A/N

Just trying this new pairing. Looking forward to all feedback – negative or positive. It all makes me a better writer. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Please Enjoy – hope its cuteness!

-Hope

"It's… a puppy," Lestrade said, holding the small, yellow retriever out to Mycroft who just stared at it quizzically.

"Yes, I can see that it's a puppy. But why. Why is this puppy."

"I don't… really understand the question," Lestrade said, putting the puppy down. Its short legs carried it over to Mycroft. It hopped up on its hind legs, the tip of its head almost up to his knee. It let out a yip but soon lost interest in Mycroft's attention – or rather inattention-, deciding to focus on his shoes instead. Mycroft didn't shake it away, though he looked very uncomfortable.

"Why are you giving me this puppy? I don't recall asking for, much less wanting a puppy, Gregg."

"Well I mean I guess I just thought that maybe… well we've been together for a few years and well sometimes… I guess I thought-"

"Please stop murmuring, Gregg. Because I'm alone? Because other than you and my brother, I visit rarely anyone else to just say hello, or get a drink? Now that I think about it, I don't even visit my brother to do that," Mycroft said the last bit almost to himself as he thought it over a few times. "No matter, Gregg, I don't feel lonely since I have you, so giving me this thing to look after really isn't necessary."

"It's not a thing, it's a puppy." I think I've said that enough times. "I happen to love dogs very much, and they make very great companions," he told Mycroft, his confidence lacking, as he bent over to pull the puppy away from Mycroft's foot. "They are friendly and loyal, and I just thought we could look after it together if we move in-"

"Move in together?" Mycroft asked pointedly.

Lestrade froze. He hadn't really been thinking when he had said it. He had meant to ease into the conversation and discuss it without feeling the awkwardness and embarrassment he had been feeling just then. Lestrade grabbed the puppy and stood up.

"Yes. I want us to move in together. I think it's been time enough," he said with confidence. Well, as much confidence as one could have when they were battling a squirming puppy in their arms.

"I couldn't agree more," Mycroft said, making his way to his desk and sitting down in his chair. He wrote down an address on a slip of paper and held it out for Lestrade to take. "I've had my eye on this place for sometime now. I bought it a few weeks ago hoping to ask you to move in sometime next week, but I suppose the sooner the better."

Lestrade couldn't move. Bought a place? For the two of them? He was sure for a while there that Mycroft would have said no for sure. He never seemed like the share a house type of person… He blinked a few times and realized that Mycroft was waiting for him to do something. He reached forward, still holding the puppy who had stopped squirming, and grabbed the paper.

"You… already bought this?"

"Yes. I thought that 2 and a half years was definitely time enough for us to, um, be together before we finally live in the same house."

"Can… can we keep the puppy?" Lestrade asked. He assumed Mycroft would take that as a God Yes to living together.

Mycroft hesitated before answering. "Well, the new place has no rules against dogs, so I do suppose we could keep Charles."

"Charles?" Lestrade said, raising an eyebrow.

"It looks like a Charles," Mycroft said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Well actually…" It's a girl, Lestrade was about to say, but didn't thinking better of it. Mycroft had made an effort, and that was all that mattered at the moment. "It's perfect," he said instead.

Mycroft rose from his chair and smiled a brief, but genuine smile, and reached out to pet Charles, running his hand along its soft head. Charles looked at him excitedly and let out another yip.

"Shall we go and see the flat?" Mycroft asked as Lestrade was bendnig over to put the puppy in its portable crate.

Lestrade picked up the case and looked over at Mycroft. A puppy, a new home with Mycroft; all happening on the same day, and Lestrade couldn't have been happier.

"We shall."

The two of them left Mycroft's apartment puppy in hand, hand in each other's.