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The house renovations were a source of occasional curiosities. Not the least of it, was finding things in closets and corners that had been long since abandoned.
Yu had, for example taken an old movie poster, so well faded and battered that he wasn’t positive what movie it had been, only that the lingering shapes and colors, the implications of a story half hidden were enough of an interesting novelty that it was now hung up in his room with the other salvage he’d claimed, at least for now, as his own.

The downstairs room, the one they were probably going to shape into an office, or at least a study area on the main floor for Sterling, had some of the more familiar tokens of a normal life left in a back corner of a top shelf in the small closet.

Yu found the dish, the old faded and scraped plastic sliding with a protest under his questing fingers, tilting just enough to reveal that it had further contents, first and foremost being a well chewed tennis ball that rolled free and bounced half heartedly across the room to tap against the small Step Ladder that Sterling stood on, carefully putting up painters tape so that they could touch up the dingy walls.

Yu, in the mean time had gotten the bowl down, and had rescued from it a well worn, sizable leather collar that suggested that they had had at least a mid sized dog, that had lived at the least a very active life.

He smirked, setting the bowl down and lifting the collar free with a small chuckle. The Tag read ‘Hero’ which made him huff, but he still went through with the impulse, Unbuckling it and holding it up to his own neck.

“Hey…How do you feel about clubbing?” He grinned.

Well… now -that- was interesting.

He thought in that moment he understood why cats pushed glasses of water off tables, the delight of seeing little pushes result in such… interesting results.

He shouldn’t… he really, really shouldn’t.

He did the buckle on the collar and casually sauntered over to stand, arms folded and watching as Sterling worked.

“Oh? Sometimes it’s not so bad having people pressing up close to you. You learn a lot of things if you can see, the…intimate details of their reactions.”

He let Sterling focus on the wall as he spoke, smirking and then added.

“You ok there? I didn’t think clubs would be such a hot button issue for you. “

“Fleas couldn’t live on it, its just leather. They need blood to survive you goof.” He smirked, folding his arms at the small smile he’d caught.

“Ridiculous huh? I don’t know, maybe I need to wear it a little longer, we could raise all kinds of questions if the neighbors get curious

“We can have YOU try it on, maybe It’d look better?” He flashed a sharp tooth grin.

“Fine fine, you’re no fun.” He half relented, but didn’t take off the collar, noooot yet.


“The tag says Hero, think anyone would buy that?” He stood on tip toes to check to see if there was anything else interesting on the shelf…

“Ooo…leash.” He added a moment later.

“I AM helping, I’m cleaning the closet out.” He shot back with a grin.

There was a small click sound, and it could only be supposed that leash had rejoined collar.

“There, now it’s out of the way. But I am telling you now, if I was a dog, and you called me WILBUR? I would eat your shoes… on purpose.” He glanced over his shoulder and turned to grab the tape to start marking off the inside of the closet. It was, at this time a deep grey that suggested ‘rot’ somehow, probably fashionable at one time but now?…

Not so much.

“Hmmm…what would I call YOU if you were a dog…” He mused.

“Im not so good at pet names, so it’d probably be goofy. Like… Star or something.”

“Pff… I’m the one cooking dinner tonight, does that make it dog food? And besides, plenty of good deserts come in a bowl, like pudding!”

He was gleeful to point that out.

“What kind of things DO you do for fun anyhow, Little Star? I mean besides movies and baking crazy crazy good deserts. You want me to act like a dog just put one of those on the table.” He chuckled.

“Woof.” He added with a glance over his shoulder. “Better watch your shoes though.”

“Hey… Would you be more of a cat, or a dog?” He added curiously.

“See…. I think I’d be more of a cat, I’m that kinda a*****e…. But it’s harder to see you as a ‘pet’ of any kind.”

“Ooooo if I knew being a bad dog was enough to get treats I’d have done it sooner.” He grinned - very wide and delighted, eyes dancing.

“I’ll finish taping, and I won’t even touch your loafers how’s that?”

He held up both hands in a gesture that was more cat paws than dog but the effort was made.

“Bonus point if you shape them like dog treats, then I get to say you threw me a bone.” He laughed at his own joke, still amused by the blush. Club might not be his scene but everyone had -something- odd they liked.

Even better that it was someone like Sterling all blushing.

If his eyes went a little half lidded at the tug, well, he wasn’t going to admit it.

That new bossy streak though? There was some heat in his cheeks and a wicked glint in his eyes.

“Such a cruel master, what kind of poor dog gets no treats hmm?” He pulled a length of tape and cut it with his teeth.

“Guess we’ll just have to see if I can behave huh.” He winked.

“I got this, go take a break if you need. It’d take more than painters tape to get the best of me, promise. You can put that down as an interview question too. ‘Can you be defeated by green tape, yes or no.”

“Pet pl... “

He felt his face go VERY hot indeed.

“I wasn’t!!! I ... gahhhh!!!” The inarticulate explosion was absolutely not embarrassment, really. He absolutely had not lost the upper hand in a tease battle.

Except he had. That had been a tactical NUKE and he didn’t have a chance.

Damn he was good, sometimes it almost scared him how good, but he wasn’t going to fight it, not this time.