Page 6 of There's No Place Like Oz

“Are you okay?” That sexy voice hit my ears, and I shook sense back into myself and crawled out from under him. The corners of his lips dipped into a frown.

“Y-yeah. I’m fine.” I muttered as I sat up straight. “It looks like we’re in the same fucked up boat, so I’m not going to blame you for tripping.”

The man nodded. “I’m just glad to see you’re safe. I was so worried.” His tone reflected that sentiment genuinely, much to my confusion. He reached out and brushed the hair from my eyes gently. He tucked the loose strands behind my ear.

Before I could react, he closed the distance between us again, and he wrapped me in a warm, tight, powerful hug. I sat there stiffly in confusion. An unexplained heat and sense of relaxation bubbled through my whole body while I waited for him to release me and explain who he was and what the hell was going on.

He held me for several moments before he let those hands move to my shoulders. He braced me there, never breaking that intense eye contact. “I hope you weren’t too frightened without me, Dorothy.”

What the fuck?“I wasn’t… I mean, I don’t know... Wait what?” I was completely taken aback by that. “How did you know my name?” I stared at him in disbelief.

This dark haired Adonis furrowed his brow. “I suppose you wouldn’t recognize me.” His tone was a verbal frown. “It’s Tobias—” He caught himself, then started again. “Sorry,Toto. But in this form, please use my full name.”

“To… to…” I blinked rapidly. “Toto like… my dog?”

“Yes.” He said, hooking his finger through a red choker that I was just now noticing. A choker that was actually a dog collar, and a dog collar that had a little charm on it with my contact info, and contact info that was there because I had put it on my dog, and…

WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUCK.

I was internally screaming as I stared at this dark prince in front of me who literally just proclaimed to be MY LITERAL FUCKING DOG. What is even happening right now?

“You’re Toto?!” My voice was shrill to the point it even annoyed me.

“Yes. Toto.” His cheeks flushed at the cute little Scotty dog name. “But if you don’t mind using Tobias…” He insisted again. When he swallowed, his Adam’s apple visibly bobbed. Because Toto had an Adam’s apple now. Because he was a dark haired male model. Because he wasn’t a Scotty dog.

“Toto.” I repeated. Stunned.Fucking stunned.

Chapter 4

Dorothy stared at me in abject horror, as if I’d just told her it was time to go to the vet. In the dim lighting, I could sense it more than I could even see it. She was always one to wear her emotions on her sleeve, and the subtle increase of her heart rate and shallowness of her breathing were loud and clear in my ears. I shook my head, then I stood up, still getting used to this awkwardly balanced human body. I stretched my long arms and flexed my rather useful fingers.

“Why are you afraid of me?” I asked with a frown. “I’m here to protect you, Dorothy.”

“Y-you’re… You can’t be…”

I sighed. I didn’t like seeing my lady so terrified. It wasn’t an expression I’d never seen, unfortunately, but it was something I always tried to protect her from. I wanted to be the one to guard her from that kind of pain, and it hurt so much more to know my existence now caused her more anxiety than it healed. “When the cyclone took us to this… wherever this is.”

“Oz.” She managed to correct me despite her shock. Correcting people who were wrong was something she was always good at. I liked that about Dorothy.

“Right, after the cyclone hit and we ended up in thisOz, I woke up in this form, while being carried by a bunch of strange tiny people. While normally I could have squirmed out of their grasp—perhaps even bit or scratched at them if need be—I couldn’t seem to figure out how to work my new body.” I frowned. I’d felt pretty helpless and pathetic at that moment. “They kept chatting between each other that I was‘the sorcerer that would save them’and it left me thinking they don’t have dogs here in Oz at all.”

“A sorcerer, huh? At least they’re consistent, I suppose.” Dorothy placed a hand on her chest. She closed her eyes, and she breathed in and out for several counts. “Okay, so you’re Toto. My dog. In human form.”

“Yes,” I ran a hand through my soft black hair, which was now only on top of my head. “I know this is all very confusing, but I just want you to know that I pledged my life to protect you from the day you chose me as yours, and I will not go back on that promise no matter what my physical body looks like.”

She blinked several times, still trying to register everything that was happening here. I had a lot to process too, but I could worry about my own struggles later. There was a reason I was her emotional support, and I knew how much she genuinely needed me for that purpose. I watched her carefully when I noticed the slight quiver to her lip and the very slight increase to her breathing rate. I could hear the pounding in her chest as it reached an elevated level.

Shit.

I closed the distance between us, not giving her any more time to protest, and I swept her up into my arms. I squeezed her tightly against my chest, not wanting to watch her crash over to the other side of a full blown panic attack. I shared my warmth, and I pressed her cheek against my slow, steady heartbeat, while I stroked her hair gently.

“It’s okay. You’re okay.” I whispered into her golden locks. That seemed to help. Her breathing started to normalize, and her otherwise rigid body began to relax into my arms.

This was nice, if I was being honest. Initially, I’d been rather distraught over this new form, but I’d never realized how badly I wanted to be able to hold her when she was sad until right now when I had the size and articulation to do so. She felt good, warm, and secure there. She fit just right in the crux of my shoulder, and her delicate body seemed so small and soft against me

Maybe this was how it felt for her when she used to hug me in dog form. It was soothing. Comfortable. Pleasant.

I buried my face in her hair and took in her scent of rain, guava fruit shampoo, and her natural smell, and I felt my own mind come to a calming ease.

---