Dog House
If you asked Eli what made him take the long way around to his house,
he wouldn't be able to tell you. Maybe it was a supernatural
occurrence. Maybe he just wanted to relax more before getting home. Or
maybe it was fate...he definitely wasn't expecting to find what he did,
on that note.
"Why's he alone...?" He asked himself as he saw a short bear (only
slightly shorter than himself) walking on the side of the road. With
nobody else around. He slowed down his car until he was next to the
ursine, then stopped. But he didn't park, just in case this guy turned
out to be crazy. The bear looked up at him, surprised that Eli had
stopped. Then he looked weary. Just in case I turn out to be
crazy... Eli thought, holding back a giggle and instead grinning as
kindly as he could manage. "Do you need a ride?" He questioned, still
smiling even as a blush makes its way onto his gray and black muzzle.
The bear looked the canine over for several seconds, almost evaluating
him on some kind of scale. Finally, he answered quietly.
"Yes, please..." His voice was slightly shaky, but Eli assumed that
it was from the cool air. The bear's fur didn't look thick enough for
mid-Autumn. Eli didn't realize he had been staring until the bear
shifted from foot to foot. The Australian Shepherd blinked, then blushed
deeply and gestured to the passenger seat.
"Come on, then! I haven't got all night." He joked, grinning. The
bear smiled and got into the car, buckling his seatbelt and laying back
against the seat. "See, was that so hard?" The bear didn't answer, so
Eli began the drive towards his home.
"Shane..." The bear almost whispered. Eli's ears perked, and he
looked over for a few seconds before returning his gaze to the road
ahead.
"Excuse me?" He asked. The bear looked at him this time as he repeated himself.
"My name is Shane." Eli nodded and smiled, though he didn't know how convincing smiling at someone without looking at them is.
"It's nice to meet you, Shane." He replied. "My name's Eli. So, do
you live nearby? Or do you need somewhere to stay?" The bear shook his
head and told Eli his address. He looked shocked when Eli declined
taking him home.
"Wh-why not?" The bear asked, looking nervous. Eli looked at him again.
"Well, it's not exactly on the way. In fact, it's a thirty minute
drive past my house. That means it would take me an hour to drive there,
drop you off, and come back home. And I need to be up bright and early
so I can look for a few odd jobs here and there." Eli shook his head. "A
high school diploma just doesn't get you very far anymore..." Shane
finally nodded and sighed, still looking tensed.
"Okay..." He finally agreed out loud. "Okay, then you can just drop me off nearby and I'll-"
"You're not walking, either." Eli cut him off curtly. "You're staying
the night at my house. And don't worry, I live alone. It's almost
impossible to impose on a dog living on his own." Shane frowned, but
didn't offer an argument.
"Thank you..." He uttered, looking out the car window. Eli smiled, his tail quietly swaying from side to side.
"It's no trouble, Shane. Really." The canine replied. "I'm glad to
have some company for once." They finally approached his house, stopping
in the driveway. Eli parks the car and gets out with Shane. Within
another five minutes, they're inside of the dog's small house. It's a
simple one bedroom, one bath house with a pullout couch and a small
television. "I know it's not much." The dog said with a friendly smile.
"But I can call it home."
"It's great, really." Shane replied with a shy grin. They pulled out
the couch, then got a pillow and blanket for Shane. As the bear laid
down and got comfortable, Eli smiled and headed towards his room.
"Goodnight!" He called out, walking into his bedroom and closing the
door. Shane returned the word and sighed, relaxing on the makeshift bed.
...
It was midnight when Shane began to wake up. He started to get up,
then froze when he felt a foreign weight on top of him. He looked at it,
then blushed when he realized what-or rather, who-it was. Lying with
his muzzle buried into Shane's chest was Eli, fast asleep. Shane thought
about waking him up, but couldn't deny the warm feeling that flooded
his chest as he looked at the canine's sleeping face. Finally, he laid
his head back down on the pillow and wrapped his arms around Eli's back,
closing his eyes.
"Sweet dreams, Shane..." Eli whispered, smiling. Color rushes to the bear's cheeks, but he just tightens the hug.
"You too, Eli..."