Angel and Xander walked home from the store, hoping not to run in to the two annoying slayers. As they walked, Xander slipped his hand into Angel's. "Angel?" Xander said softly.
"Yeah?"
"Can we get a kitten?"
"A kitten? You want a kitten? Grabbing Xander's hand, he started humming "How much is that puppy in the window?" and hoped that Xander would take his hint.
"Are you okay, Angel?" Xander asked, giving his lover a strange look. He'd never heard Angel hum before. He figured there was probably a good reason for that as he tried to figure out what song it was and failed miserably. Angel was incredibly talented at many things but carrying a tune was not one of them.
"I'm fine, I'm just...you know...humming that song about the pet store window. You know the one, right. It starts off, 'How much is that blank in the window?'."
Xander raised his eyebrows. Angel's singing voice wasn't much better than Cordelia's. His eyebrows then creased in confusion. "What's a 'blank'?"
Angel sighed, realizing that deduction wasn't something Xander did all that well. "The blank is the word I didn't recall."
Xander stared at him.
Angel sighed again. "Doesn't the song, at least, sound somewhat familiar to you?"
Xander nodded his head but he still couldn't figure out what the point of the song was, much less what 'the blank' was.
"Puppy," Angel said with yet another sigh. "'How much is that puppy in the window?'..." Noting the look of comprehension crossing Xander's face, he smiled. "So you HAVE heard it," he said.
"Yes, I have!" Xander exclaimed excitedly as he began to jump up and down. Angel rolled his eyes as he heard Xander start to sing. "How much is that puppy in the window? Arf, Arf, Arf. I do hope that puppy's for sale!" All of the sudden, Xander stopped jumping and turned to his schmoopy. "What's your point, Dead Boy?"
"What's my point? My point is instead of getting a kitten how about we get a giraffe?" Xander's eye's widened with glee and Angel realized what a big mistake he had just made, as he watched Xander resume his jumping.
Suddenly Xander stopped. "Wait. Angel we *can't* get a giraffe. We don't have any place to keep it. How about we get a puppy instead?"
Angel looked at Xander carefully. "Are you sure you want a puppy?" he said.
Xander nodded eagerly, then paused, his face slowly turning into a frown. "Wait...puppies need a lot of work!" Xander exclaimed. They need paper training and leash training and they bark and they bite and they rip up shoes and I don't want to even *think* about what'll happen with the leather couch." He shook his head. "No puppies!"
"But they're also completely loveable," Angel said persuasively. "Like you," he said, throwing Xander the smile he usually reserved for trying to get sex when Xander "had a headache". "And they're much sweeter than cats."
"But cats have personality and they're much easier to take care of," Xander protested.
"Xander," Angel whined, pretending he was Buffy for a moment.
"And," Xander continued, "ever since I was eight and my kitty Smokey died, I've wanted another one, but my dad always said no." The sympathy angle Xander had thrown out had been working with Angel until Xander added, "Plus, dogs are just stupid and slobbery and they pee all over the place."
Angel smirked, "Well, I said that they were like you, didn't I?" Angel tried another tactic. "But...but tricks! You can teach puppies tricks. Just imagine...you and me in the park, a beautiful full moon shining down on us. And we're teaching our puppy to catch a frisbee." Angel smiled at Xander again, hoping it would help his case.
Xander looked back at him levelly. "Just imagine you....in the bedroom...holding up the shreds of what used to be your favorite pair of leather pants," he said.
"I'll just buy more," Angel said with a shrug. "I have money. Besides, it would be worth it to see his cute little puppy dog face every day. Have you ever had a puppy? Have you seen the way they look at you? And I bet a puppy would love you immediately. You would make a great dog owner."
Xander huffed and gently pulled his hand out of Angel's. Shoving his hands in his pockets, Xander replied, "I'd make an even better cat owner."
"Aww, don't be like that, Xander."
Sticking his bottom lip out like a five year old child, Xander spoke in the most pitiful voice he could muster. "Be like what?"
Forcing his schmoopy to take his hand out of his pocket, Angel twined his fingers with Xander's. "Be like all dead set on a kitten and no even give the puppy a chance."
"But..."
"Well, fine, then no four legged animals, then. Is that better? We'll just get...fish."
"I don't want fish. I want a kitten." Still pouting, he looked everywhere except at Angel.
Wanting to cheer his schmoopy up but not willing to get a kitten, he decided to give Xander the present he was going to give to him later that evening. "Here. I was saving this for later, but I think you should have it now." Pulling the small gift wrapped box out of his pocket he handed it to Xander. Ripping the paper off, Xander opened the top of the box.
Xander looked in the box and his eyes softened. "Oh Angel..." he said, his voice soft. "You didn't have to...." He gently, carefully, reverently pulled the Jabba's Palace Princess Leia action figure out of the box. He traced a finger across the plastic "metal" work of the bikini, closed his eyes for second, then looked up at his lover. "A small dog," he said, his voice compromising.
Angel smiled triumphantly. "Fine," he agreed. "I think the pound's still open. Let's go pick something out."
As Angel turned in the direction of the pound, Xander just stood there. Turning around again, Angel quirked an eyebrow at his lover. "What is it?"
Xander's bottom lip stuck out again, this time quivering a bit. "It's just that..." His voice stopped as he looked down at the sidewalk. "It's just that I want a kitty still."
"Xander," Angel sighed. "I thought we..."
Xander looked up, "Yeah, I know, but Princess Leia doesn't really compare to a kitty that could be Smokey II, you know?"
"I thought you said we could get a small dog?"
"Well," Xander smiled. "How about a small dog and a little baby kitty too?" He asked hopefully.
Angel looked at Xander with a slightly panicked look. "You want both?" Images of a kitten clawing on their leather couch ran through his head. Angel just stood there, staring at Xander, trying to think of something...anything that would change Xander's mind.
"I...I think I'm allergic to cats!" Angel finally spluttered.
Xander looked at him and rolled his eyes. "You're a vampire. I doubt allergies affect the undead." He sighed and looked down. "Look, I know that you want a dog. And I'm cool with that. But I've wanted a cat for a really long time. And it's only now that I feel like I'm settled down enough to have a cat." He looked back up at the other man. "I finally feel like I have a home."
Angel's expression softened as he looked down at Xander. "Okay, we can get a dog *and* a kitten," he conceded. "I love you, Xander."
A triumphant grin spread across Xander's face. "Thank you!" he said happily, kissing Angel quickly on the cheek.
"Why do I get the feeling I've just been manipulated?" Angel asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Gee," Xander smiled wickedly, "I don't know." Angel just rolled his eyes and tightened his grip on Xander's hand. "Oh, come on, Dead Boy, you know you love it when I take advantage of your sensitive nature."
"Right," Angel smiled back at his schmoopy. "Well, if you're finished with wrapping me around your little finger, we should hurry up. The pound will be closed soon."
And without anything further, the couple headed off to the pound to pick out the newest members of the family.
THE END