Perfect Encounter

Author’s note: With Perfect Match ending so soon, I feel eager to explore the story, but with different approaches. So, based on a prompt from @choicesprompts , I decided to write a one-shot. Would Hayden and Natasha be a match if he was a human and they never met each other through Eros? [All characters are owned by Pixelberry studios]

Summary: In a world without Eros, Natasha’s busy life changes when she finds a wounded puppy in a dark alley and takes care of it while searching for its owner
Based on the prompt: 4a. My cat/dog ran away and you just found it but refuse to accept the reward.

 

 

The sun begins to set when Natasha hops into the car of the company she’s working for that week. Her clients loved the work she did with the models for their spring catalog and she had already received an invitation to join the Fashion Week makeup and hair stylists team. She smiles to herself proudly and admires the colorful New York sunset as the car pass by the streets that lead to her apartment.

As the car rolls to a stop in front of her building, she grabs her things, thanks the driver, greets her landlord and a few of her neighbors, walks into the elevator. She had to get ready for Nadia’s exposition at the C24 Gallery, even though the idea of staying home and chill out is tempting. Nadia and Damien will kill if I don’t go, but ugh… I’m so tired. The elevator doors open and she gets into her apartment, changing clothes and shoes, retouching her makeup quickly. Placing everything she needed inside her purse, she leaves again.

Just a few steps from her building, she hears a groan coming from a dark alley. She hears a few barks and the tiny grunt again. Walking into the alley, she spots three dogs barking at something behind an old abandoned furniture. Shooing the dogs away, she looks around and finds a puppy with brown and white fur. It has a few bruises, probably from trying to fight the other dogs, and it shrinks in the corner. “Hey,” she says smiling, beckoning to the dog, but it simply stares at her. “It’s okay, buddy, I sent the mean dogs away. Come here,” Natasha steps closer and takes it in her arms. The dog flinches, though it doesn’t put up a fight. “I can’t let you out here in this cold weather if you’re hurt,” she scratches its chin and heads towards the closest pet store.

As Natasha waits for her turn to see the veterinarian, her phone buzzes. She glances at her phone and grimaces. Three missed calls and five texts. Nadia is definitely going to murder me. The phone buzzes again, scaring the dog. She gives it another scratch on its head and picks up. “Hi, Damien!”

“You were supposed to be here about an hour and a half ago. Where are you?” He chides.

“I got tied up with something. I won’t make it in time.”

“I can see that. Where are you?” The receptionist calls the dog’s name and Natasha stands up. “Who’s Dipper?”

“I have to go. I’ll explain later, okay?”

“Natasha–”

“Bye, Damien,” she hangs up before he could say anything else and walks into the veterinarian’s office. The doctor examines the dog, takes an x-ray and a sonogram then beams at her.

“Dipper looks fine, in spite of the bites and bruises, but her front left paw is broken. I’m going to immobilize it and give her some medication to heal the wounds,” she turns to the dog smiling. “You’re a brave little girl, Dipper.” The dog wags her tail at the veterinarian doctor.

“Does she have to stay here?”

“No, you can take her home.”

“Okay, but she’s not my dog. I need to look for her owner. Is there any place I can put on a picture of her to let people know she’s missing?”

“Sure. There’s an announcements board right outside. Feel free to add her photo and your contact number.”

“Thank you.”

…

Natasha tosses on the bed, searching for a comfortable position to stay in bed. She has been sick for almost a week and, even though Nadia and Damien live in the same neighborhood, they couldn’t be around a lot. Luckily, that week she didn’t feel so lonely. On the end of the bed, right next to her feet, lies a little bundle of white and brown fur. Dipper is an obedient dog and a lovely company, making her laugh and staying close at all times. However, she belongs to someone else.

Natasha looks at the dog and smiles, beckoning for her to come closer. She gives a through scratch on Dipper’s head and chin, then looks at the pendant on her collar with her name on it. “Did you run away from home or did your owner abandon you, Dipper?” She grimaces at the thought of something abandoning her and shakes her head. “Who would ever do that to you if you’re so docile and cute? You went for a walk and got lost, didn’t you?” The dog merely throws herself on the bed, rolling on the bed sheets. Natasha laughs, “You lazy one… Come on, let’s get some food into our system.”

She gets out of the bed, puts her plush robe on and follows Dipper out of the room, towards the kitchen. Natasha picks a bowl from the fridge with small pieces of meat and vegetables, putting it in the microwave while she opens the package with her food. The microwave pings as the doorbell rings. “Who is it?”

“It’s freezing out here! Let me in.” She smiles and presses the button to open the building gate and leaves the door open for Damien. When he comes in, he finds Natasha curled up in the couch with a bowl and chopsticks on her hands. “Someone’s looking better.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” she smiles. “There’s Yakisoba on the counter. I left some for you.”

He inspects the content on the pan, savoring its rich smell of soy sauce, herbs, vegetables and meat mixed with pasta. “Did you cook it?” He raises an eyebrow.

“No. Mrs. Liao from apartment 450 made it and sent to me.” He puts his hand on his chest and heaves a sigh and she throws a pillow in his direction.

“Hey!” he grabs the pan and turns away from her, shielding it with his body. “You almost hit the food.”

“Good. You’d have deserved to starve until evening.”

“That’s mean. And you know it’s a terrible waste to throw one of Mrs. Liao’s dishes on the floor.” She giggles and returns to dig into her bowl. Damien makes his way to the couch, but Dipper runs and jumps on the spot next to Natasha. He narrows his eyes at the tiny Border Collie, who simply adjusts herself on the couch, huddling beside her temporary caretaker. “No news on the dog owner?” He sits on the chair nearby.

“I check on the missing pets groups at Facebook and WhatsApp chats every day. I even called the pet store to see if someone asked about her, but nothing.”

“Maybe I could check on the shelters or other pet stores to know who’s her owner.”

“Can you do that?”

“Why not? It’s a minor investigation. Give me the information you have on her and I’ll do it. You know you can’t keep her for much longer. You barely have time to take care of yourself when you travel to work.”

For a minute, she thought about taking Dipper with her. Many other people do it, why couldn’t she do the same? Although, she knows getting fond of someone else’s dog isn’t exactly the best move for her or the dog. “Yeah, you’re right…” she utters wistfully.

…

Natasha lays on the couch looking through her portfolio and random images online searching for inspiration when her phone buzzes a few times.

She smiles watching at Dipper playing with a ball when her phone buzzes again. “Hello?”

“Hi! I’m Hayden. A friend of yours told me you found a Border Collie named Dipper. Is it correct?” A strong and melodious voice answers.

“Hi, Hayden. Yeah, I found Dipper a about six days ago. Are you her owner?”

“Yes, I’m sorry it took so long for me to reach out to you. I was out of town and my roommate hid the fact that my dog was missing,” his tone sounds slightly annoyed.

“That’s alright.”

“Can I pick her up now?”

“Uh…” She hesitated as Damien’s warning voice creeped into her mind. “I have the flu and I can’t leave at night without risking my health. Can we meet at the Chelsea Park tomorrow?”

“Yes. Is 5 PM okay for you? I spend most of my day at work.”

“Sure. I’ll see you tomorrow at noon.”

“Thank you. See you then.”

She hangs up and saves his contact number. Before she could switch off the phone, a text pings on her phone.

…

Natasha arrives a half hour early at the park to take a stroll with Dipper. She is glad Damien helped her finding the dog’s owner, yet she has grown so fond of her. Maybe it was the sweet company during almost a week she would have spent at home alone, or the fact that she loves dogs, but hasn’t been around one since she was 16, when her sister was diagnosed allergic to animal fur and her parents gave her dog away to a cousin.

Her heels clack on the floor, matching the dog’s pace as they wander around the park peacefully then reach the spot they would meet Dipper’s owner. She sits on the bench and picks up the dog, placing on her lap and scratching her chin. Just a few minutes later, Dipper grows agitated. She stands up on Natasha’s lap and looks to the side, huffing. Soon, a tall and athletic man appears on the corner. A charming broad grin takes over his handsome features as he sees Dipper and produces a rubber chicken from his coat pocket and squeezes it, making a high pitched funny sound.

“Is it him, Dipper?” Natasha smiles as the dog barks and wags her tail fast, pacing on the bench as the man approach. She releases Dipper from the leash, who jumps from the bench and runs towards the man. He bends down, placing one knee on the floor and catches Dipper, holding her and grinning.

“Hi, girl! I missed you too.” His deep brown eyes sparkle as the words come out of his lips. Natasha watches them in awe. From his demeanor over the phone, he seemed to be a poised and smart man, but her mental image of him combined with his iMessage photo didn’t do him justice. His black coat matches elegantly with his blue shirt, charcoal pants and black shoes, his black sleek hair is perfectly trimmed and his face is so symmetric it seemed a little unreal. Does he work as a model? Damn… He’s so dapper. Dipper licks his cheek and he laughs in such a carefree way it’s infectious. Natasha is caught off guard when she realizes Hayden is now looking back at her, plastering a delighted smile on his face. Oh my god, Natasha! Stop staring! She blushes and looks down, playing with the hem of her jacket. He stands up with Dipper cradled in his strong arms and walks towards her. “Hi! You must be Ms. Park. I’m Hayden Young,” he smiles and extends one of his hands to her.

“Yeah, hi,” she gets up quickly returning the gesture and they shake hands. For some reason, she can’t stop staring at him. His eyes bore at her, taking in her features. Natasha flushes once again, unsure of what to say next. She retrieves her hand, looking away.

“Thank you for taking care of her. She seems happier than she ever was with my roommate. She’s more of a cat person,” he comments.

“It was my pleasure to take care of her.”

“About all the expenses you had with her–” he says, reaching for his coat pocket and taking his wallet.

“Oh, no, no, no,” she waves her hands. “You don’t have to repay me for that.”

“But it’s the least I can do.”

“No, please. I’m glad Dipper spent this week with me and it’s my pleasure to know she’s going back home.”

“Can I buy you a coffee then?”

“Uh…” Damien’s voice invades her thoughts one more time.

“I’m not a psychopath if that’s what you’re thinking,” he jested.

“I know that… I mean, a guy who loves a dog wouldn’t be a creep,” she says watching Dipper chewing her toy in his arms.

He chuckles. “Alright, let’s have coffee. I know a café around the corner that makes a great expresso and allows dogs.”

“Lead the way.” They walk side by side, heading out of the park and crossing the street. The place he mentioned is a beautiful brick wall building fully decorated with wood, giving the place a rustic yet modern look. He pulls up a chair for her to sit, then sits and rolls Dipper’s leash on his chair as the waiter, who seemed to already know Hayden, greets them politely and takes their orders. “This place is lovely.”

“I think so too. I always come here after work to unwind,” he replies absentmindedly.

“Is your work stressful?” He lifted his eyebrows and her nose wrinkled as she realizes she may have overstepped asking a personal question. “I don’t mean to pry, I’m just making conversation,” she adds shyly.

He smiles warmly and shakes his head. “It’s okay. Well, it is sometimes. I’m an astronautical engineer and I love doing what I do. But presenting it to the people who finance my job is tricky.”

“Because people don’t understand what you’re saying or doing?”

“Haha, yeah, exactly,” Hayden looks at her with a sudden new perspective. “I’m sensing you know how it feels.”

“Yeah… I’m not an astronautical engineer, but I do know what it’s like to have my visions misinterpreted.”

He gives her a slow smile. “What do you do for a living?

“I’m a beauty artist.”

“So, do you do artistic makeup?”

“And hair. I also take photos.”

“It sounds interesting. But I guess I would be one of those people wouldn’t understand your vision. I was never good with artistic ideas,” he smiles sheepishly. The waiter comes back with their orders and he thanks for the both of them.

“Don’t sell yourself short. Art is mostly about the concept behind the creation. I’m quite sure you’ll understand it if you know the context,” she says then takes a sip of her mochaccino. Hayden gazes at her with such admiration, but before he could say anything, Dipper runs around the table, tying Hayden’s legs to it, then she stops at Natasha’s feet.

“Dipper!” He chides, but the dog just turns to him wagging her tail at him and he shakes his head smiling. Natasha giggles. “Ugh, I need to train her.”

“Heh, she’s an adorable company, though. I’ll miss her,” she bends down to reach the dog and caresses her fur.

“You could pay her a visit sometimes. Or I could take her to you,” he says. He notices her eyebrows raised. This time he overstepped and immediately blushes. She hides a smile behind her cup as he clears his throat. “I mean if you want to. I haven’t seen her so fond of anyone else before. She’ll probably like spending some time with you occasionally.”

A smile instantly formed on her lips. “It would be my pleasure to have her again. I thought I’d be alone this week. And being alone while having the flu is awful, but Dipper was a great company.”

“Oh, you did mention you were sick,” his eyes widen in a mix of realization and worry. “I’m not tiring you out, am I? I can take you home if you’re not feeling okay. I just need Dipper to untangle me from the table,” he jests.

She giggles. “I’m fine, thank you. It would be rude of me leaving without finishing my mochaccino,” she replies taking a sip of her drink. However, she doesn’t want to leave there just yet. And luckily, neither does he. They order few more cups of their drinks as they continue to chat eagerly for more than one hour. The more they talk, the more they find out about things in common, like favorite cuisine, TV series, books, movies, travel destinations. The conversation flows so easily it feels like they know each other for quite a while and only got interrupted by Dipper jumping on Hayden’s lap and making her herself comfortable to sleep. “I guess she’s getting tired of waiting, right?”

“Yeah, I will get the check,” he signals for the waiter to give them the bill. She reaches for her purse, but Hayden shakes his head and pays by himself. “I said I’m repaying you for taking care Dipper, remember?” Natasha pursed her lips to hide a smile but didn’t say anything else. They stand up and walk a few steps from the Cafe. “Can I escort you home?” Hayden’s melodious voice sounds huskier, more alluring.

“Yes, I’d like that,” she battles her lashes discreetly and they wander around the neighborhood, making their way to her apartment. During their walk, they talk about random things and joke a little. She notices his eyes occasionally sweeping her from head to toe and blushes. Is he flirting with me?

“Are you blushing?” Hayden cocks an eyebrow with a playful smile on his lips.

“Err…” she covers her cheeks with her hands. “No, I’m… I–” Why am I stuttering? What the hell!

“It’s okay, you look cute,” Hayden smirks.

Okay, he is flirting with me. “I’m cute?” she narrows her eyes jokingly.

“When you’re embarrassed, yes. But I prefer how you look when you’re happy. When you’re petting Dipper, for example, your eyes sparkle and your face lighten up, your voice becomes softer, sweeter, your smile is…” he trails off, searching for words as he stares at her plum tinted lips. “… fascinating.”

“Oh…” she is about to say something when Dipper runs around them and ties them together with her leash. Natasha stumbles forward, but Hayden catches her, his arms enveloping her into a warm embrace. “Thank you,” she says somewhat astonished.

“You’re welcome. And I’m sorry about this. I really have to find her a dog handler,” he says looking at Dipper, then his eyes turn to Natasha, gazing at him with her hands on his chest. Without a second thought, Hayden dips in and captures her lips in a sweet kiss. His tongue runs along her bottom lip and she opens her mouth to explore his. His arms firmly pull her closer, one hand going up her back and reaching her neck. His soft touch sends a shiver through her spine and heat courses all over his body as she tugs his bottom lip with her teeth. Time seems to stand still as they’re lost into each other’s mouth, but Dipper pulls her leash, startling Hayden and he pulls away. Dipper already had untied them and was trying to chase a raccoon. He closes his eyes and shakes his head and Natasha laughs. “Ugh… I’m googling dog trainer recommendations as soon as I get home.”

“I don’t think she’s that bad. I mean…” her fingers trail down his torso and she feels his muscles tense under her touch.

He smiles slyly. “Well, when you put it like that…” he kisses Natasha again. “I guess I can cut her some slack.” They laugh and he calls Dipper, who trots back to their direction. “We should resume to walk you back to your apartment.”

“I was about to say we just got to my apartment when Dipper trapped us.”

“Oh,” he says, sounding a bit disappointed, then clears his throat. “So, we’ll keep in touch to know whenever you can have Dipper over?”

“Yeah, we will, but…”

“But?”

“We kinda got interrupted here a few minutes ago and I hate unfinished businesses, so you could come up with me now and we can talk about that later.”

A slow grin appears on his lips. “Fair point. It’d be so unfortunate if we didn’t see it through,” he tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Shall we?”

“Lead the way, Ms. Park.”