one small choice } { then the sky opened up with the soil of the sun
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lollobrigida! (Never mind the fact that it’s kind of late for both.) Set in ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
one_smallchoice Which is being moved over to DW at some point. Elle is not_myfirstday and is used with permission and oodles of love.]
A man and a dog stand on the edge of a dog park.
This isn’t really a normal occurrence for them. Flack usually spends enough time outside to keep himself active, but not more than he has to—Fringe events have a tendency to pop up out of nowhere and even if he won’t be safer in a building, he likes to delude himself that he could be. And as for Fred—well, Fred is pretty new to the world in general, and is used to spending most of his life cooped up in his sister’s apartment. His only steps into the outside world come with when he gets to go for a walk, but according to the vet, that’s not enough. He needs more exercise, his sister needs more time for mundane, boring things like sleep, and Flack is the one who works nights and has afternoons perfectly free.
He’s starting to regret getting Samantha this dog, but that is an argument for another time. Right now, he needs to figure out how to get Fred to get actual exercise.
Fred looks up at Flack with a sound that’s damn near close to a whine, and Flack simply gives him a look right back. “Oh, don’t give me that. You’re the one the vet said wasn’t getting outside enough.” The dog looks utterly rejected, and Flack is starting to really wish he hadn’t agreed to this. But he takes a few steps into the park anyway, trying to see if that will encourage him any.
It doesn’t.
“C’mon on,” he sighs, looking over the dog with a frown. “Why’d I have to get her a pug? Why couldn’t I have gotten her a golden retriever?”
The short answer to that is that the Montenegros were giving away the pugs for free, and his sister needed a bit of companionship. Working hard is all well and good, but putting criminals away isn’t going to keep her warm at night. But Sam wanted to follow in their father’s footsteps. Only Flack seemed to see that it was going to lead to pain and heartache. Or, in this particular instance, Flack doing a whole lot more dog sitting than he had intended.
“I should have gotten her a cat. If I had gotten her a cat, we wouldn’t be here in the first place.”
That earns him an indignant bark from Fred.
“I absolutely will not take it back.” He starts to lead them to one of the benches nearby and sits down on the edge of it with a sigh. “You should have been feline. At least then I would have an excuse to avoid you.” There’s a whine again, and Fred settles at the man’s feet, looking even more dejected than when they started.
Yeah, this exercise plan is an excellent idea.
They sit there quietly for a long time. Flack is waiting to see if Fred will eventually give up on his stubborn bid to be lazy, and Fred is waiting to see how long it’ll take for Flack to give up and take them both home. It’s an intense, epic battle of wills, up until there’s another voice from over his shoulder.
“You know, I’m not sure if I know the rules, but I’m pretty sure when you come to a dog park, you’re supposed to play with your dog.”
He glances over, making out a short, amused looking blond that’s standing next to him with her arms crossed in front of her chest. Flack smirks just slightly, before leaning back against the bench a bit.
“And here I thought dog parks were supposed to be for people with dogs.”
The blond laughs, before nodding slowly. “Guilty. My building won’t let me keep one, so I come here to pine for what I don’t have.” She takes another step closer, glancing out to the other owners and their dogs for a moment, before turning back to him. “What’s your excuse?”
“Well, first of all—he’s not my dog. He’s my sister’s. Second, you missed our very exhausting work out. We’ve done it all. We’re pretty much beat.”
It’s at that moment, that Fred decides he’s going to thwart Flack’s actions at every turn. At the presence of a new person, he perks up, tail wagging, and lets out a healthy bark. He makes his way around Flack’s feet to sniff at the girl’s shoes, and she laughs again, before crouching down to meet him.
“Seems pretty energetic to me,” She gives him a look that’s part teasing, part accusing. “Makes a girl wonder.”
“I seriously think he hates me,” Flack sighs, shaking his head in disbelief. “Either that, or you’re the dog whisperer.”
“You said he’s your sister’s dog, right? Maybe he just prefers women?”
Flack doesn’t think that Fred sees Samantha enough for that to be the case, but he shrugs. “The gratitude these days. Pick him up, save him from a trip to the pound, and now I everything I ask he does the opposite.”
“Oh, I’m sure he’s grateful.” She’s talking more to Fred than Flack. “Aren’t you—” There’s a pause, and then she looks up at him. “—What’s his name?”
“Fred.”
“Aren’t you, Fred?” The dog responds with a hearty bark, and a soft lick under her chin, and she laughs again. “See? He is very grateful for me saving him from death by boredom.”
“Apparently,” Flack smiles. “Still—he’s coming home with me, so he better suck it up.”
Fred whined high in his throat at that, but Flack figures that it’s more from the fact that the girl is standing up, moving to sit next to Flack on the bench than the fact that he has to go back to Flack’s place. He eats well at Flack’s and he knows it.
“How long are you dog sitting for?”
“Until things slow down with my sister at work. They’re a little hectic right now, and she’s not really home that much. Can’t really take care of him.”
“What’s she do?”
“A cop.”
“So when you say dog sitting, you just mean that you now own a dog, and you’re just telling yourself you’re sitting until you come to terms with that?”
Flack pauses for a moment, before glancing over at her with an amused expression. “Are you saying I’m in denial?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I think I am.” She turns to face him a bit. “Don’t think you are?”
Flack sighs for a moment, before turning to lean back against the bench. “Yeah, you’re probably right. I’m already taking him on vet visits.” Ones that probably won’t be reimbursed. “But I am definitely not ready for the acceptance stage yet.”
“I suppose I have no choice, but to let you keep living in your denial.”
“I appreciate the consideration.”
She smiles a bit at that, before extending a hand to him. “I’m Elle.”
“Don,” he nods. He’s not sure why he gives her his first name, but it seems like the thing to do. “Nice to meet you.”
“You too,” she says with a nod. “And as much as I would love to stay and play with your dog. My lunch break’s almost up.” She stands, dusting herself off for a moment, before looking back at him. “Maybe another time?”
“Maybe,” he nods. “I’ll have to check my schedule.”
“You do that.” She crouches down, giving the dog one last scratch behind the ears, before heading out of the park. He turns to watch her go, waiting until she disappears into the crowd, before looking down at Fred.
“Good for you. You made a friend.”
It isn’t until he looks up again at the other dog owners that he realizes he never got her number.
1293 words
lollobrigida! (Never mind the fact that it’s kind of late for both.) Set in one_smallchoice Which is being moved over to DW at some point. Elle is not_myfirstday and is used with permission and oodles of love.]A man and a dog stand on the edge of a dog park.
This isn’t really a normal occurrence for them. Flack usually spends enough time outside to keep himself active, but not more than he has to—Fringe events have a tendency to pop up out of nowhere and even if he won’t be safer in a building, he likes to delude himself that he could be. And as for Fred—well, Fred is pretty new to the world in general, and is used to spending most of his life cooped up in his sister’s apartment. His only steps into the outside world come with when he gets to go for a walk, but according to the vet, that’s not enough. He needs more exercise, his sister needs more time for mundane, boring things like sleep, and Flack is the one who works nights and has afternoons perfectly free.
He’s starting to regret getting Samantha this dog, but that is an argument for another time. Right now, he needs to figure out how to get Fred to get actual exercise.
Fred looks up at Flack with a sound that’s damn near close to a whine, and Flack simply gives him a look right back. “Oh, don’t give me that. You’re the one the vet said wasn’t getting outside enough.” The dog looks utterly rejected, and Flack is starting to really wish he hadn’t agreed to this. But he takes a few steps into the park anyway, trying to see if that will encourage him any.
It doesn’t.
“C’mon on,” he sighs, looking over the dog with a frown. “Why’d I have to get her a pug? Why couldn’t I have gotten her a golden retriever?”
The short answer to that is that the Montenegros were giving away the pugs for free, and his sister needed a bit of companionship. Working hard is all well and good, but putting criminals away isn’t going to keep her warm at night. But Sam wanted to follow in their father’s footsteps. Only Flack seemed to see that it was going to lead to pain and heartache. Or, in this particular instance, Flack doing a whole lot more dog sitting than he had intended.
“I should have gotten her a cat. If I had gotten her a cat, we wouldn’t be here in the first place.”
That earns him an indignant bark from Fred.
“I absolutely will not take it back.” He starts to lead them to one of the benches nearby and sits down on the edge of it with a sigh. “You should have been feline. At least then I would have an excuse to avoid you.” There’s a whine again, and Fred settles at the man’s feet, looking even more dejected than when they started.
Yeah, this exercise plan is an excellent idea.
They sit there quietly for a long time. Flack is waiting to see if Fred will eventually give up on his stubborn bid to be lazy, and Fred is waiting to see how long it’ll take for Flack to give up and take them both home. It’s an intense, epic battle of wills, up until there’s another voice from over his shoulder.
“You know, I’m not sure if I know the rules, but I’m pretty sure when you come to a dog park, you’re supposed to play with your dog.”
He glances over, making out a short, amused looking blond that’s standing next to him with her arms crossed in front of her chest. Flack smirks just slightly, before leaning back against the bench a bit.
“And here I thought dog parks were supposed to be for people with dogs.”
The blond laughs, before nodding slowly. “Guilty. My building won’t let me keep one, so I come here to pine for what I don’t have.” She takes another step closer, glancing out to the other owners and their dogs for a moment, before turning back to him. “What’s your excuse?”
“Well, first of all—he’s not my dog. He’s my sister’s. Second, you missed our very exhausting work out. We’ve done it all. We’re pretty much beat.”
It’s at that moment, that Fred decides he’s going to thwart Flack’s actions at every turn. At the presence of a new person, he perks up, tail wagging, and lets out a healthy bark. He makes his way around Flack’s feet to sniff at the girl’s shoes, and she laughs again, before crouching down to meet him.
“Seems pretty energetic to me,” She gives him a look that’s part teasing, part accusing. “Makes a girl wonder.”
“I seriously think he hates me,” Flack sighs, shaking his head in disbelief. “Either that, or you’re the dog whisperer.”
“You said he’s your sister’s dog, right? Maybe he just prefers women?”
Flack doesn’t think that Fred sees Samantha enough for that to be the case, but he shrugs. “The gratitude these days. Pick him up, save him from a trip to the pound, and now I everything I ask he does the opposite.”
“Oh, I’m sure he’s grateful.” She’s talking more to Fred than Flack. “Aren’t you—” There’s a pause, and then she looks up at him. “—What’s his name?”
“Fred.”
“Aren’t you, Fred?” The dog responds with a hearty bark, and a soft lick under her chin, and she laughs again. “See? He is very grateful for me saving him from death by boredom.”
“Apparently,” Flack smiles. “Still—he’s coming home with me, so he better suck it up.”
Fred whined high in his throat at that, but Flack figures that it’s more from the fact that the girl is standing up, moving to sit next to Flack on the bench than the fact that he has to go back to Flack’s place. He eats well at Flack’s and he knows it.
“How long are you dog sitting for?”
“Until things slow down with my sister at work. They’re a little hectic right now, and she’s not really home that much. Can’t really take care of him.”
“What’s she do?”
“A cop.”
“So when you say dog sitting, you just mean that you now own a dog, and you’re just telling yourself you’re sitting until you come to terms with that?”
Flack pauses for a moment, before glancing over at her with an amused expression. “Are you saying I’m in denial?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I think I am.” She turns to face him a bit. “Don’t think you are?”
Flack sighs for a moment, before turning to lean back against the bench. “Yeah, you’re probably right. I’m already taking him on vet visits.” Ones that probably won’t be reimbursed. “But I am definitely not ready for the acceptance stage yet.”
“I suppose I have no choice, but to let you keep living in your denial.”
“I appreciate the consideration.”
She smiles a bit at that, before extending a hand to him. “I’m Elle.”
“Don,” he nods. He’s not sure why he gives her his first name, but it seems like the thing to do. “Nice to meet you.”
“You too,” she says with a nod. “And as much as I would love to stay and play with your dog. My lunch break’s almost up.” She stands, dusting herself off for a moment, before looking back at him. “Maybe another time?”
“Maybe,” he nods. “I’ll have to check my schedule.”
“You do that.” She crouches down, giving the dog one last scratch behind the ears, before heading out of the park. He turns to watch her go, waiting until she disappears into the crowd, before looking down at Fred.
“Good for you. You made a friend.”
It isn’t until he looks up again at the other dog owners that he realizes he never got her number.
1293 words