The Runt and the Beast
I will never leave you

I got off from work today and went to see Chris, he was off today and was just hanging out at home. I drove into his drive way and parked right behind his car, I was about to go up to the front door to knock but noticed the gate to the backyard was cracked opened. So I walked towards the cracked open gots and peaked through, there was Chris sitting on a lawn chair looking down at something in his big paws. Looks to be a tablet, but he had his back turned to me so I can’t really see. My first thought was to sneak up behind him and surprise him, but knowing how good his senses are he would hear me as soon as I open the gates. I squeezed through the crack of the gates and made my way over to him, his right ear suddenly flicked towards my direction as he was still looking down at his tablet. Yep, he already knows I’m here, but I didn’t care it’s not like I was trying to sneak up on him anyway like I was planing to. As soon as I got to Chris I climbed up on the back of his lawn chair like it was a ladder then slowly but surely climbing up his mane until I reached the top of his head and I was looking down to see what he was looking at. What’s up little runt, he said while still looking down, what’s up Beast, how did you know it was me. Chris chuckled, I know your scent anywhere little bud, how was work today? Well, you know it’s work, I responded laying my head down on his soft mane. He always took much pride with his mane, he always wash it and comb it everyday, it always smelled like a pine forest.

How was your day Chris, what did you do all day on your day off, Chris then yawned and scratched his mane, oh you know the usual, he responded, I went to the gym for most of the day, then came home to relax mostly, nothings special. I looked down at his tablet, what are you looking at, just been watching tiktok and some YouTube videos. I then went silent, just looking around his backyard wondering something, hey Chris. Hmm, he said still paying attention to a tiktok video, do you ever get lonely living here by yourself? That definitely got his attention, because he then looked up at me as though he didn’t expect me to ask that question. He then closed his tablet and leaned further back in his chair, sometimes, he salsa I’d in a low whisper. Why don’t you find someone to settle down with, I’ve asked, that way you won’t be lonely, Chris then went dead silent after I said that. Chris, I said in a worry tone, yeah....... well.... I thought about it and.... no, no I’m just not ready for something like that. I looked down at him unconvinced, but Chris weren’t you engaged once before. Chris went silent again, yeah I was but that was a long time ago and I realized I wasn’t ready then either.

You know Chris, I worry about you, I just want you to be happy and have someone you can be with. Chris looked up and me an sighed, Ricky, I am happy and I do have someone, someone I love and care deeply. I looked down at Chris expectingly, who, I asked, he then took his huge paw and rubbed my head with just his index finger, you my little runt, you mean so much to me. Before you, my life was a wreck, there were times I didn’t want to live anymore, that there was nothing out there for me. Then, it all changed when you came into the cafe that night, and we began to talk, it was like God sent you to me when I really needed you. You saved my life Ricky without you even knowing you did, my eyes began to tear up, really, I asked? Yes, replied Chris, and because of that, I will never be alone, just like you’ll never be alone because I will never leave you, and that’s a promise. Overwhelmed with happiness I began to huge his head and he hug me back by placing his hug paw on my back, I love you my little runt, I love you too Beast.