"The wind howled vaguely over the empty streets. He didn't see it, but he heard it, felt it. Yet the sound of the occasional chariot rolling by, the crackle of snow under the feet of the few humans who proved brave enough to face the cold air.. They all faded away. The chilly frost in his body, the hunger and aches.. They all faded like a bad dream. Finally, it was over. Finally, he could sleep..

..Yet an unusual sound fought itself through the blissful silence. A soft patting, one much like his own feet that only just carried him through the snow. It came closer and closer, then stopped abruptly, only followed by a muffled 'thud'. He took a deep breath and gathered his last strength.. Could he really not even sleep, end this fight..? Weakly, he looked up.. Surprised to find himself gazing into a pair of bright eyes, brighter and more beautiful than any of the stars above him. A warm smile framed the face of a young pup, a female, about his age. She kept smiling as she pushed a hump of bread closer to him with her nose. His paws trembled as he stood up.. W-What was she doing here, why did she come up to him? He gazed at the piece of bread and instantly felt his hunger return, stronger than before. He whimpered and cowered down. The sudden appearance of this unknown pup confused him. She appeared an angel, the moonlight embracing and glistening off of her silver and white fur, those clear eyes staring at him invitingly. But no, it couldn't be..! It had never been this easy, he always had to fight for scraps and trash! He tried to make himself as small as possible, he didn't want to bother her, stand in her way. He took a small step back, tail lowering between his hindlegs.. And suddenly, the female pup stepped forward. She pressed her head under his, rubbing their muzzles together. He gasped and froze, blushing strongly. He didn't dare to move his head, nor step back. At first, fear washed over him, he was too close to her, she'd be scared off! But as she continued to softly rub her head against his own, the fear faded.. And so did the frost in his body. His heart started beating, beating faster than ever. It felt like it was warming up, glowing even..! It worried him first, but then it felt.. It felt so comfortable, so warm and comfy and pleasant. His fears faded, his worries dissipated, and all that was left was a new emotion, a new feeling, deep inside his heart. An intimate feeling, one of care and affection.. He felt love grow in his heart. Very slowly, he closed his eyes. But this time, it wasn't to sleep. He savoured the loving brushes of the pup's head over his neck and slowly relaxed, all his pain and aches healed as his body felt like energy flowed back into it. His eyes closed further as he felt tears welling up in the corner of his eyes.. Until eventually, the urge became too strong and he lovingly rubbed their muzzles together. A smile spread over his muzzle, a sincere and blissful smile. One of true happiness. It felt as if she gave him strength and cured his weariness. It felt as if now.. He didn't want to sleep any more..

He lowered himself again slowly, his knees suddenly wobbly. The female "angel" stepped in and rested at his side, lying side-by-side. He smiled warmly as her head softly rubbed over his own, and shyly he pressed his nose against her own. He blushed as she licked his muzzle. He didn't even notice the snow, the cold wind, the people that wandered by or the night that reached its darkest moment. All he saw were those bright eyes, those lovely eyes, with that big, warm smile. She licked his muzzle and nudged the bread, which he gratefully ate. Strangly enough, though his hunger faded, he hadn't even noticed it since the first time she pressed her muzzle to his. As she laid her head down and closed her eyes, he couldn't stop smiling, even if he wanted to. He gave her muzzle a soft lick and rested his head next to hers, closing his eyes.

For the first time ever, as far as he remembered, he slept peacefully. Where he never wanted to wake up again just moments before, he now happily curled up against his newfound source of warmth, of strength.. Of love.. His reason to keep on living."



Puppehs.