Chapter Text
It was quite a sight.
To watch a man, whom seemed too tall to properly balance, walking while attached to four leashes that led further up the sidewalk to their respective dog. Two small dogs, breeds mixed to the point it was hard to tell the whole background, had their leashes slightly tangled together. They may have been related, friendly and playing. Another by the two was a relatively old Akita, greying and skinny in age. This elder dog wore a red dull vest with the bold print that said "support dog." However straying behind to walk next to the man, it seemed to be like a bodyguard, was an overweight Pit-Bull. It looked smug in a way, like it could save him from a drunk driver or even something as little as a pavement crack.
"Oh! Oh, hello!"
The exclamation only made sense due to the suspicious figure who had mail clutched to his chest, he who was an analyzing the scene to tell the sight. He seemed disappointed from being spotted. The man gave a cautious nod in greeting, letting any space to be closed by the dog walker himself. He supposed the walker wouldn't be as loud up close yet it was a wish in vain, as he seemed pleased just from the simple nod. He was a dog walking smaller dogs, the Goofy to Pluto, a horse babysitting a dog.
"Hello! Some of your hair fell out of the band, people call me Caboose!" His voice was full of mirth, filled with excitement.
Sam, who had yet to respond to the man(thought to be endearing), brushed a few loose strands back to tangle with others still held. Caboose was correct. He should have gone for a bun or a high ponytail today.
"Sam. Like Samuel." Actually as in Samuel.
"Or Samantha!" Yes, or like Samantha. Sam decided on a small nod to show Caboose was right once more, the action met with rising shoulders and a beaming smile overtaking a previous grin. Sam could see the other had dimples, they were uneven yet seemed to frame his face better than normal ones would. It felt like a trend.
"Would you like to walk with us? We could watch a movie! After, not during. Freckles gets lonely when he hangs out just with me," Caboose said. Sam could almost say it was smooth, if not stupid. But shoving the magazine subscription and a letter from an old friend in his hoodie pocket, he took the Akita's leash and joined the makeshift pack. It was a good helping hand to make Sam into the better person he wanted to be, was his excuse. But it did help in a way.
Samuel met more people than he wished for today.
First, Doc and Donut. They lived together, were collectively strange and named Frank. The two small dogs belonged to the apartment family. They also told Caboose they liked his "new friend." Sam also knew that one of the Franks had winked at Caboose when he said it, when asked he said that one was Donut.
Across the street there was a different complex, where he met David. David had been affectionately deemed "Wash" by Caboose. He owned the support dog, the Akita who was allowed to leave his side due to his sister staying over to watch over him. David was much more of an adult than the others. He tried to tell Caboose how plucking strangers off the sidewalk was dangerous and absolutely not correct. Yet Caboose had defended Sam's case with saying he was nice, that he made Caboose feel safe. That he trusted him. It surprised Sam, no one said that. No one trusts the tall buff man with a scar crossing his face like a system in algebra, with a name of Locus. He was the Spider-Man villain of people.
Caboose opened an apartment door, letting the round Pit-Bull in before holding the door in for the both of them. It was his apartment, one owned under the name Michael J. Caboose. Sam stood by the shoe rack.
"I got Freckles because my bestest friend is moving in with his girl friend while she recovers. Freckles is on a strict diet, Wash made me promise! That's why we walk."
Samuel decided that the thought was correct. Caboose was quite endearing.