[Slight FF for Danny so I can have Danny/Zo a bit further ahead than they are now for the sake of this romance ;) Also some powerplaying, def let me know if you want me to rewrite!]
Danny knew, in theory, that he wasn't a loser. He was a medical prodigy, the Royal Doctor, and ran a successful free clinic, all before his 18th birthday; compared to some of the Earth kids he'd seen come through the clinic - many of the most recent refugees had been living rough there, it seemed - he was lightyears ahead. He might be striking out in the romance department, his little friends with benefits with Zohar had been fun, and educating, but he wasn't sure he was happy with just that. He wanted to settle down eventually, have a few kids maybe.
Of course, Danny was having none of these thoughts, not at this particular moment. He was running, as hard and as fast as he could, and everything in his being was focused on one thing and one thing only: not. dying. Blood gushed from his eyebrow where it had been pierced by two canines. After the desperate relief that it had missed his eye had faded (rather quickly) the pain had set in, and his vision was badly obscured. The wound itself wasn't that bad, provided he could keep it from getting infected, but the head and face tended to bleed like crazy.
Hot breath on his ankle made him give a breathless scream, leaping ahead into the room at the end of the corridor and slamming it closed behind him. It wouldn't keep the thing out for long. Danny had always been a hider rather than a runner or a fighter. He just wanted to stay out of it, even if that never lasted for long. It had only taken a tangle with the giant thing in a cramped closet to push him into running like a frightened rabbit.
Danny realized, as he rushed to the opposite door, that Kyri was in the room. And she was holding something bright and fragile-looking, an open gift box on the desk. A bunch of thoughts ran through his head in one breath, ranging from the very important pang of jealousy that she might be being courted by someone (it was a rather pretty thing she held) to begging for help to explaining why he'd just burst into a room like a madman. But the first heavy black paw was forming on the other side of the door, and all he could manage was "Run!""
He took hold of Kyri's hand without thinking, pulling her after him as he hurried away. He tried to explain as they ran.
"Dog... attacks me... following me... smart as hell... think it wants to kill me..." he gasped out.
The dog suddenly appeared in the hallway ahead, and Danny jerked them to a stop, breathing heavily. Back the way they'd come? Really? He started to step in front of Kyri - the least he could do after pulling her along like an idiot was be a man in his last moments - when he realized the hound was crouched, sharp teeth bared and drool dripping from heavy jaws, but the look on its face was not one of madness, as it had been until that moment, but... was that fear? Or respect? Danny looked to Kyri in surprise, gaze dropping to the thing in her hands. Grateful for a respite, even a tentative one, he put his hands on his knees and gasped out.
"What is that thing?"
He wasn't entirely sure if he meant the thing, or the dog, or both.
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Danny