Puppy Love

Chapter Four

I fill up the vase with water at the tap and place the rose that Liam gave me in it. Smiling like an idiot, I put the vase on the kitchen counter, liking the way that the simple flower can make me grin.

"You hungry, Li?" I call out from the kitchen, collecting myself. We're back at my flat now and Liam is a bit tuckered out from our trip to the park so he's sprawled across the couch in the nearby living room, trying to catch up on some sleep. "No," he says, halfway asleep already. His lips are pouting in the most adorable way, letting out short, hot puffs of air.

"Well, I'm starving so I think I'll cook myself something," I say, more to myself than him. I then proceed to make some dinner. Taking out a box of bow tie pasta from the pantry and boil a pot of water over the stove. After a few moments, I pour in the pasta and let it cook for a while.

Meanwhile, I take out the rest of the ingredients; marinara sauce, parmesan cheese, and some random spices that I assume might taste good together. I'm not the best cook ever, that's for certain, but I think I do alright. Usually I'd just stick to take out food or frozen microwavable boxes, but since now I have a growing puppy boy to feed as well, I suppose I should start cooking properly.

About fifteen minutes later, I find myself sitting at the counter with a plate of pasta-surprise. I didn't go from a recipe-- just whatever I had in the kitchen-- but it turned out pretty damn well if I do say so myself.

I steal a glance in the living room, and Liam's still asleep, cutely cuddled up on the couch . . . . which reminds me, I suppose I should get a proper bed for him if he's going to be staying with me. I have an extra bedroom but I've never had a use for it, so I just use it for storage and useless rubbish, but if I clean it and make it look nice, maybe Liam could stay? I'll have to ask him what he thinks later.

Suddenly, Liam's nose starts twitching, and his ears poke up, his brown eyes squinting. He flutters his eyelashes a few times before looking over at me with a questionable look.

"Smells good," Liam notes.

I scoff, "You said you weren't hungry."

Liam shrugs, "I- I am now," he says, trying to figure out his words. He's starting to be able to say full sentences--not long ones, no, but short ones and that's good enough for me. In a ridiculously short amount of time, Liam is sitting next to me.

"I only made enough for me since you said you weren't hungry," I say slowly, but when I see the cute look plastered on Liam's face, I can't possibly say no. Laughing a bit, I slide my plate of pasta over to Liam who muttered a quick thank you before devouring the entire plate in under a minute. Afterwards, I take the plate and toss it in the sink, and Liam jumps as the plate clatters against the other dishes. He winces and my heart sinks. Why is he so startled by sudden noises?

"You okay, Liam?" I ask.

"Yes, noise j-just scare me," he says with a gentle smile.

I nod, "I'm going to go take a shower, um, will you be alright by yourself for a few minutes?"

"Yes, Zayn."

I give his puppy ears a quick scratch before disappearing into the bathroom, closing the door behind me. I reach into the shower and turn it on, then whilst I wait for it to warm up, I strip down. I step inside the shower and relax as the hot water trickles down my back. I pour some clear colored shampoo into my hand and rub it into my scalp, sighing in relief. Minutes later, I step out of the shower, feeling clean and refreshed. I wrap a white towel around my waist and rub the steam off of the mirror, staring at my reflection.

Suddenly, the door swings open, revealing Liam.

I gasp, "Liam! What the hell!" I say, thankful that I had a towel wrapped around my waist. If I hadn't then Liam wouldn't seen mini me and that would've definitely been awkward.

Liam's eyes widen, "S-sorry Zayn. Liam just--"

"Knock first!" I yell, slamming the door in his face and locking it this time. I sigh and shake my head, frustrated with the puppy boy.

Eventually, I walk out of the bathroom, rubbing a towel through my hair and holding another around my waist. I glance over to the couch. "Liam, I'm sorry . . . Liam?" I say, but he's not there. He's gone. "Liam?" I say again, louder this time. I check the kitchen, bedrooms, even the closet but he's no where to be found. My gut sinks. What if he left? What if he ran away because I yelled at him? What if something bad happened to him? No, I can't think like that. It hurts. Sighing deeply, I put on an old t-shirt, some random shorts, slip on my shoes, and leave to go find him.

-

"Liam," I yell, walking down town. I decide to walk because, after all, Liam can't drive so he must've walked and that means he couldn't have gone far. He must be a very good hider, though, because I can't find him anywhere. It's beginning to get dark and with every passing minute I feel myself losing hope of finding him. I begin walking home again, this time taking a different path than I did on my way down town, just in case he went this way instead. I feel horrible for how I yelled at him. He's just an innocent hybrid puppy, he didn't know any better. I was all he had, I was his last chance.

With tears pricking at my eyes, I turn down my street. Something immediately catches my eye and my breath hitches. I see Liam sitting on the curb alone, head in his knees, puppy ears flopping to the side from his brunette hair. He's shaking and just staying there, and nobody stops to ask if he's okay, or if he needs help. It suddenly hits me how heartless this world can be. It seems like I'm the only one who cares about him.

I run up to him as quickly as I can, "Liam!" I yell. He pokes his head up and his face is plastered with pure fear as I approach him.

"No, no, no," I hear Liam mumble. He stands up from the curb and starts to turn away but I grab his arm and turn him to face me.

"Stop," I breathe, pulling him in close. I wrap him in a tight hug, throwing my arms around the puppy boy. "I was so worried about you," I mutter into his ear. He whimpers. A sense of relief washes over me. I found him and everything's going to be alright.

"I thought-- I thought Zayn was going to hurt Liam," he whines.

I hush him and rub circles on his back, "I won't hurt you, ever."

He pulls away but still stays close to me, "But Zayn yell at Liam," he mutters.

I shake my head, "I got angry, Li, but that doesn't mean I'm going to hurt you."

"Really?"

"I promise. I promise I'll never hurt you, ever. Did your old owners hurt you, Liam?" I wonder. It would make sense. All the flinching when I make sudden movements, how the slightest noises can scare him, and how he thought I was going to hurt him when I raised my voice. He doesn't respond, he just gulps, so I press on, "Liam, did they hurt you?"

This time, he nods, and I feel my heart break.

"Let's go home, Liam," I say when I feel eyes staring at us. "I'll make us some tea and we can cuddle and talk, how does that sound?"

He smiles and does something I would have never expected. He pecks my cheek. It's quick and sweet, but I feel my heart swell as his lips linger on my stubbly cheek for a short moment.

We start walking back home, and after a long moment of silence, I feel his warm hand brush against my own. He clutches onto my hand and looks up at me with a bright, innocent smile and sparkling eyes, his eyelashes fluttering cutely.

Those puppy eyes will be the death of me.

Written by TrulyMadlyLarry