Housepets: Just a Few Seconds

[Senator_Sunburst]

Hi everyone! Ever since I joined the forum I've been seeing everybody's awesome fanfics here, and I've had my own idea for one. So now I'm finally going to start it! I hope it'll prove to be enjoyable.

Of course, Housepets! nor any of the characters or settings does not belong to me, but instead belongs to Rick Griffin! No harm is meant from this little fic of mine, settings and characters are used without permission and this fic is not written for profit.

~~~~~~~~~~

Housepets: Just a Few Seconds
Arc 1, Update 1

"Please accept this dead chicken. Please accept this dead chicken. Please accept this dead chicken. Please accept this dead chicken."

Peanut continued to practice in the mirror but no matter where he placed the emphasis it didn't sound right to him. Giving it up as a lost cause Peanut stopped and rushed to the other room to confront Grape. Normally he'd have taken a deep breath and taken a bit more time to compose himself, but something told him that it'd be better to just jump in head-first. In fact, didn't Rufus say not to think about it too hard?

So without thinking at all he rushed over to Grape, held out the dead chicken, and said, "I'm madly in love with you and I can't live without you! Please chicken this dead accept!"
It was a moment before his mind finally processed what he'd said, and right after that Peanut realized his eyes were closed. He'd somehow forgotten to look her straight in the eye! The moment this thought entered Peanut's brain he jerked his eyes open, hoping he hadn't just lost his chance by failing to follow Rufus's advice.

What he saw wasn't very comforting.

Grape was standing very still, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. The phone was in her hand, and Peanut realized he'd interrupted a call.

"Hello? Heloooooo?" came the voice from the phone. A pause as Grape was still just standing there with the same expression on her face. "Is anybody there?"
Peanut heard the person sigh and then the click of whoever it was hanging up.

The click seemed to jog Grape out of her stupor, as she shook her head. Peanuts arm was getting tired holding out the dead chicken and it was then that he felt this really wasn't as good an idea as he thought. What was Grape supposed to do with a dead chicken?

"Oh Peanut," said Grape in a tone that sounded slightly exasperated but not really hostile. "What am I supposed to do with a dead chicken?"

Peanut felt himself blush deeply. He began to chuckle awkwardly as he let his arm fall back down to his side. Peanut wanted nothing more at that moment than to just disappear into the floor.

"Yeah, funny, I uh, I gotta go do...something else now," said Peanut.

He turned and was about to just run somewhere far far away before Grape said, "Peanut! Stay."

Peanut couldn't ignore such a command, but he did let the chicken drop to the floor. Grape ignored it as he turned back around.

"Peanut, I, I just..." began Grape. She paused for a moment, her eyes darting every which way as she searched for the right words. Finally she said, "I wasn't expecting this. I knew you liked me, but this? It's rather bold of you, Peanut." She smiled slightly.

Peanut's eyes grew wide. "You knew? How? Since when?"

Grape looked a bit confused. "I've known ever since you started taking an interest in cat things, for one. I guess even before that I figured something was up with that whole 'cat tail' thing. But I didn't really believe it until I found that photograph of Fido and Sabrina under your pillow. You know, the one coloured over in gel pens to match our fur?"

She said that last sentence so matter-of-factly Peanut couldn't help but blush. His ears drooped a bit as he said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

Grape's eyes flashed with a sudden intensity that just made Peanut cower more.

"Don't apologize!" she said. "I never resented it, or thought any less of your for it. Actually, it's really flattering. And once I got over the shock, this confession of yours is pretty nice." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "But who told you to give me a dead chicken? I know you didn't come up with that yourself."

Peanut chuckled and rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Rufus. It all sounded really promising at the time."

Grape laughed, and Peanut's nervous chuckle turned into real laughter. They're laughter became infectious, and it took a while before it started to die down.

When it finally did though, Peanut didn't know what to say. He'd done what he came to do...it was all in Grape's hands now. Peanut fidget nervously unsure what to do.

Grape looked confused again. "Peanut..."

Peanut looked at her, his eyes meeting hers. Her eyes were beautiful. She was beautiful. And not just physically. She was his best friend, the most wonderful person he knew, and more than anything he didn't want to lose what he already had. Even if he had to sacrifice his feelings for her.

"Grape," Peanut said. "I don't want to lose our friendship over this, so if you -"

Peanut was interrupted by the look on Grape's face. She looked about ready to strangle him.

"Peanut, there isn't anything you could do that would make me want to lose our friendship. Not a single thing."

She said this with such conviction that Peanut couldn't help but believe her. It made him feel a lot better, and he could feel his ears perk up.

"But Peanut...what is it you want?" Grape asked, sounding exasperated. "You're my best friend in the whole wide world, we already do everything together, we hug, we snuggle, what is it that you think is missing?"

Peanut was caught off guard. "I don't know! I just...I just want it to be more. We're not dating anyone; and Fido and Sabrina are together so we know it could work...if you just liked me that way."

There was a pause and Peanut could tell he'd struck a chord.

Grape's ears lowered a bit as she said "I love you Peanut. Really, I love you more than anything. But I just don't know if we could have a romantic relationship. When I think romance, I think of cat's, you know? And what if I ignored that? What would we do? We couldn't even go out on dates!"

"Yes we could!" said Peanut, feeling a need to defend himself. Everybody already knows you and I are friends, nobody would say anything if we went to a movie or hung out a bit more than usual."

Grape sighed. "Maybe you're right. I don't know. I just...don't know. I need some time to think about this, Peanut."

Peanut nodded his head silently. If anything, he now felt sure he'd done the right thing with confessing to Grape. Even if the worst should happen, they would still be friends. Grape wouldn't lie about that.

A moment of silence passed between them. Grape began to move towards the door. "I'm going to go for a walk. I'll see you at dinner Peanut."

Peanut just stood there, watching her as she left. Once she was out of view his eyes shifted to the dead chicken still lying on the floor. Shrugging, he decided to leave it there as he made his way to leave. He didn't really want to go ask Rufus for advice again, but really, who else was there that might understand?

~~~~~~~~~~



Now, I like to talk about my thoughts and stuff on what I wrote and why, so if you don't want to read any of that feel free to skip these little notes.

My favourite genre of fanfic has always been Alternate Universe fics. And every since the Cat-tail arc I've been a pretty big Grape and Peanut shipper. So I thought to myself that It would be fun write a story that would feature said ship by taking one event and changing it. So I've chosen for my event Peanut's attempted confession of love during the "Down at the Farm" arc. Peanut missed his chance only just, so this fic is going to attempt to explore what would have happened if he was a bit faster and got to Grape before Grape could talk to Max.

I know this particular opening isn't all that original. I attempted to have Grape and Peanut's conversation mirror what they actually said when this conversation happened in the "Imaginate Too!" arc, while doing my best not to make things too identical, and taking into account that Grape and Peanut during the "Down at the Farm" arc didn't have all the experiences they did in the "Imaginate Too!" arc.

Also, while I love Grape and Peanut, I'm hoping this fic won't focus exclusively on them. This change should affect more than just Grape and Peanut's lives, and I hope I'll be able to show some of that too.

One last thing. My writing style is very...minimal. I'm not very good with describing things. I try to write as little as possible while still getting across the setting, what everybody is doing, and what's happening. A lot of people don't like it, and I hope you'll all be able to bare with me on it.

I'm done rambling now. I don't know when I'll update again, but hopefully it won't be months.

[Tiggy]

Sure does sound promising! :3

[valerio]

well, as a first work, you've done a nice job. Of course now I expect to see how this is gonna develope, but the premises are good. Hehe, looks like that particular moment in time at the farm is still a common ispiration for many
Can't wait to see the follow-up, Senator!

[Senator_Sunburst]

Sure does sound promising! :3

I'm glad you think so! I hope I can live up to such promise!

well, as a first work, you've done a nice job. Of course now I expect to see how this is gonna develope, but the premises are good.

Thank you!

Hehe, looks like that particular moment in time at the farm is still a common ispiration for many

Yeah, I wish I was around when that arc was the current arc. I'd have liked to have seen what everybody thought when it was happening.

[The Game]

D'AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
Uber cute!!
This was very well done Mr. Senator Sir.

[Barkeron]

Well Senator, for your first try, this is pretty good. I see promises in this fic.

[Senator_Sunburst]

Housepets: Just a Few Seconds
Arc 1, Update 2

Grape really didn't want to walk. So once she found a nice quiet place to sit, she just sat. Alone. This particular spot was in front of a large rock on the side of a dirt path. Anybody who happened to walk by probably wouldn't see her.

As she stared, Grape felt like a whirlwind of emotions. One the one hand, she loved Peanut. There was no denying that. And if she was honest with herself, she was more into "dog things" than your average cat. Or at least she suspected she was, as she didn't actually know too many other cats.

But that was it wasn't it? She didn't know many other cats. Any exceptional dog-ness in her was probably just the result of spending so much time with dogs. And wasn't she planning to correct that when she got home? Didn't Peanut interrupt her making plans to do just that?

Yes, she told herself. That's how it was. That's how it was. How was it now?

Now, Grape thought, it was a lot more complicated. She felt attracted to cats, sure. But whenever she thought of great looking cats, they were highly romanticized images of lions running through the savannah, or tigers hunting in the jungle. Pridelands probably had something to do with that. Nevertheless, they were never just good looking toms. Could it be that lions and tigers being cats was just incidental to her attraction? That back at home, in reality, she could fall for a dog?

No, she told herself. She was just about to arrange a date with Max before Peanut interrupted. Max was a cat.

Then again. She wasn't particularly attracted to Max. He was just a cat she happened to know in passing, and a cat she knew would go on a date with her. And a cat that she was sure knew more cats. And her goal was really just to meet more cats, to hang around with cats, and if she was fully honest with herself, to feel more like a cat.

But did she really need that though. The need to be around others was more of a dog thing in itself wasn't it? Maybe, in trying to be more catlike, she was just showing how doglike she really was?

Maybe she should just forget about going out of her way to meet other cats. She wasn't really unhappy with her situation back home. It was only when it came up in conversation that she felt awkward about it. Maybe that was just a self-confidence thing.

Suddenly, Grape realized she was getting away from the main issue. The issue was Peanut. Peanut had gone out and confessed his love for her, and it had gone further into a request for a romantic relationship.

So was she willing to try it?

Maybe, thought Grape. Peanut was right that it was doable. Fido and Sabrina had kept their relationship from getting out, and Fido was the metaphorical center of the neighborhood. It should be even easier to keep a relationship hidden when you were just Grape and Peanut, a normal cat and dog who were friends and lived in the same house.

And Peanut was a good looking dog. And her best friend. And honestly, if there was a dog out there she could ever see herself with, it would be Peanut.

Grape's focus snapped back to the world around her. It was getting late in the day. It was time to head back. Standing up, she brushed the dust off her fur before solidifying her conclusion in her head. Would she try to have a romantic relationship with Peanut?

Yes.

~~~~~

Peanut finally found Rufus sitting alone, under a tree. His eyes were closed, but when Peanut got close Rufus's eyes slowly opened.

"Hey there Peanut," said Rufus. He closed his eyes again. "Somethin' on your mind?"

Peanut sat beside Rufus. The sun was shining brightly, there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was a beautiful day.

"The chicken didn't help at all," said Peanut.

Rufus opened his eyes again. Sitting up a bit straighter, he said, "Really? She usually goes for that sorta stuff."

Peanut looked a bit confused. "How do you know that?"

Rufus smiled. "Known her most of her life."

Now Peanut was utterly confused. "Who are we talking about again?"

Rufus's smile grew wider. "Aw, come now. The collie at the house over! The girl you're sweet on!"

Peanut's eyes grew wide. He didn't even know there was a collie at the house over.

Rufus's smile faded. "That's not who you were talkin' about?"

Peanut shook his head.

Rufus smiled again, before chuckling. "Ah well. Except for the dead chicken, the rest should've worked no matter who you were talkin' about!"

Peanut's ears drooped. "I was talking about Grape."

"Oh," said Rufus. Suddenly, he looked shocked. "Oh! I get it." He sighed. "It's the whole interspecies thing isn't it? That used to bother me too I guess, but when you get to be my age things like that just stop matterin' as much as they used to."

Peanut nodded. "She said she wasn't sure if we could have a relationship. Because I'm a dog." Peanut's expression turned uncharacteristically sad at that point. It felt so unfair. If he was born a cat, none of this would be a problem!

"Aw, don't you worry about it none," said Rufus. Peanut raised his head, glad to hear a few words of comfort. Rufus continued, "A good ol' dog like you, any cat who ain't crazy would be happy to be with you. And Grape ain't crazy is she?"

"No!" said Peanut, more forceful than he meant to.

"Well all right then! I'm sure things'll work out! Just gotta have a little hope."

Peanut smiled. "Maybe you're right." Peanut stood up, ready to head back. "Thanks Rufus."

Rufus moved into a more comfortable position, and closed his eyes. "No problem."

~~~~~~~~~~



It's really late so hopefully there aren't too many problems with the update.

I was originally going to have Grape settle her issues with one of the barn cats, but I changed my mind. One of the reasons was that the barn cats don't have names, and I'm afraid of making some up. Another reason was that it occurred to me that it'd probably be neater to contrast Grape and Peanut by how they solved these emotional issues. Grape, being a more solitary animal, may not seek emotional support as readily as Peanut.

Hopefully you all don't mind Grape's self-reflection though. Normally I don't like writing it because nothing happens during it, but I felt it was more necessary than normal. Besides, I kind of had fun with it. Grape's main issue here seems to be that she's self-concious about not being cat enough. Twice in HP we've seen her go out of her way to meet more cats whenever it's brought up that she mostly hangs around dogs. So hopefully I did a reasonable job in moving her opinion away from that insecurity.

[Tiggy]

Awesome<3

Loved it :3

[valerio]

1) this was am awesome update, loved it and can't wait for more.
2) loved the way Grape reflected about herself. It reflected well her inner turmoil and how she comes to accept her own feelings
3) Tiggy, your avatar is just to MELT for. AWWWWWWW!!!!

[Teh Brawler]

OH NO IT'S STARTING AGAIN

FIRST COME THE WELL WRITTEN GRAPE and PEANUT SHIPPING STORIES THEN THE WAR

*runs to the bunker*

Good stuff, by the way

[valerio]

I SO hope you're wrong, Brawler!

[Barkeron]

You pretty much did a good job by keep everyone in character. You captured Grape's inner feelings pretty well.

[Senator_Sunburst]

Housepets: Just a Few Seconds
Arc 1, Update 3

Peanut tried to stay positive as the day went on. Eating was spent in silence, and when it was time to head out to the barn to sleep, Peanut went to sit by himself on the roof. He didn't want to endure the barn cat's teasing, and he was sure that Grape still needed some time to think, and didn't need him bugging her. He told her what he needed to do, he just had to stay optimistic and wait for her decision.

Unless of course she was never going to answer. That she'd remain silent around him until they never spoke to each other anymore and stopped being friends.

Peanut shook his head as if to get rid of the bad thoughts. Rufus was right, everything was going to be fine.

But what if it wasn't?

Peanut shook his head again before burying his face into his hands. It was so frustrating to wait! Even if Grape said no, at least we wouldn't be waiting in suspense.

"Peanut?" came Grape's voice. Peanut whipped his head around to find Grape moving towards him. Peanut's heart was beating hard in his chest and he suddenly became worried that Grape could hear it.

She didn't give any indication that she did as she sat down beside him.

"Hey," said Grape. "The barn cats said you were up here."

Peanut shrugged. He didn't have a clue what to say.

The clear day had given way to a cloudy night. There were no stars to be seen, no moon. It was still nice out.

"I've been thinking," began Grape. Peanut tried to quiet his heartbeat, but of course you couldn't actually do that. He could feel himself blushing in anticipation for what Grape was about to say. "All my life you've been the world's greatest friend to me. Nobody could have asked for more. So..." Grape moved in close and gave Peanut a quick kiss. "I guess we can give this dating thing a try."

Peanut could barely hear that last part though. He couldn't do much of anything actually. His heart felt like it had exploded into a thousand tiny suns, each sun radiating pure happiness. He tried to express his happiness but all that came out was, "Ahbdub yewg aip."

Grape understood him though.

"I love you too Peanut."

Through the depths of his mind Peanut could just make out the sounds of giggling coming from the ladder leading back down into the barn.

"Hey!" shouted Grape at the barn cats. All three of them had their heads poking up, mischievous smiles on their faces. "This is a private conversation!"

More giggles. "Sure looks it," said one. "We'll be glad to hear all about it when ya'll come back down," another one finished, as they all three returned downstairs.

Peanut's thoughts were just about clearing up when he heard Grape ask, "you okay?"

Peanut, still not trusting himself to speak, just nodded. Grape smiled. "Good."

She laid another kiss on his forehead before standing back up. "We still have another week here you know," she began. "Might as well enjoy it now while it lasts."

And with that she headed back downstairs. Peanut could hear the excited murmurings of the barn cats as she descended, but it wasn't long before they started to slowly fade away.

Peanut blushed again, thinking about what just happened. He was going to enjoy the rest of his time here. He was going to enjoy the rest of his time anywhere. Because Grape had said yes.


~~~~~~~~~~



Super short update! This was originally going to be attached to the last update but it was getting so late and I found I couldn't sleep without posting anything, so I finished that last update and stopped at a reasonable stopping point, and planned to post this last bit now. So here it is! I can't tell you how weird it is to post updates that are this short. I've written fanfics before, including one novel-length one and in those, updates were around 6 thousand words. This was like...500. So wierd!

I was originally thinking this'd be the end of this arc, but now that I'm here I'm not sure. We'll have to see. If I choose not to progress arcs I'll probably have one more update before moving on. What do you guys think?

[Tiggy]

Quality not Quantity

x3

Loved it, moar!

[IceKitsune]

Yay this is great I love it can't wait for more!

[valerio]

supershort but supergood! DAAWWWW! Peanut's reaction was SO delicious!
Hehe, again looks like Uncle reube's barnroof is the favorite cuddling spot of hour heroes!
Give us MOAR!

[Barkeron]

He tried to express his happiness but all that came out was, "Ahbdub yewg aip."

Yup just Peanut being Peanut. Lol. Short but great update there Senator. I thinking if Peanut will suffer more short circuits in the future.

[Teh Brawler]

Good story, though shipping really isn't my cup of tea.

You're just lucky GameCobra's been absent for awhile.

[valerio]

all the reason to go on shipping like heck, yay!!!
Write on, senator!

[Senator_Sunburst]

You're just lucky GameCobra's been absent for awhile.

I don't understand!!!

[Teh Brawler]

You're just lucky GameCobra's been absent for awhile.

I don't understand!!!

*is a hardcore Grape and Maxwell fan!*

Yeah, don't go making too many enemies now. :3

[Senator_Sunburst]

Housepets: Just a Few Seconds
Arc 1, Update 4

As the week went on, Grape was surprised at how even though things were different, they were still the same. They still played together, Peanut still interrupted her naps, and at least for now, nobody treated them differently.

At the same time things felt different. Peanut seemed happier than she'd ever seen him before, even though he wasn't acting any different. It was like a barely perceptible aura of happiness that radiated off him. And it was contagious.

It was subtle at first. Something that Peanut said or did that normally would have annoyed her didn't bother her so much. A joke would turn out a bit funnier now than before. And as their trip neared its end, Grape found herself happier too.

Their parents had noticed something too. They hadn't said anything out loud, but sometimes Grape could see mom looking at them out of the corner of her eye and giving an odd smile, or dad grinning at them a little too long.

On their last day, Peanut and Grape sat on top of the barn again, this time to watch the sunset. The barn rooftop had become something of a private spot for them. Or as private as a spot right above three flirty gossipy barn cats could be.

"It's a shame we have to leave tomorrow," said Grape.

Peanut's ears lowered for a moment, but perked back up so quickly Grape wasn't sure she had really seen anything.

"Yeah," said Peanut. "It's a lot of fun here."

A few moments passed and this time Grape could see his ears lower slightly as he stared at the sunset.

"Peanut?" asked Grape. Peanut's ears perked up again, his head snapping towards her direction as if she startled him.

"Sorry Grape," said Peanut suddenly. "I'm just a little nervous about going back."

Grape stayed quiet, slightly annoyed. She knew he'd feel this way. Even if he was the one who argued that it was doable, he was still Peanut. Societal pressure still got to him.

"But I'm sure everything will be fine," he continued. "Rufus said it would, you know?"

Grape started to laugh despite herself. "You believe the dog who told you to give me a dead chicken?"

"I told you, he thought I was talking about somebody else. Besides, don't you want him to be right on this?"

Grape sighed. "I didn't mean anything by it. We'll get back home and everything will be fine. You're right, there won't be any problems."

Even as the words left her mouth she wasn't quite sure she believed them. There were lots of sources for potential conflict. Even if they didn't get "caught", Peanut might lose standing just by hanging around Grape more. And Grape...well, she chose to do this, she could handle staying around dogs.

Nobody said anything after that. They continued to sit together, watching the sun go down until the first stars started to appear.

Grape stood up.

"I'm going to down now," she said. "Big day tomorrow."

Peanut nodded. "I think I'm going to stay here for a bit longer. See you in the morning, Grape."

~~~~~~~~~~


Decided to go with another update in this arc. Arc's over now! I'm pretty sure the next few updates will be longer, but ya never know.

I've been to a farm before. Actually, I've been to one several times because this is Texas and I have a friend who's relatives have one. So when I write about this farm in general I imagine being there. At this particular farm there really is a large boulder just off the path that you can sit in front of and nobody will see you.

Also, I'd be very happy to not have to witness a shipping war.

I've gone through several fandoms and only ended up getting involved in one, I don't want to end up in a second one please.

[IceKitsune]

Also, I'd be very happy to not have to witness a shipping war.

I've gone through several fandoms and only ended up getting involved in one, I don't want to end up in a second one please.

Don't worry I think the shipping on this forum (and in the fandom for the comic it self) has been very good so far and I don't think its going to change anytime soon (and I hope it never does). As I've said before this fandom has had the most tame shipping discussions I've ever seen (for as long as I've been here anyway I don't know about before) and I've been involved with some bad ones my self *shudders* which I will not get into here.

Ok with that out of the way I'm loving this story so far and can't wait for the next part keep up the good work Senator Sunburst.

[Tiggy]

Shipping wars have never been a problem, I think.

But other than that, this is asum! x3

[valerio]

Dinna worry about shipping wars at all, senator. There is lot of room for each fan to write his/her own ficcie without hurting anyone elses's feelings, as long as the forum rules are respected. Brawler likes drama, don't take it too seriously.
Anyway, another GREAT update with lots of interesting developments once our heroes are back in BG! Keep the excellent work on!

[Teh Brawler]

Dinna worry about shipping wars at all, senator. There is lot of room for each fan to write his/her own ficcie without hurting anyone elses's feelings, as long as the forum rules are respected. Brawler likes drama, don't take it too seriously.
Anyway, another GREAT update with lots of interesting developments once our heroes are back in BG! Keep the excellent work on!

I WILL CONTINUE TO SHIP BINOT 'TIL MY DEATH

TRY TO STOP ME

[Senator_Sunburst]

Housepets: Just a Few Seconds
Arc 2, Update 1

Max was excited, although he tried his best not to show it. Today was the day Grape was coming back, and a foolproof date idea had fallen into his lap a few days before. Two advanced tickets to Hunters of the Pridelands. It was perfect, he'd walk up to her, ask her for a date, and if she said no he'd act sad and just happen to wonder out loud who he was going to give the tickets to. There was no way she's day no to that.

"What are you so happy about?" said Bino. He looked exceptionally grumpy today, and Max had a good idea why.

"Oh, you know...." said Max.

"Tsch. Yeah I do know. Just keep your crazy cat relationships away from me."

Max grinned as he watched Bino walk out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

Max pulled out the tickets to look at again, just to make sure they were real, and still there. Of course, they were.

"You two are going to make me one happy cat," he said, before putting them back in his collar and making his way outside.

~~~~~

Grape was so happy they were almost done unpacking. Grape herself had actually finished a long time ago, but Peanut just had to go overboard with packing that even with the two of them working on it, it had taken a while. She just couldn't wait to be done.

"Grape?" asked Peanut as he tossed a board game to the floor.

"Yeah?"

"Well...I was wondering, there's a Don Bluth marathon happening tonight, I was just wondering...."

Grape waited for him to finish the sentence, but when it didn't look like he was going to, she decided to finish it for him.

"You were wondering if I could not make any plans at all so we could watch the whole thing together?"

"Well, yeah," said Peanut. "I know all the mice make you hungry but we can just stock up on a lot of food, and nobody likes A Troll in Central Park, but we could have fun making fun of that, and - "

"Sure," said Grape, stopping him there. "It's not like I was going to run out and make plans anyway. What time does it start?"

Peanut stopped looking for his spare batteries for a moment, and glanced at his clock. "In about three hours, I think."

Grape smiled. "It's a date then."

At the word "date" Peanut blushed and quickly busied himself with finding those batteries.

Grape found it adorable that Peanut was still so easy to make blush. She supposed that was a sign that he really did like her.

Handing Peanut a handful of DS games, Grape considered that this "date" of theirs would be good practice for getting comfortable with the idea. Besides, at least now, there weren't many things they could do for dates. She'd have to tell Peanut that they needed to look into that.

It wasn't much longer before they finished with Peanut's bag. Everything was now out of the bag. And on to the floor, on top of Peanut's bed, or under it. Grape didn't mind Peanut's messy habits though. She wasn't much better.

Grape yawned.

"I'm going to head out and take a nap," she said. "Might as well get some sleep and outside time while I can."

Peanut nodded. "Remember, Don Bluth marathon!"

Grape waved in his direction to indicate she heard him, and walked out of his room. Yawning again, she opened the front door and stepped into the warm sunlight of her home. Looking around, the place was just as she had left it.

Another step, and -

"Hey Grape!"

"Ah!" said Grape, who leapt back in shock and only barely kept out a hiss. She could feel the fur on her back standing on end. Licking her palm she did her best to smooth it back down quickly.

"Did you really have to startle me like that?" she told Max.

He gave a huge toothy grin as if to say "yes, of course I did."

"I just wanted to see you as soon as possible," said Max. "Listen, I was wondering maybe you'd like to go out tonight? With me?"

Grape stopped fussing with her fur.

"What do you mean?"

Max shuffled awkwardly as he said, "well, you know, I just thought I'd ask you out on another date. It's been a long time since the Yarn Ball. So uh, what do you say?"

Grape thought about it for about four seconds before she said, "sorry, I can't."

"Oh," said Max. His ears suddenly went flat and he slumped a little. Turning around he said in a low voice, "I guess I'll have to give someone else these advanced tickets to Hunters of the Pridelands."

Grape's heart skipped a beat.

"You have tickets?" she said, excited. "How did you get those?!"

Max chuckled. "It wasn't easy."

He waited, looking on expectantly. It was then that Grape remembered that she couldn't even entertain the idea of going. She had told Peanut she'd stay with him.

"Look Max," she began. "I'm really sorry, but I just can't go with you. I'd love to see Hunters of the Pridelands with you but I have other...things....to do."

"Oh," said Max, looking even sadder than before. "Well...I guess I really will have to find somebody else to see it with me then." He turned to leave.

"Maybe we can go see it in a couple of days?" asked Grape hopefully. "If you don't mind seeing it again that is."

Max whirled around so fast Grape could see pits of dirt twirl along the ground in a spiral.

"You mean it?" asked Max, looking like he might start hyperventilating any moment.

Grape smiled. "Sure! It'll be fun! I'll have to tell Peanut, he'd love to see it with us."

Figuring the conversation done, Grape walked right past Max, leaving him there to stare confused at the front of her door.


~~~~~~~~~~

Arc 2 begins!

A Don Bluth marathon can't be all good.

I would assume that Max is tricky enough to have planned something along the lines of what I have him plan here. Of course, it doesn't go as well for him here as it did in canon. If I may say so, Grape is still inconsiderate, she totally needs to work on that.

I really wonder what interspecies couples do outside of their own homes. I mean, with Squeak and Joey there seems to be some sort of stuff going on. We'll just have to see won't we?

[valerio]

Aw, this is so adorable update!
This is gonna be soooo awkward for poor Grape. (watch out, lady, that dark cat is a SCHEMER!!)

[Tiggy]

Awesome update

And dear god, if Peanut comes with them, AWKWARD! x3

[Barkeron]

I agree with the others this is going to be a awkward date for all three of them. lol. Great update there.

[Senator_Sunburst]

Housepets: Just a Few Seconds
Arc 2, Update 2


"Hey Marvin," said Max.

The cat in question turned around. "What is it?"

"I have an extra ticket to Hunters of the Pridelands. You want to go? It's for tonight."

Marvin's jaw dropped. "Do I want to go?! Of course I want to go! But why are you asking me?" He suddenly looked suspicious.

"Honestly, I asked Grape first. You know Grape right?"

"I know of Grape, yes."

"Well I asked her first. It was my trump card for getting her to go on another date with me. But she said she was busy so here I am with an extra ticket."

"Ouch," said Marvin. "Think she was actually busy?"

Max shrugged. "She sounded sorry enough, and we did reschedule...sort of."

"What do you mean sort of?"

"She said she was going to invite Peanut too! She walked off before I could object to it. I don't know why she did that, she knew I wanted it to be a date!"

Marvin looked sympathetic. "Sounds to me she wants to keep things friendly. Doesn't want you to get the idea that you're actually, you know, 'together'." He made finger quotes at the word "together."

Max sighed. "That's probably it. It's a shame, I really thought I was growing on her."

Marvin patted Max on the shoulder. "There's no reason to give up. It's not like she's dating anyone, right? If you keep trying, she might come around eventually."

Max perked up at this. "You're right! I'm sure I can figure something out!"

~~~~~

"I got the popcorn!" said Peanut.

"I got the dog biscuits!" said Grape.

"Do you want any of these hot dog links?"

"Sure, grab a couple more."

The marathon was going to start any minute and they were going all out on the snacks. They even convinced their parents to buy them a six pack of orange soda to make the bad movies more fun.

Suddenly Peanut rushed out of the kitchen, dropping popcorn kernels and a few peanut butter snacks on the kitchen floor. Grape found it amusing that a dog named Peanut Butter would actually eat peanut butter snacks.

"Graaaaaape!" Peanut called from the living room. "It's starting!"

Grape grabbed a final can of sardines before rushing over. Throwing the pile of food on the floor in front of the couch, Grape joined Peanut underneath a blanket and took a fist-full of popcorn just as All Dogs go to Heaven started.

~~~~~

Sabrina found Tarot sitting on the couch, watching television alone.

"I'm confused," Sabrina began. "Didn't you say you were going out tonight? That the spirits told you that somebody needed your company?"

Tarot looked up from the television screen. "They said someone might need my company. But now it looks like I'm not required."

"Huh," said Sabrina. "So if you're not going out on some spirit errand, want to join me outside? It's a nice night, and I was going to go for a walk."

"Not meeting Fido are you?" asked Tarot without looking up from the screen.

"No!" said Sabrina, sounding indignant. "I don't go find him every time I go out for a walk you know." She stuck her tongue out, but Tarot was still glued to the screen. A few seconds passed and Tarot stayed silent.

"I'm guessing that's a no?" asked Sabrina.

Eyes still glued to the screen, Tarot said, "I'll go once this movie's finished, if that's all right."

"What movie is it?" asked Sabrina.

"All Dogs go to Heaven."

Sabrina watched the screen for a few moments. Whatever was going on was a mystery to her.

"You know, I've never seen it before."

Tarot patted the area on the couch next to her. "Join me. It's good."

Sabrina was skeptical that a movie with the title "All Dogs go to Heaven" would appeal to her, but sat down anyway.

"Popcorn?" asked Tarot, pulling a bowl out from nowhere and placing it in between her and Sabrina. Sabrina ignored it, not caring much for popcorn.

"So what's going on? What happened at the beginning?"

Sabrina made herself more comfortable as Tarot began to explain the plot up until the point they were watching.

~~~~~

"I insist on protecting my homeland!" announced Petir on the screen.

Marvin was leaning forward, completely enamoured in the events on-screen. Max, for his part, was not enjoying the movie as much as he should have been. He was still disappointed about Grape's refusal. Not for the first time Max wondered what Grape was doing that could possibly be so important as to miss this movie. Grape was the biggest Pridelands fan he knew. If she willingly missed an advanced screening of this movie, whatever it was must have been very important.

~~~~~

Peanut felt like he was going to die from laughter.

"Ya know," said Grape, her speech slightly slurred as she took another sip of orange soda. "If Stanley didn't want to be found out as a good troll, why does he wear that stupid bow on his tail? I mean, really! What's up with that?"

"Maybe he just wants to look pretty Grape?" said Peanut. He threw another dog biscuit into his mouth but his laughter prevented him from chewing properly.

It was nearing the end of the marathon, and the living room was a huge mess. Empty bags of snacks littered the floor, and popcorn was all over the place due to Peanut and Grape starting a game to see who could throw the most kernels into each other's open mouths. Peanut had won that one.

"There anymore Cheese Nips?" asked Peanut. Grape's head lolled over to one side, where her eyes spotted the empty bag sitting just out of reach.

"Nope," said Grape.

Peanut suddenly snorted. "We're going to get fat from this."

Grape started to laugh again. "We'll hafta do something about that then," she said. "I don't want to get fat!"

Images of a fat Grape entered Peanut's mind and he had to stifle his laughter.

They continued like this for quite some time before the marathon finally ended. By then, both pets had fallen asleep, cuddling under the blanket. Under said blanket was the only place in the entire room where random foodstuff packages weren't lying around.

Neither animals awoke when Mrs. Sandwhich came into the room, incredibly unimpressed with the mess that was left behind. She would have woken them both up right there to clean up, but they just looked too cute to disturb.

Smiling, Mrs. Sandwhich went back to the bedroom, planning to make them clean up everything in the morning.


~~~~~~~~~~



I stayed up waaaaay later than I planned finishing this. I've been putting out an update every day so far, I felt I had to!

I don't mean for Max to come off as scheming or anything, he just doesn't know the situation. He's not taking a sinister view of anything, he's just trying to get a girl he thinks is still available.

In canon, Peanut had no idea Tarot was going to show up. At least in my experience, if there's a big movie thing that's actually planned, this is the sort of thing that ends up happening. Peanut and Tarot watching movies together wasn't planned, so it wasn't as big a thing. At least in my view.

[valerio]

Aww, this was such a cutsie update!!! Made me giggle to no end
You know, this big What If..? is becoming more and more intriguing and delicious. Keep it up, Senator!

(And SUPERDAAAWWW for Peanut and Grape cuddling under the blanket! )

[Tiggy]

Awesome update, as always :p

[Sinder]

a six pack of orange soda to make the bad movies more fun

well, that's one way to put it

[Teh Brawler]

a six pack of orange soda to make the bad movies more fun

well, that's one way to put it

You know you have more to say

[Senator_Sunburst]

well, that's one way to put it

I actually was thinking of removing the bad movie reference and make it sound like a cat-nip statement. I've seen bags of catnip say silly things like "helps your cats have fun!" and I just laugh....

Also, AAAAH, SINDER COMMENTED ON MY FIC I'M SO HONOURED!

[ctcmjh]

DARN YOU GRAPENUT FANS! ALWAYS WRITING THESE REALLY GOOD FICS!

*ahem* Well, I honestly really like this fanfic. But I'm still staying the adamant Max&Grape fan that I am.

[Tiggy]

*grabs CT's arm and drags him with him*

Come over here, it's warm and cozy

and we have all the Peanut and Grape plushies all oVER THE PLACE I COMMAND YOU TO SHIP

[valerio]

Grapenut = best ingredient for inspiration

[Teh Brawler]

*grabs CT's arm and drags him with him*

Come over here, it's warm and cozy

and we have all the Peanut and Grape plushies all oVER THE PLACE I COMMAND YOU TO SHIP

This is why I'm neutral on Grape shipping. Too much war.

Bino shipping, on the other hand.....