No one gave him as much trouble as the dogs.<\/p>\n
Dogs were far too willing to be pleased with humans. To love them as family, as pack, even when humans didn’t reciprocate nearly enough, in D’s opinion.<\/p>\n
Dogs were devoted beyond reason, loyal beyond sanity. He feared for them the most, of all the animals he found places for, of all the animals whose wishes he sought to fulfill. Most of the other animals, at least, knew enough to look after themselves. The dogs always thought first of another—even if it meant grief or death or change out of all recognition<\/p>\n
And somehow… they never quite managed to grow up, either.<\/p>\n
“Leon! It is raining<\/em> out! Keep your paws off the table until they’re clean!”<\/p>\n “Oh, yeah, sure thing.”<\/p>\n D glared, getting nothing for his trouble but a toothy grin and a desultory tail waved in his direction as Leon took his feet off the table and sprawled out to cross them on the satin arm of the couch instead. D muttered under his breath as he went to get towels. There were times he almost wished Leon hadn’t found a way to stay with him.<\/p>\n No one<\/em> gave him as much trouble as the dogs.<\/p>\n End<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If humans can’t stay with the shop, then…