Sweet Like You

Gladstone grumbled as he entered through the gates leading to Magica's house and he didn't shy away from hiding his displeasure with being summoned so ungodly early in the morning. His crisp green suit kept him warm in the chilly morning but he couldn't help feel a supernatural chill run down his spine as he knocked on the door to the witch's house. He had practically become her servant after she got him out of trouble with a particularly unreasonable troll that wouldn't let him leave. But for some reason he didn't mind meeting with her from time to time. If he was being honest, he rather quite liked seeing her crazy ideas to capture Scrooge's number one dime.

"Ah there you are Gladstone. I was beginning to think you overslept." Magica said when she opened the door. A smile growing on her face as she looked back behind her and back at him. "Come in."

He entered through the door to be greeted by a small dog with three heads. Gladstone had to do a double take to make sure he wasn't dreaming when he realized what he saw was real. The puppy came up to him and rubbed it's three heads against his leg, causing the lucky duck to smile uncontrollably at its cuteness.

"Where'd you find this little fella? He's adorable!" Gladstone said with glee as he knelt down on the ground and picked up the dog in his arms. Magica watched him with confusion, she thought that he would be horrified to see such a strange creature but apparently he was a dog person.

She cleared her throat and pushed back her hair behind her ear. "I summoned him a little while ago. I thought that I'd use him to get Scrooge's number one dime once he grew older. But apparently I conjured up a puppy instead of a full grown Cerberus."

"Well you can still raise him, half of the joy of owning a pet is watching them grow. I always wished I had a dog but I wasn't allowed to have one." Gladstone confessed, gently rubbing the tops of each of the heads.

Magica quickly connected the dots as to why that probably was: Gladstone was hopeless when it came to taking care of another living life. But she dare didn't say that out loud. She didn't want to make him upset and leave her.

"But why do I care if he leaves?" Magica criticized herself in her mind. "I only summon him when I feel like it!"

Gladstone looked up with her and noticed the troubled look on her face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just a migraine, it'll go away soon." Magica dismissed with a wave of her hand. She bent down with him to the ground and pet the small Cerberus puppy with the first smile Gladstone had ever seen that didn't appear out of wanting to cause his Uncle misery.

As he scratched underneath one of the puppy's chins, Gladstone looked over at Magica with a tender smile. "You know, puppies are a handful and they require a lot of attention but they're so loyal and sweet. It kinda reminds me of you."

Magica felt a blush rise to her cheeks at the compliment and she looked at him with surprise at the sudden honesty. "What?"

"Nothing. Just forget about it." Gladstone said, realizing his mistake in admitting his thoughts out loud. "Listen I have nothing else to do today, so why don't we have a cup of coffee together and I'll help you out with this little fella here. Does he have a name?"

Magica shook her head. "I haven't named him yet."

"Then I'll call him Sparky! I always wanted a dog named Sparky." Gladstone declared as he brought the puppy in for a hug. Magica couldn't help but giggle at his childish ways and Gladstone gazed at her as she laughed. Why couldn't she be like this all the time?

"I'll put on a pot. You can play with Sparky here while you wait." Magica said, getting up and straightening out her dress.

Gladstone watched her as she left. Feeling something new start to grow in his heart for the witch who liked to hide her feelings.