131I really shouldn't be starting a new story right now, but I couldn't help it. I own everything about this story, and it will, of course, eventually be slash. Don't know when, though. Sigh.
Love you all platonically.
And now the story…
One night, at the tender age of five, I was kidnapped from my bed by a violent pedophile. I was found the next morning in the woods, sitting next to my unconscious kidnapper, unharmed. He had tripped and hit his head on a tree root. At the age of eight, I went camping with my family and got lost in the woods for an entire day. No one found me. I just suddenly appeared on the porch of the ranger's station when no one was looking. When I was twelve I ran out into the street chasing after a soccer ball and a car comes careening around the corner, heading straight for me. I tripped and the car drove right over me. At fourteen, I went to the bank with my mom. We weren't there for more than five minutes before four masked gunmen enter. Needless to say, I was taken hostage and used as an example. Holding the gun to my head, he pulled the trigger, hoping to teach the cops a lesson for a trick they tried to pull. The gun jammed. The guy was so surprised he loosened his hold enough for me get free.
I know what you're thinking. I have the strangest fucking luck known to man. Either that, or someone out there was looking out for me.
Now, I'm eighteen years old and in my second semester of my freshman year of college far away from home. I've managed to stay out of trouble since the bank robbery, but I have a feeling that's about to change.
"I said, give me your money!" the irate young man holding a gun on me yells.
"Dude, I don't have any!" I reply fearfully, showing him the contents of my wallet.
"What do you mean you don't have any?!" My mugger is starting to panic, looking around the empty campus grounds frantically, as if looking for an escape route or a money tree.
"What do you expect?! I'm a college student!" I yell, an edge of hysteria in my voice.
"Shut up!" he replies angrily, glaring at me murderously.
Where the hell are the campus police when you need them? Lazy ass bastards.
"Give me your book bag!" he orders, gesturing with his gun.
"All I have in there are books," I say, handing him the heavy bag.
"They gotta be worth somethin'," he growls, heaving the bag onto his shoulder. "If I sell them back I gotta get some money for them."
I can't help but laugh. "You've obviously never been to college," I say knowingly, grinning.
"Shut up!"
"Right, shutting up." I say apologetically, my grin disappearing instantly.
"I can't leave any witnesses," he mutters to himself, the hand holding the gun trembling noticeably.
"Hey, I won't tell if you don't." I reply, "It can be our little secret."
"Shut up!"
"Sorry." I say contritely, backing up, keeping my hands out in a 'hey, don't shoot me' manner.
"I can't leave any witnesses," he repeats decisively, raising the gun with a now steady hand.
"You don't wanna do that!" I yell, my voice rising to an embarrassingly high level.
"Shut up!" He starts to pull the trigger, his eyes hard.
You know in the movies when everything slows down, and things come into focus. People are screaming in slow motion, bullets are usually flying all over the place, and the lover/best friend/partner gets shot while the hero watches in anguish. Well, there was no slow motion, no focus, no screaming people, no friends getting shot, hell, there were no bullets. But there was a big fucking black dog that comes out of nowhere to suddenly attack my attacker.
"Whoa!" I yell, stumbling back as the mugger falls under the weight of the dog, losing his gun in the process. Vicious growls disturb the night air as the dog tears into the man.
"Help! Help me!" he screams, struggling. "Get 'em off me!"
I rush forward, kicking the gun into the grass before moving to grab the dog. "Heel!" I yell, trying to sound commanding, but sounding scared out of my fucking mind instead. So it's a major surprise when the dog immediately moves to stand beside me, growling threateningly at the prostrate man. The man takes the hint, jumping to his feet, and running off into the night, leaving his gun and my book bag behind. The dog quiets, sitting on its haunches and looking up at me expectantly. "Um, good dog." I murmur, patting it on the head.
It wags its tail happily in response.
"Well, I really must be going," I say, moving slowly to pick up my bag. "I have to study and…stuff. But it was really nice meeting you. Thanks for the save. You should really be on TV. The new Rin Tin Tin." I'm babbling now, backing away from the dog nervously, trying not to make any sudden movements. "You'll need an agent first, of course. Give me a call. We'll do lunch." The dog cocks its head at me quizzically, not moving from its seat. "It was nice meeting you." I turn and walk away, my body tense in expectation of a dog's teeth sinking into my ass. After several moments of not being bitten I relax, releasing a relieved sigh. "Jesus Christ, what a night."
I almost piss in my pants when a dog barks behind me. "Holy shit!" I spin around to find my rescuer following me. "Gah! Don't do that! These are my favorite pants!" I yell, clutching my chest in fear and walking backwards. "What are you doing following me?" I ask it, confused. "Don't you have some cave to go home to? Cats to kill?" The dog keeps padding along silently, watching me curiously. "Go home!" I order sternly, stopping and pointing at some distant spot away from me.
The dog gives a small bark in reply.
"I'm gonna take that as a no." I say, shaking my head. "I can't have animals in the dorm." I tell it.
It barks again.
"I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do about it." I say regretfully.
Another bark.
"Be reasonable!" I reply, exasperated. "I can't disobey the rules just for you!"
Bark.
"Of course, I'm grateful to you for saving my life, but it's not like I can hide you in my room. You're a big fucking dog. A big, black fucking dog. It's not like you're inconspicuous." I point out.
Bark.
"I'm sorry. You're just gonna have to find another home." I shrug helplessly, turning and continuing my journey to the dorms.
Bark.
"All right! All right!" I yell, turning back around. "You can stay with me, but if you get me in trouble you're out. You got me?"
Bark.
"Good." I nod happily, satisfied that I was able to compromise. "C'mon, dog. I'm cold and hungry. I've got a can of ravioli at the dorm with my name on it."
Wagging its tail, the dog walks happily by my side all the way to the dorms. We're able to sneak past the security guard without being seen.
Opening my room door, I peek my head in, making sure my roommate isn't in. "Must be out with his friends." I whisper to the dog, walking over to my bed and throwing down my book bag. "Ahh." I sigh, falling onto my bed.
Bark.
"Welcome home, dog." I say, sitting up. "It's not much, but it's warm."
Bark.
"I haven't introduced myself yet, have I? My name is Ezra Callahan." I say, holding out my hand.
The dog barks, placing his huge paw in my hand.
"Nice to meet you." I say, shaking his paw. "What am I gonna call you? Are you male or female?"
Bark.
"Male." I say, thinking. "How 'bout Rover?"
Growl.
"Okay, not Rover. Midnight?"
Growl.
"Blackie?"
Growl.
"Knight?"
Growl.
"No, with a 'k'."
Bark.
"Knight it is." I say, smiling. "So, Knight, you hungry?"
Bark.
"Yeah, me too. I have a feeling we're gonna get along just fine."
Bark, bark.
Huh?
Bark, bark, bark.
"What the?" Opening my eyes blearily, I glance over at my alarm clock. "Shit!" Jumping out of my bed, I grab the nearest pair of jeans, and pull them on. "I must have forgotten to set my alarm." I mutter, grabbing a shirt. "I have five minutes to get to class, and it takes ten minutes to get there!" Pulling on my sneakers, I finger comb my hair and grab my book bag.
Bark.
"What?!" I ask impatiently. "I have to go!"
Knight lays a paw on my coat, looking at me significantly.
"What are you? My mother?" I say, snatching the coat from the floor. "Now, can I go?" I ask sarcastically.
Bark.
"Stay out of trouble." I order, opening the door.
Bark.
Sighing, I nod. "Fine, you can come with me, but try not to scare anyone."
Growl.
"Have you looked in the mirror?"
Growl.
"Your momma!"
Growl.
"Mutt!"
Growl.
"Bitch!"
"Ezra?" someone says behind me. "Who are you talking to?"
I spin around to find my roommate, Adam, looking at me questioningly. "Umm, my dog." I reply, gesturing to Knight, sitting just inside our room door.
He peers around me curiously, his eyes widening at the sight of the big dog sitting docilely on his haunches. "Why are you talking to a dog?" he asks, looking at me again.
"Umm, I have to go." I reply, avoiding the question. "C'mon, Knight." Sidling past Adam, we hurry down the hall before he can ask any more questions. We're, once again, able to get past the security guard.
Once outside I start running, hoping to get to class before the doors close. It probably looks weird to people to see me running with Knight following, but I can't seem to get up the nerve to care. Reaching the building my class is held in, I stop to catch my breath before turning to Knight. "Stay…here." I order breathlessly.
Bark.
"Oh, no, not this again." I mutter. "You are not coming to class with me. You can stay out here and wait for me. Sniff some coeds or something." Without waiting for a reply, I hurry through the door, breaking into a run. I reach the class just as the TA is closing the door.
Quietly slipping into a seat in the back next to my friend, Paul, I pull out my tape recorder, preparing to look like I'm paying attention.
"Where were you, man?" Paul whispers, leaning toward me.
"I overslept." I reply ruefully.
"I thought you had an alarm clock?" he asks, confused.
"I do, but it doesn't work if I don't set it."
"Idiot," he replies, laughing quietly. "Hey, did you hear?" he suddenly asks.
"Hear what?"
"Some guy says he was attacked by a werewolf last night," he replies, sounding excited.
"Huh? When did this happen?" I ask curiously.
Paul rolls his eyes. "Last night, dumb ass. Like I said," he shakes his head in exasperation. "Sometimes I think you don't listen to me."
"You'd be right." I reply, smirking.
"Fuck you, man. Anyways, this guy said he was attacked when he was trying to rob somebody. He turned himself in because he thought he'd be safe in prison," Paul's wry tone of voice clearly states what he thinks of that idea. "They went to where he said he'd left the guy, and all they found was his gun. I'm thinking the werewolf ate the other dude," he says knowingly.
"You're a big moron. You know that?" I say, shaking my head. "He was not eaten because there are no such things as werewolves."
"How would you know?" he asks snidely.
"Because I was the guy he robbed." I reply smugly, smirking when his mouth drops open.
"Oh, you big liar!" he yells. Loudly.
"I don't know about you, young man, but I've been studying psychology for over thirty years, and I happen to know for a fact that Freud was the founder of psychoanalysis," the professor says reproachfully, glaring at Paul while muffled laughs fill the classroom.
"Yes, sir," he replies, sinking down low in his seat, and looking down at his desk.
With one final, lingering glare the professor continues his lecture.
"Smooth move, dumb ass." I murmur, grinning.
"Fuck you."
He doesn't say anything else to me for the rest of class, keeping his eyes on his desk.
"So, you were really the guy robbed last night?" Paul asks, following me outside.
"Yeah, man. It was wild! This huge dog comes out of nowhere and attacks the guy." I reply, grinning excitedly. "Then the dog followed me back to the dorms."
"Cool. So, is the dog still at the dorms?"
"Nah, he's right there." I say, pointing to Knight, who's sitting quietly in the sun directly in front of the building.
Paul stops walking, staring at the dog warily. "That is a big fucking dog, dude," he says, not taking his eyes off Knight. "He looks like a fucking wolf, man. Are you sure he's safe?"
"Of course, man." I reply, moving to crouch beside the dog, laying my hand on his neck. "He saved my life."
"If you say so, man. Listen, I have to go meet Katie at the Union," he says, moving away from us slowly. "I'll see you later."
"Later." I watch Paul walk away around us quickly, giving Knight a wide berth. "I guess you're not going to be very popular with my friends." I say, scratching his ears.
Bark.
"Yeah, well, I care. I only have so many." I reply, standing. "C'mon. Let's go back to the dorm."
"That's a really handsome dog you have there," a friendly, masculine voice announces behind me. "What's his name?"
I turn around to find one of the weirdest looking people I have ever seen. He looks to be in his mid-twenties, about six foot one, slim but built, and he's wearing all black. Black jacket, black t-shirt, black pants, and black boots. That's not the weird part, though. No, the weird part is his white-blond hair, dark brown eyebrows, and purple eyes. Not violet, purple. I don't really know the difference, but his eyes are purple. I've never seen anybody with purple eyes before. He'd probably be a plain looking guy if it weren't for the hair and the eyes, but with them he's striking. And I'm really not comfortable thinking of another guy as striking. That's just too gay for me.
"Your eyes are purple." I blurt without thinking.
"Well, I'm in a good mood," he replies, smiling.
"Oh." I say, blinking at the odd comment.
"What's his name?" he asks again.
"Whose name?"
He chuckles softly, his eyes sparkling with mirth. "The dog's," he says.
"Oh, um, Knight. With a 'k'." I reply, my face heating at my display of stupidity.
"Well, Knight-with-a-k, it's nice to meet you," he says, crouching and holding out his hand, which Knight immediately places his paw on. "And what would your name be?" he asks, looking up at me.
"Ezra Callahan." I reply, still slightly unnerved by his eyes.
"Nice to meet you, Ezra. I'm Nero Morris." He stands, offering me his hand, which I shake reluctantly. His grip is firm, like a hug from your best friend. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, which totally freaks me out, causing me to pull my hand away quickly. Nero doesn't comment on my rudeness, just smiles mysteriously. "Where did you find a dog like that?" he asks, gesturing to Knight.
"Actually, he found me. Um, I have to get going." I say nervously. "I have homework I need to do before my next class." Which is tomorrow, but he doesn't need to know that.
He gives me a knowing smile. "Of course. Maybe I'll see you around. Goodbye, Knight," he says, nodding to the dog. "Goodbye, Ezra." With one last smile, he turns and walks away.
"Well, that was creepy." I announce, watching Nero leave.
Bark.
"I think he has the hots for you, dog." I say looking down at Knight. "Let's go before some other whack-job approaches us."
"So, where'd you get the dog, man?" Adam asks from his position on his bed.
"He followed me home last night." I reply, not glancing up from my book.
"Let me get this straight," he says, sitting up. "You're followed home by a dog that could easily eat your skinny ass, and you let him in?"
"He promised to behave." I reply reasonably.
He stares at me incredulously. "I don't want that dog in here, man," he says firmly. "For all you know he could be waiting for the perfect time to make you lunch."
"I don't think dogs have that kind of cunning." I reply, laughing. "Besides, he saved my life. He attacked a mugger."
"Oh, that makes me feel so much," he says sarcastically. "I don't want him in here. We could get in trouble or he could go crazy."
"Well, what am I gonna do with him?" I ask angrily.
"I don't care!" he yells. "Just get him out of here!" Adam grabs up his jacket and leaves, slamming the door on his way out.
Growl.
"Yeah, he is." I agree darkly. "What am I gonna do with you?" I ask wearily. "I'm not taking you to the pound. They'll put you to sleep if you don't find an owner."
Growl.
"I don't like it either." I reply angrily. "Damn it, you're my dog."
Bark.
"Well, you are. Maybe I could send you home." I say thoughtfully. "My mom would love to have someone to take care of. My dad probably wouldn't like it, though." Standing, I move to sit on the floor beside Knight. "Maybe my brother will take you. You'd be a great guard dog, and he'd have to appreciate that since he has a family now, but he lives so far away. I would never see you."
Growl.
"I don't know what to do. Adam will have me kicked out of the dorm if you don't leave." I say sadly, laying down and using Knight as a pillow. "Don't worry, though. I'll think of something."
Bark.