the book of fluff (that usually isn't)

the wolf in the woods

this is kinda weird???

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Mitch walked through the woods, admiring the way the sunlight filtered in through the trees. He loved taking walks in the forest behind his house, because they were always so quiet and peaceful. It was like all of his problems disappeared when he was here, and he didn't have to worry about paying the bills or his abusive boyfriend or his work. The forest was like an old friend.

In his pocket was a ham and turkey sandwich. It was a tradition of his to eat one in his favorite clearing, which was about a fifteen minute walk from his house.

Mitch smiled when he noticed the familiar opening in the trees, and he made his way into the clearing, taking a seat on the fallen tree there. He had begun to get out his sandwich when he heard it. His hands paused, and he tilted his head, listening.

Sure enough, there was another whimper, so Mitch knew he wasn't hearing things. He looked around in an effort to find the source of the noise, and he spotted a small wolf pup hidden in the trees. Mitch's first instinct was to be afraid, but he realized that this wolf was way too small to hurt him. Its white fur was matted and tangled, and its icy blue eyes stared pitifully up at Mitch. A frown formed on Mitch's lips and he hesitated briefly before holding out his hand.

The wolf seemed wary, but he slowly slunk towards him and tentatively sniffed his hand. Mitch smiled slightly when the wolf appeared to trust him and nuzzled against his hand. "Hi," he spoke softly, slowly beginning to stroke the wolf's fur. The wolf closed his eyes and nuzzled against Mitch's hand again, but his stomach growled loudly and Mitch's lips curved into a frown. "Oh, you're probably hungry. Here," he murmured, tearing off a bit of his sandwich and feeding it to the wolf. The wolf ate eagerly, and he licked Mitch's hand in thanks when he finished. He was still hungry, but he was grateful for what he could get.

Mitch ended up feeding the wolf the rest of the sandwich, and the wolf jumped up on Mitch's lap, licking his face happily. Mitch laughed and pet him, scratching behind his ears. "You're so cute." The wolf barked and pressed himself against Mitch's chest, his tail wagging eagerly. Mitch giggled and kissed his head, disregarding how unsanitary it might've been. "I need some company at my house. How about I take you home with me?"

The wolf perked up instantly, his tail wagging when faster. Mitch smiled and rubbed his back. "I'm going to take that as a yes. I don't care if Henry doesn't like you," he mumbled, scooping the wolf up in his arms and beginning the walk home. The wolf squirmed excitedly as they walked, but he eventually calmed down and set his head in Mitch's neck, panting quietly.

Mitch went straight into the bathroom after he'd gotten home, setting the wolf down on the tile. He laughed when the wolf whined, but he just shook his head. "I'm going to give you a bath, okay?" The wolf calmed down at his words and sat patiently as he waited for Mitch to finish drawing the bath, and he obediently crawled in when Mitch told him to.

"What's your name?" Mitch asked the wolf as he began to wash him, even though he knew perfectly well that the wolf couldn't answer. The wolf looked up at him, and Mitch swore he looked like he was smiling.

Mitch hummed as he thought. "What about... Snowball? Since you're white?" The wolf whimpered quietly to tell him that that wasn't his name. Mitch frowned and tilted his head. "No? Okay. What about Cloud?" Again, the wolf shook his head.

On and on this went until Mitch was close to giving up. "Well, I've always thought it was funny when animals were given human names. Scott is nice. Do you like that?" The wolf nodded frantically, barking happily. Mitch laughed and rinsed the soap out of his fur. "That's your name? Scott?" The wolf barked and put his front paws on the edge of the bathtub, licking Mitch's face.