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Jack kept his breathing even as his feet pounded against the sidewalk. He usually enjoyed his morning run, but today he just wanted to get home. He waved at the Independent Man, a large gold and bronze statue of a man thrusting a spear skyward on top of the Rhode Island State House, as he turned around, a whole half mile before he usually did.
Bitty was waiting for him at his apartment.
Eric Bittle had decided to forgo American Thanksgiving with his family so he could spend the week-long break with Jack.
My boyfriend is waiting for me, Jack thought. He’s probably just waking up, maybe he’s making coffee, or muffins, wearing nothing but my old t-shirt. . . Jack shook his head and started counting steps instead of breaths. That was not a line of thought that needed to be explored in public.
Jack was about a half mile from home- and more importantly, Bitty- when he saw it. A fuzzy brown and grey mutt curled up behind a dumpster in an alley between a convenience store and restaurant.
“Bonjour, Monsieur Chien, it’s okay,” Jack said in a soft voice, as he squatted down and reached his hand towards the dog. Instead of sniffing Jack’s hand, the dog went back into the alley even farther, as if to hide. Maybe it needs a snack, or water? Jack thought. He got up, and went into the little store. While he was purchasing a Slim Jim and a few individually wrapped dog biscuits, it started to rain.
Jack rushed back to the dumpster, hoping the dog hadn’t run away. It hadn’t, but it was shivering in the rain, and he could see that what he thought were grey patched on the dog were actually white. Jack’s heart melted. He’d never had a dog as a kid and goddammit, he wanted this dog.
“Hey doggy, hey. . . Monsieur Chien, here boy,” he lilted at the dog as he held out the Slim Jim. Monsieur Chien snuffled in Jack’s direction before inching towards him to get to the treat. While the dog was munching on the sausage stick, Jack gave him a once over. He had a few scrapes but nothing too bad. He’d still need to get to a vet sooner rather than later.
Jack used the biscuits to get the dog to follow him home. Thank god his apartment allowed pets. Jack sat down in the elevator up to his floor so he could pet Monsieur Chien. He scooched himself and the dog out of the elevator. As he opened his front door he announced, “This is Monsieur Chien, I found him and I love him.”
“Oh honey,” Bitty said, “Where did you find a dog? It looks like you both got caught in that rain. Oh, you poor things. Jack, we have to get this boy cleaned up. . .” Bitty started talking a mile a minute as he finished getting a batch of muffins out of the oven.
Jack noticed he was wearing one of his t-shirts and a pair of soft-worn boxers. Not the time for that! Jack chastised himself. But maybe he let himself stare at Bitty’s ass as he led Monsieur Chien to the bathroom. It was right there.
Monsieur Chien took to Bitty right away, it helped that he was smaller than Jack, and that the apartment was warm and smelled nice.
Monsieur Chien did not take to the bath, however. By the time they had gotten the dog clean, Bitty’s front was entirely soaked through.
“Now Jack, sweetheart,” Bitty said as he was toweling off Monsieur Chien, “we cannot call this dog Monsieur anything, she’s a girl dog!”
“Shitty would say otherwise,” Jack joked.
“Shitty says a lot of things, dear, not all of which are true or appropriate.”
“Okay, okay, let’s think about it. Why don’t you take her into the living room while I call up the vet and see if I can get her an appointment after the holiday weekend,” Jack said as he looked up vets in the area. He called the closest one, and was able to get an appointment for that day.
“Well, I thought you would, honey. It is only Tuesday, after all,” Bitty commented as Jack sat next to him on the couch. “And she still needs a name.”
“Yeah, well, you Americans get into your holidays,” Jack smiled at his joke. Bitty did not. “I’ve been thinking about names, but I’m not sure. Did you have any ideas?”
“Well, there’s Penelope, or Charlotte, maybe Christine, or Eleanor. ..” Bitty listed names as he pet the dog, which was stretched out on the couch with her head on Bitty’s lap.
“I like Penelope, but maybe just Penny,” Jack said. “Hey Penny, here girl,” he said with a snap of his fingers. The newly named dog scrambled across Bitty’s lap and into Jack’s.
“I think Penny works for her!” Bitty laughed as Penny waged her tail right in his face. Penny jumped off the couch, and went off to explore her new home. “She might like a little doggy bed, though. And some toys?” Bitty said as he leaned into Jack’s side.
“We can go over to a pet store after her appointment,” Jack mumbled into Bitty’s hair as he pulled him in close.
Bitty twisted in Jack’s lap so he was straddling his muscular thighs, as Jack pressed nibbling kisses along his neck. “Don’t tease me, Mr. Zimmermann,” Bitty whispered against Jack’s shoulder, before moving on to kiss and bite at the part of his collar bone that wasn’t covered by his thin shirt.
“Not teasing if you follow through,” Jack breathed into his ear, mostly so he could feel Bitty’s full-body shiver when Jack sucked on his earlobe. Jack kissed down from Bitty’s ear, over his jaw, and finally captured Bitty’s lips in a searing kiss. Bitty sighed into the kiss as Jack ran his hands down the blonde’s sides and under his too-big t-shirt.
Bitty scrambled to get his shirt off, while trying pull Jack’s off as well. Jack didn’t even try to help, he just grabbed a handful of ass with one hand, and pulled Bitty closer to him with the other.
“Not gonna help, huh?” Bitty mumbled against Jack’s mouth.
“Nope,” Jack said with a smile and a quick kiss pressed to the tip of Bitty’s nose.
“Have it your way,” Bitty said as he wiggled out of Jack’s grip, and then tackled him onto the couch.
“I like my way,” Jack smiled up at Bitty, who had now thoroughly pinned him to the couch.
“Oh shush, you!” Bitty pulled Jack’s shirt over his head and started to kiss and lick over his truly impressive chest and abs. Bitty’s hands drifted to Jack’s waistband, as Jack moaned his name.
A muffled crash, followed by a snuffling, whining bark came from the entryway to the kitchen.
“Penny?” Jack called, and the dog came running, covered in flour and leaving powdery white footprints on the floor. “I guess she needs another bath, huh Bits?”
“Is this what being a parent is like?” Bitty moaned into Jack’s abs, before sitting up. “We’ll just have to pick up where we left off, once Miss Penny is cleaned up and the kitchen is sorted,” he said with a sweet smile in his boyfriend’s direction.
“Absolutely,” Jack said as he pressed one more kiss to Bitty’s temple, before going to start Penny’s second bath of the day.
