fic: Roxy
recipient: sephirothflame
author: thebunnyknows
title: Roxy
pairing: Ray/Walt
rating: PG-13
word count: 2351
warnings: AU, massive amounts of fluff, puppies
summary: Love is elusive when you search for it/ and I don’t know/ happiness, sometimes creeps in/ and I don’t know/ I’m going crazy, I’ve been wondering, do you still feel alone? California Home by Savage Garden
author notes: Based on the above quote and This Photo. Huge amounts of Thank You to pjvilar for the last minute Beta job. Any remaining mistakes are my own.
***
Ray had a normal running route that took him though the park and while the view was nice, it was never overly interesting. Until the day Oceanside Animal Rescue set up a weekend long adoption drive along one of the sidewalks across from the playground equipment. Probably hoping to attract a score of cute kids who would beg their parents for a pet.
So on Sunday when Ray came up on the display, he figured he'd simply run past it the way he had the day before, he probably would have too, if not for the fact that this time there was a guy bending over, doing something to one of the cages. Whoever he was, his loose jeans were in danger of falling completely off, showing to the collected assortment of housewives and kids a pair of bright pink boxer shorts.
"See something you like?"
Ray absolutely did not trip over his own two feet at the cheesy pick up line, or the fact that he'd been caught staring at the ass of whoever it was that he was checking out.
"Really?" he asked, smirking at the back of the guy bent over the cage.
“Everyone loves animals,” the guy said. He’s finally succeeded at his task with the animal cage and stood up to turn around and face Ray.
Ray was too stunned by the pretty face and blue eyes to respond at first, which probably explained why his answer was, “Huh?”
“Animals,” mystery hot guy said, gesturing to the row of cages along the sidewalk, “Cats, dogs, the occasional rabbit or guinea pig, looking for a place to live. People tend to like cute, cuddly things.”
“That’s because, people on the whole, are stupid,” Ray said and promptly wanted to kick himself when the guy’s welcoming smile started to slide. “But I suppose you have a point and it least pets cost less than a kid and won’t ask for allowance or a car.”
The smile came back in full force, “So, you’d be interested in adopting?”
Ray had never thought about adopting anything other than a bad attitude, but a desire to keep talking to the blue eyed hottie kept him from outright dismissing the idea of taking home a needy animal. “I don’t know dude,” he said. “Most of these look like they should be carried around in some lady’s purse. Not really my style.” He looked down the row of cages at the assortment of wiggling, barking puppies, small dogs and the odd cat or kitten.
“Yeah, you look like you need something that can keep up with you,” unknown animal adoption enthusiast said . He gave Ray a long look and then wandered down the row of cages to a folding table that had been set up with all sorts of paperwork, pamphlets and a big sign advertising the adoption drive.
Ray found himself trailing along after him, wondering if he was being hit on or if this guy was just clueless to the lines he was throwing out.
“I’m Walt, by the way,” blond and blue eyes said as he rifled through the assorted papers on the table.
“Ray,” Ray replied.
“You’re kinda right,” Walt said.
“About?” Ray asked.
“Most of these dogs belong in some rich woman’s purse. We brought the animals that were more likely to get picked by kids out with their moms,” Walt said nodding his head towards the playground. “But there’s a lot more back at the shelter. I’m sure that you could find something that you could run with. Here,” Walt handed Ray a couple of cheerfully colored pamphlets, “come by sometime and I’m sure I can find something you’ll like.”
With that, Walt smiled and then turned away to go and help some mom with a kid who was signaling for help down by a cage with a yipping poodle. Leaving Ray with not a lot of options other than to continue on with his run.
***
“Let me see if I’ve got this straight. You’re going to adopt a dog to get a date? Just when I thought you couldn’t get any more pathetic. You know there are easier ways to get a date. Everyday there are plenty of drunken women crowding the bars around Pendleton just hoping to bang a man in uniform. I’m sure that your status as a former marine could garner you some kind of pity fuck.” Brad Colbert was a vicious, sarcastic bastard as well as Ray’s best friend, which is why Ray only half listened to Brad criticizing him and instead concentrated on the table leg he was trying to screw into place.
“I’m not going to adopt a dog. I just said I was thinking about going by the shelter to see if I could see Walt again,” Ray said as he tried to get a better grip on the screwdriver.
“I don’t think stalking is the way to get a date either,” Brad said as he worked on assembling the matching chairs.
“It’s not stalking!” Ray insisted, “He asked me to come by. Besides, how many hours did you spend at the bookstore before you finally grew a big enough pair to ask Nate out? Talk about stalking, dude. I‘m still not sure how you convinced such a nice boy like him to go out with a dirty devil dog like you.”
“Shut up Ray, I didn’t stalk Nate. I was meeting clients at the coffee bar in the bookstore where Nate happened to work and eventually we started talking, which led to me asking him out.” Brad said looking vaguely sheepish.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say homes. Speaking of the eternal student, where the fuck is he? Why am I helping you put together your goddamn dinette set? Isn’t this the type of job that the two of you should be doing together as domestic partners or whatever it is you call each other?” Ray bitched more out of habit than actual annoyance.
“He’s leading a study group. And you’re helping because you showed up unannounced and demanded some of my time. So I put you to work so I could let least get some payback for having to listen to your sad story about your inability to ask some tree hugging animal lover for his phone number and instead have concocted this retarded plan about dog adoption,” Brad groused back without any real heat.
“Well, if you’re going to demand physical labor every time I want your advice about something I’m going to start going to Rudy for guidance from now on,” Ray said finishing up the table leg he was working on and taking a minuet to stretch out his back before moving on the next one. He narrowed his eyes and the useless directions that had been packed with the boxes and silently vowed revenge on Value City Furniture.
“You’re welcome to do that, provided you like your advice with a side order of spiritual bullshit and a lot of jabber about the state of your aura,” Brad said, frowning at the piece of paper he had laid out next to the disassembled chair sections.
“Good point, Oh God, does that mean I’m stuck with you for advice? Maybe I should wait until Nate gets home and ask him instead. He’s much nicer.”
“I’m afraid so, my whiskey tango hick. Now shut up and hand me the screw driver. I want to get this finished sometime today. And stop being such a pussy, just go and ask this guy out and stop angsting over it like some teenage girl. But if you end up taking home a cat, I am mocking you for the rest of your life.”
***
The next day, when Ray pushed inside Oceanside Animal Rescue, he was still trying to decide just what he was going to say to Walt. He was planning on casually working an invitation to coffee into a conversation about how to properly care for an animal when Walt himself appeared right in front of him, wearing a pair of yellow scrubs with kittens on them and a smile which caused Ray to forget just what it was that he was going to say.
“Hey, you came in!” Walt sounded excited.
“Yeah, well,” Ray started to try and get back on track with what he wanted to say when Walt cut him off.
“I know you said that all those puppies and little lap dogs weren’t really your style, but I think I have someone that you’ll really like.” With that Walt grabbed Ray by the hand and pulled him through a door on the far side of the reception area and down a short hall to a big room full of cages with every sort of dog imaginable.
“You know, I’m still- kinda- just thinking about this whole pet thing,” Ray tried to protest.
“Yeah, I get that,” Walt said, tugging Ray towards the far wall of the big room. “It’s a lot of responsibility, but I think you’re really going like her.”
“Her?” Ray questioned.
“Meet Roxy,” Walt announced, stopping in front of a larger cage that held a German Sheppard. While she had clearly grown out of being a puppy, she didn’t look like she had reached her full size yet, either.
“Roxy?” Ray looked down at the dog, who upon hearing her name had sat up and come to peer out the cage. She looked hopeful and, actually, very cute.
“Yeah, she was initially part of the seeing eye dog program, but she’s a little too excitable to be a suitable guide dog, so she found her way here. But she’s really a great dog, very sweet, smart and she’d be a good running partner,” Walt said.
Ray told himself that he didn’t really want a dog even has he lowered himself down so that he was level with Roxy and held one hand out towards the cage so she could smell him. Roxy eagerly pushed herself forwards as much as the cage allowed and pushed her nose against Ray’s hand for a few seconds before happily starting to lick his fingers.
“See, she likes you,” Walt sounded smug.
“She’s a dog, don’t they like everyone?”
“You’d think that, but animals are much smarter than most people think. They know when someone’s a bastard. Here, step back a second,” Walt said and when Ray complied he unlatched the cage door and Roxy quickly stepped out and went right to Ray for more attention.
“Well, she’s friendly, that’s for sure,” Ray said, crouching down again to pet the dog. Despite himself, Ray found himself beginning to actually want her. He hadn’t had a pet since he was a kid and it wasn’t like a dog would be that much trouble. “And I guess it’d be nice to have a running partner.”
“She’s already been fixed and is up to date on all her shots,” Walt said with all the enthusiasm of a guy who knew that he had a sale all but wrapped up. “We’d just need to get her chipped and get you to fill out a little bit of paperwork and you could take her home today probably.”
“Slow down homes, I don’t have anything at home for a dog,” Ray said as Roxy happily enjoyed the attention that he was giving her. Brad was never going to let him live this down.
“Well, that’s no problem,” Walt said, “There’s a Petsmart just a couple of blocks away from here. You could go while Doc Bryan gives her one last look over and puts the chip in. In fact, I’ll go with you. After you buy me lunch, that is.”
Ray’s head snapped up to look at Walt, who blushed slightly and smiled like he was trying to be nonchalant.
“Please do not tell me I just agreed to adopt a dog when I could have just asked you out,” Ray said.
“Nah, you agreed to adopt her out of the goodness of your heart. She really is a great dog. But I wasn’t sure I wasn’t sure if you were ever going to sac up and ask me out so I figured I’d do it for you,” Walt admitted.
“You’re totally buying lunch,” was all Ray said.
Walt smiled, “I’ll even spring for a collar.”
“As long as it’s not pink. I’m going to catch so much shit for this to begin with, I can’t even begin to tell you. Roxy’s getting something badass. Possibly with spikes,” Ray ranted. Roxy just pressed closer and demanded more attention, “All right girl, I’ll be back for you later.” Roxy stretched her head back so Ray would scratch under her jaw and closed her eyes when he complied.
If Ray didn’t know any better, he would swear that she actually understood him as she let him stand up and guide her back into the cage without whining at all.
“Okay homes, point me towards the paperwork before I come to my senses and just take you and run,” Ray said as Walt led the way back towards the reception area.
“I promise you, she really is a great dog. You’re not going to regret this.”
“Don’t think that just because you’ve managed to get to take Roxy home that you’re always going to get you way with me!” Ray did his best to sound like he really meant what he was saying.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Walt smirked.
“Jesus, I’m going be as whipped as Brad is, I can see it now,” Ray mumbled to himself.
“What was that?”
“Nothing, say, how do you feel about Chinese food?”
***
Roxy was a great dog. She got him to run faster, was great for scaring away door to door sales people and Jehovah’s Witnesses, yet never barked at the Girl Scouts, (which was good because Ray seriously loved those cookies). Also, she always managed attract a slew of hot women who found both her and Ray adorable.
Which was nice, but no longer necessary. It seems he had gotten Walt along with Roxy.
author: thebunnyknows
title: Roxy
pairing: Ray/Walt
rating: PG-13
word count: 2351
warnings: AU, massive amounts of fluff, puppies
summary: Love is elusive when you search for it/ and I don’t know/ happiness, sometimes creeps in/ and I don’t know/ I’m going crazy, I’ve been wondering, do you still feel alone? California Home by Savage Garden
author notes: Based on the above quote and This Photo. Huge amounts of Thank You to pjvilar for the last minute Beta job. Any remaining mistakes are my own.
***
Ray had a normal running route that took him though the park and while the view was nice, it was never overly interesting. Until the day Oceanside Animal Rescue set up a weekend long adoption drive along one of the sidewalks across from the playground equipment. Probably hoping to attract a score of cute kids who would beg their parents for a pet.
So on Sunday when Ray came up on the display, he figured he'd simply run past it the way he had the day before, he probably would have too, if not for the fact that this time there was a guy bending over, doing something to one of the cages. Whoever he was, his loose jeans were in danger of falling completely off, showing to the collected assortment of housewives and kids a pair of bright pink boxer shorts.
"See something you like?"
Ray absolutely did not trip over his own two feet at the cheesy pick up line, or the fact that he'd been caught staring at the ass of whoever it was that he was checking out.
"Really?" he asked, smirking at the back of the guy bent over the cage.
“Everyone loves animals,” the guy said. He’s finally succeeded at his task with the animal cage and stood up to turn around and face Ray.
Ray was too stunned by the pretty face and blue eyes to respond at first, which probably explained why his answer was, “Huh?”
“Animals,” mystery hot guy said, gesturing to the row of cages along the sidewalk, “Cats, dogs, the occasional rabbit or guinea pig, looking for a place to live. People tend to like cute, cuddly things.”
“That’s because, people on the whole, are stupid,” Ray said and promptly wanted to kick himself when the guy’s welcoming smile started to slide. “But I suppose you have a point and it least pets cost less than a kid and won’t ask for allowance or a car.”
The smile came back in full force, “So, you’d be interested in adopting?”
Ray had never thought about adopting anything other than a bad attitude, but a desire to keep talking to the blue eyed hottie kept him from outright dismissing the idea of taking home a needy animal. “I don’t know dude,” he said. “Most of these look like they should be carried around in some lady’s purse. Not really my style.” He looked down the row of cages at the assortment of wiggling, barking puppies, small dogs and the odd cat or kitten.
“Yeah, you look like you need something that can keep up with you,” unknown animal adoption enthusiast said . He gave Ray a long look and then wandered down the row of cages to a folding table that had been set up with all sorts of paperwork, pamphlets and a big sign advertising the adoption drive.
Ray found himself trailing along after him, wondering if he was being hit on or if this guy was just clueless to the lines he was throwing out.
“I’m Walt, by the way,” blond and blue eyes said as he rifled through the assorted papers on the table.
“Ray,” Ray replied.
“You’re kinda right,” Walt said.
“About?” Ray asked.
“Most of these dogs belong in some rich woman’s purse. We brought the animals that were more likely to get picked by kids out with their moms,” Walt said nodding his head towards the playground. “But there’s a lot more back at the shelter. I’m sure that you could find something that you could run with. Here,” Walt handed Ray a couple of cheerfully colored pamphlets, “come by sometime and I’m sure I can find something you’ll like.”
With that, Walt smiled and then turned away to go and help some mom with a kid who was signaling for help down by a cage with a yipping poodle. Leaving Ray with not a lot of options other than to continue on with his run.
***
“Let me see if I’ve got this straight. You’re going to adopt a dog to get a date? Just when I thought you couldn’t get any more pathetic. You know there are easier ways to get a date. Everyday there are plenty of drunken women crowding the bars around Pendleton just hoping to bang a man in uniform. I’m sure that your status as a former marine could garner you some kind of pity fuck.” Brad Colbert was a vicious, sarcastic bastard as well as Ray’s best friend, which is why Ray only half listened to Brad criticizing him and instead concentrated on the table leg he was trying to screw into place.
“I’m not going to adopt a dog. I just said I was thinking about going by the shelter to see if I could see Walt again,” Ray said as he tried to get a better grip on the screwdriver.
“I don’t think stalking is the way to get a date either,” Brad said as he worked on assembling the matching chairs.
“It’s not stalking!” Ray insisted, “He asked me to come by. Besides, how many hours did you spend at the bookstore before you finally grew a big enough pair to ask Nate out? Talk about stalking, dude. I‘m still not sure how you convinced such a nice boy like him to go out with a dirty devil dog like you.”
“Shut up Ray, I didn’t stalk Nate. I was meeting clients at the coffee bar in the bookstore where Nate happened to work and eventually we started talking, which led to me asking him out.” Brad said looking vaguely sheepish.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say homes. Speaking of the eternal student, where the fuck is he? Why am I helping you put together your goddamn dinette set? Isn’t this the type of job that the two of you should be doing together as domestic partners or whatever it is you call each other?” Ray bitched more out of habit than actual annoyance.
“He’s leading a study group. And you’re helping because you showed up unannounced and demanded some of my time. So I put you to work so I could let least get some payback for having to listen to your sad story about your inability to ask some tree hugging animal lover for his phone number and instead have concocted this retarded plan about dog adoption,” Brad groused back without any real heat.
“Well, if you’re going to demand physical labor every time I want your advice about something I’m going to start going to Rudy for guidance from now on,” Ray said finishing up the table leg he was working on and taking a minuet to stretch out his back before moving on the next one. He narrowed his eyes and the useless directions that had been packed with the boxes and silently vowed revenge on Value City Furniture.
“You’re welcome to do that, provided you like your advice with a side order of spiritual bullshit and a lot of jabber about the state of your aura,” Brad said, frowning at the piece of paper he had laid out next to the disassembled chair sections.
“Good point, Oh God, does that mean I’m stuck with you for advice? Maybe I should wait until Nate gets home and ask him instead. He’s much nicer.”
“I’m afraid so, my whiskey tango hick. Now shut up and hand me the screw driver. I want to get this finished sometime today. And stop being such a pussy, just go and ask this guy out and stop angsting over it like some teenage girl. But if you end up taking home a cat, I am mocking you for the rest of your life.”
***
The next day, when Ray pushed inside Oceanside Animal Rescue, he was still trying to decide just what he was going to say to Walt. He was planning on casually working an invitation to coffee into a conversation about how to properly care for an animal when Walt himself appeared right in front of him, wearing a pair of yellow scrubs with kittens on them and a smile which caused Ray to forget just what it was that he was going to say.
“Hey, you came in!” Walt sounded excited.
“Yeah, well,” Ray started to try and get back on track with what he wanted to say when Walt cut him off.
“I know you said that all those puppies and little lap dogs weren’t really your style, but I think I have someone that you’ll really like.” With that Walt grabbed Ray by the hand and pulled him through a door on the far side of the reception area and down a short hall to a big room full of cages with every sort of dog imaginable.
“You know, I’m still- kinda- just thinking about this whole pet thing,” Ray tried to protest.
“Yeah, I get that,” Walt said, tugging Ray towards the far wall of the big room. “It’s a lot of responsibility, but I think you’re really going like her.”
“Her?” Ray questioned.
“Meet Roxy,” Walt announced, stopping in front of a larger cage that held a German Sheppard. While she had clearly grown out of being a puppy, she didn’t look like she had reached her full size yet, either.
“Roxy?” Ray looked down at the dog, who upon hearing her name had sat up and come to peer out the cage. She looked hopeful and, actually, very cute.
“Yeah, she was initially part of the seeing eye dog program, but she’s a little too excitable to be a suitable guide dog, so she found her way here. But she’s really a great dog, very sweet, smart and she’d be a good running partner,” Walt said.
Ray told himself that he didn’t really want a dog even has he lowered himself down so that he was level with Roxy and held one hand out towards the cage so she could smell him. Roxy eagerly pushed herself forwards as much as the cage allowed and pushed her nose against Ray’s hand for a few seconds before happily starting to lick his fingers.
“See, she likes you,” Walt sounded smug.
“She’s a dog, don’t they like everyone?”
“You’d think that, but animals are much smarter than most people think. They know when someone’s a bastard. Here, step back a second,” Walt said and when Ray complied he unlatched the cage door and Roxy quickly stepped out and went right to Ray for more attention.
“Well, she’s friendly, that’s for sure,” Ray said, crouching down again to pet the dog. Despite himself, Ray found himself beginning to actually want her. He hadn’t had a pet since he was a kid and it wasn’t like a dog would be that much trouble. “And I guess it’d be nice to have a running partner.”
“She’s already been fixed and is up to date on all her shots,” Walt said with all the enthusiasm of a guy who knew that he had a sale all but wrapped up. “We’d just need to get her chipped and get you to fill out a little bit of paperwork and you could take her home today probably.”
“Slow down homes, I don’t have anything at home for a dog,” Ray said as Roxy happily enjoyed the attention that he was giving her. Brad was never going to let him live this down.
“Well, that’s no problem,” Walt said, “There’s a Petsmart just a couple of blocks away from here. You could go while Doc Bryan gives her one last look over and puts the chip in. In fact, I’ll go with you. After you buy me lunch, that is.”
Ray’s head snapped up to look at Walt, who blushed slightly and smiled like he was trying to be nonchalant.
“Please do not tell me I just agreed to adopt a dog when I could have just asked you out,” Ray said.
“Nah, you agreed to adopt her out of the goodness of your heart. She really is a great dog. But I wasn’t sure I wasn’t sure if you were ever going to sac up and ask me out so I figured I’d do it for you,” Walt admitted.
“You’re totally buying lunch,” was all Ray said.
Walt smiled, “I’ll even spring for a collar.”
“As long as it’s not pink. I’m going to catch so much shit for this to begin with, I can’t even begin to tell you. Roxy’s getting something badass. Possibly with spikes,” Ray ranted. Roxy just pressed closer and demanded more attention, “All right girl, I’ll be back for you later.” Roxy stretched her head back so Ray would scratch under her jaw and closed her eyes when he complied.
If Ray didn’t know any better, he would swear that she actually understood him as she let him stand up and guide her back into the cage without whining at all.
“Okay homes, point me towards the paperwork before I come to my senses and just take you and run,” Ray said as Walt led the way back towards the reception area.
“I promise you, she really is a great dog. You’re not going to regret this.”
“Don’t think that just because you’ve managed to get to take Roxy home that you’re always going to get you way with me!” Ray did his best to sound like he really meant what he was saying.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Walt smirked.
“Jesus, I’m going be as whipped as Brad is, I can see it now,” Ray mumbled to himself.
“What was that?”
“Nothing, say, how do you feel about Chinese food?”
***
Roxy was a great dog. She got him to run faster, was great for scaring away door to door sales people and Jehovah’s Witnesses, yet never barked at the Girl Scouts, (which was good because Ray seriously loved those cookies). Also, she always managed attract a slew of hot women who found both her and Ray adorable.
Which was nice, but no longer necessary. It seems he had gotten Walt along with Roxy.