stuckonyourheart

If you'd told Patrick that he'd be standing in a dog shelter with David Rose, of all people, as they worked to adopt a dog, he'd assume that he'd been drugged and was living in one of those really nice lucid fantasies that people had when they learned how to control their heart rate. The reality of it is a little less exciting, staring down the barrel of paperwork and training, but that doesn't stop Patrick from being wildly excited.

He's gripping David's hand firmly as they stand in the hallway, waiting to be let in to see the dogs. If he had a tail, he's pretty sure that it'd be wagging right now, as happy as he is.

"Thank you, again," he tells David, earnest and honest and so damn eager. "I know this isn't the easiest thing for you, that you probably never saw yourself with a dog, but I promise that I'll take care of the training and the walks," he vows, as if he needs to sell this, even though they're here and David's on board. He just, he really wants David to understand how much it means to him. "I really think this is gonna be good for us," he promises, tugging David's hand when he hears one of the staff members call them in.

It's time to go meet some potential dogs.

"You ready?" he asks, even if he's not giving David much choice, pulling him along like he is.

There's a nebulous period that Patrick thinks is acceptable to have holiday gifts during, and for David, he picks a rough period that's close to Christmas, even though he knows that technically they could also be doing Hanukkah. And yet, he also remembers the big rush last year with Johnny deciding he wanted a big family Christmas.

Patrick's not complaining. There's no store to mine for decorations this time and thanks to the difference in time between them, Patrick also knows a perfect gift for them. He'd worked a few extra shifts doing math tutoring to buy it, which means that he's able to have it wrapped and ready when he comes home, carrying the large box with a bag on top of it. It fills him with absolute warmth as he steps over the threshold into their home, because it's more than he had at home. Here, this is their place, firmly together.

Back home, it had still felt like Patrick's, because David didn't love it the way that he should, not for a place that belonged to both of them.

Maybe at some point, they'll find something here that they both like. For now, he's happy to just be here with David. Peering just over the large wrapped gift, he tries to signal David with his eyes. "Can you take the bag?" he requests. "There's some cheese and wine inside." He's also not about to cook a whole holiday dinner, but he figures that he can do that much.