Chapter Text

Pride, pettiness and dogs.

Elizabeth could only just prevent groaning aloud. She was walking her dog, Dobby (Yes, he was named after the Harry Potter character. No, she didn't care if people thought she was a nerd. He was a free elf who didn't deserve to die, damn it). She and Dobby had just arrived in the park near her house when they happened to run into Darcy. He, just as her, was walking his dog.

Of all fucking people it had to be Darcy she ran into. Infuriatingly hot as he was, he was also infuriatingly snobbish and haughty. They worked together and never in her life had she met someone who looked more like he had a stick up his arse at all times. (Well if she was completely honest Caroline, another colleague, took that title, but he was a close second)

If she were to believe in a God, she would assume he was trying to punish her. Now she had to run into Darcy in the weekend as well, couldn't she have a break for one second? She plastered a fake smile on her face and greeted him whilst trying to avoid further conversation by just keeping on walking. Unlucky for her Dobby seemed very interested in Darcy's dog, so she had no other chance than to stop. Darcy taciturn as always, greeted her back, but after that he seemed at loss for words. So it remained up to her to make some small talk. Great.

"What's the name of your dog?"

"What?"

"The name. Of your dog."

"Oh, euhm Minny."

If she didn't know him better, she could have sworn that he was blushing a little.

"After Minny Mouse?"

"Well, no actually. We got her the week after my sister and I went to see 'The help' so she decided it was a good idea to name her after one of the main characters. She said that the puppy looked like she would grow to become a badass woman. How a puppy can look badass is beyond my imagination but.. She was determined so I couldn't get it over my heart to say no."

Elizabeth vowed at that moment that Darcy's sister was a great human being. A person who named their dog after an inspiring fictional character and didn't care that that wasn't an appropriate name for the probably very expensive pedigree dog, was just the person she would want to become friends with.

"That's really lovely."

Darcy looked at Elizabeth apparently trying to make out if she was taking the piss.

"No, I'm serious. The help is truly a great movie and Minny is my favourite character in it. Really it's a great name. Also they're probably similar in other ways too. I can imagine that you wouldn't eat anything Minny here would give you that looks chocolaty." (Stupid joke Elizabeth, how lame could she be).

Darcy grinned. Darcy fucking grinned. Elizabeth's brain was in full meltdown mode. First of all, this was the first time, she had seen him smile. Ever. And second, it was a fucking entrancing smile that made her feel all wobbly and gooey . Damn you hormones. They were traitors. She had vowed to dislike him after he had been rude to her the first time they had met. And now her pettiness was abandoning her.

To find her balance, she looked away from Darcy and watched the dogs. The dogs that were sniffing each other's buts just then.

Darcy commented drily: "Well, I think they like each other."

Elizabeth felt herself starting to smile. Until they were openly grinning at each other.

Darcy made a weird sort of 'after you' gesture in the direction of the park (it was kind of endearing really).

Would you mind walking together?

No, I think that would be great. For the dogs I mean, so they have a playmate, haha. (Smooth Elizabeth, smooth).

They started walking further into the park. They chatted and played with the dogs for almost an hour and Elizabeth didn't once feel the urge to murder him. (And that folks was a record)

Later that evening after she returned home she declared to her sister Jane that maybe Darcy wasn't so bad after all.

If she was completely honest to herself she felt a bit lightheaded when she reminisced about his smile. But she decided honesty wasn't the way to go and sometimes kidding herself was better for her self esteem. She was a strong independent woman and she wouldn't fall head over heels for someone after talking with him for only an hour after disliking him for almost a year.

She did admit to herself however, that she wouldn't mind walking in to him again when walking Dobby in the park.

THE END