, her blue eyes shining in the sunlight coming through the windows.


At the front door Mara came face to face with Tommy, a small suitcase with clothing by his side. The Labrador was wearing his classic Hilfiger shirt, while the matching pants were nowhere to be seen, in accordance with the bottomless district's rules.


“Tommy! It's so good to see you,” Mara yelled as she launched herself forward and into her childhood friend's arms. The almost identical canines hugged and snuggled for a short while before parting ways. The Weimaraner then pulled her friend inside before closing the door.


“Why are you here on a Saturday? Normally you sleep over from Friday until Monday?” She gave him a raised eyebrow as she looked back at him, yet she took his hand and ran up the stairs with him and through the door to her bedroom before Tommy could even say hello to her parents or answer the question.


“Mom had a last-minute meeting with someone from work and said she would have guests over later, so I needed to be out of the house before then,” Tommy explained, the canine throwing his baggage onto the bed across from Mara’s.


“So warm and soft,” Tommy purred as he settled his body onto the cosy blankets. The source of the heat warmed his body as the room was perfectly positioned to catch the summer sun, enveloping the room and, more importantly, the blankets in comforting warmth.


“I know it’s summer break, but don’t tell me you’re planning on taking a nap?” Mara crossed her arms in disbelief at what she was seeing. The Lab buried his face into the pillow, his tail softly wagging back and forth as his rump wiggled with joy from the warmth of the sun. His dark fur slowly making him into a baked potato as he rested against the blue blankets.


“Just five more minutes, Mara, and you’ll have my complete atten—!” The words got caught in his throat as the sound of Mara's hand spanking his rump echoed throughout the room, her shocked guest rolling over to shield his abused flesh from further violence.


“What was that for?” Tommy called out as he rubbed his hand softly over the spot she’d hit, a red hand mark visible through the fur of his behind.


“My bedroom, my rules! And you promised we’d get to use the inflatable pool you gave me on my birthday next time you visited.” Mara locked her blue eyes onto his, the passion of wanting to play clear for her friend to see.


“Fine… but did you have to hit me?”


“Yes, and don’t blame me; it’s you who’s always shaking that thing around.” 


“Only when I win a game… which I guess does happen quite often,” Tommy admitted with a blush to his cheeks, a hand scratching the back of his neck in slight embarrassment, memories of victory dancing around Mara clear in his mind.


“At this pace, you could just as well join the dance team when we get back to school, rather than one of the sports teams,” Mara teased, the look of betrayal on his snout amusing her as her friend hadn’t done anything but talk about how he was going to join a sports team now that it would finally be possible.


“No way! I’ve waited so long, I’m not going to spoil the chance,” Tommy crossed his arms as well and huffed in annoyance. Their school did not allow for underclassmen to participate in sports, but they were allowed to practise once they entered their third year. Said third year was just around the corner as school was set to start up again in just a few weeks.


“Tiny Tommy is going to be a big sports star now, is he?”


“I, um… I’m not small, and I just want to play for fun. See where it takes me, you know.” He’d never planned on getting far within the sports world; rather, he just wanted to have a good time and try to fulfil a sort of underlying need for wanting to be a sporting dog.


“You’re a runt, Tommy… but you know what, so am I, and you don’t see me complaining.” Mara struck a confident pose, feeling a hint of satisfaction in keeping pace with Tommy’s growth, even though both of them still had their major growth spurt ahead of them, a few years down the road, Mara noted.


“You just wait, I’ll grow so large that I’ll tower over you!” Tommy launched himself forward, going for her sides. Soon the two lay entangled on the floor, laughing loudly as both tried to tickle the other into tapping out from laughing too hard.


“Kids, get down here! It’s time for lunch,” a feminine voice called from below them. The two out-of-breath canines looked at each other shortly before standing back up to smoothen their shirts. Mara's short-sleeved blue shirt was in the end easier to fix than Tommy’s Hilfiger one. The Labrador opened his bag and pulled out a white shirt that was open at the front, revealing his chest but still keeping his nipples away from prying eyes.


“Already preparing yourself for the inflatable pool, I see,” Mara joked before the two ran back downstairs to where the food was.


“Tommy!” He’d barely gotten down the stairs before a smaller cub threw herself into his arms, the Weimaraner rubbing herself against his stomach as he gently rubbed the top of her head.


“Callie, it hasn’t even been a full week since we last saw each other,” Tommy giggled at her pure display of joy, Mara’s little sister always finding a way to become a beacon of light.


“I know, but I just couldn’t help myself,” Callie answered before she ran back to the kitchen, with Mara and Tommy following right behind her.


“Welcome little guy, what brings you over to our humble home on a Saturday of all days?” Bill said, the larger canine giving him a fist bump as his wife gave their guest a hug, her pregnant belly getting partially in the way of her motherly embrace.


“Last minute plans, mother wanted me out of the house before her guests where to arrive,” he answered before getting himself seated, the chair warming up his butt as the sun was emanating through the windows like it’d done in the room above them.


“I see, I’m sure your mother will be busy all weekend then,” Bill said, him and Lucy knowing full well that they’d need to buy in more food for the coming days, in case Chloe’s guests ended up extending their visit for a longer period than normal.


“And dad will be off to Fiji for two weeks… I had really hoped for some bonding time with my mom.” Tommy shook his head to shake off the negative thoughts, his eyes turning their focus onto the food before him; him, Mara and Callie digging into the fish sandwiches with ferocity. 


“Don’t worry, it’s just the weekend and then you’ll be back to spending time with Chloe day in and day out while your father is away,” Lucy assured him before joining in on the feast, her appetite having greatly increased ever since Bill had put a third baby in her.


*****


"Remember, all three of you, turn off the water once the pool has been filled," Lucy's voice commanded from the living room, as her two daughters and Tommy were in the midst of filling up the inflatable pool that Bill had bought for them to enjoy.


“Tommy, could we leave this task to you? I’ll go get my bikini in the meantime,” Mara said, the Weimaraner running back inside with her little sister in tow.


Tommy nodded in agreement, a smile lighting up his face as he surveyed the garden of his best friend's home. The house had a ground floor and a first floor with a tilted roof on top to create space for a small attic. The kitchen, living room, and Mara’s bedroom featured windows that overlooked the backyard.


The garden wasn’t the largest, it being standard in size like the many other houses within the villa neighbourhood. But it was by far big enough for Mara’s family and himself, and in Lucy's opinion a few cubs more as the lady seemed more than fine with having a third cub on the way, her body growing motherly once more. 


They’d placed the pool at the centre of the lawn, Tommy and Mara having dragged over chairs for them to lay on while Callie had gotten the water hose out of the shed. Not a cloud was present in the blue sky above, the warm sun bathing the land in a heat wave.


“Mmmm, so warm,” Tommy whispered as he laid himself back onto one of the chairs, the white plastic contrasting heavily with his fur. He turned over and onto his stomach, his eyes closing slowly from his body temperature rising. 


“Just five minutes and then I’ll turn off the water,” the lab thought out loud before his eyes lost the battle, Tommy slowly drifting off into sleep.


…..


“AUGH!!!” Tommy screamed, feeling a sharp pain shoot through his spine as someone hit his still sore behind.


“Sis, can I try too?” an innocent voice asked. In the search for an answer, Tommy looked over his shoulder, the sun blinding him shortly before he was able to see Mara standing with her arms crossed, a raised eyebrow signalling disapproval at his attempt to rest his eyes for the second time that day.


“Sorry, Callie, but only I can hit Tommy,” Mara replied to her younger sister.


“What was that for? I was just resting my eyes,” Tommy protested, attempting to defend himself and his sore backside from further hits.


“Resting your eyes? Then why was your tail wagging as it does only when you’re dreaming?” Unable to argue back, Tommy surrendered, knowing Mara wouldn’t be swayed from her irritation in any other way.


She uncrossed her arms and relaxed her stance, unable to stay angry at him for very long. “Anyway, it’s time for fun. What do you think of my bikini?” As his eyes adjusted to the bright sun, Tommy gazed at her and Callie.


Mara sported only the upper part of her bikini, like a true native of the bottomless district fur. She had picked a blue top that resembled a Bandeau top more than a typical bikini, the thing closely hugging her slender frame. Callie, on the other hand, had opted for a swimsuit that covered her entire body. Although this choice went against the district's rules for public appearance, the outfit still looked cute on her.


“You look… pretty.”


“Thanks. And you look handsome,” Mara replied as she turned to walk over to the pool. For a moment, his heart sank, fearing an overflow, but fortunately, it seemed he wouldn't have to deal with any damage or scolding from Lucy and Bill. The pool was properly filled, the water hose turned off and lying beside it.


After calming down, Tommy found himself captivated by his friend’s short tail, its slight twitch showcasing happiness as she tested out the water’s temperature.


“Wait, wait! What about me?” Callie’s voice interrupted his reverie, the smaller canine jumping up and down to get his attention.


“You look… cute,” he responded, thinking of her more like a cute little sister than an actual girl at that moment. Despite a slight huff of annoyance, she accepted his compliment before joining Mara, who had already entered the pool.


“Hey! Wait for me,” Tommy called out from his chair, before the canine soon joined them in the cool water. His overheated body relaxed before playful chaos ensued. Callie initiated it, as the energetic cub started splashing water on him and Mara.


Hours passed as the three canines revelled in the good weather and Bill’s gift. Though Callie retired for the night early, needing rest before visiting friends the next day. With just the two of them remaining, Tommy suggested they call it a night as well.


*****


“So, did the day turn out alright despite your mother's sudden guests?”


“It... turned out alright,” Tommy reluctantly replied. Despite the unwelcome surprises of the late morning, he had to admit that the day had taken a turn for the better. He had seen Mara earlier than expected and even been promised a new PC.


“W-what are you doing?” Tommy exclaimed, his cosy bubble beneath the bed covers shattered as someone lifted them up.


She pressed against his back, positioning Tommy as the little spoon and herself as the big spoon. “Just doing what I always do, silly,” she answered, her face nuzzled against the back of his head as she pulled him close.


“I'm not in the mood, Mara.”


“Whyyy, you always like it when we play adults together,” Mara retorted, taking in his Labrador scent as she nestled under the covers.


“Not today, but we can still cuddle if you'd like.” A soft whine sounded from behind his head, Mara sweetly protesting his rejection before quitting down.


“Alright, just don’t come begging for it later!” She playfully nipped his ear, prompting Tommy to tickle her side in retaliation. The two engaged in playful banter for a few minutes, before the warm room within the room forced them to stop up to catch their breath.


“And you're sure I can't persuade you to play 'the popsicle'?”


“Just go to sleep!” They shared a playful gaze before bursting into laughter, leaning their foreheads together, the two finally settling in for the night.


“Goodnight, Mara.”


“Goodnight, Tommy.”