#and then loosed into the park like a border collie with my directive

[geniuslab]

New Tricks (M)

→ Pairing: Taehyung x reader

→ Genre: Fluff, Smut, Dog Trainer AU

→ Word Count: 10.1k

→ Summary: When your newly adopted puppy turns out to be a lot more work than you expected, a cute dog trainer comes to the rescue. You soon become friends, but you begin to realize friendship might not be all you want.

→ What to Expect: Fluff, friends to lovers, smut, dirty talk, dom!Taehyung, bad jokes, and cute puppies.

→ Alternate Title: Doggy Style (I’m a serious author, I swear)

“I can't believe I'm finally doing this!” you said excitedly, locking your car doors and jumping up and down a little. The day you'd been waiting for had finally arrived.

Ever since you were young, you’d always wanted a pet. You couldn’t count how many times you’d begged your parents for a dog, or how much time you’d put into creating powerpoints about why you needed one. But no matter how persuasive you could be, your parents still weren’t buying it. To be fair, your mother was very allergic to dogs, and your dad was a little scared of them (which he refused to admit, but every time he saw one on the street he would dodge it like it was something deadly). You lived your whole childhood watching all of your friends get dogs, which is exactly why when you finally moved out that one of the first things you did was go to a shelter.

“What kind of dog do you want to get?” your best friend, Namjoon, asked. Over the years that he’d known you, your favorite breed had changed dozens of times. When you were 7, all you ever talked about was German Shepards. But then when you were 8 Namjoon adopted a Husky and those became your favorite dogs. Nearly every year you fell in love with a new breed, so your friend really had no clue what dog you’d want to get this time around.

“Hmmm,” you pondered, unable to hide the smile that was creeping along your face as you walked across the parking lot of the shelter with Namjoon in tow. “I guess I’ll just see which dog speaks to me.”

“Every dog is going to speak to you, Y/N. I’m coming with you specifically to make sure you don’t walk out of here with 10 dogs.”

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t help but laugh. “What’s wrong with adopting 10 dogs?”

“You’ve never even taken care of a fish, I think it’s safest to start with just one dog for now. Plus, we’re roommates. Any dog that’s yours is essentially mine too.”

You pouted at him as he held the door open for you, and then you entered the noisy shelter. The sound of barking met your ears instantly, and you nearly skipped over to the first cage. A small black pug sniffed up at you in its cage, and you instantly dropped to the floor and started cooing at it, smiling and waving your fingers at it. Namjoon crouched next to you and held his hand out to the cage to let it sniff.

“I love it already,” you said, looking around for the sheet that had information about the dog written on it. She was named Minnie, and you could already imagine yourself rolling around with her and playing fetch.

“Y/N, I know what you’re thinking. How about you walk around and see what other dogs they have first?”

With a sigh you stood up and let him take your hand, leading you to the next cage. Over the next 20 minutes, you fell in love with every single dog that you saw. A Pit bull puppy had your heart melting, and an older Border Collie had Namjoon tugging you away because you didn’t want to move. You had no idea how you were going to choose just one pet; you wanted to take them all home.

And then you saw him: a small, fiery red Shiba Inu puppy, curly tail wagging excitedly as it played around in a pen with a few other dogs. An employee let you into the pen with them, and the second you entered he was bounding over to you. You pet his head in between his adorable pointed ears, and he instantly started biting your shoelaces.

“Stop that!” you giggled and moved your feet away, but no matter where you went his mouth followed.

“That one’s got a lot of energy,” the employee told you with a smile on her face, and when you picked him up you never wanted to let go.

“How old is he?” you asked.

“He’s just a pup, a little over 3 months old.”

The dog’s big brown eyes looked up at you eagerly, and he started trying to lick your face. You laughed and squeezed your eyes shut, trying to move your head away.

Namjoon was playing with a Beagle in the pen with you, but when he looked up he knew you’d found your new best friend.

“Not gonna lie, I really only know them from the doge meme,” you admitted.

“They’re a very sweet breed,” the employee said. “A hunting breed, so keep them on a leash unless you want them running for every small animal they see. Can be a bit stubborn, but very loyal and kind.”

You nodded your head, but you knew that no matter what the employee had to say, you were already attached to this dog.

“I think you’ve looked at all of them by now,” Namjoon said. “Do you know which one you love best?”

You looked up at your friend, and you could tell with the little glimmer in his eye that he already knew. You’d put the Shiba down on the ground, and he went back to chewing endearingly on your shoelaces. You weren’t even trying to stop him anymore.

“Yes, I know exactly which one I love.”

“They told you Shiba Inus were stubborn,” Namjoon said, trying to keep the smirk off of his face. You were currently being tugged along by your energetic little pup. You’d had Haru for about three weeks now, and they’d been three weeks of near torture.

You loved him, but you were in hell.

“I can handle stubborn, this dog came straight out of the pits of hell,” you grumbled, but you both knew that you absolute adored him. Haru had become the biggest part of your life, even bigger than your new job and apartment. He was all you thought about 24/7, mostly because he had you up nearly 24/7.

The last three weeks had been filled with lots of barking, numerous “accidents” in which he ruined the new rug you’d just bought, and several jailbreaks in which he slipped his collar and made a run for it.

Needless to say, you’d gotten very little sleep and were at your wit’s end. But every time he’d crawl into your lap and lick your hand, your heart melted all over again and you knew exactly why you’d chosen him.

“Do you want me to take the leash?” Namjoon asked hesitantly when Haru yanked you forward again, chasing after a leaf blowing in the wind.

“I can handle him,” you huffed and wrapped the leash around your hand a third time to get a better grip.

“Is it all you thought it would be?” Namjoon asked and looped his arm around your free one.

“What?”

“Owning a dog.”

“Oh!” you said. “It’s a little more work than I was expecting, but after all he is just a puppy.”

“I cannot believe Haru already got kicked out of puppy training school,” Namjoon laughed.

“It’s not his fault!” you exclaimed. “Haru is just very inquisitive.”

“He sniffed another dog’s butt and all hell broke loose.”

“He caused a momentary commotion, but the other dogs started running around and barking too so I don’t really see why it was all his fault.”

“Nevertheless, the instructor told you to never bring him back. You officially have a dropout on your hands.”

“That instructor was a dick,” you sniffed. “Haru is an absolute angel and I can train him by myself.”

“Just a minute ago you said he was from hell.”

“Well, he is. But he’s also an angel. My perfect little angelic demon dog. The perfect companion.”

You and Namjoon had reached the dog park entrance, and you let Namjoon open the gates for you so you could keep ahold of Haru. You’d been taking Haru for several walks a day, but when Namjoon suggested a dog park you could feel a weight lifting off of your shoulders. Being able to let Haru run loose and burn some energy sounded exactly like what you needed right now.

As soon as Namjoon closed the second gate, you bent down and let Haru off of his leash. He paused for a second, but as soon as he realized he was free he bolted away from you, hopping across the yard with his tail wagging.

“Haru!” you yelled and waved the new tennis ball you’d bought in your hand. The energetic puppy turned around at your voice, tongue wagging. You threw the ball in a wide arc, and he jumped into the air to catch it.

Unsurprisingly, once he had the ball he ran in the opposite direction with it.

You sighed and sat down on the bench, and Namjoon joined you a moment later.

“A boyfriend probably would’ve been easier,” he remarked.

“Namjoon!” you yelled.

“What? You wanted a companion, right? At least you’d get some sleep with a boyfriend.”

You ignored your best friend and watched Haru chasing a dog around the park. The dogs seemed to be having fun, but soon enough the owner of the other dog called it over to them and shot you a dirty look.

“So when are you going to start training him?” Namjoon asked and leaned back against the bench, tipping his head up toward the sun.

“I already am,” you responded. “Haru, come!”

Haru did not come.

“He’s very independent, just like his mommy.”

“That is such a load of shit,” Namjoon said with his eyes closed. He didn’t even have to look to know that Haru was definitely not coming.

You rested your head on Namjoon’s shoulder with a sigh. “He’s a pain in the ass, but he’s my pain in the ass.”

“I could say the same about you.”

“Shut up,” you said half halfheartedly, cozying up closer to your friend. You had a few moments of peace before you had to jump up and run to Haru, who had decided to eat garbage for lunch.

It took you twenty minutes to finally catch Haru and get him back on his leash, but the second you got out of the dog park and stepped into the parking lot he slipped his collar. You watched in horror as he wiggled his head out and then ran for it, and you screamed his name and started running after him. He wove in between parked cars, and your heart was pounding as you tried to catch up with him.

“Haru!” you yelled, clutching the leash in your hand and looking around for him desperately. Your throat was getting tight, and your breathing hitched when you saw red in the corner of your vision. Haru was standing next to a sandy haired man, and when you caught up to him you saw that the man had treats and was holding them above Haru’s head.

You walked up slowly as to not scare Haru off, and the man glanced up at you and gave you a small nod. He continued to shake the bag of treats while you crept up on Haru and finally got ahold of him. The stranger helped grab the collar from your hands and put it around Haru’s neck.

“Thank you so much,” you said, your heartbeat finally slowing down.

“It’s no problem,” you stranger replied and petted Haru on the head. “You’ve got an excited one here, don’t you?”

“He likes to break free.”

“You should try a harness, that way he can’t slip out of it.”

Haru started pulling on the leash again, distracted by a dog passing by.

“What’s his name?”

“Haru.”

“Can I give him a treat?”

“Sure,” you replied with a shrug.

“Haru,” the stranger said and shook the bag of treats again. “Come.” Haru turned around and looked at him, and then pranced over. The stranger bent down and gave him a treat.

“Are you trying to train him?” the stranger asked.

“I was, but he kinda got kicked out.”

“I see.” He looked down at Haru, who was trying to chew on his shoelaces.

“I’m Taehyung,” he said and stuck out his hand for you to shake.

“Y/N.”

“I work as a dog trainer, if you’re interested?”

Haru tried to bolt again, barking loudly at a Chihuahua that was walking past, and you had to pick him up to make sure that he wouldn’t slip his collar again.

“He’s really stubborn,” you admitted.

Taehyung smiled, his mouth boxy and his brown eyes bright. “I don’t mind a challenge.”

You struggled with Haru in your arms, and when you set him down Taehyung shook the treats again and repeated the come command until Haru was at his feet, waiting for a treat.

“What’s your rate?” you asked hesitantly. You’d just moved to this area, and you had lied to your parents about what you’d eaten for dinner the past week (instant ramen every single night). You didn’t have a lot of spare change to spend on private training.

“For someone so gorgeous? I can do the first few lessons free.”

“Are you hitting on me?” you asked, incredulous.

Taehyung looked at you and then looked pointedly down at Haru. “I was talking about this handsome man right here.” And then he shot you a wink.

“Is everything alright?” Namjoon asked, coming around the car. “I couldn’t even figure out where you’d ran to.”

“Yeah, Haru just decided to make a new friend,” you replied.

Namjoon gave Taehyung a nod and came up to your side.

“That would be really nice of you,” you finally responded to Taehyung. “But I can’t ask you to do that for free.”

“It’s my pleasure,” he said, opening the back door of his car. A couple golden retrievers hopped out, and Haru started barking uncontrollably.

“Can you help?” you asked you friend. Namjoon grabbed Haru and started walking away with him to stop him from barking.

“I suppose he really does need some training, but I still feel bad having you help for free.”

Taehyung shrugged. “I come here almost every day; I walk some people’s dogs as well so this is pretty much my second home. I don’t mind giving you some tips while I’m here. I’m just sitting around anyway.”

“Haru, no!”

You glanced over and saw Namjoon pulling Haru away from a puddle of mud.

“I think I’ll take you up on that offer,” you said when you turned back to Taehyung.

“I’m usually here around this time, so I’ll keep an eye out for you.”

“Thanks so much.” You shot Taehyung a smile and then gave him a small wave before you ran and help stop Haru from bathing in mud.

“Haru, come,” you commanded. Haru looked at you and wagged his tail. “Come!”

It was a few days later, and thankfully only a couple other people were in the dog park. Taehyung had brought treats again, and you had a few of them in your hand as you tried to teach Haru his first command. Taehyung and you were sitting across from each other, and he was holding Haru’s leash. Each of you were taking turns calling Haru, and each time he’d come over you’d give him a treat.

You sighed after you’d called Haru for the tenth time.

“Just be patient,” Taehyung said, ignoring Haru’s inquiring nose at his hand.

“I’m the most patient person there is,” you retorted.

“I’ve only known you for a few days, but even I can tell you that’s false.”

You glared at him but then took a deep breath, determined to stay calm and patient.

“Haru, come!” Nothing. “Come!” A turned head, tongue sticking out. “Come!” Haru’s tail started wagging. “Come!”

Finally he came over, and you smiled wide as you gave him a treat. “Good boy!”

Taehyung spent some time calling Haru over, and the two of you sat there for almost an hour having Haru stubbornly walk back and forth between you. Taehyung had a poodle with him today, and it sat next to him calmly, head down on the ground as if this were boring them.

“Is that your dog?” you had asked when you first spotted Taehyung in the dog park.

“Nope, this is my neighbor’s dog.”

Now, with Haru resting his head peacefully in your lap, you asked Taehyung about his own pets.

“I actually only have one dog at the moment.”

“Really?” you asked, surprised. “I assumed you’d have a ton of dogs.”

“I do, in a sense. All the dogs I train are kind of my dogs.”

You smiled at him and petted Haru. “What kind of dog do you have?”

“A Pomeranian,” he answered. “His name is Yeontan. I just adopted him a little while ago.”

“Maybe some day him and Haru can go on a play date.”

Taehyung laughed and sat back on his elbows. “That sounds like a good idea, once we get Haru trained.”

The sun made Taehyung’s hair shine, and leaning back he looked like a work of art. You blushed when you realized you were staring, and focused on the sleeping pup in your lap.

“Is Haru your first dog?” Taehyung asked you a few moments later.

“He is.” You smiled down at Haru and kissed him on the head, causing him to nuzzle his head further into your lap. “How many pets have you had?”

“I’ve had pets all my life.”

“Is that why you went into dog training?”

Taehyung shook his head no. “I’ve loved animals forever, but I didn’t want to go into training until I started volunteering at a shelter. People give up animals so easily when all the dog needs is some training.”

You thought back to the nights you’d spent crouched over a mess Haru had made and wondered how many people would’ve given up by then.

“So many abandoned pets came into the shelter, and I realized that I could help in some way.”

“That’s really admirable of you,” you said.

Taehyung sat up and smiled at you. “It’s not, it’s just my way of putting some good into this world.”

“I really appreciate you helping train Haru. He’s a little devil but he has the softest heart.”

“I don’t mind at all. Besides, who else can say they get to spend time with someone so charming?”

“You’re talking about Haru again, aren’t you?”

Taehyung winked at you. “I’m talking about you this time.”

You blushed again and busied yourself with untangling Haru’s leash, as he’d knotted it up going back and forth between you two.

“Have you lived in this area very long?” you asked him.

“I’ve been here for a couple years now. But you must be new, right? I’d remember seeing you around town.”

The fact that he was determined that he’d remember you made your stomach flip in ways you hadn’t felt in a while. “I just moved here last month. I lived a couple hours away from here, but my friend needed a roommate and I really wanted to move out.”

“Have you liked it so far?”

You shrugged. “It’s been okay, but I really just stick around my friend Namjoon. I haven’t really made any friends at work or around town yet.”

“I’m your friend!” Taehyung said nonchalantly.

“You’ve known me collectively for around an hour.”

“So?” he asked. “I can already tell I like you.”

Haru yawned in your lap and you looked down at him to avoid Taehyung’s gaze.

“That’s sweet of you, but you barely know me,” you said.

“Can you give me a chance to get to know you?”

“How so?”

Taehyung stood up and held his hand out to you to help you up. “See you here next week?”

Over the next several weeks, Taehyung trained Haru faster than you’d even imagined. Of course, Haru was still incredibly stubborn. Every time you told him to come and he’d just stand there wagging his tail at you, your blood boiled. He knew the commands, he just didn’t always choose to obey them. But you and Haru had become inseparable, as if you’d been waiting your whole life for him (and, in a sense, you had).

You started growing anxious once Haru had learned most of the common commands. You were enjoying spending time with Taehyung more than you cared to admit, finding yourself hanging on his every word and blushing whenever his hand brushed against yours when you passed the leash over to each other. You feared that you’d run out of excuses to keep meeting him. After all, you already felt bad having him train Haru for free. You certainly couldn’t expect him to go above and beyond in training when you weren’t even paying him.

You wondered how Taehyung kept finding things to teach your pup. Haru had already learned how to come, heel, sit, lie down, and fetch. Haru had become a little tamer, no longer constantly running for every moving object that he saw.

“Hey, buddy!” Taehyung said one day when the two of you finally got to the dog park. He petted Haru between his ears and then took out his usual bag of treats. “Let’s teach you how to high five today.”

You laughed, thinking he was joking. But sure enough, he started trying to teach Haru how to high five. Your heart melted a little as you sat on the bench and watched Taehyung bent over, fluffy sandy hair covering his eyes and a big smile on his face when Haru finally put his paw in his hand.

The next week, you were certain Taehyung would tell you this was the last lesson. You couldn’t even think of more things to teach Haru at the moment. You’d achieved your goal: having a dog that didn’t drive you absolutely nuts. What else was there that Haru absolutely needed to learn?

But this time around, Taehyung had decided to teach Haru how to roll over.

The next week, he wanted to teach Haru how to play dead.

“Running out of things to teach him?” you asked when your session was over, walking out of the dog park with Taehyung. He had an adorable Bulldog with him today and you let her lick your hand before she hopped in his car. He closed the door and leaned against it, a small smirk on his face.

“You can never run out of things to teach a dog,” he replied.

Haru barked once at a passing dog, but when you commanded him to be quiet he sat at your side silently.

“He’s absolutely perfect, Taehyung,” you said, sadness filling your voice. Taehyung didn’t have to train Haru anymore, which didn’t give you much of a reason to spend time with him at the dog park.

“He is,” Taehyung responded, voice sounding equally as disappointed. You felt like your time with him was almost at an end, and your head started spinning trying to come up with an excuse to see him again.

Finally, you knew the perfect excuse.

“Do you want to go out for drinks soon?” you asked. “As a way of paying you back for training Haru.”

Taehyung stood silently for a moment, and then a smile brightened his face.

“Sure, I suppose that would be fair payment. I’ll pick you up this weekend.”

“You asked him out for drinks?” Namjoon asked you later that night as you plopped down onto the sofa next to him. You put a pillow on his lap and rested on it, looking up at your best friend and the dimples you’d adored since you were little.

“Yeah, as a way of thanking him for his help.”

“Are you sure that’s the only reason why?” he asked.

“Namjoon, what are you implying?”

“I’m just saying that you’ve been taking Haru to get trained for weeks now, and half the things he knows he’ll never even need. Plus, every time you come home from the dog park you have a goofy grin on your face.”

“I do not!” you exclaimed.

“Yes, you do. I’ve known you my whole life, I can tell when you like someone.”

You huffed and turned so your back was to him. “I don’t know if he even wants to be friends with me.”

Namjoon rolled his eyes at you. “Y/N, it’s so clear he’s been wanting to spend time with you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Did Haru really have to learn how to play dead?” he asked.

You bit your lip, not having a response. You had been very aware that Taehyung didn’t need to teach Haru any of the tricks he’d taught him these past few weeks.

“He’s been looking for any excuse to see you every week. You two are driving me nuts.”

When he put it that way, it did seem a bit obvious. Most of your training sessions were spent with the two of you just chatting anyway, and Haru certainly didn’t need more training right now.

“When are you going out with him?” Namjoon asked you and started braiding your hair.

“This weekend, he texted me the time he’d pick me up.”

“Alright, just text me if you need me to clear out of the apartment for you two.”

“Namjoon!” you yelled and picked up the pillow you’d been lying on, throwing it at him and walking away in frustration.

When Taehyung buzzed your apartment, you could feel your own nerves buzzing beneath your skin. You took a deep breath and gave Haru a pat on his head before leaving him alone with Namjoon.

You were dressed casually in a T-shirt and jeans, and Taehyung was dressed much the same. The two of you walked together to the nearest bar, the air between the two of you feeling heavy and weighted. This wasn’t a date, you reminded yourself. You were the one who asked him out, and it was purely so that you could thank him for all of his help. So what if he had the most gorgeous brown eyes you’d ever looked into, or a laugh that made your knees weak?

You hoped he wouldn’t notice that your hands were trembling a little.

This wasn’t a date. This wasn’t any different than spending time with him in the dog park. Except this time you didn’t have Haru as a distraction and a buffer.

“How’s Haru doing?” Taehyung asked you to break the silence. You’d been sitting tracing your finger along the rim of your glass, too nervous to speak.

“He’s doing well,” you replied, nodding your head but still not looking up at him.

“Are you alright?” Taehyung asked, lowering his head to catch your eye.

You finally looked up and gave him a small smile. “Yeah, I guess it’s just weird seeing you outside of the dog park.”

“To be honest, I’ve been looking for an excuse to see you out of that godforsaken dog park for a while now.”

You widened your eyes at him. “Really?”

“Yeah, but I didn’t want you to think I was coming onto you.”

“You weren’t?” You pouted jokingly, although you secretly meant it.

“I meet a lot of people because of my job, but you’re one of my favorites.”

You blushed and stirred your drink before taking a sip. “Thank you so much for training Haru, you were my savior.”

“It really was my pleasure. Besides, if I hadn’t then I wouldn’t be sitting across a pretty girl right now.”

You choked a little on your drink and coughed.

“What do you do for fun, other than training and walking dogs?” you asked, desperate to change the topic. Taehyung had been a flirt ever since you knew him, but the alcohol was making you take him seriously tonight.

“I’m really into music, always have been. I’m in a jazz band. I actually play here some weekends.”

“No shit?” you asked, sitting up straighter in your seat.

“Yeah, but what about you?”

“Funnily enough, I love listening to jazz music in my free time.” You winked. “Go figure.”

Taehyung tipped his head back and laughed, and you joined him, the alcohol finally making you mellow out.

A couple hours and several drinks later, you had your feet up underneath you and you were leaning in close, laughing at the stories Taehyung was telling you. Without Haru distracting both of you, you finally had a chance to fully get to know Taehyung.

“And I shit you not, Hobi passed out at least three times on that ride. He’d scream and then a second later be completely knocked out.”

“Oh my god,” you said in between your laughter. “Next time you go to an amusement park with your friends, please bring me with.”

“You’re welcome any time,” he said. “My friends are your friends.”

You smiled and leaned back in your seat.

“Finally feel like you have friends now?” he asked you.

You scratched your head and acted like you were thinking about it. “I think I do.”

“Do you always play this hard to get with your friends?”

“Unless you’re a dog, it takes a while to win over my heart. But you’re getting there.”

Taehyung nodded and downed the rest of his drink. “I should be getting home.”

“Me too,” you agreed, noticing that the room was spinning a little bit. When you stood up, you had to hold onto the table as to not fall over.

“Let me walk you home,” Taehyung said and threw some bills down on the table, taking your hand and leading you out before you could protest.

“I was supposed to pay for those!” you complained, swaying as you walked.

“I’m not sure you can even count properly right now. Besides, we’re friends. I don’t mind paying. You can pay next week.”

“Next week,” you promised and leaned into him. The two of you were quiet until you got to your apartment.

“I had fun,” Taehyung said. “Now go get some rest.”

“I did too,” you confessed. “See you later, Taehyung.” You fumbled with your keys but finally got in. Before the door closed behind you, you gave him a wave.

“You can call me Tae, by the way. All my friends do.”

He turned away before he could see your sloppy, drunken smile.

Every week, you met Taehyung for drinks. And every week, he walked your tipsy ass back home. Namjoon still joked that he could always clear out of the apartment if necessary, and you acted like you couldn’t hear him. It’s not that you hadn’t thought about it; Taehyung was very attractive and he still made your stomach flip when he smiled. But you’d been friends for some time now, and you figured that’s how he wanted it. You told yourself you were fine with that.

But whenever Taehyung ran his hands through your hair, you felt a pang in your stomach. And when he held your hand as you walked home from the bar, you could feel your heart skip a beat.

“Goodnight, Y/N,” Taehyung said every time he'd drop you off at home. He'd help you open the door and then kiss your forehead before you stumbled up the stairs.

You were fine being just friends.

At night, though, you sometimes found yourself thinking about him. It felt wrong, thinking about your friend this way as you writhed in bed. But everyone fantasized every once and a while, right? It didn't mean anything.

You were totally fine being just friends.

“Tae, you were amazing!” you said one night, leaping into his arms after his jazz performance. “I’m so glad you invited me finally.”

“I’m glad you wanted to come,” he replied. “I thought you were joking about liking jazz music.”

“I kinda was. But you’ve made me a fan now.”

Taehyung’s eyes were sparkling in the dim bar lighting, and your heart rate increased. Somehow, even though both of you were surrounded by dozens of people, this moment felt more intimate than when the two of you were tucked in a corner alone.

“You're very talented,” you said, your voice so low that he probably couldn't even hear you over the noise of the bar.

He was about to say something when a dark haired woman touched his arm and yelled his name.

“Taehyung!” She pulled him away from you and threw her arms around him.

“Nayeon, I didn’t think you were going to show up.”

“I couldn’t miss my favorite guy performing,” she said. She’d pulled away from her hug, but she still had her hand on his arm and her eyes were sultry as she looked up at him. “Who knew jazz could be so sexy?”

You suddenly felt like you shouldn’t be here anymore. In the months you’d known Taehyung, plenty of girls had flirted with him. But none that he clearly already knew. Not wanting to intrude, you acted like you needed to get a new drink and excused yourself from their company.

Taehyung turned to talk to you but Nayeon squeezed his arm a little and stepped closer to him, grabbing his attention again.

Walking straight past the bar, you slipped into a crowd of people and left the bar, cool air hitting your face as you walked outside. You walked home completely sober, and you wondered if that’s why things felt so wrong to you. Your stomach churned and your palms were sweating.

By the way Nayeon had been clinging to Taehyung, she clearly wanted to go home with him tonight. And as his friend, you should want that for him. You knew he was single, and any person your age deserved a good fuck every once and a while. Besides, she was adorable and he seemed to know her. They’d probably make a cute couple.

You were sweating now, and by the time you got up to your apartment your breathing was labored. The idea of your friend getting laid tonight shouldn’t bother you this much. Namjoon had had plenty of girlfriends and boyfriends over the years, and you’d never once felt sick thinking about it.

“Are you okay?” Namjoon asked when you slid down the door as soon as you closed it. You landed on the floor with a soft thud and closed your eyes, trying to regulate your breathing.

“Y/N, are you alright?” He was at your side now, hand pressed against your forehead. “Did something happen?”

“Tae’s probably going home with some girl tonight,” you mumbled and kept your eyes closed.

You heard a sigh and then Namjoon sat down next to you, taking your hand and holding it in his. “I knew this would happen.”

“What do you mean?”

“You were bound to figure out your feelings eventually.”

“I don’t—”

“You might be able to lie to yourself, but you can’t lie to me. Finally figured out you don’t just want to be friends with him, didn’t you?”

You stayed quiet, unsure of what to say. Is that why you felt so sick? The thought of Nayeon clutching Taehyung’s arm made your throat tighten.

You were not fine being just friends.

“I don’t like this feeling,” you whispered.

“I know,” Namjoon said and gently pushed your head onto his shoulder. “But you’re gonna be fine.”

Haru walked up to you and placed his head in your lap, and you finally felt yourself break. All this time with Taehyung and you’d convinced yourself that friendship was all you wanted. But reality had hit you hard tonight, and it was a feeling you didn’t like.

The three of you sat there for a while until your tears dried on Namjoon’s shirt and you fell asleep.

No longer having training sessions for Haru, you were able to avoid Taehyung during the week. And when his texts came in, you acted like you didn’t see them. He buzzed your apartment that next weekend as he always did, but Namjoon covered for you and said you weren’t feeling well.

“How long are you going to keep this up for?” he questioned the next week when you asked him to cover for you again that night.

You shrugged. “Until my feelings go away. Or until he gives up.”

Namjoon sighed. “Maybe you should just talk to him.”

“Namjoon, I really don’t think he’s interested. He’s probably wrapped up in Nayeon anyway. Talking to him will just complicate things.”

“You can’t keep avoiding him.”

“Why not?”

“Because for all he knows, you hate him now.”

You curled up under your blanket and ignored your best friend. Haru nudged your hand, his sign that he wanted to go for a walk.

“Go take Haru for a walk and get out of this house. You only leave to go to work now, and it’s getting a little sad. I can’t be your only friend.”

“You’re not my only friend!”

“Haru doesn’t count,” Namjoon countered. “Go take a walk, get some fresh air, talk to some strangers.”

“I shouldn’t talk to strangers.”

“Get out of this apartment before I kick you out.”

“What if Tae is out?”

“Just go to the other dog park. Stop looking for excuses and go.”

You groaned and then sat up, shooting him a glare before you put Haru in his harness and finally stepped out of the apartment.

Avoiding your usual dog park, you took a longer route to get to the dog park Namjoon had mentioned. Haru seemed to perk up when you rounded the corner, and you realized why a moment later. Taehyung was in the middle of the park standing next to what appeared to be a ball of fur. It moved, and when you looked closer you saw that it was a small, brown Pomeranian. This must’ve been his own dog that he was talking about.

You were just about to turn around and walk back when Haru started barking. “Quiet!” you whispered, but it was too late. Taehyung was looking up at you, and when he caught your eye he waved you over.

Not wanting to be rude, you walked your traitorous dog over to him.

“Hey, buddy!” Taehyung said and bent down, petting Haru. Yeontan blinked up at you, two angry looking eyebrows above his eyes, a stark difference from his excited tail wagging. You bent down too and gave him a little pet, if nothing but to ignore the fact that you were standing in front of the guy you’d been avoiding for several days.

“I should get going,” you said.

“You just got here.”

“I was just taking Haru out for a small walk.” You started to pull Haru away, and he whined pitifully as Yeontan got farther away from him.

“Y/N, can we talk?”

“I really have to get back home. I, um, have water boiling for my tea.”

“You left your water boiling?”

Your back was to him by now but you paused, knowing your excuse was absolutely moronic.

“The least you could do is invite me over for some tea.”

“Tae—”

“You’ve ignored me for two weeks. Can we please talk?”

You turned around, and you could see the hurt in his eyes. Namjoon had been right—you couldn’t ignore him forever. Taehyung had become one of your best friends, you owed it to him to let him know why you were avoiding him now.

“Okay.”

Haru and Yeontan went running off into your apartment when you opened the door, and Taehyung took a seat at the kitchen table as you rifled in the cabinets for your tea. Namjoon was nowhere to be found, so the apartment was quiet save for your dogs playing.

“Has everything been okay?” Taehyung asked.

“Yeah,” you replied. “I’ve been fine.”

You finally found the box of tea and took two sachets out, plopping them into mugs and starting your boiling water. Your back was still turned to Taehyung, but you could hear him readjust in his seat.

“Why haven’t you texted me, then?”

“I’ve just been busy.”

“Bullshit.”

You turned around, eyes wide. Taehyung actually looked mad, his jaw clenched.

“I—”

“If you don’t like me anymore, just tell me. Don’t ghost me.”

“No, that’s not it!”

“Then what is it? Why have you been ignoring me for weeks? Why can you barely look at me?”

“It's complicated.”

“Don't give me that excuse, tell me why you've been ignoring me.”

“Because I like you!” you blurted out.

The apartment was silent. Haru and Yeontan must’ve settled down somewhere.

“What?”

“I like you, Taehyung. And it hurt too much seeing you with someone else.”

“You like me?” he asked. The water beeped that it was done, and you turned your back to him and distracted yourself with pouring the water into the mugs.

“I like you,” you said quietly. “But we’re just friends, right?”

“We’re both idiots,” Taehyung said behind you.

You heard a shuffle and then he was turning you around, his chocolate eyes inches away from you.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, Tae, I didn’t—”

“I should’ve been the one to tell you.”

You cocked your head to the side. “What?”

“God, Y/N, why are we both so clueless?”

Your head was spinning, and you leaned against the counter to steady yourself. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve been flirting with you for months.”

“You flirt with everyone,” you said.

Taehyung shook his head and took a step closer to you. “Not like I do with you,” he said softly.

“So are you saying that you like me too?” you asked.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

You were breathless, unable to say anything.

“You kept brushing off my advances so I thought you just wanted to stay friends.”

“I thought you just wanted to be friends!”

Taehyung rested his forehead against yours, and your breath mingled together.

“I really don’t want to be just your friend.”

“But what about Nayeon?” you asked.

Taehyung put his hand on your hip, rubbing small circles into it which made your stomach flip.

“I just walk her dog a couple times a week, she doesn’t mean anything to me.”

“But—”

“Y/N, for the love of god, please stop talking so I can kiss you now.”

You shut up and your eyes fluttered closed as Taehyung wrapped his other hand around your head and pressed his lips against yours. You’d imagined what it would be like to kiss him, but your imagination couldn’t even compare to the real thing. His lips were soft, and he moved slowly against yours before he ran his tongue against your lip and you opened your mouth against his. He tasted like strawberries, and you leaned in closer to him and sighed softly. His hand moved from your hip to your back, pulling you as close as he could.

“The tea,” you mumbled against his lips, and he pulled you away from the counter, still moving his tongue against yours.

“Fuck the tea,” his voice was husky, sending a shiver down your spine.

He pushed you against the kitchen table, and you sat on it and wrapped your legs around him as he continued kissing you, making your head swim. His hands were everywhere but it somehow wasn’t enough, and you arched your back into him and wove your fingers into his hair. He trailed kisses from your lips to your neck, going down further until he reached the neckline of your shirt. He looked up at you devilishly, and you pulled your shirt off without a word. He reached behind you for the clasp of your bra, and then he finally had his lips wrapped around your nipple.

“Tae,” you said breathlessly, gently pulling on his hair.

“I can’t tell you how long I’ve imagined this for,” he said, and you moaned softly and grinded your hips against him.

“So have I,” you admitted, not even caring about the blush that was creeping up your neck. Not when he had moved to your other breast and was softly sucking on your nipple.

You kept moving your hips, and Taehyung finally pulled away with a glint in his eye. He tugged gently on your waistband, and you wiggled your hips and let him pull your jeans down. He pushed you back further on the table and bent down, kissing along the band of your panties before he slowly, achingly pulled them down your legs. You were sure you were absolutely red in the face now, completely naked in front of him, sprawled out on the kitchen table. But he looked down at you as if you were found treasure, a mixture of awe and hunger on his face.

“You just going to stare?” you asked, suddenly nervous.

“I want to remember this for the rest of my life,” he said. His voice was even rougher now, and before you could respond he ran his middle finger in between your folds, causing your breath to catch in your throat.

“You’re already dripping, holy shit.”

“You always make me this wet,” you said.

His head snapped up and he looked at you. “Have you thought about me before?”

“Sometimes at night.”

He groaned and tipped his head back. “You’re so fucking hot.”

He moved his finger again and you dropped your head to the table, unable to think straight. He teased your entrance with his finger, but then he moved it away and you felt his breath against you. His hot breaths made you tingle, and then his tongue was on you, lapping up your juices and pressing against your hole and your clit in cycles. You were moaning now, your head foggy with pleasure. His fingers joined his tongue, and he finally moved one finger in, curling up and making you pull his hair harder.

“You like that?” he asked against you, lips pressed up against your clit.

“Fucking hell, yes,” you gasped out, and then Tae grabbed the backs of your knees and slung your legs over his shoulders, pulling you closer to him. He inserted another finger, pumping in and out slowly as he sucked on your clit. You thought you were going to go insane, bucking your hips up into his face and moaning his name. Your orgasm was building already, and with every curl of his fingers you were seeing lights in front of your closed eyes.

“Look at how filthy you are,” he said. “Wet and moaning on a kitchen table. You’re already dripping and you haven’t even had my cock yet.”

“Oh my god,” you moaned, grinding your hips into his tongue. “Keep talking like that, please.”

“Really?” he asked, and the innocence in his voice made you pick your head up. He was looking at you with a twinkle in his eyes. “So you like it dirty, don’t you?”

“Quit teasing, you asshole.”

He pumped his fingers in harder this time and you bit down on your lip to stifle your gasp.

“My fingers are soaked, do you always get this wet for guys?” he asked, continuing to thrust his fingers in harder and faster.

“No,” you said, moving your hips into his thrusts. “Only for you.”

“What was that?” he asked. “I couldn’t quite hear it.”

He put pressed his tongue against your clit and you screamed, “Only for you! Fuck!”

“That’s my girl,” he hummed against your clit, curling his fingers up again. Your thighs were trembling against his face, and you had to stop yourself from squeezing them shut so that you wouldn’t suffocate him.

“Keep hitting right there,” you said breathlessly, your orgasm building. You smacked your head against the table and massaged his head as he continued to thrust into you, and before you could even warn him, you were clenching around his fingers, your release making you moan his name. He continued to pump in and out of you slowly until you finally came down, and then he inched up your body and kissed along your hairline before pressing his lips to yours.

“I bet you can taste yourself, can’t you?” he asked when he pulled away. You sat up and nodded, and he ran his thumb against your bottom lip. “Are you going to clean off my fingers?”

He didn’t have to ask you twice; you took his fingers into your mouth and wrapped your tongue around them, cleaning your juices off of him and then releasing them from your mouth with a pop.

“That’s one of the hottest things I’ve ever seen,” he groaned, and you could see his bulge straining against his pants. Your hands were still shaking from your orgasm, but you were able to unzip his pants and push them down, and then you dipped your hand into his briefs and pulled out his dick. It was red at the tip, already leaking a bit, and when you dropped to your knees and licked your tongue against the slit he hissed and wrapped his hand in your hair.

“I take it back, this is the hottest thing I’ve ever seen,” he said, looking down at you with his cock in your mouth. You bobbed your head up and down his dick, all the while looking up at him. He was biting on his lip as to not make a sound, but you could tell by his tightening fist that he was probably going to lose it soon.

“Do you like that, baby? My thick cock filling your mouth?”

“Hmmm,” you moaned against his dick, and the vibration made him throw his head backwards. Your hand ran up his thigh and fondled his balls, and he groaned and stepped backwards, making his cock fall out of your mouth.

“If you keep doing that I’m going to cum.”

“Isn’t that the point?” you asked innocently.

“Where’s your bedroom?” he asked.

You pointed to the closest door, and then he was pulling you toward it, slamming the door behind you two so that no one could enter. He was kissing you again, slowly pushing you backwards into the room until your knees hit the bed and you fell onto it. He pulled away to finally take his shirt off, exposing his tanned chest. He hovered over you, arms around your head as he dipped down and kissed you. You bit down on his lip a little, causing him to moan against you.

“You like it rough, you dirty girl?”

“Fuck yes,” you said, wrapping your legs around his waist. But he shook his head and moved your legs away from him.

“Get on your hands and knees.”

Pleasure shot through your core at his command, and you did as he said, waiting for his touch. When he finally palmed your ass, you moaned and rested your head on the bed.

“Keep your head up,” he said, grabbing your hair and pulling just enough to be a little painful. You moaned again and dipped your head down a little bit so he’d pull it up again.

He rubbed his dick up and down your slit, and you thrust your hips back against him.

“You’re eager, aren’t you?” he asked, teasing you by pushing the tip against your entrance and pulling away.

“Fuck me, Tae,” you begged. “I’m on the pill, just fuck me already.”

“I can’t believe you’re bent over begging for my cock,” his voice sounded nearly strangled, and then he thrust into you swiftly, burying himself up to the hilt. He stayed there for a few seconds, letting you adjust, and then he was snapping his hips back, setting a bruising pace. He filled you up every inch, and your arms were growing weak trying to keep yourself up. You’d never felt so full, and so complete, in your life. His hips smacked against your ass, the sound obscenely loud in your empty apartment.

“You’re so fucking tight,” he said, thrusting into your harder. “When’s the last time you got fucked?”

“I don’t even remember,” you confessed, breathless. “Never like this.”

“No one’s ever fucked you this hard?”

You dropped your head down, and he pulled on your hair again. You screamed and clutched the sheets, thrusting your hips into his.

“No, no one’s ever fucked me this hard, oh my god!”

“Do you like it, baby?” he asked, tilting his hips to hit a new spot.

“Oh my god, yes!” you screamed, nearly tearing into your sheets. “I’m so close.”

He suddenly pulled out of you and flipped you onto your back, wrapping your legs around his waist. You were grateful to no longer have to keep yourself up, your chest heaving with your heavy breaths. You were absolutely throbbing, seconds away from your orgasm.

“I want to see your face when you cum,” he said, and thrust into you again, hard and deep. “Cum around my cock, baby.”

At his words, you came, screaming his name and bucking your hips against him as you rode out your orgasm. Your nails scratched down his back and with a couple more thrusts he was joining you, stifling his moan by capturing your lips in a heated kiss. He slowed down as he came against your walls, filling you up so that when he finally pulled out, his cum dripped out of you mixed with your own juices.

The two of you lied there for a while, tongues pressed against each other and soft hands cupping each other’s faces.

Just when you thought your lips were going to bruise, Taehyung pulled away.

“You’re going to have to wash your sheets,” he said sheepishly.

“I might just throw them away,” you admitted, looking down at the mess you made. You started to get up but Taehyung pushed you back down and got up instead, walking to your bathroom and running a washcloth under the sink. When he came back, he kissed up your thighs and wiped you down, cleaning up the stickiness between your legs. Then he pulled your toward his side of the bed and you curled yourself around him, legs interwoven.

“Did that really just happen?” he asked incredulously.

“It really did,” you said, equally surprised.

“Was I too rough?” He sounded genuinely concerned. When he looked down at you, you smiled at him.

“No, you were perfect. I see why you’re a trainer now, though,” you said with a giggle.

“Shut up,” he grumbled, but pulled you closer to him.

“I bet you can teach me some new tricks,” you said, tracing your finger along his chest.

“You're never gonna stop with the trainer jokes, are you?”

“You're the one who wanted to do it doggy style,” you pointed out.

“Okay, you make a good point there. But that was a coincidence.”

You giggled and sighed against him. “I can’t believe you trained him for free. I sincerely hope you charge your other clients.”

“I’ve only ever trained your dog free of charge,” Taehyung said softly.

“Wow, you really did want to get in my pants,” you said.

He hugged you closer and rested his chin on the top of your head. “I told you I’d get to know you, didn’t I?”

“I suppose you did.”

You were absolutely spent, and you felt your limbs grow heavy and your breathing slow as you laid against him.

“Get some rest, angel,” he said, his lips brushing against your hair. He hummed a song and rubbed your back, and you were finally lulled to sleep.

When you woke up a few hours later, the bed was empty. Taehyung’s shirt was no longer on the floor, and you opened your door and looked around. He was nowhere to be found. You walked around the apartment and saw that Namjoon still wasn’t home, and then you noticed that Haru was also missing.

Unless Taehyung had fucked you in an elaborate plan to steal your dog, he was most likely out taking the dogs for a walk. You stilled your thumping heart by pouring out the now cold tea and cleaning up the mugs. By the time you were done he was knocking on the door, and when you opened it Taehyung was standing before you, two leashes in one hand and a tray with coffee in the other.

“The tea got cold, so I figured I’d pick up something to drink,” he said, smiling at you.

You let him in and picked Haru up, giving him a kiss on the nose before setting him back down and giving equal attention to Yeontan.

“He’s the angriest looking dog I’ve ever seen,” you said when you picked him up, holding his fluffy little form in front of you.

“The second I saw him, I fell in love,” Taehyung said and set the coffees down on the table.

“That’s how I felt about Haru.” You set Yeontan down with a little pat on the head and then sat at the kitchen table, taking a coffee and staring down at it. You’d just fucked your friend, and you didn’t know what that meant now.

“Did I worry you by disappearing?” he asked. “I wanted to leave a note but I couldn’t find any paper. Do you and Namjoon have something against paper in this house?”

You laughed a little and looked up at him. “We try to keep our paper usage to a minimum.”

“I’m sorry if I was, um, too much earlier.” Taehyung wasn’t looking at you now, and you could have sworn he was blushing.

“I like it like that,” you said, putting your hand on his chin and tipping his face up so he’d look at you. “Did you like it?”

“I liked it a lot,” he said with a small smile.

“So…” you trailed off.

“Are you going to ignore me again?” Taehyung asked.

You shook your head no. “You know how I feel now.”

“And now you know how I feel too.”

The two of you looked at each other in silence for a few moments, and then both of you started speaking at the same time.

“I really want—”

“Do you want t—”

“Sorry, you go ahead,” you said.

“Do you want to go on a proper date with me?” Taehyung asked you.

“Oh!” you replied. “I was actually going to suggest that.”

He pulled your chair closer to him and pecked you on the lips. You could feel him smile against you, and you leaned forward and kissed him again.

“Just so you know, I only do exclusive relationships,” Taehyung said.

“Is this already a relationship?” you asked, nervous to hear his answer.

“Of course it is.”

You kissed him again, and your tongue was just brushing against his lip when Namjoon came in the door. The two of you jumped away from each other, but you could see Namjoon roll his eyes.

“It’s about damn time,” he said, dropping his keys on the table and nodding his head at Taehyung. “How did you like that new dog park?”

“Thanks for suggesting it to me, I found exactly what I needed,” Taehyung said.

“Wait!” You looked in between the two boys. “Did you set this up?”

“I just suggested the same dog park to both of you, and you both happened to go to it at the same time.”

“Oh my god,” you said, reality sinking in. Your friend really managed to finally hook you up with Taehyung.

“Did you know I was going to be there?” you asked.

Taehyung threw his hands up in defense. “I didn’t, but I had a feeling you might show up.”

“Men,” you huffed, but you shot Namjoon an appreciative glance before he went into his room and closed the door.

“Hey, do you regret going there now?” Taehyung asked, pulling your chair closer to him again.

You sighed and threw your arms around his neck. “No, it’s the best decision I’ve ever made.”

Haru came up and pressed his nose up against your leg, and you looked down at him and smiled. “It’s really all thanks to this furball from hell,” you said. “If I hadn’t gotten him, I never would’ve needed a dog trainer.”

“Maybe you can get another dog and I can help you train that one.”

“Or maybe we can just go on dates like normal and stop coming up with new tricks for my dog just to spend time together.”

Taehyung leaned in and you could feel him smiling against your lips again. “Sounds like a plan.”

Masterlist

[thebloggerbloggerfun]

No Walk in the Park

For @purgatory-jar :) Happy birthday, dude!!!

AO3

When Sam had asked Dean to watch his dog while he and Eileen went on vacation, Dean hadn’t realized just how much of a spoiled hellion Sam had turned the dog into.

“Bones, no.” Dean dug his heels into the ground and tugged on the leash as the extremely energetic mutt attempted to choke himself on his collar. “Calm your tits, you maniac.”

Dean nodded at an older woman as she gave him an odd look.

“Morning, ma’am.” Dean tried his best to look casual while a large ball of fur tried to drag him down the pathway. “Bones, heel!”

There was no stopping Bones, however. As far as Dean could tell, any moment that Bones wasn’t spending sniffing something, pissing on something, or running towards something interesting, was a moment wasted in the life of the dog. Hopefully, this trip would be worth it.

Dean had found a dog park nearby and was determined to let Bones run free until he tired himself out, and prayed that he might finally be able to relax without having a wound-up canine whining at him every few seconds.

“Alright, here we are.” Dean strained against the constant tugging and sighed with relief when he saw the gate that led to the large fenced area. “You’ll be free in like a minute. Just chill, dude.” ‘Chill’ did not exist in this dog’s vocabulary.

Bones’ tail was wagging so furiously that Dean thought it might break off as he stared into the fenced area at the other dogs running wild, while their owners either chatted to the side or were throwing frisbees. There were small groups of children gathered around the fence, pointing and laughing in delight at the dogs, and jumping in excitement whenever one approached them.

Once Dean had passed the gate and managed to lure Bones in close enough to reach his collar, he released him from the dreaded bonds of the leash and watched him bolt in the direction of the small pond.

If that dog got him wet, he was gonna -

“What kind of dog was that?”

Dean glanced behind him and saw a dark-haired man, probably in his early twenties and wearing a loose-fitting t-shirt, staring past him at Bones from behind the fence.

“Uh,” Dean swallowed as he stared back, wishing that the fence - as largely transparent as it was - was gone, just so he could see more of the guy, though honestly his blue eyes were striking enough to have Dean staring at them alone. “He’s a golden retriever. Mostly, at least. I don’t know what the other parts are; he’s a shelter dog.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful.” Blue-eyes said said, and his smile made him even more attractive, if possible. “I’d like to get a shelter dog one day.”

Dean cleared his throat and casually meandered a few steps closer towards the fence.

“Well, before you start thinking I’m a saint, he’s my brother’s dog, not mine,” Dean admitted, running a hand through his hair awkwardly. “I’m just watching him for a couple weeks while he’s out of town.”

Blue-eyes cocked his head to the side.

“Well, that seems pretty saintly to me - considering the temperament of the dog,” Blue-eyes mused, and linked his fingers through the fence opening. “But that does explain why I haven’t seen you here before.”

Dean raised an eyebrow.

Was this flirting? Maybe? Honestly, it could fall either way, but the guy was cute enough that Dean was willing to risk it to find out.

“Yeah? You come here often?” he asked, ignoring how cringeworthy the pickup line was.

“Most days, yes,” Blue-eyes stared past Dean and tilted his head to the side. “I think your dog is doing inappropriate things to that man’s leg.”

Dean whirled around in time to see that Blue-eyes was tragically correct.

“Son of a bitch,” Dean took off in the direction of his stupid dog, hoping to reach him before irreparable damage was done. “Bones!”

Dean finally separated Bones after profusely apologizing to the the victim, and quickly snapping the leash back onto Bones to drag him away from any repeat offenses.

By the time he made it back to the fence, Blue-eyes was gone.

“Ah, man,” Dean said, sitting down on the grass with a disappointed sigh. “I thought dogs were supposed help people get dates, not lose them.”

Dean glared down at Bones, who started licking his hand like he’d done nothing wrong. *** It was hard to decide if Dean or Bones was more excited for the walk in the park the next day, but Dean decided that since Bones was excited for just about everything, Dean won this contest.

They approached the dog park with Bones in the lead, and Dean scanned the park for any signs of the handsome blue-eyed man who said he came to the park most days.

Bones whined as Dean tried to slow their approach, apparently unable to accept anything less than a full sprint forward.

“Slow down, dude,” Dean muttered, though he knew reasoning with Bones was futile. He wasn’t sure what Sam had been feeding him, but it sure seemed like it was fifty percent sugar, and fifty percent caffeine.

They finally made into the dog park for the second time ever, and after snapping a picture to send to Sam - proving that he hadn’t yet killed his pet - he let Bones loose. Dean sighed in satisfaction as he watched Bones immediately make a friend with a border collie on the side of the park nearest to the playground.

He squinted, his eyes being drawn towards a bench just on the other side of the fence that separated the playground from the dog park.

There was a younger man sitting on the bench, a book in his lap as the wind ruffled his hair - and he looked suspiciously like Blue-eyes from the day before.

Immediately, Dean felt his heart beat a little faster at the recognition, and he chastised himself for caring too much - even as he pulled out his phone to check his reflection before jogging after Bones.

“Oh, hey,” Dean waved as he got closer, like he’d only just noticed him sitting there. “Back again, I see?”

He winced internally. Why couldn’t he ever think up anything clever to say in time?

Blue-eyes glanced up from his book, smiling as Dean got closer and putting a bookmark in the pages.

“It would seem so.” Blue-eyes turned to look at the children’s playground before walking towards the fence, book in hand. “How’s the dog today? Behaving any better?”

“Uh,” Dean briefly peeked behind him to see Bones trip over a tree stump as he chased a bird. “You know. He’s about the same.” Blue-eyes chuckled, and gripped the fence with his free hand. “What’s his name, again?

“Bones. Real original, I know.” Dean sighed. “Like a naming a human Hamburger.”

Blue-eyes nodded with a smile.

“And what’s yours?” he asked.

Dean found himself a little too preoccupied with staring into the two bright blue reasons he’d given the guy his nickname, to be able to answer at full brain capacity.

“My what?”

“Your name.”

“Oh -” Dean cleared his throat and flushed. “I’m Dean. What’s yours?”

“Castiel,” Blue-eyes said with a shrug. “It’s odd, I know.”

“Castiel,” Dean repeated, already adoring the way it felt on his tongue. “I think it’s beautiful.”

It was Castiel’s turn to blush, his eyes widening a little at the compliment, and he glanced down at his shoes before smiling back at Dean again.

“Well… thank you.”

Dean paused, hoping that the sparks he felt between the two of them were mutual. Castiel was funny, nice, and one of the prettier people Dean had ever seen if he was being honest. He’d be crazy to not at least try to get to know him better.

“Hey, feel free to tell me to back off if this is out of left field for you, but do you want to go get coffee later?” Dean asked, leaning into the fence and praying to whoever was listening that he hadn’t been misinterpreting Castiel’s interest in him.

It was possible, of course. They’d only met twice.

Castiel tilted his head to the side as his smile widened.

“I’d like that, Dean.”

Dean nearly sighed with relief.

“Great!” He ran a hand through his hair to relieve some nervous tension. “Um, how about the Starbucks just down street?”

“Sounds perfect.” Castiel glanced behind him towards the playground and let out a breath. “I can meet you there around six? I have to drop the kids off at dance, and then I should be free.”

Dean paused, his eyebrows knitting together.

Kids?

“Well - see you at six, then!”

Castiel waved as he walked away towards the playground, and Dean watched a similarly dark-haired boy and girl run up to him as he approached and start tugging on his hands with wide smiles on their faces.

Eventually, Castiel reached for the younger boy and hoisted him to sit around his waist as he ushered them back towards the parking lot.

Kids.

Dean stood with one hand on the fence, staring towards the playground, the sounds of screaming infants echoing in his brain as the other shoe dropped. *** Dean went into crisis mode.

On the one hand, attractive man who was interested in him, too. On the other hand… children.

It wasn’t that Dean hated kids, not in the slightest, but kids definitely weren’t in the equation when he’d asked Castiel out on the date. Kids were a whole other handful that single parents always seemed to wait to tell the person they were dating about until a few dates in.

At least, that’s what the movies seemed to portray?

Honestly, Dean didn’t have a lot to work with, here; he’d never dated anyone with kids before and had never even considered the possibility that one day he might. He wasn’t a jerk and didn’t want to be one of those assholes who had that as a deal breaker, but at the same time, he was only twenty-three! He was in no way, shape, or form ready to be a parent to a tween.

Dean smacked himself on the forehead as he walked Bones back to the apartment.

Why the hell was he thinking about parenting already? He’d asked Castiel out, not proposed marriage to him. He’d only just met the guy and as twitterpated as he obviously was, this was just one date. He needed to get a grip and think about this logically.

Chances were, this was going to go nowhere. It was just a chance meeting in a park based on a first impression. There was zero commitment, here.

But was he thinking that just because he wanted an out now? Was he really that asshole who excluded single parents from his dating pool?

Dean opened the door to his apartment and let Bones off the leash, flopping down onto his living room couch - and he immediately had one hundred pounds of fur jump on his chest. He huffed, eventually giving up on his attempts to shove Bones onto the floor and instead, buried his face in the dog’s chest as he scratched him.

No.

He didn’t want to be that guy. This was something he should figure out right now, regardless of whether or not he and Castiel worked out.

Kids were fine. He liked kids well enough.

If the person that he was meant to be with happened to have children, then so be it.

Dean nodded to himself, pleased with himself for coming to that decision after only forty-five minutes of panicking.

He glanced at the time and let out a long breath as he scratched Bones behind the ears.

This date was going to be treated just like any other. Dean smiled, remembering the way that Castiel’s face had lit up when Dean had asked him out.

And then Bones licked his face, and Dean stopped smiling. *** “Dean!”

Dean turned towards the sound of the familiar voice as he entered the Starbucks, and saw Castiel waving at him from a small table that he’d claimed for the two of them.

“Hey,” Dean grinned as he sat down. “How’s it going?”

“Not bad,” Castiel said, adjusting the shirt he’d apparently changed into for their date. “It’s - uh, it’s been a while since I’ve been on a… date, so I’m a bit nervous if I’m being honest.”

Castiel swallowed as he studied Dean’s face, chewing on his lower lip.

“This is a date, right?” Castiel asked in a hesitant voice.

“Oh, no, yes.” Dean nodded enthusiastically, feeling his heart melt a little more at Castiel’s admission. “Definitely.”

Castiel breathed a sigh of relief and Dean instantly felt guilty about considering not giving him a fair chance. He obviously didn’t get to do this a lot anyway, because of assholes like the guy he himself had nearly been.

“So, uh,” Dean cleared his throat, trying to approach the subject as casually as possible. “How was dropping the kids off at dance class?”

Castiel let out a long breath.

“More or less the same. They have a recital coming up that I hope I can make it to.” Castiel drummed his fingers against the table as he spoke. “But life doesn’t always let me.”

“That’s totally understandable,” Dean said with a sympathetic nod. “You probably work a lot.”

Castiel hummed in agreement.

“It’s worth it, though. I’ve got to get through school somehow,” Castiel said, and smiled weakly. “Just a few more years.”

“You go to school, too?” Dean whistled and shook his head. “Major kudos to you, dude.”

“I mean… lots of people do it,” Castiel said with a shrug. “Though I’d like to be a pilot one day, so it’s quite a commitment for both money and time.”

“A pilot?” Dean raised his eyebrows. This guy was a fucking rock star. “That’s awesome. What made you want to do that?”

Dean could see the moment his question registered to Castiel, as a warm look crossed his face.

“I’ve wanted to touch the sky for as long as I can remember.” Castiel propped his chin on his closed fist as he gazed out the window and up at the clouds. “I guess I just like it up there.”

Dean let his eyes roam over the faraway look Castiel had and fell a little bit more in love. He was adorable. He had dreams and ambitions and his reasoning was the most endearing thing he’d ever heard.

Yeah, this was hopefully gonna be more than one date, kids or no kids.

Eventually, the two of them actually ordered some coffee to sip at while they talked, mostly about school, and a lot about Bones, despite Dean’s insistence that he wasn’t that interesting of a dog.

Dean talked about himself as well, his likes and dislikes, his job as a mechanic and his aspirations for something more, but he found that he was more than content to sit and listen to Castiel talk about the sky for as long as he was willing to go for.

“Can I have your number?” Dean blurted, interrupting Castiel in the middle of a sentence and Castiel raised his eyebrows at he looked back towards him. “Sorry, I just… like you a lot.”

Castiel’s face turned bright red as he turned his smile down at his lap.

“Yes, if I can have yours.”

Dean pulled out his phone and slid it across the table.

“Sounds like a deal to me.”

Dean licked his lips as Castiel picked up the phone. He must have so many worries and insecurities about dating as a single parent, and here he was, facing all of that like the fearless person he was.

“And um, just so you know, the kids don’t bother me,” Dean said after clearing his throat to sound more confident. “Like, at all. I like kids.”

Castiel looked up from his typing and raised an eyebrow.

“Okay. That’s good to know, I guess.”

“I mean, it would new territory for me, for sure,” Dean said, running a hand through his hair. “But I just want to make it clear that they’re not going to be an issue.”

Castiel frowned as he stared back at him.

“Why would they be an issue?”

“Exactly! They wouldn’t!” Dean clasped his hands in front of himself. “I just know that being a single parent can be super hard. So I just wanted you to know that I’m good on that. Not that you need me to approve or anything, but like, going forward…”

Castiel opened his mouth, then closed it again as he slowly set down Dean’s phone.

Was he overwhelmed with emotion? Dean didn’t think it was that big of a statement, but if it made him feel better, then it was definitely worth it.

“Oh, Dean. That is so sweet of you to say. Really, it’s very touching.” Castiel reached out and rested one hand on top of Dean’s, smiling at him in a way that Dean almost thought was pity. “But I’m a nanny.”

Dean stared back, glancing down at where Castiel was touching him and then back up to the amused smile that was now playing on his lips.

“You’re a -” Dean started, trying to get his brain to catch up with the conversation.

Castiel nodded slowly.

“So… the kids…”

“Aren’t mine,” Castiel finished. “I watch them for eight hours every day and then I go to school most evenings.”

Dean dropped his head onto his hands - which also happened to be on Castiel’s - and groaned as his face burned in embarrassment. All this time he thought that - why hadn’t he just thought - he should have known he was a nanny. They were around the same age!

“I’m an idiot,” Dean muttered.

“A very cute idiot, though.”

Dean brought his head back up when he felt a gentle pat on the side of his face.

“It’s okay, Dean. That was a very noble display and it puts you even more into my good graces,” Castiel said, and tapped Dean’s phone a few more times before placing it back into Dean’s hand. “Here’s my number. We should do this again sometime, now that you know you don’t have to commit to three of us.”

Dean groaned and threw his head back, still unable to deal with his own stupidity.

Castiel stood and laughed, patting Dean’s hand. “Goodbye, Dean. I have to go pick up the kids. But don’t be so embarrassed that you won’t call me.”

Dean sighed and gave him a thumbs up while he still struggled for words, watching him walk out the door and into his life forever.

After that, Dean called Castiel a single father for years. After a while, it started confusing everyone they met, who could clearly see the wedding band on his finger.

[rememberthattime]

Chapter 52. Finnish Lapland

I’m writing this introduction from our flight from London Gatwick. It is 6:14 AM. Cold and rainy. We’ve been up since 4, and even my few hours of sleep were interrupted by relentless coughing. I should feel tired and angry.

But instead I’m bursting with anticipation - like my body can’t handle the excitement (maybe that’s the reason for my cough?).

This is Chelsay and I’s first weekend trip, and as the plane makes its way to the runway, I’m remembering the #1 reason we moved back: accessible travel, starting with this weekend’s trip to the Finnish Lapland.

Our second round of European adventures began with this road trip to Nellim, Finland, an extremely remote town of 150 people tucked 250 miles into the Arctic Circle, just five miles from the Russian border.

However, before writing about our three days in Finland, I want to quickly cover our first three weeks in London.

I could talk about our return to Richmond Park, about our walks through Soho and the reminders of how “cool” London is, or about how we found our flat in Hampstead within 24 hours of arriving... All of that was great, but I really only want to write about one thing: Indy.

Yes, 12 year old Chelsay’s dream finally came true. As a kid, she’d tell her mom she was going to live in London (...she watched a lot of Mary Poppins). She would have a great job and a nice husband. But most importantly: she would have a border collie named Indiana Jones. This dream came true when Chels and I traveled up to Derby, England to visit a puppy litter. All of the puppies had chubby butts, but our little Indy was easy to spot: tail wagging, stomping over his puppy siblings, and already showing affection to his new parents. It was love at first site.

We won’t get to take little Indy home for a few more weeks, but that hasn’t slowed Chelsay’s “puppy mom” obsession. We bought his crate and fence on the ride home from Derby. We’ve been watching hours of dog training videos on YouTube. I’m receiving dozens of texts each day with the same puppy picture. ...Who am I kidding though? I’m just as much of an obsessed “puppy dad”.

That one Indy story means you’re caught up on our first three weeks in London. Back to our first trip.

There’s always a buzz when you’re going somewhere new, and that’s especially true in Europe. Every country is so accessible yet so unique. Spain is nothing like Sweden nor Morocco. They’re all just three hours away, but might as well be on different planets.

This was proven true as our plane descended into Finland. The landscape was whiter than a Dave Mathews concert. Snow everywhere. No patches of civilization, just patches of evergreen forests covered in more white. We took off in metropolitan London and landed literally in the Arctic Circle.

If this was evident on the flight in, it became especially clear as we left the airport. I asked our rental agent for the car keys and he looked back at me as if it were obvious: “They’re in the car - I started it 30 minutes ago.”

As we stepped out the airport doors, I realized why this should’ve been obvious — and also why his directions to the car were so emphatic. Everything was frozen, including the car had he not started it earlier. Chelsay and I would’ve been frozen too if we didn’t literally dive into the car.

After barely avoiding frostbite, my first thought upon hitting the road was “How can people survive here?” It’s just snow, ice, and sub-zero temperatures for months!

But the Finnish rightly play up their winter wonderland. In fact, it’s close enough to the North Pole that Lapland claims to be the Home of Santa. Yes, of all the places in the entire world, Santa chose Rovaniemi, Finland to set up shop. What an honor.

After a brief stop at Santa’s offices, we hit the road for our four-hour drive to Nellim. This place is remote, and that was exactly the intention. My two goals for the trip were (1) to see the Northern Lights and (2) to walk through snowy, silent Finish forests. Heading as far into Lapland as possible gave us the best chances for both.

The drive was a breeze: we had studded tires for the icy roads, and a James Acaster audiobook for entertainment. Plus the landscape kept us in awe - tall spruce forests lined the roadway and the black concrete was covered in ice, loose snow whipping around in the wind.

We were conscious of daylight on our drive up. In winter, the sun technically rises at 9:30 AM and sets at 3 PM. I say “technically” because there is actually far more daylight thanks to Nautical and Civil twilight, two things I’d never heard of before this trip. Given Lapland’s latitude, sunrise and sunset last about two hours each — rather than have a defined light time and dark time, Finnish days are just caught in perpetual semi-visibility... In addition to being “Home to Santa”, Lapland is apparently also the Twilight Zone.

Stop it Mike.

Anyway, we arrived at Nellim Wilderness Resort after sunset and nautical twilight and civil twilight and any other twilight. It was dark, but there were still a few activities available our first evening.

First, our resort had an illuminated sled hill. We didn’t know about the sledding beforehand, but once we’d seen it, Chelsay and I couldn’t resist.

Our riding styles were absolutely on brand: Chelsay laughed and screamed the entire way down (reminding me of our ride on The Mummy roller coaster at Universal Studios).

Meanwhile, I took sledding to an extreme by riding headfirst (likely breaking my ribs with what Chelsay called “The Salmon Jump”), then later trying to surf down (likely breaking my back with what Chelsay called “The Concussion Tumble”).

We were in the right country to recover from our (my) frigid falls, because the Finns love a hot sauna. In fact, they invented it! 1000 years ago, some Viking named Olaf probably tried that sled-surf thing, and a smoky sauna was his novel therapy!

Luckily the resort’s saunas were private, because similar to sled-surfing, I introduced a new twist to an old tradition: no one in the history of saunas has ever sweat as much as I did. Olaf included.

Outside of sledding and saunas, the other big nighttime activity in Lapland is searching for the Aurora Borealis. The Northern Lights are fairly common this time of year: about 50/50. The problem was the weather was due to be overcast & snowing throughout, so Chelsay and I came in with zero expectation.

We mentioned this to the receptionist at Nellim, but she wasn’t giving up hope. She said to keep our eyes peeled for stars: if you can see the stars, there’s a break in the clouds and a chance to see the Aurora. It didn’t hurt that our room was 50% window.

Just as the receptionist predicted, we saw stars from about 10:30 to midnight. Staring out felt like being on a hunt, eyes dashing from one side of the sky to the other in hopes of seeing a green flash. Eventually I fell asleep, but the resort offers an Aurora alarm in case the lights appear.

Unfortunately there were no alarms either night.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed - the Northern Lights were one of the main reasons for visiting, and the brief star sightings provided a cruel tease of unwarranted hope. But the Aurora is just weather after all, and as the sun rose the next day, we remembered how cool it was to be in Nellim, Finland. Plus, the flip side of this snowy cloud cover was a clean and white-coated winter wonderland.

The fresh snow was perfect for our first activity of the day: dog sledding. These huskies were dying to get out and run, and I’ll never forget their excited gallop as we burst through the trees onto an open, frozen lake.

Chelsay and I switched off as driver, both flirting with danger. Chelsay nearly led us into Russia, while I ghost rode the sled. If you’re not familiar with ghost riding, it’s where you hop out of a moving (now driverless) vehicle and run beside it. Based on the look in our dogs’ eyes, I’m not sure they’d seen this before.

After the morning excitement, Chelsay and I had earned extra whipped cream on our hot chocolates. I’ll briefly mention the dining, which we both surprisingly enjoyed. Finnish food is not traditionally exciting (a lot of lingonberry and reindeer), but the Wilderness Resort came through for each meal: tasty lamb shanks, potatoes gratin, mushroom risotto, panna cotta, and more. And obviously a lot of hot chocolate.

We regained enough energy over lunch for our afternoon activity: snow shoeing. We planned to be out for a few hours, so bundled up in three layers of everything: socks, leggings, sweaters. We even doubled up on gloves.

Now insulated from the sub zero temperatures, we were motoring around the quiet, empty wilderness in no time. Nothing but clean snow and creaky timber for miles. Chelsay said it reminded her of the land of swirly twirly gumdrops from Elf: “Byeee Buddyyyy”

We climbed up hills, slid down slopes, trekked across frozen lakes, forged our own paths through the deep snow, and tracked the only other footprints we could find: wolf and reindeer.

Just as the sun was setting (at 3 PM), Chelsay and I stumbled into a peaceful and perfect grove. It was a beautiful setting and the most memorable moments I’ll take from the trip.

The evergreen branches were coated in snowy white clumps, the crisp air was cold in our chests, and the only sound we could hear was crunch... crunch... crunch... as we gently shuffled across the deep snow.

We returned to our room with that “exhausted but content” feeling. Our quads were burning but we’d accomplished what we came for.

That night, we enjoyed another remedial sauna - this one was somehow sweatier than the last. We didn’t have any energy or unbroken bones left for sledding that night, so we instead stayed in our room and watched Parasite (great movie) while sipping hot chocolate. I doubt I’ll remember what JOMO meant when I read this in 20 years, but this night describes it well.

We were making the long drive back to Rovaniemi around lunch the next day, but had plenty of time for morning walk. This time we attempted to go without snow shoes, but quickly realized that walking through deep snow is hard! Your feet sink with every step, and you have to contort your legs up & out of the snow to make any progress.

Chelsay compared it to the Sahara, except instead of sinking ankle-deep in sand, we were literally waist-deep. Luckily we persevered long enough to stumble across a pack of reindeer.

With our quads burning, we figured the reindeer sighting was a good enough cap to our Lapland adventure. Sure, I wish we’d seen the Northern Lights, but Chelsay and I are still very content with our first trip back in Europe.

I say that without any doubt. Rewinding to our flight from London: Lapland’s frozen landscapes exceeded the “new city” excitement I felt as our departing plane rolled toward the runway.

Lapland is a different planet: part winter wonderland, part uninhabitable wasteland. Its frigid wilderness is unlike any of the previous places we’ve visited, but the craziest part is that it was all so easily accessible. Chelsay and I were 250 miles into the Arctic Circle, literally a short walk into Russia’s northernmost territories, yet remained just a three hour flight from London.

That’s why we moved back: because every trip Chelsay and I take has the potential to bring us somewhere new, special, and completely different from anywhere we’ve ever been.

I can’t wait for our next departing plane to roll its way to the runway.

[thepainlessmoustache]

Sharing is Caring

My first Nessie fic! Based off a converation @liamalmighty and I had about Niall and dogs and Bressie buying Niall dogs. Fun fact: I briefly considered naming the dog Nessie because Niall is a little shit and probably totally would. 

"I've got a present for you."

"A present?" Niall hums from the other side of the phone. "Sounds promising."

Bressie grins and glances at his passenger's seat. "It's not like that, but I do think you'll be pleased."

"I'd hate to get a present that makes me unpleased."

"When will you be home?"

"'bout an hour?" he guesses. "But if you need me there sooner, I can be."

"Hour's fine. Tell Liam hi."

"Will do. Love ya."

"Love you, Chief."

Niall opens the door and immediately falls to his knees. "Bressie, you didn't." he gasps, even as he scoops the puppy into his arms. She's a Collie, but she's only four months old so she's small enough for Niall to clutch to his chest as she wriggles and slathers his face in kisses. "Bressie."

"I haven't named her yet." Bressie chuckles, turning off the TV so he can watch Niall roll onto the floor with the dog. "Figured if she was going to be yours, you'd want to."

"I love her," Niall whines, kissing her back. "I love you, you sweet thing." The puppy yips back.

Bressie gets up so he can join Niall on the floor. "So? Got a name?"

"Georgie." Niall says, pushing her back and watching her wriggle. "You like that, sweet thing? Little Georgie?" The puppy yaps, turning to bite playfully at his fingers. "Bressie, she's perfect."

"Knew how much you've always wanted one, pet." Bressie says with a smile, and Niall levers himself up to kiss him.

In the process, though, Georgie gets loose and gets between them, licking mercilessly at Niall's face. Bressie doesn't mind that Niall falls back over to let her. He'll get his kisses later.

He'd been so excited about seeing how happy Niall would be he never really thought about if he'd like the pup, or if she'd like him. And unanimously the answer is no. She chews on all his shoes—only his—and never lets him sit cuddled up to Niall. Niall doesn't really notice, of course, too enamored by her big brown eyes. Bressie hates to admit he's jealous, because Georgie is a bleeding dog, but those used to be his eyes he was enamored with.

Niall doesn't let her sleep in the bed, which is only a small blessing because she still gets a place of honor off in the corner of the room and barks whenever Bressie gets a bit too handsy. It's funny the first few times, but by the tenth Bressie is wishing he'd never seen the ad for Border Collie puppies.

"She's just protective," Niall promises against his collar, giggling lightly but still incredibly interested in where things were headed. "Thinks you're trying to hurt me."

Bressie glares over the bed at her, at how alert she is. How she's staring. He groans and rolls off Niall. "I can't. I can't touch you like that with her staring at me."

"Bres," Niall laughs.

"I can't touch you at all without her wanting to rip my arm off."

"She just gets jealous, darlin'." Niall rolls onto him now, running his fingers through his hair soothingly. "Just like you."

"I'm not—" he starts, but Niall smiles knowingly at him and he can't lie so he just huffs. "She hates me, Niall. She hates me and I'm starting to hate her."

"You're both too much." Niall sighs, rolling so he's lying with his back to him. "Maybe you just need to bond with her or something. I spend all my time with her, you know, so she knows I feed her and walk her. Maybe if you did some of it she'd learn to love you just as much."

Bressie sighs and touches his back as a consolation. He just catches Georgie laying her head down from the corner of his eye and frowns in her direction.

He has to try. Niall is everything to him, and Georgie was supposed to be something that made them both happy, and the longer this goes on the more unhappy everyone's becoming. So he grabs her leash and takes her out of the house. She's not as polite with him as she is with Niall, tugging on her leash and barking occasionally instead of falling beside him silently.

He gets her to a park and sits on the ground, scratching carefully at her ears. She lets him, but it's not always the case. "Georgie, we both love him." he says stiffly. It feels slightly dumb to be explaining this to a dog, but he's done a lot of dumb things for Niall so... "I bought you for him because I love him. And I know it would break his heart if we couldn't get along."

She blinks blankly at him.

"Yeah, right." Bressie groans, dropping his hand. "'course you don't get it, you're a dog."

Her ears perk up, but Bressie doesn't catch the movement until it's far too late. She takes off, leash bouncing uselessly behind her. She's twenty feet ahead before Bressie even gets to his feet, screaming after her.

Georgie's fast—she's a fucking Collie, so of course she's fast—and it's moments before he loses her completely. "Fuck. Fuck fuck fucking—" He's got to tell Niall he's lost his goddamn dog, he's going to break his fucking heart.

He spends an hour running around the park, searching, but Georgie's long gone. He walks back to the house alone, hand feeling surprisingly empty without Georgie's leash in it. Niall smiles when he walks in, but it goes quickly when he sees he's alone. "I thought you had Georgie."

"I...I did." Bressie admits. "She took off, I couldn't—"

"You lost her?"

"I tried to find her, Niall. She just heard something and my grip wasn't tight."

"Oh my god." Niall hunches over and pulls at his hair. "Oh my god."

"I'm sorry. Niall, I'm sorry. We can go look for her, we'll put up photos and we'll—"

"I need to—I can't talk to you right now."

Bressie's heart shatters when Niall walks out of the room. He knows that Niall knows he would never do something like this on purpose, but with the arguments they've been having about her...he's sure there's a lot of loud thoughts in his head right now.

He takes his car keys and goes.

It's not until dawn that he finds her. She's wet and shivering nearly a mile from where he'd lost her. She cowers when he pulls the car to a stop, but when he gets out she just looks up at him lamely instead of growling or running again. He drops to his knees and takes off his coat. "C'mon, Georgie." he murmurs. "C'mere, sweet thing. Your da's probably losing his mind about both of us right about now."

She slinks over and lets him wrap her in his coat and lift her up. She licks at his chin and he huffs. "Yeah, I know."

He cranks the heat and sets her in the passanger's seat and it's so much like when he brought her home the first time that his heart warms a little. He reaches across and scratches at her ears. She licks his wrist.

Niall's not home when he gets there, but he finds a note on his phone—left on the coffee table so he's sure to see—that tells him in all capitals to call him the moment he gets home. He sends a text instead, tells him he's got Georgie and is going to give her a bath. She doesn't even really like Niall giving her baths, but she's muddy and smells a bit like rubbish so he carries her into the bathroom. She huffs when they enter, but doesn't scratch at the door like she usually does when he puts it down and shuts it. He runs the water just over lukewarm and pats his hand on the tub. "C'mon, then."

She steps in with a weak glare and shivers while he rinses her clean and gets her warm.

Niall walks in when he's got her wrapped in a towel, hugging her to stop the shivers. Georgie whines and wriggles free, running to Niall who drops to his knees like that very first day. "Georgie, you're okay." Niall sighs, clutching to her neck. "You stupid dog, what could've possibly made you think it was alright to run away, huh?"

"She was about a mile from the park. I think she fell into some rubbish but she wasn't hurt, so..."

Niall stands and crosses the living room to kiss him, a proper firm kiss. Then he laughs and leans back, scrunching his nose. "You smell like wet dog."

"S'cause I just took care of one."

"C'mon, then. Let's take care of you now."

Bressie grins and kisses him again. "Go be with your dog, pet. She's scared out of her mind. I'll just go clean up quick."

Niall nods and leaves one last lingering kiss before turning to Georgie, who happily hops onto the couch for cuddles.

Bressie's shower isn't long, but when he comes out Niall is passed out with Georgie laid across his chest. Her ears twitch when he approaches, but instead of growling her tail begins to wag. Bressie smiles at her and rubs her head. "Only took a bit of trauma, huh?" he whispers to her, and she lifts her head to playfully snap at his hand.

The movement wakes Niall, who blinks up at him sleepily. "Clean?" he mumbles.

"Aye," Bressie chuckles. "Let's get to bed, huh?"

Niall mumbles his ascent and shoos Georgie off him. They lean on each other—Bressie's really just realizing how tired he is—and Georgie keeps bumping into their arses, pushing them forward helpfully. When they stumble into bed, Bressie doesn't even hesitate in patting it. "C'mon, then." he huffs, and Georgie leaps up and settles between them.

"You're sure?" Niall asks on a yawn.

"Not going to be feeling you up." Bressie reasons with a smirk. "And I think we both need to know she's alright."

"Mmkay." Niall agrees, finding his hand. They tangle their fingers together and set it on Georgie's back. Her sigh and Niall's nearly match up, and Bressie presses a kiss to Niall's mouth. "Love ya, head."

"Love ya, chief."

Georgie makes a low grumbling noise and Bressie scratches at her. "Love you, too, you pain in the arse."

Niall chuckles and Georgie turns to lick his arm. Bressie's pretty sure they'll be alright.