#dog!sherlock

His wallet was in his hand, and he let out a sigh as he peered inside it. A few crisp hundred dollar bills were in there, and he prayed to God that it was all he needed to get this…he didn’t even know what he wanted to adopt. Instead of standing awkwardly on the sidewalk and deliberating, he walked into the air-conditioned room with a smile. At least the animals were well cared for.

Behind the desk sat a young, bored looking woman. Her black hair was cropped close to her skull, in a messy fashion, and she had more piercings than he could count. Walking up to her, she blew a pink bubble and popped it, sucking it back into her mouth and chewing. “Can I help you?”

“Ah, yes, I’m looking to…er, adopt?” he said, coughing slightly. Suddenly the girl perked up; she seemed thrilled that someone was getting out of here. She must have been used to them being left there.

“Oh, sure,” she said eagerly, running behind him and steering him towards the back. He made a noise to protest, but suddenly that was drowned out with all the barking in the next room. He immediately fell silent, eyes raking back and forth and taking in the disturbing sight.

Dogs, and lots of them. Dogs of all sizes, shapes, and levels of cleanliness. Some were running to the edge of the cage, yipping and vying for his attention. Others were staying in the back, laying down and barely giving John a side glance. They must have been here for ages. Sure, there were a few cats as well, but they didn’t seem like they would be right for him. So instead he trained his attention on the dogs.

As he walked back, none of them caught his eye. They were all very nice, but he didn’t feel a connection to any of them. Until he saw one cage that was completely empty, except for one dog.

It seemed to be a german shepherd, but it’s coat was a glossy black, with almost a blueish hue. Sitting perfectly erect, his ice colored stare was almost boring a hole into the wall. Ears back, tail wrapped around his legs, he tilted his head a bit at the sound of footsteps, but then looked away just as quickly. When John stopped, the girl scowled.

“Oh, you don’t want him. No one has been able to do anything with him, and there’s never been a more antisocial dog,” she complained, leaning against the cage with a look of sympathy. She seemed to genuinely care about all the animals.

A dog that acts more like a cat? John could work with that.

“I’ll take him,” he said with finality. The girl looked at him strangely, but then shrugged, grabbing a spare collar and entering the cage. When she did, the dog looked at her, then past her to John. It was as if he knew who was adopting him, and that stare froze John to his core.  What kind of animal was he getting here?

The girl practically had to drag the dog to John, and when she did he knelt down in front of him, putting out a hand experimentally. The dog just continued to look at him.

“It’s okay,” he said, swallowing hard. The dog seemed to bow his head, and John felt comfortable petting him. The counter girl’s eye’s widened, but she said nothing. John smiled, letting his hand trail down to the navy collar and finger the cool metal disc with silver writing. It only had one word.

“Sherlock, huh?” As he said the name, the dog’s ears perked up a bit. John smiled; it was as good a name as any.

Back at the register, he leaned over the counter to find out just how much of a dent in his wallet this dog was going to be. Sherlock was already curled around his legs, showing a surprising amount of emotion that the girl had led him to believe didn’t exist. The girl looked down at the dog, then back to John, and shook her head.

“I dunno what it is about you, but he seems perfectly happy. Just give me a hundred and he’s yours.” John could hardly believe his ears. Quickly he took a bill out of his wallet and handed it to her, thanking her profusely, before turning and heading towards the door. Sherlock seemed less than happy that he had to be extracted from his current position, but he complied. The girl looked after them, sighing and smiling as she leaned on one hand.

Outside, Sherlock began to sniff the air, and John realized it must have been a long while since he had gotten to be outside and somewhat free. He had taken a cab here, but the flat wasn’t far, and so he walked with his new pet towards his home. Their home, now.

Crap, John sighed as he realized he needed food, bowls, and all that other shit. Guess those other hundreds in his wallet wouldn’t go to waste.