Rashomon Challenge: Good Dog
Fandom: Saiyuki
Theme: Rashomon (Ch-Ch-Changes)
Title: Good Dog
Author: lady_ganesh
Pairings: Goku/Sanzo
Notes: Part of indelicateink's Miami multi-verse, and companion to the already posted Cold Snap. The previous stories I've written for Miami are here. Points to Sanzo.
Good Dog
Fenrir would never remember his earliest hours or days; birth, his eyes opening, his first suckling. But he did remember some moments, little pleasures, the scent of his mother and siblings. He loved his litter, though he was often hungry. His brothers and sisters liked to play with him. He had an old sock to chew on, too. There were a few humans who came and went and gave his mother food, and then she would feed all the puppies. Sometimes Fenrir didn't get enough. But his mother would groom him afterward. He liked that.
One human spent more time with them than the others. His name was Than, and his hands were cold, but his chest was nice and warm. Than would come sometimes and give Fenrir milk to drink. It was colder than when it came from his mother, but it still tasted good.
It got cold one day, colder than it normally was. They gave up their games and huddled together next to their mother to keep the heat in, sleeping more often than eating.
Fenrir was asleep when Than lifted him up, away from his brothers and sisters. "I can't keep you," he said, pulling Fenrir to his chest. "And you have to stay with someone else for a little while. But I'll come back, I promise."
It was hard to breathe inside the blanket Than wrapped him in, but it was so cold in the open air that Fenrir only stuck his nose out once. He'd never been outside before. It was strange.
Than carried him for a while, to a different building, a smaller one with different smells. The man who came to meet him was about Than's size, but he smelled different. Spicier. His body temperature was warmer, too.
Another man came into the room after a while, and he smelled different too, sweeter, sharper somehow. His hair was light, and he was tall.
Than handed him to the taller man, and Fenrir tried to settle in his lap. His hands were big, but he wasn't as warm as Than had been. He scratched at Fenrir's neck, and Fenrir wagged his tail. He seemed calmer than Than, too. That was good, because Fenrir was tired. Coming out into the cold was hard work.
Than trusted these men. Fenrir could too. He was a good dog.
He closed his eyes.
~~
Fenrir was having a perfectly good chew on his Frisbee when Kane woke up.
"You're not supposed to sleep on the bed," Kane said, and poked at him with his foot. Fenrir bit at it, a half-hearted effort, but a necessary part of the game.
Kane groaned and got out of bed. "You hungry?"
Fenrir wagged his tail. Of course he was hungry. Vidal said he was growing fast. His head was over Vidal's knees now.
"Come on," Kane said, and Fenrir happily followed him into the kitchen.
"You're feeding my dog?" Vidal called from the bedroom.
Kane was opening up the bag. Fenrir whined a little to encourage him. "Of course I'm feeding your dog. I think I feed this damn dog more than you do."
"Thanks," Vidal said. It sounded like he was falling back asleep. Kane snorted and filled Fenrir's bowl.
Ah, food. The smell of the first meal of the day never got old.
"Eh, fuck it," Fenrir heard Kane say, as he walked back toward the bathroom. Fenrir didn't pay much attention to him. He was too busy eating.
When he finished, he went back to check on Vidal and Kane. They were asleep again, Vidal's arm thrown around Kane, Kane's face turned against Vidal's.
Fenrir jumped back on the bed and curled between their feet. A nap sounded like a good idea.
Life was good.
Theme: Rashomon (Ch-Ch-Changes)
Title: Good Dog
Author: lady_ganesh
Pairings: Goku/Sanzo
Notes: Part of indelicateink's Miami multi-verse, and companion to the already posted Cold Snap. The previous stories I've written for Miami are here. Points to Sanzo.
Good Dog
Fenrir would never remember his earliest hours or days; birth, his eyes opening, his first suckling. But he did remember some moments, little pleasures, the scent of his mother and siblings. He loved his litter, though he was often hungry. His brothers and sisters liked to play with him. He had an old sock to chew on, too. There were a few humans who came and went and gave his mother food, and then she would feed all the puppies. Sometimes Fenrir didn't get enough. But his mother would groom him afterward. He liked that.
One human spent more time with them than the others. His name was Than, and his hands were cold, but his chest was nice and warm. Than would come sometimes and give Fenrir milk to drink. It was colder than when it came from his mother, but it still tasted good.
It got cold one day, colder than it normally was. They gave up their games and huddled together next to their mother to keep the heat in, sleeping more often than eating.
Fenrir was asleep when Than lifted him up, away from his brothers and sisters. "I can't keep you," he said, pulling Fenrir to his chest. "And you have to stay with someone else for a little while. But I'll come back, I promise."
It was hard to breathe inside the blanket Than wrapped him in, but it was so cold in the open air that Fenrir only stuck his nose out once. He'd never been outside before. It was strange.
Than carried him for a while, to a different building, a smaller one with different smells. The man who came to meet him was about Than's size, but he smelled different. Spicier. His body temperature was warmer, too.
Another man came into the room after a while, and he smelled different too, sweeter, sharper somehow. His hair was light, and he was tall.
Than handed him to the taller man, and Fenrir tried to settle in his lap. His hands were big, but he wasn't as warm as Than had been. He scratched at Fenrir's neck, and Fenrir wagged his tail. He seemed calmer than Than, too. That was good, because Fenrir was tired. Coming out into the cold was hard work.
Than trusted these men. Fenrir could too. He was a good dog.
He closed his eyes.
~~
Fenrir was having a perfectly good chew on his Frisbee when Kane woke up.
"You're not supposed to sleep on the bed," Kane said, and poked at him with his foot. Fenrir bit at it, a half-hearted effort, but a necessary part of the game.
Kane groaned and got out of bed. "You hungry?"
Fenrir wagged his tail. Of course he was hungry. Vidal said he was growing fast. His head was over Vidal's knees now.
"Come on," Kane said, and Fenrir happily followed him into the kitchen.
"You're feeding my dog?" Vidal called from the bedroom.
Kane was opening up the bag. Fenrir whined a little to encourage him. "Of course I'm feeding your dog. I think I feed this damn dog more than you do."
"Thanks," Vidal said. It sounded like he was falling back asleep. Kane snorted and filled Fenrir's bowl.
Ah, food. The smell of the first meal of the day never got old.
"Eh, fuck it," Fenrir heard Kane say, as he walked back toward the bathroom. Fenrir didn't pay much attention to him. He was too busy eating.
When he finished, he went back to check on Vidal and Kane. They were asleep again, Vidal's arm thrown around Kane, Kane's face turned against Vidal's.
Fenrir jumped back on the bed and curled between their feet. A nap sounded like a good idea.
Life was good.