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“I love him,” sighed Tony, sitting on the ground, petting an enthusiastic border collie and German shepherd mix. “I can’t believe that no one has adopted you yet. You’re such a good boy.”
“He’s a bit big,” said the worker. “Very well behaved and friendly but everyone wants a puppy or the smaller dogs. And he’s nine and big.”
“We’ll take him,” said Steve as he watched Tony beam while he petted the dog.
“Really?” said Tony, looking up with big eyes, hardly daring to believe that his boyfriend was really going to get this dog for him.
Steve knew he would get teased endlessly, mostly by Clint, for giving in at the first bat of Tony’s lashes, but he wasn’t about to deny his boyfriend anything that he could so easily give. It helped that frankly Tony rarely asked for anything and hadn’t asked for this dog, he had just come in to play with the pound puppies and volunteer and happened to fall in love with a dog.
“Really,” said Steve.
Tony got up and jumped into Steve’s arms.
“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” said Tony before kissing Steve soundly.
“Anything for you darling,” said Steve with a smile so soft it was easy to forget that he was a dangerous man when he needed to be.
When they got back to the apartment, Steve and Tony showed the large dog around. Steve eventually went to the kitchen to get dinner started while Tony cuddled with the dog in the living room floor.
“Wait, you actually got him a dog?” said Clint, entering the living room where Tony was hanging out with his new best friend before going to the kitchen. “I wanted to do that! I thought you were just going to the pound to walk the dogs and help out, you know, get Tony out a little bit more now that he can walk around easier.”
“That was originally the plan,” said Steve, stirring the noodles without looking up. “But then Tony saw this dog and you didn’t see him Clint, Tony was so happy!”
“You are so whipped,” laughed Clint before going back to the living room before Steve could point out how Clint was equally whipped for the genius.
The next day Steve took Tony and the dog to a vet he knew to get the dog checked over.
“And who is this handsome fellow?” asked Dr. Cho when she entered the room with a smile.
“This is Tony my boyfriend,” said Steve proudly.
“It’s nice to meet you Tony, but I was actually referring to the dog,” said Dr. Cho with a smirk.
“This is Bruce the Dog,” said Tony happily. “He’s the best boy.”
“It’s nice to meet you Bruce the Dog. I’m just going to check you over and make sure you are all ready for your new home.”
“They said he was 9 years old,” said Tony while Dr. Cho worked. “And he’s a German Sheppard mix. He hasn’t really barked yet and he loves to cuddle.”
“Well I can very confidently say that you are not an old boy, are you?” said Dr. Cho to Bruce the Dog. “No, those silly people were all wrong. Maybe nine months but not nine years.”
“Excuse me?” said Steve.
“Just look at his teeth,” said Dr. Cho with a smile. “He’s just a big puppy, aren’t you handsome?”
“Will he get any bigger?” asked Steve, suddenly a little anxious. Bruce the Dog was already very big, he couldn’t imagine having an even bigger dog in an apartment.
“Possibly but not too much I would think. But it’s always difficult to tell with mixes.”
“You okay with him being a puppy?” asked Steve.
“Of course!” said Tony excitedly. “That just means more years to love him!”
Tony’s smile faltered as he looked at Steve, it suddenly occurred to him that maybe Steve didn’t want a puppy in his apartment. And there was no way Tony was giving up Bruce the Dog, so that meant Tony was going to have to move back into his own apartment – which he hadn’t even fully moved out of yet. He had just sort of never gone home after the whole kidnapping debacle. Maybe this was Steve’s way of telling him he wanted Tony to move back home. Clint and Bucky had gotten most of his things but maybe they could help Tony bring them back home.
“Um, do you not want a puppy?” asked Tony softly.
“A puppy is fine,” assured Steve quickly. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay with it. Puppies are a lot of work.”
“Bruce the Dog is just a big cuddly baby who want to be loved,” insisted Tony, hugging Bruce the Dog close.
Steve smiled. “Then I guess we need to get him a collar.”
“And a bed and a leash and a bowl with his name on it.”
When they got home everyone was there relaxing. Steve put the dog bed in the corner of their bedroom while Tony proudly introduced the others to his dog.
“So what did you decide to name him?” asked Natasha.
“This is Bruce the Dog,” said Tony proudly.
Everyone froze for a moment, not sure they heard correctly.
“Did you – did you name your dog Bruce?” asked Bruce, blinking owlishly, not certain if he was flattered or offended.
“Yes,” said Tony with an impish smile. “Bruce the Human, meet Bruce the Dog.”
“No,” said Bruce, shaking his head desperately. “Please don’t –“
“Bruce the Human!” crowed Clint, laughing loudly. “Yes! That is the only way I will refer to you now.”
“Guys,” whined Bruce.
“What Bruce the Human?” said Natasha with a smirk. “It’s cute, it suits you.”
“Steve!” Bruce turned and appealed to their leader, hoping he would see reason and put an end to the rest calling him Bruce the Human.
Steve opened his mouth to reprimand his family of choice before glancing down at Tony, who was looking up at him with painfully hopeful eyes.
“How else are we supposed to tell the difference between Bruce the Dog and you, Bruce the Human?” asked Steve with a smile.
Bruce the Human threw his hands in the air while Bruce the Dog wagged his tail happily next to Tony.