Chapter Text
When Shiro told Keith to rescue an animal, he actually did it. Not because Shiro told him he worried about his little brother, but because he thought that rescuing an animal in need would help him lift the guilt of his shoulders of a past event.
When he actually went, he certainly did not expect to end up with a cute dog and a cute boy.
“Keith,” Shiro murmured. “I worry about you.” He placed his hand on Keith’s shoulder. Keith sighed out heavily. Keith is annoyed because he knows already.
Keith nodded, “I know, Shiro. You don’t have to, okay? I’m fine.” It technically wasn’t a lie but he just wanted Shiro off his back.
Shiro had stopped trying at this point. “Fine. But I want you to go to the shelter. Pick a friend out.”
Keith didn’t know exactly why Shiro encouraged him to get an animal. Shiro could have just told him to make a friend or hang out with the ones he has, but Shiro argued that an animal would give him something to do.
So Keith took his word and took off on his red bike to drive to his the local shelter that he had passed by a few times. The shelter wasn’t anything special. Just a long beige building with a colored roof and a their own dog park attached to it that wasn’t open to the public.
Keith parked his bike along the many cars and could already hear dogs barking. People were sitting outside on benches with their dogs in their hands or laying beside them with a leash, waiting for something.
He entered the building. It didn’t smell of animal, which Keith appreciated. Keith just went down the hallway alongside a family, and into a door that led into the many rows of animals that were quite happily napping.
Keith was hated when animals were in cages, but all of them seemed happy and the cages were quite spacious and actually clean. Their food bowls filled to a healthy amount and water bows refilled with cooling, clean water.
The boy walked down the row and looked left and right to examine the animals. On their cages, they each had a little biography about them. He saw a German Shepherd named ‘Charlie’, a stray they found and rescued from the street; 3 years old. A Chihuahua that was small a frail, and a very sweet looking Pitbull that was used as a fighter, but through a long process of care and eventually trust, the dog learned to love again, ready for adoption.
None of them caught his eye, but you know what did? A boy. A teenaged volunteer. Of all the cute animals, Keith would choose this one. The volunteer was crouched down, his finger in a cage, lightly scratching a dog’s side with a smile on his face.
Keith couldn’t stop watching the scene in front of him. He had a lanyard around his neck that had his ID picture (which he looked great in, Keith didn’t know how), and it also read how he was a volunteer.
The brown haired boy in front of him cleared his throat once he caught Keith’s eye. Keith’s eyes quickly jumped to the dog that was next to him. The dog was sleeping. Keith walked down the row.
“Planning to adopt?” The boy he saw earlier asked. Keith’s ears were burning.
”Yup.” Keith answered, short and simple. What was he supposed to say? That his brother pestered him about adopting to help him through his mental health? No, Keith didn’t open up to strangers. Not even cute strangers.
”If you want, we can have a little interview. See what you like and what you do daily to match you up perfectly with an animal?” He asked. Another question. Keith felt like he was being interrogated.
Keith hummed. “Uh, sure.” Why did he agree? He didn’t know. Keith turned around and followed the worker out of the door where he walked in and into a separate room. They sat down and that’s when Keith got a good look of his face.
His eyes were gray and his hair brown and his skin tan. That’s all Keith could really describe at the moment, but he was undeniably handsome.
They introduced themselves briefly. His name was James.
“Okay so, these interviews help us to know if the owner is fit for the animal they want to adopt. Some animals, like Australian Shepherds for example, would not match with an owner who likes to sit around. A hamster or cat would be a better match for them. So think of this like some sort of Tinder, but for animals.”
Keith nodded.
“Do you exercise daily?” Woah okay, he’s already jumping into health questions. Keith nodded. “How long would you say?”
”Every morning I go on a hike and I like to take night runs. If I’m feeling sore, I would play volleyball with my friends or fence.” Keith answered.
James took a note.
“How would you describe the weather when you’re exercising?”
“I like taking hikes in the cold only and when I’m running at night, it’s cold also, but summer nights are always mildly warm and humid. Volleyball sometimes takes place at the beach; hot, or in a gym.”
James nodded and wrote on his notepad.
“What’s your living situation?”
Keith bit the inside of his cheek. “I live alone in a house that’s too big for me.” That was a fact. Shiro had moved out to live with his fiancé Adam. His stuff was gone and Keith didn’t have much so it was just empty and echoey.
”Big enough to maybe house a Great Dane?”
Keith shook his head, not a horse. “Big enough for a Bernese I think.”
James smiled and nodded, “Availability? Are you going to commit? Brushing, feeding, bathing, proper toys and bed and healthy food?”
“Yes. I don’t have much time on my hands, so all of my time will be poured into it.”
James sat back against the chair and started to think. Keith thought his thinking face was cute.
James looked at him again. “We have a Samoyed. He’s a mix. Some people prefer purebred, but this is a shelter. Personally, I like mixed dogs better. He’s absolutely wonderful. He loves exercising and training so he’s very obedient. His energy levels aren’t so high where he’s lazy, but just enough where he wants to play. You will need to brush him almost everyday, though. You up for that?”
Keith liked Samoyeds. He never met one, but he wasn’t opposed to it. “Yeah, sure.”
James smiled, “Great! You can meet him right now. We can take him out for a little walk? He’s due for one.”
Keith wouldn’t turn down a walk with a cute boy and maybe a cute dog, so he agreed.