[FIN] Home Again

[BlackFireKitsune]

"That's okay; saying stuff isn't always necessary, anyway," Abel replied easily as he gave his friend a squeeze and kissed the top of his head. "Just sitting like this is enough." More than enough. He felt like he was 16 all over again with how excited he felt over being asked on a date. Or maybe it was the fact that he hadn't been the one to ask this time? He was used to the one doing the asking, not being asked.

"Oh, right," he said, suddenly realizing that they were in the middle of opening presents, so he moved away just long enough to fetch the last small box before he resumed the embrace. After a moment or two of hesitation he held the present out for Zev. "This is the one I asked my parents to get for you." Should he tell him what her name was? ..no, not yet; that would ruin the surprise.

Inside the box was a plain pokeball wrapped in tissue paper to prevent it from rolling around too much.  

[TawnyAngel]

Zevran made a vague happy sounding noise and gave Abel a squeeze. "Yes, I like this." After a few moments however Abel pulled away; Zevran let him go and then accepted the small box as it was passed to him. "Oh?" Something Abel has asked his parents to get? A local speciality or-? Well the best way to find out was to open it and so he did. Inside the box was some tissue paper and, under and amongst that, a pokeball.

"Oh!" Zevran lifted it out and turned it this way and that, a slow smile spreading across his face. "A pokemon from their ranch, of course! Perhaps I should have guessed? Shall I let it out in here?" What did they breed again? Mareep, Growlithe, some Ponyta... well any of those would fit in here, yes? Unless it was something else that he didn't know about.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Aw, you guessed it!" The taller blond didn't sound too upset that he had done so. He grinned and kissed Zev's temple before gesturing to the living room, "Yeah, go ahead. And.. her name's Clara. My parents name everything before selling or giving them away; I hope that's okay?"

Caleb's fluffy tail pre-emptively thumped against the floor as he watched the pokeball expectantly.  

[TawnyAngel]

Zevran grinned and leant over to kiss Abel's cheek. "Of course! It is their baby after all, yes? Clara." It was a nice name; time to meet her! Zevran pointed the pokeball at the floor the other side of the coffee table and pressed the button to release its occupant.

When the light faded a pale orange Growlithe with blue eyes was standing before them wagging her tail expectantly. When she recognised Zevran from the picture she wagged harder and trotted over, ducking under the coffee table to come and meet him.

"Ahhh, hello there!" Zevran beamed and slid off the couch to kneel down in front of the fire puppy. "Aren't you lovely? ¡Muy lindo!"

Clara wuffed and snuffled at Zevran before leaning into his hands for ear scratches. Once sufficiently in receipt of them she looked over at Caleb with a blissful expression and wagged her tail. So this was home? It was nice!  

[BlackFireKitsune]

For a few moments Abel sat with bated breath. Would he like her? Would she like him? What if they didn't? Would--

But then Clara materialized and promptly headed straight for Zevran, and for his part he slid down to the floor to meet her partway. The taller blond released the breath he'd been holding and his mounting worry along with it; they both seemed perfectly happy with each other so far. "Mom picked her special, just for you," Abel explained as he leaned forward, crossing his arms and resting his elbows on his knees as he watched them both with a bright, pleased smile on his face. Good. This was good -- all of it. "D'you like her?"

Thumpthumpthump went Caleb's tail, and it continued to do so as his ears perked and he leaned his nose closer to sniff at Clara.  

[TawnyAngel]

"She is beautiful!" Zevran replied, turning his head to grin up at Abel as his fingers scrubbed through the fur on Clara's head and then at the back of her neck. "Ahhh, and you are so warm aren't you?" he asked the Growlithe.

Clara wuffed again and wriggled happily under Zevran's fingers, good scratches! Tail still wagging she stepped forward to put her forepaws on his thighs and leant in to sniff him better.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Grinning, Abel stood up just enough so he could carefully swing his leg around to Zevran's other side, then sat back down so he had one leg on either side of his friend. With this superior position he had no trouble leaning slipping his hands down Zev's cheeks to cup his jaw and tilt his head back so he could lean down and kiss his lips if he'd let him. "I'm glad you think so. I figured she'd be good company for you, especially back at your place. Which..." He trailed off and gently brushed his lips against Zevran's forehead as he looked into his eyes. "I was kinda hoping you'd want to stay for a couple more days? Maybe until after New Year's? I missed you, so.." So he kind of really wanted to spend time with him after being gone for two whole weeks.  

[TawnyAngel]

Zevran was only too happy to lean back against Abel and to sink into the kiss, he was most definitely feeling short of them after two weeks of separation. When they parted again he kept looking up at Abel with a soft smile on his lips and a deep warmth in his eyes. "I would like that very much." He would like not to have to leave at all but they'd had that conversation, Abel shouldn't have anyone else living here at all so it could never be a permanent arrangement. For as long as he was welcome to stay though he would, and he would make the most of it.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Abel was more than happy to stay like that for some time. When they eventually stirred, Abel sneaked a picture of the tickets to send to Taavi along with a brief message about 'guess who asked me on a date' while Caleb showed Clara the well-worn dog bed nestled behind the armchair -- the same armchair Abel flopped into once they readied a movie to snuggle to for the afternoon.