After I Picked Up an Abandoned Dog

Xia Xun found a synthetic beastkin.

In the middle of the night, Xia Xun opened the door and saw the beastkin curled up on the floor outside his room.

Xia Xun meant to move him back to the guest room, but the moment he touched him, the beastkin bit him hard.

He glanced at his palm, which was only a little red, then at the synthetic beastkin cowering and trembling in the corner, ears flattened back. Xia Xun sighed helplessly.

Poor thing.

They'd even pulled out all his teeth.

One afternoon, the synthetic beastkin stared gravely at the thing in his hand, ears standing straight up. "...Xia, Chen?"

Xia Xun patted his head, smiling warmly. "Good job. That's your name, Xia Chen."

The synthetic beastkin, who had a name for the first time in his life, stared blankly at Xia Xun.

A few seconds later, he lowered his head, his face scarlet. His fluffy, sleek, black-and-gray tail wagged despite his best efforts to control it.

Another year passed, and spring arrived.

In years past, Xia Chen would hide somewhere no one could see him and cry at this time of year.

He would cry until spring was over.

This time, Xia Chen still cried, his ears and tail trembling. "Xia Xun, Xia Xun..."

Xia Xun, the one he called for, gently brushed his lips against Xia Chen's cheek. "I'm here. I'll always be here."

Winter snow fell.

Xia Chen hunched his shoulders and gathered all his courage to ask, "Can I... can I stay with you for the rest of my life?"

Xia Xun said, "What a silly thing to say."

In an instant, all the blood in Xia Chen's body turned cold.

But Xia Xun stepped forward and brushed the snow from the tip of his ear.

"Beastkin, companion beast... You were meant to be my companion for life."

Note:

The bottom is very large. The top and bottom are about the same height, but the bottom is more muscular.

Theme: Love life.