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“It seems too big to me."
“Too big?”
“I mean, do you really wanna clean all these square meters on a Sunday morning?”
“What are you talking about, Murdock? It's perfect. Didn't you want a garden for Billy to play around?"
“Of course! My puppy deserves everything, isn’t it true?” Billy jumped happily around the pilot's legs, swinging his tail vigorously.
Murdock still couldn't believe that he convinced Face to let Billy into their little family. When he found the dog abandoned in that parking lot on a heavy rainy evening, he couldn't resist the temptation to take him home to their arranged apartment.
Initially the blond obviously wasn't happy at all.
One of the most skilled conman in Los Angeles, at least the one who had been, the one who so loved the scent of clean sheets, the strong aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the delicate aftertaste of his new aftershave, Mr.Faceman letting a dirty, smelly and unpredictable dog live in his home. That was crazy.
Unfortunately for the blond man, Murdock's desire to have a dog of his own was stronger than any other force in existence, way more than his weak will. Murdock and Billy were practically inseparable now. The conman had to change his mind, although he still wasn't entirely happy about having to clean his expensive ties from those sticky hairs and dry Billy's messes from the sofa, he couldn't deny how much he madly loved seeing that bright twinkle in his husband's eyes.
So there they were, going around visiting house by house with their first real dog everybody could see.
“I prefer having a nice porch.”
“You didn't like the other one because the color of the walls didn't match the door, the first one we saw had too many windows and this one is too big. Murdock, we have to make a choice sooner or later, otherwise we miss our opportunity. You should compromise. At least try.”
“Gotta admit daddy's right, don't you think so Billy?” The dog did not hesitate to appear enthusiastic when he heard his owner turn to him and energetically stroke his fur. “So you like this one?”
“Yes, I would say it’s not bad-” Turning towards his husband, Face understood that Murdock was not addressing him but the dog, which still showered the pilot with happy celebrations and little jumps.
“I'd say he agrees too. We'll take it."
“Why am I surprised that you listen to Billy's opinion more than you listen to mine?”
“I really don't know Facey. By now you should have a lot of experience, years and years. You should know how things work in this family."
“Tomorrow I will go to the town hall to fill in the documents.” Face chuckled to himself. “I think it's one of the first times I've done the paperwork in the most legal way possible.”
“Sure Billy. Now it's all ours. A new house for you and your dads!”
“If they don't make a fuss about the ridiculous names you made up when we signed the papers at the estate agency, I'd say we're on a roll– Murdock! What are you doing? It's not ours yet!”
“A question of boring papers and dusty junk! Billy wants to unwrap his gift right away and I want it too!"
“You can't go in there!”
“It's my house now!” Murdock's tone could not contain his enthusiasm as he attempted to climb into the open window next to the front door, leaving a bewildered Face on the the perfect green of the garden's grass.
Face couldn't hide the amused smile and the snort that left his mouth.
How he had managed to endure those moments of Murdock’s madness for nearly twenty years still remained a mystery that he would never understand.
Adding up to the mystery of how he had found the courage to propose to the pilot the idea of searching their first real home together and how he had actually managed to make up the strenght of confessing his love for him, after that fateful mission in which by a hair's breadth and due to a blow from one of the henchmen of the week's criminal he had nearly gotten to the point of losing his best friend forever.
He only knew that the second after revealing his biggest secret to him, he felt a huge weight being lifted from his heart and irritatingly bold lips pressing against his with such force it almost knocked the hair out of him and made B.A.'s eyes pop out of their sockets.
When the blond man entered the house, which they had only came to visit, he found the pilot sprawled on the couch while Billy jumped eagerly on the immaculate sofa.
Face once again found himself slapping a hand in his face as a sign of disapproval.
Those two will make his life hell, though more likely they were his own personla version of heaven on earth.
“Billy! Get down from there! Please don't make me repeat it a thousand times."
The puppy, hearing the more authoritarian tone of the blond standing at the entrance of the living room, obeyed without complaint and went back down looking for another place to crouch.
“Do you know that he shouldn't be bouncing around the house like that?”
“Cookie don't be silly. He's just a dog, how does he know that?”
“And now where does the 'cookie' come from?” Face faked an annoyed tone, even though he had never revealed to his partner how much he loved those strange pet names Murdock gave him, especially under the sheets.
“We both know how sweet you can be.” The brunette's lascivious and playful gaze reached him, hitting him right where he knew it would drive him the craziest.
"You know me, I love nibbling those beautiful cookies you prepare for me in the evening, filled with chocolate cream and-"
"For God's sake Murdock! Not here!" The blonde's face lit up red. "There's Billy around!"
The pilot's crystalline laughter echoed throughout the room.
Face collapsed exhausted onto the now full of footprints sofa, which filled the spacious and delightful living room of their new suburban house.
It was just lovely, with its small courtyard with chairs and a gazebo, a balcony on the upper floor, equipped kitchen and a cozy double bedroom.
In the blink of an eye the dark haired man was already on his feet, ready to explore the house they had finally found after a very boring bargaining session with the young agent who had been responsible for fulfilling their requests.
“Are you tired already Facey?”
“I wish I had the energy you two have.”
“There are still so many rooms we need to claim as our own, I want to see them all. I want to know if there is some secret compartment lying around that the previous owner created.”
“Get ahead of me. I don't have the strength anymore."
The pilot knew too well the complaining tone of the blond when he proposed to him something that he really didn't want to do.
It had already happened a thousand times on their missions, even thou the conman knew better than messing up with Hannibal's orders.
“Ok then I'll go all alone.”
“Mmh.” Faceman closed his eyes for a moment to let his muscles rest and melt on the soft surface of the sofa. He had to admit that this was a really good sofa.
The idyllic moment was interrupted by the dark haired man's curious face as he leaned against the headboard of the couch right next to his ear.
"You know, a long, long time ago I met a man, the most beautiful man I had ever seen."
"Murdock, please…"
"I had never seen something like that in my life. He had eyes light as the spring sky, a jaunty quiff and a magnetic look that radiated brazenness but betrayed an innocence purer than that of a child. He was no more than 20 years old, a young soldier ready for anything, even if he was not aware of what awaited him out there in the jungle. But despite this, he still looked at others with the brightest light in his eyes. At that moment I knew, and I was sure of it, that I was falling madly in love. I started getting lost in his eyes, over and over and I never stopped, not even now." Murdock decided to climb over and join the conman on the couch.
He knew very well how much those words were hitting the conman hard in his sloppy romantic heart, causing him to flare up with embarrassment.
"In just one moment, I understood that I would have loved him from the insect infested forests of Nam to the asphalt jungle of the big city, until my last day."
Face was used to the man's strange ramblings but that slightly caught him off guard.
It was definitely not the first time that Murdock started dredging up the past to excite him and he certainly didn't fail to remind him how much he loved him every day from the moment of their first kiss.
"To be honest, at that time I didn't think that day would be as far away as it should have been. War makes you think strange things. But I never thought I'd live so long to be able to kiss that man, marry him and even go as far as buying a house together."
"You don't want to make me cry, do you Murdock?"
"Of course not...Maybe, just a little. I mean... now I can watch you prepare breakfast for me every morning in our personal kitchen, if that's not enough to make a big man cry i dont'nt know what else could."
"You know that you're the cook among us, right?"
"Of course I know, but I want to see you try babe. Only then I'll teach you."
"Now that I think about it, I don't know if it has been a great idea to buy a house together." The blond's mocking smile was starting to show the signs of age but it was precisely that asepect which drove Murdock crazy.
"You're the one who didn't want to live in a hotel on the coast."
"How would we live in a hotel? I've already struggled to find the money for this house."
"You mean this house isn't the result of one of your usual planned scams?"
"Since we have been living together I made a promise to myself. From now on I want to do things in the right way. I want this new life to be as normal as possible... for you."
The pilot hardly gave him time to finish the sentence before he planted a kiss on his cheek. "You should know that I don't like living 'normally' faceman."
"And you're just telling me now?" The blonde's playful tone joined the pilot's laughter. Soon Face was on top of him, tickling him where he knew he would be most successful.
"Stop it, I can't take it anymore." Murdock struggled to speak through the involuntary laughters.
"I'll stop only when you give me a reason to."
Without thinking twice the pilot placed both hands around his lover's face, making him stop for a few seconds.
"No matter how hard you try, I will never stop reminding you how much I love you, Richard."
Face decided to let himself be overcome by the pilot's determination and melted into his kiss while Billy trotted happily throughout the living room, covering it entirely in dirt and mud.