Written for the following prompt found at .com: Exactly what it says on the tin. The progression of Chuck and Raleigh's relationship as seen through the dog's eyes. If the writer wants this to take place in a happily ever after AU, where Kaijus are vanquished and everyone lives, that's cool- encouraged even.
pairing: Chuck/Raleigh
Warnings: none really, Max ignores the boys getting handsy. that's about it. Unbeta'd. all mistakes are my own.
Author's Note: I started this ficlet three times. Surprisingly ONLY three times. I thought it would take me longer to find a suitable voice for Max, but in the end it wasn't so hard. I like the way this turned out. Not terribly long but meaningful. It feels good to be writing again even if it is by myself ^_^
The first time that Max had met Raleigh Becket, he'd admittedly been very distracted. He hadn't seen Miss Mori is a very long time and despite Chuck being the best person ever, Miss Mori gave the best face squishes and ear rubs. She always cooed at him, too. Max liked it when women cooed at him, even if it embarrassed Chuck. So, with Miss Mori there, Max had barely given the new arrival to their nuclear pack a sniff.
The second time Max had met Raleigh Becket, the sudden spike in Chuck's heart rate and adrenaline had put him on alert, allowing him to focus on the other young man despite the tidbits of food Chuck kept slipping him. Oh, he ate them, but his focus was on parsing the particular scents associated with Raleigh Becket. There was an underlying scent of sorrow overlaid with a deep, cold foresty smell and on top of that was a simple musky scent human males all seemed to share in some variation or another. To Max's pleasure Raleigh, like his Chuck, didn't seem fond of wearing artificial smells beyond the stick stuff Chuck put under his arms. Max hated the sharp smells most of the humans in the world wore. Fake flowers and overpowering fake fruits. Even with his bulldog-desensitized nose, those smells made him sneeze.
"If you slow me down, I will drop you like a sack of Kaiju shit."
Coming back to the present at the harshness of Chuck's words, Max blinked and realized he was panting. Chuck pulled the brim of his hat down as soon as he put it on, using it as a cover to glance at Max out of the corner of his eye. This was Chuck's way of excusing them when Max needed something. Max saw it the moment Chuck realized that the heat in the mess was too much for Max and then they were off just a moment later, heading towards the rooms that served as sleeping places in the big metal worlds they spent most of their time in.
It was obvious from Chuck's quick steps and tense shoulders that Chuck was upset, angry but also disappointed. More so than he was mad actually. Max slipped through the door to Chuck's room and whined as Chuck followed, shutting the door. Misunderstanding the noise for discomfort and not concern, Chuck snorted, "Alright, ya big baby. I'm turning the air on."
Max huffed and trundled to the bed. Chuck was there almost instantly to put him on the mattress. Then his person kicked back against the headboard and Max settled stretched out against Chuck's thigh. These were the best parts of the day when it was just Max and Chuck with nothing interrupting some quality nap time.
"I can't believe that's the same Raleigh Becket that I grew up idolizing." Except for when Chuck needed to talk about things, but Max didn't consider that naptime interruption. "He just seems…arg! I don't know! He's not what I expected."
Chuck's hand landed on Max's scruff and began massaging. Max groaned happily and leaned harder into the hand and his person's leg.
"I used t' dream of becoming that bloke's co-pilot." Chuck sounded almost lost in thought. "But he ran off like a coward! The only drift compatibility I had after that was Dad! Seems like the only thing's've gone right are having you and jockeying giant robots even if I am attached to my dad to do it."
Max sighed. Now he remembered why the words Raleigh Becket sounded so familiar. From the time Chuck and Max had met for the first time it had been Raleigh Becket this and something Becket that. Chuck had been eager to show Max his entire collection of things revolving around something called Gipsy Danger. Max hadn't been allowed to do more than paw at the plastic mini-people-like things, but Chuck had only encouraged Max to chew on the ugly plastic lizard things. Grandpa had been less than happy to find that out.
Then one day Chuck had returned to their room crying and so upset that Max had been frantic to comfort his person. He'd only been a pup, but he'd easily recognized that something horrible had happened and that his person needed him. Chuck had hugged him so tightly and laid them down in their bed, curling around Max and whispering, "I can't believe Gipsy's really gone…" It was the last time Max had seen his person cry.
There had been a momentary explosion of angry a few months after that during which every Gipsy Danger thing had been tossed in a bag that Max had yet to see again to this day. From that moment forward, Chuck had been focused on two things: the giant metal beings and Max.
And now a Gipsy Danger metal being was the talk of the metal world. Now there was a real Raleigh Becket. No wonder Chuck was upset. Getting up, Max moved forward and licked at Chuck's face. Chuck laughed and gently pushed at Max's cheek. "Stop it, ya tosser. 'M fine. Just a lil disappointed. I guess we'll have to see if he's a washed up has been, or if he still might have some fight in 'im after all."
Satisfied with the smile he'd gotten, Max laid back down and closed his eyes Chuck's fingers snugly massaging at his scruff again.
Max didn't have occasion to think of Raleigh Becket again until the next evening, when Chuck stormed into their room smelling of hormones and blood. Max was on his feet in an instant, letting out a sharp bark as Chuck slammed the door behind him.
"That absolute WANKER," Chuck growled and knocked everything off the small desk by his bed to the floor with one sweep of his arm. The other one was held across his stomach. Max didn't like the look of any of this at all so he barked again, hoping Chuck would pay attention and calm down. "That fucker threw everything out of alignment, but it's Mako that gets grounded! She deserves a better co-pilot! One that's not so fucked in the head!"
Frozen in place, Max cocked his head. Chuck was breathing heavy but leaning against the door now, seemingly trying to compose himself and then he started to chuckle. "But he's a right mean bastard in a fight. Glad that wasn't a bar brawl and as much as I hate to say it, 'm glad his brother wasn't there t' help. I'd have gotten more'n a twisted shoulder and bloodied lip."
Ooookay. Now Max was a little confused. Chuck sounded…happy. He was even wiping at the blood oozing out of his lip and looking at it with amusement… Ah. Whatever had happened – Raleigh Becket had to be involved given the fact that his scent including that of his blood was all over Chuck – must have been very similar to the fights Grandpa and Chuck got into all the time. Those fights never got physical, but then…Chuck never smelled like this after a fight with Grandpa. All riled up and musky. Clearly, Raleigh Becket was making a place for himself in Max's pack. Then again, hadn't he always had one?
"C'mon, boy. Let's get cleaned up. If the science geeks are right, we'll be dealing with a coupla Kaiju before the end of tomorrow."
Max was only too happy to follow Chuck into the shower all other thoughts vanquished by the prospect of warm soapy water and rub downs.
Raleigh Becket was not pleased. He'd been unhappy before the lights had gone out and the speaker which brought Chuck's voice into the room when he wasn't actually there had gone silent, but now he smelled like a man itching for a fight. Miss Mori was fairly thrumming with energy, something Max had never seen before.
"Not all the Jaegers, Marshall. Gipsy's analog."
Max looked over to the dark skinned man that was the pack leader of the entire metal world. For a moment, his expression did not change. And then he nodded. Raleigh Becket and Miss Mori were gone in the blink of an eye.
Later, when one of the crew that tended to Chuck, Grandpa and their giant metal being brought Max into the very loud and overcrowded hall, Chuck was nodding to Raleigh Becket while Grandpa spoke quietly to the other young man and Miss Mori. Everyone was elated and Max felt the emotion swell in his own chest as he galloped to Chuck's side. Chuck stooped and caught his leash and together they made their way over to the locker rooms where a few of the crew members helped Chuck out of his uniform. It wasn't long before they were sprawled on their bed again. Max lay on his back with Chuck's fingers scratching idly at his breastbone. The sensation made Max's tongue loll happily down his cheek and his back right leg twitch. Chuck snorted.
"I reckon they worked it all out." Max decided to just listen. Sometimes Chuck was most honest with himself when he forgot he was talking not just to Max, but to himself too. "You shoulda seen it, boy. Gipsy…Mako and Raleigh really gave those fuckers the what for. Obliterated them. Least now we've got a small chance to come back from Pitfall, eh, boy?"
Max…didn't like that tone in Chuck's voice, but then Chuck started scratching his chest in earnest and between that heavenly touch and the grin on Chuck's face, Max forgot to wonder what was coming.
Max was upset and confused. First, Raleigh Becket had rubbed Max's ears and head while he exchanged sad, but encouraging words with Grandpa. Now, his Chuck was suited up and Grandpa wasn't. And he was actually crying! For the first time since he'd told Max that Gipsy was gone, Chuck was crying and rubbing Max's head and grabbing his cheeks and jowls and whispering that he was going to miss Max like he wasn't coming back.
He had to come back! He always came back because Striker Eureka was the best! Chuck said so! The only thing that stopped Max from following Chuck into the elevator with the dark skinned man was Grandpa's firm hold on his leash. Confused that he'd been stopped, Max looked up only to find that Grandpa's eyes were wet and shiny. Things were horribly, horribly wrong.
It took a lot, but after a few strong tugs, Max finally followed Grandpa to Elvis' place. There was a lot of crackling and shouting from the speaker that brought Chuck's voice when he wasn't there and before Max could grasp what was going on there was an immense amount of cheering and shouting and people going crazy. Everyone but Grandpa. He made an announcement telling someone to stop the clock and then he leaned heavily on the desk top with his eyes shut tight. He smelled so unbearably sad and the scent of it made Max whine. Luckily, he had good ears and was still able to hear a new beeping sound from the console. Whining louder, Max pawed at Grandpa's leg and that seemed to bring the older man back to himself. The beeping went off again and Grandpa snapped to attention. For one moment, everything around them faded and Max couldn't see anything but the look of stunned surprise on Grandpa's face. Then the world erupted around them again, but it was a different kind of chaos.
"Rescue choppers, this is Marshall Hercules Hansen! You turn those birds around and bring me back my son! Loccent Chief Choi is sending you the coordinates now."
Max barked once, hoping the people Grandpa was speaking to would understand that there would be consequences if Grandpa's words were not heeded. If the look on Grandpa's face was anything to go by, Max wasn't the only one they had to worry about if they didn't bring Chuck home right away.
To Max's surprise, it was Raleigh Becket that finally got him through the big white doors so that he could see Chuck. Determined to be reunited with his person, Max had made it a habit over the last few days to slip away when Grandpa wasn't looking or dart out the bedroom door any time it was opened. Very few people tried to stop him while he made the now familiar trek to the big white doors from which Chuck's smell weakly wafted. Those damnable doors thwarted him so completely he couldn't do more than sit in front of them and stare.
"Hey, boy."
Max started and looked up at Raleigh Becket. He'd been hoping someone would come out of the doors so he could dart in and he'd lost himself in the cycle of 'gotta move fast to get through. Gotta move fast to get through. Gotta move fast to get through.' Raleigh Becket crouched down and rubbed at Max's head. On any other meeting, Max would have appreciated the affection. Right now, however, all he cared about was his person.
"Miss your dad, huh?" Raleigh Becket's voice was soft and Max felt a little spark of hope ignite deep in his chest. "Well, what's the use of being a war hero if you can't pull some strings. C'mon. Let's go see, Chuck."
Raleigh Becket stood and grabbed the handle of the door on the left. He'd barely gotten it open before Max was through. Raleigh Becket wasn't far behind. Chuck's smell was strong in these short halls and before Max knew it, he was there. Chuck was sitting up in a bed that was brightly white and the moment he laid eyes on Max he let out a delighted, "Max!"
The feel of Chuck's hand on his fur was physical ambrosia after so long apart. Sure Max had to stretch up uncomfortably and place his front paws on the side of the too tall bed frame so that Chuck could touch him, but the discomfort in his hips was well worth it.
"I missed you, mate," Chuck murmured and scratched under Max's chin enthusiastically. Then suddenly there were two more hands on Max, tucking up under his arm pits and lifting him right up onto the bed and Chuck's lap. Max couldn't care less how he'd got there! All that mattered was that he could lick Chuck's bruised face. "Oi, ya drongo! Calm down before you drown me!"
Despite the harsh words, Chuck was laughing and so was Raleigh Becket. Eventually Max calmed down enough to stretch out against the side of Chuck's leg, panting from his exertion. Chuck's hand sat idly on his scruff and Max groaned happily, burrowing closer and closing his eyes in bliss.
"Thanks, mate." Chuck's voice was soft.
"He's been sitting outside the doors to the infirmary almost every time I've passed by. Herc keeps getting mad at him for running away, but…well, obviously you aren't a total asshole if your dog loves you this much. I felt bad for him, so I figured what the hell? Worse they can do is yell at me. And then I'll just play the savior card and either way Max gets what he wants and we're all happy."
The silence was soft. Max kept his eyes closed and inhaled deeply through his nose. Chuck smelled like antiseptic and blood and hormones. His nervousness was obvious through the tension in the hand that lay – stiffly now – on the back of Max's head.
"I used to…I use t' follow you and Yancy." There was a pause but when Raleigh Becket didn't say anything Chuck went on. "When you rabbited…when you ran from the PPDC five years ago…I was slotted t' be your new co-pilot. I know it wasn' personal, but you were…I wanted t' be you. Near you. T' Drift with you. Christ, I just almost died an' …I'm not some fucking sheila who has to talk about feelings, but I just wanted ya t' know that you did good. And. I'm glad I finally got t' meet ya."
Max could practically hear Raleigh Becket's grin and he didn't have to look up to know that Chuck was probably hot in his cheeks. Chuck smelled embarrassed.
"Thanks." Raleigh Becket was clearly amused. "I uh. I followed you. I couldn't help it. I looked up in the mess hall one day after my shift and there you were. Cocky and newly minted on your first Kaiju kill. And I thought 'Damn. Maybe I should have stuck around after all, fine piece of ass like that coming out of the Academy.'" There was a very thick pause of silence. Max cracked open his eyes and glanced between the two young men who were just staring stupidly at each other with twin looks of awkward embarrassment before pressing himself harder into Chuck's leg and hand. They could keep talking or not talking, so long as Chuck started scratching his scruff. After a second, Chuck's hand started to knead Max's skin rolls and Raleigh Becket's voice picked up again. "But…Yancy was gone. And not gone. Everything was such a cluster fuck. I wasn't sleeping. Still don't really. I was no good for this. It took me five years four months and even then, when Pentecost challenged me to come back, I wasn't sure I wasn't going to fuck up and destroy the world."
Chuck's hand stilled again, but this time Max just let it be.
"In a way…I'm actually glad I didn't meet you until now."
Max picked his head up and looked at Raleigh Becket. That was a terrible place to pause and Chuck could easily…
"Fuck you, too, Rah-leigh! So sorry t' be such a fuckin' disappointment!"
Max growled. Stupid Raleigh Becket. Chuck shut up clearly surprised that Max even knew how to make that sound and then Raleigh – if Chuck was going to start calling him something shorter Max was totally on board – moved forward, leaned over Max and caught the back of Chuck's head in his broad hand to press their foreheads together. "I'm glad you didn't have to experience a First Drift with someone as fucked up as I was back then. I'm glad you're as strong as you are now because now you can probably take it. I'm glad you didn't have to be the one to experience Yancy's death with me on a level so real it forced perfect Mako to chase the RABIT. I'm glad you're alive, so I can maybe have a chance at getting to know my idol while he gets to know his."
That was much better. Max tipped his head back and bulldog-grinned at them with his tongue flopped out and his jowls hanging open. Raleigh broke first, cracking up at the sight. Then Chuck joined in with a few soft laughs. "He's a ham when we're not out in public. Thinks he's hilarious."
"No offense, Chuck, but your dog's hilariously, adorably ugly."
"Oi! He's a damn fine specimen of his breed!"
"Like his daddy, I suppose."
Chuck's mouth dropped open and his cheeks darkened. Max put his head back down while Raleigh pulled up the only chair in the room. "Yup. Same smile and everything."
Chuck's pillow smacked Raleigh in the face and Max let out an indignant bark. Chuck's smile had dimples! Even bulldog-grins couldn't beat that.
The people in white coats and medium gray uniforms finally let Chuck leave the infirmary shortly after Raleigh started bringing Max around every evening. Chuck paused outside their room door and glanced at Raleigh as the other young man made his way down the hall. He looked down at Max who wiggled his tail causing his butt to wiggle with the tiny appendage. Of course Max approved of inviting Raleigh to join them.
"Oi, Becket! Got some microwave popcorn and a coupla movies. If you're interested." Max pressed passed Chuck's legs and made his way over to the dog bed in the corner. As he had assumed Raleigh would, Chuck was followed into the room, closing the door once Raleigh was through. "I've got a few beers too."
"Sounds good." Raleigh smelled of nerves and hormones. Max turned a few circles in his bed and laid down with his back to the room. The mingling smells of attraction and arousal between Chuck (familiar) and Raleigh (new) was all the warning he needed to stay away from the bed. Chuck never gave Max popcorn any more anyway. He said it made Max's already stinky butt stinkier.
The two humans settled side by side after Chuck put a movie on. The popcorn sat in its bag between them and each had a bottle of beer between their thighs. Max turned his attention completely away. It was only a little while longer that mating sounds reached Max's ears. He pretended not to notice, just like he did when Chuck was indulging in a little self-gratification, and curled a little tighter into his dog bed.
When Max found Raleigh still asleep and wrapped around Chuck the following morning, Max decided to officially welcome him the pack by covering the hand that hung off the edge of the mattress from the arm draped over Chuck's waist in the slobberiest kisses he could muster. After all, Chuck was fresh out of the sick place and SOMEONE had to take him out for a walk.
Fin