Chapter 9: Crazier
It was such a shock to Ryder to see how much Marshall had changed over the years, and he owe his thanks to a certain German Shepherd. Marshall, born as a breed known for their energetic-ness which usually shapes into a form a destruction if left unchecked, as with all working breeds, - had been the exact opposite when Ryder first got him. He had been shy, a little skittish on the side, kind of suffered from social anxiety mildly, frighten easily, and looked down on himself a lot. He had been like since the ten year old could remember, and nothing he did could convince Marshall that there's nothing to be afraid of, that he wouldn't be judge for who he is.
Then came along Chase.
Ryder hadn't been sure that getting another dog was a good idea. Marshall had always believed he was a weakling, an Omega, and would constantly get bullied by the other dogs, and would most likely submit when being challenged. He didn't want to bring a dog into his home that was going to make Marshall feel worse about himself than he already did. Still, he didn't like the idea of Marshall suffering as much as he was, and he thought maybe a friend would help. So he brought Chase.
Ryder never regretted that.
Chase was the opposite of Marshall - he was energetic, he loved adventure, he loved discovering new things, and he loved being around people in general. Chase didn't show a slightest bit of hesitation when he arrived to his new home, with a new owner and a friend. He went about the yard, sniffing, occasionally taking bathroom breaks, and that's when Marshall and Chase met for the first time.
The very moment the two laid eyes on each other, there was shift in the air.
Of course, the first one to notice this was Marshall, and the Dalmatian had been at lost on what to do. He was shifting constantly, looking at Ryder with something akin to panic in his eyes, as Chase made his way over to him. The closer Chase got, the more panic Marshall was, until they were about an inch away from each other and Marshall was staring at him with wide, wet eyes, still stricken with panic. Chase, while only maybe about month old, was not stupid enough to ignore this and looked at the Dally with concern in his expression.
"Are you okay? Am I scaring you?" He asked, cocking his head to the side. Marshall swallowed, body trembling.
"K-Kind of...I'm not sure what to do..." He said, looking down at the ground. Chase blinked.
"If I'm scaring you, I'll back away. You seem to be having a panic attack." He said, worried about his new friend. Marshall shook his head, however, and gave Chase a shaky smile.
"I-it'll be nice..." He said, and Chase took a step back. After that, Chase had kept his distance, but knew Marshall was still watching him, intrigued by the German Shepherd, whom was showing all his confidence and power through play. Instead of feeling jealous, however, Marshall was in awe and he continued to watch over the Shepherd, until Chase decided to make a move.
"Wanna play?" He asked, looking at the spotted dog with hope in his eyes. Marshall blinked and looked at Chase, before looking at the toy Chase had thrown at his feet. Marshall bit his lip.
"I-I'm not sure..."
"Come on, it'll be fun!" Chase said, wagging his tail. Marshall couldn't help but smile at the encouragement in Chase's voice, before picking up the toy.
"Okay." He whispered, and Chase smiled. Soon, the two began to play with each other, and the more times they've played, the less and less shy Marshall was becoming, and more fitting into his breed. Ryder had feared he would have gone back into his shell when Marshall first fell in front of Chase, who had laughed slightly, and caused him to be embarrassed. Before Marshall could jump to conclusions though, Chase had explained he wasn't laughing at him, it was just him being clumsy was natural, and the slip had been indeed humorous. Still, Chase made sure he was okay, making sure he didn't hurt Marshall's feelings, and once Marshall assured him he was fine, Chase chuckled a little. This caused Marshall to smile too.
After that, it seems like Shy!Marshall had never existed. He was more outgoing these days, keeping up with Chase perfectly, and more vocal of his opinion on matters. He didn't try to hide his clumsiness anymore, letting come naturally, and only to laugh it off with a joke, which caused Chase to laugh too. Chase was happy with the change, as was Ryder, but both reasons being entirely different.
Chase thought Marshall was more cute when he was outgoing and active. While Chase adored Shy!Marshall, Active!Marshall was more of his speed, and Chase really wanted a mate that could bested him in almost anything, and wouldn't hesitate trying to pin him down, despite being the slightly bigger dog of the two. Besides, it seems like Shy!Marshall has had some trouble in his past, and if that's the only reason that Marshall would come out, Chase thought he could live his life without ever seeing Marshall looking at him with big, blue eyes, waiting to be rejected.
Man, insecurities was a pain in the neck, sometimes.
Still, Chase wasn't going to give him up for the world. Seeing just how crazy he could make Marshall and break him out of his shell made Chase even crazier for the Dalmatian, and he'll try his best to continue doing that.
With a rub on the forehead of his sleeping mate, Chase wrapped his arms around the Dalmatian and kissed him on the cheek. He wasn't really sleepy, far from it, and then he looked up at the ceiling of his pup house.
I'll make you crazier, just so you don't have to be that way anymore Marshall. He thought to himself. As if hearing this, Marshall shifted against his mate, soft snore echoing the house.
"Chase..." He muttered, smiling slightly in his sleep. Chase had heard that and he couldn't help but smile. Love you so much.
