A Q-Rex Eat Dog World, by Angel Negra - Wes/Eric
Title: A Q-Rex Eat Dog World
Author: Angel Negra
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Wes/Eric
Summary: Unfortunately for Eric, Wes just wasn't the sort of person to enjoy living alone.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers.
Author's Notes: All. Cmar's. Fault.
Author's Notes 2: Written for the PRSW22 'laughter' challenge. Also? See above author's note. Thanks to Rach and Cmar for the beta.
Unfortunately for Eric, Wes just wasn't the sort of person to enjoy living alone. Which wouldn't have been so bad if Wes could have just moved in with him, but they'd only really started dating a few months ago. Neither of them was ready to live together.
So what did Wes do? Eric shook his head as he pulled into Wes' driveway. "Had to get a damned dog," he muttered, getting out of the SUV and pulling out his keys. Opening the door, Eric counted to three, bracing himself as the sound of four running paws grew louder.
On three, Eric caught the 150 pounds of black, slobbering Newfoundland dog before it could knock him over and try to lick him to death.
"Damn it! No! Sit, Rex!"
Rex sat down, looking up at Eric, tail thumping on the floor.
Eric snorted. "I don't care if he did name you after the Q-Rex, you have a stupid name."
Rex's ears perked up and the tail thumping picked up pace.
Eric glared. Rex seemed to take this as a good sign, because his tail started wagging even faster and he started to shift a bit in place. A signal that he was getting ready to jump up and take another shot at drowning Eric in drool.
"Don't. Even. Think. About. It."
Rex whimpered a bit, licking his chops. Eric decided it would be safer to move. He had to get Wes' things anyways. He started towards the bedroom, keeping a careful eye on Rex.
Rex looked from Eric to the door and back to Eric. Eric sighed in annoyance. "No, I didn't bring him with me. You can thank Guardian Hines. If she ever visits? Bite her."
Rex made a sound that sounded a lot like agreement. Eric eyed him suspiciously, but Rex just looked like he wanted to lick Eric's face. Eric shook his head and headed into the bedroom, the clicking sound of nails on hardwood telling him that the dog was following.
Sitting down on the bed, Eric took a minute to just breathe. Hospitals sucked. Hysterical rookies sucked. Broken ankles sucked. A whimper from the doorway broke his train of thought. He glanced over. Rex was standing there, giving Eric a pitiful look.
"What?"
Rex shifted on his feet and whimpered again.
Eric snorted. "You know you're not allowed in the bedroom when I'm here. You haven't been allowed in here since I threw Wes' underwear across the room and you fetched it back. I don't know why you're acting like this is new."
Rex whimpered again.
Eric sighed and hung his head. "Oh for crying- Come here, Rex."
Rex scrambled forward, affectionately pressing his body up against Eric's legs, then Rex licking Eric's hand with his warm, wet tongue. Eric wrinkled his nose. Ugh. He was about to wipe his hand off on his leg, when he glanced down and saw the adoring look Rex was giving him. Eric hesitated, then wiped his hand off on Rex's head instead.
Glancing at the bedside clock, Eric pushed Rex out of the way and stood up. Or rather, he tried to do that, but Rex didn't move. Which led to a few panicked moments where Eric nearly fell over Rex, then overcompensated in pulling back, leaving him flat on the bed, staring at the ceiling and breathing hard.
"Why the hell couldn't Wes have been a damned cat person?"
There was a chuffing noise from the edge of the bed. Eric looked over. Rex was standing there, staring at him, tail wagging happily. Eric glared at him. "Shut up."
Eric lifted his feet onto the bed, swung around and got up off the bed on the other side. Rex started around the bed. Eric pointed at Rex. "No. Sit."
Rex sat.
Eric nodded in satisfaction, then headed to the closet to get Wes' bag. Tossing a couple of changes of clothes in, he headed to the bathroom to grab Wes' shaving kit. Rex whined from by the bed.
"Well, come on, then."
Rex got up and trotted after him.
Once Eric had gotten everything packed, he dropped the bag by the door and headed into the kitchen. Grabbing Rex's bowl, he filled up the dog food then placed it on the floor, backing away fast. Rex managed to get one lick on Eric's face before he got out of range.
Backing away to the other side of the kitchen, Eric grabbed a paper towel and wiped his face off. "I hate you."
Eric washed Wes' breakfast dishes while he waited for Rex to finish eating. When he set the final dish in the drain tray, Eric turned to check on the dog. Rex was sitting there, staring at him. Once Rex realized Eric was looking back, his tail began to thump.
"Yeah, yeah." Eric rolled his eyes. He walked over to the back door; Rex following so closely he kept bumping into the backs of Eric's knees. When Eric opened the door, Rex ran out, then spun around to face him expectantly.
Eric made a shooing motion with his hands. Rex gave him a reproachful look. Eric sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Look, I don't have time to walk you now. I need to bring Wes his bag before- Why the hell am I telling you this? You're a dog. Go. Pee."
Rex stood there staring at him for a few more seconds, then turned around and started sniffing the lawn. Eric was sure he was imagining the huffiness in Rex's manner.
When Rex was done, Eric locked the back door and headed back to the front one, Rex at his heels again.
Picking up Wes' bag, he turned to Rex. "I'll be back in an hour. Don't trash the place. If you do, I'm shaving you, taking you to the dog park and we're not leaving until that poodle you like is done laughing. Got it?"
Rex looked at him, tail wagging a bit. Eric sighed in resignation, then walked out the door.
***
One hour later, Eric grunted, barely catching Rex in time. Pushing the dog back into the house, he stepped in and shut the door. He pointed at Rex. "You are not doing that to Wes when he gets home."
Rex wagged his tail.
Eric eyed Rex for a moment. Okay, plan B. Pulling out his cell, he dialed the number for Silver Guardian HQ. Waiting for the secretary of the week to pick up, Eric glanced down. Rex looked up at him and did his 'I'm going to lick you' dance. Eric moved into the living room quickly, Rex following close behind.
"Silver Guardians, Camille speaking, how may I help you?"
"This is Commander Myers," said Eric. "Put me through to Miller."
"Yes, sir."
There was a click. "Miller, here."
"Miller, it's Commander Myers. I'm putting you in charge for a few days."
"Yes, sir," said Miller.
Eric nodded; he was about to sit down when he noticed Rex wasn't beside him. Glancing around he saw Rex was standing at the door expectantly. Walk, right. "Call me if you need me," said Eric, and hung up.
Grabbing the leash off its hook by the door, Eric turned to Rex. And jumped back to avoid Rex licking his face. "Damn it. No! Sit!"
Rex sat, panting and wagging his tail.
It took Eric a few tries to hook the leash on. He kept having to lean out of licking range, which meant he was hooking the leash by touch alone. Damned dog. The leash clicked on and Eric stood up quickly, Rex following suit.
Eric glared at him. "If you try chasing cats again, I'm getting Cole to introduce you to his old Zord."
One squirrel, three mud puddles and a hedge later, Eric led the way into the back yard. Picking a long twig out of his hair, he glared down at an equally muddy Rex. "You did that on purpose, you bastard."
Rex looked up at him and wagged his tail.
Shaking his head, Eric walked over to the hose. Keeping a firm grip on the leash, he turned the hose on, twisting the nozzle for a decent spray - enough to clean Rex off without hurting him. Rex started to run away from the stream of water until he realized what it was. Then he bounded into the spray, letting Eric soak him, lapping at the water and shaking his fur out when it got too wet for him - and managing to soak Eric in the process.
Spitting out a mouthful of dirty water, Eric smirked at Rex. "Yeah, yeah. Have your fun now. Tomorrow? I'm going to teach you how to follow orders."
Rex looked up at Eric, barked once and wagged his tail. Then he jumped onto Eric, knocking him down, and started licking his face.
"Son of a bitch!"
***
The next morning, after breakfast and a walk, Eric placed an open box of dog biscuits on Wes' barbecue. He turned and looked at Rex, who wagged his tail slowly. Pulling a biscuit out of the box, Eric looked at Rex. "Sit."
Rex sat. Eric gave him the biscuit. "Good boy."
Pulling out another biscuit, Eric pointed at where Rex was sitting. "Stay."
Eric walked across the backyard, then turned. Before he could check to see if Rex had stayed, a cold, wet nose bumped at the biscuit in his hand. "Damn it," said Eric, yanking his hand away. "No. Bad dog."
There was a giggle from behind him. Eric closed his eyes and groaned mentally. Great. Opening his eyes, he turned around and glared at Wes' neighbour, Colin. "What?"
Colin smirked. "You know, if you can't handle him, I could always train him for you." He shifted the small Chihuahua to sit more snugly in his arms and rested a sequin covered hip onto the dividing fence. Looking around the yard pointedly, he said, "And where is that handsome boyfriend of yours, hmm?"
"Hospital. Broken ankle." Eric suppressed the urge to just hit the guy. Or do something permanent to make him back off Wes. It wasn't that Eric didn't trust Wes; he didn't like jerks like Colin objectifying Wes.
"Aw, the poor baby!" Colin fluttered a hand over his throat. "I'll have to drop by with some flowers. Maybe help out with the sponge baths."
Over my dead body. Gritting his teeth, Eric said, "Actually, he's not allowed visitors right now." He smiled tightly, "But you can leave flowers for him at reception."
Colin smiled back. "I will. Have fun, boys." And he flounced off into his house.
Eric shared a look with Rex. "If you ever want to eat that glorified rat of his, I'll be your alibi."
Rex made a chuffing noise and took a step closer to Eric, his tail wagging a bit.
Eric gave him the dog biscuit. "Okay, it's a deal."
Training lasted pretty much for the rest of the day, with a couple of breaks for lunch and walk. Squirrel-free walk, happily.
Eric decided to call it a night around five. He led the way inside, trying to decide on pizza or Chinese, when Wes' phone started ringing. Grabbing the cordless phone, Eric sat down on the couch, keeping an eye on Rex.
"Hello?"
"Oh, good. Eric. I was hoping you'd be there."
"Mr. Collins," said Eric, sitting up. "How's Wes?"
"As well as can be expected when he's on morphine."
Eric smirked. "That bad, sir?"
"He keeps calling me 'Mom'," said Mr. Collins, his tone a mixture of perplexity and amusement.
Eric laughed.
"The reason I was calling," said Mr. Collins. "The swelling's gone down enough that they're giving him the surgery tomorrow. The doctor says he can be discharged the day after."
"That's good news, sir."
"Yes it is. Could you pick him up? I can't re-schedule my meeting."
Eric nodded, "No problem, sir."
"Good. Thank you, Eric," said Mr. Collins. And he hung up.
Eric turned off the phone and sighed. Then he remembered Rex and froze. Eric looked to where he'd last seen Rex. No dog. From beside him on the couch came a soft whimper. Eric looked over, a feeling of dread in his stomach. Rex sat up a bit when their eyes met, and his tail began to thump against the back of the couch.
Eric glared at him. "What?"
The tail thumping picked up speed. Rex inched forward, eyes on Eric's face. Resting his head on Eric's lap, he whined and gave Eric a hopeful look. Eric lifted his hand to push Rex off. Rex whined again. Oh for-
Eric rested his hand on Rex's head and began to stroke down Rex's back. Rex let out a soft sigh. "He's fine," said Eric. "It's just his stupid ankle. He'll be up and moving within three weeks. And Hines isn't going to be stupid enough to leave any more water on the floor."
Eric wound his fingers into Rex's fur, petting him steadily. Rex let out a contented sigh. Wes was going to be fine. A couple of weeks in a cast and he'd be good as new. Eric flopped back on the couch, sighing himself. "He's fine."
***
"Sit."
Rex sat, staring at Eric expectantly.
Eric nodded. "Stay," he said and went to get the leash. Glancing back, he smiled. Rex hadn't moved an inch.
Heading back, Eric said, "Good boy." He pointed his finger at Rex. "Now keep staying." He bent down and quickly clipped the leash on- getting Rex's cold, wet nose in his ear. Ugh.
Wiping at his ear, Eric said, "Good boy. At ease."
Rex stood up, tail wagging.
Eric fought back a smile. "Yeah, yeah. Let's go." He pointed at Rex. "If you even think about chasing anything on four legs or wheels, I'm feeding you to the Q-Rex and I don't care what that would do to his gears. Got it?"
Rex licked Eric's finger, his tail picking up speed.
"Stop doing that, dammit." Wiping his finger off on his pants, Eric started walking towards the back gate, Rex trotting at his side.
They'd just cleared the gate when, "Hello, boys!"
Eric tensed and wished he had his Quantum Defender. "Colin."
Eric squinted, trying to make sense of the mess of bright clashing colours and flashing sequins that made up Colin's outfit. Colin trotted up, his rat-in-disguise clutched to his chest. It may have been Eric's imagination, but he thought the thing looked embarrassed to be there. And-
"What the hell is that smell?"
Colin smiled. "You like it? It's this new 'earthy' cologne, and-"
Eric open his mouth to tell Colin just what he thought of the 'cologne' when Colin let out a high pitched squeal and jumped back. Eric glanced down in time to see Rex putting his leg back down. Colin spluttered and glared at Rex before tearing off for his own house in a huff.
It took all of Eric's willpower to not move a muscle.
Once Colin's door slammed shut, Eric started laughing. He had to sit down, he was laughing so hard. Rex looked at him, tail wagging merrily. Eric pulled Rex close, rubbing his ears. "Good dog."
***
Wes leaned his head back against the SUV's seat and idly watched the scenery flow by. It was nice to finally be out of the hospital. Glancing over to the driver's side, Wes studied Eric's profile. Wes started to smile; at least two weeks in a cast, which meant he had two weeks of his handsome boyfriend fussing over him. He wondered how many times he could get Eric to bend over and pick something up before he caught on.
"Morphine hasn't totally worn off yet, huh?" Eric glanced at him quickly.
Oh, god. Wes groaned and closed his eyes. "I'm never going to live that down, am I?"
Eric snorted. "Not after I saw a picture of your mother, you're not."
"Eric..."
Eric chuckled as he pulled into Wes' driveway. "Home sweet home."
That sounded really, really good. As Eric turned off the SUV, Wes sat up slowly. His ankle was starting to throb faintly. He tried to twist around to grab his crutches, but Eric laid a warm hand on his shoulder.
"Hey," said Eric, peering at him worriedly. "Just stay there, alright? I'll get them."
Wes smiled. "Thanks." He lay back against the seat, closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of Eric getting out, grabbing bags and crutches. When Eric opened the door, Wes sat up and undid his seatbelt before Eric decided to do it for him. Accepting his crutches with a smile, Wes carefully levered himself out of the SUV, with Eric hovering close by.
Finally out, Wes glanced up. He spotted Colin heading into his own yard, Chanelle clutched in his arms as usual. Wes groaned mentally; he really didn't want to deal with Colin right now. He seriously debated just siccing Eric on Colin.
Colin caught his gaze, and Wes braced himself. But Colin just sniffed haughtily and flounced into his own house, slamming the door behind him. Wes blinked. Hunh. He looked over at Eric to get his opinion and caught the faint smug expression on his face.
Wes narrowed his eyes. "What did you do to him?"
"Nothing," Eric said, his expression completely blank.
Wes shook his head and fought down a grin. He made a mental note to ask Mrs. Taylor across the street about it - the woman knew everything that went on in the neighbourhood. Then, he started to make his way to the front door. Even with having to lock the SUV, Eric still beat him there.
As Eric unlocked the door, Wes tried to get at least partially comfortable on his crutches. It would take Eric a few minutes to calm Rex down. Eric pushed open the door and said, "Rex, stay."
Eric stepped back, motioning Wes in, a small smile on his face.
Wes blinked. But? Cautiously he made his way inside, keeping an eye out for Rex. "You killed my dog, didn't you?"
Eric snorted. He placed a warm hand on Wes' back. "No, I trained your dog."
There was a whimper from the end of the hallway. Wes looked over and stared in surprise. Rex was sitting there - alive - and while he shifted in place a bit, stayed sitting there. He looked like he was ready to jump out of his skin to get to Wes, but he didn't move.
Wes looked at Eric, impressed.
Eric shrugged. "Well, it's not like it would help your ankle if he started jumping on you," he said, defensively.
"And here I thought you would just be my knight in shining armour and catch him anytime he jumped at me," said Wes, smiling.
Eric snorted. "Go sit down on the couch. I'll get your pills." He rubbed Wes' shoulder gently as he walked past to get to the kitchen.
Wes sighed, and slowly made his way into the living room. Once he got settled, he twisted around to look at Rex. Holding out an arm, he said, "Rex? Come here, boy!"
Rex whined, looking torn, but stayed in place.
Wes blinked. Hunh. "Eric! You brainwashed my dog!"
Eric came out of the kitchen, holding a glass of water and giving Wes a confused look. "What?"
Wes pointed to Rex as evidence.
Eric's expression cleared. "Oh yeah. Rex, at ease."
Rex immediately got up and headed straight for Wes.
Wes smiled as Rex got up onto the couch. Reaching out he pulled his dog into a hug, burying his face into Rex's warm fur. God, it was good to be home. Pulling back a bit so he could see Rex's face, Wes began scratching him behind the ears. "Were you good to Eric? Huh? Were you?"
Rex's tail was wagging madly and he licked Wes' face.
Wes laughed, and glanced up to see Eric giving him a grossed out look. "What?"
Eric shook his head, "You do know where else he puts that tongue, right?"
Here we go again. "Eric..." said Wes, sighing.
Eric rolled his eyes and handed Wes the glass of water. Placing the pills into Wes' other hand, Eric leaned in close. Smiling softly, he said, "I missed you."
"I missed you, too," said Wes, leaning up for a kiss.
The kiss was warm and comforting- and suddenly wet as Rex decided to contribute. Wes and Eric jerked apart.
"Damn it!" said Eric, wiping at his face and glaring at Rex.
Wes looked from Eric's disgusted expression over to Rex, who gave him a doggie grin and wagged his tail. He fell back against the couch, laughing. It was good to be home.
End.
End Notes: For anyone who doesn't know what a Newfoundlander dog looks like, check out this page:
http://www.newfoundland-dogs.com/newfoundland-dogs-pictures.htm
And, this really is Cmar's fault. See, we got to talking about why a man of Wes' age would still be living at home with dad, which lead to the theory that Wes is the type who doesn't like to live alone. So, I half-jokingly suggested Wes get a pet, which lead to a discussion on what kind of animal Wes would own. We both agreed that Wes is so a dog person, and then we both agreed that Eric is very much *not* a dog person. And then I suddenly find myself writing this fic. See? All Cmar's fault.
Author: Angel Negra
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Wes/Eric
Summary: Unfortunately for Eric, Wes just wasn't the sort of person to enjoy living alone.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers.
Author's Notes: All. Cmar's. Fault.
Author's Notes 2: Written for the PRSW22 'laughter' challenge. Also? See above author's note. Thanks to Rach and Cmar for the beta.
Unfortunately for Eric, Wes just wasn't the sort of person to enjoy living alone. Which wouldn't have been so bad if Wes could have just moved in with him, but they'd only really started dating a few months ago. Neither of them was ready to live together.
So what did Wes do? Eric shook his head as he pulled into Wes' driveway. "Had to get a damned dog," he muttered, getting out of the SUV and pulling out his keys. Opening the door, Eric counted to three, bracing himself as the sound of four running paws grew louder.
On three, Eric caught the 150 pounds of black, slobbering Newfoundland dog before it could knock him over and try to lick him to death.
"Damn it! No! Sit, Rex!"
Rex sat down, looking up at Eric, tail thumping on the floor.
Eric snorted. "I don't care if he did name you after the Q-Rex, you have a stupid name."
Rex's ears perked up and the tail thumping picked up pace.
Eric glared. Rex seemed to take this as a good sign, because his tail started wagging even faster and he started to shift a bit in place. A signal that he was getting ready to jump up and take another shot at drowning Eric in drool.
"Don't. Even. Think. About. It."
Rex whimpered a bit, licking his chops. Eric decided it would be safer to move. He had to get Wes' things anyways. He started towards the bedroom, keeping a careful eye on Rex.
Rex looked from Eric to the door and back to Eric. Eric sighed in annoyance. "No, I didn't bring him with me. You can thank Guardian Hines. If she ever visits? Bite her."
Rex made a sound that sounded a lot like agreement. Eric eyed him suspiciously, but Rex just looked like he wanted to lick Eric's face. Eric shook his head and headed into the bedroom, the clicking sound of nails on hardwood telling him that the dog was following.
Sitting down on the bed, Eric took a minute to just breathe. Hospitals sucked. Hysterical rookies sucked. Broken ankles sucked. A whimper from the doorway broke his train of thought. He glanced over. Rex was standing there, giving Eric a pitiful look.
"What?"
Rex shifted on his feet and whimpered again.
Eric snorted. "You know you're not allowed in the bedroom when I'm here. You haven't been allowed in here since I threw Wes' underwear across the room and you fetched it back. I don't know why you're acting like this is new."
Rex whimpered again.
Eric sighed and hung his head. "Oh for crying- Come here, Rex."
Rex scrambled forward, affectionately pressing his body up against Eric's legs, then Rex licking Eric's hand with his warm, wet tongue. Eric wrinkled his nose. Ugh. He was about to wipe his hand off on his leg, when he glanced down and saw the adoring look Rex was giving him. Eric hesitated, then wiped his hand off on Rex's head instead.
Glancing at the bedside clock, Eric pushed Rex out of the way and stood up. Or rather, he tried to do that, but Rex didn't move. Which led to a few panicked moments where Eric nearly fell over Rex, then overcompensated in pulling back, leaving him flat on the bed, staring at the ceiling and breathing hard.
"Why the hell couldn't Wes have been a damned cat person?"
There was a chuffing noise from the edge of the bed. Eric looked over. Rex was standing there, staring at him, tail wagging happily. Eric glared at him. "Shut up."
Eric lifted his feet onto the bed, swung around and got up off the bed on the other side. Rex started around the bed. Eric pointed at Rex. "No. Sit."
Rex sat.
Eric nodded in satisfaction, then headed to the closet to get Wes' bag. Tossing a couple of changes of clothes in, he headed to the bathroom to grab Wes' shaving kit. Rex whined from by the bed.
"Well, come on, then."
Rex got up and trotted after him.
Once Eric had gotten everything packed, he dropped the bag by the door and headed into the kitchen. Grabbing Rex's bowl, he filled up the dog food then placed it on the floor, backing away fast. Rex managed to get one lick on Eric's face before he got out of range.
Backing away to the other side of the kitchen, Eric grabbed a paper towel and wiped his face off. "I hate you."
Eric washed Wes' breakfast dishes while he waited for Rex to finish eating. When he set the final dish in the drain tray, Eric turned to check on the dog. Rex was sitting there, staring at him. Once Rex realized Eric was looking back, his tail began to thump.
"Yeah, yeah." Eric rolled his eyes. He walked over to the back door; Rex following so closely he kept bumping into the backs of Eric's knees. When Eric opened the door, Rex ran out, then spun around to face him expectantly.
Eric made a shooing motion with his hands. Rex gave him a reproachful look. Eric sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Look, I don't have time to walk you now. I need to bring Wes his bag before- Why the hell am I telling you this? You're a dog. Go. Pee."
Rex stood there staring at him for a few more seconds, then turned around and started sniffing the lawn. Eric was sure he was imagining the huffiness in Rex's manner.
When Rex was done, Eric locked the back door and headed back to the front one, Rex at his heels again.
Picking up Wes' bag, he turned to Rex. "I'll be back in an hour. Don't trash the place. If you do, I'm shaving you, taking you to the dog park and we're not leaving until that poodle you like is done laughing. Got it?"
Rex looked at him, tail wagging a bit. Eric sighed in resignation, then walked out the door.
***
One hour later, Eric grunted, barely catching Rex in time. Pushing the dog back into the house, he stepped in and shut the door. He pointed at Rex. "You are not doing that to Wes when he gets home."
Rex wagged his tail.
Eric eyed Rex for a moment. Okay, plan B. Pulling out his cell, he dialed the number for Silver Guardian HQ. Waiting for the secretary of the week to pick up, Eric glanced down. Rex looked up at him and did his 'I'm going to lick you' dance. Eric moved into the living room quickly, Rex following close behind.
"Silver Guardians, Camille speaking, how may I help you?"
"This is Commander Myers," said Eric. "Put me through to Miller."
"Yes, sir."
There was a click. "Miller, here."
"Miller, it's Commander Myers. I'm putting you in charge for a few days."
"Yes, sir," said Miller.
Eric nodded; he was about to sit down when he noticed Rex wasn't beside him. Glancing around he saw Rex was standing at the door expectantly. Walk, right. "Call me if you need me," said Eric, and hung up.
Grabbing the leash off its hook by the door, Eric turned to Rex. And jumped back to avoid Rex licking his face. "Damn it. No! Sit!"
Rex sat, panting and wagging his tail.
It took Eric a few tries to hook the leash on. He kept having to lean out of licking range, which meant he was hooking the leash by touch alone. Damned dog. The leash clicked on and Eric stood up quickly, Rex following suit.
Eric glared at him. "If you try chasing cats again, I'm getting Cole to introduce you to his old Zord."
One squirrel, three mud puddles and a hedge later, Eric led the way into the back yard. Picking a long twig out of his hair, he glared down at an equally muddy Rex. "You did that on purpose, you bastard."
Rex looked up at him and wagged his tail.
Shaking his head, Eric walked over to the hose. Keeping a firm grip on the leash, he turned the hose on, twisting the nozzle for a decent spray - enough to clean Rex off without hurting him. Rex started to run away from the stream of water until he realized what it was. Then he bounded into the spray, letting Eric soak him, lapping at the water and shaking his fur out when it got too wet for him - and managing to soak Eric in the process.
Spitting out a mouthful of dirty water, Eric smirked at Rex. "Yeah, yeah. Have your fun now. Tomorrow? I'm going to teach you how to follow orders."
Rex looked up at Eric, barked once and wagged his tail. Then he jumped onto Eric, knocking him down, and started licking his face.
"Son of a bitch!"
***
The next morning, after breakfast and a walk, Eric placed an open box of dog biscuits on Wes' barbecue. He turned and looked at Rex, who wagged his tail slowly. Pulling a biscuit out of the box, Eric looked at Rex. "Sit."
Rex sat. Eric gave him the biscuit. "Good boy."
Pulling out another biscuit, Eric pointed at where Rex was sitting. "Stay."
Eric walked across the backyard, then turned. Before he could check to see if Rex had stayed, a cold, wet nose bumped at the biscuit in his hand. "Damn it," said Eric, yanking his hand away. "No. Bad dog."
There was a giggle from behind him. Eric closed his eyes and groaned mentally. Great. Opening his eyes, he turned around and glared at Wes' neighbour, Colin. "What?"
Colin smirked. "You know, if you can't handle him, I could always train him for you." He shifted the small Chihuahua to sit more snugly in his arms and rested a sequin covered hip onto the dividing fence. Looking around the yard pointedly, he said, "And where is that handsome boyfriend of yours, hmm?"
"Hospital. Broken ankle." Eric suppressed the urge to just hit the guy. Or do something permanent to make him back off Wes. It wasn't that Eric didn't trust Wes; he didn't like jerks like Colin objectifying Wes.
"Aw, the poor baby!" Colin fluttered a hand over his throat. "I'll have to drop by with some flowers. Maybe help out with the sponge baths."
Over my dead body. Gritting his teeth, Eric said, "Actually, he's not allowed visitors right now." He smiled tightly, "But you can leave flowers for him at reception."
Colin smiled back. "I will. Have fun, boys." And he flounced off into his house.
Eric shared a look with Rex. "If you ever want to eat that glorified rat of his, I'll be your alibi."
Rex made a chuffing noise and took a step closer to Eric, his tail wagging a bit.
Eric gave him the dog biscuit. "Okay, it's a deal."
Training lasted pretty much for the rest of the day, with a couple of breaks for lunch and walk. Squirrel-free walk, happily.
Eric decided to call it a night around five. He led the way inside, trying to decide on pizza or Chinese, when Wes' phone started ringing. Grabbing the cordless phone, Eric sat down on the couch, keeping an eye on Rex.
"Hello?"
"Oh, good. Eric. I was hoping you'd be there."
"Mr. Collins," said Eric, sitting up. "How's Wes?"
"As well as can be expected when he's on morphine."
Eric smirked. "That bad, sir?"
"He keeps calling me 'Mom'," said Mr. Collins, his tone a mixture of perplexity and amusement.
Eric laughed.
"The reason I was calling," said Mr. Collins. "The swelling's gone down enough that they're giving him the surgery tomorrow. The doctor says he can be discharged the day after."
"That's good news, sir."
"Yes it is. Could you pick him up? I can't re-schedule my meeting."
Eric nodded, "No problem, sir."
"Good. Thank you, Eric," said Mr. Collins. And he hung up.
Eric turned off the phone and sighed. Then he remembered Rex and froze. Eric looked to where he'd last seen Rex. No dog. From beside him on the couch came a soft whimper. Eric looked over, a feeling of dread in his stomach. Rex sat up a bit when their eyes met, and his tail began to thump against the back of the couch.
Eric glared at him. "What?"
The tail thumping picked up speed. Rex inched forward, eyes on Eric's face. Resting his head on Eric's lap, he whined and gave Eric a hopeful look. Eric lifted his hand to push Rex off. Rex whined again. Oh for-
Eric rested his hand on Rex's head and began to stroke down Rex's back. Rex let out a soft sigh. "He's fine," said Eric. "It's just his stupid ankle. He'll be up and moving within three weeks. And Hines isn't going to be stupid enough to leave any more water on the floor."
Eric wound his fingers into Rex's fur, petting him steadily. Rex let out a contented sigh. Wes was going to be fine. A couple of weeks in a cast and he'd be good as new. Eric flopped back on the couch, sighing himself. "He's fine."
***
"Sit."
Rex sat, staring at Eric expectantly.
Eric nodded. "Stay," he said and went to get the leash. Glancing back, he smiled. Rex hadn't moved an inch.
Heading back, Eric said, "Good boy." He pointed his finger at Rex. "Now keep staying." He bent down and quickly clipped the leash on- getting Rex's cold, wet nose in his ear. Ugh.
Wiping at his ear, Eric said, "Good boy. At ease."
Rex stood up, tail wagging.
Eric fought back a smile. "Yeah, yeah. Let's go." He pointed at Rex. "If you even think about chasing anything on four legs or wheels, I'm feeding you to the Q-Rex and I don't care what that would do to his gears. Got it?"
Rex licked Eric's finger, his tail picking up speed.
"Stop doing that, dammit." Wiping his finger off on his pants, Eric started walking towards the back gate, Rex trotting at his side.
They'd just cleared the gate when, "Hello, boys!"
Eric tensed and wished he had his Quantum Defender. "Colin."
Eric squinted, trying to make sense of the mess of bright clashing colours and flashing sequins that made up Colin's outfit. Colin trotted up, his rat-in-disguise clutched to his chest. It may have been Eric's imagination, but he thought the thing looked embarrassed to be there. And-
"What the hell is that smell?"
Colin smiled. "You like it? It's this new 'earthy' cologne, and-"
Eric open his mouth to tell Colin just what he thought of the 'cologne' when Colin let out a high pitched squeal and jumped back. Eric glanced down in time to see Rex putting his leg back down. Colin spluttered and glared at Rex before tearing off for his own house in a huff.
It took all of Eric's willpower to not move a muscle.
Once Colin's door slammed shut, Eric started laughing. He had to sit down, he was laughing so hard. Rex looked at him, tail wagging merrily. Eric pulled Rex close, rubbing his ears. "Good dog."
***
Wes leaned his head back against the SUV's seat and idly watched the scenery flow by. It was nice to finally be out of the hospital. Glancing over to the driver's side, Wes studied Eric's profile. Wes started to smile; at least two weeks in a cast, which meant he had two weeks of his handsome boyfriend fussing over him. He wondered how many times he could get Eric to bend over and pick something up before he caught on.
"Morphine hasn't totally worn off yet, huh?" Eric glanced at him quickly.
Oh, god. Wes groaned and closed his eyes. "I'm never going to live that down, am I?"
Eric snorted. "Not after I saw a picture of your mother, you're not."
"Eric..."
Eric chuckled as he pulled into Wes' driveway. "Home sweet home."
That sounded really, really good. As Eric turned off the SUV, Wes sat up slowly. His ankle was starting to throb faintly. He tried to twist around to grab his crutches, but Eric laid a warm hand on his shoulder.
"Hey," said Eric, peering at him worriedly. "Just stay there, alright? I'll get them."
Wes smiled. "Thanks." He lay back against the seat, closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of Eric getting out, grabbing bags and crutches. When Eric opened the door, Wes sat up and undid his seatbelt before Eric decided to do it for him. Accepting his crutches with a smile, Wes carefully levered himself out of the SUV, with Eric hovering close by.
Finally out, Wes glanced up. He spotted Colin heading into his own yard, Chanelle clutched in his arms as usual. Wes groaned mentally; he really didn't want to deal with Colin right now. He seriously debated just siccing Eric on Colin.
Colin caught his gaze, and Wes braced himself. But Colin just sniffed haughtily and flounced into his own house, slamming the door behind him. Wes blinked. Hunh. He looked over at Eric to get his opinion and caught the faint smug expression on his face.
Wes narrowed his eyes. "What did you do to him?"
"Nothing," Eric said, his expression completely blank.
Wes shook his head and fought down a grin. He made a mental note to ask Mrs. Taylor across the street about it - the woman knew everything that went on in the neighbourhood. Then, he started to make his way to the front door. Even with having to lock the SUV, Eric still beat him there.
As Eric unlocked the door, Wes tried to get at least partially comfortable on his crutches. It would take Eric a few minutes to calm Rex down. Eric pushed open the door and said, "Rex, stay."
Eric stepped back, motioning Wes in, a small smile on his face.
Wes blinked. But? Cautiously he made his way inside, keeping an eye out for Rex. "You killed my dog, didn't you?"
Eric snorted. He placed a warm hand on Wes' back. "No, I trained your dog."
There was a whimper from the end of the hallway. Wes looked over and stared in surprise. Rex was sitting there - alive - and while he shifted in place a bit, stayed sitting there. He looked like he was ready to jump out of his skin to get to Wes, but he didn't move.
Wes looked at Eric, impressed.
Eric shrugged. "Well, it's not like it would help your ankle if he started jumping on you," he said, defensively.
"And here I thought you would just be my knight in shining armour and catch him anytime he jumped at me," said Wes, smiling.
Eric snorted. "Go sit down on the couch. I'll get your pills." He rubbed Wes' shoulder gently as he walked past to get to the kitchen.
Wes sighed, and slowly made his way into the living room. Once he got settled, he twisted around to look at Rex. Holding out an arm, he said, "Rex? Come here, boy!"
Rex whined, looking torn, but stayed in place.
Wes blinked. Hunh. "Eric! You brainwashed my dog!"
Eric came out of the kitchen, holding a glass of water and giving Wes a confused look. "What?"
Wes pointed to Rex as evidence.
Eric's expression cleared. "Oh yeah. Rex, at ease."
Rex immediately got up and headed straight for Wes.
Wes smiled as Rex got up onto the couch. Reaching out he pulled his dog into a hug, burying his face into Rex's warm fur. God, it was good to be home. Pulling back a bit so he could see Rex's face, Wes began scratching him behind the ears. "Were you good to Eric? Huh? Were you?"
Rex's tail was wagging madly and he licked Wes' face.
Wes laughed, and glanced up to see Eric giving him a grossed out look. "What?"
Eric shook his head, "You do know where else he puts that tongue, right?"
Here we go again. "Eric..." said Wes, sighing.
Eric rolled his eyes and handed Wes the glass of water. Placing the pills into Wes' other hand, Eric leaned in close. Smiling softly, he said, "I missed you."
"I missed you, too," said Wes, leaning up for a kiss.
The kiss was warm and comforting- and suddenly wet as Rex decided to contribute. Wes and Eric jerked apart.
"Damn it!" said Eric, wiping at his face and glaring at Rex.
Wes looked from Eric's disgusted expression over to Rex, who gave him a doggie grin and wagged his tail. He fell back against the couch, laughing. It was good to be home.
End.
End Notes: For anyone who doesn't know what a Newfoundlander dog looks like, check out this page:
http://www.newfoundland-dogs.com/newfoundland-dogs-pictures.htm
And, this really is Cmar's fault. See, we got to talking about why a man of Wes' age would still be living at home with dad, which lead to the theory that Wes is the type who doesn't like to live alone. So, I half-jokingly suggested Wes get a pet, which lead to a discussion on what kind of animal Wes would own. We both agreed that Wes is so a dog person, and then we both agreed that Eric is very much *not* a dog person. And then I suddenly find myself writing this fic. See? All Cmar's fault.