Work Text:
Calum was kind of sulking.
He'd just gone on this really nice walk through the park with Luke. It had been pretty fun actually. The younger boy had let him hold Molly's lead and they'd talked about work and just life in general as they wandered.
They'd discussed the disaster that had been Michael attempting to take Federer to the grooming parlour in town, and Calum had been all smiles and laughter until Luke had crouched down, made Molly wave her paw goodbye at Calum, and then headed off home, leading the old dog behind him.
Now Calum was pouting.
He'd never had a dog before. He loved them and he'd never had one. That didn't seem very fair somehow.
Calum was still grumbling quietly to himself as he started the short walk home. The sun was doing its best to burn through the clouds but it hadn't quite managed it yet, and Calum's thoughts were on all of the dogs he knew his friends and family owned when he heard an excited bark and the sound of paws beating on dried grass. Calum looked up and beamed delightedly when he saw a tiny husky running towards him.
"Hello!" Calum smiled, bending a little and fighting not to coo when the dog jumped up, setting its paws on his thighs since it couldn't reach any higher and wagging its tail back and forth excitedly as he patted its head. "Who do you belong to, puppy?" Calum asked softly and the dog gave a short little bark, blinking its icy blue eyes up at him imploringly.
"Sorry about that!" an unfamiliar voice called and Calum looked up as a man who looked a tiny bit older than him jogged over, his curls tied back with a bandana as he held a purple lead that seemed to match the dog's collar. "Jess just bolted the moment she saw you. Crazy dog."
The man shook his head at the puppy but there was something happy and wistful in his face as he crouched down beside Calum, petting the dog's soft grey fur.
"That's okay," Calum promised, scratching the dog - Jess - behind the ears and grinning when her little tail wagged harder, like it felt really good or something. "How old is she?"
Calum could feel how ridiculously wide his smile was as he took in her pointy little ears and her dark nose. It was still tinged a little bit pink around the edges, as was usual in husky puppies, and she was panting excitedly as Calum scratched under her chin.
When she licked his hand, he actually giggled.
"She's twelve weeks old," the man said and he sighed then, stroking the puppy's neck regretfully. "I'm looking to find her a new home actually. I've got this new job starting soon - in Kingsford - and, while it's not that far away in itself, my hours will be too long to leave her at home on her own all day. It wouldn't be fair."
Calum looked up at the stranger properly then, taking in straight white teeth and tanned skin, and bright hazel eyes beneath honey-coloured curls. He was actually pretty damn hot and Calum didn't like to see him sad.
"Have you found anyone to take her yet?" he asked carefully and the guy looked up, his pretty eyes widening a little behind his glasses. Jess gave a little yelping bark then and leapt up, clearly deciding that she wasn't getting enough attention, and almost knocked Calum over in the process. The younger man laughed.
"No, not yet," the man said but he was smiling at the puppy's antics too. "Hey, I don't suppose you know of anyone who might be interested in taking her in? She's already had all of her injections and she's been spayed and stuff. She's trained too," he added, looking a bit desperate now.
"Hmmm..." Calum's hand brushed the stranger's as he stroked Jess' back and his cheeks flushed. "Y'know... I always wanted a dog," Calum mumbled, almost to himself, and the guy looked up, like he was hardly daring to hope.
Calum so badly wanted to say that he'd take Jess in but he didn't know if it was feasible. He worked every weekday from nine until three o'clock in the coffee shop around the corner from his place and he had his writing course three times a week in the evenings. That probably wouldn't be too long, and he was definitely getting paid enough to buy her food and treats and toys and stuff. He did have a tiny garden as well as living right across the road from the park too which could only help...
"I..." Calum bit his lip and looked up. The curly-haired man was looking right back at him. "I think I might actually be able to take her off your hands. You know... if you accept that is."
"That would be amazing!" the guy said immediately. "I start my new job next Monday now so I was getting desperate. Honestly, she's got all of the stuff already - a bed, a little jacket for when it gets cold -" Calum almost squealed. "- and the licenses are fairly easy to sort out. I was going to charge about a hundred dollars for her now... but if that's a problem..."
"It's not," Calum said immediately, almost bouncing up and down with excitement. He'd had his birthday a few weeks ago and he'd been saving up the money he'd been given by the various family members who didn't know what to buy him. "I have that in the bank right now, honestly."
"That's amazing," the guy said, beaming at Calum and wow, okay. Jess the puppy wasn't the only adorably cute thing in the park today.
"You can take her for a walk right now if you like. Just around the park or something. I can wait here and you can see if you two get along." Jess chose that moment to leap up and lick Calum's cheek then, and both men smiled. It didn't look like it was going to be a problem.
The man straightened up and handed an excited Calum the purple lead, and as the sunlight finally burnt through the layer of cloud, the stranger's skin seemed to glow almost golden in the sunlight.
"Can I have your number?" Calum blurted out and the guy's eyebrow rose slowly, even as he blushed a little and tried hard not to smile. Even the puppy looked judgmental. Calum kind of wanted to headbutt something. "For... you know... Jess-related things."
"Sure," the guy said easily, accepting Calum's phone and adding his number. Calum looked down at it when it was handed back to him and smiled softly.
'Ashton'.
It suited him.
"Can you text me so I can save your number?" Ashton asked suddenly and Calum tried hard not to grin as he nodded, kneeling down to fasten the lead to Jess' collar.
"Sure," Calum said, keeping his phone out as he twisted the lead around his hand twice to make sure it was secure. "So I just take her for a quick walk now, yeah?" he checked and Ashton nodded. Calum smiled. He had the whole day off so there was no need to rush.
"Have fun," Ashton said and, although he was talking more to Jess than Calum, his hazel eyes still flickered up to the younger man's face. There was sadness hidden in there, yes, but also hope and maybe a bit of fondness.
Calum felt his heart clench with excitement then and he wasn't sure whether it was the prospect of maybe-hopefully rehoming Jess or Ashton asking him to text him... and yeah, maybe officially it was for Jess but Calum knew he hadn't imagined Ashton's cute bashful smile earlier on.
The older man handed Calum some little scented bags then - "Just in case," he had said with a smile - and Calum wasn't frowning. He didn't even mind.
"I'll text," the younger man promised before he gave the purple lead a gentle little tug and Jess went surging forwards, her tail wagging so hard that it looked like it was going to drop off. Calum's smile was fond as the husky hurried on ahead, yapping excitedly as the sun shone down on the park.
It was only when the pair were already a few minutes away from the bench where they'd left Ashton waiting that the younger man noticed the heart Ashton had added beside his name on Calum's mobile (and if Calum maybe squealed a little bit then, no one but Jess had to know).
[To ASHTON <3] Sent at 11:26
Your dog is adorable! I would love to rehome her for you but it would be really sad if you never got to see her again so that probably means you'd have to come round and visit her and stuff and - okay, I'm rambling. Coffee?? x
Calum has almost completed his lap of the park with Jess when his phone vibrated in his jacket pocket.
[From ASHTON <3] Received at 11:57
Hello handsome stranger. When do I get to learn your name? (And coffee sounds amazing! So does seeing Jess again - thank you) :) x
Calum was beaming by the time he got back to Ashton's bench, and it wasn't just because Jess seemed to really like him. It was because there was also an incredibly attractive guy smiling shyly up at him as he approached.
"I'm Calum," he called when he was close enough and his heart melted a little bit when he saw Ashton repeat the name with a slow smile on his face.
"Hi, Calum," Ashton grinned and Calum could tell he was smiling like a nine year old girl with her first crush but he couldn't seem to help it. Ashton was just wonderful.
Jess' happy little bark seemed to back this statement up further and, with a bright smile as he passed the lead back a bit unwillingly to Ashton, only for the older man to let him keep holding it, Calum had a feeling that things were about to change for the better.
"So how about that coffee then?" Ashton asked with a hopeful smile. Calum grinned back at him as Jess pulled on the lead, already eager to continue on her walk. Calum thought maybe it was nicer, walking a puppy - his soon-to-be puppy - with someone else.
"I thought you'd never ask."
Calum had never felt less like sulking in his life.