IidaTodo One-shots

~ Photo ~

~ IidaTodo ~

"So you wanna get a dog?"

Todo nodded politely to the old shelter owner from where he stood in front of the worn counter, raking fingers through his red and white hair. "Yes, sir. I figured that it's about time I had another living thing in my home." He joked half-heartedly and the old man sniggered, revealing fewer teeth than a person should have, before leading Todo to the back room.

As soon as the door was opened, his senses were assaulted. The stench of wet fur and faeces was strong enough to make his eyes water and the barks and howls of various pitches melted together into one big, obnoxious noise. He walked down the aisle, passing cages with dogs of every size, colour, and age with barely a glance, before halting.

"I'll take this one." The dog he'd chosen was large and very furry, clearly a beautiful breed. He wasn't anything spectacular to look at, but he wasn't barking like the others either, merely staring with large, round, green eyes. Todo liked that better.

"You sure? Ol' Snatchet ain't nothing but a mutt." The man warned, but Todo's decision was set.

A name change and a bath later, Todo was happily walking HIS dog, now lovingly named Rocket, down the aisles of the pet supply store near his house.

Bath time had been a disaster, leading to a soaked bathroom floor and a necessary change of clothes by a sopping Todo, but Rocket's thick grey fur had come out a snow-white color and much neater after a brush and the cutting out of several mats. Rocket seemed to be enjoying the fresh look as he snooped around the tiled floors of the store.

"Y'know, you don't say much." Todo mused aloud as Rocket sniffed curiously at a squeaky red ball. Todo reached down and squeezed it once, grinning as Rocket's ears perked up before tossing it into the cart along with a new leash, collar, food bowl, treats, and a large back of Kibbles N' Bits. "I like it." He finished his thought with a soft pat on Rocket's head.

The dog enjoyed the warm summer air, Todo quickly discovered, prompting the man to switch his intended route after they had checked out from his house to the park he seldom visited, usually in an attempt to avoid human interaction; he was more of an introvert, hence the need of a dog for companionship in his early twenties. Brushing the thought away, he whistled once and Rocket ambled out of the passenger's seat, remaining surprisingly still as the leash was hooked onto a clean new red collar that matched the red side of his owner's almost exactly.

They spent a while playing fetch with a fresh stick before the wood became riddled with saliva and bite marks and Todo decided it'd be best for his hygiene if they walked the trail instead. "Y'know, you're really slobbery." He noted, laughing when Rocket wagged his tail happily at him, tongue lolling out goofily. "And I talk to a dog. So I guess we're even."

And thus it happened so that he was prattling off the history of the park to the clueless dog as they strolled around the worn path when a sharp glint caught his attention. He squinted in the direction of the offender and was surprised by what he saw.

Under an oak tree sat a young man, the camera hooked around his neck and held in front of his eye as he focused the lens. Only his profile was visible and Todo could see from his distance on the path that he had lovely blue hair that looked purposely mussed at that moment and matching stubble on lightly tanned skin; his long nose and slender, handsome features suggested Japanese ( Obviously ) descent and he was smiling at whatever he saw on the small camera screen, revealing the smallest hint of perfectly white teeth.

Todo watched almost starstruck as the man, likely in his mid-twenties, snapped a few scenic photos before bouncing to his feet, nearly tripping, and jogging to a different vantage point. Todo snorted to himself as the young man stumbled over his own feet as he stood and attempted to pass it off as a small skip. Rocket bumped his nose against Todo's leg at the noise, bringing him back to reality. "Sorry." He murmured, more to himself, as he continued their walk in the opposite direction rather hesitantly.