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Sleep pulled away softly, a peaceful dream fading until it left him aware and awake, although Henry’s eyes were still closed. The first thing he realized was murmuring from the next room drifting to his ears. Quiet, although it wasn’t by any means hushed in an attempt to not disturb him as he was sleeping. It sounded as if someone was lovingly fussing over someone or something. He had expected silence maybe shouting – not this.
The second thing he realized was the lack of warmth in the bed besides his own body’s heat under the covers. After Hans had protested about Mutt sleeping in the bed with them last night, mostly citing a possible mess and potential smell, the dog had eventually curled up by their feet. Opening his eyes confirmed what Henry felt as both his boyfriend and dog had left, leaving nothing but cold rumpled sheets and pillows.
For a few seconds after Henry sat up, warm comforter clutched around him. He stayed just like that contemplating whether he could fall back asleep for a little longer or if he should go check up on Hans right away. Not a particularly hard decision as his curiosity actively fought his comfort and won. He didn’t want to delay the conversation with Hans.
Didn’t stop him from being nosey though. Whatever Hans was doing, it didn’t sound like he didn’t wake up in a bad or resentful mood. So there was hope. That alone made Henry move as silent as he could, slipping out of the bed while he tried his hardest not to make a noise by ruffling the sheets and controlled the tension in his body as he snuck towards the door. In his mind, he saw Hans sitting peacefully at the coffee table with Mutt by his side scratching his ears as he praised him for… whatever really. If this could be waiting for him on the other side of their bedroom door, he couldn’t let a sound announce himself.
Once outside Henry immediately noticed that the sound wasn’t coming from the kitchen but from the living room, excitement and praise floating into the corridor. Another point for the ‘This was going to be okay’ board.
Somehow, he managed to not fuck up sneaking his way to the door, leaning on the frame as he observed the scene, a hopeful smile on his face. Hans still in his pyjamas was sitting on the plush carpet next to the sofa holding what looked like the dog treats Henry bought yesterday, talking to Mutt whose excited tail wags were only slightly muffled by said carpet.
Henry had hoped to see this yesterday, but Hans hadn’t been happy about the surprise adoption when he had brought Mutt home. The subsequent argument had been brief but loud, cut short when Henry had told him where and how he had found the dog. In the end they had agreed to at least let him stay overnight, provided he got a proper bath, something that Henry happily had obliged to, but their argument had left the mood tender and Hans in quiet contemplation. Henry only had managed to coax him out it of later after dinner. A well-placed joke had cracked the wall until the floodgates opened and most of their normal ease had returned. Still, they hadn’t talked about the dog situation, leaving the topic for the night and Henry unsure if Hans resented the dog or not.
So now, seeing Hans playing happily with Mutt without anger brewing beneath the surface? A blessing. Fifteen points to that damn score board.
“You silly doggy,” Hans said scratching the sides of Mutt’s face after he successfully followed a couple of commands. So much for him being impossible to train, Henry thought to himself remembering a point Hans had made rolling his eyes though he didn’t stop smiling. As much as he wished to observe this longer, Mutt seemed to sense him, looking at Henry and making his way over on quick paws letting Henry see the slightly baffled and embarrassed look on Hans’ face after he had jumped at Henry’s appearance in the doorway.
“You seem to be getting on well then,” Henry said cheekily, his smile turning into a small and amused grin. He could definitely allow himself the joke. “And here I thought he wasn’t a dog up to his Lordship’s standards.”
To his credit, Hans tried his best to compose himself, emotions fluttering across his face, chaos and pulse trapped red on his cheeks. “Well, turns out he is a rather good foot warmer. Your icicles notwithstanding, I might have warm feet at night now. And after you got rid of that god awful stench from the hole you rescued him out of, he doesn’t smell too bad for a dog. Whatever you did in that bath was a fucking miracle. I have to say –”
Before Hans could start into a full-on speech, Henry pushed himself of the door, walked over to him and brushed his hand softly through his hair and down his cheek.
“I’m glad you like him,” Henry told him truthfully, his teeth running across his lower lip, “yesterday I was quite worried you wouldn’t, especially after… well everything.”
“Yeah,” it came out in a breathy laugh before regaining strength. “He is quite cute. Also eager to learn, I think training him won’t be so hard after all.”
Taking Henry’s hand with his own and threading their fingers together, Hans leaned into his touch softly before looking up at him with a determined expression. “We can keep him. I want to keep him. But next time don’t spring something like this on me out of the blue.”
Henry just nodded, the request nothing short of reasonable. “I won’t. I promise you.” Then the other part of the sentence caught up with him as warmth bloomed happily in his chest spreading throughout his body and on his face into a smile.
From the floor, Hans returned it before he let himself be pulled up and towards the kitchen.
“Good,” he announced as they walked, Mutt to joining them. “Now then, I think I’m owed a coffee and a look at whatever documents and vet visits we need for him.”