It was like some unspoken agreement between them that neither would ever mention that night again. And so as they drifted to sleep in the soft light of the morning, no words were spoken.

Angel woke up first, her tired eyes squinting against the intruding sun. A heavy paw was draped around her and her back was pressed against a bundle of fur. She glanced over her shoulder, smiling at the sight of Scamp asleep beside her. She shifted slightly so that she was facing him and softly touched the pink pad of her paw to his cheek.

He was so cute it almost hurt her to look at him this close up. His coal black lashes rested against his perfect grey face, and his mouth was relaxed, soft, creating an innocent air that she knew would be gone the moment he woke up. She trailed her paw across his cheek, feeling a rush of love for the dog next to her. After last night she felt closer to him than she ever had and it was a strangely bittersweet feeling. She hated that it had to be his pain that brought them closer, but she loved that she could comfort him, even if only a little.

She pressed a soft, feather light kiss to his nose and moved to get up, her growling stomach beckoning her towards the food bowel. She tried to shift herself from under his paw but struggled to move it, her wriggling around woke him and his velvet laced voice interrupted her.

"You know, I was sleeping." He mumbled softly.

His paw tightened around her small frame and he pulled her back down next to him, cuddling her in closer to his body.

She giggled softly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up."

"Yeah, right Angel." He hummed skeptically.

His paw was now completely preventing her from getting up and so she shrugged and burrowed back into his warm chest. Resting her face in the crook of his neck and grinning when his beard tickled her cheek.

He sighed contentedly as she began to place soft kisses along his collarbone.

"On second thought, I don't  mind being woken up like this." He added, cracking an eye open to look at her.

Truth be told, Angel was as surprised by her actions as Scamp was. She wasn't sure what had gotten into her, but she knew she wanted to show him, without words, how much the night before had meant to her, and silently promise him that she'd always be there. And somehow each kiss she pressed to his warm fur, seemed to whisper those exact words.

 He smiled slightly and tangled a paw in the bow on her collar as he pulled her into a sweet kiss, when they pulled away both had lazy smiles on their faces.

"Good morning, Tenderfoot." Angel giggled softly, her breath tickling his cheek.

"Good morning to you too, sweet cheeks."

Her heart fluttered at the casual compliment and she forced herself not to jump up and start doing a ridiculous happy dance. Mentally subduing her inner puppy, she felt an idea quickly forming in her head.

"Do you have any plans for today?" She asked cautiously.

He glanced down at her, his chocolate eyes searching hers.

"Nope. Why?"

"I was thinking that maybe… we could have a feelings-free day. You know, just have fun and be normal, and try not think about all the bad stuff." She wanted to just have some time with him where they could relax and she could pretend to herself that everything was going to be okay and they'd live happily ever after.

It was naive and stupid, but she was so tired of all the pain and drama in her life. In his life. She was tired of seeing darkness in his eyes, she wanted to hear him laugh and ask him silly questions, and kiss him just for the sake of it…

"That sounds like an adventure!"

They found the house empty when they finally made their way down stairs. Scamp tugged on the draws and took out the packet of dog food for breakfast while Angel sat beside him chatting away about silly every day things. Scamp found himself smiling at the simple moment. He mentally burned the image into his memory, knowing that he might not get many more moments like these. The sound of Angel's excited voice filled his ears and he forced the heavy thoughts away and focused on her mindless chatter.

They decided to spend the day roaming around the countryside and stopping whenever they saw something worth looking at. Angel made them go to a traveling fair and grinned like a little kid when Scamp stole her a huge stuffed Christmas pudding that squeaked. Scamp on the other hand, insisted they stop at several junk yards along the way, playing and fooling around in the trash and showing of their street skills to impress each other like the good ol'days; resulting in Angel feeling a little more than happy as they finally headed home in the evening.

They arrived home to a still empty house, and Scamp helped a giggling Angel up the stairs, stumbling over her own feet for a change. Scamp couldn't help but chuckle at how adorable she was. After a particularly wobbly stagger, he rolled his eyes and scooped her up into his paws, smiling at her surprised look. She grinned up at him and happily rested her head against his shoulder, breathing in his comforting smell.

"Thank you for today Tenderfoot." She murmured. "It was perfect."

He pressed a kiss to her ear as he walked down the landing towards her room. "It was, wasn't it?"

He nudged open her bedroom door with his nose and gently laid her down in her basket, instantly missing the feeling of her so close to him. But her paws remained securely wrapped around his neck and she pulled him down with her, until he was resting over her, his weight supported by his paws. He gazed down at her sleepy, trusting eyes and felt a shiver rush down his spine. She was so perfect, so innocent and gentle, and, for now at least, she was his.

He traced the pads of his paws gently down the side of her cheek, caressing her soft fur, gently teasing a stray lock that had fallen over her face.

A lump rose to Angel's throat at the painful gentleness of his touch, and moving her paw to his as she pulled his face down to meet hers. His beard tickled her chin as their noses rubbed; the strength of every muscle she could feel pressed against her, the possessiveness of his hold.

Scamp soon found himself floating on a sea of clouds. He would never have enough of her.  Her fire set him alight and her sweetness saved him. There would never be another girl after her, never be another soul that fit his so well, never be another face as perfect as hers, never be another's eyes that could melt him with just one look. Angel was it for him. Even though eventually he knew it was bound to end tragically, bound to result in them burning up and going their separate ways… It was in that moment, surrounded by her sweet scent, her soft touch, lost in her porcelain blue eyes, that he decided once and for all everything was worth it. 

Whatever happened in the future, wasn't going to mess up their present. He was going to make the most of every moment he had with her. He was going to cherish her and spoil her, and show her how she should be treated, show her everything he had to offer and let himself  love her. 

It wouldn't change his plan for Buster, he would carry on informing the dog catcher of every move, carry on working to get him put behind bars, he just wouldn't let it control him. He wouldn't let that be everything. The pound had been wrong, Angel wasn't a distraction, she was a motivation. He would fight for her and fight hard, he would fight for his freedom and white picket fences, home. Whatever the consequences.

And then, if the time came when it had to end, she would remember him for all the amazing moments, all the moments like this when they would get lost in each other, and all the days like this one when they would spend hours laughing at each other's silly jokes and singing loudly to the folk music in the town square.. And even though he would inevitably break her heart, he hoped that he would leave her with something precious, a home; a family worth remembering.

When their embrace finally parted, when she pulled him down to lie beside her and curled into his chest, whispering for him to never leave her… He felt lighter somehow. Like a weight had been lifted from his chest. He was finally going to appreciate what it was to be a house dog. What it was to be loved and loved stronger in return in a family that truly did care about him.