an. this is cheesy and fluffy and i am pretty disgusted with my self. Written for 14 days of Valentines on Tumblr. Baron/OC.

Puppy Love

It was a beautiful day for a walk in the park and Dante had been cooped up all day. Baron grabbed the leash off of the rack beside the door and whistled. He heard the heavy footfalls of his four-legged companion as he trotted out of the bedroom (most likely he had spent the afternoon napping on the bed), tail wagging and tongue flopping.

"Hey there boy," Baron said as he scratched him behind the ears before attaching the leash to his studded color. "How about a little walk at the park."

Dante wagged his tail with avid enthusiasm and barked. Baron laughed and grabbed his phone and house key before leading the way out the door, closing and locking it behind him.

-x-x-x-

It was sunny and there was not a cloud in sight in Tampa when the duo reached the dog park two blocks from the apartment. Dante sniffed the ground and tugged at his leash. He loved the dog park. Dante was a gentle giant, at 120 pounds. He loved playing and chasing the other dogs at the park and who was Baron to deny him such a simple pleasure?

Baron removed Dante's leash and folded it. He followed behind as Dante trotted around the park, sniffing and whining. The park was quieter than usual, much to the Great Dane's dismay. The dog headed for a patch of trees a few feet away while Baron took a seat on one of the benches and looked around the park.

That was when he noticed her, about 10 yards away. He had seen her at the park a few times, always with her camera, snapping photos of the dogs, trees and flowers. She clutched the camera in her hand as she focused the zoom on a small grouping of flowers beneath a large oak tree. Her dark hair was braided to the side and she wore a black cap atop her head.

There was something about her that intrigued him. Maybe it was the fact that she never acknowledged anyone or anything, she was too intent on her work. Or maybe it was the way she squinted up at the sky and trees, or the way she looked at everything in the park with unyielding appreciation.

He was so lost in his reverie he never heard Dante bark, or saw him take off in a sprint toward the unidentified female, until it was too late. Dante made a beeline for the brunette and jumped up, tackling her to the ground and licking her face.

"Dante! No!" Baron bellowed as he popped up from the bench and darted across the grass. He grabbed Dante by the collar and pulled him away, snapping his leash back onto his collar and wrapping it tightly around one hand. "I am so sorry." He reached out with his free hand to help her up.

The brunette huffed and took his outstretched hand and clambered to her feet. Once on her feet she reached for the camera around her neck and gasped when she realized it was missing. Se cussed and spun around, looking for her it on the ground.

She found it a few feet away and picked it up. She frowned as she inspected it, turning it over in her hands.

"I am sorry. Dante just gets so excited when he sees people. I swear I will replace it."Baron watched as the brunette held her camera, a look of horror on her beautiful face.

"My parents bought me this camera."

"Okay – well maybe we can get it repaired?" Baron suggested. He felt terrible that Dante had broken her camera. He kept a tight grip on the leash as he approached her. "We can go right now. There is a camera shop a few blocks from here."

"Seriously?" The brunette sounded surprised.

"Yea. I want to make sure you get your camera fixed. It is obvious it means a lot to you and I feel really bad my dog destroyed it. I am Thomas, by the way."

"Aimee." She smiled slightly. "I assume he is friendly?" She pointed at Dante, who wagged his tail and nudged her hand with his muzzle.

"Overly." Baron chuckled. "You can pet him if you want. I am sure he would love it."

Aimee scratched the dog behind the ears. He licked happily at her hands and wrists as he wagged his tail. "It's not easy to be mad at you when you are so adorable."

"Yea, a real heart-breaker." Baron said, "Let's get your camera to the shop."

She nodded and followed Baron as he led the way toward the street, "So what do you do, Baron?"

"I'm a wrestler."

"That must take a lot of dedication."

"What about you? Are you a photographer or is it just a hobby."

"A bit of both, really. I am a journalist."

"That sounds fascinating. What do you write about?"

"Today I was working on an article for a magazine about the history of the area. I was taking a few pictures of the park to include in the article."

"Until Dante smashed your camera, I hope he didn't ruin your photos."

"It's okay, really. I can take the SD card out when we get to the shop and I can upload what photos I have and chose from them."

"Are you from around here?"

"A recent transplant actually. I was born in Maine."

"That is quite the change."

Aimee shrugged, "It is nice here; although, I miss the snow around Christmas time."

"I can imagine." Baron replied. "Here we are." He said as they approached the shop. He grabbed the door and held it open for her.

"Thank you." She said as she walked inside. Baron followed behind, after tying Dante up to a pole where he could be seen through the window. She walked up to the counter where an older gentleman with salt and pepper hair stood, looking at a digital camera.

"Good afternoon, how can I help you today?" He asked, looking from Aimee to Baron.

"I was hoping you could fix this camera." Aimee sat her camera in front of him on the counter.

"As quickly as possible," Baron added. "I will be paying for the repairs."

"It will take me a few hours but, I can have it done by tomorrow afternoon.

"Really? That is wonderful." Aimee smiled brightly and Baron found himself smiling as well.

"Great so, do I pay the bill tomorrow when we pick it up?"

"Yes. Can you come back around three o'clock?"

"That is fine by me, Aimee are you okay with that?"

Aimee nodded, "Yea I can be here."

"I will see you at three then. Have a good day."

"Thank you, you too." Aimee smiled followed Baron out the door. Baron crouched down to untie Dante's leash from the pole and she leaned against the corner of the building. "I can't believe he was able to get my repair in so quickly. Thank you so much for getting it fixed for me."

"Well my dog did smash it. I would a real dick if I refused to pay for it." Baron got to his feet.

Aimee laughed and Baron once again found himself smiling. Her laugh was melodic. He wrapped Dante's leash around his hand. "So maybe you can give me your number and address and I can pick you up around twelve tomorrow?"

"Twelve?" Aimee sounded surprised, "He said the camera would be done at three."

"But twelve is the time people usually have lunch."

"Lunch?"

"Yea, you know. To make up for my dog mauling you in the park and smashing your camera, and because you are gorgeous and I was hoping I could get to know you better."

Aimee stared at him in surprise. She fidgeted nervously with the end of her braid, her cheeks flushed and rosy. "Well, I - - - Yea, I mean that sounds nice. Let me give you my number and then I can text you the address later."

Baron grabbed his phone out of his pocket and handed it to the brunette who took it with a shy smile. She slid her finger across the screen and punched in her name and number before handing it back to him. "I guess I will see you tomorrow." She said with a smile before turning and walking around the corner in the opposite direction.

Baron watched her leave, a smile on his face. "C'mon buddy, let's go home." He patted Dante on the head and tugged gently as the leash as he began the five block walk back to his apartment. He was right; it had been the perfect day to go for a walk at the park.