Disclaimer - I don't own any part of Gundam Wing and this is purely for fun and maybe a few reivews...

Author's Note - Thanks to Kaeru Shisho for proofing, and thanks to Wolfje for unwittingly inspiring this story, by suggesting Quatre would own a Cairn Terrier.

The llamas are, of course, for Snow...

Trowa's POV:

Puppy Love:

'So where's the big emergency?' I burst through the surgery doors, pulling on my white coat with one hand and simultaneously trying to shove my hair out of my eyes and drain my Starbucks coffee cup with the other.

Sunday morning is usually the quietest time of the week at the vets' practice but, from my sister's 'phone call, I'd expected the place to be knee-deep in injured animals.

Instead, my big sister was sitting leafing through the weekend supplements.

'Well, there you are,' she said impatiently. 'It's about time. I called you nearly twenty minutes ago. I'm starting to run out of excuses for why I can't do it myself.'

'Do what? You dragged me in here at half nine on Sunday morning for what exactly!' I down at her. 'You said there was a major emergency and I was needed urgently.'

'Chill, Tro,' she soothed, smiling. 'Before you start yelling at me, why don't you take a look in the waiting room? And then tell me you're still pissed off.'

Oh, God.

She'd dragged me out of bed for - what? Another of her lame match-making efforts. Heaven help any kids she ever has; she'll be arranging marriages for them while they're still in nursery school.

Still frowning, I pushed open the door to the waiting room and peered out. The Cairn terrier puppy was adorable certainly, but nothing like as gorgeous as the blond guy whose lap she was sitting on.

'Cute, huh?'

'Sure.'

'I was talking about the puppy!' Cathy dug me in the ribs with one of her lethally sharp elbows. 'FYI, he's called Quatre Winner, he's gay, he's been single for nearly a year since he broke up with a guy who'd been two-timing him. Sound familiar?' She added pointedly.

'And how the hell do you know all that? I didn't think we asked for so much personal information from our clients.'

'His best friend owns the most accident-prone dog in the universe. Duo's in here every other week and Quatre usually comes with him.' She shrugged. 'I've heard them talking.'

'Duo? Guy with long hair and a hyperactive Border collie? He was in here on Wednesday.' Duo'd been very cute too, even if not exactly my type. Still, I'd only moved here a few weeks ago and I'd been tempted to ask him if he wanted go for a drink or something sometime. Unfortunately, before I could get that far, he'd started talking about his having the world's most perfect boyfriend so that had been that.

'Winner?' I said thoughtfully. 'He's not one of the Winners, is he?'

'Sort of. He is the only son, but his father disowned him when Quat wanted to study music instead of going to Harvard and taking over the business.'

'That's rough.' I commented. Impressive, too though. There aren't many people who'd turn down the chance to inherit one of the world's biggest corporations.

So he wasn't just cute; he was determined and independent and strong-minded as well. And he liked music. And dogs. And had at least one friend.

Hmmm.

Interesting.

'Anyway,' Cathy said briskly, 'he's just got Maggie and he's brought her in for her shots. I said I'd been called out for an hour so I'd be calling another vet in to take care of him.'

Take care of him? Oh, I could do that. I would like to do that. I'd take really good care of him.

She gave me a sly, sidelong look. 'Unless you'd rather leave me to do it, so you can go back to bed.'

Not unless I get to bring him with me!

'Fine. I'll do it.'

OK, deep breath. Hair out of eyes. I've been told I can do this sweeping motion with my bangs that's quite attractive.

Wasted on him, though. He wasn't even looking up, all his attention focused on the little animal in his lap, letting her lick his fingers and playing with her ears.

God, I love people touching my ears.

Lucky dog.

'Mr Winner? I'm Trowa Barton. If you'd like to come through to the surgery, I'll look after you.'

'Just Quatre, please.' He stood up, a few inches shorter than me, slender but fit-looking. Very nice actually. There was a cute little moment when he got the little dog's leash entangled in his legs, which were also very cute in faded blue denim, and then he was offering me his hand.

Which I didn't want to let go.

I didn't really want to stop looking into his eyes either; he was laughing at the his puppy and it was like looking at sunlight sparkling on a tropical ocean. Not that I've ever seen a tropical ocean or anything, but the way I'd imagined it would be.

I motioned him to go into one of the examination rooms ahead of me, giving me a chance to admire the puppy frisking around those legs, and those legs, and where they went…

'So what's her name?' I lifted the little terrier up on to the table and received a quick lick across my hand.

'Maggie.'

I found one of the forms for a new client and Quatre told me the necessary information, nodding gravely while I told him what inoculations she'd need.

'She'll need yearly boosters after that, but we'll send you out a reminder a couple of weeks in advance.'

'Oh, that would be great. I've never had a pet before so I'm not really sure what to do.'

'You'll be fine,' I assured him. You are fine.

'She's a little sweetie, aren't you Maggie? I think you made a good choice with her. Cairns are a lovely breed; very friendly and playful. You'll have lots of fun with her.'

You could have lots of fun with me too. If you wanted.

'She was a birthday present actually. I just got her yesterday.'

'Wow. Nice present.'

Any chance of you being my next birthday present? It's in two months' time.

Quatre looked a little uncertain. 'I suppose so. My friend Duo said a dog would be good company.'

I could be even better company. Seriously. And I'm house trained. You can even put a collar on me if you like. And a little tag with your name and 'phone number.

Damn.

I was going to have to strangle that little voice, in case it actually managed to make it out of my brain and start giving orders to my tongue.

This was so stupid; I'd only just met him. There was no way I was ready to start any sort of relationship, and he probably wouldn't be interested anyway.

'Duo? I think I met him last week. He owns the crazy collie with the equally crazy name?'

'Shinigami? That's Duo. He said there was a new vet working here. You've just started, haven't you?'

'Two weeks ago,' I filed away Quatre's and Maggie's vital stats and moved to get the syringe. 'I qualified last year, but I've been working in South America for a year, volunteering at a llama sanctuary.'

'Really?' He gazed over at me, all adorably excited. 'I helped in an orphanage in Peru after my first year at university. It's where I met Duo actually. I was teaching and he was helping to build some new classrooms.'

Oh, my God. We just had so much in common. It's like it was meant to be.

'We'll have to get together and talk about it sometime.'

'That would be great,' he enthused happily.

He liked me. Or else he was really good at pretending.

'Oh!' He looked over at what I was what I was holding and gasped. 'That's so big, Trowa. Don't you have a smaller one?'

I glanced down at the needle, grabbing my inner thoughts firmly out of the gutter and drowning them in the sewer.

'I promise she won't feel a thing. It only takes a second.'

'I'm sorry,' He blushed delightfully, putting one hand over Maggie's eyes so she wouldn't see what I was about to do. 'I just really hate needles.'

Quatre tensed as I slid the needle under Maggie's skin and I slid my free hand over his, squeezing gently.

'All done.' He bent to kiss the top of her head, and I turned his palm over, running my fingers over it. Mostly soft, apart from a few Calluses from some sort of stringed instrument. Guitar? Violin?

'So have you any birthday plans for today?'

'Not really.' He shook his head, a little of the light fading from those beautiful eyes. Damn. Of course, he'd been disowned by his family. That had to hurt on your birthday. 'Some friends took me out to dinner last night, so I was just going to spend time with Maggie.'

I looked at the clock on the wall. 'It's nearly ten. If you don't have any other plans, I've heard of a really nice place on the beach that does brunch at the weekends. They have an outdoor patio so we could bring Maggie with us. Would you like that?'

'Oh, I'd love that,' he breathed, and then looked blushed at his own enthusiasm.

Or maybe it was the L word.

Or me leaning over to press my lips to his, making sure Maggie's eyes were carefully covered.