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 Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2017 10:09 am
It had been exactly six days since the McKay household had doubled in size. During that time, exactly two table legs had been chewed on, one decoration had been knocked to the ground in pieces and four newspapers had been ripped to shreds.
And Danny couldn't have been happier.
While Tristan had been MIA on his phone (what on Earth did the man do so much that made him disappear from social media so frequently?), Danny had used his time off from work to get to know his new friend a little better. Gatsby clearly enjoyed walks but did not enjoy seeing his leash moved around and not get snapped to his collar. He enjoyed trying to share Danny's dinner while the kibble he received wasn't nearly as exciting. He also enjoyed curling up on the couch - bed was still off limits - with his head in his new human's lap, comfy and content to waste the day away when he wasn't tagging along around the house (or stealing the couch for himself, depending).
There was just one thing. Danny... hadn't exactly told Tristan what he'd done. It had been a spur of the moment decision that he hadn't regretted, but... still. His friend had done his best to keep him from caving and he hadn't caved... when Tris was around. Heh.
One hand continued to rub behind the older dog's ear while his free hand swiped the phone screen on. Tris had sent word the day before that he was still alive and kicking, wanting to know when they could meet up next. Danny had suggested he come hang out - what other way did he really have to reveal his new surprise?
[To Tris: You almost here???]
Wait, were three question marks too many? He nudged his finger to erase one, leaving two behind.
There. A perfectly reasonable amount of question marks to follow his question.
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Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2017 10:28 am
Getting by on public transport wasn't exactly ideal, but it beat the near crushing anxiety that bubbled whenever he got behind the wheel of a car.
Tristan had driven exactly two times since he had become Tristan. Once was to meet Charlie on a sporadic hang out and while he remembered how to drive, he could tell it wasn't something he was used to. He didn't know why he didn't drive but simply understood that he preferred not to.
Unfortunately, that meant that if he wasn't picked up, then travel time was at least double if he didn't spring for an uber, which he hadn't this time. Instead, he had brought his longboard and taken the needed buses until he arrived within boarding distance.
His phone vibrated in his back pocket, disrupting the song playing in his headphones but he ignored it, assuming it was Danny and he was nearly at the man's door.
With the sector 9 tucked beneath his arm, he climbed the stairs and knocked on the door.
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Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2017 10:43 am
Danny had it all figured out.
Tris would arrive and knock (he always knocked, for whatever polite reason ingrained in his silly polite head, despite having been given a key already). Danny would yell at him to come in. Tris would make his way inside and see the bundle of lovable fur nestled up across the couch and would be in awe of the adorable sight in front of him.
Except, well, Danny had exactly no experience with dogs before this week.
Funny how plans don't always go according to... well, plan.
As soon as the knock hit the door, Gatsby's ears perked up. Before Danny could holler out a "come in!", the dog was already off the couch and making a bee-line for the front door, barking his furry little head off as if to say stranger, stranger, there's a stranger here!!
Danny was soon to scramble afterwards, nearly tripping over his own socked feet as he skidded across the flooring. His hands flew out to grab at the dog's collar, pulling him back as the protective canine continued woofing. One hand desperately flung itself out to the doorknob - Gatsby loved Tris, surely seeing the brunette would shut up the barking, right??
Right???
"Tris," he called out from the other side of the door, "It's unlocked... gimme a hand in here, will ya?"
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Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 8:09 am
The barks were concerning, with Tristan standing outside the door, peering at the metal numbers wondering if he was at the right place. It wasn't the first time he had been to Danny's, he had a key that he kept with him but never seemed to use, and yet, he was second guessing his location. It wasn't until Danny's voice came hollering through the walls that he knew he was in fact at the right place but if there was barking that meant...
Danny had gone back after they had finished and adopted a dog.
And didn't tell him.
For some reason the lack of being told stung more than his friend going behind his back and Tristan wondered if maybe hanging out was a bad idea. He didn't feel as excited or thrilled to hang out with his friend as he had when he first arrived. His hands shook as he swayed, feeling like things were slowly crumbling around him for no reason.
Air lodged itself in his throat and it took him several moments after being greeted before he could even wrap his hand around the door handle and let himself in.
"You got a dog." He said, more blandly that he had meant to, blinking slowly as his gaze shifted from dog to human.
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Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 8:20 am
At the sound of Tristan's voice, Gatsby's warning barks turned into happy yips. Clearly the pup had an excellent memory and Danny couldn't help but grin, despite his efforts at keeping the seventy some-odd pound furry beast away from the door as it slowly opened. Heck, if Danny had a tail of his own, he'd probably be wagging it too at the knowledge that Tris was finally over to visit. What had it been, almost an entire week without a word? Much, much too long, in the young man's opinion.
As the other boy's head peeked around the corner, however, Danny could feel his heart sink. Flat words matched the flat expression on his face and he felt his breath flee his lungs. This was supposed to be a happy surprise. This was supposed to make him excited, to see Gatsby finally had a home. Clearly, his plans had once again gone very, very awry.
"You're upset." The smile fell, Danny's face suddenly looking worried and crestfallen. "I'm sorry - I know we talked about it and you were really good at keeping me in line, but after hearing Gatsby's story, after seeing how he reacted around you, I... I thought I'd surprise you. I haven't even introduced him to anyone else..." Not that there really was anyone else, but, "I wanted you to be the fir--"
The dog suddenly jerked forward, as if on cue, and launched himself for the brunette as if the blonde no longer even existed in his world.
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Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 8:29 am
The moment Danny's face fell, guilt hit Tristan hard in the chest.
"No, I'm not I - " He tried to explain, to backpedal because he was making a right mess of it all, when Gatsby launched himself at the brunet. Luckily the door had clicked shut behind him and when he fell, he fell back into that. The eager dog wasted no time in taking advantage of the situation, paws quickly on the man's knees and his wet nose and tongue already pressing against whatever part of Tristan he could find.
"Hey buddy," he cooed quietly, fingers sliding through fur as he worked to calm both himself and Gatsby.
Realistically, Tris knew that Danny had been trying to surprise him with something he thought would make him happy, but the idea that the blond needed to hide any of it from him in the first place was...more upsetting than he expected.
Carefully moving his face out of tongue licking range he looked at his non-hairy companion. "Why didn't you tell me?" Immediately after the words were out in the air, his ears went red. He sounded ridiculous, like an upset partner who was hurt over something that ultimately didn't matter.
"I'm sorry."
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Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 8:42 am
Straightening himself back up, he let out a sigh as the dog once again decided to take matters into his own paws and pounce on his apparent favorite human.
Tilting his head, Danny peered at Tristan curiously at the man's blurted question, then quiet apology. Laughter began to bubble up from within - he couldn't help it. "Tris. Do you know what surprises are?" A pink flush spread across his complexion as the smile returned to his face. This was what he was upset about? That he hadn't been told - not that Danny had gotten a dog after their last conversation? This...this he could deal with. "You must be really fun when it comes to surprise birthday parties, then."
A wink came automatically with his tease as the blonde man turned and made his way back towards the kitchen. He and Gatsby were still getting to know each other, but he knew at least one thing that got the dog's attention: treats.
Rummaging around in the newly purchased Milkbones box, he whistled to get Gatsby's attention, hoping to get the Shepard mix from clawing his way up the brunette tree named Tristan Lestrange. The dog's ears perked and he turned to look for the whistler, then back towards Tristan, then back towards the whistle. When the word treat was tossed out, however, the dog was off like lightning, dashing for the kitchen as paws skittered across the wooden floor.
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Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 9:27 am
Grateful for the distraction that was their canine companion, Tristan didn't look at Danny and instead focused on the happy face of a dog who weirdly seemed attuned to everything that he needed. A wet nose pushed against his neck, Gatsby whining lowly as if to say, I'm here and comfort him.
"I don't think I've ever had a surprise party," he mumbled quietly. "Things like this..." he trailed off and shook his head, because Danny had already moved on and was back to being bright and happy as he had come to expect from the man he thought might embody sunshine.
Gatsby had run off at the promise of a treat and carefully the tall and gangly man picked himself up off the ground and made his way over to join the boys in the kitchen. "How long have you had Gatsby?" He asked, watching the way the Shepard mix was whining and hoping up and down at the prospect of a treat.
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Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 10:14 am
"A few days now." Green eyes looked up in greeting of the guest, noting how Tristan's gaze was still fixated on the dog that Danny had spontaneously decided to bring home. He clearly wasn't opposed to Gatsby being there, but there was still some hesitation on Danny's part as to whether or not the other man was altogether happy at the idea of Danny owning him.
"Here - you give it to him."
Socked feet padded the few feet to close in the gap between them. Without shoes on, Danny was even shorter than the older boy, but it didn't seem to deter him from shoving a bone into Tristan's hand. "Treats are the fastest way into a dog's heart, y'know, besides walks."
Not that Tris clearly needed the dog to like him - Gatsby was head over paws for the man as it was, but Danny wanted to make sure that the canine won over Tris's heart just as he'd done for Danny's.
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Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 1:56 pm
That explained why Danny had left so many messages asking when he was free while he was off on a impromptu trip that had gone from a pop in visit to something more like a weekend trip, except it had been during the week.
He accepted the treat with some hesitation, Gatsby already seated before his feet with a waggling tail and tongue loling out the side of his mouth as he waited eagerly. Bark, the canine demanded. Bark, bark!.
"He's your dog, you should give it to him." He tried to hand it back to no avail and instead turned the treat over in his hand. Gatsby whined, ears flattening against his head as he pawed at Tris' jeans.
"Okay buddy," he relented, holding the bone up before tossing it and watching with mild amusement when the dog jumped to catch it and collapsed to the floor once the tore into it.
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Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 7:23 pm
He laughed as he watched the dog immediately sit down, as if he already knew what to do once the treat was in Tristan's hand. As hard as he had tried, Danny couldn't convince the furry little dude to sit for a treat. This could clearly mean only one thing.
Tristan was some sort of magical dog whisperer.
"He's only mine according to a piece of paper," he argued, amused with how taken the Shepard was with the taller boy. "I like to think of dogs being more of a friend, than a piece of property. Dogs tend to choose their people...as Gatsby has clearly pointed out. Put me to shame, why don't you boy."
The dog made quick work of the bone, snapping it into smaller pieces before gobbling it up. Danny crouched down and gestured for the dog to come to him - Gatsby was generous enough to give his hand a quick sniff and a lick before returning his attention to the house guest.
Rising up, the blonde man dusted his hands off on the side of his jeans before shrugging his shoulders and giving the brunette a sly grin.
"Guess that settles things. You'll just have to come by every week so that both Gats and I get some you-time."
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Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2017 8:50 am
Tris alternated between watching Gatsby and studying the way Danny held himself as he talked. This was a moment he wished he had his camera for, so he could snap a shot of the scene to look at later. "He'll be yours in no time, Danny." Surely the dog just needed to warm up to his proper human first.
Sinking to his knees, Tristan let Gatsby invade his space, the dog happily flopping onto his belly now that his head was in his favorite human's lap. Gently, he scratched the Shepard mix behind the ears and settled in to a slow, patting rhythm.
"You don't have to be sneaky about finding ways to spend time with me," he said quietly, even if he was pleased that his newer friend wanted to hang out more readily. "All you have to do is ask, you know."
With some difficulty he slipped out from beneath Gatsby. "Stay," he cautioned, rocking back onto his heels to stand. to Danny he said; "I'm kinda bad at texting, but that doesn't mean I don't want to hang out."
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Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2017 11:45 pm
"Sneaky - me?"
One hand fell over his chest in feigned offense. "I've always been straight with you, Lestrange. How dare you accuse me of ulterior motives!"
Turning on his socked toes, he made his way over to the teapot he'd casually set out hours earlier in preparation for the other boy's visit. Lifting it up, he brought it to the sink and began to fill it with water. "I'd try carrier pigeons but they're so unreliable these days. Goodness knows if I sent Gatsby here with a message for you, I'd never see him again."
The dog continued to happy remain planted where Tristan had told him to stay.
"I figure you'll let me know when you feel like hanging out." Turning on the stove, he busied himself with glancing through the cabinet at the various teas, "But you know my door is always open. I mean, our door is. Your dog-son would get his feelings hurt if you didn't come by to say hello, after all."
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Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2017 7:49 am
"You're right, you aren't very good at sneaky," Tristan teased, thinking of how Danny tried to surprise him the first time they hung out and failed miserably. Granted, Tris also made a spectacle of himself that day too, so they were a pretty well matched pair. "Sorry for implying otherwise." His hands were raised in surrender and while he was trying to sound apologetic the smile on his mouth gave him away.
"Nah, a good boy knows his way home." He argued, glancing over at the happy dog who seemed to sense they were talking about him and barked cheerily at both.
The brunet had stepped closer to the counter, green eyes following the blond as he crossed the kitchen. "Can I help?" He seemed to fidget at the idea that he was standing around more or less doing nothing. Guilt wedged itself between his shoulders at Danny's comment. "I know, I'm sorry." It wasn't like he meant to disappear on the man, he just lost track of time when he was focused and that meant he neglect things.
"I'll be better, promise." Tris has so few precious friends that he wants to be better. His ears go red at how casually Danny refers to Gatsby as his dog-son. "If he's my son, what does that make you?"
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Posted: Sat Aug 05, 2017 1:56 am
"Pick out a tea that interests you and I'll grab some mugs."
The request came easily enough; being in the kitchen was almost second nature for Danny, the similarities close enough to his time spent in the cafe to make things comfortable. Even when he was young, though, the kitchen was full of happy, wonderful memories of baking and enjoying life - cookies, hot chocolate, socked dancing with his mother as they waited for the kettle to boil or the oven to preheat. It was no wonder why he appeared carefree as he slid his way over to the cabinet by the fridge, retrieving two colorful cups before making his way back to where Tris stood, his ever respectful, ever apologetic friend.
"You don't have to be sorry, y'know. I think you're fine just the way you are." He grinned and bumped his arm against the other man's, as if playfully reassuring him to stop fretting so much.
At the clearly serious inquiry of dog-to-human relationship labeling, Danny found himself pausing as the two mugs settled onto the countertop. "Hm."
Turning around, he glanced towards the dog before looking back at the taller boy, leaning his lower back against the countertop. "That's a good question. Would I be an uncle? A co-father? Friend of the family? Whatcha think, Gats?"
The dog simply wagged his tail, swishing across the kitchen floor as he let out a happy woof to contribute to the debate.
Hands rose to the air and Danny shrugged. "The pup has spoken."
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