Good Boy

Down Boy

"Hey, no! Stop it! No!" you shouted at your large dog as he started to pull against your grasp in an attempt to free himself. He persisted, continuing to yank against the leash and choke himself. You held firm for as long as you could, pulling him back and shouting at him to stop. After several minutes of yanking and 'no'ing, your dog finally gained the upper hand and started dragging you down the thankfully empty sidewalk. You stomped after him, making sure you didn't let go of the leash that was now wrapped around your hand and efficiently cutting off your circulation.

"Hey, woah there! Come on, down boy!" a deep voice commanded the dog, running up in front of you with his hands out to stop the charging dog. You bit your lip and tried to pull him back as the tall, long, brown haired man began to pacify the dog. You looked up at him and let out a long breath as you started to catch your breath. Your dog slumped to the ground and whimpered at his defeat, and the man laughed lightly.

"You alright?" he asked softly, his hazel eyes friendly, but concerned as he kneeled down and held onto the lower half of the leash in case your dog decided to take off again. You nodded and smiled a little, finding yourself blush with embarrassment as you swallowed and waited a moment to catch your breath before answering.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Outta shape though," you smirked and forced a light laugh, trying to hide your embarrassment. You unwrapped your hand from the leash, rubbing it lightly as it began to bruise. He looked up at you and laughed, shaking his head as he pet your dog's head happily.

"You kept up pretty well, he's a strong dog," Sam said rather proudly as he sat himself down to play with your dog, finding that he took to him very well. You smiled and laughed as you pet your dog's back.

"Thanks. And thank you for helping..." you trailed off, hoping he would finish your sentence. He looked down and laughed as he was attacked with slobbery kisses. You yanked him away with a stern 'No', but the man protested and pulled him close again.

"It's alright, and the name's Sam," he told you with a smile as he continued to ruffle his long fur. You smiled softly, and decided to sit down beside him.

"Y/N," you told him simply before scratching your dog's ear, "and this Rory," you continued proudly as you snuggled against your long furred dog. Sam smiled wider and looked up at you, his eyes bright and excited like a small child.

"He's a handsome dog," he ruffled Rory's fur more and let him nuzzle against you. You laughed and glanced around, realizing that you were sitting on a sidewalk with a complete stranger, and cuddling your dog.

"Thank you," you said softly, pretending to check your phone for the time. You gasped and stood abruptly, pushing your hair behind your ear in a fake rush, "Oh I'm so sorry, but I have to go." Sam stood with you, holding Rory's leash tight until you gained your bearings and tightened your grip around the leash again.

"It's alright. It was nice meeting you Y/N" he said quickly as he stood tall and gave Rory a pat on the head, "Be good for your mommy," he told him with a firm, parent-like voice. You couldn't help but laugh and nudge him, feeling your confidence grow.

"Same to you. Do you have a dog? You're really good with them," you asked, silently hoping you would have an excuse to see him again. Sam frowned slightly and shook his head; you felt your heart fall a little.

"No, I don't, but I would love one," he answered softly, his kind eyes soft with a small amount of sadness. You melted under his eyes and restrained yourself from 'aw'ing at his expression as he looked down at Rory.

"Well you could always come over and play with him," you offered, a slight smile on your face. He looked up at you with surprise, a smile spreading across his face. His beautiful eyes brightening again, making you smile even more.

"Really? N-No I couldn't. You don't even know me," he stuttered, clearly taking some strength not to take back his word. You sighed and rolled your eyes, smirking at him.

"Come on, any friend of Rory is a friend of mine," you teased, nudging him softly. Sam smiled and easily gave in, pulling out his phone and unlocking it. Taking it in your hands you typed up your contact quickly and handed it back to him.

"Thank you so much," Sam thanked her and looked down at his phone, "I'll text you," he concluded before nodding and petting Rory one last time.

"Alright, I'll see you around," you told him with a smile before you nudged Rory and urged him to start walking back the way you had came. Once you were sure Sam had started in the other direction, you smiled to yourself and ruffled Rory's fur,

"Good job boy," Rory looked up at you with wide eyes and gave you an innocent kiss. You giggled and pulled out your phone as you felt it buzz against your leg.

Hey, it's Sam. Woof! Woof!

You laughed and added him to you contacts, placing a dog emoji beside his name before answering.

Down boy!