Okay, so you know about Nekos right? Well, Inus are the dog version. So, the reader finds a badly injured Inu!Anti on their doorstep and they take him in and nurse him back to health. They thought he would want to leave after he got better but he instead chooses to stay, now loyal to a fault to the person who was nice enough to take of him in and take care of him when they didn't have to, not used to kind humans. I think he'd be part husky or malamute, or really any dog that resembles a wolf.
Hope you enjoy the story! *cough* This does count as a Soft!Anti fic *cough*
(Although as a warning this story will mention past abuse)
Of all the sounds you’d expect to hear on a quiet Friday night…one of them certainly wasn’t the sound of scratching at your door.
Confused, you got up from the sofa and made your way over to it, checking through the window on the side, although all you could see was the tail of what appeared to be a husky, slightly ripped and matted with blood.
‘Is…this dog hurt?’ Your eyes widened in alarm.
No matter if somebody owned it or not, you couldn’t leave the poor thing out there by itself.
So you opened the door, only to freeze as you realize that it wasn’t a dog, but rather….a man that had dog features?
At first you thought it was some weirdo in a cosplay that was on drugs, although when he heard you gasp, his ears automatically perked up, and you could see that it wasn’t some headband.
They were real husky ears.
But then you saw that his arms were littered in yellow and purple bruises, some of which didn’t seem to come from accidents. When he raised his head up, you could see some kind of scar on his throat, blood smeared all over his neck and palms.
“H-H-Help..me..” He whimpered softly, his nails digging into the cracks on your doorsteps. “I..d-don’t wanna die out here..”
After hearing him speak, you returned to your senses and helped him off the ground. “Don’t worry. I won’t let that happen. C’mon.” Then you led the stranger inside, shutting the door behind you.
“So…what’s your name, buddy?” You asked, sighing softly as you scrubbed the man’s tail, trying to clean off the sticky blood.
When you brought him in, you weren’t sure why, but you had a feeling that he would need a warm bath…even though this was a total stranger who was around the same age as you.
Then again he seemed to be freezing to death outside, and you just thought this would be the best way to help him before he caught hypothermia.
“A-Anti,” he mumbled shyly, gazing down at the foamy bubbles covering the entire surface of the water. “But..M-Master calls me “demon” o-or ”freak” or..Anthony when we’re i-in public. Ye can call me whatever ya like.”
You frowned slightly. So this guy had an owner who called him hurtful names…and you wondered if it was the same person who gave him those bruises and that scar.
But that’s something you’ll ask him later.
“I like the name Anti.” Your smile returned as you gently set his tail back into the water. “So are you..suppose to be like a werewolf or-?”
You blinked in surprise. You’ve heard about Nekos and Inus before in the world of anime and Japanese mythology. And here you were taking care of one.
“I-I’m sorry for interrupting ya! I-I didn’t.. mean to…”
Hearing a whimper, you saw Anti’s eyes watering up. “Hey..it’s okay,” you reassured him. “I was just..in shock that you’re an actual Inu. I’ve only ever heard about them in stories. So it’s awesome to see one in person.”
His eyes widened slightly. “Ya think I’m…awesome? But…” Then his ears drooped and he stared at his claws for a moment. “…I’m a freak…Master said-”
“Listen…whatever your master said was wrong.” You moved so that he was looking at you. “You’re not a freak even though you may be different.”
He gazed at you in shock, his bright blue eyes wide. But a tiny smile soon appeared on his face as he nodded in understanding. “Th-Thanks..I..you’re the first human to call me somethin’ nice..”
You smiled back at him, before you got another cloth and began to scrub the blood off his neck and chest, being careful of the scar. “You want me to bandage up that scar for you?”
“I-If…it’s no trouble..I’d appreciate it..”…
While you waited for Anti to get changed, you sat on the sofa and watched some news.
About five minutes later you heard the shuffling of feet and looked to see him enter the living room, wearing a clean black shirt and black sweatpants you offered him. Of course you had to cut a hole in the pants so that his tail was able to be free.
His tail and ears were dry and fluffy, too, being clean of blood.
You smiled and moved aside, patting the spot next to you in invitation. But you were confused when he just stood there awkwardly. “You can..sit down here if you want.”
“R-Really?” His eyebrows furrowed as he looked at the sofa. “But…M-Master never lets me sit on the furniture. My fur gets everywhere..a-and-”
“Anti. Your master isn’t here,” you frowned. “I don’t mind if any fur gets on the couch. It’s okay.”
After some hesitation, he walked over and sat down beside you, his tail immediately flopping onto his lap. With a tiny sigh, he slowly sat back and gazed at the T.V.
For a while, neither of you said anything. But then you glanced over at him, seeing him smile at a cute story on a rescued dog that the news program was covering. His tail wagged ever so slightly, which you thought was adorable.
Overall, though, he looked a lot better now that you gave him a bath and took care of his wounds. His bruises remained, although you knew that they’ll be there for quite some time.
However, there was a thought that was nagging at you. Even though he looked happy here, you didn’t want him to feel like he was being kept prisoner.
“You know..” Anti jumped a bit as you spoke, looking over at you. “You… don’t have to stay here if you don’t want to. In the morning I can make us breakfast, and then you can-”
You blinked in surprise, but before you could say anything, he continued.
“..y-ya took me in and took care of me when ya didn’t have to,” he mumbled, turning to face you fully. “I-I use to think..humans were always cruel….u-until I met ya and ya showed me more love a-and care than my..old master ever did. And for that I’m..eternally grateful a-and all I can offer to ya is..my undying loyalty. I promise I-I’ll be good to ya. I promise I w-won’t get in the way…o-or..”
You could tell from his watering eyes that he wanted to cry. So you shifted closer to him, and wrapped your arms around him, being mindful of his bruises, allowing him to lean against you.
He whimpered as you then kissed his forehead, before tears finally streamed down his cheeks.
Pressing his face into your chest, he sobbed softly into your shirt, clinging to you and not wanting to let go. You simply stroked his hair and ears, reassuring him that everything was going to be okay, and that he was safe.
“M-My..old master..h-he..”
You fell silent, your heart pounding as you waited for what he was about to say about his former owner.
“..he tried to..s-slit my throat w-with a knife when I-I told him I was gonna run away. He wanted to silence me so I could..j-just follow his dumb orders without question. I-I escaped but..I-I was so scared that I was gonna die..”
“But you didn’t,” you told him softly. “You escaped him and showed him who was boss. I’m so proud of you for standing up for yourself, Anti.”
Although you couldn’t see it, the Inu was smiling, hiccuping as he nuzzled into your chest. Your simple, encouraging words made him feel a lot better.
After some time, his sobs died down into sniffles, and he looked up at you, then at your damp shirt. “I-I’m sorry for ruinin’ your shirt, Master..”
“It’s okay, bud,” you smiled, rubbing his back. “You don’t have to call me “Master”. Considering we’re about the same age it sounds kinda….weird. Just call me [y/n].”
He nodded in understanding, relaxing a little as he laid his head on your chest again, this time looking at the T.V.
You then decided to scratch behind his ears just a bit, and your smile grew as you saw his tail wagging even faster.
A soft sigh escaped your lips. This guy was such a sweetheart. How could anyone in their right mind want to harm him? Let alone say anything cruel to him?
Once you stopped, you heard him yawn. “You must be tired, huh?”
“Mhm,” he nodded once more. “C-Can I…stay here with ya?”
“Sure.” You chuckled, reaching up to grab the blanket that was on the sofa, before you brought it down so that it covered both of you.
Adjusting your positions, you laid down with Anti on top of you. You turned off the T.V and held him close, still stroking his hair. “Is this fine?”
“Yeah..th-thank ya so much, Mas…. [y/n].”
“Of course, Anti.” You kissed the top of his head, before you turned off the lamplight. “Sweet dreams.”
Soon enough you both drifted off to sleep, ensuring that the Inu was safe in your arms, and that he had nothing to be afraid of anymore.
Because you were going to show him the love and care he needs and deserves.
