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.

He immediately felt his nerves itch as he stepped outside and locked the door, but he pushed the anxiety aside and made the quick walk the next house over.

A knock on the door and he was inside a moment later, greeted very briefly by the couple before they told him what they needed done... which was just about everything. They then headed out for lunch, leaving him to his own devices.

It was the best circumstances he could have asked for.

There were tons of different cleaning products in the garage, and since they'd said he could use what he needed, he happily grabbed a few items that would work well together and got down to business after tugging on his light pink and orange cleaning apron!

He got the dishes and laundry going first, then scrubbed the counters, wiped off the cabinets and appliances, then cleaned all of the windows.

Next, he picked up anything that happened to be lying around and put it back in its proper place... or at least an easy to find place.

Alright, vacuuming!

While most people, and his shift, hated the loud noise from them, Ammo absolutely loved to vacuum because it made it hard to think. It was one of the few times he could truly just not focus on anything specific and just do what needed done.

By the time he was finished and ready to mop, about twenty minutes later, his mind was comfortably quiet and quite content.

The mopping was a bit quicker, but he was completely focused on it, not daring to miss a single spot.

He'd already put cleaning product in both of the bathrooms to soak while he worked, so now with the floor wet, he got himself situated in the first one and got busy scouring the tub and toilet, and cleaning the fixtures.

By the time he was done with that room the floor was dry enough for him to be comfortable walking across to the other bathroom.

By the time that one was done and he was double checking everything, it was dark outside.

Ah, I think I hear the owners returning.

Not wanting to overstay his welcome since he was comfortable that he did a good job, he put away all their supplies, then met them at the door with a tired, nervous smile.

He wasn't sure what to expect, but when the couple excitedly gushed over his work and handed him three-hundred dollars, he was more than happy!

"Thank you so much sweetheart. Can we call you again when we need a cleaning? Our old cleaner didn't do nearly as well as you and she just retired last month," the woman said, making Ammo quickly nod.

"Of course, ma'am. Just let Harrison know and I'll come right over."

The couple thanked him again before Ammo headed out, excited to show Winston the money he'd earned.

Speaking of the little girl, she met him at the door, jumping eagerly on her hind legs to greet him!

"Hi baby!" Ammo cooed as he scooped up the sweet dog.

She happily gave him several kisses, then allowed herself to be put down as Ammo stepped inside and shut and locked the door.

Something smells really good.

"Welcome home, Momo," Harrison said as he walked into view, a spatula in his hand and their other apron tied around his him.

Ammo ignored the nickname. It didn't matter what he was called, and since the man never addressed him as such to other people, it was clear that he wasn't meaning it in a demeaning way.

"I actually tried to make something tonight, but it's not as good as my sister's," he said as he walked over and held up a small bite of food for him to try.

Bubba snorted in his mind, but relented and allowed him to lean forward and accept the morsel.

Mmm.

"It's honey cornbread with a pinch of red pepper flakes and salt on top," he said as he quickly retreated back to the kitchen, evidently a little embarrassed that he might not like it?

Smiling, Ammo followed him into the kitchen, then hurried over to the stove when he noticed a big pot sitting on it.

Chicken and dumplings!

"I can't take credit for that one. My sister brought over the restaurant's extras," Harrison said as he offered Ammo a bowl.

The credit is that you're willing to feed me what you know I'll eat.

And while what he could stomach has grown a bit from his previous over-stressed state, it was nowhere near what he used to be comfortable eating.

Bubba bristled, not as enthusiastic at their dinner options.

"Of course, I made a big salad for Bubba, too, if he'd like some greens," Harrison said, instantly winning over his capybara as he pulled out a massive bowl of salad from the fridge.

It wasn't just a bunch of greens, either. There was plenty of cut up cherry tomatoes, cucumber, shredded carrots, and even a peppering of parmesan cheese on top.

Needless to say, Ammo decided to set the bowl aside and grab a large plate, then load it up with salad, a big thick slice of cornbread, and then a huge scoop of chicken and dumplings.

Before he sat down to eat, however, he put his plate on the table, then went back into the kitchen and held out one of the hundred dollar bills he'd been given earlier.

He understood that Harrison hadn't requested money for his stay with him, but that didn't mean that he wanted to just freeload. He made a good amount of money for one day's work, and he wanted to share it to lighten the burden of having him around.

The guy didn't look too happy when he saw what was being held out to him, but he surprisingly accepted it with a smile and a "thank you", making Ammo release the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

With that settled and out of the way, he smiled and pocketed the other two hundred, then got himself some water and finally settled down into his seat at the table.

Harrison soon sat across from him, his plate equally full.

Normally, their meals were mostly silent, but today, Ammo actually started a small conversation about the job he had done earlier.

It wasn't anything huge, but perhaps for him, it was.

The words flowed slowly but freely, and for once, they had a relatively relaxed conversation while eating supper.

That eventually lead to working on the dishes together, then settling on the couch, each in their own respective spots, with Winston on his lap, of course, to watch a movie.

It didn't seem like much, but after having lived in the spare bedroom nearly twenty-four seven when Harrison was home if he wasn't playing with the dog or eating, it was a big step.

He actually nearly fell asleep as the movie came to an end, but Harrison gently shook his shoulder to wake him so that he could go to his room.

Rubbing at one eye, Ammo slowly got himself up.

"Than' you," he mumbled as he held a pillow to his chest without even thinking, then slowly hobbled his way to his room.

Winston followed on his heels, making Ammo hesitate from closing his door completely.

He'd leave just enough room for her to open it if she needed to get Harrison to let her out.

Unbothered by the possibility of the man coming into his room, since Harrison had been completely cordial since he'd been there, and honestly too tired to care, Ammo quickly removed his shirt and pants after taking the money out of his pocket and setting it aside.

He decided to keep his boxers on, as per usual, then climbed into bed. Winston soon joined him to cuddle beneath the blankets, and within minutes the little dog was out cold. Ammo stayed awake for another ten minutes or so, petting Winston, before he, too, closed his eyes and drifted off to a comfortable sleep.