FSE

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Where Things Go From Here

copyright 2009

comidacomida

Paul looked at himself in the mirror, the faint ghost of a smile still on his lips, "My god... I do love him." he murmured quietly to himself, reveling in the feeling of warmth that spread across his body at the notion. Tanner was in his adjoining bedroom, but Paul still felt the giddy, glowing feel of having him close by.

Paul had a few relationships in his life, some good and some bad, but they had almost always been flights of fancy or simple, non-complicated attraction. Something about Tanner felt more real, even if he was a dog. Paul put some toothpaste on his brush and began brushing his teeth. Flights of fancy, he reminded himself, often made things very simple.

Although his relationship with Tanner was too new to toss out the possibility that would possibly be a flight of fancy, it was, by that point, anything but simple. As for non-complicated... Paul almost laughed at the thought; it seemed like the complications were some of the best parts.

He finished brushing and spat into the sink. Quickly rinsing off his brush, Paul half-considered flossing, but, realizing that midnight was fast approaching and that he'd be due into work at 8am, he decided that one night wouldn't cause any serious problem. And there was also his guest to deal with.

Returning from the bathroom, Paul saw Tanner on the bed, shirt already off. The dog was sitting on the far corner, holding a crumpled quilt in his paws. Tanner gazed up at him from his position on the bed, "This quilt is pretty cool. Hand-made?"

Paul nodded, taking a seat by the dog, "My grandmother made it for me when I started college." he rested his head on Tanner's furred shoulder, "She said she always wanted me to have a piece of home with me wherever I went." he smiled at the memory.

"Heh..." Tanner grinned, "and you still have your 'blankey' with you several years later." he poked Paul in the ribs, causing the young man to leap up with a laugh. "Come back here, you." the dog laughed as well, pulling Paul into his lap by the bottom of his shirt.

The two shared another kiss, Paul letting out a soft, contented breath through his nose as Tanner's tongue explored his mouth. "Minty enough for you?" Paul inquired with a smirk as their kiss ended, "I didn't know I'd be brushing your teeth too."

Tanner's ears lowered in embarrassment at that, the insides flushing slightly. Paul smiled, untucking his own shirt before drawing it upward to take it off. A firm paw gripped both of his wrists and the shirt after Paul had drawn them above his head, and he felt a warm breath on his chest as Tanner's tongue caressed Paul from his sternum to the base of his throat.

"You silly dog." Paul murmured beneath his shirt, which was still stuck around his head.

"Silly human." Tanner chuckled back, and Paul gasped as the dog's warm tongue slid across his left nipple. Comeback forgotten, Paul squirmed in Tanner's grasp before the dog finally relented, and helped him take his shirt off the rest of the way.

As their gazes locked again, Tanner paused, ears faltering for a moment along with the panting smile on his muzzle. His hungry gaze softened slightly, and his paws slid down to rest on Paul's thighs, "You're okay with... everything... right?"

Paul nodded after a moment, "Yea." and he leaned forward as Tanner did, the dog's muzzle touching his nose and lips, "As long as you are." he added.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Tanner asked, pulling Paul close for a hug.

Paul was quiet for a moment, "I don't know... having to deal with a guy who tends to act before he thinks, and goes crazy over the littlest thing?"

Tanner raised a paw to gently rest against the side of Paul's face, velvety paw-pad caressing the human's cheek, "It's just another one of those things that show you care... a whole lot... and very loudly."

Paul laughed at that, hugging Tanner and resting his chin on the dog's shoulder even as his boyfriend's muzzle rested on his. The young man grinned where Tanner couldn't see it, "Well... I don't know... what about having a human addicted to you and all?"

He felt the dog's whiskers perk in a grin at his own shoulder, "Well... I might just be addicted to you too... so that means we're each feeding our addictions."

"Ah... co-dependency is such a wonderful thing." Paul chuckled softly, fingers slowly clenching a handful of quilt, "Just do me one favor..."

"Hmmm?" Tanner inquired, slowly pulling back to look Paul in the face.

"Suck quilt, dog!" Paul laughed, taking the opportunity to hurl the quilt playfully at Tanner's head. The German shepherd was caught off guard by the surprise attack and Paul took the opportunity to leap out of his grasp and race out into the hallway.

He barely made it more than a few steps before Tanner collided with him from behind, and tackled him to the floor. Paul rolled around within the dog's grasp until his back was pressed against the carpet, leaving him looking up at the mirthful face of the panting German shepherd, "Running only means I'll end up chasing you." Tanner noted with a grin.

"Maybe I was wanting to get caught." Paul responded suggestively, his hands slowly undoing the button on the front of Tanner's jeans.

"Well... now that I have you..." the dog mrred, leaning a little closer.

"I have a feeling we're not going to get much sleep." Paul spoke up, and they kissed lightly.

"That's not such a bad thing, is it?" Tanner asked, wide grin spread across his muzzle.

"Nope... and I can quit any time I want." Paul offered.

"Sure you can... junkie."

Paul chuckled at the comeback and stretched his neck forward so he could touch his nose to Tanner's, "Recovery is a twelve step program... and the first step is acknowledging you have a problem."

"So I'm a problem then?" the German shepherd inquired, a glimmer of mischief in his eyes.

"You're my favorite problem," Paul winked, "because I can never figure out the best way to make use of you."

"Hmm... 'Make use' of me, huh?" Tanner chuckled, holding his weight up off of Paul enough to allow the young man a good angle to slide his hands into the open-front of the dog's jeans.

Paul grinned in response, fingers siding down either side of the dog's already filled-out sheath, "Well... I mean, as far as addictions go, you're pretty varied. I could take you orally..."

"The doctor suggests twice daily..." Tanner murmured. The dog's voice came out out with a faint shudder to it as Paul's fingers traced an outline around the his furry sac, eliciting a faint moan from Tanner.

"And when it comes to 'injection', well... I'm pretty stuck on that idea... am I knot?" Paul continued the puns, fingers of one hand gently guiding Tanner's sheath further back as more and more of the dog's excited flesh emerged from it, other hand gently palming and caressing his lover's endowments. Tanner hung his head down, lifting his hips up a little more to provide Paul with full access to his groin.

"I'm not sure what's worse..." Tanner panted, gazing down at Paul, lust and eagerness quite visible within his lazily hooded eyes. A grin creased his muzzle, "Your puns... or the fact that you're not out of your pants yet." Tanner nosed Paul, and gently slid his tongue across the human's lips, "Think you could fix at least one of those?"

Paul's grin widened, "I can't believe you actually said 'fix' while I have one of my hands around your ba--"

"Pants it is then." the dog retorted, easing his hips backward so that he could sit down on Paul's knees. Tanner's own legs were curled under himself along either side of Paul's, the majority of his weight held up by his own knees and his shins, but enough of it was on Paul's legs to keep the human immobilized.

Paul let go of Tanner's flesh as the dog sat back, looking up at the bemused expression on his boyfriend's muzzle. "Turn about is fair-play, huh?"

"Well, let's just say that neither of us are doing you any favors by keeping you in your jeans." and Tanner's paws nimbly unbuttoned him, and slid down the zipper. Paul gasped as his already-hard flesh was grasped lightly though his underwear, and Tanner smirked, "You know... sometimes I'm jealous that you humans have such an easy time with underwear..."

"Maybe you should try boxers." Paul offered.

"Never really liked that breed..." Tanner noted, straight-faced, "I'm more into collies." the dog's wagging tail gave the humor of it away.

"Boxers... collies..." Paul rolled his eyes, "You're stealing my lines."

"Like you said," Tanner grinned, tongue panting happily, "turn about is fair play." and he gripped hold of Paul's garments, giving them a solid yank. Paul squirmed, palms on the floor. With a quick shove against the carpet, Paul slid out from underneath Tanner, the action helping the dog free him from his jeans and underwear as they were dragged down to his ankles.

"So..." Paul noted, sitting in front of his boyfriend, eagerly at attention as he admired the mostly naked form of the dog in front of him, "What about YOUR puns, or that fact that YOU aren't fully out of YOUR pants yet.... what did we just get finished discussing?" he grinned, "something involving 'turn-about' and 'fair-play'?"

Tanner flexed his legs, rising up onto his knees as he hooked a furred thumb into a belt loop at either side of his waist, and pulled his pants down to where his knees met the floor, "I'll one-up you, and quit the pants AND the puns."

The dog leaned forward, placing his paws on the ground as he went down to paws and knees. His forward movement forced Paul to lean back, Tanner lowered his muzzle down to the human's abdomen. Paul smiled as Tanner scooted even closer, fighting back the urge to pun further.

The dog used his paws to pull the bulk of his body onto the human while kicking his pants off the rest of the way with his feet. "There... much better." Tanner noted.

The dog also took a moment to untangle Paul's feet from his own jeans. Tanner slowly drew himself up onto Paul's prone form, sliding his legs to the outside of Paul's, returning to the same position they had been previously, a knee at either side of the human's waist and palms planted on either side of Paul's shoulders. Paul wasn't surprised that it was even more enticing without clothes, feeling Tanner's thigh-fur pressed against his legs.

The two shared a kiss, tongues meeting in Paul's mouth even as his lips pressed up against the velvety end of Tanner's muzzle. Paul's fingers brushed through the fur of the dog's chest and abdomen, hands meandering across his boyfriend's body. Their kiss broke only once Paul's fingers found their way to Tanner's exposed member, causing the dog to arch his back, pushing his hips forward and down against Paul.

"There you go." Paul smirked, gently gripping and encircling the slick, furless flesh with both hands. Tanner didn't reply, simply closing his eyes as a soft mrr escaped his muzzle.

Tanner slowly leaned forward again, "You're getting good." the dog noted. Paul grinned in response, stretching his neck upward enough so he could touch his nose to Tanner's.

A smile spread across this boyfriend's muzzle at that, but the expression was interrupted by a throaty gasp when Paul finally eased Tanner's sheath back fully, allowing the dog's knot to escape, "Ohhh... you're a life saver."

"Fruity with a hole in the middle? That's not very nice." Paul pouted playfully.

"I have to watch what I say around you, ass." Tanner laughed.

"My ass has a hole in the--"

"GYAH!" Tanner interrupted, "You're crazy!"

"Crazy for you, maybe." Paul winked, making Tanner gasp as the human grabbed his knot in one palm.

"I hate you... you know that, right?" Tanner smirked down at him.

"Awww... I hate you too, Tanner." Paul responded, and the two renewed their kiss.

Paul slowly pushed, using his weight to roll the two of them over until Tanner was on his back and Paul was laying atop his lover, hands stuck between their bodies as all of his weight was pressing down on the dog. He grinned as Tanner rolled over again, their kiss never stopping. He readjusted his hold of the dog's shaft as he settled onto his back, sliding his own member over with his thumb. Paul pulled Tanner's hips closer, using his firm grip on the dog's knot to guide him.

Tanner squirmed as Paul added his own flesh to his hold on the dog's member, pressing the two together with his hand. The texture of Tanner's shaft was slick and smooth, and made his toes curl when he felt it against his own flesh. The dog began to gently rock his hips, member moving within Paul's grasp and the sensation only became that much more powerful.

"Oh...just like that..." Paul crooned, rubbing his cheek against Tanner's. The dog, getting the picture, began to slowly work his hips forward, pressing his erection more powerfully into the human's grasp, bucking against the grasping digits.

"Like that, huh?" Tanner answered back, nuzzling Paul's neck, making the young man grit his teeth at the feel of the cold nose on his shoulder, the sensation making his head swim when taken in conjunction with the warmth of Tanner's rapidly slickening shaft as it pressed against his own.

"You have good rhythm..." Paul offered with a smile, closing his eyes as he embraced the feel of the dog atop him, furred thighs embracing his legs, velvety sac brushing against his own with each of Tanner's thrusts, and the tactile tantalization of his lover's warm shaft as it caressed his own.

Tanner chuckled, "That's a funny thing to say."

"Well it's true." Paul grinned, opening his eyes to see his lover gaze down at him, humor glinting amidst the deep glow of appreciation and excitement. The young man changed his grip on their joined flesh, squeezing a little more firmly with his hand as he ran his other one across the side of Tanner's body, reveling in the feel of the dog's muscles bunch and clench with each thrust.

"Only when I have the right inspiration." Tanner smiled in response, leaning forward to nuzzle Paul's face.

"So you think I'm a-muse-ing?" Paul inquired, forgetting himself and releasing the pun.

Tanner slowed his movements and came to a stop, "aaaaaannnnnd you just killed the mood." he offered with a wry grin, the hardness of his canine member revealing that Tanner's 'mood' was still plenty alive.

"Then I suppose I'll have to get it back?" Paul offered, maintaining his current hold on their combined flesh, but drawing his other hand down to between their bodies. Paul slid four fingers around behind the back of Tanner's knot, causing the dog to wheeze.

Tanner groaned, his hips beginning to shake as he tried to remain still, "You pick up on these things too quickly." he murmured, sliding his muzzle against Paul's shoulder, the dog's whiskers tickling his cheek. Tanner relented, and his hips began moving again, tail wagging with each motion.

"I've always been good at learning things in a 'hands-on' manner." Paul noted softly, letting another pun go as his breath caught in his throat, Tanner's movements coupled with the tightness of his hand around their shafts making his toes curl. He didn't know if Tanner's newest groan was from the pun, or from the sensations... but, smiling to himself, he realized he would be content with either possibility.

He heard Tanner's blunt claws drag along the carpet on either side of his shoulder as the dog gripped into it. Paul let out a gasp as his lover began licking his shoulder, hips moving more powerfully, forcing the dog's member into his hand and against his own flesh, making him grip their joint flesh even harder.

Tanner lowered his body more fully down onto Paul. The human's breath was coming quickly, partly from the excitement, but also from the weight of his boyfriend. His hand was caught between their two bodies, providing far more of a grip than he would have intended, but the resulting effect made him cry out in ecstasy as the dog's pistoning flesh massaged him in ways unimaginable.

His lover's teeth grazed his shoulder as Tanner's licks turned into nibbles. Paul gasped, clenching his hand around Tanner's knot as he heard the claws on the dog's hind paws pull across the carpet; Tanner had his feet against the ground, claws hooked into the carpet and was using his legs to provide more power to his thrusts, breath coming out as hot blasts against Paul's neck.

"I..." Paul wheezed, but he could say little more. Everything escaped him at that moment: his emotions broke free, and the quarrel that had been clinging to his mind exited him, his doubts and concerns, exiting him in time with the powerful orgasm which washed it all away in a torrent of white, slickening his hand and covering both his and his lover's abdomens.

Tanner shook atop him, and Paul felt teeth on his shoulder bite down. He gasped, the sensation only fueling his release more. It wasn't a hard bite, but he knew it would leave a mark-- not that he cared at that point.

The dog's entire body bunched up, muscles in Tanner's legs and arms pressing against him, squeezing Paul for half a second before the German shepherd thrust forward powerfully. Paul felt the dog's sac grind against his, almost painfully, causing one final jet of the human's seed to further slicken his hand... but only moments before Tanner's fluid joined it.

Tanner held onto Paul's shoulder with his muzzle, teeth gripping him without breaking the skin, and Paul could see the dog's tail flagging, pressing down rhythmically each time he felt another hot pulse of his lover's seed spray out into his hand and dribble down onto his stomach. After nearly a dozen such convulsions, Tanner's hold on his shoulder relented, and the dog rolled to the side with a groan, collapsing onto the floor next to him.

Paul let Tanner dismount, releasing the dog's knot as he raised his not-as-messy hand up to feel his shoulder. The young man's cheeks felt went, and he realized that tears had escaped him... but, he realized, it wasn't from the pain-- it was relief, and gladness, and a combination of other emotions that he felt when he realized that being with Tanner felt 'right'.

"That was... just... perfect." Tanner panted.

Paul smiled, slowly sitting up, but he groaned anew as he felt several rolling droplets of semen trickle down his abdomen, "Yea... but really REALLY messy."

Tanner propped himself up on an elbow, watching Paul with a big grin. The dog's eyes glimmering with all the love that Paul realized Tanner truly didn't need to voice, and Paul felt himself start to tear up again. All that ended, however, with a playful swat when the dog commented, "Well... you DID want a shower."

* * * * *

Paul awoke in the morning when Tanner shifted in the bed beside him. The furry body pressed up close against his back was a welcome thing to awaken to. He enjoyed the slightly musky scent of the dog's distinctive odor, smelling it all over himself despite the shower he had taken that night. It was not something he minded in the least.

Paul would have longed to remain there the whole day. As it was, unfortunately, glancing to the nightstand in front of him, his clock noted that his alarm was set to go off in less than ten minutes. He glared at it, as if it were betraying him.

"Morning." Tanner murmured in his ear, muzzle resting on his shoulder. Paul smiled when the dog's tongue licked the side of his face.

"You always know when I'm up..." Paul smiled in response, turning around to embrace his boyfriend, reveling in the feel of the dog's naked, furred form.

"I cheat." Tanner answered.

"So you're seeing someone else?" Paul asked, feigning horror, "or were you kidding? Because I'm okay with the thought of letting sleeping dogs 'lie'."

"I hear the pace of your heartbeat and breath... smart ass. I cheat... I'm not a 'cheater'." Tanner noted, poking Paul in the ribs.

Paul laughed at the jab and quickly slid a few more inches away on the mattress, but he failed to pull the blanket and sheets with him, getting quite the shock from the early morning air. "Just so long as you're not cheating on me... you pig-in-a-blanket."

"I'm not a pig." Tanner grunted, pulling the beddings the rest of the way onto himself and off of Paul.

"No... but you are like a pig-in-a-blanket... you're a wrapped up 'hot' dog." the pun came easily to Paul.

"There ARE extra pillows here, Paul... and it's WAAAAYYY too early for puns."

"It's never too early. You get dinner rolls at night, and warm breakfast-puns in the morning." Paul offered, right before a furred paw loosed a pillow in his general direction. Tanner groaned, rolling over while Paul laughed, "Alright.. sleep in... I'm going to go take a shower, and I'll let the alarm wake you up."

Tanner grunted out a gruff response, but Paul saw the dog's tail wag against the inside of the blankets. Smiling to himself, the young man went to the bathroom to have another shower; if Eisenzahn hadn't pointed out the scent thing the previous day, Paul night not have paid as much attention to it.

As it was, he felt a little better about presenting himself more professionally. To a greater extent, however he really REALLY didn't like the idea of spending time with Casey while smelling like Tanner. Paul usually preferred showers at night when he could spend a half an hour or more in the warm water, but he had to admit there was something invigorating about having one first thing in the morning... even if he DID have to rush.

Stepping out, Paul dried himself off quickly. Having the extra few minutes in the morning made a world of difference, it seemed. He returned to his bedroom and saw that the bed was empty and that Tanner's clothes were off the floor. For a moment, he almost wondered if Tanner had already left... but it was then that he smelled the scent of a hot breakfast permeating from down the hall.

Paul's mouth began watering, enjoying the scent of a hot breakfast as he searched around for clean clothes, "Ugh... I really have to do laundry." he told himself. Pausing in front of the mirror on his closet, Paul reached up to touch his shoulder. Several small black and blue marks prominently displayed themselves: campaign ribbons detailing his 'tour of duty' when he was 'serving under' Commander Tan Paw. Paul rolled his eyes at his own metaphor.

He ended up choosing one of his few dress shirts. Finding a tie to go with it, Paul buttoned up the top button, the collar thankfully covering up his 'service record'. The young man took a moment to lean against the wall, letting out a sigh, "I haven't punned in my head for years." In the end, he just chuckled to himself. He took a deep breath and headed down the hallway to see to his boyfriend.

Tanner, as Paul expected, was in the kitchen. He stood in front of the stove, diligently monitoring a pair of eggs in a pan, "Sunny side-up work okay for you?" the dog inquired, ears focused on Paul even though his eyes were not.

"Remind me to never bother trying to sneak up on you." Paul smirked, leaning against the archway separating the kitchen and hallway. The kitchen was a small and simple affair, little more than a widened extension of the hallway as it led to the front door. Paul was never much of a cook, and a walk-thru kitchen served his needs just fine.

"Sunny side-up it is." Tanner grinned, tail wagging as he obviously let the comment slide.

Paul smiled, hoisting himself up onto the counter on the opposite side of the kitchen, watching Tanner work. The dog was humming quietly to himself, tail wagging lazily back and forth. "You know, I usually just grab a cup of coffee." he admitted to his boyfriend.

"Well... I already made eggs for myself, and it'd be rude to raid your fridge and not give you something in return." Tanner noted, giving the pan a light shake on the burner.

"The way I remember it, you 'gave me' quite a bit last night." Paul grinned wide.

"And here I was thinking that your foul humor would have been washed away in the shower." Tanner commented, tail still wagging regardless.

"Nope... I'm pretty sure it's here to stay." Paul offered with false dejection.

"Just so long as you realize that I have a spatula, and I'm not afraid to use it." Tanner countered.

Paul cracked a wide grin when Tanner glanced back at him, "I see... and how exactly do you intend to use it?"

"We'll best leave that up to your imagination." Tanner countered, looking back to the pan.

"I might decide to keep 'egging' you on anyway." Paul punned.

Tanner remained facing the eggs, but Paul caught the tell-tale perk of the dog's whiskers as he tried not to smile.

"Relax... just take it (over)easy." the young man continued, downplaying the first part of the word and emphasizing the second.

"Paul..." Tanner sighed, "Sometimes I think your puns might be a symptom of a brain disorder... do you need to get your head checked?" the words were accompanied by a wagging tail, and a wry smirk.

"Maybe I'm just 'panning' for attention?"

Tanner visibly rolled his eyes, glancing over his shoulder with a death grip on the spatula, "Don't make me throw these eggs at you."

"Well..." Paul noted, a grin pulling at his lips, "I've heard of fast food before, but I don't think that's what they had in--" and the young man was forced to duck as two mostly-cooked eggs turned into UFOs aimed for his head. Unfortunately for Paul, he didn't duck fast enough.

Tanner started laughing from the moment Paul pulled the eggs off of his forehead, and didn't stop even when Paul reached for the paper towel, "I've been egged!"

The dog slowly found his breath, adding, "It looks like the 'yolk's on you." and he returned to his hearty belly-laugh.

Paul paused mid-wipe, taking a half a second to process the return-fire on the puns, and he half-heartedly tossed one of the mostly-splattered eggs back at Tanner. The dog nimbly caught it in his muzzle and gulped it down. Paul sighed, "I asked for that, didn't I?"

"Yes..." noted Tanner with a smirk, moving over to Paul, "Yes you did."

"And now I need to get cleaned up again." the human continued, continuing to wipe at his face with the already saturated paper towel.

"Yes..." Tanner acknowledged, "Yes you do." and he licked Paul's face clean.

"You're pretty handy to have around sometimes." Paul smiled wide, feeling the genuine affecting as the tongue caressed his forehead and a furred paw interlaced fingers with his own hand.

"Yes..." the dog grinned between licks, "Yes I am."

"And now you're stuck on an endless feedback loop because I broke you with my puns." Paul offered.

Tanner didn't respond to the comment. Instead, his other paw joined Paul's other hand and, finished with cleaning the young man's face, he touched his nose to Paul's. "Just promise me that if I'm ever broke, you won't have me 'fixed'."

Paul groaned, "It's official... I rubbed off on you."

"Well... we kind of 'rubbed off' on each other..." Tanner grinned, last night, anyway." the grin widened, the dog quite obviously pleased to be on the offensive, for once.

"Truce?" Paul asked after a pause.

"Agreed." Tanner answered, and they shared a light kiss.

The two quickly cleaned up the damage done to the kitchen, the last egg still salvageable, though it ended up becoming 'scrambled egg' in 'short order'... at least, that's what Paul was thinking, but he thought better of voicing it. Paul's smile lasted the duration.

As the kitchen was returned to order and Paul scarfed down his egg with a content Tanner watching him, the two finished taking care of the dishes together, and shared one more embrace.

"I hope we don't have to wait a whole week between now and when I see you next." Tanner admitted, squeezing Paul in a strong hug.

"Well... if I can squeeze out of the office for lunch, I'll see if I can swing by the store." Paul offered.

"Works for me." the dog smiled, leaning down to nuzzle Paul.

"Oh..." Paul noticed, giving his boyfriend a little shove back, "I almost forgot... don't go anywhere." He left Tanner standing in the entryway as he ran back down the hall to get what he was looking for out of his nightstand. The dog was waiting for him when he came back, ears up, inquisitive look on his muzzle.

"Here." Paul said, taking hold of one of Tanner's wrists, and placing his hand into it, transferring the object over. The dog, ears still up, looked down into his paw, gazing at the item: a door key.

"The condo leasing company gave me two." Paul smiled.

"Wha-?" Tanner asked, looking up from his paw into Paul's face. The slow realization slowly began to filter into his eyes, and Paul watched with warmth as it finally struck.

"Paul... I..." Tanner spoke, fumbling for the right words, ears having fallen to either side, a combination of shock and heartfelt joy apparent in his every movement.

"I like having you around... and you have to be able to get inside somehow if you car ever breaks down again." Paul offered, a little embarrassed at the awkward moment... but it was a good embarrassment... a good awkward.

"IF it breaks down again?" Tanner asked, ears slyly slipping backward just a little as a grin came to his muzzle.

"WHEN it breaks down again." Paul corrected himself, feeling a similar grin hit his own lips.

They embraced again, and Paul opened the door, following Tanner out onto the patio. He had the dog test the key to make sure it worked, and they locked the door. Tanner headed to his car on the curb while Paul made his way to the car in the driveway. The human started his engine car first, and backed out of the driveway.

Tanner was still parked when Paul pulled up alongside him. The two met one another's glance, and Paul rolled down his passenger-side window. Likewise, Tanner rolled down his own. "Yea?" the dog asked, looking his way.

"I'm addicted to you." Paul said with a grin.

Tanner matched his grin, "I'm addicted to you too." The words kept Paul smiling all the way to work.