Puppy Love
By Myriddin
They had been walking down a busy main street on a December afternoon, laden down with the week's groceries. Tori, nearly giddy with the Christmas spirit, was bounding up and down the sidewalks to stare into the store windows like a fascinated child. Jade sighed and grumbled under her breath, but that did not stop her girlfriend from peering through the glass at colors, sounds and lights that had her brown eyes wide with fascination and delight. It was cute, really, to see the normally mature and put-together Tori acting like a kid, not that Jade would admit that aloud.
"Jade! Look over here!"
As soon as Jade did, she knew she was going to regret it. Really, things had been bad enough with arms full of food that cost nearly more than the rent they paid for their small apartment. At twenty, they were both still struggling to make names for themselves, Jade by writing plays, Tori by acting. And the look on Tori's face just spelled complications Jade did not need.
"Vega, no!"
"Aw, why not? I've always wanted a puppy."
"I don't want a flea-bitten mongrel underfoot all the time! And need I remind you what happened last time we tried anything with a dog?"
"That was years ago. And they're so cute. Could we just go look?"
"No! And put that lip away before I do something indecent."
"Jade-hmph!"
"Told you."
Tori's startled look melted away, replaced by a soft, sly smile. Her lashes lowered until her dark eyes were hooded and come-hither, Tori tilting up on her tiptoes to place her lips against Jade's ear, her breath hot against pale skin. "Come with me now, and I'll show you indecent later tonight."
Jade groaned in defeat as she allowed herself to be tugged into the pet store, cursing Tori's sexiness and her ability to use it against her.
xx
And because three years in a committed relationship with Tori Vega of all people had made her a permanent soft touch, Christmas morning saw Tori squealing excitedly as she received Jade's gift. The little bundle of energy and fur yipped and excitedly danced around the young woman and Tori laughed as the puppy licked at her face, his ribbon-collar tickling. She pulled Jade close and kissed her fiercely, ignoring the playwright's complaints about dog slobber, crushing her girlfriend close in a tight hug.
Jade rolled her eyes but wrapping her arms around the actress in return. Tori sighed contently and snuggled closer, watching as the furball played in the scattered remains of wrapping paper.
"I think I'll name him Butterscotch. Like his fur."
Jade kissed Tori's forehead, hiding her smile against sleep-tousled brown hair. "Right. Because that won't give him a complex or anything."
"Jade!"
xx
And of course, there were problems.
Like the puddle Jade stepped in when getting out of bed.
The fact that their budget tightened even more to include all of Butterscotch's needs.
Like when her favorite boots became Butterscotch's favorite chewtoy.
Or when the dog tried to maul her precious collector scissors.
Like when the special-diet food Tori insisted the canine needed cost more than the sushi Jade bought for their anniversary dinner…
Or when the mutt ate said sushi (and made himself sick) and Jade had to call for takeout…
And the fact that the water was shut off because Jade had to wait until she got the commission for her latest play.
The menace had to go.
xx
It was a couple of months after getting Butterscotch that Tori landed a role in an out-of-state movie, requiring her to spend a month in New York. Involved heavily in a new project that could prove to be a breakthrough for her career, Jade was forced to stay in LA and not go with her.
It was disconcerting how empty their bed felt at night.
Jade returned home one night to a cold, quiet apartment, threw down her bag, and collapsed into a chair.
A warm, furry body crawled into her lap, gazing up at her with sad brown eyes. Jade sighed, hugging the puppy to give them both some semblance of comfort. "Alright," she muttered as Butterscotch wriggled closer, "You can stay."
There was where Tori found them hours later, an intended surprise as she was a week early. She smiled fondly, kissing Jade's forehead before she threw a blanket over the sleeping (and lightly snoring, the both of them) forms, moving down the hall to put her bags away.
It was good to be home.