#John Wick x Audeline

[fics-not-tragedies]

Heart of a dog: One

Yes, another new fic; yes, I am absolutely nuts. Few spoilers from “Chapter One” ahead, mixed with puppy fluff (we all need some puppy fluff in our lives), sorta AU I’d say, because well we have Daisy in there ;)

SUMMARY: After making an advert in a newspaper John hires a dogsitter for Daisy.

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Readers tag list:

@spookier-than-u; @sparrowsparrow; @magdazwolska; @mikaneonox; @derangedcupcake; @geostarr; @catsmieow; @wickedlangdon; @bodhi-black; @bugalouie; @onebatch--twobatch; @fandom-lover-4; @drunkonyellow; @semtempoirmaoo; @spadesandaces2342; @harrisongslimited; @a--1--1--3; @hhighkey; @lunilate; @i-cant-remember-my-old-login;

The house was quite outstanding compared to the ones she saw on her way here. It was standing on the sidelines, away from the main road; looked like the owner needed peace in his not so little safe haven. Those tall windows felt intimidating when she saw them, but most of them was covered in fairly opaque blinds stopping the outside world from interfering with the inside one.

His lawn was neatly trimmed, the juicy color of the grass showed that the owner was really taking care of everything or perhaps he had a bunch of people that do it for him. Two tall and sprawled trees were planted on each side of the concrete path that lead to the doors. Those were weeping willows, she knew them from the tree study she had to do back in the days she started her adventure with art.

She stopped by the entrance and lifted her hand, but flinched it away right before she could find the courage to knock at his door. There wasn’t any bell visible on the wall beside the entrance, so she had to announce her arrival the old school way. The lack of bell only stressed the fact that her perhaps-new-boss was a real fan of doing thing the old ways. Who writes an advert in a daily newspaper?

Of course he has to be old, not a single middle-aged man would post about his need for a dogsitter in a newspaper, they would simply made an online post in one of the advertising sites or in a dogsitting forum. It didn’t looked like there were many people waiting for their job interview.

There were no cars parked outside and it felt like she was the only one who ever responded to his advert. The old suitcase she was holding in her hand was becoming heavy, so she placed it on the ground right next to her feet.

With few deep breaths she finally found the courage to knock at the doors, the sound of her fist meeting the wooden entrance echoed in the hall. She took a step back, waiting for someone to appear in the door frame.

A face flashed behind the glass pane mounted in the wall by the doors and they opened, a tall man standing in the entry. He stepped out of the house and looked at the girl that was standing at his doorstep.

“Mister Wick?” she asked slightly confused, taking another step backwards and stumbling on the steps, waving her hands around her body, trying not to fall back, “Oh” she mouthed when she regained her balance. A small smile was dancing on his lips and he tried his best not to giggle out loud.

“Please call me John. You must be Audeline, it’s really nice to- Daisy no!” he shouted as the tiny Beagle puppy sprinted from between his legs and jumped onto the girl. Daisy was hopping on her back legs, while the front ones were patting Audeline's calf. Her tail was wagging back and forth, and she whined happily when the girl crouched, letting her lick her hand.

“She’s so cute!” she lifted the pup, taking it in her hands as she got back to a standing position. Daisy barked few times and moved to lick her face making her giggle out loud.

“Oh yes, she loves to lick people’s faces” John scoffed, as she gently patted the pup’s head, seeing how the little dog yawns and nests itself in her embrace.

With the puppy falling asleep in her arms Audeline finally had the time to take a better look at her owner. John was nowhere near the assumption of the old man she made at the beginning. His broad shoulders and arms that were barely fitting in the short sleeves of his T-shirt were the only things that she payed attention to right now.

A smile was still hiding in the corners of his mouth as his dark eyes were scanning her figure. She reminded him of Goldilocks, her thick, amber colored locks were tied partially at the back of her head with grey ribbon.

The way she held his dog, the view of her with Daisy in her arms pulled few strings in his heart and once again John felt things that withered in the moment his wife died.

“I think you’re hired” he mumbled out, their eyes meeting for the first time.

“You don’t have other candidates?” she wondered, the puppy snored a little, those cute noises making them both laugh. John picked up her suitcase and invited her inside with a gesture of his hand.

“Well… Daisy loves you and honestly- you were the only one that responded to my advert” they both walked inside the hall and he locked the door behind them.

“You’re kidding me?” she turned around to face him and he stopped in front of her. John just smiled, seeing how comfortable his dog feels in her arms.

“No, not at all.”

There was something diverse in the simplicity of her blue eyes. He saw thousands of blue eyes in his lifetime, but there was something about hers that was quite mesmerizing.

“Only one bag?” John asked her, placing the worn out suitcase onto his couch. She was wandering through the living room, looking out the windows, admiring the view, with the pup still hurdled up in her arms.

She turned around on her heel and walked over to him, “I have all I need right inside of it” when she smiled at him it felt like a ray of morning sun that shun right through his heart.

“I prepared a room for you, with a nice view, since you mentioned that you like to paint” there wasn’t anything he could do but simply smile back at her.

When they first talked on the phone she seemed too young for him, but he had to admit that she has the perfect hand for dogs and it looked like she was able to slightly melt his ice cold heart.

“I’d love to give you a tour of the whole place, but I have to go soon. Let me carry your luggage to your room, it’s the first one on the left” he smiled once again, then disappeared upstairs.

The small dog bed was placed by the couch and she gently placed Daisy onto it, observing how she stretched her legs a little and laid on her side, a variety of snores leaving her snout. Kicking off her Converse shoes, she grabbed them in her hand and wandered after John, then into the first room on the left.

Her suitcase was placed on the bed with sheets wrapped in flowery lining. It was brand new, because she noticed the tag that was hanging from one of the corners. After placing her fatigued shoes by the bed, she opened her suitcase and began to unpack it.

Main part of her baggage was compiled from variety of paint brushes in different sizes, few empty canvas, two pencil cases with pencils and crayons, a large sketchbook and few types of paints, along with the “1001 paintings you must see before you die” book. On the very bottom of it there were two dresses, another pair of Converse shoes, two blouses, skirt and few pieces of underwear mixed with socks.

The closet he prepared for her was enormous and absolutely unnecessary for those few pieces of clothing she owned. When she was done with placing her clothing there she noticed the huge desk that was placed by the windows. The top part of it was adjustable, so she could move it to various positions depending on what she was doing.

“Audeline?” John called her name and she slid across the wooden flooring in her socks, then took a step into the hall.

He was just simply standing close to he stairs, but it make her jaw drop nonetheless. Dressed in all black suit, with a duffel bag on his shoulder, he opened his mouth to say something, but when he saw the look she had on her face after she emerged from the room he snickered a little, but remained silent.

“Y-you, erm… going… work?” she mumbled out, rubbing her temple harshly and he had to bit his lower lip so he didn’t laughed out loud, making her feel even more awkward.

With his hair slicked back he looked even more stunning, the black attire he put on looked too good on him and she felt how her mouth started watering. She gulped down the lump in her throat.

“The dog food is in the cupboard above the sink, her leash is hanged by the doors. Don’t open if you’re not expecting anyone” his forehead scrunched a little like he was trying to remember all of the things he wanted to tell her, “Oh, and your keys are on your desk. I think we’ll get along after all” the corner of his mouth raised a little and he walked down the stairs, but suddenly stopped, like he wanted to have one last look at her, “Goodnight Audeline.”

“G-goodnight John” she blurted out and stood, like she was frozen in place.

The last bit of her that he saw while walking downstairs was the pair of her outrageously colorful socks and he couldn’t help but smile again.

She sprinted to the windows in her room, lifting the blinds, so he could watch John drive in his car from the garage. He stopped for a moment, looking up at her windows, seeing her figure pressed against the glass pane and when their eyes met John knew that she will play a bigger role in his life.

Maybe just like Daisy Audeline was sent to change his life somehow.