This is a role Ethan did years ago, White Fang and one of my favorites of his.

Some minor swearing.

....

You've met Jack in town and have a bit of a crush on him. He asks you to join him for a few hours on his claim.

....

There he is! Every time you see Jack Conroy, your heart flutters in your chest. He's adorable and a little shy but always polite. And he's never without his faithful companion, White Fang.

You remember Jack mentioning how his pet was half wolf. That made you curious about the animal and his owner. The wolf dog seemed tame enough and always obeyed Jack well. You liked that.

You'd been trying to work up enough nerve to speak with Jack more but every time you thought about it, your tongue got all twisted and you just babbled nonsense, causing Jack to give you a strange look.

However you're determined that today you'll speak with Jack and not make a complete fool out of yourself.

***

You approach Jack, whose back is turned to you, White Fang sitting obediently at his master's feet as Jack pays for some supplies at the general store.

"Jack, hi." He turns, a smile immediately appearing on his face as you smile back. You look at White Fang, leaning over to give his head a quick scratch.

"Y/N, hi. How are you?"

"I'm good, thanks. How's everything going with you?"

"Ah. Well. I'm having some issues with my roof. It's, ah, leaking a bit."

"That's too bad," you say. Jack nods, collecting his things and starts to head for the exit. You're not sure if you should follow. You decide you don't have anything to lose.

"At least the snow is beginning to melt," you say. Jack smiles again, his face going a little pink. He's so adorable.

"Definitely. I love it when spring arrives."

"Me too."

Jack pauses and you wonder what he's thinking. He seems to be thinking awfully hard about something.

"Y/N, how would you like to come to my claim tomorrow?"

You're stunned into silence. Is this really happening? Maybe you're dreaming and don't realize it. You discreetly pinch your wrist. It hurts. You're not dreaming.

"I..I'd love to, Jack." Relief floods Jack's face.

"Great!"

"What time?"

"Probably after lunch."

"I'll be there."

"Terrific. I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'll be there."

****

As you approach Jack's cabin, you're immediately greeted by White Fang, his curly tail wagging ferociously, his tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth. You smile, reaching out to give him a quick scratch.

Jack comes along behind, looking more cleaned up, wearing a nice sweater and trousers. You feel your face growing warm as Jack smiles at you.

"Hey. Glad you could make it."

"Hi. Me too. Here. You hand Jack a tin full of cookies that you made. He accepts the tin, thanking you and gesturing towards an area he has set up, with an old blanket and some food.

"This looks delicious, Jack," you exclaim as you sit down, White Fang coming to sit down beside you. You laugh, rubbing his furry head.

"Um, thanks." Jack sits down, setting the tin aside and reaching for a plate of sandwiches he made, holding them out for you. You take one and begin to eat.

"It's so peaceful out here," you remark. Jack nods, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.

"Yeah. It's great. I'm just happy I have some decent company."

"White Fang is some great company," you agree. Jack smiles, leaning over to take one of your hands and your pulse quickens.

"He is. So are you."

"You're sweet, Jack."

"I've had a bit of a crush on you for a while," Jack admits, her cheeks going pink.

"Really?" Jack nods.

"Yeah."

"How come you never said anything?"

"It's just I don't have much to offer you."

"Oh, Jack," you murmur, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "I don't care about that. I only care about you."

Jack smiles wider, leaning in for a kiss. You like that. You return the kiss before finishing your sandwich.

"I'm really happy you invited me here today," you add. Jack grins.

"I'm really happy you agreed to come."

"Maybe I could come more often?" You give Jack a hopeful look and he nods.

"I'd love that, Y/N." You smile.

"Me too."

***
After you finish eating, Jack shows you his small but cozy cabin and part of the gold mine he works. White Fang follows along and you love the strong bond between him and Jack.

"It's so beautiful out here," you say, reaching for Jack's hand. He smiles a little bashfully but he looks pleased.

"It is," Jack agrees. "Although when there's two feet of snow, it can seem a little...taunting."

"I can understand that." You look over at White Fang, who has his head cocked to one side, giving you a serious look.

"Luckily you have White Fang," you murmur.

"I am lucky to have him. He's a fantastic pet. But it might be nice to have some human company, too."

"Well," you say softly. "I could arrange for that." You give Jack a mischievous look. "Who knows? It might end up permanent."

Jack laughs. Gosh, he's adorable.

"I'd love that as well."