Alec watched the scene, loving the raw emotion pouring from Key. It was these little moments that neither of them had ever truly experienced before that were now tying them so closely together. Key lowered Nash who instantly attacked the tattoos on his chest again.
“Hey!” Key yelped, covering his nipple where Nash had set his sights. “He fits us.”
“There was no question to me. I saw him, he saw me, and that was it. I didn’t know if he was male or female. I didn’t care. I knew instantly he was ours,” he explained, stretching back out on the bed, loving the idea of lounging and watching his lover play with Nash.
“He’s got papers?” Key asked, glancing over.
“Yes, and he’s had his first shots. Olivia’s been taking him outside to potty train him every thirty minutes. We kept that up until right before you arrived,” he explained, reaching over to pet the little guy.
“He seems awful young to potty train,” Key stated while letting Nash bounce around on his chest.
“That’s what I thought, but apparently that’s not the case.”
Key executed a fluid body roll, lifting off the bed with the squirming pup in his grasp. “Let’s take him out then.”
Alec followed, then accepted the puppy as Key grabbed his T-shirt. He pulled the shirt over his head before taking the dog back. Alec was seemingly forgotten and forced to trail behind Key who murmured sweetly to Nash as he headed to the back door.
“Does it matter where?” he asked, looking back over his shoulder and stopped before opening the back door.
“We took him to the patch of grass by the back door,” he said. Key pulled open the door, his hands protectively cupping Nash to keep the chill off him.
“Did he go?”
“No, not for me, but he did for Olivia.” Alec called out to Alexa to turn on the porch lights before going to stand beside Key who put the dog down and stood directly over him, staring down, waiting right there with Nash.
“Go potty,” Key urged.
But that didn’t happen. Nash was so full of personality. He attacked the grass with such a force that his body rolled over his head, landing him on his back, causing Key to burst out in a hearty laugh as he tucked his fingers into his jeans pocket.
“Do you think it’s too chilly for him?” Alec had no real idea, but reasoned the temperature had warmed back up today, and the ground shouldn’t be cold at all.
“I think he’s okay until he goes.”
Alec slipped a hand between Key’s arm and body until he could wrap himself around his waist. Key caught on nicely, opening to hold Alec there against his side. Nash on the other hand quickly shook off his fall, getting back on his feet, and attacked the grass again.
“Thank you,” Key said quietly.
“Thank you,” he replied and squeezed Key a little tighter. Seconds later, Nash squatted. “He’s doing it.”
“Just luck,” Key announced, but Alec heard the pride in his voice.
“It’s a start. That’s how I got you.” He rested his head on his man’s shoulder, content to stay like this forever.
“I got a dog,” Keyes mumbled, chin to his chest, his eyes screwed shut, trying to think of anything other than motherfucking Devilman hitting the bones of his fucking shoulder as he etched the wings across his back.
“Yeah?” Dev said, distracted as he focused on his work.
“Yeah.”
Maybe as much as fifteen minutes passed with the buzzing of the gun drowning out the hard metal music playing overhead—at least for Keyes. The volume had been turned up, Dev liked it loud when he worked, but for some reason this tattoo hurt worse than any of the others he’d had.
When Dev lifted the gun for a moment, Keyes added, “I named him Nash.”
Minutes passed until the gun lifted again, and Dev said, “Nashtayyy.” That made him smile, remembering how he and Dev used to talk to the stray dog before Keyes’s mother had the city come pick him up. “I was gonna name my son Nash.”
“Yeah.” Keyes had forgotten that part of the plan. Both of Dev’s girls were supposed to be boys, per Dev, not by any testing. Each time, Nash was going to be part of their names.
The gun started to buzz. He ground his teeth and closed his eyes, waiting for Dev to lift the gun again. He had no idea how much time passed until the machine turned off. Keyes lifted enough to look over his shoulder. “Done for today?”
“Yep. I got it down. Lots to fill in, but that’ll come. The outline’s down. Looks kickass,” Dev said, pushing back on his stool.
“What’s it look like?” he asked, standing but still straddling the seat.
“Cool as fuckin’ shit. It’s a badass design. Here.” Dev handed him a mirror. Keyes took it and twisted toward the back wall, angling the small mirror to see the freshly inked tattoo. His back burned like fire licked his flesh, but Dev was right, the angel and his expansive wings were the shit.