Angeal Hewley, Commander of Shinra's army and self proclaimed dog lover, hadn't imagined that rescuing a little squirming runt of a puppy from the slums would change his life quite as profoundly as it did. He'd been walking under the Plate (a dangerous idea in a Shinra uniform, but the sword strapped to his back was bigger than most slum kids were and tended to dissuade any potential harassment) when he came across a man about to toss a squirming, squealing bag into a dumpster. There was obviously something alive in there, something frightened and young by the sounds of it, and he approached the man, trying his hardest to keep the disgust out of his voice, to inquire.
His uniform was eyed with distaste but the man still answered him, though he didn't bother to mask the venom in his voice. Apparently his wife's dog had gotten pregnant with an unwanted litter. They'd found people to take the other four pups, but nobody wanted the little runt, and he thought it a kind mercy to let it starve to death in a dumpster rather than let it out on the streets to get preyed upon. Angeal found both options equally sick, but he steeled his face and tried not to lash out at the man. He was still holding the little yipping bag, after all.
"I'll take it." The president had put up a bit of fuss about Seph's cats and Gen's bird, but if they were ultimately allowed their animal companions surely Angeal could get away with taking in a puppy. He'd considered it before, but his workload didn't allow him enough time to properly devote to a dog, and it seemed unfair to expect one to stay cramped up in his apartment all day. Still, it was better than starving in a dumpster, and if this was the runt of the litter maybe he'd stay small.
The would be murderer seemed to consider it, taking another good look at Angeal, at his uniform, his general state of cleanliness, his unnaturally large sword. He himself was short and balding, wispy strands of pale, dying hair clung stubbornly to his scalp, and his cheeks were sunken in with the look of a man who didn't get enough to eat and, when he did, certainly didn't get all of the vitamins and minerals recommended for a healthy diet. He was quite the contrast to the healthy, solid form of Angeal, who held out his hand, silently pleading for the little bag, whose occupant had started crying louder than ever, as if it knew what fate was about to befall it. His heart broke for the little thing, and though slum dwellers often called SOLDIER heartless monsters, he couldn't imagine the lack of humanity that could exist in a man willing to leave a puppy to die.
"Guess it wouldn't do no harm to let you have the lil' thing." Angeal's heart soared with triumph and he reached out again, fingers brushing the top of the bag until it was snatched away again. "Wait. Shinra ain't planning no attack dog troops, right? I don't want the damn thing down here attacking nobody." He didn't try to hide his digust, lip curling up at the name Shinra.
Angeal shook his head patiently, though all he wanted to do was snatch that precious bag away. "No. It will have no attachments to Shinra. I've been looking for a dog of my own for quite some time." A little white lie never hurt anyone.
"Take it then. I dunno why you'd want this little thing, but as long as it's out of my hair. Damn thing just yaps all night long and gets into anything it can." He thrust the bag into Angeal's waiting hands, rolling his eyes at the way the Commander clutched it protectively to his chest. Angeal wasn't taking any chances with his precious cargo, and strolled away without a look back at the man, who could be heard cursing and carrying on about Shinra and bitches and ungrateful, spoiled men.
When he found himself far enough away and in a moderately safe area, Angeal decided to take a glance at the little dog he'd just adopted. It had stopped squirming and yapping when pressed gently up against his chest, and from the weight he knew it was either a very small breed, or a very young pup. He lifted it out of sack and felt another flash of anger for the man who'd tried to abandon it.
It was a tiny black thing, small enough that it fit in the palm of his large hand, and he nudged it over just enough to see that it was male. His little pet was undoubtedly too young to be away from his mother, and it seems he'd fallen asleep cradled to Angeal's chest. He let out a sleepy little yawn, no doubt tuckered out from the squirming and yipping earlier. Gratefulness that he'd been awake earlier instead of the sleepy bundle he was now flooded through Angeal, and he ran a finger gently down the pup's back. He'd need almost constant attention, prompt bottle feedings, and a warm place to sleep.
Good thing he'd stored up so many vacation days.
A trip to one of the pet stores above the Plate had supplied him with a lot of things that his little charge wouldn't need just yet (but Angeal liked to be prepared) and a few that he would. The girl working had recommended a puppy formula and a few bottles, and it was those that he offered to the pup as soon as they got back to his apartment. Thankfully it was late and he hadn't run into many people as he walked through Shinra, and those he did see knew better than to question Commander Hewley, even with a small puppy in his hands.
"Come on little guy, you must be hungry." He nudged the dog's small mouth with the bottle's nipple, frowning when the puppy didn't latch on. "Please open your mouth, little one."
It took a fair bit of coaxing, but the pup did eventually latch onto the nipple, and if he could discern any difference between the bottle and his mother, he showed no signs of it, suckling away. Angeal smiled and stroked one finger against the pup's tiny skull. If he was eating he'd survive infancy, and if it took some missed sleep and bottle feedings to get the pup to the age where he could begin eating solid food, then that was that.
After the pup was done with his recommended dose, Angeal filled his kitchen sink up with an inch or two of warm water. The furball was too young for dog shampoo, but he was also too young to get dirty enough to really need it, and water would work just as well for now. He yipped and yelped, trying to squirm his way out of Angeal's gentle grasp, but the poor thing smelled of urine and trash, and a quick bath would do him good.
Wrapping him in a hand towel to dry him off, Angeal sat down on the couch and contemplated a name for the little guy. Though 'the pup' suited him just fine right now, he'd need a nice name to grow into, and the sooner he could get used to it, the better. There were the cliché options like Buddy, Rover, or Bones, but this little pup needed something to suit him better, something fit for a little wriggly thing that had yapped loud enough to save his own life.
A few names popped into his head, but none of them felt right. This puppy was not a Shadow, nor was he a Bo, a Sam, or (though even he could admit it was a little silly) a Buster. But maybe…
"Zack," he tested. It was simple, easy enough for a dog to recognize. Best of all, the pup snuggled closer to his chest and blinked open his bright blue eyes. Angeal smiled. Zack it was.
How his little rescue runt had turned into one hundred pounds of mischief and muscle was beyond Angeal, but he certainly hadn't stayed a little runt forever. With a steady food supply, a lot of discipline, and even more love, Zack had turned into an incredibly fine dog. He was smart (and smart enough to pretend that he wasn't smart, most of the time), friendly, and incredibly loyal. Zack's downfall was the trouble that he got himself into more often that not, by chewing up all of his master's work boots (both on his feet and off), digging in the trash, rolling in every foul smelling thing he could find on their morning walks, and by generally not listening. Gen joked that the big beast had made him soft, but Angeal couldn't help that Zack's mischief brought a fond smile to his face, nor could he help that Zack had the most powerful puppy eyes the world had ever seen. Maybe he did act more like a doting father with a toddler (a very, very large and slobbery toddler), but Zack wasn't just a dog anymore. Zack was family.
That's why, when Angeal's rescue pup brought home a little rescue of his own, he opened his door to them both.
Zack had been missing for hours, and Angeal had called everyone he knew, more panicked than most of his men had ever seen him. He'd spent half that time out looking himself, calling for Zack. But no matter where he looked, no matter how loudly he called for his companion, Zack hadn't bounced over. He'd returned home melancholy, nearing tears as he sat down on his couch, alone for the first time in years, no needy puppy there to tear at his boot laces or pretend to be a lap dog.
But then there was barking as his front door, familiar, frantic barking and he could feel the sadness run right off his shoulders as he opened the door to a spiky black dog whose tail beat happily against the floor. "Zack," he cried out in relief, ready to drop to his knees and embrace the troublesome beast when he noticed a spot of yellow fur at Zack's side.
There was another dog, considerably smaller and younger, hiding timidly behind Zack. His tail was tucked between his legs and Angeal could spot wounds all over him, some almost fresh with dried blood matting his fur, and others scabbed over, leaving bald spots behind. He didn't miss the way the pup was shaking either, cowering. Leave it to his strange, wonderful dog to pick up a sad friend and bring him home. Zack's doggy grin was almost proud, his tongue lolling out of his mouth as he looked happily up at his master.
The first thing to do would be to get them out of the hallway, so Angeal held the door open and stepped inside. Zack usually didn't need to be told twice, he'd scramble and bound through your legs in an effort to be the first to get through all doorways, but this time he glanced back at his little stray before walking into the apartment. His blonde shadow hesitated, but he'd followed Zack this far, and slunk through the doorway right behind him. Now that he knew the scuffed up pup couldn't leave, Angeal would do what he could to see if he could gain it's trust enough to get near it and assess some of those cuts. He made a mental note to grab a tube of antibiotic ointment out of the medicine cabinet in case it let him close enough to touch.
But first, Zack had to be hungry, and the notches of spine visible on the other dog said that he hadn't had a good meal in quite some time. He'd made a pot roast a few nights ago, and while most of it had fallen victim to Gen's appetite, there was enough meat and broth to drizzle over two bowls of dog food. Usually Zack watched his every movement in the kitchen, just waiting for accidental fallen scraps, but he must have been in the living room with his new friend. Just as well. Angeal didn't know too much about dog dynamics, or how they formed relationships, but the pup had followed his pup home, so there must have been at least a basic sense of trust there. Maybe Zack could make the poor thing feel comfortable. Normally Zack's bowl sat right next to the kitchen table, but tonight Angeal carried it and a small mixing bowl, both full of hearty food, out to the living room. Any messes on the carpet could be cleaned; he certainly didn't bother Shinra's cleaning crew as often as he knew Genesis did.
The dogs were stretched out on the floor already, and Zack was licking some of the wounds on the pup's side, tending to them the best way he knew how. Angeal didn't fight to suppress his smile at the sight that made, fingers itching for his camera, but the smaller dog was still obviously skittish and it wouldn't do to frighten him more. Instead Angeal sat both bowls down, properly spaced apart. Zack's ears swiveled towards him first, but when he caught sight of the food he bounded over for his bowl, his entire body wiggling in excitement. His friend stayed back, watching cautiously, but Angeal could see his nose twitching. He smelt it, at least, and there was no doubt that he wanted it. Angeal backed off, walking over to the armchair in the corner, and though the dog kept a careful eye on him as he got up, he did eat almost ravenously. It reminded Angeal of some of the braver children he'd seen in Wutai, the ones that skirted the edges of Shinra camps looking for food. He made sure to toss them their meal scraps and they'd gobbled them up greedily, like they'd never seen food before and never would again.
With a warm meal in his belly, the little yellow dog seemed happier already, even daring to sniff at the legs of the coffee table and the cushions of the couch. Angeal decided that the best thing to do for now was let him explore on his own terms and grow more comfortable. He reached to his left to pull a thick book from his bookshelf, but in a flash of black fur, something much thicker and much heavier was in his lap instead. Zack wiggled a little, trying to get comfortable in the armchair that could barely hold them both, and decided that he hadn't given his master enough kisses for the day. Angeal turned his chin up so that Zack's slobbery signs of affection would be mostly for his chin and not his mouth, and scratched fondly at the spiky tufts of fur on his companion's head. When Zack finally calmed down he settled onto Angeal's lap and paid no mind to the book that his master rest on his back.
Normally they'd curl up on the couch like this and Angeal would read aloud (and he was not crazy, no matter what Gen said, Zack liked it when he read out loud) but there was no reason to risk startling their new charge tonight. The yellow pup (because his fur certainly wasn't golden, nor was it the almost white of a yellow lab, but it more resembled the bright plumage of a chocobo, and wasn't that an odd sight) had wandered briefly out of the room, likely sniffing around the kitchen, but now he was back, settling back in his spot on the carpet and watching them. Angeal read an entire chapter about the ancient peoples of the Mideel region before gently nudging Zack off of his lap and easing himself to the floor.
Zack tried to climb right back on him, but another nudge and a meaningful look got Angeal's point across, and the big dog settled for laying next to him and resting his head on Angeal's thigh. The yellow dog was watching them again, and Angeal could see the interest in those blue eyes when he settled on the floor and spread his legs apart. The little one inched over, slowly, cautiously, spurred on by Angeal's stillness and Zack's low yipping. He seemed content enough to lay down between Angeal's legs and put his head right over his crotch, which was a little weird, but he even closed his eyes and didn't shy away from a few gentle strokes of the fringe on his head. From this close some of his wounds looked even worse than he'd thought. Glad that he'd had the foresight to grab the medicated ointment, Angeal eased the tube out of his pocket and squeezed a bit out onto his finger. He wasn't sure if this dog trusted him enough for that yet, but some of them looked almost infected, and though he'd have to bathe the poor thing tomorrow morning, for sure, he couldn't stand to let the wounds go untreated any longer.
The pup didn't even flinch when he rubbed the medicine in, much to Angeal's surprise and relief. He was as content to be a lap dog as Zack was. Could this dog have been somebody's pet? No, not in the condition that he was in. Nobody could ever let their pet becomes so starved and scuffed up, and not all of the visible injuries were bite marks. Wherever this dog had come from, it wasn't a happy place, and he didn't have a collar, so any claims of ownership had been forfeited. Gently and quietly, Angeal just meticulously rubbed ointment over new and old wounds until the small stray fell asleep in his lap.
The next morning he learned that this dog tolerated baths a lot better than Zack (who was hiding under the bed, the big baby) did. He looked pathetically small with all of his fur clinging to his skin, and he was even more emancipated than Angeal had thought. He also had a bad case of fleas (which wasn't a particularly happy revelation when he'd discovered them last night) but he'd deal with that as well. He was so used to the noisy, rambunctious Zack that he worried about the health of this new quiet, timid dog, but at least he'd stopped trembling, and he seemed to be responding well to the attention. He'd probably perk up in time, once he became used to his new home.
And Angeal couldn't deny that this was his new home. Last night he'd pet the poor thing until it fell asleep in his lap, obviously very exhausted. It was probably hard to get a good night's sleep out on the streets judging by the way the dog had dropped off so easily. When it was time to get some sleep of his own, he gently nudged the pup awake. The sleepy dog didn't seem too upset with him, just watched with sleepy eyes as Angeal brushed his teeth and changed out of his uniform. Zack, used to these nightly routines, nudged the bedroom door open and made himself comfortable on Angeal's big king sized bed. The new dog didn't even hesitate before following, though his little legs weren't long enough to make the jump, and he practically frowned, looking up at the tip of Zack's tail hanging off the mattress. Angeal chuckled and scooped him up, and though he wiggled a bit, probably not used to being lifted, he settled happily onto the mattress, and then back to Angeal's lap when he nudged Zack out of the way. The big oaf was already sleeping, snoring ever so slightly, and twitching his nose. He was active even in his sleep, and if Angeal knew his dog, probably dreaming about chasing squirrels. Angeal, used to his job as dog pillow, just reached down and absently scratched the little dog's ears while they both drifted off to sleep.
If he hadn't been won over by the ease with which the dog slept on his lap, watching Zack with his new friend would have done it twice over for him. Zack nuzzled the little guy, licked some of the cuts on his face, and had even tried to get him to play a little that morning. He had a lot of pent up energy from missing his morning jog (Angeal wasn't ready to take the new dog out yet, and he wasn't ready to leave him alone in the apartment either) and he'd rolled around on the big bed where they'd all slept curled up together and barked at his younger companion. He batted at him with big paws a few times, but the smaller dog didn't seem very interested in anything outside of Angeal's lap, much to Zack's frustration. He'd run out of the room, probably to take his frustrations out on Angeal's new boots, and he took a few minutes to mourn the leather before getting up to draw a warm bath.
The waterlogged dog shook once he was free from the confines of the tub (though not quite as spectacularly as Zack usually did) and dutifully stood still for a good towel drying. He looked much healthier already with a clean, shiny fur coat, his spiky fur standing up proudly. Angeal couldn't help but chuckle. Zack had the same strange fur spikes on the top of his head, and he wondered if that's what had drawn them together in the first place. Of course, Zack's didn't make him look like a distant relative of the chocobo…
The dogs were fed, and Angeal sat on the couch, grinning as both canines leaped up beside him. Normally Zack would bully his way into his master's lap, but instead the newly bathed addition to the family settled in nicely, leaving Zack to lean against Angeal's arm and try to stick a tongue in his ear. Angeal didn't watch a lot of television, but he did enjoy nature documentaries more than most men his age, and he was pleased to find one on when he pressed the power button on the remote. He found himself watching footage of the beautiful blue skies over Kalm, so different from the smoggy air around Midgar, so much like the ones he remembered from home. Fluffy white clouds contrasted nicely against the blue, and the speaker waxed poetically about clouds floating lazily across endless blue, blocking out the radiance of the sun. Angeal couldn't help but look down at the happy bundle in his lap, eyes as blue as that sky over Kalm, bright sunny fur. But this dog was a peaceful, well mannered thing, despite the dark hardships that he'd surely faced.
He smiled. "Welcome home, Cloud."