Hey babes! Back with a new one for ya! This is another one for Kate and Anthony week, and it was honestly so incredibly fun to put together. I haven't done too many of these +1 fics, but I really, really enjoyed writing this one. The prompt for today was: He is YOUR dog.

Enjoy!


1.

Letting out a heavy breath, Anthony leans back in his seat and runs a hand through his hair as he glances at the space around him. This certainly wouldn't be his first choice of a place to try and get some work done, but Eloise had begged him to bring her to the combination cafe and bookstore when he picked her up from her lessons, claiming she needs new books since she's apparently read through all the ones she has. And he has no doubt that she knows how difficult it is for him to deny her, or their other sisters, anything. It's something that has bit him in the ass more times than he cares to admit.

So now he waits at one of the many tables scattered strategically throughout the cafe section with a coffee sitting next to him and his tablet propped open in front of him, trying not to get too distracted by the indie music playing through the speakers, baristas calling out names for orders, and patrons discussing different books or other things. Which is not an easy feat.

Looking around, he easily spots Eloise among the many shelves of books, her cellphone pressed firmly to her ear with her shoulder as she no doubt discusses her findings with her best friend Penelope, a stack of books already at her feet. He's sure he'll be coerced into buying these books for her as well, though maybe he can talk her down to just a small handful.

Turning back to his tablet, it doesn't take too much longer for him to resign himself to the fact that he won't be getting any work done at the present moment. So he saves and closes out of his documents, shoots a quick text to Eloise letting her know he'll be outside, and then gathers up his things. He downs the rest of his lukewarm coffee, tosses the cup into the nearest bin, and then pushes through the door of the shop.

As soon as he steps outside, he spots a small corgi sitting on the sidewalk directly opposite the door, the dog's leash tied to a street pole. He throws a friendly smile at the dog as he approaches, squatting down and holding out his hand. "Hello there," he says as cheerily as he can.

The dog rises to all fours, growls lowly, and then barks.

Anthony pulls his hand back quickly and frowns at the dog. "I beg your pardon. That wasn't very nice. Perhaps someone ought to teach you some ma—"

"Excuse me? What are you doing to my dog?"

Anthony whips his head around at the voice, looking up to see a dark-skinned woman standing in front of him, dark curls cascading down her back, sunglasses covering her eyes, a cellphone in one hand, and a travel mug of coffee in the other. "This small beast is yours?" he asks, standing to his full height.

The woman lifts her sunglasses and stares directly into his eyes. "And what if he is?"

He fights the shudder that wants to take over at the way she's staring at him. "Then I would suggest to you that you put him in some obedience classes."

"Oh, but he is perfectly obedient as it is. Why else would he bark at strange men who approach him?"

Anthony opens and closes his mouth and then nods. "Alright, I suppose I can't fault him for that."

She raises a perfectly shaped brow. "You suppose?"

He nods. "Absolutely. He is your dog, after all, yes? He could only have been taught something like that from his owner."

The woman's eyes narrow at him. "You have some nerve."

Anthony's brows shoot up. "I have nerve?"

"Yes, you do. You've just insulted the fact that I've trained my dog to be wary of strangers, which should be something that should be complimented. Though, I am proud to admit I had no part in it, he's always been a good judge of character since he was a pup. Perhaps he simply saw something in you that's unlikeable," she says with a small smirk.

Anthony lets out a huff of air. "Well, it looks like you're the one with the nerve now."

Before either of them can say anything more, the door of the shop swings open and Eloise's head peers through as she looks directly at him. "I need your money."

Anthony sighs, turning slightly toward his sister. "How many books do you want?"

She shrugs nonchalantly. "Only fifteen."

His eyes go wide. "Fifteen?" He shakes his head as he shifts on his feet. "Absolutely not. I'm not paying for fifteen. Pick five."

"How about ten?"

"Six."

"Eight?"

Anthony sighs heavily. "Fine, eight."

Eloise grins. "Perfect! That's exactly how many I wanted. Are you done out here yet so we can pay for these and go? I've got loads of homework to do."

Anthony's jaw clenches; he should have seen that coming. "Yes, I'll be there in a minute."

Eloise's eyes flick to the unknown woman then back to him. She smiles cheekily and then disappears back inside the cafe.

Anthony sighs and looks back at the woman. "I should go."

"Please do. I'm sure Newton will be in a much better mood once you're gone."

His eyes flick down to the dog. "Ah. So the beast has a name, then."

"Yes, he does." She steps past him to untie the dog's leash from the pole and he's immediately hit with the most pleasing floral scent wafting off of her. "We should be going too," she says, holding the leash tightly in her hand. "Come along, Newton." She gently tugs on the leash to get the dog moving.

Anthony stands there for a fraction of a second more, still a bit dazed by her, before he gathers himself together enough to take a small step forward. "Wait," he calls out. "Don't I get to know your name too?"

She looks at him over her shoulder and smiles. "Not a chance."

2.

Breathing slowly and deeply, Anthony makes his way determinedly down the sidewalk toward the same cafe he'd been to last week with Eloise. Only this time, he doesn't have his sister with him. She'd probably call him a creep if she knew what he was doing, and Benedict and Colin would tease him relentlessly if they found out (Daphne's probably the only one who wouldn't tease him, though there's always a slight chance she would). Which is exactly why he's not saying anything to any of his siblings.

He'll tell them if there's something to tell. But right now there isn't. So he's keeping his mouth shut on the subject and waiting to see how things turn out.

Approaching the front of the cafe, he lets his eyes wander to the edge of the sidewalk just opposite the front door. He stops short when he sees him; that blasted corgi that doesn't like him for a reason he can't understand. He's met the dog once but apparently it was long enough for Newton to absolutely hate him. Not that he cares. Not in the slightest.

But the dog's presence outside can only mean that she is present inside the shop, and that immediately lifts his spirits back up. The woman with no name has been running through his mind nearly every day for the past week, hardly letting him rest. He keeps seeing her face whenever he closes his eyes for longer than a few seconds, keeps hearing her voice whenever he isn't surrounded by a million other noises, keeps smelling that sweet floral scent even though he knows it's nowhere near him. He can't seem to get her out of his head.

So he's decided to do something about it, to visit the cafe and hope with everything he has that her visit last week wasn't just a one-off situation, that she actually frequents it periodically. He just needs to see her again and maybe get her name.

But he's going to avoid talking to Newton this time around, plans to avoid the dog completely if he can. He doesn't want to risk the dog actually attacking him.

Movement out of the corner of his eye catches his attention and he focuses ahead of him to see the woman from before kneeling in front of Newton, running a hand over the dog's head and talking softly.

Breathing deeply, Antony gathers every ounce of confidence he has and then takes a few more determined steps down the sidewalk. "Well, fancy seeing you here."

The woman turns her head toward him and her lips purse immediately. "Here to be rude to Newton again?"

He shakes his head. "Absolutely not. I was simply walking down the street when I saw you just now. It was a complete coincidence."

She looks at him for a moment as if she doesn't quite believe him. "Mm-hm." She stands to her full height and adjusts the hold she has on her coffee and the bag of books in her hands. "Well, Newton and I should be going. We have to finish our walk."

"Where are you heading?" he asks without hesitation, taking a small step forward. "Perhaps I could come along? Maybe I could carry your bag for you, since it might be difficult to also hang on to the beast's leash."

She watches him silently and then nods. "Alright. You can come along. You can take Newton's leash, if you're so determined to help."

Anthony's jaw tightens. "I absolutely will not."

She quirks a brow. "And why not?"

"First, he's your dog. Second, he hates me. So why should I take his leash?"

She shrugs. "It'll give you two a chance to get to know each other, and then maybe he won't hate you anymore."

"So you admit that he hates me."

She laughs quietly, a smile tugging at her lips. "Are you going to accompany us or not?"

"Do I get to know your name first, at least?"

She's quiet for another moment longer, clearly debating. And then she opens her mouth to speak, "Kate."

He smiles brightly, standing up a little straighter as he takes hold of Newton's leash. "Nice to officially meet you, Kate. I'm Anthony."

3.

Approaching the door of Kate's apartment, Anthony breathes deeply and runs his hands down the front of his shirt to smooth out the fabric, Daphne's words of encouragement (and her warning to not screw it up) playing on a loop in his head, just as they'd been the entire drive over. He needs this night to go perfectly. He can't have anything go wrong.

Glancing at the antique watch on his wrist, he's pleased to note that he's right on time, punctuality something that his father made sure to instill in him when he was younger. Tardiness is a sign of carelessness.

Taking one more deep breath, Anthony steps up to the door and lifts his fist to knock, then rocks back on his heels and waits for it to open. It's positively aggravating, each second that passes by of the door still being closed.

Thankfully, it opens mere moments later, revealing Kate standing on the other side, a small smile on her face and looking as radiant as ever.

"You're here."

He smiles. "Did you doubt that I would be?"

"Honestly? I wasn't sure. Your reputation is a bit all over the place, depending on who you ask."

Anthony sighs and nods at the reminder of his philandering ways of not so long ago. "Right, of course. Well, I hope you won't hold my past against me and will allow yourself to come to your own conclusions tonight about my character."

She gives him a small smile. "I think that sounds doable. Would you like to come in? I'm almost ready."

"Sure." He waits for her to move aside and then steps into the apartment, turning slightly once he hears the door close. "You're almost ready, you said?"

Kate nods, easily slipping past him. "Yes. I just need to grab my bag and slip my shoes on. And make sure Newton's all set for the night."

Anthony's jaw tightens at the mention of the dog. "Ah, yes. The beast." Despite how often he and Kate have been spending time together recently since that first walk, and that tonight is their first official date, he and Newton still can't seem to see eye to eye.

"The beast?" Kate questions. "Seriously, Anthony? I thought you two were past that."

"Well you thought wrong," he says with a shake of his head. "You know I've tried to be civil toward him but he's the one who won't stop growling at me everytime I walk in the room. He's ridiculous."

"He's a dog, Anthony."

"He's your dog, Kate. So how do I know you haven't concocted some kind of scheme with him?"

She turns toward him and lifts a brow. "You're suggesting that I convinced my dog to continue to be rude to the guy I like? One of the few genuinely decent men in this city? Are you out of your mind?"

Anthony opens his mouth to say something but then closes it in an instant. "If I kept arguing with you about this instead of taking you on the wonderful date I planned, then the answer would be yes."

"Well, it's nice to know you have some sense of rationality in some things." She takes a deep breath and slides her bag onto her shoulder. "Now then," she says with a smile as she holds out her hand to him, "shall we go?"

Anthony beams and takes Kate's hand, giving it a small, gentle squeeze. "We shall."

4.

Anthony sighs as he watches Gregory and Hyacinth running around the backyard of his childhood home with Newton darting back and forth between them. It doesn't take him long to see the pure and utter glee on Hyacinth's face every time Newton goes to her again and jumps up as he barks. He has no doubt that she'll be asking their mother for a dog before the weekend is even over.

"You're absolutely sure your mum or Edwina can't watch him?" he asks after a quiet moment, glancing over at Kate standing next to him, watching the scene in front of them with a smile.

She laughs quietly. "Yes, I am. Mum's very busy with work right now and Edwina is on a trip for the summer with some friends, so neither of them can watch him. And as I understand it, your mother works from home, and is more than willing to watch him for us."

"She is," Anthony says with a small nod, "and I truly commend her for agreeing to take care of Newton while still having Gregory and Hyacinth around. Those two are an absolute handful on a good day, and now we're leaving Newton with them for an entire week."

"Is that genuine concern for Newton's well-being that I detect?"

Anthony scoffs. "Don't be ridiculous. If I'm concerned for anyone's well-being, it's my mother's. She has to deal with all three of them for an entire week. She'll be lucky to make it to the other end with her sanity intact."

"Oh, I'm sure she'll be perfectly fine. She deals with your siblings on a daily basis."

"No, I know. I was mostly talking about your dog. That beast is a menace."

Gregory and Hyacinth are charging at them a moment later, Newton right on their heels. The dog goes straight to Kate while the two children skid to a stop directly in front of them, breathing heavily from running so much.

"Do we really get to have Newton for the whole weekend?" Hyacinth asks excitedly, even though they've already talked to her about it.

Kate nods with a smile. "You do. And I expect to hear all about whatever mischief the three of you got into when we get back."

Hyacinth beams. "I can do that!"

"So can I," Gregory adds, standing a little taller, something he always does whenever he's around Kate. "Is it okay for Newton to sleep in our beds?"

Hyacinth frowns at her brother. "I was gonna ask her that, Greg."

Gregory merely shrugs.

Anthony watches in amazement as Kate manages to prevent an argument from breaking out between the two youngest of his siblings, letting them know that it's perfectly okay for Newton to sleep in their bed. He doesn't think he'll ever be over how wonderfully Kate adapted to meeting each of his siblings, and this moment here helps him to know that he definitely picked the right woman.

Soon enough, Gregory and Hyacinth are hugging both him and Kate and then running back off toward the lawn with Newton again. Their laughter echoes through the expansive land, bringing a smile to Anthony's face.

Turning to his girlfriend, Anthony smiles a little brighter. "I love how great you are with them."

Kate simply shrugs. "They're sweet kids."

"They have their moments." He takes a deep breath and grabs her hand in his. "Now can we please get going so we don't miss our train? I've been looking forward to this trip for weeks."

Kate sighs. "Yes, we can go." She gives his hand a small squeeze and tugs him toward the yard's gate. "You know, the longer we're together, the more likely of a chance it is that you and Newton will become friends."

Anthony laughs. "I appreciate the confidence, Kate, but the chance of that happening is highly, highly unlikely."

5.

Crouching so he's closer at eye level with Newton, Anthony takes a deep breath and focuses on the dog. They're having what can only be attributed to a staring contest, though how one would judge a staring contest between a human and a dog, Anthony's not sure. He does know he's probably losing, with how often he keeps glancing over his shoulder in the direction of Kate's bathroom.

"Okay, listen," he says quietly to the corgi after his fifth or sixth time or looking away, "I think it's a bit of an understatement to say that you and I have never exactly seen eye to eye. And I'm not expecting that to change anytime soon, but I'm hoping that we can at least come to some kind of understanding."

He reaches into his pocket to pull out a small black box, turning it over once, twice, three times in his hand. He smiles at the box, thinking of the simple, yet elegant ring that sits inside it, the same one his father gave to his mother so many years ago.

He looks back at Newton. "I'm not asking you for your permission, because, frankly, you can't give it, but I am letting you know my plans as a courtesy. I'm going to ask Kate to marry me tonight, and I'm hoping that she says yes. If she does, then that means that you and I will, unfortunately, be around each other all the time. We both love her, so I'm hoping in your tiny little dog mind, you can understand that and stop being such a pest to me all the time. Do you think you can do that, you beast?"

Newton continues to stare him down before slowly approaching. The dog then lets out a quick bark and licks the side of his face.

Anthony grimaces slightly. "I'll take that as a yes, then."

"Aww, look at my boys. Are you two friends now?"

Anthony scoffs as he stands, brushing his hands over the legs of his slacks and trying as discreetly as possible to slip the ring box back into his pocket. "Not likely. We've merely come to an agreement."

She quirks a brow at him. "And what kind of agreement would that be exactly?"

"That after all these months he and I should probably try and start getting along for your sake."

Kate smiles. "I appreciate that. My only wish is for the two of you to get along."

"Then perhaps you should have a conversation with him," he says, pointing directly at Newton. "I have done nothing that would warrant everything he's ever done in my presence. But your dog has seemed to have made it his mission to make me miserable since the moment we met."

Kate simply raises a brow. "Didn't you just say you two had come to an agreement to get along?"

Anthony shrugs. "I never said when it starts."

Kate just laughs and grabs his hand. "Alright. Let's go, then. We don't want to miss our reservation."

Anthony takes a deep breath and smiles, thinking about the ring he hopes very soon will be sitting on Kate's finger. "No, we do not."

+1

Anthony can't keep the smile off of his face as he watches Kate move around the dance floor with Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth. Not that he'd even want to. He's sure he's smiled more today than he has in his entire life. But it's been the absolute best day of his life up to this point, so he figures smiling until his face is sore is a great price to pay for being deliriously happy.

A laugh bubbles up out of him as he watches his new bride twirling his younger siblings around the dance floor, nearly tripping over one another as they move. It's a sight to behold, and he's beyond grateful that each of his siblings adores Kate almost as much as he does. Because he's certain that none of them could surpass the love that he has for her.

"It's good seeing you like this."

He turns his head at the voice, finding his mother standing next to him with a drink in her hand and a smile on her face as she watches the same scene he'd just been admiring. "Like what?"

She turns her smile to him. "At peace. Happy. Fulfilled. Kate is going to be a wonderful addition to the family, mainly because she makes you so happy."

"I can't imagine my life without her."

"Just as it should be. I know you didn't want to fall in love after everything that happened with your father, but I'm very glad you decided it's worth it."

Anthony nods. "I get it now, mum. What you said before, about going through all the pain again to have the time with dad that you did. Even if she was taken away from me right this moment, I'd do it all again, because I love her with my entire being."

His mom smiles brightly, reaching up a hand to rest it on his cheek. "I'm so incredibly proud of the man you've become, Anthony. I know you're going to be a great husband. And an even better father when the time comes. You've already had great practice with your siblings."

Anthony chuckles. "If that was a hint at wanting me and Kate to give you grandchildren, it wasn't very subtle."

His mom laughs. "Who said I was trying to be?"

He just smiles as he turns his attention back to the dance floor, watching as Gregory and Hyacinth manage to drag Eloise into a dance with them. And watching Kate with his siblings…he knows she'll be a great mother one day, whenever they decide the time is right for them to expand their family.

Hurried movements out of the corner of his eyes grab his attention and he turns slightly to see Benedict and Colin rushing over. They're both wearing looks of panic on their faces, their eyes darting to the dance floor every so often.

Anthony's brows furrow slightly. "Why do you two look so flustered? What happened?"

"Uh, it's better if you just come with us," Benedict says, grabbing his arm and pulling him across the lawn.

Anthony has no choice but to follow. "Would one of you care to tell me what's going on?"

"Well, we're not entirely sure how it happened," Colin says as they get closer to the buffet tables set up off to the side under a large tent. "I came over here to get thirds…"

Benedict snorts. "More like fifths."

"Shut up."

"Colin," Anthony says sternly. "Just tell me."

Benedict stops walking, which means Anthony does too, and turns to him with a tight, nervous smile. "Maybe you should just see for yourself." He gestures to one of the long tables that looks like it has a few trays of food missing from it.

Anthony takes a few steps forward and peers over the top, only to find Newton lying on his side in the grass. Several of the trays of food that should be on the table are overturned near him, remnants of their contents coating Newton's mouth.

Anthony sighs heavily. "Oh, Newton. You gluttonous beast. Get to the house, right now," he says, gesturing with his head in the direction of the house. "Go." He waits for Newton to jump up and slowly trot toward the house before turning to his brother. "Colin, could you make sure that the door gets locked so he can't get back outside to the food? And that there's no food wherever he is inside?"

Colin's jaw drops. "Why do I have to do it?"

"Because I need to go find Kate and let her know what happened so she doesn't somehow blame me for it later." He turns sharply on his heel and makes his way across the lawn, heading straight for where he knows Kate to still be out on the floor with his siblings. He can't help the smile he gets when he sees her laughing at something Hyacinth said. He steps up behind her and wraps his arms around her waist, smiling wider when she leans back against him. "Hello, Mrs. Bridgerton," he whispers in her ear.

She presses a quick kiss to his cheek. "Hello, Mr. Bridgerton."

He smiles at his siblings. "I'm afraid you've all been hogging Kate for too long, so I'm going to steal her away for a bit." He doesn't give any of them a chance to say something more before he's dragging Kate off the dance floor, unwinding his arms from around her waist to grab her hand in his.

"So, what's so urgent that you needed to pull me away from the bonding I was doing with my new siblings?" Kate asks him once they're a good distance away from the party but still in view of it.

Anthony turns to her and takes a deep breath. "Unfortunately, that ridiculous beast of ours somehow managed to get into the food and ate way more than he probably should have. So we'll probably have that to deal with tonight before we leave for our honeymoon."

"What did you just say?"

Anthony sighs. "Weren't you listening? Our dog got into the food and now we have to deal with it."

Kate beams, stepping closer and wrapping her arms around his neck. "You just called him 'ours'. He's no longer just 'mine'? You're claiming him as your pet as well?"

Anthony blinks, not even realizing he'd phrased it that way. "Huh. Well, I should probably stop fighting it, shouldn't I? If we're to be a family, then I suppose Newton is part of that family. However much of a beast he is to me on a daily basis."

Kate's brows furrow slightly. "I thought you two were getting along."

"When you're around, yes," he tells her with a nod. "But the second you leave the room all bets are off on his part. I don't know what I have to do to get him to actually treat me decently."

"Stick around," she suggests with a small shrug.

Anthony smiles, wrapping his arms around Kate's waist and tugging her closer. "Now that is a plan I can certainly get behind."


So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Until next time,
Jellybean96 out!