Anniversary Gifts - A FuseHound One-Shot

Anniversary Gifts

Bloodhound's Gift to Fuse

The past year of Bloodhound's life has been complete bliss. Never before has the hunter felt so cherished and loved, and they want nothing more than to ensure their partner feels the same way. Over the past few weeks, Bloodhound had been working tirelessly to achieve exactly that. Countless nights were spent researching guitars, learning about what style is best for certain sounds, learning how to properly tune strings, and mending cracked wood. Splinters pricked their fingers and frustration sometimes swirled around in the hunter's head, yet the sheer love and determination that fills their heart was enough to keep them going.

Bloodhound can still remember the night Fuse smashed his guitar into the ground. Bloodhound sat with the explosive legend and listened to him recount tells of his past, how he wanted to move beyond his past and settle down. That was the night the pair agreed to move in together. That was also the night that Bloodhound hatched their plan for giving Fuse the best anniversary present possible. After Fuse had gone to bed later that evening, Bloodhound had collected the pieces of the busted guitar and stored them away.

Now, the guitar is in playable condition again, albeit a little rough around the edges. Bloodhound has yet to figure out how to perfectly tune the strings, and a few of the cracks in the wood are still obvious. Half of the wooden guitar has been replaced with a newer electric-style body, plus the guitar now has a flame-thrower mechanic that spits fire out of the bottom. Bloodhound thought that the flame-thrower embodies Fuse's personality perfectly, so the hunter was very excited when they managed to make that work.

Admittedly, Bloodhound wanted more time to finish polishing their handwork. Under normal circumstances, Bloodhound would have had more time to finish perfecting their gift. But, living with one's partner does come with its own unique drawbacks, such as their partner walking in while they're in the process of working on his anniversary gift.

"Houndy, is that me old guitar? You raised her from the dead?"

Bloodhound looked up frantically to see Fuse standing in the doorway. Their palms suddenly felt sweaty, their heart beating more rapidly than normal. "Ah, mitt Walter. Yes. This was meant to be a gipt for you, but it isn't finished yet. I'm struggling to tune it, and some of the cracks still need to be sealed."

Fuse found himself staring at the guitar in Bloodhound's lap. He was feeling absolutely bewildered that anyone would go through this amount of effort for him. The idea made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside, almost like he was tipsy. "I can tune her up no problem, mate. Don't ya worry about that. But, all of this work, just to prepare a gift for me? When I'm the one who destroyed her in the first place?"

"For you, Walter Fitzroy, I would move mountains. No task is too large. Please, consider this an anniversary gift. I know it's a little early, but I hope you'll be able to see how much you mean to me regardless."

"Houndy this is... This is the best gift I've ever received!" Fuse pulled Bloodhound into his arms and tucked his face into the hunter's neck. It was a strong, yet gentle embrace, the kind that makes a person feel safe and at ease. "I could bloody kiss ya for this!"

Bloodhound chuckled, all anxiety about how Fuse would receive the gift leaving their body. "Your love is the only thanks I need, mitt love. Now, how about you tell me more tales about the wild past of Walter Fitzroy."

Fuse's Gift to Bloodhound

After receiving such a lovely gift from Houndy, Fuse knew he had to go all out for their first anniversary. Fuse had considered buying Bloodhound a new hunting knife or bow but ultimately decided that his partner would prefer their old, trustworthy gear. After shooting down that idea, Fuse considered planning a hunting trip for the two of them, maybe on a remote planet with plentiful wildlife, or maybe at some fancy hunting club. After all, the two of them grew so close due to a hunting trip. But, deep down, Fuse knew that a hunting trip still didn't feel right. Bloodhound preferred hunting sustainably, and making a big fancy ordeal out of hunting would not fit within the realm of sustainability.

Fuse felt like he had used every single cell in his brain trying to plan the perfect gift for Bloodhound and it was beginning to drive him insane. Fuse just couldn't understand why planning a gift for his lover was so hard. He went as far as asking Loba for help since she and Houndy were close friends, but the translocating thief was too occupied with Revenant's head and Valkyrie's involvement to give Fuse any real ideas. It wasn't until the Salvonian was about to give up and just buy Bloodhound an assortment of their favorite snacks that a lightbulb finally went off in Fuse's head. "Of course," Fuse chuckled to himself, "I've just been overthinking it. Simple, thoughtful, and sweet is all I need." Thus, Fuse's plan was hatched.

It was an early October morning. The air was crisp and the sun was peaking over the horizon, making it the perfect day for a warm cup of joe. However, the new bag of coffee was mysteriously empty and Fuse had a sudden headache, meaning Bloodhound had to go out. Since the pair lived in a more remote location and chose to primarily live off the land, that meant the hunter would be gone for at least an hour, hopefully more if Mirage was actually waiting at the store to act as a distraction. Either way, Fuse was hopeful that he would have enough time to bring his vision to life.

"I am headed to the store, mitt Walter. Please rest until I return. It will help your head." Bloodhound pressed a kiss to the top of Fuse's head before turning to leave, causing Fuse's cheeks to turn a light shade of pink.

"Of course, Houndy. Don't ya worry about me. I'll catch a few z's while I wait for you to get home." Fuse offered a lazy grin, laying back in the bed to convince Bloodhound of his intentions.

"Good. I'll be home shortly, love."

The door shut with a soft click and Fuse sprang to his feet. "Alright, ole Fusey! Let's get this party started!"

Music blasted over the small speaker Fuse placed in the kitchen as he scurried between tasks. Sweat dripped down his brow as he worked on preparing a honey glaze for the salmon Bloodhound caught on their last fishing trip. Plus he was roasting the asparagus he planted in the backyard garden, cutting up apples for a pound cake, and more at the same time. At some point, Fuse began to question if he had bit off more than he could chew with his surprise anniversary gift, but watching everything slowly come together felt extremely satisfying to the bombastic man.

After the salmon was cooked and glazed and the roasted asparagus was tender, Fuse plated the salmon filets on top of the asparagus in an attempt to be fancy. Once the apple pound cake was cool and taken out of the pan, Fuse put it on a platter and drizzled a glaze across the top in a zigzag pattern. After setting everything on the table with a small candle, Fuse had to admit that he was quite proud of his handy work. Now, he just had to finish cleaning up until Houndy gets home, hopefully before the food gets cold.

Fuse was elbow-deep in dishwater, scrubbing various pots and pans, when he finally heard the echo of boots against the floor. "Walter darling, I'm home."

"I'm in the kitchen, love!" Fuse yelled back. He swiftly left the sink and grabbed a kitchen towel his hands as the echoing of boots grew closer. "I wanted to prepare you something for our anniversary, to thank you for making me feel safe and loved."

A muffled gasp emitted from behind Bloodhound's face mask as their eyes took in the sight of Walter standing next to the dinner table, fully set with a mouthwatering meal. Just looking at the table in front of them was enough to make the hunter salivate. "Walter, I... This is amazing. You made all of this yourself?"

"I did. Elliot gave me some cooking tips, and he pitched in by hopefully keeping you distracted at the store. I'm not certain it's perfect, but I'm sure this is going to be a good meal, especially with you by my side, Houndy. I can feel it in my 'stache!"

An airy chuckle left Bloodhound's throat, a feeling of giddiness due to the pure love resonating in Fuse's voice building up in their chest. "Then let us make haste before the food gets cold. I can't wait to sink my teeth into the apple cake! How did you know it's one of my favorites?"

The couple spent the rest of their evening enjoying good food and even better company. Fuse fed Bloodhound their slice of cake and watched in delight as the hunter's face lit up at the taste. Laughs and kisses were exchanged, the pair finished cleaning up together, and they even brought out their favorite board games to round out the anniversary date. At the end of the day, Fuse was definitely glad that this was how he chose to surprise his love.