musings (whilst on walkies)
Day 3: Anniversary
There is something strange in Miles' behaviour, but for some reason, Pess isn't concerned; when the man takes him on a slightly different route to the park than usual, his smile only grows more affectionate, calming any worries Pess could have held in his heart. The gentleness in his eyes is wonderful, the amusement in his tone only making Pess want to reach the park faster and faster. It is a bright and beautiful morning, after all; he knows that this is when the park is at its best, with the grass feeling so refreshing and cool against his paws as he runs. The other dogs who come early in the morning like this are always so much fun, and their owners always let Miles read his book nicely, so Pess cannot wait. If Miles needs to go on an errand before they reach their destination, then Pess shall proudly protect his human, head held high for all the world to see his shiny red collar.
It does not take for him to find out just why they are deviating from their usual route to the park. Miles usually is not a fan of sweet coffees and whatnot, preferring to brew something at home after their excursions out; still, when they enter the café, Pess sneezes at the pungent aroma of caffeine in the air before examining the display eagerly. The treats smell wonderful, including Miles' favourite scones, so he understands. The man just wanted a snack, he thinks.
The trip is short, and soon enough, they are leaving with a few items in a bag. It is only once they have left the shop that Miles begins to bounce anxiously about on the balls of his foot, a nervousness in his sped-up gait that strikes Pess as odd. Why would he be-
Then, he remembers, his own heart melting, yet tensing at the same time. They're going to see the dark-haired man, aren't they? It'll be so fun!
…why is Miles worried about it, then?
He pauses at a crosswalk and whines, nosing Miles' leg and looking up at him plaintively. What's wrong?
Miles merely smiles, his expression tight, brows slightly furrowed. "What's wrong, boy?"
Huffing, he bumps his forehead and paws Miles' knee gently. I'm worried about you, silly.
The man merely leans down, absently scratching behind Pess' ears. Before he can interrogate the human further, however, the light flickers on, and they are forced to cross the street, leaving questions simmering in Pess' mind. Should he be worried? Should he be on guard around the dark-haired man? He's so nice, though! And Miles loves him, right? Miles smiles and his eyes burst with warmth whenever he looks at the dark-haired man, just as Pess feels his own chest growing tight and warm every time Miles comes home, so… nothing's wrong, right?
He wags his tail automatically as he feels Miles' hand patting his side as they enter the park, following their familiar route at last. There is a bench in the shade which Miles loves to monopolise during these early mornings; once they find the tree protecting it, Miles unclasps the leash upon his collar, murmuring, "Stay, Pess."
Obediently, Pess responds, squatting his haunches down onto the grass. Every fiber of his being is at war; he wants to run out and play, especially since he sees his friends already running about across this field! However, he doesn't want to disobey Miles, and he especially doesn't want to leave Miles behind when he keeps biting his lip and glancing around furtively, like he's waiting for something to go wrong. Pess can't leave Miles when he needs help!
To his surprise, Pess is instead greeted by a small cup being withdrawn from the bag. Miles takes off the lid, sets it on the ground, then pulls out a large treat from within, opening up the packaging. The smell is heavenly, making him drool instantly, his tongue lolling out in anticipation.
Chuckling at his eagerness, Miles is about to speak when a familiar voice interrupts them. "You're already here!"
Glancing over, Pess does something he never does- he disobeys Miles. Upon seeing the dark-haired man, he immediately repositions himself between him and Miles. He does not growl- he likes this man, after all!- but he does not allow him closer. The moment Miles had heard his voice, he had frozen, eyes growing panicked. Pess makes up his mind in this moment; he cannot leave Miles alone today until he has figured out what is going on.
The man does not mind, merely sitting on the grass next to Pess and rubbing his jowls without hesitation. "Look at that, Pess! Your owner got you so many treats- what's the occasion, Edgeworth?"
Glancing over to Miles, Pess cannot help but smile wide as he watches a happy flush cover Miles' cheeks and ears. "I- it's sort of our anniversary. It's been a year since I adopted him, I mean."
A year? Pess freezes, looking down at Miles' hands. They are tightly interlocked, knuckles white and tense. Quietly, he pads over to Miles, licking his fingers until they loosen. Only a year? A year's not long, right? Or is it long? He cocks his head, waiting for an explanation. What's an anniversary?
The dark-haired man laughs, clearly delighted by this. "You didn't tell me that! Congrats, Pess! It's been a year since you got this mopey guy as your owner."
"Hey!" Miles protests indignantly.
Rolling his eyes, the other man picks up the cup and holds it towards Pess. "Eat your treats, boy! You deserve it for being a good pup."
Pess pauses. His drool drips past his lips, but he wants to wait until given permission; sensing his anticipation, Miles reaches down and scratches his cheek. "Go ahead, boy."
Giddily, Pess pounces on the cup. The cream is delicious, and the treat he gets to tear into afterwards, even more so- do anniversaries mean that he can have more treats like this? If so, he wants to have one every day!
Yet, there is a strange sadness in Miles' eyes, one that drives Pess to merely lay on the man's feet rather than running off to join his friends. One of his usual weekend playmates trots on over, quietly inviting him to join them; he declines, however, laying his head against Miles' shin by way of explanation. He will not move until the man smiles wider, until this sadness goes away.
The dark-haired man notices this. Finally joining Miles on the bench, he murmurs softly, "Edge- Miles, what's up? Pess is worried about you, you know."
For a moment, Miles is silent. Pess pauses, lifting an ear and perking up just enough to hear his human clearly. What will be his explanation? Is something wrong?
Finally, Miles says softly, "It's just… strange. Thinking that it's been a full year."
"Why did you adopt him, anyways? I never thought you were much of a pet person."
The alarm which springs into Pess' heart dies immediately as Miles rolls his eyes, muttering, "It's not any of your business, right," with a soft smile directed towards the dog.
The other man seems to want his answer, but instead, bites it down. "You're happy though, right?"
"Of course!" Idle hands drift downwards to lovingly scratch Pess' head, filling his stomach with warmth and affection. "I- I'm very grateful. The past year has certainly not been an easy one."
The next answer is a strange one to Pess. "I… understand why. DL-6 wasn't exactly the easiest thing to go through for you."
Miles snorts bitterly, humourless. "I suppose you're right."
Pess glances upwards. The dark-haired man is no longer smiling, his fists clenched tight upon his knees. "It wasn't easy for anyone."
Pess instinctively begins to bark at the dark-haired man after that as Miles' lip wobbles for a brief moment before pressing into a thin line, no trace of joy in his eyes. The guilt which wracks Miles' face is so sudden and swift and intense, after all- how else is Pess supposed to react?
Startled by his sudden response, Miles kneels next to him, pulling gently on his collar to get his attention. "Pess, what is it?"
His eyes dart anxiously back and forth between the two. Why are you sad? What wasn't easy? What happened?
It seems he will not get his answers, though. Once he has calmed down, situating himself firmly between the dark-haired man and Miles, his owner hands over the final thing which had been in the bag- another cup smelling of coffee. "I got you one, too," he says blandly, handing the cup over. "Come, Pess. We're going home."
The regret in the dark-haired man's eyes is instant. Frantically looking for something to hold onto, he tries to ask, "You- wait, Edgeworth, I- shit- you never answered my question!" Pasting on a smile which does nothing to hide his frenetic worry, he asks, "Why did you decide to get Pess?"
Miles does not answer, merely clipping Pess' leash back to his collar. He looks subdued; so, Pess bravely and resolutely marches in front of him all the way home, ensuring that his human returns to his home safe and sound. Once his leash has been put away and they sit on the couch together once more, Miles presses his face against Pess' stomach, breathing in softly; then, Pess finally hears the answer which the other man had clearly been looking for.
"How do I explain that I got you because I gave him up, boy? Because I couldn't be alone anymore with myself after… after everything?"
Pess doesn't understand. He does not know how to respond. What he can do, however, is kiss his owner's frustrated tears away- so, he does. He shall do this as long as it takes, for as many anniversaries as he can. He shall protect Miles.
Still, seeing his owner like this hurts Pess. He knows that Miles cares about the dark-haired man; later, when his phone buzzes and Miles reads the screen, his eyes still shine with the love only reserved for the other man.
If the other man stays- if they figure out whatever it is Pess can't understand- will Miles stop crying?
He hopes so. That evening, Pess decides firmly that Pess is going to do his best to make it so.