The Man Behind the Screen

Not What I Wanted to Hear

BAKUGO'S POV

I clutched the keychain that was infused with Chibi's ashes in my right hand as I bent down and cautiously set my left hand in front of the kennel. The white fluff ball cautiously stuck his nose close to the door and sniffed my hand.

"Dynamight, there are younger dogs we can look at. He's already six years old," the worker said. I hate when they assume nobody wants a dog because they're not a damn puppy anymore.

"What's his name?" I asked, completely ignoring her previous comment.

"Cotton. He was named by a young child who thought he looked like a cotton ball when he was curled up. He's a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Poodle mix," she said. He was almost pure white. His ears and the tip of his tail were light brown. He was cute.

"How long has he been here?" I asked her while Cotton curiously licked my fingers.

"Almost two years."

Two fucking years? When he got dropped off, he still had eight to eleven years of life left. Now, he's looking at six to nine. "Is he good with other pets and kids?" Not that it was going to deter me away from him, anyway. I knew Chibi was horrible with anyone who wasn't me when I rescued him. For some reason, he didn't mind the shit-nerd or the mini-nerd.

There he goes, filling my head again.

"He does well with just about everything and everyone." So he's only been sitting here because he isn't a fucking puppy.

"Can I take him out back?" I want to see if he knows how to sit and how energetic he is. I'm okay with training a dog, but I need to know how much training he needs and see how much he likes me. I can handle a dog that doesn't like anyone else, but he at least has to like me.

"I'll go grab a leash," she sighed before leaving the room.

"What kind of a name is Cotton?" I asked the dog. He's too old for me to change it, so he's stuck with it. Chibi was too old for me to change his name, too. I'll get used to it. "Just so you know now, all my dumbass friends will call you a rat. For some reason, they think it's hilarious that I like smaller dogs."

He barked quietly and began wagging his tail when the worker returned with a leash. "Can you start the paperwork while I take him out back?"

She looked confused while opening his kennel and attaching the leash to his collar. "You want me to start it before you take him outside?" Usually, people liked to play with the dog first to make sure they were a good fit for their family. Fortunately for me, I'm a one-person household.

"Yeah, he's coming home with me. I just want to know a little more about his behavior so I know what kind of toys to stop and get him on the way home."

She nodded before leading us out the back door and to the fenced-in yard. "The treats are on the table by the door, and the toy box is next to it. I'll start the paperwork while you get to know your new friend better."

I grabbed his leash from her hand before leading him outside. He immediately tried to run but ended up choking himself on the leash before realizing he couldn't escape.

"Cotton." His ears perked up before he turned his head to me. I bent down to drop the leash, but he didn't move. "Stay," I said as I put the leash on the ground. He planted his butt on the grass, still wagging his tail. I slowly backed away to the door to grab the jar of treats. He stood up and took a cautious step forward.

"Ah, ah, stay." He didn't sit back down, but he stayed where he was while I grabbed a handful of treats and made my way back to him. "Good boy," I smiled while giving him one treat. He dropped it on the ground before chewing away.