Puppy love

[poetic_apostle]

It seemed like any other morning as Julian woke, not wanting to open his eyes. It was another day on the island, another day without Anthony, another dreary day of pretending anything other than the woman next to him mattered.

The warm, wet tongue that began bathing his cheek was definitely new, however. He opened one eye to find a puppy with a

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[loveintriangles]

Nessa hadn't been asleep that deeply and woke when Julian spoke. She opened her eyes and quickly saw the words weren't directed to her. But that hardly mattered. She saw the look on her son's face, and smiled, for a moment staying silent, lying down, pretending not to be awake. She had rather missed that beautiful smile.

[poetic_apostle]

Julian scratched the puppy beneath its chin, smiling thoughtfully. "What shall I call you? Spender?" He'd used Auden already. "MacNeice?" he suggested with a soft chuckle, then grew solemn, stroking his hand over the puppy's small head a few times. "...Keats," he said softly, although he expected his idol would quite possibly not appreciate such a tribute.

The puppy let out a soft yap as if commenting on the name and Julian pressed a finger to his lips, glancing at Nessa and giving her a sheepish grin as he realised she was awake. "...Morning. Didn't mean to wake you," he murmured, wincing at the tickling sensation as the dog started sniffing round his ear.

[loveintriangles]

She smiled at the names and would suggest Sassie, but he seemed to have found another one. Keats.

Shame really, that he should have left so soon.

"Morning, dear. You didn't wake me. Where did he come from?"

[poetic_apostle]

Julian cradled the creature against his chest and sat up slightly in bed, kissing the puppy's cheek and working at the knot holding the bow round its neck. "He was just...here. I woke up to puppy kisses." He grinned again at the memory, holding the ribbon out to Nessa to show her the gift tag bearing his name and no other information.

[loveintriangles]

"Oh. A secret admirer, perhaps." She smiled brightly, somewhat mischivously, and sat up.

[poetic_apostle]

"Perhaps," Julian agreed, lowering his eyes with a smile. Though he couldn't think of anyone that would admire him, secretly or not, enough to give him a puppy even if he could think where they might have got one in the first place. "Or perhaps it's just the island. People have been given gifts." He looked down at the puppy again and rubbed noses with it. "Are you my gift from the island?" he cooed, making the puppy's tail wag excitedly again as she began licking anywhere her puppy tongue could reach.

[loveintriangles]

"What an absolutely endearing creature." Nessa said and reached out to pet the dog's back, who seemed to love being the centre of attention.

[poetic_apostle]

"Isn't he?" Julian rolled the puppy onto her back to rub the little pink belly and paused. "Er...she, I think." He grinned. "A bitch named Keats. Somehow I don't think he'd care for that." But the name would stand. Julian liked it. Auden had been a girl too, and that hadn't mattered.

[loveintriangles]

"I very much doubt it." She said, but the smile on her face indicated that she minded as little as her son.

[poetic_apostle]

Julian was busy inspecting her little paws, her ears and nose, something akin to wonder on his face. "Oh, she's perfect," he breathed, scooping Keats up again and huging her close. "Isn't she perfect, Nessa?"

[loveintriangles]

"She is." She petted the dog's head and then suddenly thought. "What will it eat?" In fact, what did any of the dogs here eat? Was there enough meat?

[poetic_apostle]

"Oh, birds, fish, boar...I'm sure I'll find something she'll like. I'll get some from the compound today," Julian said absently. He wasn't worried about such things, he had a puppy. He would take care of her and make her happy and teach her how to hunt when she got big enough...

[loveintriangles]

"Good." With one more pat on the dog's head, she rose to get dressed.

She rather imagined he would try to teach her to hunt. It was one of those things he had always loved.