Fic: Two Men and a Hedgehog
Title: Two Men and a Hedgehog
Author: kenshincha
Rating: PG
Characters: Esca/Marcus
Word Count: ~2000
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Rosemary Sutcliff.
Summary: After Marcus' roommate moves out, he ends up leaving something behind.
Notes: Inspired by the picture of the hedgehog.
Marcus peered into the cage. The little hedgehog peered back making little snuffling noises, its brown nose wiggling as it stood on its hind legs and stretched up against the cage like a hungry dog begging for food. Marcus glanced over to the empty bowl, wondering about the last time it had been filled.
His roommate had always been weird, and Marcus hadn't been particularly sad to see him move out a few days ago to live in some weird colony in the woods. Dennis smoked marijuana often and could be absent minded, but Marcus was still surprised he'd left his pet. Marcus hadn't known until he'd heard the squawking five minutes ago. Marcus had thought a duck had somehow gotten in, but he entered Dennis' room to find the large occupied cage.
Marcus put down the golf club with which he had planned to herd the non-existent duck. He opened up drawers, trying to find any food to give the little guy, but he didn't find anything.
He looked back at the little animal. It had a light colored belly and face with a brown snout and ears. The tips of its quills were an off white, but it was a dark brown underneath. He supposed it was cute, but he didn't know why anyone would want a hedgehog as a pet. It didn't look very pettable.
Marcus straightened and looked at his watch. It was a quarter after eight, which meant he had over an hour to get to work, and there was a little independent pet shop in the same shopping center as the gym. They could probably take it in, right?
The cage wasn't exactly portable, so Marcus scrounged around the room and found an empty zebra cake knockoff box. He opened the cage and placed the box down sideways, hoping the little hedgehog would crawl in by the time Marcus had gotten dressed.
He went back to his room and put on a white wife beater and dark gray sweats over a pair of shorts. He had planned on showering at home, but he would probably have enough time for a quick one at the gym and still be on time for his first appointment at 9:30 if he hurried.
The animal was half way into the box and Marcus quickly scooped it up, the little thing making a squeal of alarm. It was surprisingly heavier than it looked. After ripping the side of two of the flaps so it could breathe, he closed the box and took it with him to his truck.
The ride took longer than usual since Marcus drove more carefully as he kept one eye on the boxed hedgehog. It had squawked and scratched on the cardboard most of the way, obviously not too happy to be in the dark little box. Marcus didn't really blame it.
Instead of parking in his usual spot off to the side of the gym, Marcus pulled up to the front of the pet store. Marcus had never been there, and a bell rang as he opened the door. The inside smelled like that woody bedding stuff. Birds were chirping, and there was the distant sound of dogs from the back of the shop.
Marcus walked over to the counter, recognizing the man behind it at once. He'd often watched him out in the parking lot taking smoke breaks sitting on the hood of an old red 1984 Jaguar XJS. Marcus admitted to himself he probably checked out the guy more than the car. He had light brown hair and lightly colored eyes. He was actually a little shorter up close than Marcus had assumed only seeing him from a distance. Though he had little muscle, he didn't look weak.
The pet shop guy smiled as Marcus approached the counter, and Marcus had the thought that maybe it subconsciously wasn't just the animal's well-being that prompted him to bring it to the pet shop as soon as possible.
The man looked at the snack box as Marcus set it gently on the counter. "I didn't think you gym rats would eat stuff like that."
Marcus took a moment to feel slightly offended at the name, but let it go. Last thing he wanted to do was look like he suffered from 'roid rage. "I don't think anyone would want to eat this," he said as he pushed the box forward.
The man looked at it curiously before carefully opening the top. His face lit up. "A hedgie."
Marcus blinked. A hedgie?
The employee reached in and picked up the hedgehog with both hands. It looked a bit worse than when Marcus found it. All the noise it had been making clearly tired it out.
The man must have noticed its condition too. He frowned and rolled the little guy in his hands; it didn't even seem to have the energy to curl up into a ball. He sent an accusing glare Marcus' way. "When's the last time she was fed?"
"I have no idea."
"What?" the man said, making an impressive imitation of the hedgehog's squawk.
"It isn't mine," Marcus said quickly. Last thing he needed was for the guy to think Marcus was muscle head who tortured animals. "My roommate moved out and left it in his room. I didn't know about it until I heard it making noise this morning."
"That's terrible." He gingerly placed the hedgehog down on the surface. "Make sure she doesn't fall off," he said before crouching down behind the counter.
Marcus placed his hand on the edge, but it was clear the hedgehog didn't have the energy to become a lemming.
The man popped back up with a small bowl in his hand. He set it down on the table in front of the little hedgehog. Its nose twitched around with strange dexterity. It seemed to catch a second wind as it wobbled over to the bowl and began eating out of it.
"It's acting more like a ravenous dog than a little rodent," Marcus said.
The man smiled at the animal, leaning on the counter to watch it affectionately. Marcus couldn't believe he was actually feeling jealous over a freaking pin cushion. "Hedgehogs aren't rodents. They're in a different Order."
Marcus nodded like he knew what that meant. "Are hedgehogs so popular that you have food for them behind the counter?"
"No. I do have food for insectivores in the store, but they aren't brought in enough for me to have an open bag. This is cat food, high in protein and low in fat. A lot of hedgehog owners buy it instead because it's a cheaper alternative."
Marcus blinked. "You know a lot about pets."
The man gave Marcus a look like he thought he was soft in the head. "I do own a pet shop."
"Oh," Marcus said, feeling himself blush."I thought you just worked here."
The man shook his head. "I always loved animals. I wanted to be a vet since I was young but I didn't have the money or patience for it. All of the animals I sell come from shelters, and I volunteer on the weekends too."
Marcus watched the man's fingers as he scritched between the hedgehog's quills. It either didn't mind or was too hungry to care. "That's great. I always thought about getting a dog from there, but I don't really have enough time to take care of one, and I live in an apartment."
He nodded slowly. "I've seen you going to the gym almost every day," he commented cautiously, as if prompting the question about how Marcus spent his time without actually asking it.
Marcus scratched the back of his head. "I work as a personal trainer there. I help create fitness routines for people who are looking to get out certain things in their work outs, like endurance or losing weight. Then it's a matter of motivating them to keep to their goals."
"Oh," the man said, looking a little relieved. "That's great." There was a short silence that was kind of awkward, but the pet shop owner was quick to break it. "I'm Esca."
Marcus smiled a greeting. "Marcus," he said, shaking Esca's offered hand and trying not to feel too disappointed when it didn't last long.
"So what were you thinking about doing with this little girl?" Esca nodded down to the hedgehog that had finished eating. It looked more alert and intent to explore its new surroundings, though it was obvious it was avoiding the box.
Marcus shrugged a shoulder. "I came here figuring you guys could take it and find it a home. Find her a home."
"Take her?" Esca asked, looking surprised. "You were just going to give her to me?"
Marcus nodded. "Yeah. Why?"
"Hedgehogs are worth a good amount of money. She's still fairly young, maybe less than a year old. The younger ones, only 7 weeks old, can go for about $200, but she's probably worth about one-fifty or at least a hundred."
Marcus' felt his jaw drop. "You're kidding." He could only wonder how Dennis got the money to buy one. "I didn't realize they cost so much."
Esca nodded. "I think you should keep her though. They're fairly low maintenance, and this little girl is a sweetie. Here." He picked the hedgehog up and rolled her in his hands so she was half balled up. "Cup your hands," he said, and Marcus did so. Esca gently transferred her over to Marcus' hands, the hedgehog looking smaller sitting on her lower back in Marcus' larger hands. The quills weren't as sharp as Marcus assumed.
Marcus wasn't really sure what to do with her, though, so he just ended up holding her awkwardly. He suddenly had to hold his breath as Esca placed his hands under Marcus' and encouraged him to rock the hedgehog back and forth.
"There you go," he said quietly. Marcus had the suspicion he was less worried about alarming the hedgehog than alarming Marcus. "I think she likes you," Esca said with a big grin. Marcus was more preoccupied with the feel of Esca's warm hands against his own than the hedgehog, but the little thing did seem to like the motion. She was looking up at Marcus, her little nose still twitching.
"I guess she is sort of cute," Marcus conceded.
Esca hummed in agreement, and Marcus glanced up to find Esca looking at him. "I think you should take her home. She deserves a good one, right?"
"I, uh, I guess I could after work--" Marcus' eyes widened. "Work! Oh no, what time is it?" He parted his hands so the hedgehog plopped down into Esca's hand. She huffed and sniffed indignantly as Esca took her.
Esca glanced to the computer screen. "It's a quarter to 10."
"Damn, I'm late!" Marcus turned to leave the shop, but paused at the door. He turned back. "I'll come back when I get off work. Around 4."
Esca smiled. "I'll watch after her. I can teach you how to take care of her when you get back. We can even name her."
Marcus glanced down at the hedgehog in Esca's hands. "I'd like that."
He stood there for a long moment until Esca waved a good-bye to him. "Have fun at work."
"Work! Right. Bye," Marcus said and left before he could stand there looking like an idiot any more. As he got back into his truck to hurry to the gym, he couldn't get the thought out of his head that Esca had said 'we'.
Author: kenshincha
Rating: PG
Characters: Esca/Marcus
Word Count: ~2000
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Rosemary Sutcliff.
Summary: After Marcus' roommate moves out, he ends up leaving something behind.
Notes: Inspired by the picture of the hedgehog.
Marcus peered into the cage. The little hedgehog peered back making little snuffling noises, its brown nose wiggling as it stood on its hind legs and stretched up against the cage like a hungry dog begging for food. Marcus glanced over to the empty bowl, wondering about the last time it had been filled.
His roommate had always been weird, and Marcus hadn't been particularly sad to see him move out a few days ago to live in some weird colony in the woods. Dennis smoked marijuana often and could be absent minded, but Marcus was still surprised he'd left his pet. Marcus hadn't known until he'd heard the squawking five minutes ago. Marcus had thought a duck had somehow gotten in, but he entered Dennis' room to find the large occupied cage.
Marcus put down the golf club with which he had planned to herd the non-existent duck. He opened up drawers, trying to find any food to give the little guy, but he didn't find anything.
He looked back at the little animal. It had a light colored belly and face with a brown snout and ears. The tips of its quills were an off white, but it was a dark brown underneath. He supposed it was cute, but he didn't know why anyone would want a hedgehog as a pet. It didn't look very pettable.
Marcus straightened and looked at his watch. It was a quarter after eight, which meant he had over an hour to get to work, and there was a little independent pet shop in the same shopping center as the gym. They could probably take it in, right?
The cage wasn't exactly portable, so Marcus scrounged around the room and found an empty zebra cake knockoff box. He opened the cage and placed the box down sideways, hoping the little hedgehog would crawl in by the time Marcus had gotten dressed.
He went back to his room and put on a white wife beater and dark gray sweats over a pair of shorts. He had planned on showering at home, but he would probably have enough time for a quick one at the gym and still be on time for his first appointment at 9:30 if he hurried.
The animal was half way into the box and Marcus quickly scooped it up, the little thing making a squeal of alarm. It was surprisingly heavier than it looked. After ripping the side of two of the flaps so it could breathe, he closed the box and took it with him to his truck.
The ride took longer than usual since Marcus drove more carefully as he kept one eye on the boxed hedgehog. It had squawked and scratched on the cardboard most of the way, obviously not too happy to be in the dark little box. Marcus didn't really blame it.
Instead of parking in his usual spot off to the side of the gym, Marcus pulled up to the front of the pet store. Marcus had never been there, and a bell rang as he opened the door. The inside smelled like that woody bedding stuff. Birds were chirping, and there was the distant sound of dogs from the back of the shop.
Marcus walked over to the counter, recognizing the man behind it at once. He'd often watched him out in the parking lot taking smoke breaks sitting on the hood of an old red 1984 Jaguar XJS. Marcus admitted to himself he probably checked out the guy more than the car. He had light brown hair and lightly colored eyes. He was actually a little shorter up close than Marcus had assumed only seeing him from a distance. Though he had little muscle, he didn't look weak.
The pet shop guy smiled as Marcus approached the counter, and Marcus had the thought that maybe it subconsciously wasn't just the animal's well-being that prompted him to bring it to the pet shop as soon as possible.
The man looked at the snack box as Marcus set it gently on the counter. "I didn't think you gym rats would eat stuff like that."
Marcus took a moment to feel slightly offended at the name, but let it go. Last thing he wanted to do was look like he suffered from 'roid rage. "I don't think anyone would want to eat this," he said as he pushed the box forward.
The man looked at it curiously before carefully opening the top. His face lit up. "A hedgie."
Marcus blinked. A hedgie?
The employee reached in and picked up the hedgehog with both hands. It looked a bit worse than when Marcus found it. All the noise it had been making clearly tired it out.
The man must have noticed its condition too. He frowned and rolled the little guy in his hands; it didn't even seem to have the energy to curl up into a ball. He sent an accusing glare Marcus' way. "When's the last time she was fed?"
"I have no idea."
"What?" the man said, making an impressive imitation of the hedgehog's squawk.
"It isn't mine," Marcus said quickly. Last thing he needed was for the guy to think Marcus was muscle head who tortured animals. "My roommate moved out and left it in his room. I didn't know about it until I heard it making noise this morning."
"That's terrible." He gingerly placed the hedgehog down on the surface. "Make sure she doesn't fall off," he said before crouching down behind the counter.
Marcus placed his hand on the edge, but it was clear the hedgehog didn't have the energy to become a lemming.
The man popped back up with a small bowl in his hand. He set it down on the table in front of the little hedgehog. Its nose twitched around with strange dexterity. It seemed to catch a second wind as it wobbled over to the bowl and began eating out of it.
"It's acting more like a ravenous dog than a little rodent," Marcus said.
The man smiled at the animal, leaning on the counter to watch it affectionately. Marcus couldn't believe he was actually feeling jealous over a freaking pin cushion. "Hedgehogs aren't rodents. They're in a different Order."
Marcus nodded like he knew what that meant. "Are hedgehogs so popular that you have food for them behind the counter?"
"No. I do have food for insectivores in the store, but they aren't brought in enough for me to have an open bag. This is cat food, high in protein and low in fat. A lot of hedgehog owners buy it instead because it's a cheaper alternative."
Marcus blinked. "You know a lot about pets."
The man gave Marcus a look like he thought he was soft in the head. "I do own a pet shop."
"Oh," Marcus said, feeling himself blush."I thought you just worked here."
The man shook his head. "I always loved animals. I wanted to be a vet since I was young but I didn't have the money or patience for it. All of the animals I sell come from shelters, and I volunteer on the weekends too."
Marcus watched the man's fingers as he scritched between the hedgehog's quills. It either didn't mind or was too hungry to care. "That's great. I always thought about getting a dog from there, but I don't really have enough time to take care of one, and I live in an apartment."
He nodded slowly. "I've seen you going to the gym almost every day," he commented cautiously, as if prompting the question about how Marcus spent his time without actually asking it.
Marcus scratched the back of his head. "I work as a personal trainer there. I help create fitness routines for people who are looking to get out certain things in their work outs, like endurance or losing weight. Then it's a matter of motivating them to keep to their goals."
"Oh," the man said, looking a little relieved. "That's great." There was a short silence that was kind of awkward, but the pet shop owner was quick to break it. "I'm Esca."
Marcus smiled a greeting. "Marcus," he said, shaking Esca's offered hand and trying not to feel too disappointed when it didn't last long.
"So what were you thinking about doing with this little girl?" Esca nodded down to the hedgehog that had finished eating. It looked more alert and intent to explore its new surroundings, though it was obvious it was avoiding the box.
Marcus shrugged a shoulder. "I came here figuring you guys could take it and find it a home. Find her a home."
"Take her?" Esca asked, looking surprised. "You were just going to give her to me?"
Marcus nodded. "Yeah. Why?"
"Hedgehogs are worth a good amount of money. She's still fairly young, maybe less than a year old. The younger ones, only 7 weeks old, can go for about $200, but she's probably worth about one-fifty or at least a hundred."
Marcus' felt his jaw drop. "You're kidding." He could only wonder how Dennis got the money to buy one. "I didn't realize they cost so much."
Esca nodded. "I think you should keep her though. They're fairly low maintenance, and this little girl is a sweetie. Here." He picked the hedgehog up and rolled her in his hands so she was half balled up. "Cup your hands," he said, and Marcus did so. Esca gently transferred her over to Marcus' hands, the hedgehog looking smaller sitting on her lower back in Marcus' larger hands. The quills weren't as sharp as Marcus assumed.
Marcus wasn't really sure what to do with her, though, so he just ended up holding her awkwardly. He suddenly had to hold his breath as Esca placed his hands under Marcus' and encouraged him to rock the hedgehog back and forth.
"There you go," he said quietly. Marcus had the suspicion he was less worried about alarming the hedgehog than alarming Marcus. "I think she likes you," Esca said with a big grin. Marcus was more preoccupied with the feel of Esca's warm hands against his own than the hedgehog, but the little thing did seem to like the motion. She was looking up at Marcus, her little nose still twitching.
"I guess she is sort of cute," Marcus conceded.
Esca hummed in agreement, and Marcus glanced up to find Esca looking at him. "I think you should take her home. She deserves a good one, right?"
"I, uh, I guess I could after work--" Marcus' eyes widened. "Work! Oh no, what time is it?" He parted his hands so the hedgehog plopped down into Esca's hand. She huffed and sniffed indignantly as Esca took her.
Esca glanced to the computer screen. "It's a quarter to 10."
"Damn, I'm late!" Marcus turned to leave the shop, but paused at the door. He turned back. "I'll come back when I get off work. Around 4."
Esca smiled. "I'll watch after her. I can teach you how to take care of her when you get back. We can even name her."
Marcus glanced down at the hedgehog in Esca's hands. "I'd like that."
He stood there for a long moment until Esca waved a good-bye to him. "Have fun at work."
"Work! Right. Bye," Marcus said and left before he could stand there looking like an idiot any more. As he got back into his truck to hurry to the gym, he couldn't get the thought out of his head that Esca had said 'we'.