hi sorry I live below you and I hear your dog running around and barking all the time and– no no it's fine I was just hoping maybe I could pet it? Au
Freed sighed and shoved his textbook away from him, if he had to look at one more equation he was going to run someone through with the ornate sword that hung over his mantelpiece. Midday on a Saturday the last thing he wanted to be doing was maths. His Masters project was larger than he'd anticipated and he knew he could crack this puzzle if he just found the right link, he was just missing something. If he'd been at home he would've gone in search of his cat, Montaigne, but his parents were too fond of the animal and wouldn't let him take him when he moved out. He still visited most semester breaks, his cooking skills were lacking and he needed a good meal, and while doing his postgrad he could go home pretty much whenever he wanted but, he liked the freedom of his apartment. But he really needed an animal to pat so he could calm down his thoughts and work out what part of this puzzle he was missing.
"That's it!" He gasped to himself. He dashed to his bedroom and pulled on his favourite bright red hoodie before racing out of his apartment and upstairs. He had spoken to a couple of his neighbours, the pierced mechanic with the constant bitch face and an intimidating red-haired woman who had interrogated him when he first moved in, so it was going to be a bit strange knocking on this person's door. Unless of course it turned out to be one of those two, but he didn't think either of them really seemed like dog people.
Once he reached the apartment directly above his own he gave the door three quick knocks and then composed himself while he waited, he redid the knot in his hair held up by one of his many pencils and worked at steadying his breath after the swift sprint.
"What?" The man who opened the door peered down at him and Freed felt a little out of his depth with the situation. He was a giant. He stood a head taller than Freed and seemed to be constructed out of solid muscle, since he was without a shirt there was no hiding the incredible definition of his torso and the intricate tattoo that curved over his bicep and chest only served to enhance the whole treat before him. Freed drew his eyes away from the man's abs and made himself stare at his face, which was also far too well-proportioned to be at all fair to the rest of humankind.
"Hi, sorry, I live below you and I hear your dog running around and barking all the time…"
"Oh yeah, sorry 'bout that. I walk him three times a day but he's still really energetic." The man cut him off before he managed to speak and Freed had to pause for a moment to find his courage all over again to speak to this god of a man.
"No, no it's not like that at all, I'm not bothered at all by the noise I just, I was hoping that I could pet it?" Freed asked.
"You, want to pet my dog?" One of his eyebrows quirked up ever so slightly and it started to dawn on Freed just how strange this request was.
"It's just been a long day and I'm working on this paper and I need to solve an equation, well I need to work out which equation I should even be solving at the moment and I think best when I'm cuddling and it would mean a lot to me if I could pet your dog." Freed knew he was borderline rambling but he wanted the guy to understand he wasn't crazy. Although perhaps saying he thought best while cuddling wasn't the best way to go about that.
"Yeah, OK, um come right on in?" He stepped aside and swung the door open further.
Freed noted their apartments had the same layout, simple kitchen to the left of the entrance, an open plan dining room and lounge and then off to the right the bathroom and bedroom doors and even the same strange fake fireplace. However, Freed's was a lot more cluttered with books stacked haphazardly around the lounge and all sorts of papers, posters and paintings all over his walls. This guy's flat was minimalistic. All he had in his lounge was a simple black rug, two leather couches, a massive TV and of course a black doggie bed with a very content Golden Retriever wagging his tail furiously as he gnawed on a rope toy.
"I'm Laxus by the way and this is Thor, just, make yourself at home, I guess?" Laxus said, he scratched the back of his head for a moment and then looked over at Freed again. "Do you want tea or coffee?"
"A coffee would be great! And I'm Freed and I am just going to go, pat your dog now." Freed raced over to Thor and dropped cross-legged beside him. He reached out both hands and started ruffling the fur around Thor's ears quickly and cooing about 'who's a good boy'. Thor seemed to like it.
It was nice to be able to pet him without all the preamble Montaigne required. Freed swore there was a whole courtship ritual anytime he wanted to give him a scratch behind the ears. Montaigne had to sniff his hand, contemplate his worth, sniff again, decide how much he really wanted a scratch, sniff him again and then he'd either concede to be petted by a lowly human or he would choose to wander off in search of adventure and food. Dogs were much simpler. He had yet to meet a dog who didn't get overly happy and excited at the first sign of human contact and of course the question, 'who's a good boy'.
"How do you like your coffee?" Laxus asked.
"Milk, two sugars please." Freed called back, shuffling closer to Thor and lifting his head onto his lap. He reached round with his other hand and started scratching his tummy too, because you must never neglect the tummy.
"He's taken quite a liking to you." Laxus said, placing the coffee on the ground beside Freed and settling himself into the corner of the couch nearest them so he peered down on the duo.
"I have taken quite a liking to him, you're going to struggle to get me out of your apartment now." Freed said.
"Trust me, he's not so cute when he farts." Laxus groaned. Freed laughed as he peered up at him. Laxus' expression had barely changed in the time he'd been there, slight shock when he opened the door and now a slight squish to his nose. Freed envied his composure, he knew his own expressions made him an open book. Half the time he felt like he had no control whatsoever over his own face, it just reacted as it pleased.
Freed turned back to Thor and leant his forehead down to rub it again the dog's head. "I'm sure it's not that bad. You wouldn't stink out the whole apartment would you Thor? You're far too civilised for that."
When he sat back up he decided civilised was possibly not the best word for the dog whose tongue was lolling out and was making a noise that might have been an attempt at a purr but also could just be his stomach growling.
"I'm surprised you don't have pets?" Laxus said, breaking the silence that had fallen over the two while they sipped at coffee and Freed absent-mindedly scratched Thor, off in his own head about conversation topics and physics.
"I have a cat, Montaigne, but he's not nearly so friendly. He's quite disloyal actually, he chose my parents over me and he knocks over all my plants." Freed shrugged.
"He knocks over your plant pots?"
"I swear he does it on purpose, doesn't even have the decency to be sneaky about it. He'll sit and wait until I walk into the room and then the second I'm in sight he just nudges them off the table." Freed clenched his fist over his heart and lifted his gaze to the ceiling. "I may not have a cat now, but I have a whole family of ferns safe from his wicked clutches."
"The only plant I've ever had was a cactus and I managed to kill it. It turns out you do need to water them on occasion." Laxus chuckled as he watched the strange, dramatic, vibrant man who was sitting on his floor. Who was, at that moment, clutching his side with one arm and still petting Thor with the other, laughing hysterically.
"You killed a cactus!" Freed wheezed. "I didn't think that was even possible. You, I can't believe it. Should I be worried about Thor being left in your questionable care?"
"Dogs are much easier, they actually remind you they need looking after. Plants just, sit there." Laxus grumbled.
"OK, OK, I see Thor is in perfectly good hands." Freed wiped the tears from his eyes and took a deep breath. "I promise not to bring your dog-owning ability into question again. Your coffee making skills however…"
"I let you into my home, let you pat my dog, and this is how you repay me, cold Freed. Cold. I thought you were better than that."
"Excuse you, I am a fabulous human being. Just not when deadlines are coming up." Freed shuddered at the thought of the impending meeting with his lecturer, it was not going to be a fun event.
"So, what do you study exactly anyway?" Laxus asked.
From there the two fell into an easy banter. Freed learned that Laxus was an electrician, although his grandfather wanted him to become a lawyer and join the family business, Laxus said he couldn't handle the paperwork though. He heard about Laxus' overwhelmingly large family, most of whom were family friends but it was still daunting. There were countless stories told about them. He learned that you could never leave food at Thor's height or it would be gone in three seconds flat.
Freed told him about the time he and his best friend, Bickslow, decided that supermarket trolley jousting was the best idea they'd ever had, it wasn't. It wasn't as bad as the time they decided to get matching nipple piercings though. Laxus laughed so hard about that he was actually slapping the arm of the couch.
The sun was setting, Freed's stomach hurt from laughing and Thor was no longer lying peacefully between them and was instead scratching at the front door holding his leash in his mouth. They had ignored him for a little while but he was starting to whine now and it was unbearable to listen to.
"I should let you go," Freed stood up, his knees cracking as he lifted himself up.
"Do you, maybe, want to walk him with me?" Laxus asked. "Sorry, that was stupid you have your thing and…"
"I'd love to." Freed spoke before he let himself think about everything else he should be doing. It seemed much more important that he was going to go on a walk with this lovely, friendly, kind, gentle dog and his good enough owner.