Chapter Text
Paws For Love
“Dogs are not our whole lives, but they make our lives whole.” –Roger Caras
Chapter One: Just a Walk
Dogs give more than they receive. Dogs change our everyday life, maybe they help you be more outgoing, perhaps they help you stay positive, or just maybe they help you find love. In my case. It was all three.
The dark was comfortable and lazy. Bits of dust drifted through the air from ceiling to floor. Weak streams of light filtered in from just below a set of dark grey curtains that were pulled across a long window. It was silent other than soft deep breathing, broken by the occasional snort, and the tacking of claws against hard floor.
Something heavy flopped down on the edge of the queen sized bed, causing several year old springs to groan under the pressure. A bundle of sheets shifted as a warm face peek out from the darkness. Asahi’s brown eyes meet the dark eyes of his Rottweiler-German Shepard mutt, Echo, who pushed her face forward when she saw him, her thick tail thumping against the side of the nightstand.
“Morning, girl.” Asahi reached out one hand to scratch the large black and copper dog just below her ears.
Pushing himself up so that he could sit at the edge of his bed, his long brown hair fell over his shoulders and into his face. Using one hand he tucked it behind his ear and glanced around to the end of his bed where there were two large dog beds. One was still full with a large grey and black heap of fur.
“Apollo, ready for a walk?”
The large grey head lifted up out of its bed, as a large newfoundland-mix stumbled out of his bed and lumbered over toward Asahi. Sleep filled barks echoed around the small room, soon joined by Echo as she voiced her opinion.
Running a hand over each of their heads Asahi stood from his bed and moved over to the closet, pulling out a pair of running shorts and a plain black shirt. Both dogs wove back and forth around him, it was only five years of the practice that kept him from tripping over the two. Carefully stepping over and around the two dogs that, despite their size, would yip and cry if you so much as almost bumped into them. Echo often knocking her head into his thigh, sending Asahi stumbling as he was in the middle of pulling his shorts onto one leg.
“I’ll be just a moment you two.” Stretching his headband over his head he hooked it around his bangs, while pulling the rest of his hair up into a messy bun. “Ok, leashes.”
The two bounded away and through his closet door, large paws pounding against the wood. Moments later they returned, a leather strap dangling from their mouth.
“Good dogs!”
Within a few minutes Asahi had hooked the two up and was headed out the front door, grabbing his keys from the bowl in the entryway. Locking the door behind him, Asahi tested the handle once to be sure, and turned down his driveway.
The sun was only just over the horizon leaving the yard in a beautiful gold glow, his red tulips were open and blooming, enjoying the sun. The sky was starting to turn from black, to a relaxing baby blue, and in the glow of the yellowing tree leaves, it seemed to Asahi like the perfect morning. He took a deep breath and relaxed at the comfortable silence. No cars were driving by, no one was out to give him strange looks.
Grimacing slightly, Asahi tried not to think of the way people obviously moved to the other side of park paths when he went jogging. He had hopped the problem would improve when he got Echo and Apollo, but there was just something about the way they had looked at him through the metal crate, that he just couldn’t leave them there. Asahi had never intended to get such big dogs, but he never regretted his choice, even when people started at the sight of two large dogs.
A small whine from Apollo reminded Asahi of what they were out here to do, he hooked the two leashes into his belt strap, and started down his driveway.
They hadn’t gotten too far before they’d run into a jogging college student who had swiftly veered off to jog on the edge of the road to try and avoid Asahi and his dogs. Although it hurt a little to see her fearful glances, he nodded to her and continued down the sidewalk. He could feel the muscles in his leg stretching and pounding, it was a good feeling, it reminded him of High School where he used to play volleyball with his friends.
The dogs automatically followed their usual path across an empty lot towards the wooded park, where they would follow one of the bike paths. It was better because there were less people, and loud noises that would scare Echo and Apollo. (Asahi too, for that matter.) He couldn’t help but smile as the two dogs started to break out into a faster trot upon crossing the field. Picking up his pace slightly, Asahi could feel the excitement of the two dogs, he was sharing it, and then he was practically sprinting up the hill. He could feel a grin breaking out onto his face, a genuine grin, one that was filled with that bubbly joy.
For some reason, today just seemed like it would be a good day.
Apollo barked happily as he saw people standing at the entrance to the park path, who ducked their heads and whipped around so they could see where the noise came from. Frankly, if he could see what they saw, Asahi probably would have dodged out of the way just about as quickly as they had. A combined weight of almost 450 pounds barreling toward you, would make you want to get the fuck out of dodge as well.
Waving at the two teens, Asahi ran past them, and into the canopy of deciduous trees. The smooth pavement made for biking was a little rough on his knees, so he chose to run on the grassy path just off to the right of the pavement. Asahi had run this path so many times before he hardly doubted he would even need to keep his eyes open to see the path, he would keep them open anyway, just to be safe. He also had no intention of missing the beauty of the yellowing maple and oak leaves.
The three of them were approaching the two mile mark that was placed toward the top of hill. Pulling slightly on the leashes to tell Echo and Apollo that they were coming to a halt. Asahi slowed down carefully, as to not run into his two dogs in front of him, they came to a stop just about three arm lengths away from the sign. Stepping forward to stand next to the dogs, Asahi unclipped their leashes so that they could run around and explore a little before they headed back into town. Echo’s bark boomed in the quiet forest as she leapt toward Apollo trying to get him to play with her.
Asahi watched fondly as the larger dog shoved her with his shoulder, but started to run and leap anyway, he sat in the bench that was near the sign and smiled.
It always felt better when he wasn’t getting strange looks from people. Sometimes people would even call the cops on him because they thought he was a gang member. Asahi could never seem to understand their accusations, it hurt his heart to know that they thought he would do such things. He’d even almost started crying once when a police office had handcuffed him without warning. Apparently someone had called saying that he was trying to rob their store.
Relaxing back into his seat Asahi closed his eyes for a moment, letting all his thoughts fall away, resting his head against the back of the bench he stretched out his legs and folded his arms over his chest. It was blissful, he wasn’t tired or sleepy, but it was beautiful out. The weather wasn’t too hot, as it had been lately, or too cold. It was nice with a little chill.
A loud crying screech reached Asahi’s ears, causing him to sit bolt upright off the bench. He practically leapt to his feet, almost stumbling over the corner of the bench as he turned toward the noise.
“APOLLO!” He yelled into the now-quieted trees. Asahi wasn’t normally a loud person, he preferred to stay quiet, he was less likely to get in trouble that way, but he couldn’t bear the thought of either of his dogs in harm.
He was about to start in the direction from where he’d head the yelping, when two large shapes came bundling through the foliage, Apollo was in the lead, with Echo practically in stride with him, her sharp ears pulled back as she ran. They’re large blundering bodies shot through the undergrowth, plowing through the ferns and bushes that lay before them.
Scrambling out into the dappled clearing they skidded to a halt near Asahi. Apollo was whining softly his head ducked low and pressed against the burnets shin. Asahi could feel the large dog shaking while Echo stood behind the two of them, her shoulders hunched in an attempt to look menacing, which she did.
“Uh… Hello?” Asahi called into the trees tentatively, he was honestly a little scared at what could make his dogs act this way. It wasn’t really out of the ordinary, they were big chickens. The two were scared of cats a tenth their size.
A yip echoed through the trees, quickly followed several consecutive sharp barks. The high-pitched barks started to come more often and more excitedly. This time they were joined by the occasional whoop of excitement from what sounded to be a human. Male from the sound of it?
Asahi backed up against his dogs as the ferns rustled, and three small dogs leapt out from the undergrowth and bounded toward Apollo and Echo, they’re little voices growing ecstatic. Stumbling backwards Asahi almost tripped over Echo and nearly kicked one of the little dogs, who were now bounding around and circling the three much larger beings.
Having steadied himself against Apollo’s back, Asahi wasn’t sure what to do when a stranger came tearing around the path bend, the male’s eyes wide with excitement. The newcomer pelted toward the bundles of fur and threw his head back with a laugh.
“COOKIE, PEANUT, BUTTERED TOAST COME!” The boy called out to the dogs before he spotted Asahi and skidded to a halt his eyes narrowing slightly. “You’re not trying to steal my dogs are you?”
He looked like a delinquent with a bleached portion of his heir sticking out over his forehead, and the rest of it spiked up. He was short, but the boy had serious eyes that seemed to boar into Asahi, making him flinch. Being taller than the boy didn’t help much, the shorter of the two had a band shirt and a pair of skinny jeans on that were slightly tattered, he really did look like delinquent, even if he was small.
“Well?” The boy asked, taking a step forward so that he was only a foot or so away from Asahi, who recoiled slightly, taking a step back only to run into Apollo and Echo who were attempting to look menacing from behind the safety of Asahi’s legs.
“I- Uh- No of course not!” Asahi stuttered nervously, honestly he was a little scared this kid was going to start yelling at him.
“Hmph. Good.” The boy kneeled down to pat one of the dogs, who looked like a papillon-yorkie mix, scratching it behind the ears.
“I’m Nishinoya Yuu by the way. These are my dogs, Cookie, Peanut, and Buttered Toast.” He pointed to the Papillon, a Jack Russell Terrier, and a Border Terrier in turn. All three dogs perked up at their name and looked up at Nishinoya like they were expecting him to give them a treat.
The suddenness of the situation caused sharp spark to run through Asahi’s mind. For a moment things ran white, he couldn’t think. There was a little crack, he could feel it deep in his mind, almost like a crack in glass. His heart speed up. Anxiety.
Swallowing, and taking a soft breath Asahi focused on the two dogs near him, and could feel Echo press against the back of his calves. He focused on that. Breathing and reminding himself he was okay, and that his dogs were there, Asahi looked back at the stranger.
Asahi blanched a little bit at this boy, Nishinoya’s, blunt proclamation and took another breath to steady himself.
He had gone from accusing Asahi of trying to take his dogs to introducing himself in a rather friendly manner in a matter of seconds. Shaking himself mentally, the burnet glanced at his dogs before looking up at the dark haired boy.
“I’m, uh, Azumane Asahi, and these are my dogs, Apollo and Echo.” He pointed to each dog as he introduced them in much the same way that Nishinoya had just done.
“Nice to meet you, Asahi.”
Asahi recoiled slightly at the use of his first name, and at the overall suddenness of the situation. It wasn’t very often that people just walked up to him, much less introduced themselves. The only people that normally approached Asahi first were his old high school friends which he would see around town every once and a while.
“The same to you… Nishinoya.”
“Call me Yuu.”
“I-I’d really rather not.”
“You’re strange. How do you have such big dogs, if you’re so timid? Don’t they walk all over you?” Nishinoya crouched down to his knees and stretched a hand out toward Echo.
“No, they are very well trained, thank you.” Asahi puffed in indignation.
“I think that was the first ballsy thing you’ve said, and it wasn’t even that ballsy.” Nishinoya puffed out his chest and glanced up at Asahi. “You’ve kind of got a glass heart don’t you?”
“You really shouldn’t be so rude to people you just met.”
“It’s not rude if I’m telling the truth.”
“I really should be going, I have somewhere to be.”
“Oh, and where is that, Asahi?”
Asahi ignored the question and pulled the two leashes from his belt and re-clipped Echo and Apollo, attempting to ignore the small jack Russell terrier that was standing on its hind legs trying to sniff at Echo. Its whole body was just about as large as Echo’s head, who stretched forward and bumped the small pup with her nose.
“See! Even Peanut likes you and your dogs. We should be friends.” Nishinoya scratched absent mindedly behind the copper Border terrier, Buttered Toast’s, ears.
“I don’t really know…” Asahi glanced at the dogs nervously, Apollo and Echo were edging out from behind him to greet the other dogs. “Maybe.”
“Sounds like a deal!” Asahi watched as Nishinoya bounced on his heels and whistled sharply, bringing the three small dogs bounding to his heels. “See you around then, Asahi!”
The shorter boy spun around and practically sprinted back up the path, waving over his shoulder at Asahi. The three smaller bundles of fur practically sprung in circles as they darted around Nishinoya’s feet while he ran.
“What a whirlwind.” Asahi mumbled to himself, and his two dogs, as he turned in the opposite direction and started back down the park path.
He glanced over his shoulder and caught one last look of Nishinoya before the boy disappeared into the leafy foliage. Glancing around at his dogs Asahi shook his head and urged the two dogs into a slow jog. “Let’s head home guys.”