Peridot

Date/Timing: 14 May 2011
Setting: Edan's rooms; Mile End, London, England, United Kingdom
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Edan meets him at the door of his building, looking a very particular type of sheepish.
Hermann lowers his brows.
"Hi?" Edan sketches a wave.
"What have you done?"
"Why do you think I've done something?"
Hermann gives him a Look, then trumps past.
Edan catches up at the door to his rooms. "What?"
"Don't 'what' me, Reid. You've done something and you're afraid I'm going to disapprove."
Edan works the lock, takes a deep breath, says, "Remember the morning after my graduation?"
Hermann steps inside and out of his shoes. "You being too hungover to move? Mandy?"
"Yeaaaaa ... remember what I said?" Edan locks up, slouches against the wall.
"You mostly made unintelligible noises until early afternoon."
"Between those, I think I mentioned my unfortunate habit of adopting fluffy things when I get drunk?"
Hermann's heart sinks. "What. Did. You. Do."
Edan, eyes firmly on the floor, swings open the washroom door.
The puppy inside /whuffs quietly, wags its tail.
Edan kneels, rubs its ears.
Puppy leans against his leg, wiggles its entire back half.
"You stole a dog."
"Her name's Peridot," Edan mumbles, "and I found her behind a bunch of bins."
Hermann drags a hand down his face. "I'm going to regret asking, but what were you doing behind a bunch of bins?"
"I thought I saw a portal, but it was neon on a puddle?"
He rolls his eyes heavenward. "I was right: I regret asking."
A quiet mental five-count.
Edan sits, crosses his legs.
Peridot scrambles into his lap, panting happily, tail whapping against his knee.
He leans his head back out of tongue range, giggles.
Hermann sighs, leans himself against the counter, hooks his cane on the edge. "What do you propose to do with her?"
"Umm, keep her?"
"What did you say? I'd /swear you said you wanted to keep her."
"I did."
"Bonkers," mutters Hermann.
Peridot settles down with a sigh, curls up in Edan's lap.
He tousles her ears, coos.
"Edan ... pets aren't allowed here."
"Good thing I'm moving soon, then."
"You can't /seriously be considering this."
"How can I say 'no' to this little sugar lump?"
Hermann crosses his arms. "Have you forgotten what happened the last time you dealt with a dog?"
"That was /brilliant."
"Being dragged across three gardens and swallowing a worm is 'brilliant'."
"Yeaaa," he sighs. "Good times."
"I nearly /suffocated under a litter of half-grown deerhounds!"
"You did /not. I got you dug out before there was /any danger." Inclines his head toward the puppy. "'sides, she's only one dog. Hardly enough to bury you."
"Unless she turns out to be a Mastiff."
"She's not a Mastiff," scoffs Edan. "She's probably mostly Rottweiler, with a dash of something skinnier 'coz she's a little light-boned to be full-blooded. She'll weigh less than half as much as those deerhounds, at most."
"You researched dog breeds."
"I had to make sure she was legal to own and wasn't likely to squish you."
"How thoughtful."
"I've also already got her water and food bowls, puppy chow, a blankie and cushion, a lead and harness, her crate's on hold at the shop, /and she has an appointment for jabs and spaying next week and starts obedience classes the week after. Oh! And I've asked the property agent to add 'pet-friendly' to our list of requirements."
"Dear God, you're determined to go through with this."
"'course I am. She may be here because of a night out drinking, but I love her and she's my perfect little girl."
Hermann sighs, slides himself to the floor.
Peridot lifts her head, tail wagging hopefully.
Hermann sighs again, loosens his posture.
Peridot wiggles over, thoroughly investigates his lap, then curls up with another soft /whuff.
Hermann smiles a little and scratches her ears.
A few companionable moments pass.
"You're taking this rather better than I expected."
"Oh, I'm not mad at little Dottie here—" Strokes along her back, fixes Edan with a Look. "—since it's not her fault her adoptive father has acted like an impulsive, inconsiderate, autocratic, short-sighted /muppet."
Edan cringes.
"You've taken on a huge responsibility—for another bloody /life, Edan—for both of us without even /asking me what I thought."
"I—" He deflates.
"In all of that research, did you think about the sort of /hazard she'll be for me? She gets underfoot and I can be seriously hurt, never mind what she could do to me if she bolts when I have her lead."
Edan pulls his knees to his chest.
"There's also the financial commitment. This will certainly raise the cost of our housing, in addition to the price of her food, veterinary care, license, and boarding when we leave town, and the value of our time caring for her."
"And you'll be the one making most of the money and I've just decided how you'll be spending a lot of it. Without asking," adds Edan, miserable.
"Mhmm." 
Edan takes a deep breath. "I can—" Swallows. "I'll turn her over to the RSPCA on Monday and return the things I can for refunds."
Dottie sighs, sprawls as Hermann scratches behind her front leg.
"I never said I didn't want to keep her."
Edan blinks rapidly. "But you ... what?"
"I've always wanted a pet, /which you'd know if you'd asked—"
Edan cringes anew.
"—and she is a lovely and already well-behaved dog /and I'm finally in a place with the time, space, and income to properly care for one, so she can stay."
"Really?" squeaks Edan.
"Really. You, however, owe me an apology and two promises."
Edan sits straight, puts his shoulders back. "I—" Clears his throat. "Hermann, I apologize. I acted like an impulsive, inconsiderate, autocratic, short-sighted muppet. I should've thought about how claiming a puppy would affect you and /definitely should've asked before I started planning to keep her. I'm sorry."
"Apology accepted. Now: the promises."
"I promise not to make any big financial or life-changing commitments without talking to you first."
"That's one."
"I, uh—" Runs a hand through his hair. "Umm ... little help?"
"It involves your drinking."
"O-okaaaaaay ... oh!" Brightens. "If I, in a drunken state, bring home something alive, I'll turn it over to the proper authorities as soon as I can stand again."
"Close enough."
Category:Ficlet
Category:London (setting)
Category:Hermann
Category:Hermann's POV
Category:Hermann (ficlet)
Category:Edan
Category:Edan (ficlet)
Category:Peridot
Category:Peridot (ficlet)
Category:Ficlets with images