Spring was lovely.

Had he been asked to put personal feelings aside, Loid would probably have considered autumn to be his favorite season: although the crumbling of leaves made it hard to move safely while remaining undetected, it could prove to be an priceless ally in discovering enemy positions or hiding under the dizzying twirls of oranges and brown that carpeted the ground.

Autumn, he supposed, also represented best his namesake; the days would fall shorter, light dimming and colors fading with growing urgency at each sunset.

But

spring

' spring was hope, and it was this very same feeling (fluttering, tenacious, never quite fading) that had kept Twilight alive for so long. The harsh burn of ice and snow was starting to melt under the bloom of shy warmth, the burst of vibrant floral shades. Grass would grow once more verdant and shy, trees would shiver with new, shy leaves, and dew coated the whole with its humid glaze until the late morning. It was cold, still ' the kind of cold that crawled under his clothes, but not deep enough to reach his bones in mere minutes. The kind of cold that could be soothed away with a warm drink, without having to spend hours shivering in front of a fireplace.

Spring, it seemed, was also a deeply loved season of Bond 's.

Although for a very,

very

different reason.

Loid had never been able to truly determine the dog 's breed ' not a pure breed, most certainly, but something close to a Great Pyrenees or a Tibetan mastiff, if his size and thick, white fur were anything to judge by. His gentle, affectionate personality was typical of those dogs, too ' much like his energy. Bond would grow restless and excited when he had yet to enjoy any of his two walks of the day ' and his eyes would gain a longing desperation on weekends, knowing there was a great chance he would be taken to the park to run around freely like he would sometimes be allowed too, on days there was no one else around.

Now that the weather was getting warmer and sunnier with each passing day, the dog 's energy only seemed to amplify.

It was thus not a real surprise when Yor suggested a walk to the park, yet Anya 's and Bond 's excitement would always be something that made a smile pull at his mouth. It had rained, the night before ' the air was crisp and humid, a last reminder of the fading winter, and muddied water puddles had formed all around.

And Bond, as it appeared,

loved

mud.

He 'd stepped into the park, walking obediently alongside Loid, sniffing the air with great interest ' but then his gaze had zeroed on a huge, brown puddle the size of a bus, and Loid had found himself propelled forward before he could even process the dog 's sudden behavior change. He 'd let go of the leash in a pure survival instinct; dislocating his shoulder by trying to hold on to a hundred-pound beast had

not

seemed like a good idea, and he doubted he could have stopped Bond even if he 'd been physically and mentally prepared to.

Which left Loid and Yor staring in mild horror and absolute despair as a giant, currently

brown

dog rolled around with overjoyed barks, as if Bond had just discovered the greatest wonder that life could ever offer, while Anya squealed in laughter, body shaking through uncontrolled gasps and hiccups.

The dog was more tornado than animal, jumping with relentless frenzy into the large pools of mud that had formed into the park overnight, rolling and squirming furiously within them like it was his truest purpose. And then would come the apotheosis of his joy: a jump back to his four, sludge-covered paws, a deep and long breath, and then a great shaking of his entire body ' an explosion of mud, a firework of dirty splatters.

He would pause, then, basking in complete joy, before doing it all over again.

Of course, despite both of Yor 's and his attempts, the dog remained utterly deaf to their calls and pleas, running around the park, barking and jumping to his heart's content. He was usually extremely attentive, and well trained ' but right there, right then? Loid suspected not even the smell of grilling meat would have stopped him.

In another lifetime, or if Bond had been anyone else 's dog, maybe he would have allowed himself to enjoy the spectacle. The dog 's joy was contagious, especially coupled to Anya 's relentless giggles ' it was a truly gorgeous way to start the day. Birds had started to chirp hours ago, swallows and chickadees flying past them in a swift flutter of wings, and he 'd pointed out to Yor on the way some early blooming flowers growing along the path. Had it been any other Saturday, they would probably have then gotten home, and settled on the couch to watch Anya 's beloved cartoons, treating themselves to some snacks and warm drinks.

Such plans were quickly forgotten ' all Loid could now think about was how painful cleaning Bond 's unavoidable mess would be.

Yor slipped an arm under his, and pulled him up. He hadn 't noticed that he was still kneeling down, clothes ruined and ego bruised.

'I think we 're going to have to bath him, ' she told him.

'And clean the house, ' he murmured apologetically. 'I doubt he 'll have dried off by the time we come home. '

She smiled. There was a twinkle of amusement shining in her irises, and Loid realized she didn 't seem the least bothered by their unexpected situation. 'It 's fine. I needed to clean the floor anyway. '

She still hadn 't let go of his arm. He swallowed with difficulty, but made no move to shift out of her gentle grasp. 'I guess it was time to give him a bath, anyway. I heard fleas were more common at this time of the year, so I bought some dog shampoo the other day. '

They glanced back over to Bond and Anya ' the former had finally calmed down, and was hopping over to the later. The little girl was breathing loudly, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes, cheeks bright red and smile broader than he 'd ever seen.

And then Bond looked idly in his direction, tongue lolling and halting in content exhaustion, before promptly freezing as his gaze crossed Loid 's.

He

grinned

.

Looked like the rebellious dog had just guessed what was in store for him.

'You 're looking a bit scary, ' Yor chuckled nervously next to him.

Not that he could blame her ' Bond had every right to be terrified, mud-dripping fur, dirt-kissed snoot and smug panting aside.

Because he 'd understood from the moment his suit-clad knees had touched the soil that the dog had declared

war

.

And Loid Forger might have been a devoted father, but

Twilight

would take no prisoners.

In the end, it wasn 't that much of a struggle to get Bond back onto his leash ' mostly because Yor had kindly volunteered to carry the dog back to their house, who seemed all well too aware of the threat it represented, since he 'd immediately sat down to Loid 's side with the most obedient and innocent expression a guilty animal could have ever mustered.

Loid didn 't miss the curious glances their neighbors offered them ' quite the sight they made indeed, walking through the fanciest streets of the town in all of their muddied glory ' but it was almost a relief when he finally opened the door of their apartment. He didn 't manage to bite back the sigh that heaved out of his lungs as the dog padded inside, immediately leaving dirty trails of drying soil behind him.

He mouthed another apology to Yor, and removed his shoes.

'Alright, Bond. Let 's get you cleaned up. '

Bond gave him a dejected stare ' his ears and tail drooped immediately, and the pleading gaze might have worked if the dog hadn 't looked like he 'd just drowned in a pool of chocolate.

Loid felt his eyebrow twitch. 'I can assure you ' if you cooperate, it will be much more pleasant for the both of us. In the bathroom.

Now

. '

Bond didn 't end up having much of a choice ' Yor had gotten the mop and vacuum cleaner out of the closet already, and the noise the latter caused was apparently something the dog loathed even more than baths.

Loid must have been exasperated at his clothes being ruined, but he wasn't a

monster

' he helped Bond climb into the tub, made sure that the water was perfectly lukewarm and the pressure not too strong, and then started to brush along the dog 's thick, growingly damp fur in an attempt to make the process more enjoyable.

It, sadly, didn 't work.

Over the first few days after having

adopted

the dog, considering his imposing size, as well as the gruff tone of his voice when he 'd bark, Loid had supposed that Bond communicated in a deep, low voice. He hadn 't been

entirely

right.

Because Bond went rigid the moment the first rivulets of water splashed against his fur, and immediately started complaining.

It wasn 't anything gruff or low-pitched, though ' but rather an insufferable shrill, a long-winded howling from deep within the dog 's chest, a cry resonating against the marble tiles in some kind of infernal lament.

The dog was certainly full of surprises, and Loid found himself wondering which of them was going to be the most painful.

He tried to show compassion, at first. He could understand that forced baths were a most unpleasant experience, especially for a thick-coated breed like Bond 's, whose heavy fur probably felt like cold lead once it started to get really damp.

But the dog was attempting to climb out of the tub with loud yowls, all while dripping wet and still more brown than white, and Loid hadn 't even been able to reach the bottle of soap yet. Mud was running down the coarse fur, and he didn 't dare imagine the state the bathroom would end up in if Bond decided to shake himself now.

He got his answer anyway, a mere seconds later.

'Is everything alright? ' Yor asked, peering through the bathroom door, Anya standing close behind her. 'We heard ' oh

dear

. '

Loid smiled at the girls. He felt the last edges of his dignity slip between his fingers, along with the droplets of sludge running down his cheeks.

'I think, ' he started, voice remarkably steady for a man that was now as covered in mud as his dog, 'that Bond doesn 't like baths that much. '

Anya nodded empathically, obviously feeling worse for the dog than for him, while Yor poorly attempted to hide her smile behind her hand. It seemed like he lived in a house full of

traitors

.

'I 'll help you, Papa, ' the pink-haired girl offered, clearly excited at the prospect of splashing Bond with water. 'I 'll go get changed! '

She ran off before he could say anything. Ignoring Bond 's loud whines, Loid found himself sending Yor a guilty smile.

'I 'm terribly sorry about the mess. I 'll make sure to clean everything. '

'It 's alright, ' his dark-haired companion replied easily, stepping into the bathroom. She 'd already changed clothes, he noticed then, and had tied her long hair into a high ponytail. 'It was bound to happen someday. Here, let me help you too. It 'll be easier with the three of us. '

'You don 't have to- ' he started, even as she kneeled down next to him, reaching to pat the dog 's wet snoot in a comforting gesture. 'You 've already done a

lot

. '

'Nonsense. I 'm here because I want to. Besides, ' she leaned towards him, smiling conspiratorially, 'As unusual as it might be, I think this can be quite an amusing bonding activity. '

He grinned back. 'Can 't say I ever pictured myself spending family time this way. '

Her giggles were interrupted by Anya slamming the door open.

'I know what we 're missing! We need

bubbles

! '

The smell of damp fur was decidedly a strange one, as Loid and the rest of the Forger family discovered soon enough.

'Papaaaaaaaa, ' Anya whined out longly like it was

his

fault, although the complaint 's effect wasn 't quite so strong with the little girl pinching her nose. She was looking at him accusingly, a deep frown etched onto her face. 'Bond

stinks

! I thought baths were supposed to make him smell good! '

Bond whined back, although noticeably softer. Yor and Anya had made an excellent job of calming him down.

'It 's because we haven 't dried him yet, ' Loid explained tiredly, resisting the urge to pinch his nose with foam-covered fingers. His arms were

aching

.

They 'd finally gotten rid of most of the mud, and Bond finally looked like a snow-colored dog once again, covered in now pristine bubbles and white foam. The rest of the bathroom had encountered a similar fate, especially after Anya had spilled much more shampoo than what would have been advised under the running faucet ' which had led to an expected mountain of froth, much to the child 's delight.

What did they even use in their dog shampoo?

'Or maybe we should use more shampoo, ' Anya suggested helpfully.

Loid winced. 'I really think we should

not

. '

'But look, ' she pointed out to the bathtub in a dejected wave of the hand. 'The bubbles are gone. '

'Not all of them. Here. ' He reached out in the tub, scooped some foam with the palm of his hand, and positioned it towards the ceiling to blow into it gently. Irised bubbles flew out from his fingers, and Anya squealed.

A spark of nearly-childish joy burst within his heart, a long-forgotten memory rising back to the surface of his mind; a late summer day, the long, wavy golden hair of his mother, and soap floating around their tiny bathroom.

'

Again

! ' Anya pleaded.

He indulged her once, twice, and then Yor joined in ' it became a dance of froth and sun-lit rainbows, a symphony of chuckles and laughter.

He found himself having to catch his breath, and wondered when he 'd managed to get so deeply lost in the moment. More strangely enough, he felt no guilt at having enjoyed it.

No

, he mused,

it was a lie

.

There was nothing strange about it. He 'd enjoyed himself. He 'd been enjoying a lot of things lately, if he had to be honest with himself. He was becoming more Loid Forger than Twilight with each day,

each hour, each minute

he spent under that name.

And he couldn 't bring himself to feel regret or apprehension over it ' not when he looked at

them

.

Bubbles had formed petals of foam in Yor 's and Anya 's hair ' and they were wearing their iridescent crowns with the most absolute grace, smiling at him and Bond with joyous fondness. Loid caught sight of a rebellious lock of black hair, and of a lone pearl of soap that had attached itself to it ' he unconsciously leaned towards her to reach it, and brushed his fingers against the silky strand.

Scarlet bloomed at the nape of her neck, and only then he realized what he 'd just done.

Anya, her bright perception worthy of being a curse and a blessing at once, intervened once again before he had the chance to say anything.

'Are you going to

kiss

? ' She sounded equally excited and disgusted at the idea.

They jerked away from each other as if burnt, and resolutely went to look at the inside of the bathtub like there was nowhere else they 'd rather watch.

Bond gave him a long, annoyed look, and huffed loudly. Froth glided down his back.

'Sorry, boy, ' Loid apologized. His voice was a bit strangled.

He tried, and failed, to attribute the burning in his cheeks to exertion.

It took time, but Bond was finally washed and dried ' he was offered a treat for his reluctant cooperation, which considerably brightened his mood. They then settled on the couch, television tuned to the much awaited cartoon although its most impatient spectator was out cold, snoring softly with her mouth gaping open.

Not that Loid was feeling much better himself ' it was barely eleven in the morning, and he was thoroughly exhausted. He 'd just realized he 'd been reading the same line over and over again when Yor called his name quietly, mindful of the sleeping girl.

He turned his head in her direction with a questioning glance. She showed him Bond 's slumped form, at the feet of the sofa, his enormous body raising and falling rhythmically. He looked at him in confusion for a moment, before he realized what she was actually pointing at : a patch of fur, on the floor.

'We

might

have a problem. '

Dogs, as it turned out, would shed a lot after being bathed. It seemed reasonable, all things considered; they 'd been thorough with their brushing, and had probably removed a lot of dead hair from Bond 's thick mane, which would now fall at the slightest brush of air.

What Loid had never considered was just

how much

the dog would be able to shed.

They 'd started finding fur everywhere: floating in the air, clinging to furniture and clothes (a pure logistical nightmare, when it came to Anya 's black uniform or the wool of Yor 's cardigan), even getting in the

fridge

out of all places. They would pet him, only to find their hand covered in white, their shirts sporting another whole layer of material.

He really felt like he was losing the last threads of his sanity; it probably wouldn 't take much longer before fur started invading his dreams too.

He tried brushing Bond several times; the dog was thankfully compliant this time, maybe even grateful as he enjoyed Loid 's ministrations. He lost count of the handfuls of fur he removed; there was probably enough of it falling off to knit sweaters for the entire family.

On the fifth day of finding white hair in his coffee, he glanced at Bond consideringly. 'Maybe we should shave him. '

He didn 't, of course ' even if the dog 's loud, horrified howling hadn 't been enough of a deterrent, Anya 's aghast expression certainly would have been. Nevertheless, he considered it many, many times over the next weeks, until finally came the blessed first day of a hairless coffee.

Bond, indeed, was a dog full of surprises.

And shedding, as it appeared, was going to be the most painful of them.

' He supposed there were worse fates than his.