Must Love Dogs

Quentin always loved dogs and the past few years living with his Mum and her husband's dog, Jake, made that love grow more prominent. He was going to miss living with his Mum and step-dad, but at the same time, he felt ready to move on. He was anxious to start his new life and after moving in with his best friend, he felt the house was a bit empty in comparison to before. Whenever Caleb was at work, Quinn found the house to be unbearably quiet and often returned to an empty house when he was finished with work. He knew exactly how to solve the problem and after convincing his best friend-cum-housemate to allow for an animal to be added to their family, Quentin was off to the pet store, where he had purchased his pygmy puff seven years prior.

He grinned widely as he entered the shop. It was really such a pity Caleb couldn't have joined him. Upon seeing all the animals, Quinn was easily distracted and wanted to take them all home. However, he had decided he would get a dog and told Caleb he would adopt a dog. Too bad that there was just one too many puppies there for him to decide.

The blue haired man dropped to his knees as the puppies crowded him, all wagging their tails and yapping playfully at him. "It's not fair! You're all too cute!" He announced and chuckled as the puppies crawled over his legs and person. "I want to take you all home," He added in a sweet tone as he admired a beagle puppy. He was just like a younger version of Jake! But Quinn felt that he needed a different breed of dog. Now he really wished Caleb was there to help him.

Dustin had already found something that suited him. Well. That was wrong, it had picked him. The boy had intended to get a rat or even a hedgehog. But after nearly settling on a hedgehog something had bolted up his leg and was clinging to his shoulder and, strangely, refused to be put away. The small panda ferret had somehow bound across the store and found him, probably on accident of course. But none the less. He had to walk back to the other side of the store to place it back where it came from.

He was on the journey back when he passed by the pin filled with puppies. He wasn’t allowed to purchase one but that wouldn’t stop him from looking. The Hedgehog in his hands spat and started to quill up so Dustin turned him about to hide it’s face. The ferret however moved shoulders and eagerly leaned over as if it wanted to jump in and join the little dogs that were crawling all over the man. Dustin was a little jealous. Couldn’t he have a dog? No. He wasn’t old enough and his parents wouldn’t keep one at home anyway.

The boy was about to leave the man who was covered in dogs and not say anything, but just as he moved away the ferret jumped into the pin with the dogs and bound over to the man. “Hey!” He called and leaned over the pin, reaching in as if he could catch it before the little grey and white bundle of fur could get away. The Hedgehog sputtered again. “Sorry,” he apologized to it.

Quinn hadn't noticed he attracted an audience, but then again, it was probably the charm of the puppies that brought the young boy over towards the pin. He was being licked on the face when he saw the boy's ferret had made a dash for the pin and attempted to help catch the small creature, but was hindered by the number of puppies.

"Sorry about that," he felt the need to apologize, as the boy managed to get his ferret back just fine without his help. However, the boy seemed preoccupied with another animal as well. "Cute," Quinn noted towards the hedgehog. The ferret was cute too, but Quinn was set on getting a dog. "Are you trying to choose a pet for school?" Quinn asked, picking up a puppy and placing it into his lap after it failed to climb up on it's own. He assumed from the kid's age that he was looking for that special companion they were permitted to have for school. "I'll help you decide if you help me," Quinn offered, petting another puppy on the head.

Dustin watched as the stupid ferret bounded around the puppies, rolled under a few, and bounced back to his shoulder as though that had been the plan all along. And with this strange animal, Dustin was beginning to wonder if it was smart enough to have planned that. Had it wanted him to panic over it? The thing wasn’t his of course he was going to stress about it’s well being. He didn’t want to purchase the thing just because it did something and the shop got angry with him or something.

But sure enough it was fine and happily resting on his shoulder. The hedgehog in his hands was definitely not happy and it was getting difficult to hold. “Ow,” he muttered under his breath just before the man asked if he was choosing between the animals he had with him. Dustin would have said ‘no’ but his words caught in his mouth before he could speak them. Then the man was offering to help him out if Dustin helped him pick a puppy.

Dustin decided he should set the man straight, but if this ferret didn’t leave him alone, he might actually have to pick between it and the hedgehog. “Actually I was just about to purchase this little guy, but this ferret must have broken out of its cage just to track me down, it found me on the other side of the store. I was just going to go put it back but now I’m not so sure.” He was growing fond of it’s spunk, “But I’d love to help you pick a puppy.” He said, turning the attention away from himself.