~Chapter One~

Raining Cats and Dogs

Who's to say the darkened clouds must lead to rain?
Who's to say the problems should just go away?
Who's to point a finger at what's not understood?

We're all mad in our own way.
Fill the sky with different shades.
Read the story on each page;
Each reveals the meaning.

~We're All Mad, by Natasha Bedingfield

Disclaimer: Me No Own; You No Sue.

Sammy's P.O.V.

The weather had been quite erratic for days, bordering on dysfunctional. Hell! That was actually a massive understatement. The truth of the matter remained that if a person really wanted to accurately describe the strange phenomenon occurring in this country, one might simply say that the weather was being a bitch – and it was PMSing.

Damn it. I scowled up at the gray skies, cursing the bad weather to ends of the world. This stupid country just had to be on an island, of all things. My scowl deepened. And I just had to visit during monsoon season, of all times! Ugh.

Yeah, I know. It's obvious that my luck left a little to be desired at times. This was clearly one of those times.

I continued to grumble to myself as my tired feet rounded another wet street corner, faltering in their movements only once, in order to sidestep a rather drunken individual. And let me tell you now, the fact that the greasy bastard tried to cop a feel did absolutely nothing for my quickly deteriorating mood. I was in a pretty rotten mood at that point.

Now, please – don't get me wrong! I didn't hate the rain. In fact, I absolutely adored loud, dark thunderstorms, and there was nothing in this world quite like curling up with a good book on a rainy day. Or, for the tomboy, there was also the chance to dance in the rain and charge over an abandoned dirt road brimming with fresh puddles, mud, and belching frogs. Like in Disney's The Princess and the Frog.

But every girl has her limits, and the fact of the matter was that the weather had been so unpredictable that even the local meteorologists had given up on devising a worthwhile forecast for the time being. This morning, the perky woman on the local weather station had simply sighed and advised the people of Japan to start carrying their umbrellas and rain jackets with them, as a precaution.

I'd laughed at that bit of sage advice, marking it as exaggerated and overdramatic. However, I soon realized how very true it was. In other words: I was one of the many poor, naïve fools that got caught in the rain this afternoon. And while wearing a white shirt, of all things! That said, I mentally slapped myself and started carrying a small, brightly colored umbrella with me in my purse.

One might ask, "Why?"

Well, it's rather simple. I awoke this morning to bright sunshine and clear skies; this afternoon, it had drizzled for a total of twenty-six minutes and five seconds. And now, it was raining cats and dogs. Literally.

I was waiting – and rather impatiently, at that – for a lull in traffic, as my next stop was across a busy intersection and three blocks to the south. The streetlight remained green. And it did not appear that the color would be changing to red anytime in the near future. Thus, I found my mind wandering, and I happened to glance to my right, towards a store in the distance.

My blue eyes immediately focused on an unexpected sight: a large, scruffy dog was huddled under the awning of a local store, shivering violently against the onslaught of wind and cold rain. His black fur was matted to his skin, and the faint outline of his ribs was visible. The dog didn't appear to be too terribly skinny; however, he did look hungry – and sad. He was so very, very sad.

Oh, it was such a sad and lonely sight to behold. It really tugged at my heartstrings.

The dog was curled up on what appeared to be a small, makeshift nest of clothing. A cloth of some sorts, to be sure; rags. From this distance, I couldn't discern if he was wearing a collar, or not. I automatically assumed that this particular dog was a stray.

My ears caught the faint sound of beeping, and it drew my attention to the flashing pedestrian sign, which was indicating that it was safe to cross the street. I started towards the crosswalk, hunching my shoulders against the rain. As I ran across the thin, white lines painted over the street, my grip on the umbrella tightened. I neared the other side of the street, but I found myself slowing to a walk. And I hesitantly glanced backwards, to stare at the pathetic scene once more. The black dog jerked in surprise, sneezing and angrily shaking his head at the sudden movement.

Is it possible for a dog to catch a cold, or the flu?

I bit my lips, telling myself over and over again that it was not possible for me to take the dog home with me. And it wasn't for a lack of kindness on my part! No, it was simply because my home was currently a small room located in a hotel, and one that did not welcome pets – not even goldfish! On that note, it was probably safe to assume that a large, dirty mutt would be out of the question, as well.

A car zoomed by the front of the store. It flew through a seemingly endless puddle, and the speed of the vehicle caused a large wave of water to cascade over the miserable dog. He sneezed again, this time a little more loudly, and turned his back to the street, wiggling further under the nest of clothing in an attempt to get warm, dry, and comfortable.

That was the straw that broke the camel's back. Figuratively speaking, that is! I mean, there were no camels in this country. Thank God. Those were some mean creatures, with the blinking, and the chewing…and the spitting. Oh, the spitting was horrendous. Never again would I dare to visit the Riverbank Zoo.

And I was not going to leave that poor creature to suffer in the rain. Nope. Not in this lifetime.

With that in mind, I ran back across the street at full speed, ignoring the blaring of horns and the screeching of tires. I dodged the oncoming traffic and successfully managed to cross the street, all limbs intact. Well, I managed to maintain the use of three limbs, at least. The fourth – my left arm – was currently numb. Amputation might be the only cure.

I mentally slapped myself for worrying over the state of my arm, which would be warm in no time – if the blood in that limb ever began to circulate normally again, anyway. There were definitely more important things for me to worry about. Like the miserable, stray dog that was probably going to catch the canine equivalent of pneumonia.

Grimacing, I hurried over to his little niche in the alleyway. I must have frightened him, or at least caught him off guard, because the dog turned his head to growl at me. It was a rather pathetic sound, considering the circumstances, and there wasn't an ounce of fear in my small form, despite the fact that he was such a monstrous creature. His head would easily reach the bottom of my rib cage if he were standing on all fours. And his paws were huge!

His hoarse growling ceased as the dog erupted into another series of loud, wet sneezes. I began to giggle at the sound, and the giggles soon dissolved into unladylike snorts. He was such an adorable little guy! The dog, however, appeared to disagree. He offered me a blank stare, obviously not amused with my reaction – or rather, lack thereof.

"I am so sorry, big guy," I chuckled into my hand, trying to hide the sight of my amusement. My lips still twitched at the sight of his irritated expression. "Honestly, I can't help it. You are just so damn cute!"

Pointedly, the dog glanced down at his matted fur, and then back up. He cocked his large head to the side, staring at me with a raised eyebrow. The mean, old mutt obviously thought that I belonged in the Looney Toon Bin. And, I probably do. But that is beside the point!

I snorted at the disbelieving expression on his face. "Don't give me that look, mister! You really are a cutie!" I insisted, sternly shaking a finger at him.

A man walking by slowed his pace. He came to a stop and openly gaped at me, eyes wide and mouth open slightly in surprise. His eyes flickered over to the dog, curiously. The former raised an eyebrow in question; the latter merely offered the man a wide grin. Apparently, he and the mutt had come to some sort of unspoken agreement. Both agreed that I was batshit crazy.

"Trust me. I already know what you're thinking," I sighed wearily, waving away the unspoken question in his eyes. "I've heard it all before – countless times, in fact!"

The man said nothing in response; instead, he continued to stare blankly at me. Black, beady eyes bore into my skull, as if he were capable of setting me on fire with his stare, like Scott Summers from X-Men. I found his unwanted attention to be very, very, very annoying. And his deadpan expression wasn't much better.

I mean, honestly! A vast majority of the world's population spoke to their pets. Some even spoke to their plants, in the hopes that it would promote their good health. Now, my question is this – why should I be any different? It wasn't just a habit peculiar to the citizens of America, you know…

And so, in an attempt to get rid of him, I resorted to my default personality: Sarcastic Bitch.

"What the fuck are you looking at, eh?" I snapped, beyond irritated at that point. "Never seen an American girl speaking with a Japanese dog? Let me guess! It's the difference in ethnicities."

"Er…"

My eyes narrowed in anger, and I cynically quipped, "Perhaps, it's our differing species?"

The man blinked in surprise. "Uh, no…"

"Pray tell! What is bothering you, my good man?" I inquired, sarcastically and with a wide, evil smile on my face.

He swallowed nervously, the lump in his throat moving oddly. "Well, it appears that your tattoos are doing somethin' strange, miss," he murmured.

Tattoos… I stared at him, trying to mask my horror. Oh, that is so not good! I've gotta get rid of him!

With an exaggerated cackle, I pointed my umbrella at him and shrieked, "I am the ghost of Mary Poppins, come to haunt you!" Cackle, cackle. "Beware my wrath, for it shall burn you into a lovely crisp."

Shocked out of his apparent stupor, the man hastily backed up a few steps, tripping on the edge of the sidewalk. He darted down the remainder of the street, before zipping around the corner of a restaurant. And he did not glance back at either one of us. Not even once. So, it was safe to say that I considered it a personal victory.

A stupid grin crawled over my lips, and I felt my chest puff out with pride. I was well aware of the fact that I was adopting the pose of a strutting rooster, but it was impossible for me to ignore the boost to my ego. Besides, there was no one here to chastise me for my actions, or tease me. Other than the dog, that is…

And, well, the dog was giving me another strange look. It was one of amusement, and it bordered on exasperation. His charcoal colored eyes glinted with a hint of laughter. In fact, his entire demeanor screamed intelligence. I found myself staring at him in surprise – it was no small wonder that I'd felt drawn to him. There was this calling, like that of a siren, to speak with this dog.

He was just so…human.

"Okay, buddy," I said, sobering quickly at the sight of a police officer coming around the street corner. "Here's the deal. I know that you are cold, tired, and miserable out here – don't give me that look!" I scowled at him. "It isn't very nice of you to be so condescending."

The dog snorted, but obediently wiped the smug smirk from his thin lips.

"Oh, come on! I am freakin' miserable, and I have an umbrella." I threw my hands up in the hair, clearly questioning his sanity. "Honestly!"

My words seemed to annoy him, because the dog snorted again and rolled his gray eyes at my exasperation. His lips twitched upwards, but he did not smirk.

"Anyway, I am planning on escorting you to my lovely abode," I declared in posh accent, smiling down at him like an idiot. "The only problem is…"

He stared up at me expectantly, waiting for me to finish my sentence. Smart little bugger…

I grimaced and slowly explained the situation to him. "Well, it isn't exactly my lovely abode. I'm currently staying at a hotel, so the room – and the hotel – probably belongs to some insanely rich dude."

My thoughts wandered for a moment, before they drifted back to reality. I took that moment to stare down at the black mutt sitting to my left, chewing on a sock. The dog caught my gaze and cocked his head to the side; however, he appeared to be paying close attention to my words, actions, and gestures. So, I chose to continue my explanation.

"But, I have a solution!" I declared, pointing my finger in the air and laughing. "You see, the hotel staff is obviously on a strict schedule. They always change shifts at the exact same time, every single day."

With a devious smile, I added, "So, I can sneak you in when the change occurs, and no one will be the wiser."

"…bark, bark."

I startled, having not expected the dog to actually respond in the affirmative. At least, it appeared to in the affirmative. He could have been insulting my mother, or my eccentric taste in clothing for that matter…

"Again with the looks!" I muttered at his apparent unease. "I like watching people, okay?" He snorted, and I tugged lightly on one of his ears, "Oi! Stop that! Quit giving me that damn look…!" I growled at him. "I am not a stalker!"

The dog sighed. He shook his large, black head back and forth, seemingly in disapproval. His ears drooped to the sides as he suffered yet another of his loud sneezing attacks. If this kept up, the poor thing was going to get really sick. My smile dimmed at the mere thought of such a thing.

"Come on, boy," I pleaded, softly, and patted him on the head. "You are going to catch a terrible cold if you stay out in this nasty storm. Please, let me look after you until the weather clears up…"

After a moment of what appeared to be consideration, the black dog yipped and happily wagged his tail at me. I reached forward and scratched him behind the ears. He leaned into the warm, unexpected touch, growling in contentment as my hand wandered down to his neck in search of a collar. No identification.

Well, that confirmed my suspicions – he was a stray. Poor guy.

I withdrew my hand, to which the dog huffed in irritation. He was clearly familiar with humans, and he welcomed their touch; however, it appeared that the dog was also a little wary of them. That was a contradiction that confused me to no end. Yep, it was a real conundrum.

"Sorry, boy," I apologized, "but we have to get moving if we want to bypass the hotel staff."

"Bark, bark…!" He began chasing his tail. "…whine!"

Smiling at his excited response, I stood up and gathered my belongings – my purse and shopping bags, both obtained from the local mall. "Are you ready to go?" I asked him, hands on my hips.

He wagged his tail, and I took this typical canine response to mean, "I am ready when you are, my wonderful savior!" I nodded absently, patted him on the head, and turned to leave. Needless to say, I was more than a little shocked that he chose to sink his long, sharp teeth into my skinny jeans. He tugged me backwards, urging me back to the store and towards his little niche.

"What's the matter, boy?" I asked, worried at his strange behavior. He was currently dancing around his makeshift nest, yipping and sneezing repeatedly. "What in the name of…?"

And then, it clicked. The dog was territorial. Apparently, he wanted me to bring his home – the makeshift nest – with us, despite the fact that the odd, miscellaneous articles of clothing were completely soaked through. The rain was not merciful.

"Oh! Do you want me to bring your little nest back to the hotel, too?"

Eagerly, the black mutt yipped again. He sat down and wagged his tail in response to my question. "…bark!"

"But, you don't really need that anymore. There will be plenty of room for you in my bed, silly boy," I explained at the sight of his crestfallen expression. "Well, come one then!"

This particular dog, however, was very obstinate – he stayed in exactly the same place, refusing to move from his spot beside the closed department store. I wondered, briefly, if that was where he'd obtained the clothes for his nest. And if he was a stubborn pack mule in a previous lifetime.

"Oh, come on," I groaned in dismay. "You cannot be serious!"

He was quite serious, if the determined scowl on his face was anything to judge by, that is. The crazy, stubborn mutt would not budge. Not a single inch. I finally gave in to his demands and stepped forward, reaching down to collect the soggy bundle of clothes.

Exasperated, I rolled my blue eyes heavenward. "…you must really, really like these clothes, buddy," I grumbled quietly, but shoved them in a spare shopping bag nonetheless.

Thankfully, the black dog was following in my wake, so I assumed that he'd been appeased. It seemed that this particular mutt knew exactly what he wanted in life, and he knew how to get it, too! I sighed, placing my spare hand to my head and rubbing at my throbbing temple. Leave it to me to stumble across the only high-maintenance stray dog in the country and willinglyoffer to take him home with me!

"Oh, well. Whatever floats your ruby ducky, I guess. And with the way the weather is at the moment, I'm sure that it would float away, right into the ocean," I said, thoroughly miffed.

A glance at the sky hinted that the rain was here to stay, at least for a little while longer. I stepped closer at the sign of a small sneeze, holding the umbrella over my companion. And boy, I was not exaggerating earlier – he was huge! I'm not the tallest person in the world, as I stand only at four inches past five feet, but this dog could knock me over with a simple butt of his head. Oddly enough, I was no longer under the allusion that he was a mutt. He was too tall, too dark, and way too proud to be anything other than a purebred.

Conversationally, I turned to him and asked, "So, tell me: what exactly are you, my friend?"

The black dog paused, staring up at me in incredulity. A number of expressions flickered over his face, including one that could only be interpreted as – "…what the fuck?" And, there was another one, an expression that clearly meant, "I'm a dog, stupid!"

My eyebrow twitched at the condescending nature of my canine companion. "Sorry. I meant to inquire after the particular kind of dog you are…" I smiled sheepishly. "As in, breed?"

He huffed and ignored my prying questions; instead, the dog chose to huddle closer to my jeans, seeking warmth. With a sigh, he nudged my knee, as if in apology. I patted him on the head again, taking notice of the fact that he was still shivering, but not as badly now. That was a good sign.

"Fine," I mumbled sourly, ignoring the fact that he obviously couldn't answer me, with his being a dog and all. "Be that way, mutt." He jerked at the insult, so I quickly added, "Not like I really wanted to know anyway…"

We were quickly approaching the premises of the hotel, so I stopped speaking. Talking to a dog probably wasn't such a good idea – not when staying at such a rich, posh hotel. It was brimming with members of the elite upper class. I was not a rich girl, but an acquaintance of mine had offered to foot the bill for my unexpected trip, and I would have been an idiot to turn him down.

After all, it cost a fortune to pay for a room in this hotel, let alone for an indefinite stay! Add to that the fact that there was a large bed, a plasma television set, and cooking necessities included in the deal, and one might begin to understand my attachment to this particular hotel. It was wonderful! The bay windows offered a wonderful view of the ocean, too.

But, back to the problem at hand…

"Our first order of business, my loyal minion, is sneaking you by the opposition!" I cackled, rubbing my hands together in an evil manner – kind of like Gru, from Despicable Me.

It should be noted that said enemy was really Taniyama Haruhi, an older man with gray hair and warm, brown eyes. He was the doorman.

The dog barked his affirmation, to this day, I still do not know if it was in agreement with my plan, or as an observation of my mental instability. But, that was a story for another time. And one that most of you would rather not hear. After all, this story was not over yet!

Well, I shall summarize the events of the next half hour, so as not to bore anyone to tears. Let's just say that the two of us – meaning, Marley and me – were able to sneak inside the hotel. We crept by Haruki-san, through the relatively empty lobby, and by the attendant at the front desk without any issues. No one challenged us, and so we lived to fight another day.

I'd also managed to urge the soggy canine across the room and into the elevator; however, he refused to budge now that we were on my floor. I tugged at the scruff of his neck, pulling him in the general direction of my room. Alas, the stubborn dog would not move.

Annoyed, I turned and hissed at him, "What is your fucking problem? Can't you see that I am just tryingto help, you lousy ingrate?"

The black dog growled at me – or, more specifically, over my shaking shoulders. I stiffened at the angry expression on his face; clearly, he was not happy with whoever was standing behind me. Slowly, I turned around to look in that direction, both curious and frightened. The latter emotion quickly swept through me, as I found myself staring at a young Japanese male. He was standing in front of my hotel room door, and he was checking his watch every few seconds.

Obviously, he was waiting for the door to open. And he was waiting for me to do so!

Tough shit, man! I bit back a hysterical laugh. I'm obviously not in right now. My eyes flickered over to my growling companion. Nope. I am too busy trying to sneak a Doberman Pinscher into a luxury hotel, one that forbids its customers from bringing pets onto the premises!

"Oh, my God," I muttered, flailing my arms in horror. He was walking in our direction!

I crouched down behind a smelly potted plant. With some difficultly, I dragged the large, black mutt with me, even as he tried to attack the pair of Brioni slacks that flitted by our hiding spot. I gritted my teeth in aggravation and yanked on a handful of his black hair, all of which was currently standing on end. He yelped in surprise, but not loudly enough for the Japanese man to hear him. The dog quieted, but I remained tense, waiting anxiously for the quiet ding of the elevator doors. It finally reached our floor, opened, and swallowed him whole.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was impossible. But a girl could hope, right? Right!

I braced myself against the wall and muttered, "Okay! It's time for the final act! Come on, boy…"

Standing up, I brushed a bit of dirt and debris from the legs of my jeans. I hurried down the hallway – this time, the dog was right on my heels. He didn't appear to have liked my rich acquaintance. Not one damn bit. And that worried me, as it only confirmed my suspicions about the strange young man.

"Come on, come on," I mumbled, sweating nervously and shifting the keys in my hand. It was my third attempt at opening the door. "And…touchdown, Auburn!"

Thankfully, the dog was able to rush into the room before a maid rounded the corner; it was time for her to start the next shift. I covered my sigh of relief with a loud, thick cough, praying that she thought me contagious. It would prevent her from asking any unwanted questions, too. I grimaced at the thought of someone discovering my new roommate. With another sigh, I bent over to collect my purse and shopping bags. All of which were rather heavy.

"Hello!" The maid waved at me, smiled, and cheerfully asked, "Did you enjoy your time in the shopping district, Steel-san?"

I offered her a small, polite smile in return. "As much as one can enjoy it in this miserable weather, I suppose!" My response was brisk, but it did not appear to deter the maid.

She tittered. "That is true, and it seems that you've a bit of a cough." The young woman patted me on the cheek and added, "Some herbal tea will clear that up by morning. I suggest calling room service as soon as you get in."

"I'll be sure to do that, Miyuki-san," I timidly murmured, honestly fearing that she would never leave should I choose to tell her that drinking herbal tea often gave me a rash.

"The deserts are also quite good…" She paused, and then snapped her fingers together in realization. "Oh! Would you like to clean your room this evening?"

Internally, I was panicking at her seemingly innocent offer. I was running around in the depths of my mind and waving my arms in the air like an idiot. On the outside, however, I was as cool as a cucumber.

"Oh, uh…" I coughed and swallowed nervously, before stuttering, "I am, er, actually expecting some company within the, uh, next hour, Miyuki-san…"

I cringed, both at my pathetically horrid response, and the implications. It made me sound like an idiot! I was obviously not as cool as a cucumber; rather, I was as stupid as a squash. But at least there was some truth to my words. The dog was male, right?

Her pretty brown eyes widened, and then she broke into a fit of giggles. "Oh, that's wonderful! Are you finally going to accept Fujioka-san's invitation?" With a wink, she said, "Well, I do hope that you enjoy your company for the evening!"

The young woman wished me a good evening as she pushed her cart down the hallway, continuing along on her cleaning route for the evening. She didn't even give me a chance to reply to her words, or to dispute her (incorrect) assumptions. I ignored that small fact and politely did the same, before taking my escape. I immediately bolted into the hotel room, slammed the door shut, and locked it.

I threw my arms up in a manner of eerily reminiscent of Quasimodo, and cheered, "Sanctuary!"

And then, my brain promptly short-circuited. It flickered into black nothingness, allowing the maid's shameful words to echo in my head. I blushed to the roots of my blonde hair as the meaning behind her words finally sank into my thick, prudish skull.

"Oh, fuck my life!" I groaned and placed my head in my hands, dismayed. "That woman thinks that I am entertaining a man tonight!" With a gulp, I finally squeaked out, "Sexually!"

The dog barked loudly, reminding me of his presence. Fisting my hands in my hair, I sighed and made my way into the designated area for sleeping – it was the largest portion of the posh hotel room. I blinked stupidly at the sight of the black mutt sitting on the carpet in front of the new television set. And, as odd as it sounded, I had the strangest feeling that he was laughing at my predicament. Damn dog…

"You'd better appreciate this, you stupid mutt!" I snapped at him. "Now, I have made a complete fool of myself, and the maid thinks that I'm having male company stay the night!"

He grinned at me, wagged his tail, and barked again, as if to say – "Well, I am a boy!"

I snarled at him, beyond frustrated with the situation. "This is…all…your…fault!"

Plopping down on the bed, I reached over and grabbed one of the thousands of plump pillows that clung to the headboard. Then, I happily proceeded to scream my frustration – dammit, shit, motherfucker – into the sympathetic, satin material. A tentative nudge to my left ankle, however, broke my concentration and, consequentially, ended my banshee wailing.

I glanced over at the dog. Based upon his body language, he was rather upset. His ears were back, clinging tightly to his skull, and his tail was between his hind legs. The screams, though muffled, were probably pretty obnoxious, too. And that might explain the ears. The only other explanation was that the dog believed me to be angry with him.

"I'm not mad at you," I sighed. "Not really…"

He nudged my hand, pushing and butting against it. I instinctively reached down to scratch under his chin. Regretting my earlier words, I smiled and cooed softly in his ears, hoping that my attempt at comfort would calm him. He whined happily.

"The truth of the matter is that I am just really freakin' embarrassed." I paused, and then admitted, "I'm a nineteen year old virgin." Cringed. "And everyone is going to think that this was some ploy to lure Kazuya-kun into my room all along! Ugh…"

The dog sneezed again. I ceased ranting for a moment, blinked owlishly, and took the chance to really look at him. He was obviously sick; his eyes were watering, his nose was warm, and the poor thing was still soaked to bone. And here I was, whining about my status as a virgin. I hummed in thought, before wandering over to the dresser and opening the top drawer. I removed the small, black bag containing my toiletries and other little necessities. Then, I focused all of my energies on cornering the dog.

Yes, that is correct, and I am not exaggerating! I really did have to corner the dog. The crazy mutt had taken one look at the bag, declared it too ominous for his tastes, and flown off the handle. It took me over ten minutes of Tom and Jerry antics to trap the silly creature between the bed and the wooden nightstand at its side.

"Hold…still…!" I panted. Reaching forward and grabbing the scruff of his neck was a little harder to accomplish that I'd originally thought. "I just…want to give you…some Aspirin…"

He immediately calmed down and opened his mouth, patiently waiting for me to deposit the medicine on his tongue. His appearance resembled a hungry a baby bird. Most dogs would refuse to do that, regardless of their status as a tame or stray dog. It just wasn't in their nature to trust a stranger so quickly.

A chill clawed its way down my back. It was like the dog actually understood my words, and my actions, and my intentions. Not only in regards to me, but in regards to everyone that he came in contact with! I was honestly a little creeped out, and it took a lot to really scare me. In fact, my father was the main reason that the robbers, murders, and other nasty criminals didn't frighten me, as it would have most people at my age. He sought to educate me in regards to the harsh reality of the world, and the supernatural, as well. The latter of which this dog definitely belonged...

I swallowed the sudden, thick lump in my throat, praying to random deities for strength. With a frightened squeak, I reached forward and placed the tiny pill on his outstretched tongue. The dog closed his mouth, wrinkled his nose slightly at the taste, and swallowed.

No way! There is no fucking way that he swallowed it!

"Open up!" I demanded, inching closer to inspect his mouth.

And, what do you know! He really did swallow the medicine! I sat back on my heels, staring at him, officially stumped. The dog merely smiled up at me, tongue lolling out to the side as he panted. Strange…

Shaking my head in bemusement, I stood up and headed into the bathroom, waiting briefly for him to follow after me. I promptly pointed out his bundle of soggy clothes, which were slowly drying on the shower curtain rod. The dog barked in approval; he apparently appreciated my efforts to keep his nest safe.

His nails clicked noisily on the blue mosaic tile as we both made our way over to the bathroom sink. I squatted down. Under the counter were a series of wooden doors, the majority of which I'd not opened during my stay. I opened the nearest one and withdrew a towel – it matched the floor for some odd reason – and wrapped it around his heaving shoulders. The dog wagged his tail.

"Good boy," I murmured softly and began rubbing him down. The dog did not protest, even as I cleaned the insides of his ears.

Once he was completely dry, the two of us headed back into the main room. I poked around in the various shopping bags and finally found the remnants of my lunch, which included a spare McDonald's cheeseburger and a bottle of water. After placing them on a paper plate and in a bowl, respectively, the dog came forwards to sniff at the food and water. He eagerly attacked them both.

That done, I stretched, popping the kinks out of my tired, stiff back. I glanced at the alarm clock and absently noted the time. Four green numbers and two letters were glowing brightly – the clock read 12:09 a.m. And I returned to watching Meerkat Manor. Another glance at my alarm clock assured me that it was indeed midnight. I stared at the small machine, shocked that it was really so late.

"Well, I better get ready for bed," I said, biting back a yawn. "Big day tomorrow, considering the fact that I have yet to find the person that I'm looking for…"

Without a thought, I yanked my Legend of Zelda shirt over my head and threw it into the empty suitcase at my feet. Its sole purpose was to act as a means of collecting my dirty laundry. My black skinny jeans and knee-high socks followed suit. Then, I kicked my green converse off and slid them under the edge of the bed.

As I turned around to dig in the dresser drawers, I caught sight of the black dog. He was sitting on the floor beside his empty plate, staring up at me with big, gray eyes. His mouth was open slightly. And he was panting…

Another chill went down my spine. I stared at the dog, feeling uneasy. It was almost as though the dog had been watching me or something. If he were human, I might have even said that he was aroused at the sight of my barely clothed form. But, he was a dog, and that would be way too weird, even for someone like me.

I mean, seriously! Why in Dante's nine levels of Hell would the dog be watching me, of all people? It wasn't as though I were anything special. And I really was not into bestiality.

My eyes darted over to the dog, only to find that he was now grooming his tail. I shook myself, marking my fears as the workings of my overactive imagination – it was known for doing that. I tugged a blue shirt over my head, smiling at the feeling of safety that it provided. It was large and fell about an inch above my knees. At some point in time, it had also belonged to my older brother. Before I stole it, that is!

I reached under my shirt and towards the clasp on my bra, but I hesitated. Normally, I would remove my bra, as well. However, I was still a little frightened that the dog was so interested in me. So, instead of doing so, I left it on. I thought it too strange to take it off in front of such a cunning and intelligent (coughcreepycough) dog.

"Well, it looks like you are feeling a little better," I mused, glancing over at the strange canine.

The dog grinned, displaying a mouthful of long, white teeth – all of which were hanging over his bottom lip. He looked like Cerberus. I shivered at the sight and began praying to whichever gods that the Japanese worshipped that I'd made the right decision. Hopefully, this crazy mutt wasn't going to eat me in my sleep.

"I'm just, er, gonna go to sleep now. Yeah, sleep!" I squeaked at the sight of his grin. Backed away and mumbled, "Uh, good night, boy!"

Eager to escape the watchful eyes of my new roommate, I leapt onto the nearby bed and focused on getting comfortable. I promptly dove under the three layers of blankets that the maid had given me, a request that made her laugh. Still, I was glad to have thought of it earlier in the day. And I clutched at the blankets, feeling immensely thankful for the bit of (probably false) security that they provided me with.

A few minutes passed, and I was well on my way to sleep. I'd already begun to dream of gummy worms and taking over the world, when a low whine whistled through the hotel room. I groaned and rolled over, burying my head under the pillow. But, the moment that the eerie echo ended, he started up again. This time, however, he also whimpered and pawed at the blue covers on the bed.

I stared at him, my emotions ranging from amused, to absolutely horrified. Two big, watery eyes blinked up at me. This dog was successfully employing the oldest trick in the canine book – the Puppy Dog Eyes! And, on a cuteness scale of one to ten, this guy ranked a firm eight.

Dammit… I thought, almost in amusement. This dog is going to be the death of me!

Immediately, I gave in to his demands; there was no resistance on my part. A fleeting thought crossed my mind – my German ancestors were probably very disappointed in me at the moment, as I was not living up to their high standards. After all, I'd just acted in a manner much like the French would in such a situation. We surrender!

"Come on, big guy." I patted the empty spot to my right. "I did promise that I would let you sleep in my bed." Rolling my eyes, I sarcastically muttered, "And it wouldn't be very nice of me to go back on my word, would it?"

With an excited yelp, the dog clawed at the covers and clambered onto the bed. He licked my face, amidst my protests, and wagged his tail. After a few turns of his large, lanky body, he curled up in a ball at the center of the bed, settling in for the night. I smiled and snuggled further into the warmth and comfort of the blankets. Secretly, I was thankful for the company of the creature that was pressing himself firmly into my side.

Despite that, I was still wary of his presence, even as my mind drifted back into dreamland. And there were other things for me to worry about, as well. Like my original purpose for coming to Japan. I could not help but wonder…

Were the two related? And, if so, what the hell had I gotten myself into this time?

***Author's Note***

For those of you that have just stumbled across this fanfiction - welcome, and enjoy the story! :D

And for those of you that have been with me this entire time, I wish to thank you for your continued support. I also hope that you have noticed the added length to the chapter; it's been updated! Should you choose to reread it, well, I hope you enjoy the story, too.

Bye! :)