The Devil Wears GUCCI || Larry Stylinson

Chapter 2.

"Spike, you have to share that toy with Bruce," Anna scolded, stopping painting her nails for a moment, "You're being too rude today, boy."

Both dogs seem to ignore her, growling and tussling for a little stuffed dinosaur, neither of them willing to surrender. Every time Anna got a new pet, difficult days were spent while the other dogs got used to the new member. Bruce had been her latest acquisition.

With an amused look on his face, Louis watches them from the bed, betting that Spike will win that fight.

Spike is a Chihuahua dog who, despite his diminutive size and lack of intimidation, is a great fighter who always tends to pick on bigger dogs.

"He looks a bit like you, Lou." Agreed his friends one night, watching the little dog pick a fight with a big St. Bernard.

Anna is an excellent and dedicated veterinarian, who even before graduating managed to get a job in a fancy veterinary practice.

Her profession was chosen because of her great love of animals, so her pet pool was huge. Every chance she gets, she rescues a puppy and finds a home for them herself. If she can't find a home for them, she simply adds them to her family, regardless of the fact that she lives in a small flat. Something she would not have been able to do in the one they used to share, as it was much smaller than their current home.

The first time Louis had visited Anna's new place, some years ago, it had felt strange. Seeing his friend's things in a strange, colourless room and not in the flat where they lived during the first semesters of their careers made Louis want to cry.

The first day they slept in different places had been very difficult for Louis. He couldn't fall asleep knowing that Anna wasn't in the next room, even though he now had Collin sleeping next to him.

He missed the annoying sound of her ukulele in the mornings and the smell of the ridiculously healthy pancakes she made on Sundays. He missed the deep talks they had in the evenings and the stupid talks in the mornings. He missed all that from day one.

Arriving at his flat after his classes and not being greeted by Anna had been worse. Her absence was noticeable because her veterinary books were no longer on the shelf, leaving a large empty space in their place. Her dirty shoes were no longer at the entrance either, and he was no longer greeted by the strong smell of the scented candles that only she knew how to place strategically in every corner.

No one could blame him. After leaving his four sisters, his mother and virtually his entire life in his home country, letting Anna move away felt just as heartbreaking. It was hard to part with the only close person he had in New York, even though Anna was moving just a couple of blocks away.

Maybe Louis was too sentimental, he blames his mother for that.

After a while they managed to adjust and learned to lead separate lives. Or as close to it as possible, they still saw each other every day, anyway.

Things had changed since then. By different circumstances, Anna's room was now Louis' little refuge. It no longer seemed like a strange or cold flat to him. He found that here he could sit comfortably and talk to his best friend about anything. Recalling little anecdotes from their childhoods in Doncaster and even shedding a few silent tears about missing their families.

"Anna," Louis calls, his head held in his hands. He's lying on his stomach and has a pile of pillows pressed around him, along with a pile of blankets on top that are almost completely hiding him, "Is your mattress new?" He asks, being pretty sure that the last time he came, the bed didn't feel this comfortable.

"Yeah," Anna answers without looking up, concentrating on finishing painting her toenails now that the little fight between Spike and Bruce is over, "I just bought it, the other one was too old. It was making my back ache."