Being Together

[Angel]

Truth be told, Angel wasn't at all bothered by Patch's paw placement. She'd previously had her own paw atop his, so it was fair to assume that she wouldn't be bothered. More than anything, though, she was a little amused by Patch's response to her assertion that she'd noticed him. It would have been hard to miss him, really. There weren't many spotted dogs in the school as far as she could tell. Besides, he was cute. On top of that, Patch was good to her. He was kind, too. Hell, the spotted boy was far better than any of the male dogs who she reluctantly counted as her companions back home. Sparky was too old, Scratchy was... Well, that went without saying, Francois wasn't her type, Mooch was an idiot, and Buster... She didn't want to talk about Buster anymore.

"I do," Angel answered. "You're not like the dogs I live with back home, and you're much more pleasant to be around than any of them. Besides... I have yet to see that many dogs like you here. ...And you've got that marking on your face."

She pointed a paw to Patch's eye marking and brought the paw back down a moment later. He stood out to her, and that was all that mattered. It helped that he had all the qualities that she liked in a dog. There was no way he would turn out to be like Buster. Besides... He didn't go around proclaiming that she was his girl. That made things so much better on her end.

"Even if there are other black and white dogs here, I'd recognize you without much trouble. You're plenty unique to me."

[Patch]

If Patch's tail had wagged any faster, it would have flown straight off and been lost forever; it beat back and forth in a frenzy as Angel continued to speak. She thought he was pleasant to be around? And recognisable, distictive, unique? Patch had known that his namesake made him different from his siblings; he hadn't thought it made him stand out, though. Apparently he was wrong there.

His parents had told him - had told each of them - that they were special, of course. Still, hearing someone else say it - and that someone being a stunning girl - and being certain of the truth in her tone was something else entirely. He actually felt as if he believed it, coming from her. As though, if she thought so, he might just be a one-of-a-kind dog like ol' Thunder after all.

If he hadn't been so terribly self-conscious, Patch could have hugged her right then and there.

"I, uh- Angel, that... that means a lot to me," he stated eventually. She probably didn't even have a clue how much; but for a while now, Patch had been wrestling with his feelings of inadequacy, of being only one of a hundred and one, and this was... this was...

He hadn't even the words. All he could think - besides all the fantasies of Angel actually feeling something romantic for him one day, which had sprung up more forcefully than ever before - was that he wished he could do something for her that meant just as much. He couldn't offer her a home, not when the home was already flooded with a spotted ocean, or a family, or anything else she deserved... except maybe someone to care about her. By the sounds of things, that was more than anyone had ever done for her before now, anyway.

"If I can ever do anything for you, Angel, let me know and I will," he promised her sincerely. When her happiness was all it took to make him happy, Patch was sure he'd do everything within his power to guarantee that she was happy. That she had a better life while she was here than she ever had back in her old junkyard.

[Angel]

As much as she wanted to ask for something, Angel really couldn't think of much that Patch could provide her with. In the end, though, it probably wasn't a problem. His presence was enough for her. She never would have thought that much would be the case after having to deal with the junkyard dogs, but it was true. Who cared what anyone else thought? Patch was wonderful, at least in her opinion, and she wouldn't have had it any other way. She just enjoyed his company. Her tail wagged a bit more at the mere thought of it. The only downside, she reflected, was that they were in different circles. Angel could only hope that she didn't end up having to fight him at any given point.

"You being here with me is enough for now," Angel confessed. She let herself lean a bit closer to Patch as she finished speaking. Back home, she'd never let herself get this close to another dog. Now she felt like she had met another dog she could trust. That much didn't need to be said, though. The fact that Angel had allowed herself to get this close to Patch should have been enough to let that be known.

"Thanks, Patch. If I ever think of anything you can do, I'll let you know."

[Patch]

Patch still looked rather crimson, especially as Angel leant closer to him and stated that his presence was all she needed for now, but the Dalmatian was actually starting to get used to this. To the idea that, well, she actually really did genuinely like him. It made him feel good, really really good... it wouldn't be far wrong to say that Patch was well and truly in love with the other girl already. Maybe it was silly, when they'd only met for the first time just the day before. But they'd spent a fair bit of time together, on and off, since; in the library; in the sparring class; and now, being together here... he felt like he knew her pretty well already. Well enough to have thoroughly fallen for her.

He didn't expect her to feel the same way. At least not yet. But he hoped that somehow, someday, maybe she would. That would pretty much make Patch's life.

Funny, that. He never would have expected to really stand much chance at a relationship of any romantic nature; yet here he was, hoping for one with Angel as if it would be the best thing that could happen to him.

"Well, I... I'm glad I can do that." Patch smiled widely at her, a beam that split his face from ear to ear. His tail continued to beat the ground wildly behind him, and the dal mimicked her action by leaning forward himself. Until, screwing up his courage, he accidentally-on-purpose bumped his nose against hers.

Ahe held his breath, hardly daring to imagine how she'd react. If she took it badly, he could just pass it off as an accident - even as terrible liar as he was, Patch figured he could get away with that one - otherwise... he didn't even know what he'd do. That, he supposed, depended entirely on Angel herself.

[Angel]

The last thing she had expected was for Patch's nose to press up against her own. For a moment, surprise presented itself in cerulean colored eyes and her mouth formed a soft 'o' shape. She wasn't at all opposed to the feeling, though. On the contrary, Angel kind of liked it. It was so forward... But not as forward as flat out licking her would have been. Besides, she would have done the same thing if she'd thought of it herself. Her eyes went half-lidded and a smile reappeared on her fuzzy face. It wasn't long before she was gently rubbing her nose against his, which was still touching hers, and her smile turned more playful.

"Very smooth," Angel said before long. No one else had ever dared to touch her nose like that before. Then again, she hadn't ever really let anyone get close enough to try before. She finally moved her head back a bit after a moment, only to touch her nose against Patch's again just as quickly. It was almost as though they were magnetically attracted to one another. Almost; Angel was able to pull her head back a bit once again after a few moments more. She was nothing if not the least bit playful in her actions. To be perfectly frank, just sitting around and talking wasn't accomplishing all that much anymore. She wanted to do something more. The only question was whether or not Patch was up for it.

"C'mon. You wanna take a walk or something? We could keep talking while we did," Angel suggested. That way, she'd be able to walk side by side with him. It would have been perfect. Not a date, obviously, but it would be a way to liven up the day just a little bit.

[Patch]

Patch abruptly went as red as he possibly could as, far from objecting, Angel rubbed her nose back against his. Patch felt as though he'd frozen to a stone statue at her touch; he could barely move other than to blink in surprise and swallow nervously, even his tail's wag had abruptly stopped. He'd thought she might accept the contact, he had never ever imagined that she'd return it, and Patch felt as though his brain had taken an abrupt holiday without leaving behind instructions for the rest of his body as he basked in the absolute bliss of her touch.

Finally, his motor functions felt like returning as Angel pulled away slightly. The first thing to resume motion was Patch's tail, which resumed it's mile-a-minute wag, and his maw, which pulled into an incredibly goofy grin. And then, just as abruptly, they were touching again. Feeling a little more confident this time - though still hot under the collar that Angel liked him this much - Patch pressed back just a touch more and let his nose rub against hers as it remained there.

She had the most delightful scent when they were this close. Beneath the still-lingering smell of junkyard that clung to her fur, her aroma was... was... it was breathtaking.

After what felt like a long time that he wouldn't have minded lasting longer, Angel pulled back, and Patch allowed himself to paw at his shirt collar while he didn't think she was looking. Aside from his trailing tie issues, Patch had never really had a problem with the uniform - least of all the way it sat around his neck, it wasn't so different from his normal collar -, but abruptly he found himself feeliing way too hot in it. Perhaps he could... no, better not to. He didn't think Angel would think any less of him if he gave into the temptation to open his shirt collar some, but Patch didn't want to take that chance.

"Yes, of course!" The issue was forgotten altogether as Angel suggested they take a walk together. The spotty male gave her a smile and an enthusiastic yip as he hopped back to his paws, tail still wagging furriously. He still could hardly believe he'd found someone who thought he was not only worthwhile company, but also unique, but there was no way Patch was going to question his good fortune. Though he didn't say it aloud, his thoughts echoed the words he'd uttered earlier.

This was champion. Pure champion.

[Angel]

Quite obviously, Angel had to stop herself from giggling at Patch's response. He'd seemed preoccupied before answering, and rather than calling him out on this Angel decided to let it be. He had his own thoughts to worry about and she didn't really want to delve into them. So, she got to her paws and took a couple of steps forward to get them going. Patch was sure to fall into step beside her once she got going, right? Right; she didn't suspect that she'd be able to leave him behind that easily. After all, she stood out like a sore thumb on the field at the moment. The only way she'd succeed in losing him, assuming she wanted to, would be if something distracted him and she took off running. Angel wouldn't do that, though. She liked Patch too much to ditch him.

"So," Angel began after a moment, "I can't imagine you'd be interested, but if you want to ask me anything about where I'm from I wouldn't mind. You already know I'm a stray, so there's that. But I could tell you just about anything about me or my... I call it a home, but there's only so much you can do to a junkyard to qualify it as a home."

Normally, Angel wouldn't have been quite as talkative about her past. Patch was someone she trusted, though. She suspected he wouldn't go running about the school telling everyone he knew about her, at any rate. That had to count for something. If nothing else, Angel felt like maybe she should talk about it anyway. Patch had already told her about his home, his family... Fair was fair. She'd have to tell him about her life sooner or later, wouldn't she? Might as well get it out of the way.

[Patch]

Being even more extra careful than usual where he put his paws - tripping himself on his tie now of all times would be awful - Patch stood again and trotted in Angel's wake for a moment before he caught up to her side again. Keeping half an eye on the way his tie continued to trail along the ground, just to be safe, the spotty dog turned the rest of his attention to Angel as she spoke.

For a moment, he felt a bit taken aback as Angel offered him the opportunity to ask her anything. Not that he didn't want to know more about her, because there was no way Patch would say no to learning about the girl he'd come to like so much, but... what could he even ask? Her life had been a whole world apart from his, and Patch didn't have a clue where to begin enquiring into it. Should he ask about how she'd survived living as rough as she apparently had? It sounded like an awful life to him, but somehow Angel seemed to have made it through at least fairly unscathed. Or ask about what the Junkyard itself was like? Or would that make it sound like he was more interested in street life than in her specifically?

Soon, however, Patch settled on his tactic. "There's one thing I don't understand. You're a really nice girl... how come you've never had friends or pets or anyone who cared about you?" It still made Patch's heart ache for her, to think that Angel had gone so long with no companions but those who would laugh at her and abandon her at the drop of a collar. How could no-one have ever seen... well, what he saw in her? That she was a pretty, lovely dog who was fun to be around and deserved nothing but the best?

[Angel]

It was a fair enough question, really. Angel didn't have any objections to answering it. Still... It did serve as a good reminder of why things had been so difficult for her in that regard. In spite of that, Angel's expression didn't falter that much. She really should have been expecting it. After all, a pretty dog like her couldn't have ended up on the streets without some sort of hardship. Not that Angel really thought of herself as pretty, but still... There had to have been something that went wrong in her life. Maybe she'd been born on Friday the thirteenth or something. She chose not to question it.

"Well, I wasn't always a stray. I was born one, but I did manage to find a family for a time... Five of them, actually," Angel answered. She gave another light toss of her head, causing her ears to flop about a bit, and looked up to the sky as she continued to walk. Five families... No one would have believed it, but it was true. Each had been more disastrous than the last for Angel. Not that things had been terrible with the humans, but her luck had just been abysmal in that regard. None of the families she'd wound up with had stuck to her. Or was it that she had been unable to stick to them? Whatever the case, it wasn't good for her.

"The thing is, I could never get any of the families I ended up with to stick. Someone would take me in, and I'd think I'd found my perfect match... Then they'd move, have a new baby, or an allergy would set in. Same old, same old. I'd wind up back on the streets before too long," Angel said. That was when her ears finally drooped and a soft sigh escaped through her nose. Some history... Compared to Patch's own history, it must have sounded horrible. She was a stray, after all. Her life had never been easy. She didn't expect living on the streets or in the junkyard to get any easier. Especially not while Buster was in charge of the pack. That wasn't about to change, though. Angel knew that for a fact. It was all the more reasonable to expect her to be happy that she wasn't with them anymore.

"So, I ended up fending for myself for a while. Then I met Buster, and... He's not the most pleasant dog. In fact, I loathe him. But he gave me a home in the junkyard with the others. It's not like I had any other, better options..."

Angel glanced back at Patch and tried to smile, but it felt forced. She hated being a stray. Hell, she'd have given up anything to have her own home and a family away from the junkyard. Away from Buster and his motto. Rule... Whatever it was. Angel just didn't like it.

"Buster's got one rule that really gets to me; 'Buster's trouble is Buster's trouble'. What it comes down to is that you take care of yourself. Don't worry about what happens to anyone but you. I've seen dogs end up in trouble because of it. They got sent to the pound or worse all because Buster wouldn't help them, and the same would apply to me. If I ever got in trouble, he would've abandoned me the same as he did those others. That's why none of the others where I'm from would help me if I wound up in trouble. ...He doesn't like humans, either. If he ever found out I wanted a family, he'd kick me out of the junkyard."

[Patch]

As Angel spoke her answer, Patch's expression gradually shifted from mild curiosity into deep sympathy and concern for her. He'd long ago forgotten to keep looking where he put his feet; at this point, the dalmatian's entire attention had been captivated by her story. Five families had come and gone? And each time they'd abandoned this beautiful girl back to the streets that she clearly didn't deserve to be on? He felt awful for her, and Patch's gaze kept flickering away from her as he tried to think up a response, only to return back to Angel as she spoke again, further elaborating.

"Oh, Angel..." what could he do or say, even? Her life had clearly been more awful than he could have ever imagined - he certainly had no right to complain about being lost in a sea of spots after hearing all this - and he dearly wished he could give Angel a way out of it. But what could he even offer? His family, which was way too large already? And even if he did try something like that - wouldn't it be way too forward at this point?

He was saved from having to speak immediately, however, as Angel continued speaking once more, about Buster and his rules. Or rule, singular. The dal's expression of concern became a full-on grimmace as he tried not to think of anything happening to Angel and her just being... left there. Possibly to die. What kind of dog would be so heartless as to do that?

"If anything happened to you, I'd never abandon you," he blurted abruptly. Perhaps it was a stupid, foolish, naive promise to make, but Patch wanted Angel to know it was true. She was already more special to him than he could ever have imagined; to Patch, the idea of running off on her if she got hurt or in trouble simply wasn't an option at all.

[Angel]

Hearing Patch's words, Angel stopped in her tracks. He really wouldn't abandon her if she ended up in deep trouble? She looked back at Patch and didn't even try to hide the surprise in her eyes. After so long of adhering to Buster's rule, she was surprised that anyone would want to stay with her if trouble came knocking. Her smile reappeared after a moment and she turned herself around to properly look at Patch. How had she gotten so lucky in meeting him? Maybe her luck was finally turning around for the good.

"Thanks, Patch," Angel said. She made her way back to him and touched her nose to his cheek. No one else would ever have been willing to stay with her... Knowing that Patch wanted to do just that had made her particularly happy. While there was still the rest of the day to look forward to, Angel had no doubt that it would continue to be good to her. As long as she managed to avoid ending up getting her tail kicked by someone, which she was certain she would since she wasn't in that day's fights, then things would continue to look up.

"You really are sweet, you know that?"

[Patch]

Patch's maw rediscovered its smile again as Angel stepped back towards him and appreciatively nudged his cheek. Though he still turned fairly pink beneath his fur, Patch didn't blush so much as he had previous times - to tell the truth, he was starting to get used to Angel being so close to him by now, and was discovering that he liked it very much - though her gesture and her thanks still made him feel very warm inside. Warm in a nice way, as if someone had lit a pleasant, comfortable fire in his chest that quickly spread out to every other part of his body.

It was amazing, the part of his brain that wasn't simply basking in her affection couldn't help but reflect, that such a small promise meant so much for her. He could hardly imagine doing anything else but standing beside her when trouble came; but for her, it was as though he'd just made her day. Or even her month.

He did flush more, however, when Angel spoke again. Patch wasn't sure he'd ever have thought of himself as such - he didn't much know what he thought of himself, really - but the fact that Angel thought so... it made him feel really good. The dal's tail blurred as it wagged, expressing his pleasure at Angel's compliment in a way his tongue didn't seem to be able to at the moment. He gave a little yip, raising up on his hind paws for a brief moment as he felt much to happy to actually stay still, and when he came back down to the ground again, one of his forepaws touched down upon Angel's own again.

Still feeling a little light-headed from her affection, Patch couldn't do much more than simply grin at her. At this moment, he didn't feel as though anything could bring him down ever again.

[Angel]

Truth be told, Angel couldn't think of much more to say either. Truth be told, she was just happy knowing that she'd finally met another dog who would be willing to stay with her if things got bad. All her time spent with the junkyard dogs had convinced her that it was hard to come by dogs who were good and actually cared for one another. Now that she'd met Patch, though, it was abundantly clear that such a dog existed. Maybe it was just strays who were like the dogs Angel knew so well. Maybe there were pets who were like them. Whatever the case may have been, she couldn't have complained even for a minute about having a friend in Patch.

...It also didn't hurt that, as she had thought before, he was as cute as he was. Not that she was going to say that much out loud, or at least not yet, but it was still a point of interest. He also must have thought she was pretty, because she hadn't missed his reactions to her pressing her nose against his cheek. She had to have been thought of as worth something for him to react the way he had. Maybe she wasn't as worthless as she might have thought at one point. If Patch thought she had worth, then Angel was willing to believe it at long last.

When she tired of standing near Patch, Angel allowed herself to seat herself beside him and leant up against him. She didn't want this moment to end. Although it was true that the two of them would have to go to their respective classes sooner or later, Angel was perfectly content to stay beside him until then. It was just a matter of when they had to go back.

[Patch]

She- she-she-she-

She was leaning up against him.

Patch couldn't have looked more stunned if he'd just been struck by lightning. He'd known Angel was taking a liking to him, of course, but somehow... somehow he'd expected her displays of affection to end at fleeting nuzzles and touches. That she was actually sitting right up against him, her head nestled into his neck as though she didn't plan on going anywhere anytime soon. As though she would be content to just remain there for the rest of the day, as though his company and his touch were such desirable things...

And Patch found himself grinning stupidly from ear to floppy ear.

Momentarily, he responded, leaning gently into her in return. Their heads bumped ever so slightly as Patch placed his cheek against her own and just relaxed into the touch of her slender body against his own. He didn't know how long Angel was going to be content to stay like this, but he had no intention of moving for as long as she didn't. Even the idea of attending their classes seemed to have faded into unimportance as the two of them sat side by side, cuddled up so closely together.

It felt like the most perfect moment ever.

It felt like a lot of time must have passed, time which Patch basked in every second of as he looked down on Angel's lovely form, before the spotty dog opened his maw again. "You really do think I'm one-of-a-koind, don't you?" Even as he spoke, the smile never left his face. He wasn't seeking confirmation because he had doubted Angel's sincerity before; rather, simply because Patch felt a desire to hear it expressed in those specific terms. For as long as he could remember, he'd yearned to be the sort of one-of-a-kind dog that Thunderbolt was; to hear Angel say as much would make the already perfect moment into the very best one imaginable.

[Angel]

She probably wouldn't have leant up against anyone else, but Patch was someone she felt comfortable around. After all, Angel had told him just about everything there was to know about her. Her history in finding homes, what it was like in the junkyard (at least in some part), and just about everything else that she could have thought of. It would only make sense that she trusted and felt comfortable around Patch. She sure as hell wouldn't have been leaning up against just anyone. Buster especially wouldn't have been someone she'd have felt comfortable to do so around. Besides, Patch was her size. It made things that much more comfortable for her.

Patch's question wasn't missed. Angel opened her eyes again and nodded once. After doing so, she spoke once more.

"Yes," Angel answered. "You shouldn't think of yourself as anything but that, you know? I realize that it might be hard to think that when you have such a big family, but to me? You're just that: one of a kind."