A/N: Shorter chapter. I'm quite behind now, but I'm working on In a Heartbeat simultaneously, so it's been rough lol. I'll attempt one to two chapters tomorrow, lol. Enjoy <3 Next chapter will include more flirting, and less subtle this time, hehe.

Chapter 7

Wesley wasn't sure why he brought up Daniel in the conversation. He knew it was a sensitive subject, but for some reason, conversation with Ethan seemed natural. Some days, Wesley would spend nearly an hour crying over something that reminded him of Daniel, but here he was talking about him like Ethan was a therapist.

And a part of him feared he had said too much. It had felt so comfortable that he had forgotten that Ethan was practically a stranger, and his stance on gay people and marriage was a mystery. But Ethan was full of surprises.

He hadn't seemed to notice or care in the slightest. It had been unexpected, but also a relief to Wesley. He had his share of terrible experiences with less accepting people, including Daniel's family. He was grateful that Ethan hadn't been like them at all.

"How long were you two-" Ethan paused, before shaking his head. "Sorry. I shouldn't-"

"It's fine," he told him. "Four years."

"Oh, wow," Ethan blinked. Ethan thought back on his relationships, the longest had been maybe a year and a half? His relationships with men were even shorter, maybe 5 months at most.

Wesley smiled, almost laughing at how Ethan took his time to digest that information. "It would've been six this year."

Ethan wasn't sure what to say, so he distracted himself by patting Rosie's side. Wesley continued, "I knew him for longer, but we didn't start dating officially until he was in vet school. He had just started working as one shortly before he-he had passed."

"I'm sorry," Ethan frowned, before looking up at Wesley.

"I never wanted a dog," Wesley scoffed as he looked at Rosie who was enjoying the attention from Ethan. "It had been his idea. I was more of a cat person, but border collies had been his dream dog. If I'd let him, he would have probably adopted twenty of them. But she's a sweetheart, and well, she was ours. I've gotten so attached."

"She's a beauty."

"She is," Wesley agreed. "You're probably curious about her story. Her leg and all?"

Wesley had gotten used to hearing the same question about her leg, that it honestly didn't faze him at all. Ethan hummed before saying, "I'm assuming a mass, maybe even an infection?"

"Cancer," Wesley confirmed, mildly surprised that Ethan could deduce that much. "So yes, a mass. Daniel had spotted it before one work one day and we were going to take her to get it checked out. This was right before he died, and not long after her mass kept growing.

"I had been so busy with his funeral arrangements, the bills, and dealing with his family that I didn't have time to get her checked out quick enough. Luckily it had only been the leg."

Wesley chuffed before saying, "I just wished I had gone sooner, then maybe they would've been able to salvage her leg."

Ethan looked to Wesley as he seemed so lost in thought. "I can't imagine how stressful that must've been. But she's still alive, and plenty of dogs thrive with only three legs."

"She's still a little speedster," Wesley joked, before wondering if he had been ranting for too long to Ethan about his life. He was notorious for going on tangents, Daniel would even bop his forehead with whatever newspaper or magazine he had laying around if they were watching a movie together on the couch. "Sorry, I talk too much sometimes."

Ethan grinned. "No, it's alright. He was important to you, and so is she. It's probably lonely in this big house without him here."

"It is lonely sometimes. But still, I'm sorry I rant a lot."

"Well, rant all you like." Ethan wasn't sure why he felt like teasing him a little. "I like rants. Besides, we've got nothing but time, anyway. Might as well make the most of it."