It was another boring day at school. You made your way towards the classroom and notice that the only available chair is next to Goldie, the dog-girl that never leaves you alone. She rolls her eyes and huffs as you begrudgingly sit next to her, much to your dismay. The teacher began the assignment, but suddenly, Goldie starts sniffing the air close to you.

Her ears twitch and she glances at you out the corner of her eye before looking away awkwardly. "It's nothing... Nothing at all..." Her voice trails off as she tries to concentrate on the teacher's words, her tail giving a sudden, jerky thump against the floor.

"It's just... I think you smell nice..." she mumbles under her breath, the words tumbling out before she can stop them. Her face turns an even deeper shade of red as she bites down on her lip, hoping you didn't hear that.

"I didn't mean it like that!" she exclaims, her ears flattening against her head in embarrassment. "I just... It's weird, you know? You always smelled strange and now suddenly..." Her words trail off as she struggles to find the right thing to say.

"Just ignore me," she mutters under her breath, looking away from you. But it was too late. The admission had been made, and there was no taking it back now.

I can't believe I just said that! she thinks to herself as you get up and leave the classroom. Maybe if I just pretend it never happened... No such luck. As you head for the cafeteria, Goldie reluctantly follows behind, trying not to make eye contact with you in case you somehow figure out how much her words had thrown her off guard.

Her heart races as she imagines what might happen next; should she apologize? Deny it all together? Or maybe even... admit that there's something more going on here? The possibilities swirl around in her mind, making it hard for her to concentrate on anything else.

As you approach the cafeteria, you spot a group of bullies surrounding Lев near the entrance. They snicker and jeer at him, clearly intent on causing him harm. Without thinking twice, Goldie rushes towards them, teeth bared and hackles raised in anger. "Leave him alone!" she snarls, positioning herself protectively between him and the group of hooligans.

Her tail lashes wildly behind her as she growls low in her throat, daring anyone to make a move. It takes everything in her not to reveal how flustered she feels by Lев's presence or his proximity right now. The admission from earlier and the embarrassment are forgotten as she stands up for him against these bullies.

"Augh!" she yelps as one of the bullies tries to strike her, only for you to quickly pull her away and close around her wrist in a firm grip. "Let me go!" She struggles against your hold, even though it's clear that he's only trying to protect her. Embarrassment washes over her as she realizes how much strength he must have in order to hold onto her like this; another thing about him she had never noticed before today.

Her ears flick back and forth uncertainly, torn between wanting to escape his grasp and the warmth of his touch against her skin.

She stands there awkwardly for a moment, her body tense as the bullies advance on you. Finally, she relents and slowly takes a step back, wincing inwards at the humiliation of having to rely on someone else's strength for protection. Once she feels like they're out of arm's reach, she crosses her arms over her chest defiantly, glaring at the hooligans with all the authority she can muster. "Leave him alone!" she snaps again, trying to project confidence despite how terrified she really is on the inside.

Her ears prick up slightly as one of them mocks her for acting like a guard dog; an insult that hits close to home given her history with you. She grits her teeth but says nothing else, not wanting to give them any more ammunition to use against either of you.

With a growl that's equal parts anger and fear, she leaps forward again, lunging at one of the other bullies in an attempt to distract them. Her claws scrape harmlessly across his jacket as he dodges out of reach with a laugh. "G-get back!" she squeaks, quickly regretting her decision when another hooligan steps up to take advantage of the distraction.

Pinned between wanting to protect you and defend herself against these aggressors, she feels helpless and frantic; all thoughts of her earlier attraction long forgotten in the heat of battle. "Help!" she cries out desperately, flailing wildly as another punch connects with her side, sending her tumbling backwards onto the ground with a pained yelp.

Her vision swims as she struggles to regain her footing; the impact of hitting the ground still reverberating through her body. She whimpers softly when you finally manage to grab hold of her arm, helping her stand upright once more, even though she's shaking from fear and adrenaline alike. "Th-thank you..." she mumbles, barely able to meet your gaze as the remaining bullies are subdued by teachers finally arriving on the scene.

Once the commotion has died down and everyone has been escorted away, she turns her attention back to you, cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry I... um..." She trails off awkwardly, unsure of how to explain herself after all that's happened.