Page 82 of Johann

“You want to start your own pet shelter?” Alexei guessed, tugging at one of Jay’s earlobes.

Jay froze for a moment, startled. He’d meant giving the money to the other shelter, the one they’d stopped at. Which he could still do, definitely. But he could do more, right? He thought of the small, cramped building they’d seen, the too-small cages without any doors to the outside. They could buy a plot of land, build a bigger building.

He hesitated. “I wouldn’t know how.”

Alexei wrapped his arms around Jay’s chest, and Jay leaned back into his warm comfort. “I would help you,” Alexei said. “I mean, I don’t know how either. But we could find someone who does. We could learn together.”

Jay wiggled out of Alexei’s hold and turned around, splashing water onto the bathroom floor as he did so, but that was okay because Alexei never minded a mess, never got angry at Jay for being careless or clumsy or overexcited. So Jay launched himself at his mate in the water, wrapping his arms around his neck, kissing him with full enthusiasm. “That sounds so nice! So, so nice. And we’ll hire smart, lovely humans. So when it’s time to go, we have someone to hand it over to.”

And then he kissed Alexei some more. Just because.

Eventually Jay turned around again and settled back into position, so Alexei could pour more warm water over his head. Not because there was any conditioner left in it. Just because it felt good.

“Do you think we’ll always be this happy?” Jay asked, once he was settled back against Alexei’s chest.

Alexei pressed a soft kiss to Jay’s temple. “I do.”

Jay smiled. “You don’t think that’s too optimistic of us? Or naive?”

“I’ve never in my life been accused of being either of those things, kotyonok. It’s just a fact. We will.”

Jay sighed happily. “Because you were made for me?”

“Exactly.”

“And I was made for you.”

“Made for each other,” Alexei agreed.

How perfect that was. How lucky. How nice.

The End.

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