Work Text:
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: Initial Inquiry
Miss Stevenson,
We would be more than happy to assist you with Griz. One of our very best walkers is actually in your area and has experience with larger pets.
If you’d like to fill out the attached information sheet, we will check with them and see if they are comfortable adding you to their route.
Per policy, release forms for building access must be signed prior to any acceptance.
Please note, for the safety of all, background checks are completed for both our walkers and the owners of pets in our service.
Any questions or concerns, please email us again.
Thank you.
Brit sighs as she regards the email once more, reading over every detail and contingency for anything missing or hidden. Friday’s always seemed to drag even before her rebirth.
It had been over a year since her ordeal, as her therapist likes to poorly describe it, and her self-work for the last three months has been to work on trusting people.
She never does anything half-assed so letting a complete stranger have relatively open access to her condo every day is about as trusting a process as she could think of. Plus, it helps Grizzly Bear, her one-year-old Doberman get much-needed exercise. Win-win. Except for the overwhelming anxiety and dread that choke her whenever she thinks of hitting submit on the release forms.
Routine. Routine. Routine.
She repeats it as she takes deep breaths. A mantra she built to remind herself that she made it out. She won. She is allowed to return to a normal life. Still, the edge of the unease is sharp and poking at her chest incessantly.
Not for the first time, she wishes she hadn’t lost -
“Brit, strategy meeting is now.” Her assistant slides in on his office chair before sliding back out to no doubt answer the four calls on hold she sees.
One deep breath and she hits send before grabbing her agenda and heading to the meeting feeling a mixture of excitement and fear that has unfortunately become her reality since she woke in that dreaded room.
They won. They really won. Beat the little trap and only very nearly escaped with their lives.
Hand in hand.
When she finally wakes in the hospital, Mallick is still holding her hand.
He’s dressed in a similar gown to hers and the disheveled bed beside her own tells her he moved from it to sit beside her.
For how long? She wonders, given that he’s awkwardly asleep in a chair that looks worthy of one of Jigsaw’s traps itself.
The thought brings hysterical laughter from her even as the ache from her stitched-together arm begins to settle in. She wants to cry. She can’t remember the last time she wanted to cry and now she can’t even bring herself to. Brit laughs harder, her heartrate monitor responding loudly.
Mallick jumps, hand gripping tight to the point of pain on Brit’s remaining good hand before releasing with a gasp.
“Brit? Brit!” He exclaims before unceremoniously pulling her into his uninjured side and placing a sweet kiss on her head before seemingly realizing the silence it drags her into.
Awkwardly and still rubbing at his neck like he did then, he sits back down with a bit of a flush on his cheeks.
The silence lingers a moment more and Brit watches in fascination as Mallick’s hand seems to want to reach for hers again, fingers wiggling restlessly.
She takes pity and pulls his hand into hers as she closes her eyes and tries to calm her racing heart as everything begins to hit her at once. She holds on to Mallick like a lifeline.
“Is that…” Mallick starts before murmuring under his breath, “No.”
His hand tightens around hers and with a deep breath, the beeping on the machine quiets.
Sleep claims her again before she can thank him.
When she’s finally out of the meeting and slumps back into her chair, kicking off her comfort heels under her desk, she checks her email on autopilot and sits up straight when she sees a reply.
From: [email protected]
Subject: RE: RE: Initial Inquiry
Miss Stevenson,
Thank you! We are happy to see your background check is completely clear.
Our walker will begin next week once you have dropped a key off to our office.
If you have any lingering questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to ask.
Safety is our number one concern here at Dog Walk Dog.
Thank you.
The reassurance is welcomed and she smiles happily as she slides on her sneakers and tosses her heels in her bag. Wrapping her coat tight around her, she heads home, feeling accomplished and proud in a way that makes her feel like her life might return to before.
Passing her assistant, she feels playful.
“Go home, Dave.” She smiles as she turns off his monitor.
“Yeah, Brit. One last thing.” He holds his hand out with a message.
She grabs it without looking at it, shoving it in her pocket.
“Off you go!” She pulls him from the chair, “You can walk me to my car like a gentleman.”
Dave sighs and pulls his own coat on, “One of these days I’m gonna be here to push around. Who will you bully then?”
She knows he’s been interviewing at the insurance company two floors up and she’s happy for him even if it means she’ll have to hire and break in a new assistant.
“Sky’s the limit.” She laughs and wraps her arm around his.
He joins her and holds his hand over hers as they walk to her car, right next to his, in the lot.
Friendly and warm.
Nothing like the encompassing heat she felt when she held Mallick’s.
Griz sits patiently, though his paws do a little shifting dance, as she sets her items each in their place for the morning and locks the door behind her.
She was a little later than she liked, but she stopped at a locksmith to get a copy of the key made and drop it at the dog walker's office. The guy, who looked bored to tears, talked her into putting a design and a special key ring on it.
So now her dogwalker would have an absurd key with a small teddy bear keyring and a bright rainbow printed on the key.
Only after dropping it in the nightly drop box did she think that her dogwalker would judge her, but that was quickly taken over by an urge to be home.
Turning to Griz with a smile, she snaps her fingers to signal he could ambush her now. He does, with all the energy and unconditional love a puppy could give…even if her puppy is 60 pounds.
“Oomph!” She exclaims when he lays right on top of her, panting and satisfied.
“Missed you too Grizzy,” She scratches behind his ears, “I got you a friend.”
He makes a whimper until she sits up fully, giving him all her attention.
“They’re gonna come and play with you and take you for walks.” She coos, squishing his face together with laughter.
His tail wags happily, more so from her affection than an understanding of words, but Brit plays along.
“No more being cooped up all day!”
He barks happily and she laughs as she watches him zoom from room to room.
Love fills her at the sight and she bypasses his happy barking to get changed into her weekend sweats that she has no plans to leave until Sunday night.
Shuffling into the kitchen with the ratty, useless slippers from her hospital stay that she refuses to get rid of for reasons she doesn’t ever want to unpack, she grabs the bottle of wine from the counter and pours a nice full glass.
Sipping from the edge of the glass, she sighs when the bittersweet notes hit her tongue.
Next come the take-out menus and she holds two options out for Griz.
“Chinese or Indian?”
His wet nose boops the Chinese menu and she smiles.
“Typical.” She chides with no malice and grabs her phone to order.
“Another night in paradise,” She sighs and tries not to sound so ungrateful.
Monday comes sooner than she likes, and she rushes to make her apartment the most presentable it can be.
The first walk is scheduled for 10:30 this morning, right when she’ll be in an hours-long meeting to distract her.
Griz is pawing at her for the last piece of bacon, and she gives it happily once he promises to be a good boy.
Just as she’s about to head out, she scribbles some notes for the walker.
Hi and Welcome!
She crosses out welcome with a flourish.
Hi! and Welcome!
Some quick things:
If you can, he does like to run. If not, a longer walk??
Oh! His favorite toy is the ducky that is torn to shreds. If he is antsy, just give him that and he’ll calm down.
Food and water are in the pantry. Please don’t fill his bowl with tap water.
My number is below with any problems.
Thanks!
She barely manages to stop herself from writing more when her phone beeps.
Turning to Griz who lay happily on his bed in the front hall, she gives him a handful of kisses and pets.
“Be good!” She points at him. She takes the lick of her finger as a sign of agreement.
With one last kiss, she exits her home and double checks the door is locked.
Anxiety strikes her hard and fast as she sits in her car and she repeats her mantra in her head.
Routine. Routine. Routine.
It’s a routine day. This is a part of her life that is necessary. It will be fine.
With a nod to herself for certainty she heads to work and puts the thought that a stranger has keys to her home out of her head.
After making a rather successful proposal, Brit’s team invites her out for a celebratory drink, and for once since starting here, she agrees with Dave’s convincing.
“I’ll quit today if you don’t go.” He surmises from where he stands with his arms crossed.
She couldn’t argue with him so she goes, and exactly one, small, overpriced glass of wine later, she returns home to see Griz fast asleep on his bed and a note, right next to her on the kitchen counter.
Though the note left for her is much longer, taking up both sides of the notepad paper.
Hello!
Thank you for the note. I appreciate it when clients are thorough as I don’t like to make mistakes.
I can’t run with him every day because of an arm injury, but I’ll try to once or twice a week. We went for a long walk around the city and he really enjoyed meeting other dogs and people. He is very friendly for his breed, and I can’t tell you how relieved I was when he waited politely for my cue. (You trained him well and I can see how much you love him…we didn’t even need to use his ducky.)
She smiles as she reads, halfway sitting on the stool beside her while she continues.
I really like Griz. It’s not often I attach myself to clients, but something about him is so comforting. You can tell how loved he is and how willing he is to share that with everyone he meets. However, he did bark when some guy got too close to me. Is he trained in protection or just with people he likes?
Turning the paper over, she laughs. There is a stick figure drawing of this stranger and her beloved pet at the park.
If you have anything else you need to discuss, just leave a note like this. It was a pleasant surprise this morning. :)
P.S. Thanks for the coolest key I’ve ever had. The teddy bear gives me mad street cred.
- M
She giggles when she reads the last line and feels a weight lifted off her chest. This ridiculous but sweet person she unknowingly charged with her test of trust has passed.
If Griz trusted them, then she could too.
Looking down at her still-sleeping pup as she heats up leftovers, she begins to think of what to write the following morning.
M,
He just protects people he likes. Lucky you.
P.S. How safe are your streets that a teddy bear gives you cred?
- B
She hesitates leaving her initial, but thinks it’s only fair since they left theirs.
With a round of pets and snuggles to Griz, she leaves her house without triple-checking her locks.
Progress.
Work seems to drag that day as her mind wanders often as she gets lost in her thoughts. She doesn’t hate these moods as much as she used to. Not when the memories it brings back aren’t wholly terrible. Not when they’re of him.
“Brit! I’m not sayin’ shit without Brit!”
She can hear Mallick through the thin walls of the interrogation rooms and can’t help the smile that cracks her dry lips. It’d been a week since their excursion in the hospital and after one night home, they’re pulled back into the police station to recount the events…again.
“Why did Jigsaw pick you, huh? The man don’t act without reason.” A detective something or other asks her again.
Shrugging, she meets his eyes, level and guarded.
“You gonna start speaking we bring your boyfriend in here?” It’s a callous remark, but she can't help the bit of her that likes the title…that likes Mallick.
She shrugs again.
The detective groans and throws the door open with a loud bang as the knob hits the well-worn wall.
“Gibson! Let’s go.” He sighs and bangs on the door of the room across from them.
Ignoring the yelling that starts, Brit scratches her forehead where her bangs lay when that hand is suddenly pulled from her.
“Finally,” a familiar voice whispers, “I thought I was gonna have to break in here myself.”
She barely hears him over the rush of blood in her ears and can only stare at where their hands are once again connected.
It shouldn’t be as soothing as it is and yet, she feels relaxed for the first time that day.
“…know what they’re trying to get. We’ve been over this four times already. I have a job you know. A legit one that I’d like to keep if I ever get out of here.”
Chiming back into his voice, she smiles at his pouting.
The warmth in her hand travels through her body like a drug and she sighs.
“I’m getting a puppy today.”
Mallick’s face lights up like he was the one getting a bundle of fur.
“Brit, t-that’s great! My building doesn’t let us have pets. No even fish, like what is a fish gonna do? What kind? Are you going to train them? I’m so happy for you.” He goes off, rapid-fire like Brit is realizing he tends to do. Despite everything, there is an innocence that clings to him like the sweet cologne he wears. She needs to ask him which one it is.
“Okay, lovebirds. Seems Gibson here doesn’t care about procedure. You can leave.” Detective No Name speaks with barely contained annoyance.
Brit doesn’t move, just continues watching Mallick as he nods.
He’s still holding her hand.
“Do you want to get a drink?” She asks even though she didn’t give her mouth permission to.
Mallick blushes, hand rubbing at his neck in the endearing way he always did and just then she wants to kiss him so profoundly that it surprises her.
She’d been trying to separate herself from these feelings. Logically, always thinking logically, she assumed that they stemmed from their shared experience, but it’s been roughly a month since that and still, she had these feelings. Moreover, they’ve only grown in the sparse time they’ve been apart.
“Y-yeah, I would.” He mutters to their linked hands before slapping his head so hard she jumps.
“Shit, I’m sorry, but I really do have to get back to work. It’s like a whole schedule nightmare. Can,” he looks to her, finally, and smiles so brightly she fights to close her eyes as her heart pounds, “Can I call you later and we can meet wherever you want?”
She nods before remembering her own obligations, “Actually,” she slides the legal pad and pen the detective hopefully left, “why don’t I call you? I have meetings and don’t want to miss your call.”
Her own blush takes hold of her cheeks at her admission. She doesn’t take it back.
Mallick’s deepens.
“Y-Yeah, Brit. Whatever makes you happy.”
He lets go of her hand and she frowns.
Then, he scribbles his number, rips the yellow section from the pad, and puts it back in her hand holding it tightly as though he was worried, they’d never see each other again.
She smiles with a nod in their little bubble of solitude.
Mallick stands and holds his hand out to help her up. She feels giddy.
“I’ll talk to you later then.” He grins, proud of himself. She wishes it wasn’t so enchanting.
“Later.” She nods, grabbing her jacket and folding it over her still-healing arm.
“One last thing,” Mallick calls, and before she can laugh or ask him about it, lips are on hers, sure and firm and so, so warm that her body shivers from it.
His hand travels to her neck and no further, just holding, caressing with care.
Pulling back with a harsh gasp, his smiling lips linger against hers, “I couldn’t leave your side again without doing that.”
Her knees resolutely do not give out and she is proud of that no matter how her cheeks heat and stomach flutters.
She turns her head with a small laugh, and he holds her hand until the absolute moment he has to let go. It makes her feel like she’s walking on air.
Turning back to him to find his eyes lingering on her face, she smiles, “See you soon, Mal.”
Later that night as a rambunctious, baby version of Griz trampled around the house, Brit realized she might not be able to meet Mallick, but being smart as she is, thinks inviting him over shouldn’t be too forward. He did seem excited about her getting the puppy and he said his building doesn’t allow them.
And if he ended up spending the night, well she’s become accustomed to suffering.
She laughs as she exits the room to find that Griz had torn her jacket and Mallick’s number she’d stashed there for safe keeping, to shred.
There are no excuses for the amount of yelling and screaming she did at the poor unsuspecting puppy who whimpered as she cried against the yellow remnants of a possible future.
Still, once her cries devolved to sniffles, Griz wobbled over and curled into her lap.
“We’ll be okay, little guy.” She murmurs, more so trying to convince herself than the little ball of fur now asleep in her lap.
She’s pulled from her reverie when Dave knocks on her door and signals her next meeting is soon.
She doesn’t move, too caught up in her memories. It’s been nearly a year since that day. A year since she last saw Mallick. Days when she feels like the only person in the world, she swears she can still feel his lips on hers.
Her hand aches, sudden and sharp and she squeezes it tightly to the point of pain.
Almost done. Then she can go home and hopefully have another note waiting for her. She doesn’t miss the way she cringes at how sad that sounds but ignores it.
She leaves at exactly five and not a second later, waving to a confused Dave that she’d see him tomorrow.
She hasn’t been this excited in a long time and once Griz calms down enough to let his zoomies take hold, she walks over to the counter.
B,
I guess I am pretty lucky, then. :)
Today we went to the park again and he met a very assertive Akita who I believe he is now in love with. Wouldn’t leave her side even when I bribed him with a hot dog.
Luckily, I mentioned toys and he was pulling me toward the route back home. Nearly injured my arm again, but it’s all good.
He is a manipulative one though, talked me into getting him two toys when he was only promised one.
Brit giggles and watches Griz put both new toys at her feet for her judgment.
They already look well-loved and her heart swells at the care and attention this stranger has for her pup after just a day.
She throws the snake-looking one and laughs when Griz growls and tosses it around.
Turning back to the letter, she kicks her sneakers toward the door.
I don’t do that for everyone, you know? Griz is just special.
He’s my favorite, but don’t tell him or else he’ll be too powerful.
P.S. Neighborhood is safe now that I have the teddy. :)
Have a good night, B.
- M
After rereading the note a few times, she still can’t wipe the smile off her face.
She places it safely in the draw with the others and notices this time the stranger – no, M – took hers with them.
Foolishness coupled with reckless abandon let her both lean into the giddiness that takes hold.
She has a crush.
Despite her ever-present feelings and reminders of Mallick, it still felt good to want this.
It felt like progress.
Besides, there’s no way it would ever lead to anything.
It carries on for a full month before it all ends.
Countless notes that quickly deviated from anything about Griz, other than a daily update, and more into their fears and dreams and family and friends.
Each day, Brit learns something new and endearing about this M and it makes her both forget and miss Mallick in equal turns.
She knows she has to move on, as it was the whole topic of her most recent therapy sessions, but a feeling – so close to love that it might as well be – still prevents her from forgetting him.
She wants to know what Mallick’s favorite ice cream flavor is. Does he sleep with a fan on or in total silence? Did he have any pets growing up? When was the first time he ever fell in love? What quirks did he have that only his closest friends would know? She wants to know them. Did his entire world change that day the way it did for her, the moment his lips touched hers?
The last one is the most important, and it lingers like a favorite song in her mind, constantly making itself known at the most inopportune times.
Still, this M makes her feel something and she’s contemplating whether or not to ask them to dinner in this morning’s note.
Seeing as how she’s never met them and if they said no, most likely never would, she throws caution to the wind.
All she had to lose were these notes and it’s not like she needed them or anything.
She scoffs even as her hands hesitate.
M,
Dinner at mine? Tonight?
No pressure.
- Brit
She doesn’t cross out her full name no matter how badly she wants to. It feels like an offering.
She leaves with two kisses to Griz’s head and an anxiety, pleasant this time, fills her.
That feeling dies the moment Dave pulls her from a proposal pitch, one she’s leading, with an emergency.
“I don’t know who they are, but they said Griz is hurt. Here.” he gives her a message with an address to the vet her baby was supposedly at and hands her her sneakers.
She quickly changes, her mind only on Griz as she throws her jacket and bag onto her arm.
Though she’s not sure why, she hugs Dave who returns the gesture with a laugh.
“Tell them…” She points to the meeting room then waves it away, “Something.”
It’s possible she hits the 65 on the speedometer while heading to the vet, but a cop doesn’t stop her so it’s fine.
She rushes in, tears nearly falling from the uncertainty, when she demands, “Griz…Grizzly Bear…my puppy.” Tears fall then as the surprised receptionist tries to understand.
“He…ma’am he’s in room 3 with your walker. Do you need assistance?”
She takes a deep breath and calms her nerves as she shakes her head and gathers her voice.
“N-no..I…is he alright?”
She has to know. Has to be prepared.
The receptionist smiles and nods, “The vet will explain everything just as soon as the results come back.”
Nodding, Brit steels herself. She could do this.
She survived a jigsaw trap goddamn it, she could handle her dog being hurt and meeting the walker she’s recklessly attached herself to while in love with someone else.
Stopping just before the room, she grabs at the wall with the realization.
“Fuck!” She shouts, “Great time to fucking realize that.”
Whimpering, loud and clear, is heard from the room in front of her and it’s all she can do to rush in. There is a bench to the right where she throws her stuff and whoever M is sits on a chair behind her so she doesn’t see them as she rushes to Griz.
Griz lay on his side whimpering and there’s a large amount of swelling on his jowls that distorts her face. She’d laugh if it weren’t her baby on the table.
“Oh baby, my sweet boy, what’s going on?” She coos, petting anywhere beside his face as tries to soothe him.
“He ate a bee.”
A rough voice calls out from behind her.
A familiar voice.
A voice she hasn’t heard in a year.
Her breathing quickens as she begins to put everything together.
The job and the scheduling nightmare. The arm injury of M he kept mentioning. Every little detail she knew of M now fitting into Mallick.
As she’s about to turn, the vet comes in.
“Alrig-oh, Brit! So good to see you, though I always hate to say that when the babies are hurt.”
Brit wipes the tears quickly from her face, unsure what exactly their source was.
“Hi Adam,” she smiles, moving to stand on the opposite side, ignoring the way she felt Mallick’s eyes on her, “Is he going to be okay?”
“Oh yeah!” Adam smiles, “He may just be the most allergic to bee’s animal I’ve ever seen. Just have to be more careful in the warmer months when they’re out and I’ll give you a script for a doggy epi-pen for emergencies to take on walks.”
He looks over Griz again with delicate hands and a small smile, “Seriously, the swelling would be a concern if he wasn’t breathing normally, but he is despite the fact that his nose is missing somewhere between his jowls.”
Adam laughs and it gives Brit such relief that she lets out her own.
“Thankfully, Mallick here brought him in right away or else we might be in a bit of trouble.” Adam smiles as he turns to the computer behind him to put the orders in.
Her knees threaten to give in, unsure how much more she could handle. She still can’t look at him.
“Burst through those doors like some maniac demanding we save Griz. It was all wonderfully dramatic.” Adam sighs, “We appreciate it on dull days here, man. Can’t wait to tell my husband later.”
Mallick laughs and only then does she feel strong enough to look at him. He’s wringing his hands together in a way that she knows means he’s just as unsettled by all of this as she is.
It’s comforting, but she wants nothing more than to put him at ease. She just wishes she knew how because she can’t move her feet.
He doesn’t meet her eyes, just continues looking at the floor.
“Anyway, I’ll get those together for you and then you’ll just need to monitor his breathing for the next two days. Any complications, bring him back in. Any questions, Brit?” Adam turns back around cheerfully.
She smiles, “No, thank you, Adam.”
“No problem. Us winners have to stick together, right?” He winks and motions between her and Mallick to which she shoos him.
She met Adam a week after she Griz and was surprised she even got an appointment with him.
Survivors of Jigsaw traps aren’t protected by anonymity and after losing Mallick, she just needed someone to talk to. He’d chewed her out properly, both for not brushing Griz’s teeth and using it as an excuse to get to him. Still, he’d talked to her for the better part of an hour and invited her to a survivor’s meeting that his husband ran.
She declined because she hadn’t felt ready.
He still invites her to them at every one of Griz’s checkups. She’s gone a few times, but there’s so much anger and pain that she can only go once a month or so. So, she and Adam had a semi-weekly coffee date instead. It saved her more than she’ll ever tell him. Still, she never saw Mallick there, but Adam knows the name. He would’ve said if he ever attended.
“See you next week.” He sings as he leaves, and Brit isn’t sure who he’s talking to when the door shuts leaving them alone.
“I didn’t know,” Mallick says and he is finally, finally, looking at her. “Brit, I didn’t know it was you. They don’t tell us the names, just…then the notes. I…I should go.” He stands suddenly and moves to the door, fingers picking at the holes in his long-sleeved shirt.
“No!” She shouts and finds the strength to move her feet. “I-Griz…thank you.” She finishes lamely with no idea how to even begin talking about everything.
“Of course.”
He won’t look at her again. She desperately wants him to.
“Mallick.” She calls, stepping closer to him, “Mal.”
That gets his attention and, oh, she’s missed those eyes.
Gently, slowly, she moves her hands to pull his apart and hold them in her own.
“You…you never c-called.” He mutters and tears beg to fall again she’s so overwhelmed. She wants to shed a tear for every second he thought she didn’t want him.
“Griz tore my jacket and your number to shreds that night. I want-,” her voice catches in her throat, and when his hands find their way to her face, holding gently but firmly like he never wanted to hurt but knew she’d survive anyway if he accidentally did.
It gives her all the courage to say what she says next, “I was going to invite you over. Make us dinner and introduce you to him so he always knew who you were whenever you were there because I planned for you to be there. A lot. I had ideas for dates. I wanted to bake with you. I wanted to make those silly couples mugs that you paint at the mall. I wanted to take you and Griz to the beach. I wanted to kiss you until I fell asleep and then again in the morning. I wanted…” she stops, holding his hands to her face as she watches the way his smile takes over his whole face, “I want to tell you that I love you.”
Lips find hers in a rush and she can hardly believe the way life has brought them together…again. This time, for good. She’s not letting him out of her sight again.
“Wow, I really have to tell Lawrence about today,” Adam calls from where he entered the room again…at some point.
She pulls away with a watery laugh.
“Doctor-patient confidentiality,” She warns as she snatches the bag from his hands.
“Applies to Griz Ball, only,” Adam’s face contorts into one of contemplation then he shrugs, “Even then. My husband’s a doctor so it all balances out.”
“That doesn’t make any sense.” Mallick comments, hands still attached to Brit’s hips like he was incapable of not touching her. She hopes she’s right.
She looks at Adam with a self-satisfied smile.
“Oh, I see. Now I’m chopped salad.”
“Liver.” Brit corrects with a laugh.
Adam waves her off, “Look, just cause you two are together, doesn’t mean shit. I am the doctor here. My word is law.”
“Adam?” Brit interrupts, “I’ll see you next week.”
She dismisses him gently, but he rolls his eyes.
“Whatever. Just don’t fuck in front of my patient.”
He laughs when Brit’s face grows serious like she might really hit him this time.
The vet puts his hands up, “I’m leaving. I’m leaving.”
Mallick’s hands are still on her and she steps back into his arms.
He looks confused and like he wants to ask her so many things.
She just wants to kiss him again and again and again so she says, “I’ll explain later.” Then, she pulls his face back to hers, memorizing this feeling and this moment.
“I said yes.” Mallick pulls back suddenly, smile never wavering, “I mean I hoped all these weeks and another part of me knew as soon as I read your name on the note today that it was you. I said yes to dinner. To you.”
Brit smiles so wide her jaw hurts, but it feels so good to hear his voice that she urges him to keep talking.
“I thought…when you didn’t call that you didn’t want to…want me. I never…Brit. Please,” he begs, voice cracking, “I can’t lose you again.”
“You won’t.” She promises, holding him close.
“I love you.” He whispers against her neck, quiet and just for them. It feels like a vow.
Mallick pulls her closer, holding tight and Brit takes a moment to realize he’s hugging her. It’s so sudden and sweet that her knees finally do give out, but she doesn’t worry because he has her.
And now that he has her, she never wants him to let go.
“I won’t.” He promises and she realizes she’s said that aloud.
Griz barks suddenly and happily and the two slowly peel away from one another to tend to the suffering puppy.
“Hey buddy,” Mallick coos and presses gentle kisses to his head the same way Brit does, “What do you say to going home?”
Brit watches the way her two favorite things in the world interact and her heart pounds heavily against her chest.
“I don’t know, Mal. What do you say to that?” She asks coyly as she grabs her jacket and purse.
Mallick blushes but meets her eyes evenly and sees the heat in them that mirrors her own.
“I don’t know, I may never want to leave,” He laughs and rubs at his ear and she’s never had the urge to bite someone but she wants to bite him just then, “Sounds like a trap to me.”
Griz jumps down from the table, tail and swollen mouth wagging with excitement.
She pets his head gently and looks back up, “I’m sure you’ll survive.”
Mallick’s smile widens, “With you there, I have no doubt.”
Jigsaw himself couldn’t stop her from kissing him again.
“Come home, Mal.” She whispers and turns toward the door.
Mallick’s hand finds hers against the wood of the door and he holds onto it as they walk out together.
When they get to the front, Adam is standing at the receptionist’s desk pretending to work.
“You folks have yourself a nice night now.” He says in a horrible Southern accent.
Brit gives him a one-finger salute over her shoulder as Mallick mutters a soft and sweet thank you.
That night, when Mallick and Griz are cuddled together on her bed, she sneaks into the kitchen and looks over the note Mallick tried to hide when they arrived.
Brit,
If this is you.
Several crossed-out lines she can’t make out, but she smiles as she continues.
I haven’t spent a day without you on my mind.
I thought I lost you. If I get you back tonight, I’m never losing you again.
I promise.
Love,
Mallick.
She places the letter with the others and heads back to bed where she watches her two boys sleep peacefully.
Routine. Routine. Routine.
Laughing to herself, she crawls back into bed, into the warmth and safety it provides.
Mallick’s hand finds hers, as it always has, and squeezes gently.
She squeezes back.