How much is that doggie in the window? [Rp for stillacrime]

[whattingawhat]

Buffy and Danny were on the subway. She had her hands wrapped around one of the poles in the aisle of the subway. There were seats but she never could sit on the subway. It made her restless, the whole being several feet underground thing. It didn't send her claustrophobia over the edge the way riding in elevators did but it set it on edge enough that she didn't want to sit. Danny was standing behind her, his arms around her and his hands above hers on the pole. She leaned back slightly and rested her head against his chest. She looked up at him.

"Last chance to get out of this, Boyfriend. You sure you want to own a dog with me?"

She was nervous because whether they were calling it or not, the dog wasn't just a commitment to an animal. It was a commitment to each other and there were huge gaping things that Danny didn't know about her. While she was keeping those things secret from him on purpose and she was still waiting for that 'right' moment to tell him, she knew she'd breathe easier about the longevity of their relationship once he knew and hopefully accepted everything about her.

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[stillacrime.livejournal.com]

Danny was standing opposite Buffy, holding onto the same pole. He had no reservations about the two of them getting a dog together. In his mind, Buffy was a long hail kind of girl. He really couldn't imagine not being with her anymore... ever.

"No backin' out from my end, Summers. So stop thinkin' like that, yeah?" He cast her a crooked grin.

[whattingawhat.livejournal.com]

"Yeah," Buffy grinned and leaned in to brush a kiss across his lips. She leaned back, still grinning. She put one hand on his shoulder as she stepped a little closer, leaning against the pole. She was still waiting for him to find out she was a slayer and leave. It's not that she'd take the dog because she was already well aware of her inability to keep things alive but now she'd lose Danny and a dog she'd gotten attached to. More and more, lying to him about what she was seemed to be the only workable option.

[stillacrime.livejournal.com]

Danny touched the tip of her nose with a knuckle and nodded. "Good. You're okay with us goin' to rescue a dog from the shelter? Probably won't be a puppy."

[whattingawhat.livejournal.com]

"Yeah. We're saving a life and that's cool," Buffy nodded. "It's like that story of the little girl and the starfish. I love that story."

[stillacrime.livejournal.com]

"Little girl with a starfish? What story is this?" Danny asked amusedly.

[whattingawhat.livejournal.com]

Buffy gave a mock gasp and shook her head at him. "I can't believe you've never heard this story. My Mom used to tell it to me when I was little."

She pulled her bottom lip through her teeth as she started to tell the story. "There's this old man and he's on the beach watching this little girl. Don't worry it's not a creepy story. I can see you're worried," she teased. "Anyway, he's watching this little girl and the little girl stops every few feet, picks something up from the sand and tosses it in the ocean. She walks a few more feet and does the same thing so he gets up and goes closer so he can see what's going on. She's picking up starfish that have been washed up on the beach and throwing them out into the ocean. The old man walks up to her and he tells her 'you know you're never going to make a difference. They just keep washing up on the shore.' The little girl looks at him, leans over and picks up a starfish at her feet and throws it out into the ocean. She looks back up to the old man and says 'Made a difference to that one' then she walks past him and keeps throwing the starfish back into the ocean."

She shrugged. "So we're making a difference to one dog. It's not the world and it's not a dent in the dog population but it makes a difference to the dog we bring home."

[stillacrime.livejournal.com]

Danny listened intently to the story, a semi-smile playing over his lips through its entirety. "That's a good point of view. Always better to try to make any difference than no difference at all. Right?"

[stillacrime.livejournal.com]

"Good. I think I deserve a little faith in the alive keepin'." Danny put an arm around her shoulders and squeezed her tight.

[whattingawhat.livejournal.com]

"You do and you've got it," Buffy nodded as she looped her arm around his waist. "I've got all the faith in the world in you, Boyfriend."

[stillacrime.livejournal.com]

"You better cause after gettin' a dog, you're pretty much stuck with me." Danny teased, lightly bumping her side with his.

[whattingawhat.livejournal.com]

"Oh is that what this is about?" Buffy teased, bumping him back. Her tone grew sober and serious."Danny, you were stuck with me long before we decided to get the dog. And if something did happen, you have completely ruined me because no one will ever live up to you."

[stillacrime.livejournal.com]

He beamed at that. Those words were something that had never been said to him or of him. He pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. "Good for my ego."

[whattingawhat.livejournal.com]

"Then we're even 'cause you're good for mine," Buffy told him. She looked up and had to tiptoe to kiss his jaw. She had on sneakers today so there wasn't any extra height added to her 5'3.

[stillacrime.livejournal.com]

"Ah he's a scruffy dog. Like Tramp from Lady and the Tramp... only smaller." Danny poked his finger into the cage and after serious inspection, the pup licked him.

[whattingawhat.livejournal.com]

Buffy hesitated, biting her bottom lip as she watched Danny and the dog. Part of just flat out wanted to give in and say let's take this one home. She crouched down next to him, her hand at the small of his back as she curled her fingers and hooked them in the waistband of his pants.

"He's cute."

[stillacrime.livejournal.com]

Danny lingered a moment longer and then stood back up. "Ahh, I like the scruffy dogs." He began to walk with Buffy further down the hallway.

[whattingawhat.livejournal.com]

Buffy glanced over her shoulder at the scruffy dog and back at Danny. She gnawed on her bottom lip, worrying it between her teeth. "Maybe we should go back and get him. I know he's little but...you like him."

[stillacrime.livejournal.com]

"Naw, you want a big one more than I care what we get. I'm easy, Summers." He cast her a sideways grin.

[whattingawhat.livejournal.com]

"You sure?" Buffy asked. She glanced over her shoulder again then back at Danny. They stopped again at a massive dog's cage. He had drool dripping from the corner of his mouth. "Okay...eww. No drool. Or at least minimal drool."

[stillacrime.livejournal.com]

"Really?" Danny's eyes lit up, eyebrows lifted high over his brow. "You sure about that?"

[whattingawhat.livejournal.com]

And if she weren't sure, the way his eyes lit up, she would be. She nodded again, a smile just curving her lips. "I'm sure. Like you said, I'm going to end up treating it like a baby anyway and he's little enough to get on the furniture. And he looks like you in the morning so how can I say no?"

[stillacrime.livejournal.com]

He grabbed Buffy's hand and started back towards the dog. "We gotta think of the best name... like..." He leaned over to eye the tag with the dog's information next to the cage. "This is like... meant to be, Summers. Two years old, name's Rocky. His name's already Rocky! That's like... he's meant for us."

He lifted a hand to one of the employees and whistled. "Yo! We wanna see this one."

The man came over and unlocked the cage. "This one's a quiet one. But once you play with him a bit, he warms right up."

Danny reached in to pick the puppy up and hold him. He scratched at his ears. "Hey there, Rocky. Are you meant to go home with us? Huh?" Rocky buried his head against Danny's chest as his ears were scratched.

[whattingawhat.livejournal.com]

Buffy couldn't help but grin at Danny's excitement over the dog. It was too cute and she grew more certain about this dog as she watched him bury his head in Danny's chest. She tenatively reached over and scratched the dog on the back of the neck, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.

"He likes you," Buffy told Danny with a smile. "I'm pretty sure he's got a new home."

[stillacrime.livejournal.com]

"Here. You gotta hold him." Danny held Rocky out to Buffy with both hands under his stomach.

[whattingawhat.livejournal.com]

Buffy hesitated, looking at Danny with wide eyes. Finally she nodded and gingerly took the dog from him, holding him a little awkwardly. She shifted her hands but she was still holding him pretty awkwardly. Rocky didn't seem to mind though, just waited until she stopped wiggling and shifting him. Once she'd settled he stretched his neck and laid his chin on her arm. Buffy laughed a little and scratched his ears. "You've got an awful lot of faith, little guy."