Wild Dog 5

He's kind of cute... especially for a dom. 

Blake watched quietly as Wyatt made his way back across the street. He was walking slowly enough so that they would easily be able to catch up, so he didn't bother hurrying after him just yet. Instead, he turned his attention to a large pile of snow off to his right, and at that exact moment, a Ravi head popped up out of it, then sneezed. 

"Come on, Ravi. You know Wyatt won't be happy if you get sick playing in there," he said as he began walking but continued to watch the pup. He was struggling to free himself from the frigid stuff, but after a few seconds of flailing he managed to fumble out of the snow pile.

Oh... you look much dirtier than you should be after playing in snow. 

He glanced back toward the pile as Ravi bolted toward him, noting that the inside was actually quite dirty looking. 

A snow and mud pile, then. 

The neighborhood kids must have gotten creative before the storm and the snow had just covered up their handiwork. 

I hope he doesn't mind baths...

He was just grinning at the idea of trying to bathe the hyper dog when Ravi suddenly ran right in front of him, making him stumble backwards and fall to the sidewalk with a surprised gasp.

"Geez, bud. You almost tripped me right into the... street."

He'd almost walked right out into the street, and since the sidewalks were extremely low near the park, he probably wouldn't have even realized it until it was too late. 

"You are a blessing," he whispered as he shakily got back to his feet, then brushed off his pants.   

Right as he finished with his task, a quiet grunt from Ravi brought his attention over to him, which, in turn, had him noticing Wyatt running back across the street toward him. He saw the guy slip on a small patch of ice in the road, sending him skidding forward, but thankfully he recovered quickly without falling and finished closing the distance between them. 

"Are you okay? I'm sorry I walked away," he said as he gently grabbed Blake's shoulder, his eyes wide with worry. 

He seems a little overly-worried...

Blake glanced down as he felt Ravi tug at his pant leg slightly. When the pup knew he had his attention, he looked back up at Wyatt and sat against the man's leg, then whimpered. 

...could have gotten... a car. 

He could actually hear the man's thoughts a tiny bit. It honestly felt odd after having a comfortable silence for so long, but at least that let him know why the guy had run back to them so quickly. It was also probably because they were touching, so his telepathic abilities were more focused from the physical contact. 

Making himself relax, Blake looked back up to meet the man's eyes with a warm smile. 

"I'm sorry, I got distracted but Ravi stopped me from walking out into the street, so I'm fine," he said, trying to reassure the still nervous-looking guy holding him. 

It was kind of odd that he didn't mind his hand on his shoulder, either, considering how fidgety he'd been since leaving his ex a few days ago. 

I'd also been sleep deprived and then got sick. 

After another quiet minute with the cold wind chilling his ears and rustling his hair, Wyatt gave a quiet sigh and released his shoulder. That suddenly made him realize that he'd actually been holding onto him without permission and he quickly jammed his hands into his coat pockets.  

 "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to grab you so suddenly. I got startled when I noticed what almost happened," Wyatt said, looking more than a little bit embarrassed at his slip up. 

He really is cute. 

"It's alright, I would have done the same thing," Blake said as he knelt down and reached over to pat Ravi's shoulder gently. "Especially for this good boy." 

Ravi tilted his head, wagged his tail, and glanced up at Wyatt, then back down to Blake before repeating that string of actions several times. When he finally stopped with his attention on Blake and his tail slowed to a stop, he realized what he'd just done. 

Uh oh. 

Reading the signals he'd noticed from earlier, Blake quickly dropped to his backside... just in time to catch Ravi as he went into one of his excited licking attacks again! Since he'd recognized the warning signs this time, he only let Ravi tackle him backwards and have a few good licks before flipping him abruptly, then lying down right away on top of him. Of course, he was extra careful not to put too much weight on the pup beneath him on its back, but Ravi didn't even seen to care as he froze, one ear up and the other down, his mind clearly trying to process what had just happened. 

"I've never seen someone able to stop him so quickly... and without making him panic and try to bite," Wyatt said as he knelt next to them. 

Since Ravi had already calmed down, Blake pushed himself up, then to his feet as he watched the pup roll over, then get to his own feet. It looked so stumped at what had just happened.  

"Good boy," Wyatt said as he reached forward and gave Ravi's shoulder a gentle pat, immediately snapping the dog back to its senses and making it turn to face him with a wiggling body full of new excitement. 

"Someone looks like they had a bit of extra fun before saving our friend from crossing the street without looking both ways. I think a bath is in order?" Wyatt said with a grin. 

For some reason, Blake thought that saying the word bath in front of a dog always got the same negative reaction, but of course, Ravi's energy knew no bounds, and the dog surely didn't seem the least bit worried about the upcoming grooming as he began running around them in excited circles. 

"Would you like me to renew the hotel reservation for another evening or are you okay with staying at my place until your flight tomorrow?" Wyatt asked as he began heading back down the street, but made sure that they were with him before getting too far. 

The guy was actually slowing down and speeding up so much to try and stay paced evengly between Blake's calm walk and Ravi's crazy zoomies that Blake just decided to reach out and grab the very edge of his coat-sleeve. 

He noticed the guy's eyes widen the slightest amount from the touch and considered releasing him, but before he did so he decided to explain himself first. 

"You're walking a bit weird. We promise we'll stay with you," he said, feeling his cheeks warm the slightest bit at the insinuation of his words if the man thought about it more in depth.

Thankfully, he just seemed to smile sheepishly and nod as he steadied his pace and lead them back to the hotel. Blake was a bit surprised by how quickly they got there... and then he remembered what Wyatt had asked him previously. 

I totally forgot to answer him. 

He felt terrible for it, too. Not just because it was rude to have ignored the question, but also because he respected the man as a dominant and wanted to please him, even if he would never be his. Since they were already there and walking up to the front desk, Blake just decided to make things as easy as possible for Wyatt. 

"If you wouldn't mind having me for the evening," he said, then stopped abruptly as he felt his face warm again. 

That perverted patient I had has rubbed off on me too much. 

It was obvious that Wyatt's mind had gone down the same route, too, because Blake noticed the humor in his expression right before he managed to hide it and turn toward the new person running the desk. 

"I'd like to keep my scheduled checkout time for today," he said as the guy leaned forward and began typing at the computer. 

"Alright,  you're all set. Just drop off your keycard before noon," the young man said, earning a nod from Wyatt as he turned to head to the side door. 

Blake hurried after him with Ravi orbiting around his feet. Thankfully, the pup didn't get underfoot and they managed to make it to their room without any tripping. Wyatt was just getting it unlocked as they walked up, and gladly held the door open for them to step inside. 

"I don't live too far away, so if you don't mind, we'll just walk over?" he said, making Blake turn around as he picked up his toiletries. 

"Of course, that's totally fine," he said, feeling a little ball of nerves begin to roll around inside his stomach. 

He did feel pretty safe around the man, but as a pediatrician that focused on abuse cases, he knew that trauma didn't just go away because you felt better one day. 

I can push through it, though. It's only one night, and Ravi will be there, too. 

"Ravi is coming too, right?" he asked, needing to double check his thought. 

Wyatt smiled and nodded as he grabbed his charger from the wall and tucked it into his coat pocket, then packed up a small suitcase that had been situated in the corner. Blake hadn't seen them go near it since he'd met Ravi, but he figured that, perhaps, it was the pup's belongings. 

"He'll come. He's been there a few times but I wanted to give him some time to decompress on his own for a bit, per his request," Wyatt said, making Blake return his smile as he finished putting away his things, then zipped up his suitcase and stood. 

"All set?" Wyatt said as he headed over to the door and held it open. 

The light coming into the dim hallway from the windows behind him somehow made the guy look even more handsome... and Blake quickly shook off the flicker of feelings that came with the image. 

"Yeah," he said as he hurried forward and out the door, tugging his suitcase behind himself. 

He silently followed Wyatt and Ravi back to the desk to drop off their keycard, then out onto the street before they turned left and began walking. It got chilly pretty quickly since the it was snowing steadily with the cold wind blowing right in their faces, but he gratefully tugged his hood up at the same time Wyatt pulled his own up and over his head. He watched as the man tightened and tied the little strings near his neck, but before Blake could even reach up to consider it, he felt his stomach drop and his palms begin to sweat... even though they were freezing. 

It's fine just being up. You don't need to tie it. 

Well, that's what he'd thought until he began to have to hunch just to avoid the harsh wind trying to freeze his neck. His teeth started chattering so hard that he actually stopped walking and turned to the side to wait on the wind for a few moments. It honestly felt like it was only getting stronger when, suddenly, the majority of the gale vanished. 

Huh? 

"It's not too much farther," Wyatt said as he took one of Blake's cold hands in his own, then tugged the coat down just enough to cover most of it. He did the same thing for the other side, then gently took that covered hand and turned. 

Blake expected him to tug him forward so that they were walking side by side, but when Wyatt let his arm move behind himself, he realized what he was doing.

He's going to block the wind...

He felt a little selfish having the man walk in front of him for such a reason, but he also didn't want to turn his nose up at the kind gesture... His thoughts fumbled around in his mind until they were broken up by an increasingly-familiar voice in his head. 

I wish I... marks on his neck. 

Blake winced at the sudden thought, but managed to keep walking at a normal pace. It was no surprise that the man had noticed the marks on his throat, even though most of them were beneath the hem of his sweater. 

His collar had been the last thing from his previous relationship to go. He'd cut it off the same day he'd bought his plane ticket to Ohio. 

He allowed his mind to wander again as they walked, but it didn't take long before they slowed to a stop again, drawing his attention up to a little apartment building that couldn't have more than ten units or so. 

"It's not the most glamorous, but I love the location and I'm kind of a minimalist, so I don't really care for large spaces," Wyatt said as he released Blake's hand so that he could grip the cold railing as they ascended up to the second floor. 

The wind and snow had picked up quite a bit more by the time they got to his door, but thankfully Wyatt was quick to unlock and open it. They both let Ravi dart inside first, then he followed Wyatt in. Instead of looking around, however, Blake stayed right next to the door as it clicked closed. 

You don't belong to anyone now. You can visit whoever you want... and those people aren't going to hurt you. Most likely. 

"Go grab your bath stuff, pup," Wyatt called to Ravi as the dog ran off into a hallway to the left. 

He could tell that Wyatt had already caught onto his hesitance because the guy was walking around turning on every single light in the place, even though they weren't really necessary. He even turned on the television and put on a quiet nature documentary before heading for the open kitchen directly across from the door at the far end of the room. 

This place really is small, but it looks well kept and there's a nice smell in the air. 

"I know we just ate recently, but I have a bad habit of snacking," Wyatt said as he turned his back and leaned over to look in the fridge. 

Blake swallowed down his nerves and took a few steps closer, but stopped near the love seat that was facing the television to his left. When the man straightened back up and turned with two chocolate pudding cups in his hand, Blake couldn't help but grin. 

Of all the things the guy could pull out of his refrigerator, pudding was definitely not what he'd expected. Perhaps some protein drinks or fruit, but definitely not pudding. 

"Want one?" he asked with a knowing look in his eyes. 

He's way too observant... and yes, yes I do. 

Feeling the remainder of his worry slip away, Blake walked across the room after slipping off his shoes. By the time he got there Wyatt had retrieved a spoon for him and was holding both items out for him to take. 

It had been quite a while since he'd had such an unhealthy treat, and honestly, he found himself enjoying it a bit too much as he licked the inside of the package for a moment before catching himself and quickly throwing the empty item away. 

"You can take off your coat if you'd like," Wyatt said right as Ravi poked his head into the room and gave them an inpatient bark. 

"I'm coming, bud," Wyatt said as he pushed himself off the counter that he'd leaned against to eat. After tossing his empty cup, he put his spoon in the sink and walked over to the hallway. 

Right before disappearing into it, however, he looked back at Blake with a curious smile. 

"You're welcome to change the television channel but I don't have a whole lot. I tend to just read during my free time," he said as Blake glanced toward the TV, then back to him. 

"Would you mind if I helped you out? Unless Ravi isn't comfortable with it?" he said, not really wanting to be left alone at that moment. 

Wyatt's smile widened as he made a hold on gesture, then ducked away for a few seconds, only to return with a towel over his shoulder. 

"He is totally okay with you helping me." 

Relieved, Blake shrugged off his coat and hung it up on a hook, then hurried to follow Wyatt into the... very little bathroom. 

"If you ever feel uncomfortable, feel free to step out. It can get a bit cramped in here," he said as he set his towel down on the back of the toilet, then promptly tugged his sweater up and over his head. 

He... hadn't been wearing an undershirt. 

After managing to just-barely refrain from drooling, Blake let his eyes wander down to a small black tattoo just above the waistband of Wyatt's jeans. 

A rabbit? 

It wasn't very detailed, but it was somehow still quite well done. 

"You might want to take off your sweater, at least. Ravi tends to get pretty hyper... even during bath time," Wyatt said as he looked over his shoulder for a moment, then returned his attention to the tub where Ravi was already waiting. 

"Let's get the show on the road," he said as he reached over and grabbed the hanging sprayer, then turned on the showerhead portion for it. 

Blake watched in silence as Ravi began to dance on his paws, clearly eager for his bath to begin. And, truth be told, he was trying to distract himself from having to remove his sweater. Sure, he had a long-sleeved shirt underneath it, but still. He didn't want to take it off right now. 

Instead of stressing about it, he carefully moved around the toilet until he was close to the tub, then sat down on the closed lid and reached forward to help hold the squirming pup in the tub. 

"Thanks," Wyatt said absentmindedly as he hurried to rinse out Ravi's soft coat. The water that came off was already brown as it ran down the drain. 

"I think we need to do baths a bit more often. You're a very dirty dog, Ravi," Blake said, then quickly looked away when Ravi looked up at him and tilted his head. 

We was the wrong word. I meant it in general, but it sounded like I had suddenly decided to stay with them. 

Which he definitely hadn't. He had a plane to catch the next morning. There would be no staying. He was just about to excuse himself as his nervousness began to make his hands shake, but that's when he smelled something that calmed him almost immediately. 

It definitely wasn't a manly scent, but the peony and rose soap that Wyatt was now beginning to scrub into Ravi's coat smelled absolutely amazing. 

Sneaking a peak at the bottle, he made a mental note to get himself some once he got situated up north. He'd been restricted as far as the things he was allowed to buy before, but those rules were gone now. 

I'm definitely going to get that soap. 

"Blake..." 

Huh?

Hearing an unfamiliar voice, Blake glanced over his shoulder at the empty doorway, then turned his attention back to Ravi, except... the wild dog he'd become familiar with recently was nowhere to be seen. In his place was a thin, nervous-looking boy that struggled to meet his gaze with his soft caramel eyes. 

He was slightly hunched with his hands clasped tightly together in front of him as he kept trying to look up, but didn't have the courage to do so yet. 

Blake took just a few quick moments to look over the young man, honestly surprised that someone so beautiful could actually be real. Ravi had a warm chocolate skin tone that nearly matched his extremely curly hair to a T. 

Those curls are amazing. He could be a hair model in a second. 

The curls were quite long and honestly gave him the appearance of a partial lion's mane as they stood up in some places and settled in others. Either way, it was all surprisingly cohesive and looked absolutely adorable on him. 

"Hello there, Ravi." 

Hearing his name seemed to help give him that last little boost of confidence to finally look up and meet his eyes. 

"U-um..." he mumbled quietly before looking over at Wyatt, then back to him. 

Blake waited patiently for him to speak again, but when he just lifted his hand a few times, but just ended up returning it to his lap after each try, he glanced to his right and raised a brow at Wyatt. 

"He's not really used to talking. I'm not sure if you've heard of them, but he's a rever type of shifter, and prefers to stay in his animal form most of the time," he said, making Blake's eyes widen slightly before turning back to look at the nervous young man before him. 

"It's fine if you don't want to talk, but it seems like you want something?" he said, making Ravi straighten up a little bit and give a hesitant nod. The gesture made his head of curls bounce softly, even though they were already quite damp. 

"You can go ahead and do whatever you'd like, if it's okay with Wyatt?" Blake said as he glanced at the man beside him again for verification. 

The guy seemed pretty relaxed as he reached over and gently patted Ravi's soft hair. 

"He usually only asks for one thing." 

Only one? 

"What's that?" Blake asked, curious, and honestly a bit nervous. 

Wyatt gave a little chuckle as he retracted his hand and pointed over at him. 

"He wants a hug from his new friend." 

Oh. 

At first, he felt a shiver run down his spine at the sudden request for contact, but it took no time at all to be able to recover from the nerves and offer Ravi a warm smile. 

"Of course you can hug me, sweetheart."

As soon as the words left his mouth Ravi was leaning up toward him, using one hand to help hold his weight on the edge of the top as he wrapped one arm around Blake's neck, then lifted his other one once he had a decent hold. 

He waited a full minute before lifting his own arms and gently wrapping them around the young man's back. 

I feel like I needed this hug just as much as you did, but I'm just not brave enough to ask for one yet. 

They broke apart after a few more moments, but it was obvious that neither of them really wanted to. 

"You ready for your final rinse, Ravi?" Wyatt asked once the young man had gotten situated again. 

He quickly nodded and closed his eyes, allowing Wyatt to rinse off the remainder of the soap from his hair and skin. Blake hurried to pat his eyes dry with a towel once Wyatt had finished and turned off the water. 

"All set, pup," he said before taking the towel from Blake and quickly running it over most of Ravi's body, then standing up and moving away. 

Blake hopped up and did the same, and was surprised to see Ravi's form immediately revert back to his canine self. 

"Hang on," Wyatt said as he leaned forward and tugged the shower curtain closed. 

"Alright, have at it." 

They heard the dog shake out its damp coat a few times before Wyatt stepped forward again and pulled the curtain back, letting Ravi finally hop out of the tub. 

I kind of want him to give me a bath now. 

Quickly shaking off the thought, he turned, but was surprised to see Wyatt standing in the doorway, leaning gently against the jamb with his hands in his pockets.

"I wanted to ask you if I could do something, too," he said, making Blake immediately tense. 

He didn't want to think about the fact that he was cornered in a small room, but there was nothing he could do as he felt cold sweat begin to return to his palms. 

Seemingly realizing his mistake, Wyatt quickly took a small step inside, then turned and hopped up to sit on the small counter. 

Huh?

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to block the exit. That wasn't very smart of me," he said, making Blake force a small smile. 

He wanted to say that it was fine, but he wasn't a liar. 

"Um, well, I might have already messed this up, but I wanted to ask you if I could take a look at that injury around your neck? It looks like it might be infected a bit." 

It does? 

To be honest, he hadn't been paying much attention to himself the past few days, so when he hesitantly stepped close enough to the mirror to look, he wasn't surprised to see that Wyatt might be right.  

He knew that the guy had noticed it earlier, too, and had probably just wanted to wait for a chance to ask if he could tend to it. 

I don't know how well I'll be able to handle being so close to him. 

But at the same time, he kind of wanted to be closer to someone. Of course, Ravi made him the least stressed, but Wyatt hadn't been anything but kind, too. 

It can't hurt to try?

It was a question in his mind, but he knew that he did need to get his injury taken care of. At least, the one on his neck. So, steeling his nerves, he walked past Wyatt and stepped out into the hall, then turned around. 

The guy looked a little upset, but when Blake nodded toward the living room, Wyatt tilted his head. 

"You can take care of it in the living room... if that's okay." 

The sheer relief he saw on the man's now-smiling face made Blake unable to hide his own small, but-nervous one. It wasn't a huge step for most people to let someone else take care of a small injury, but it was huge for him right then. 

Baby steps. 

It felt like he was being pulled back and forth. Wanting attention but too afraid that it would turn negative to want to risk trying to ask for any. He couldn't afford to let himself get addicted to attention again.

Just a little first-aid. Then it will be over. Then we'll just hang out tonight and I'll fly out tomorrow. 

That's how it would be. That's what was going to happen. He would make sure of it. 


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