"What is it?"

"Uh. Nothing." Shiro said, biting his lip. Lance slipped around him and braced a hand on the doorframe, arm blocking his way.

"Shiro, you're kind of freaking out, man. What is it?" Lance asked, dipping his head and raising his eyebrows. "Come on, tell me. . ."

"I-" Shiro rubbed his face. "I'm trying to find the dog."

"The dog." Lance frowned as he pulled back, letting Shiro step out into the back yard again. Not that he thought Bopul would have materialised there in the last five minutes, but he had run out of places to look. "Wait, you mean your huge white fluff-monster dog? How do you lose a puppy that size? . . .wait doesn't he come when he's called?"

"Yes, but he's not, and I can't find him, and-"

"Hey honey, I'm back!" Keith called, the front door slamming behind him.

I cannot tell my lover I've lost our dog. Shiro thought, slightly mad, although his brain wasn't coming up with any brilliant ideas on how to find Bopul any more now than it had been fifteen minutes ago.

"Any thoughts?" Lance asked helpfully. "Or do you want me to go and distract Keith?" He looked gleeful, and Shiro was faintly alarmed by that idea, or more, what Lance might decide to do in the name of 'distracting Keith'. He grabbed Lance's arm, stopping him in case he decided to shoot off on his own.

"No! No, thanks, I-" Shiro stopped. I am an adult, I can tell Keith that-

"You okay honey?" Keith asked as he joined them on the deck, brushing a kiss to Shiro's cheek. "Oh, hey Lance." he added as he stepped back, pushing a bit of his sweat-sodden fringe out of his eyes.

"Keith." Lance dipped his head, trying, it seemed, to look aloof. It cracked after a moment. "Congratulations on being chosen for the Charon project."

"You too." Keith said with a half-smile. "Think we can work together?" he asked, eyebrow arching.

Bopul sprawled over the deck at their feet, and Shiro stared at him. "Where were you?" he demanded of the puppy.

"He went on my run with me." Keith said with a shrug. "He whined until I took him along. You okay honey?"

". . .does he do that often?" Shiro asked, covering his mouth and nose with one hand.

"He likes it." Keith knelt, rubbing Bopul's ears. "Don't you?" Bopul was panting, but he was also grinning, and he leaned up and licked Keith's cheek. "I don't know, he started doing it more often a week or two ago. I thought you'd realised he was coming with me. It wears out some of that puppy energy, too."

Shiro felt foolish, watching Keith grab one of Bopul's paws. He flopped over onto his back, letting Keith have it. The movement tipped him over on top of Shiro's feet. "No, I hadn't, I'm sorry." Shiro flushed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I, er, thought he'd gotten lost." he admitted.

"Oh. I'm sorry." Keith looked surprised, glancing up at him with one hand buried in Bopul's belly fur. "It didn't occur to me to mention it to you specifically that I was taking him."

"Going to be hard on him once we get into summer, isn't it?" Lance asked, dropping down to sit cross-legged near them, holding out a hand hopefully. Bopul was a friendly dog and Lance was semi-familiar, and he shoved his head into the offered petting happily.

Keith frowned. "Probably. His coat's kind of thick for our area anyway." he shrugged. "I guess we'll see how he handles it. He spends a lot of his time inside with us anyway."

"You might have to shave his coat when it gets hotter?" Lance suggested, ruffling the thick fur in both hands. "It looks like wearing a wool coat in the summer sun. Ick."

Shiro shook his head, kneeling beside them. "The vet says never to shave him." he said, frowning slightly. "He's mostly Great Pyrenees, whatever else is in there," he lightly tugged Bopul's tail, "and his coat protects him from the sun and helps insulate him in the heat, too. In theory."

"Hopefully." Keith said wryly. "At least there's shade out here, and he doesn't mind being cooped up inside while we're at work if he needs to be kept out of the heat."

As far as I am aware this about not ever shaving Pyrs is true. I've known several people who had them, as well, and with some precautions the dogs survived our summers here (over 100°F temps not uncommon) without seeming too miserable.