"Heero's Dog"

Written By: Kaeru Shisho

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Gundam Wing or its characters, nor do I make any monetary profit off this story.

Rating: NC 17

Warnings: AU, male/male pairings, language

Pairings: 1x2, 3x4,

Summary: Heero chooses a dog for stress relief and gets everything but, and then he meets Duo. This is about relationships more than dogs, but the title stuck. And he does get a dog.

A/N: My thanks go to Waterlily for the excellent editing and support. The story is told from the point of view of Heero, Trowa, and at times Wufei. Thank you for reading.

" Heero's Dog"

Chapter 1

Introduction

Spring and romance seem to go together, one leading the other on down the merry garden path, or a dismally disastrous one; take your choice or just let nature do it for you.

The story unfolds the day Heero chose to get a dog.

The King Charles has large dark eyes, a short nose, a high domed head and a line of black skin around the mouth.

The young officer read the dog's description over again, in particular, one passage: has large dark eyes.

Hn. Heero liked large eyes, especially ones gazing into his own. He let his mind wander to a pair of blue-hued eyes, tinted the color of the sea, just long enough to remind himself to stop before it became an obsession with him.

He sat back in his leather armchair, steepling his hands in front of his nose and visualized a dog and then the dog sitting at his feet. Not bad. So far, he approved of the breed he'd been told was apartment-sized. Not the dimensions of an apartment—he'd checked—only a foot in height.

He returned to his research.

Affectionate lapdog.

Uh, oh. Just alter the visual. All right, then, not sitting at his feet so much as lying on his feet and possibly at his side on the couch. Ugh. He flinched at the thought of sharing his personal space with a warm entity.

But he would learn to tolerate that.

He would have to, or quit his job.

Commander Une's harsh words rang in his head. "You are one damned good officer, Yuy, and I need you at the detective level, but," and the timbre lowered to depth-toll range of deep sea mapping and his attention began to drift.

He had spent his last vacation exploring the deep ocean trench. A private company, Offshore Survey Division, provided a program similar to a dude ranch, but on a ship, using acoustics for underwater positioning. There were mostly students from the university onboard, but one space was still available, so on a whim Heero took it. Now, it was all he could think about when he needed a pleasant retreat. There had been this man, about his own age, who ran the ship and most of the equipment...

"Are you listening to me, Yuy? This is vitally important!"

"Yes, Commander."

"Assaulting a fellow officer is a serious offense."

"I know, although we were both off duty-"

"—No excuses! You are here and not out on the street because I believe you can turn your life around, manage your anger issues..."

I'm here because I'm the best officer you have, Heero interjected silently.

"...and the medical staff says to do that you must lower your stress levels. I thought the vacation would help, but—"

There'd been another outburst, another incident, where he'd clocked a fellow agent, however deservedly.

"Here—"his commander held out a paper within his reach.

"A list?"

"Choices."

He took the presented paper and scanned it briefly. No way. Dating girls was in no way a stress reliever—more of a stress provider. He had tried it once with disastrous results. He almost felt sorry for Relena in retrospect. "A girlfriend?"

His harsh glare worked its magic, and his commander backed off. "It's only one item on the list. Personally? I'd choose the dog."

"You own a dog?" Heero asked, curious. He tried to picture Une and Treize playing with a puppy and could not.

"Of course not. I have a husband and he's high maintenance enough. Now, back to you. I want this resolved by the end of the month. Dog, girlfriend, whatever, and then you have a month with regular appointments with a psychologist to show marked improvement. Meet my deadlines and then we will re-assess and talk about your return to duty. Understood?"

"I understand."

If I were married to Treize Khushrenada, I'd want to change the subject, too, Heero thought. Not that he was likely to marry anyone, which returned him to the problem at hand: acquiring stress relieving dog companion. He decided to settle on a breed before the afternoon, and marched back to his cubicle.

(o)

"You already went out once this spring."

"Technically, that was as much the end of winter as the beginning of spring—"

"Duo—!" This sounded as much like a growl as it did a name.

Another argument before he left again! Trowa had plenty of other things on his mind, and he knew Duo did as well, like preparing his blasted ship. He'd much rather clean the kennels and have a moment to train the new dogs than to waste time fighting with his boyfriend.

"I've got too much to do to fight," Duo grumbled. He jammed another fleece top into his duffle. His eyes flashed in violet warning.

"You wouldn't have to if you gave up the expeditions." Trowa felt that was a reasonable solution. Duo could help him and share expenses.

"Trowa. I have to, you know that," Duo said, with lots of emphasis on several words. "The work study is part of my school financing package. 'Course I could quit this stupid college stuff-"

"Fuck that! It's the only worthwhile thing you're doing!" Trowa shouted.

Duo frowned and folded his arms across his chest proactively.

Trowa took a shuddering, temper-controlling breath and continued, "Listen, it doesn't mean you have to take the boat out," Trowa insisted. "You can work other jobs, is all I'm saying."

"No. I. Can't." Duo stopped long enough from his packing to wave his arms around. "Not and afford school."

"You mean, afford to pay off the boat."

Well, yes. In order to meet the expense of rent and pay off the loan for the research vessel and return to college, Duo had to make a hefty bundle. "That, too," he admitted.

"So, if you gave up the boat—"

"It's a ship, by the way, and I won't—"

"If you sold it, you could work fewer hours, take more classes, and graduate in this century."

"So I could do what?" Duo pressed. He always pressed for some sign of commitment from his slippery boyfriend. "I'm not going to become some home-bound intellectual. I don't even belong in college, really. So, what am I in so damned a hurry to get to doing?"

"I have the farm—"

"The old circus winter storage land? I'm not a farmer, Tro', I'm a—"

"A skipper?" Trowa snarled. "And it's not a farm. There's a house and animals—"

"I'd like to travel."

"Sail the seven seas and all that?"

"Maybe, maybe not, I don't know, but I wanna keep the ship." Duo raised his eyes and stared determinedly at Trowa.

There was a time, Trowa remembered still, when his personal charm was all he needed, and Duo would fall into his arms and comply. How long had it been since that happened? Well, it was not working today either.

Duo's smile crooked artfully. "You could come along."

He knew how this game would play out. Instead of a smile, Trowa rewarded his effort with an exasperated sigh. "And do what with the animals?"

"Weren't you hiring help?"

"I was, but I wasn't going to make a decision until after we moved. You could help me there."

"But... I got the ship to look after and that business is really starting to ramp up," Duo said, circling back to the circumstances which had set off the argument in the first place, whether intentionally or not.

"Oh, I am aware." Trowa bit off the words and turned away. "You know, I hate the water."

"So you say, but you won't even give it a try."

"I just know." Trowa twisted around to face his boyfriend again. "Never," he said in a near-whisper.

"Right. Anyway. I'll just be gone one week."

"That's what you said earlier. Now we have to move. Every time we get some time off—"

"That's when the students want to go! I can't help that. I simply ..." He wanted to know if Trowa would be there when he returned or whether he was even welcome to return.

"I know. I hate moving all this crap. You promised to help." Trowa sounded petulant even to himself, but he couldn't help that.

"I did and I'm sorry. Just move what you want to and... see if I can pay for another week here for my stuff. Hey, I didn't plan this this way!"

"You never do." Trowa shook his head. "Forget it. I'll take care of it. The landlord would probably just dump your stuff no matter what."

"Oh. Well. Yeah, he probably would, huh? Tro', I'm really, really sorry to leave you with all this to do. I know you have the animals—"

"I can handle it, Duo. Don't worry about it. You got enough on your mind as it is."

"Thanks. We can think things over and see where we go from there when I get back, okay?"

Trowa nodded. "Sure."

"I think I'll just head out now, then." Duo didn't move, though.

Trowa figured he was waiting for a reaction. Of course, Duo knew he was could see for himself that Duo was slipping out early. Duo had told him that he started first thing in the morning, and this was early evening, which meant this was early. If Trowa wanted him to stay so badly, all he'd have to do is say so.

What did he want? Really want?

"You're not going to sleep on the boat, are you?"

"I'll sleep where I want to!" Duo huffed. "Even on the ship!" He gathered doggy things and dumped them in a box by the door alongside his duffle of clothes. "But I'm going to 'Fei's."

"You can leave Sky with me." Trowa had offered this over and over. He'd found Sky, trained him for Duo. He wondered if Duo guessed he actually liked his dog more than him these days.

"I know. Thanks. I promised Fei', though, that he could have him for the week. He likes to pretend he likes animals every so often."

Trowa smiled when Duo did.

"God, Tro'," Duo sighed. "I didn't want to go out in a fight like this."

"I know."

"Some space... time to think—maybe it's what we need to get back on track?" Duo suggested.

"Maybe. Take care of ... everybody."

"I will."

"Come back safe."

"I will." Duo collected his well-behaved mongrel from his bedroom and at the door, slung the duffle over a shoulder.

Trowa opened the door for him and hefted the box. "I'll drop you at Chang's, okay? That way I can keep the car."

"Oh. Okay. Sure."

(*)

A few minutes later, Wufei watched as Trowa drove away. "You can't seriously be thinking 'he's the one'?"

"What? That's... we... we're having a rough patch right now."

"Rough is a nail that needs an emery board. That parting left a gaping hole with an oozing sore."

"Oooh, yuck, 'Fei!"

"What is keeping you from breaking up?"

"Not that it's any business of yours—"

"Name one thing," Wufei insisted.

"All my stuff's at the apartment. Sky—"

"You have only a week left on the lease, Trowa told me so." Wufei stared at him hard and direct. "Has he asked you to move to that old house he's got yet?"

"Sorta. Not exactly. He needs my help there."

"Your stuff can be moved, sold, or just let him keep it. You and Sky can move in with me. He can hire help and buy sex."

"'Fei!" Duo returned his friend's searching glare, while the big, black dog helped himself to an empty spot on the front porch. "You know I'm gay. You're not. How weird would that be?"

"I don't know. Just how weird would it be? I didn't say I wasn't gay. What I said was I don't like men. I don't care for women either."

Duo snorted a laugh.

"- Besides, I have a second bedroom, as you know. We wouldn't be sharing a...bed."

Duo smiled.

Wufei drew a deep breath and composed himself. Duo had managed to get him all riled up. Over Trowa. It was always some problem with Trowa.

"I'll think about it. I told Trowa to think about things while I'm gone- and I am, too. One week and... I'll let you know, 'kay?"

After one brusque nod, Wufei hoisted Duo's loaded duffle over a shoulder, and swayed a moment. Wufei turned to go inside, carrying the bag. "What other errands do you have left to make?"

"Food."

"I'll take you after dinner."

"Thanks, man."

Wufei served a rice and vegetable dinner, and, later on, he took Duo out to buy the last minute, fresh provisions for the one week excursion with a ship-load of college graduates. He helped load the ship, including ice and extra fuel, and joined Duo on one final, appraising walk from one end to the other, examining the ship for readiness. Duo had been very thorough already, as usual, and everything was fine. He found nothing more to be done and they went home, where he read poetry aloud until Duo fell asleep on the couch with Sky.

The next morning, before dawn, he drove Duo to the dock again. "Return safe and remember the offer."

"I will. Promise." Duo hugged his friend for a long time.

Sky whined.

"Your turn." And he crushed his face into the soft fur. A moment later, he stood abruptly. "Later!"

Wufei stood and watch Duo hop aboard. They waved and Wufei turned away, heading down the wharf, to leave the pretty harbor and return home.

He imagined Duo's passengers would be arriving any minute. He had a half an hour until he would cast off, if everyone arrived on time. Wufei hoped he wouldn't call Trowa and start groveling for forgiveness again. The two men were not suitable. Couldn't they see that? How thick were their skulls?

There was no love there.

Had Wufei remained in sight of the ship a few more minutes, he might have heard Duo moan, "Oh, God. "I'm lost."

He might also have seen his friend leaning on the teak railing that circled the ship's deck and looking out across the breakwater.

He might have been able to stop Duo, when he stared at his cell phone one last time, and then tossed it over-board.

But, then, since it meant he wouldn't be conversing with Trowa, then, maybe, Wufei would not have tried very hard to stop him. Or at all.

(o)

Heero reread the caption under the picture of an excruciatingly cute puppy:

The King Charles spaniel is an affectionate lapdog, easy to train, however, regular grooming is important with special attention to ears. It is considered to be wonderful at reducing stress in its owners.

Good enough. He tapped the code to connect his vidphone to his best friend and soon was face to face with a harried-looking man with tousled blond hair and a spreading smile.

"Heero! How are you? Sorry I had to cancel lunch today-"

Canceled on me again, you mean, Heero filled in silently.

"—I was tripled booked! This new client is important, though."

"That's okay, Quatre. I'm not calling about that. We can eat anytime."

"Oh? Why, yes, we can. Thank you? Um, so why did you call?"

"I want the name and number of the shop where you got your dog."

He watched his friend lose his smile and a tiny frown make inroads in its place. He hoped the pet store wasn't the problem, because Heero had no other recommendations and didn't relish having to research reliable breeders—too dog-crazed for him. "You raved about it, so have you changed your mind?"

"The shop? Oh, no. Sorry! It's fine. He helped me choose a lovely pet. It's not that. I just... well... here's the number: Bloom's Circus—I know it is a funny name for a pet shop, isn't it? Of course, it's a lot more than just that—"

"Quatre—"Heero interrupted the flow while he could.

"Are you getting a dog?"

"Yes. Thank you for your help. We'll talk more later."

"Okay. Oh! Don't get a puppy!"

"Why-?" he began and stopped himself. Unless he wanted to get into a long involved conversation right now, he knew what he had to do. "Agreed. No puppy. Goodbye."

Heero saved the name and number and ended the call. His friend seemed a little loopier than usual and attributed it to taking on too much work. The same could be said for him, and had been, but while his friend became scattered, he became angry, or so he'd been told.

"Do you currently have a King Charles Spaniel available?- Yuy" he typed then sent to the email address for Bloom's Circus.

While waiting for a reply, he scrubbed the bathroom and kitchen, vacuumed the floors, and changed the bed linens. Before he started the first wash load, his computer signaled "incoming."

"Possibly. I match the dogs to the owners. No exceptions. I'm open for two more hours today.—Trowa".

We'll see about that, Heero thought, but typed, "On my way."

Bloom's Circus lay on the outskirts of the city. The place was huge covering acres of land, but that was because it bred and housed, and, Heero supposed, sold, large animals as well as small ones.

As he pulled past the gate into a parking lot designed to accommodate trucks and trailers, he could see horses, llamas, smaller versions of both, long-haired small cattle, and deer-like animals.

"More of a zoo than a circus."

To greet him, a cream-colored goat and a dog larger and more gold in color than the goat trotted in from opposite sides of the property. He immediately felt hemmed in. His hand moved automatically for a gun he'd left at home, but the dog didn't bite or even growl.

In the background he heard barking over the cacophony of other animal noises.

His greeter dog remained silent and nudged his hand for an ear scratch.

Heero indulged the dog. "Hi."

The goat, feeling ignored, head-butted his leg forward. "Okay. Stop that."

The dog wasn't giving up and employed some gentle, damp-nose prompting to get his notice. "What?"

The goat answered with another encouraging push, causing him to stumble forward a step.

Resistance is futile.

"All right I'll move," he chuckled and let the pair guide him toward the building. Their determination amused him.

He was reminded of a country store with the wide porch shaded by a striped awning and inside by the wide plank floor and wood shelves loaded with pet supplies. When he opened the door, the golden dog peeled off and barked once before loping around back.

"Stupid dog."

A sign over another entryway proclaimed: "Feed and Livestock Supplies This Way".

"Not for me," he muttered and approached the desk looking for a bell to ring for help, when a man about his age passed under the sign. The dog was with him.

"Hello? Can I help you?"

Heero made no move to shake hands and noted that the other man wiped his on a rag, perhaps to avoid the same thing? Not everyone liked touching the way his friend Quatre did.

"I contacted you an hour ago."

"Mr. Yuy. I'm Trowa."

And then there was no way to avoid it and he took the out-reached hand and shook. A strong handshake. "Heero," since you are inviting me to be on a first-name basis, "I'm looking for a particular breed of dog."

"King Charles spaniel, yeah." Trowa flipped his long bangs aside to reveal a handsome face with hazel eyes. "I remember."

Heero waited for him to do something like make one appear so he could buy it and leave. Trowa seemed occupied petting the big dog's head and made no offer to bring one to him.

Curbing his exasperation, Heero asked, "Do you have one?"

Giving away nothing with his blank expression, the other man answered, "I do. Come out to the yard."

Thinking that they were getting somewhere now, Heero followed the man out a side door. He could only admire how the shop keeper filled out his worn jeans, those long legs out-striding him by half as he led them out into a compound he called "the kennel".

"So, what do you do?" Trowa asked.

It was a fair question. It was obvious what Trowa did for a living. "I'm an agent in the Preventers peacekeeping force." He couldn't keep the pride out of his voice. It was a good job and one he valued immensely. The only downside- and it was a gaping-hole big one- being that it left him with practically no private life, no time to meet other people, men in particular.

"Busy man," was all the man said to that, and then he invited Heero to look over the dogs as he called each one by name, petting, scratching, and caressing each one.

"This is Hank. He's not demanding, but he likes exercise." Heero felt the other man scan him, measuring his fitness level. "You like running?"

"I do. After criminals. I could add recreational running to my daily routine, if necessary." He studied the dog a moment. "It's too large. I live in an apartment, that's why I chose a small dog." Idiot.

"Don't count out medium-sized dogs. Not all of them require houses with yards. And some small dogs would go stark-raving if stuck indoors all day."

Oh. There was nothing to say to that.

"This is Candy," Trowa went on introducing Heero to another member of his pack.

"What kind of breed is ... she?"

"A mix. Pretty, though. Sweet-tempered and trained. Sit!"

She sat.

That would save time getting one already trained. Heero nodded. "My friend recommended that I not get a puppy."

Trowa muffled a laugh with a hand and turned away. "Good advice."

Heero felt he could handle one, though!

"I try to match the pet to the owner's temperament, living requirements, and personal needs," Trowa said as he approached another cage.

A small black dog with touches of brick-red on its face, legs and chest and under the tail, lay with its head on its paws, facing left. At the sound of Trowa's voice, it flew to its feet, hopping excitedly several feet off the ground.

"Whoa, boy. Down Wing!"

"What kind of name was that for a dog? Weren't dogs named "Sport" or "Rover" or "Ruggles"?" Although, Heero thought the way the ears flapped out to the sides with the long fur that looked like feathers could be taken for "wings".

"I didn't name him. As requested, this is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with black and tan markings."

He was small all right and downright adorable. Cringe-worthy cute. Small.

"It's not a puppy?"

"No, and 'it' is a 'he', de-sexed at 5 months. He just came back a month ago. Wing's owner was killed in a car crash and there wasn't a proper home for him to go to. You can see why I'm being extremely careful sending him out a second time?"

Maybe. Heero didn't believe in cursed dogs, if that was what the man meant.

"Cavalier King Charles Spaniels require a great deal of human companionship, and do not do well if left alone for long periods of time. When properly trained, like this one has started, they have wonderful manners."

Left alone. That could be a problem. Heero's work demanded he be gone for periods of time, especially when, not if, he was promoted to infiltration commander.

"I'd need to know you better to make a match," he said

Was that an invitation? Was he flirting, Heero wondered? He rarely had time for dating, and, outside of the summer research vessel man, he never put himself out there to meet people. This was an opportunity.

"I missed lunch, today," Heero said. "A friend cancelled on me."

"Yeah? That's just... yeah. I got cancelled on, too, so to speak."

"How about I take you out to dinner? You are closing? We could get to know each other better."

"And we do need to eat. Okay, sure. Let me lock up and wash up...change my shirt. I'll meet you..."

"Out front on the porch? I saw a bench."

"With your name on it?" Trowa joked. He agreed to the suggestion and loped off in the direction of a farmhouse, leaving Heero and the big dog to find their way to the front.

That was easy, Heero thought. Making a date and with a hot looking guy was fairly easy.

Not like what happened, or didn't happen, aboard the ship.

He hadn't been able to say more than a few words to the research boatman, the one with the long hair and big, rich, blue eyes. He'd been one of twelve young men and women from the surrounding colleges all there to learn about mapping the sea bottom and acquire some firsthand experience.

All Heero could recall of his oceanic experience later was the man called Duo. Just Duo, not doctor or professor. Just Duo Maxwell. Not only was he easy on the eyes, he was smart, experience-smart...

"When I drop this transponder unit to the seabed," he'd told the group of students, some older than him, none the least bit interesting to Heero, "It will start transmitting acoustic ranges utilizing the Doppler effect in sound travelling through water to measure ocean currents, vehicle speed over ground, and height above the seabed..."

The sound of footsteps brought him around to the here and now and the dog to his feet and nose aimed at the door.

"Hey, Big Shot, go on in. I'm locking up."

Without a whine or whimper, the big dog obeyed. As he sashayed past, though, his wagging tail smacked his master's leg with a force that implied he would rather have come along for the ride.

"Big Shot?" Heero asked, trampling over the gravel to his parked car. "I'll drive."

The lean shopkeeper didn't break stride. "Yeah, he's big and believes he calls the shots around here, so there you go." Once settled into the passenger seat, he simply asked, "Where we going?"

Heero had no idea. "Well..."

"You like ribs?"

"Sure."

"Then take the first right at the main road. There's the best place in the kingdom a mile away. Barbequed everything. Eat outside at picnic tables."

"Sounds great. All right."

The place was off the main road, hidden amongst a stand of aged oak trees. Trowa directed them to a low building, away from the door, but to a walk-up window. "We order here and eat outside, unless you'd rather go in?"

"I wouldn't miss eating outside for anything," Heero said, and he meant it. This was a treat.

They both ordered the same thing, Heero paid, and Trowa chose a picnic table draped in red and white checkerboard pattern and graced with an assortment of sauces and relishes.

While they waited for their orders, there was time for small-talk. "There are heaters they fire up in fall and a covered patio on the other side for when it rains. There's always the indoors."

"For the wimps." Heero smiled and sipped at his water.

"Yup. You seem like a nice guy. Why a dog if you're not home much?"

"I'm home." But I'm gone a lot, too. "I have a stressful job and no one to come home to. A dog was suggested and the one I felt was the best fit was the Cavalier Spaniel I called you about."

That was his cue to tell me he agreed and would sell me the damned animal before our food arrived.

"Have you considered a mutt from the pound? You can get an older dog, already trained, less demanding?"

"Bad habits and all?" Heero felt a glare coming on. "No."

The man's calm was glare-resistant. "No K-9 unit dogs needing a home?"

"No!" What's wrong with him?! What smells so good?

A basket brimming with roasted ribs and bristling with hot fired potato spears appeared. A young lady smiled as she added bowls of coleslaw, rolls, butter, and a pot of "homemade raspberry preserves."

Why fight it? The conversation went on like this:

"These are great," Heero said of the ribs.

"They are," Trowa agreed.

Until the baskets were empty, the last bits of jam licked from fingers, an act Heero discovered was erotic when Trowa did it.

"Fantastic."

Trowa looked up, realized what he'd been doing and what Heero meant, or not, and smiled fractionally while pretending, or not, to misconstrue the meaning. "I wouldn't have recommended it if it wasn't."

Same with the dog, but that wasn't actually said.

"Want some pie?" Trowa asked. "I'm thinking of some. What's in season is always good."

"All right. I'll have whatever you have."

Heero let the other man take care of dessert and he walked back a minute later carrying two plates with generous slices of blueberry pie.

"Coffee's on the way, should you want any." Trowa settled in and handed him a fork. "I don't usually eat this much, but, oh, I don't know... time passed... then... the 'can't make it' call, so... I didn't eat at all."

"The same. Like I said, a friend cancelled on me and I didn't get around to going out alone."

"What's with people these days? Can't keep a date."

"Well, this was an old friend who takes on more work than a day can handle."

"Sounds better than my case. I was just ... I don't think he was as interested in me as I thought."

"Some days are better than others?" Heero asked. Maybe he could get a foot in the door? He tried to get a read on the other man, but it was hard. He hid behind a curtain of bangs and was just as good at maintaining a poker face as Heero was.

"And some days are awful." Trowa's expression changed flashing Heero a hint of interest with a sly smile. "But get better."

Heero had no problem reading a level of interest in that statement. He smiled and held the other man's gaze.

Trowa was first to break it. He stood. "Time to be getting back, I reckon. See a man about a dog."

"So I passed your test?" Heero asked.

"Ordinarily, I wouldn't match that dog with someone like you, a busy man, but you seem to want Wing, and that counts for a lot in my book. If you're interested, we can arrange boarding him with me when you're gone."

Heero was interested.

On the way back to Bloom's Circus, they discussed the other things Heero would have to have to care for Wing. It was already bundled, having all just come back from the previous owner, the carrier, kennel, food bowls, coat care brushes and combs, and care book.

Heero held wing for the first time and listened to a few pointers. He wasn't entirely sold on the amount of contact the dog would require, but vowed to do whatever it took to make the dog comfortable.

"Even after having taken a week earlier, I have accrued nearly a month's vacation, so I'll have time to devote to Wing," was his final assurance.

They loaded the car. "When you're ready, I offer obedience training and some vet services. And boarding," Trowa reminded him.

"Personal service? You make house calls?" Heero put as much extra meaning into his question as he had.

It was enough. "I can."

"You have my particulars on the charge form," Heero said.

"I know," Trowa smiled again. "Here's my business card with my cell as well."

"Would you consider dinner again?"

"I wouldn't mind checking in on Wing and see how he's doing. Yeah, dinner would be good."

An indirect "yes". Heero admired the cool animal keeper and parted company with the feeling he'd gained two companions for the price of one- pretty good value for his money.

TBC

Chapter 2

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