"What!?" He asked with a hint of fear in his voice. "No, he's a male a male and a male can't be together, end of story!" He stated, lifting his head high. Did I hear him? Yes! But did I pick up on his nonverbals? Also yes!
"Your ear is twitching..." I taunted amused how he suddenly flattened them against his skull.
"Your toes are tensed." I listed off as he separated them as far apart as he could.
"One last thing," I said completely amused. "You're shaking, you should probably relax..." He let out a large sigh and collapsed on the ground.
"I want what I cannot have. I dream what I cannot do. I see what I cannot touch, and hear the voice that will never be mine. It is only in visions that I will truly be whole. And only in song will I hold him close. I see the tears but can not clear them. See the smile and feel sadness, but the tears just bring despair. Marshall where are you? I want to feel your love for me." I felt my heart drop as the tears began to fall down his face.
"Hey. It's ok, it'll be alright." I said with a compassionate smile giving him small nudges, trying to comfort him. "I'm here it's okay". I said laying down next to him laying my head on top of his neck as he snuggled into my chest. Letting his sorrows soak my fur. After a few moments, he took in a deep, shaky breath, and let it out with a quiver. His warm breath against my wet body sent a cool chill up my spine, causing me to shake lightly.
"Can you promise me something?" He asked sitting his head up so our eyes were connecting. I squinted my eyes, thinking of the right response for his question. Did I trust him? Not fully, no but here he was bawling before my very eyes. I took a deep breath in and let it out.
"Sure." I said with a small smile, beginning to regret my answer already.
"Please promise that you won't abandon me. Can you promise me that?" I smiled, happy to have a friend, and relieved that I didn't have take his words outback and shoot em. I sat up straight and put my right paw on my semi-dry chest and my left paw in the air, earning a small smile from Grit.
"I, Skyler promise to never abandon, forget about, or leave behind my best friend Rhythmus!"
"B-best f-friend?" I nodded, wearing a content smile. He tackled me to the ground again squeezing the life out of me.
"Thank you Skyler! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
"Skye is just fine." I corrected peeling him off of me.
"So, Skye what now?" I sat there thinking for a moment. He made a good point. What now?
"I suppose I should get a job to pay rent." He shook his head quickly.
"Not a chance I'll let you pay to live in with me. However, Paying for your utilities, and your food, wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, plus a job will give some purpose in life."
"I guess I'll walk around town and look for that 'now hiring sign'."
"I suppose I might as well get a job as well since the money my owner left me is beginning to run out."
"Why don't you just get him to send you more?"
"I don't think he's interested in sending me anything after he abandoned me." I tilted my head in confusion.
"I thought your owner was on a business trip?" his head dropped in shame.
"You lied to me?" His head nodded sadly.
"I-I did. I have no excuses." He leaned down at my feet.
"I'm sorry. I lied and it was wrong." I shook my head.
"And I'm sorry too." He looked up at me confused.
"Why are you sorry?" He asked sitting up again.
"For beating you with a bat."
"Oh." He said quickly followed by a moment of silence as he stared at the floor probably wondering what to do. He looked up at me with fear in his eyes.
"I hurt you... and I deserved it." He replied dropping his head back down.
"No no no no. Nobody, especially not you, deserved that. You are kind, generous and were just in desperate need of a friend."
"No I'm not. I'm a demon. I hurt you and you simply reacted. I was a bad dog." I put a paw under his chin, lifting his eyes up to mine.
"When I look at you I see hurt. Undenying hurt." He moved his eyes down trying not to make contact with mine.
"Hey." I said softly. He looked up and I gave him a kiss on the head and then pulled him into an embrace to which he returned. We held each other like that for a minute as all the pain fell off of him and dissipated into thin air.
"Let's find you a job now shall we?" Grit asked separating the two of us. I nodded and smiled. He hopped off the couch that we were on and made a beeline to the door. Letting his tail sway as he walked I smiled and stood up to follow him, resisting the urge to tackle him to the ground. Once outdoors, we walked side by side our fur touching each other for comfort. Every now and then I jump over him, doing a flip, while he just walked forward ignoring the world around him. I tried starting a conversation, bumping him but nothing snapped him. One time I even rolled under him letting my paws run across his chest down to his stomach still no response. In the end I just walked next to him. After a while of walking, my eyes began to grow heavy.
"Wake up!" I said to myself shaking my head vigorously.
"If you're tired you can hop up..." I looked over at Grit whose head hadn't moved.
"No, I'm okay." I said letting out a yawn. Grit's looked over at me with a raised eyebrows.
"Fine." I sighed receiving a small smile from my roommate as he kneeled down so I could climb on his back. I stepped over top of him and laid down on his back letting my head rest atop his. As he stood up, I let my legs dangle loosely towards the sidewalk, intertwining my tail with his for balance as we walked along. Before long, I felt my eyes begin to close as the nerves in my body began to relax, sending me to sleep. The last thing I heard was;
"Goodnight Skye." Then darkness.
Grit POV
I watch as her eyes slowly shut as I said good night. I walked and walked and walked deep in thought. 'I know she thinks I like Marshal and it's true I do think he's quite handsome but do I love him? Like truly love him? I know nothing about him, his favorite sport, favorite food, what he likes to do in his free time, his life goals…' I hear a noise from the body on my back, to which I turn to.
"She's cute when she sleeps." I said aloud to no one in particular. "Why do I feel this way?"
"Well that depends. How do ya feel." I heard a vaguely familiar voice say.
"Who's there?" I say turning towards the voice. In front of me stands a full grown german shepherd staring down at me. Only one name comes to mind.
"Jack? What are you doing here?" He gave me a strange look.
"I live here." He said gesturing towards his house.
"Oh."
"She really is eh? Cute when she sleeps." I looked back and nodded.
"You come to return her?" I looked up at him and shook my head.
"No we were just going for a walk and well she got tired so..." He nodded understandingly.
"Its nice to see your taking care of her, but she belongs here. Neither of you are really old enough to live on your own. Now if you don't mind I'll just take her off your hands." I took a step back and let out a low growl. He raised his eyebrows at me
"What? I can't take care of my own daughter?" I sighed.
"Sorry, but she lives with me now." He took a deep breath in.
"Your a lucky pup, to have her as your girlfriend. I should know, she's exactly like her mother. Take care of her for me." I looked back and smiled at her small sleeping form.
"She isn't my girlfriend." I said sadly turning back to the dog in front of me but he was gone. I looked up and down the road but there was noone there but me and her. I felt a small chill go up my spine as the cold of the night began to roll in. Realizing it was beginning to get late, I began to head home.
After some time I was climbing the stairs to my patio in the back and opened the glass, sliding door. Once inside, I crawled under the table, and down the hall to my room. Doing my best not to wake her up. Then came the tricky part I looked at my bed up and down trying to figure out how to get up there with her on my back. Sure I could easily hop up with her on me, but that would wake her up. Then it hit me. I began walking around my room looking for items to build a staircase. First I grabbed a large book, then the small crate that held all my books and flipped it upside-down. Next I grabbed a stool I had over by my book-crate, and began my ascent. Once up top I laid down and turned right so she would slide off gently onto the covers. I stood up and hopped off so I could put everything back where it belonged. Having finished that, I hopped up on the bed to make sure she was okay. And then turned to go sleep on the couch when I heard her voice.
"Grit?"
"Yes Skye?" I asked turning around. With half open eyes, she patted to the spot on the bed beside her.
"Please, stay with me." I nodded and laid down next to her.
"I love you." Skye said as her eyes slowly closed again. I froze, not knowing how to answer her.
"Goodnight Skye." She smiled as her eyes slowly closed. 'What did she mean by "I love you"? It's too late to think right now I'll figure it out tomorrow.'
