2x1, pet-shop!AU, allusions to/implied bdsm, you have been warned! :)


A Pet for Duo!

The doorbell chimed as the front door was thrust open and in Duo's Pet Shop for Wild Things - the place to go for any animal loving pet owner another peaceful working day was just beginning.

In his famous cheerful morning mood, Duo Maxwell sat behind the cash-desk and was enjoying his breakfast. It consisted of a giant mug of hot chocolate and an extra large whole-grain cereal bar - with chocolate icing. (Some of his friends, who didn't share Duo's enthusiasm for early mornings, claimed that it was only possible to be so cheerful because of such sugary breakfasts.) Normally, Duo's morning routine wasn't interrupted till midday when the first housewives stopped by to browse the shelves for pet food or cat litter.

An early customer was unusual, but Duo was exceptionally devoted to his work. His customers - especially the female ones who made up 90 percent of his clientele – valued his extensive knowledge of exotic and not-so-exotic creatures and fell in love with his sunny disposition.

So there was another pet owner in need of his advice! Duo looked up from his breakfast and while he was still munching on his cereal bar, prepared to greet his customer.

But when his eyes fell on the front door, no one was there...

The door swung shut with a bang.

Duo listened into the room. There was the quiet sound of footsteps behind the front shelves. Maybe some school kid who made a detour on their way to school. Well, he was none of those pushy shop assistants who bounced on everyone and everything that dared so much as set a foot on his linoleum.

On the contrary, he was a patient, polite and reserved man, who could wait his turn. And if his foot was lightly tapping on the floor while he was waiting, it was just the energy boost from the sugar. For a few minutes nothing happened and Duo considered going back to his breakfast. His hot chocolate was slowly growing cold. And nothing was worse than cold hot chocolate... if it could still be called hot chocolate seeing that it was really more like cold chocolate—well, he ought to think about that someday.

Duo's customer was certainly staying for an awfully long time behind the shelves. Ten minutes later and she or he still had to make an appearance. A dawdling school kid then. Duo's foot tapped harder... All of a sudden there was a crashing sound behind a shelf. Duo's foot stopped.

Jumping from his chair, he almost fell over the cash-desk and into his mug of hot chocolate. From behind the front shelf emerged a dishevelled mop of dark hair and a second later a boyish face, which was blushing furiously. A person crept into his aisle. It was not exactly a school boy... but it also couldn't be much else. On the scuffed, worn shop floor sat a young man, only a few years younger than Duo, slender and fresh-faced and really quite attractive. Or so Duo would have thought if he hadn't been the poised and reserved professional he always prided himself to be.

Before Duo could do more than stare at him, the young man had scrambled to his feet and tried to look as if he hadn't just crept from behind a shelf. Thrusting his chin forward, he schooled his face into a neutral expression, while surreptitiously tucking at the hem of his shirt, and approached the cash-desk as if nothing had happened.

"I'd like to buy a collar," he said with as much dignity as the situation afforded.

"Um... sure, I mean—a collar?"

The man nodded jerkily.

"Well," Duo scratched his head and vaguely gestured towards the shelf the man had just crept from. "You... were... at the right place over there."

The man was blushing again. He mumbled something.

"You what?"

He mumbled a little louder.

"Oh!" The collars for canines hung from the top pegs of the shelf and considering his height, the young man probably was too small to reach them. Duo grinned. Here was an opportunity to earn the guy's phone number!

"Don't worry," he said and smiled good-naturedly. "I'll give you a hand, pal! My name is Duo by the way. See—" He pointed a finger to his colourful and handwritten name tag. It read: "Duo Maxwell. I love to answer your questions!"

"Nice to meet you, Duo," the young man said politely and looked at the name tag.

Duo looked back expectantly.

"And your name...?"

"Oh… it's Heero."

"Hero?"

"Heero."

"Well, that's an unusual name, but why not, Hero."

The young man rolled his eyes.

"Um... okay, Hero, let's get you a collar then."

Duo preceded his customer to the shelf and easily reached up to get a medium-sized leather collar for dogs. It had a lovely blue colour and the softest interior leather lining. "Here you go. Is this what you were looking for?"

Heero gave the collar an appraising look and ran a hand over the smooth material. "It doesn´t scratch," he said.

"Well... it's not supposed to. You wouldn't want to hurt your pet, now would you?"

The man handed the collar back to him. "I want it to scratch," he told Duo firmly.

Duo frowned. "I don't sell scratchy collars."

Heero blushed and looked away nervously, his gaze sweeping over the wide array of collars on display. "Do… you have thorn collars with spikes?"

"Spikes?! Now, isn't that a little militant?"

Heero's blush deepened but he stood his ground.

"Okay..." Duo searched the pegs for a thorn collar.

"A large one."

"What type of pet do you have anyway?"

"Oh, um… it's a… a cat...?"

Duo chuckled. "Quite a large cat, that's for sure."

His hand bumped into something hard and he reached for it.

What he found was a bright pink leather collar with double rows of shiny rhinestones and a polished silver buckle. The price tag read: "For Pets who Live in the Lap of Luxury." Well, hardly what the guy was looking for... Duo was just about to put the pink monstrosity back on its peg when a hesitant voice from right behind him asked softly: "M-may I take a look at it?"

Duo turned around and regarded the young man with confusion.

"At what?"

"T-the collar."

"This collar?" Duo glanced at the thing and back to Heero.

"Yes."

"Um… well, sure. Here you are."

Surprised, he watched as Heero took the pink collar with reverent hands, all but devouring it with his eyes.

"I take it!"

"But… it has no spikes and what's with—" Duo glanced at the price tag. "the 'extra softly cushioned linings'?"

"It's lovely!"

"Oh... um... okay. Anything else?"

Heero nodded, clutching the pink collar to his chest.

"A leash."

"... for a cat?"

Heero froze.

"I… don't want to lose it," he mumbled, peering nervously at Duo, then at the collar.

Well, the guy was sweet, but he obviously had a few screws loose.

"A leash it is!" Duo relented. No use trying to talk sense into the man. "What about cat food? Your pet will need it, especially if you insist on keeping it on a leash."

Heero looked at him as if he'd just grown a second head. "Eww… no, that would go too far..."

"Huh?"

"No! No cat food, please. I'll... buy it another day."

"Okay, just don't forget it. I'll show you some leashes now. There was a new shipment this morning. Hold on, it won't take long. It's still in the storage room."

Heero nodded, absent-mindedly playing around with his collar. "I'm not in a hurry."

Always eager to please – and especially a customer who was as cute as Heero – Duo skipped over to the storage room.

"It won't take a minute!" he sing-songed.

.-.-.-.-.-.-

Heero watched him leave from behind the collar shelf, fingers closing around his prize. As soon as the other man had disappeared behind the door in the back of the shop, he bolted for the next aquarium and held the pink leather collar against his throat.

An excited squeal resounded in the empty shop and the face reflected in the algae-coated glass split into an impish grin.

.-.-.-.-.-.-

Back in the storage room, Duo cursed. The damned boxes with the new supplies were still taped shut. Hurriedly, he grabbed the first box and ripped it open. No leashes there ... but bogie wheels for guinea pigs. The next one contained an aviary... and heated terra cotta bird baths. Duo grew frustrated. He hoped that Heero hadn't grown tired of waiting and left without giving him the chance to ask for his number. He ripped the tape from box number three. Finally—the leashes! Selecting an armful of the fancier ones, Duo made his way back to the shop.

"Sorry for the delay. The boxes were still packed up and—" He stared in shock at the collared young man in front of his piranha aquarium. Who was now desperately trying to open the shiny silver buckle and nearly choking himself to death in the attempt.

Duo shook himself and rushed over to the troubled man. "Wait! You're hurting yourself!"

With a practiced motion, he managed to free a blue-faced Heero from his collar. Gently stroking over the skin of the man's throat, he asked: "You... do that often?"

Heero didn't meet his eyes. "I-I... just started."

"Well, no offense but that's pretty obvious."

"It is?"

"Well, yes, don't you have... someone who shows you how to do such things?"

"You mean-"

"Yes."

Heero shook his head regretfully.

Oh well...

"You know, Hero, it just so happens that I'm an expert in the field..."

The End