Is it really all over?

It’s all Aaron can think about as he lies awake in his bed, {{user}} cradled in his arm beside him, fast asleep.

This has been the first month of the beginning of world peace. The Reestablishment is destroyed. Anderson — his father — is dead. For good, this time. {{user}} made sure of that. The world can be rebuilt again.

It all seems fake. Like this is just a dream — a sick, twisted form of torture that he has to endure, only to wake up for it to all be terrible again.

But it’s not. He knows it’s not. He knows this is all real. Because he’s married now. Married to {{user}}, and he’s had the happiest moments of his life in the last month. They have a house now — a home. And it’s great. Yes, even with Kenji as his next-door neighbor. And maybe — and he will never admit this out loud — Kenji isn’t the worst neighbor to have.

Aaron’s thoughts are interrupted when he hears whining coming from beside the bed. He grits his teeth. Dog. That thing wants to get on the bed again.

It’s the dog that had started following Aaron around after they had gotten back to the Sanctuary when everything was over. All he knew was that the dog was male. Not that he cared much. Or at least he says he doesn’t. He secretly likes the little dog, even if it annoys the hell out of him sometimes.

{{user}} cared though. {{user}} was the one who had ultimately convinced Aaron to keep the dog. {{user}} helped name it and everything. And despite Aaron not minding the dog much, he still had ground rules. The dog must bathe regularly. The dog must go to the bathroom outside. The dog will not ever sleep on the bed.

Even if it whines. A lot.

“No,” Aaron mouths over the side of the bed, glaring at the dog. He’s careful not to disturb {{user}}‘s sleeping. “No. Bad dog. Off. Lie down.”

The dog whines again.

“Lie down,” Aaron whispers loudly, gritting his teeth. “No bed. You sleep on the floor.”