Opossum-(mxm) (Rever series Eight)

Opossum Twenty-Two

"Winston, catch!" Ammo shouted as he threw the little ball as far as he could!

The tiny dog yipped happily as she darted off to do as told, but unfortunately, if she didn't catch it, which was half the time, she'd just let it bounce until it slowed to a stop, then stop, herself, and turn to wiggle excitedly at him. 

Ammo ran to her for the tenth time, his bare upper torso shining faintly with a light layer of sweat. 

He should have been doing just about anything besides playing catch with a dog for hours, like checking on the job he'd likely been let go from for not showing up, or calling Grim and Ian to check in, or really a plethora of other adult activities, but none of that mattered enough for him to actually do it. 

It was childish and downright unprofessional, but Harrison had said that he could do as he wanted and that he'd support him for three months, so long as he was respectful of his property and Winston. 

It gave him a chance to breathe. 

Picking up the ball again, he watched as Winston ran off, intent on finally managing another catch after her last three misses. 

The little dog was always happy, no matter what it was doing. 

Happy meals, happy sleeping, happy playing. Heck, it even loved going to the groomers! 

The little dog managed to catch the ball on the next throw, and rightfully earned an excited cheer from Ammo as it hurried back to him for more praise! 

He gladly picked the pup up, slobbery ball and all, and hugged her to his chest, allowing her to lick his face in the process once she dropped the toy, too. 

"I think it's about time for dinner," he told her as he carried her inside. 

He'd cleaned up quite a lot while Harrison worked each day, and while his house had always been rather clean, it was now sparkling. He also found that he enjoyed cleaning a lot more than he had any of his previous jobs. 

In fact, the next day a couple that normally hires Harrison for private training came by and were so impressed with his house that they asked if he could come clean theirs. For a price, of course. 

Ammo had stayed out of sight that entire lesson and hadn't actually met the people, but when Harrison told him later that night, he'd been surprisingly open-minded about it. 

Thus, the next morning he actually woke up to an alarm clock. The first time since his wife had passed, and got himself out of bed. 

He washed his face, brushed his teeth, and even combed out his hair before getting dressed. When he stepped out of the bathroom, Winston even seemed surprised, since he tended to not bother with a shirt or even socks, let alone shoes. 

Her surprise quickly turned into excitement and, of course, being picked up for a quick hug. 

"I'm going out for just a little bit, alright sweetheart? Look after the house for me until your daddy gets home," he told her as he carried her into the kitchen and gave her a small treat, then let her out in the backyard to go potty. 

Once she was settled, he left a note on a piece of paper for Harrison, even though the man knew that he'd be out. 

Going to the neighbor's to clean. Will return when finished. 

He honestly wasn't sure how much they needed done, but for once, he was looking forward to having some work to do. 

After grabbing a protein bar that he may or may not eat, Ammo took the spare key Harrison had left on the counter for him and headed out.