#i know EXACTLY what i want from a collie and this breeding is not in the cards for another few years

[bas-rouge]

After speaking to two people I deeply admire, love, and respect, I think I'm going to reconsider my whole approach to Puppy. I have 3 breeders I plan to reach out to. Knowing exactly what I want is both a blessing and a curse... sigh

[velvetydream]

꒰ : 🍃 [ A fox's heat ] ”♡ᵎ꒱ˀˀ ↷ ⋯

Summary : Due to an unfortunate event your boyfriend started to act weird, you should soon know why.

Pairing : Tighnari x fem! Reader

Word count : 1.9K Words

Genre : Smut with plot

Smut content ➵ Breeding / Mating Kink, Possesiveness, Praising, Raw (Wrap it up people), Knotting, Petnames

Authors note : I love Nari sm omg

It was a quiet morning; Tighnari was out with Collei, and you decided to sleep long before getting ready slowly, eating a nice breakfast, and cleaning Tighnari's workplace before helping the forest ranger outside. The sun was shining down today, but luckily, the trees of the rainforest cast some nice shadows to be safe from the heat. Wiping the sweat from your forehead you talk calmly to a new forest ranger, assuring he wasn't going to die from the fruit he ate. The poor boy came from Mondstadt and never saw the fruits or vegetables from Sumeru, probably.

"Master Y/N! We need your help!" Colleis's shrill voice screamed for you; immediately turned around to catch the young girl running to you, your warm hands on her shoulders. "Collei? What happened? Calm down, darling, and explain." It was strange that Tighnari wasn't with her, so something must've happened, you just hope that stupid man didn't decide to eat some unknown mushrooms again. "Master T-Tighnari he.. We found this flower patch we had never seen before. He picked some up and started to inspect them, and then he fell unconscious! Cyno is with him now, but..! I don't know what happened." She was rambling again; she always was when something happened to her friends or anyone, actually. "Okay, my love, calm down, lead the way, and we'll bring him back here; you two, come along!" Calling over two more forest rangers, Collei quickly started to lead the way; it was a short walk, but luckily, not too far away.

Upon arriving, you could see the fox-eared man sit up, arm on his knee as his hand holds his head. "Nari! What happened? How are you feeling?" Crouching down in front of the man now, you could see the blush on his face; oh no, was he getting a fever from those flowers? Maybe an allergic reaction. "He sat up shortly before you came, he hasn't spoken a single word since then." Cyno stood behind you now, explaining the situation to you and making you nod. "Okay, let's bring him back. Cyno, could you help carry him, please? I think he starts to have a fever, probably some reaction to the flowers; I'll have to make some medicine to hopefully wear the effects off." Cyno nods as he picks Tighnari up, the arms of your boyfriend around Cyno and the other forest ranger now. Still not talking, his eyes in a haze, this was definitely bad.

Looking down as they get a few steps away, you crouch down to touch the flowers despite Collei's protest, but they have no effect on you; they smell rather pleasantly. "Are you sure it's a good idea to touch and smell them?!" Collei was obviously worried about you, which made you chuckle, shaking your head. "It's fine, I'm pretty sure they won't affect normal humans but Tighnari.. it must be because of his fox genes.. Let's take some with us, but please you take them, I want to inspect them some more without exposing Nari further to them." Collie nods as you quickly plug a few flowers before Cyno's voice calls you to catch up with them. "Comming!" Running after them now, you worriedly look at Tighnari; his whole body was slumped over, his tail dragging after him as his breathing was rather hard.

"Good, please lay him down here Cyno, put that on his forehead. I'll start the medicine." Handing Cyno a bowl with ice cold water and a rag as you start to gather everything to hopefully ease the symptoms. If you knew what flower that was and what exactly the effect they had on him, you could make something much better, but this will have to do now. "Nari, open up; this will make you feel better.." His glazed eyes look at you and then the medicine as he shakes his head, trying to roll away from you onto his side just to groan in pain. "Stubborn fox, seriously, you're a forest ranger and practice medicine yourself, yet you refuse to take this.." Groaning now, your hand grabs his shoulder harshly as you push me onto his back, sitting down on his stomach to pin him down, his body thrashing. "N-No! Stop!" Finally, he spoke, yet that won't get him around the medicine. "It's your own fault to go inspect and try everything you don't know." You tell him, as your hand grabs his chin, pushing your thumb into the corner of his mouth; he opens it, his sharp teeth shining as you let the elixir trickle down into his mouth, making him swallow by holding his chin up and mouth closed.

"Is that how he always takes his medicine?" Cyno stands beside the bed now as he watches you stand up as Tighnari falls asleep. "Yeah, he hates to take them; either I put them into his food or drink, but then he sometimes notices and throws it away, so I mostly settle for this way." Wiping some sweat from your forehead after fighting the fox, you put the washcloth onto his forehead and the blanket back over him. "Well, I'll go check on Collie; make sure to take care of him." Cyno closes the door after himself after you bid your goodbye, looking over to the sleeping fox now, hoping the symptoms would soon wear off.

Getting back to your studies now, you open the book where you left off as you start to examine the gems you have found, trying to determine what they could be. Lumine even brought some last time she visited from Liyue and Inazuma which was such a great find.

Immersed in your studying, you didn't notice your boyfriend waking up, scanning the room until his eyes landed on you. Standing up on wobbly feet, he walks over to you, his arms laying around your shoulders immediately, as his face hides in your neck, jumping a little from surprise. "Nari! You're awake, how are you feeling? Is the fever going down?" Looking over your shoulder, he was still beet red, his eyes half-lidded and still hazed. "You smell so sweet.. My beautiful mate.." He groans into your neck, before meeting your eyes. Oh fuck. "Nari.. Don't tell me.." He groans softly from the way you say his name, confirming your suspicion even more. "Need to breed you full till you can't walk anymore." His sharp teeth graze your neck, over the mark he had left long ago, marking you as his mate. "Help me.. Please.. It's so hot I.. I can't take it anymore.." He whimpers.. he never whimpers. Those flowers must've triggered his heat to come early. Normally, it should've still been a few weeks at least, but something must've been with these flowers to trigger it.

"Alright, let's take care of you.." Standing up, Tighnari starts pawing at your clothes desperately, pulling your shirt off of you, before attaching his lips to your soft buds, moaning from the feel of them in his mouth. "So soft.." He moans before he pulls his own shirt over his head, revealing his porcelain skin to your eyes, pushing you onto your back on the bed now before he already pounces on you. "I'll make you feel so good, breed you full till you carry my cubs." Kissing down your neck, small little moans escape your mouth as your hand's card through his soft hair, softly scratching his ears. "I love you so much you're so gorgeous.." He mumbles against your skin as he kisses down to your chest and to your stomach. Softly pulling your pants and underwear off of you, his soon following the pile on the floor.

"Have to prep you first so you can take my knot, my love." He whispers against your stomach as his fingers softly glide through your folds, circling your clit a few times softly before moving down as he pushes two fingers into you carefully, your body arching from the feeling of his fingers. They hit just the right spots inside you, hitting the soft gummy spot perfectly. "You're so gorgeous, my darling; how beautiful you'd be all swelled up with my cubs." Moaning from his words now, your walls tighten on him as more slickness coats his fingers from the arousal. "You would like that, right? Have little cubs of our own, running around.." He kisses your neck softly, as his fingers work you open for his knot to come.

"I think you're prepped enough, mh..?" He pulls his fingers up to his face and sucks them clean with a moan before looking down at you as he pushes himself up a little bit. "Ready my love?" Nodding as an answer, he alines his length with your entrance as he starts to softly push in; his size made you arch and moan every time; he was so big, especially now that he was in heat. His head rested on your chest for a while, giving you time to adjust before you tapped his shoulder blade softly to signal him to start moving, which he didn't waste any more time and did. His thrusts at first were slow and deep but grew in pace quickly. Tighnari was never able to last long once he was inside you, but he would last for many rounds, making sure he bred you perfectly full.

"M-My love.. ah.." He kisses your chest softly as he starts to suck the left bud into his mouth again, his right hand coming up to play with the other one. "N-Nari.. oh archons.." Moaning softly, you could feel his length start to pulsate meaning he was rather close, you yourself close to the edge. "Come my beautiful mate~" He murmurs into your ear as his fingers softly circle your clit making your back arch as you drift into the pure bliss of your orgasm. Meanwhile, Tighnaris's thrusts were getting sloppy as he felt his knot swell before emptying his load in you, his knot preventing anything from escaping as it locks him into you for a while, his body softly laid down half on you to make sure he didn't crush you.

"Beautiful.." He mumbles, brushing a few strands from your face, still connected to you, his hand rubbing softly over your stomach and down, knowing exactly you were right now filled with his cum. Exhausted, you drift off into sleep as Tighnari pulls the blanket over you two, planting many kisses on your cheek and temple before the door opens, making him groan and growl possessively. "Okay, dude, I'll leave you be in a bit, I just forgot to give her these gems; seriously, don't go too hard on her." Before Tighnari could throw a book from his bedside table at him, Cyno disappeared again.

Later on, you wake up with many blankets and pillows around you now like a nest, your body cleaned, and a new pair of underwear on you; as you look behind you, you see Tighnari finally asleep without a blush, finally calm. It would definitely take a few rough days for his heat to be over, but you were used to it and loved to help him. Hand rubbing softly over your stomach now as you look down, hopeful that maybe finally, after years of being together, you'd get pregnant.

[originalwinnercheesecake]

Bluey's episode "Surprise" and a discussion on the surprise

One of the first things I did when I woke up this morning was watch the Bluey episode "Surprise". I had three thoughts for most of it 1.) Yeah two kids and two different games is gonna get chaotic. 2.) I feel sorry for Bandit. All my man wanted to do was watch the race. Poor guy will definitely wake up tomorrow covered in bruises. 3.) This feels like a generic episode... why air it after "The Sign"? Like what makes it the better season finale. Then I got to the end.

Spoilers below the line

Adult Bluey. She looks great! I am not gonna lie though she maybe looks a little to young. Someone said she was older now because she has grey in her fur. Maybe I am just bad at guessing dog ages but I thought that was just texture to show her fur had gotten longer/thicker over time. I would have honestly believed that she was 18 and visiting home for the first time after going away to college.; particularly since Chili says Bingo is still at home. Then i remembered Bingo is hinted to have an intrest in the medical field/want to be a doctor, so maybe she stays at home longer to save money while working on her degree. But there is one thing to hint Bluey must actually be in her mid to late 20's at this point....

Her little child. Again I am not the best guess of the characters ages... I am going to guess this kid is around 5 based on them only being about a head smaller than Bluey was when she was 7 and played this trick on Bandit (also I just do not think you give a ball shooter to a toddler. Imagine Muffin with one).

The main topic surrounding this little pup right now seems to be who is the father. I understand the shippers want to know, But I am an adult viewer who really does not have that much interest in ships in a children's show. And there are other things I think people should be asking. First do we think this is Bluey's son or her daughter. They look a lot like Bluey, but also a lot different from her. Plus this show is pretty good at not necessarily making all the girls look exactly like their moms: both Bluey and Socks resemble their fathers and Bingo looks as much like her aunt as she does her mom. Other than that the dogs do not wear cloths and we do not hear a name or voice to help us guess. So really they could be either.

That drives me to my next point. I really want this pup to have a name. I definetly believe that Bluey's child would have a name that starts with "B" to carry on the little tradition from her childhood house. Since we do not know if they are a boy or a girl I have decided to christian them by the gender neutral animal name: "Bean". "Beanie" and "Little Bean" are affectionate names family members will call them. Their favorite breakfast food is biscuits with jelly, because then they will be asked "Jelly Bean?" which makes them laugh so hard they almost roll off their chair

Edit

here is a picture of Bluey's child ("Bean") , that I took off the official wiki, without the toy gear.

They have less jet black fur and more purple/dark blue than it originally looked like they did when they were wearing the toy. Personally I think they look like a blue/grey version of Brandy. Genetics are fun. It is much harder to say looking at this picture if they are a Blue Heeler/Border Collie mix or a Blue Heeler/ Black lab mix. Wiki says this is on purpose as both mixed breed dogs can look fairly alike and that the pup has traits that could come from either Bluey's friend Mackenzie or her Friend Jean Luc. So you heard it here. The creators intentionally left the breed/father of this pup ambiguous, and you are not wrong for believing either one of them is Bluey's husband/ the father.

[x-birdsong-x]

overly specific house dog au headcanons? spill some?

I can try and fit in one post everyone I've settled completely on so far, and also be obnoxious about dog breeds. fun

I've also bothered @greghatecrimes with a lot of these so very big thanks to them for helping me settle on breeds for everyone <3

It's when I've settled on a "base breed" with dogs that sometimes things just go crazy and go from there

Start with the most overly unnecessarily detailed one here you go:

Adams is the oddest most fantasy mixed breed of ALL fucking time her parents are one Belgian Tervuren and one Borzoi x Ibizan Hound and she appeared so much Tervuren that it’s just possible to miss that she’s got any sighthound(s) in her.

Editing to go even more in-detail with this one because my girl deserves it: She ends up looking somewhere between these two:

She’s very pointy and very leggy but she is very long-furred and that's where the mistakes come from. She moves mostly with the gaits of her sighthound sides which the others find is an easy way to make her bristle. She’s prancing across the room and Chase says you move like a sighthound and she says no I don’t (yes she does)

Park is a Silken Windsprite:

Probably struggles in snow and sometimes has to jump and jump to get through it when it's really deep but Adams mumbles that it’s cute and that's Fight invitation. Park brings up that Adams gets snowballs stuck on her and that it takes hours to melt out of her fur. ("Fuck you!" - "Do it yourself!") It's probably fair to say she has some little dog syndrome.

Chase is an Australian Shepherd. House probably used to make comments about he and Cameron both being Merle:

Cameron is this specific Border Collie (but with blue eyes, ofc):

Probably does the Collie Crouch sometimes. Absolutely does the Collie Stare, and that would come into House's "you can't actually pierce me with your eyes" moments.

Foreman is a Central Asian Shepherd:

For a slight visual similarity to how I imagine post-Lockdown Angst Cameron might feel meeting Masters, Masters is a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever:

Probably has what I call in the groomers "Smart Breed Anxiety" along with her autism swag. Dogs who listen to and seem to understand every word you say and if you're telling someone or another pet off for anything, they assume they're the one you're talking to and give all their guilty looks. Also using my Bluebear as reference with that visual.

Thirteen is this Utonagan!!! No other visual!!! Have such a canine visual of The Dig it's insane.

Wilson of course took Golden Retriever. Definitely one of the larger/silkier ones. Show-type. He'd definitely be a dark gold but this is the best pic I have for how I picture him -color:

House is a Scottish Deerhound, mixed with what? He doesn't know. Wants to know. Very easy to miss that he's a cross:

(Little Rachel rode on his back for a bit once.)

Speaking of, Rachel is a little pupper Sheltie (Natalie) x English Shepherd (Simon) but she barely shows any Shep traits when it comes to looks:

Rachel's a mini-me of her mama, Cuddy took Rough Collie:

Kutner is a Springer Spaniel x Large Münsterländer, leaning more looks-wise toward the latter and leaning energy-level toward the former:

Taub is a Beagle, Chihuahuas are just too small for one of the main characters in my little visual I'm afraid (and I forgot Smooth Fox Terriers existed):

Rachel is a long-haired Dachshund, and Ruby is a show-type English Cocker Spaniel, so Sophie and Sophia are those crosses respectively. Click on the Spaniel to see the full pic.

Amber takes (Red) Siberian Husky:

She's quite thick-coated but she doesn't fall under "Woolly Husky" coat type.

Red (Irish) Setter Stacy:

Plott Hound Mark:

Dominika... So This dog is obviously a Belgian Malinois maybe crossed with something fluffier (unless the listing change from Mali to Terv is accurate, then she's just Small) but she looks exactly like this:

Saluki Lydia:

Belgian Malinois Alvie:

Lucas is just straight-up a Coyote. It just fits him too well. He gets a Coyote-themed name in the WC AU, and gets to be a Coyote when I think about canines:

Beauceron Nolan. Can't see him as something as round and soft as Newfies but also can't see him as a bully-type:

[noicune]

In Loving Memory of Suzie Q

February 2011 – January 18, 2024

You were a year and two months old when we met in April 2012. The shelter was full of dogs of all sorts, and I had walked through the whole facility, hoping to find the right dog to call my own. But after looking for a while, it was time for me to leave empty-handed.

As I was making my way out—still near the kennels—I was stopped by one of the employees. He asked if I was looking for any particular breeds. I replied semi-jokingly: "Uh, a Border Collie?" I just finished checking out all of the dogs. Surely I didn't miss any? I figured you must have been out in the play yard.

I didn't have any breed in mind when looking for a dog, so I blurted out what first came to mind. I just thought Border Collies were neat.

"We indeed have a Border Collie mix. Would you like me to get her for you?" (Completely paraphrasing here. Can't remember his exact words.)

"Sure!" I said, thinking nothing would come of it.

I followed him to one of the kennels, and there you were. I had never seen a dog like you before. You were striking. He put on the slip lead, and you were instantly raring to go. You pulled him all the way to the visiting room, tail wagging like mad.

"This is Suzie Q," he said as we settled into the room. I don't know who named you, but I think they picked the perfect name. You really looked like a Suzie to me.

"Suzie Q!" I called to you repeatedly. You were so excited. You kept jumping up onto my lap, licking my face and hands. You had the prettiest amber puppy-dog eyes that just stole my soul. And it was there that I felt the connection. You were 'the one.'

Turns out, you were at the shelter for well over a month, so your adoption fee was only $50. I have no idea how you were passed over for so long. And if it wasn't for that employee, I don't know if I ever would have met you. Sometimes I wonder if it was meant to be. To this day, I wish I knew who that employee was so I could thank him for bringing you into my life.

I never knew what you were exactly mixed with. The shelter had you listed as Border Collie/Setter mix, though I thought you might have had some Cattle Dog. I wanted to get one of those dog DNA tests, but I unfortunately never got around to it, and I really regret it.

Starting the day I brought you home, you would always follow me all through the house right beside me. You were 'my shadow,' my father called you. We were nearly inseparable.

You were so smart, as expected. Training you took no effort. You always came when called and easily learned basic things like sit, spin, shake, and lie down. Your only problem was that you were a puller on walks! I had to get you one of those front-clipping harnesses, and it took a while, but you eventually learned to walk properly.

You were also very timid and skittish, especially in the beginning. Pretty much scared of everything. I still remember how I bought you a dog brush, and you were trying to scurry away from it the first time you saw it. I didn't even brush you with it yet! But I was patient and slowly introduced you to it. It was one of the many things I had to acclimate you to. The vacuum, on the other hand... you hated it your whole life.

Despite your timidness, you loved everyone. You were so sweet, so gentle. Never hurt a fly. Okay, sometimes you did try to catch flies mid-air... and succeeded. Kids loved to pet you, and you had no qualms. You loved the stray cats, even if they didn't quite love you back.

Your favorite human food was ice cream. I could grab anything out of the fridge and you wouldn't bat an eye, but the very second I lifted the carton of ice cream you knew. You could be anywhere in the house and you would come running. You would then sit and wait expectantly for a tiny bite, and of course I couldn't say no to that precious face.

Your favorite toys were anything stuffed, especially with a squeaker inside. Specifically the duck toys. You loved to rip them open and take out all of the stuffing like it was a challenge. Finding the squeaker was like digging for gold for you. You always made a huge mess but it didn't matter.

I miss how you would show your love by pressing your body into mine like your own version of a hug. How you would headbutt me and slide your body onto the floor, leaving your butt in the air begging for scratches.

I miss how you would whine and groan when I'd stop petting your rump. You sounded so annoyed. It was like you were saying: "How dare you stop petting me! I demand more!"

I miss how excited you got when it was time to go for a walk. How you would go run over to your harness, barking and wiggling with enthusiasm. Tippy taps included.

I miss how you hated to be outside alone. How impatient you would get; barking your little head off at the door the very second you finished your business, so I could hurry up and let you back inside.

I miss how I had to coax you to walk into the grass when it was damp or when it was raining. You hated getting your feet wet. You would practically tiptoe around the yard.

I miss how you would complain when your food bowl was 'empty.' You would bark like the world was ending and would want me to follow you to come check your bowl. When, in fact, you still had plenty of food left. You ate just enough to show the bottom of the bowl, so I always had to sift the food around to 'fix' it for you.

I miss how you were always there to comfort me. How you always seemed to know how I was feeling. I was never lacking in dog kisses.

I miss you. So, so much. I would give anything to have you back, happy and healthy.

You brought me nearly 12 years of joy. The best dog I could have asked for. My very best friend. Thank you for all of the love and memories that I will cherish forever.

I love you, my Suzie Q. My sweet girl. I will never forget you.

Farewell. ❤️🐾🌈

[border-collie]

I know I'm reinvented the wheel when it comes to breeding a line of sporter collies from scratch. But I'm not happy with what's out there already. I want a dog with the drive and grit of a working dog, dogs that'll stare me down when they are ready but I also want the healthy lines that so many current sporter collies lack. For the most part, the sporters are all from mediocre working lines at best or mills at worst because its easy to get what you want with those dogs because they lack the drive but they also lack the health. I don't know if I will ever get over not breeding Echo because his brain is exactly what I want to see in my lines but his pedigree health is too risky for me to feel confident in it. I'm happy with my plans in the next year and a half to two years with the dogs I am scoping to bring in from lines I have extensively researched and I know that neither dog on the table will be an exact fit to my end goal but they should all provide pieces of the puzzle to reassemble and select for. I've made the decision already that Echo will be the last male I'll have in my household so at this point I really need to start networking and connecting to people to co-own with but it just feels so premature when I haven't even bred anything yet. This is just a brain dump at this point, but my heart really feels like my future is finally starting to come together and I can't wait to see where we end up.

[tf2-hellhole]

I wrote down my Hybrid AU Garbage

yeah I know it’s cringe lmao, I do what I want

you can request Hybrid AU content in the future if you want uwu

The Hybrid AU Universe:

Dog or cat hybrids are basically dogboys or catboys. Bird hybrids have wings and a tail, and sometimes feathers in their hair.

There are a couple work laws for hybrids, because sometimes they need additional training for jobs (just for stuff like keeping tails out of machinery and other safety precautions, how to use their animal senses to their advantage in the job, simple stuff like that).

Hybrid!Scout:

Mutt. He knows theres some Greyhound and a smidgen of Pitbull in him, but he doesn’t really know what else.

Light brown fur that matches his hair.

Raised very similarly to how normal Scout was raised, but was probably raised around lots of other hybrids (possibly a home for families) and rarely got enough to eat. He was caught several times stealing food all over Boston proper.

He claims he doesn’t give in to those instinct dog behaviors, but like four times a week he gets zoomies and runs all over the place like a maniac.

Hybrid!Soldier:

Pitbull mix, mostly American Bully.

Blondish/brownish fur that matches his hair.

Born and raised for illegal fighting. He, along with many other hybrids, were rescued when he was a young adult. He had lots of anxiety and fear-based aggression issues, but was taught to deal with them and began to recover once he was adopted.

He only really give in to instinctual behaviors when stressed or alone.

Hybrid!Pyro:

Breed unknown, but they are a dog and probably a Pomeranian.

Black fur.

Nobody knows exactly where Pyro came from, but they exhibit a lot of behaviors typical of hybrids that were abused or neglected while growing up. They refuse to talk to anyone about where they came from.

They honestly don’t give a shit about embarrassing themself and shamelessly give in to their dog instinct and do all sorts of stereotypical dog stuff.

Hybrid!Demo:

Purebred Smooth Collie; his bougie ass parents were pretty proud that the family’s purebred so he’s kinda proud of it too

Black fur, but tip of his tail is white, funnily enough

He grew up in a hybrid shelter and going to different families for a long time, but eventually his parents took him back. That’s all that really changes for Demo’s story.

He doesn’t really do much dog stuff other than crave pets and snuggles. From time to time he’ll boof on accident and gets embarrassed about it.

Hybrid!Heavy:

Siberian Mountain Cat

White and brown/grey fur

He and his family have always been independent and without owners after they left the gulag. Like canon Heavy, they spent most of their lives out in the wilderness alone.

He claims he doesn’t give in to his cat instincts, but he loves sitting or sleeping in the sun, and does use his senses in the field.

Hybrid!Engie:

Leaf-Cutter Bee

Only physical difference is wings. He can’t fly very well, though, since he doesn’t do it often/doesn’t need to fly.

Engie’s story is almost identical to that of canon Engie. The only difference is that he had trouble getting into university, as the only hybrid that had even been admitted to an American university at the time was his father.

Hybrid!Medic:

Domesticated Barbary Dove (Release Dove)

Pure white feathers, none in his hair.

His parents only partnered because purebred bird hybrids are kinda a status symbol. He found a fascination in hybrid anatomy and came to Mann Co. after studying it on his own for most of his life.

Indulges in a few bird instincts in private, if anyone found out he did he’d be so humiliated.

Hybrid!Sniper:

Doesn’t know what breed he is, he knows he’s a mutt though (he’s actually not, he’s a purebred Huntaway)

Brown ears that match his hair, black to brown tail.

His story is basically the same, except he knew he was adopted from the beginning, since the Mundies weren’t hybrids like him.

He doesn’t indulge in any dog instincts usually, but if he has an S/O, he has nasty separation anxiety and destroys stuff while they’re gone.

Hybrid!Spy:

He’s embarrassed to say it, but he’s a French Bulldog

Light brown fur that matches his hair, no tail (typical of nubtail breed hybrids).

Sold to and raised by a wealthy family, but eventually was kicked out. He was picked up by a crime group and turned into an assassin. He later left them and was an independent assassin, and later came to the US. There, he met a charming young hybrid, and the rest is history.

His only real dog trait is that he can be needy to an S/O. Also, he can do The Frenchie Scream.

[saladejin]

Lost & Found | Jimin (M)

Jimin x Fem!Reader | s2f2l au, (ex)-policeman!Jimin, vetnurse!Reader | fluff, meet-cute, (emphasis on) hurt/comfort, angst and heavy angst, found families, slight humour, mentions of other members

Summary: You’ve essentially spent your whole life working around dogs, through sickness and through health, but one memorable encounter at the park has you thinking ‘why not one more?’ 

Or, maybe it’s not the dog that needs help, but rather the beautiful yet reserved man with honey blonde hair at his side. Perhaps, rather than dogs and cats, you need to start learning how to heal people. Maybe then you can start to heal yourself too.

Warnings: tw // (mental health, descriptions of death - no major, descriptions of abandonment - not by main characters, absent parents) // Descriptions of traumatic experiences, mental health issues/struggles (depression, anxiety), minor character death, hurt/comfort, mental breakdowns / resolved breakdowns. Only the tiniest, vaguest references to suicide - basically nothing.

- semi non-descriptive smut, fooling around in the pool, kissing, touching, fucking ... plenty of cussing lol

Word Count: 18.6k (hahahha kill me) 

A/N: Okay so here is my entry for the Ghostie Network’s ‘Dynamite Dads’ event, and it’s a bit late oops! I wasn’t really feeling up to write Jimin as a dad with an actual human baby, but I did the next best thing and gave him a gorgeous pupper who he basically treats as his own child ... enjoy :)

The genre was FLUFF, and my trope was ‘found family’. I promise you there is definitely some fluff to pay off for the angst. I feel ok saying it’s nothing too extreme, 🥺 but please heed the warnings and don’t hate me too much for the pain hehe

There will be a sequel, so this will most likely end up being a two-shot. You’ll see what I mean :) 

<< masterlist

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵  

Jimin knows from the very moment he opens his eyes to the sound of 6 a.m. birdsong, that today would be it. His last day.

He drags himself from bed, all fluffed up hair and puffy eyes, shrugging on the same dark navy uniform he’s worn for the past five years. He blinks away the sleep clutching at his eyelids, trying his best to prevent the flashing colours behind them from focusing into memories. 

Perhaps they were a lingering dream, flooded with the distant sounds of wailing sirens and a snarling canine, but thankfully they vanish with one brisk shake of his head.  

Snarling swiftly changes into a gentle whine, and Jimin raises his head with a troubled sigh to see Mandu sniffing by his bedroom door. His best friend, his companion, and most of all his boy. Jimin’s cheeks lift in a small smile, and the dog with a pelt of rich fawn brightens instantly, tail thumping the wall in innocent glee at seeing his handler’s eyes shine.

“Morning, bud.” 

Not two hours later, Jimin’s sitting just outside the chief’s office. He waits with downcast eyes, fiddling with his fingers to ward away the nerves and anxiety causing his heartbeat to pick up speed. 

He knows how it looks; he knows that everyone there can see through him and his firm expression. He’s never been good at hiding emotions very well, despite society’s expectation that anyone working in the law enforcement sphere should. No, not him, and that’s exactly why he has to leave it all behind.

“Officer Park…”

The chief’s eyes are not upset, angry or surprised by the news, but rather concerned. Jimin swallows his guilt down heavily, knowing full well that he has every right to do what he’s doing. He fights the urge to comb his fingers through his soft honey blonde hair, or the instinctual need to scratch at his own neck from the sheer distress of it all.

“Park, is it because of yesterday?”

That simple phrase was all it took to send him reeling back.

Flashing colours and background noise burst into focus, and Jimin suddenly finds himself reliving everything. Heavy well-worn boots thudding against the road slick with fresh rain, the sound of shrieking sirens all around, piercing his eardrums like knives. His lungs constricting, burning, with need for air as he follows Mandu into the darkness of the alley.

“Jung! Jung, where-”

Jimin can barely hear himself think above the clatter, the vicious snarling and gnashing of teeth against flesh being the only sound keeping him grounded. He has a job to do, and he’ll see it through to the end even if it costs him his life. He cocks his pistol and carefully peers around the corner of the dimly lit alleyway, hoping that the pathetic cries of the criminal under attack means that the coast is somewhat clear.

Anxiety bubbles up in his chest, for his partner and his boy, but he knows he can’t let his worry for them cloud his judgement now, of all times.

“Drop your weapon now!” he shouts above the noise, rounding the corner to apprehend the man currently locked into a bloody fight with his K-9 counterpart, desperately kicking and shoving to try and escape the ferociously snapping jaw knocking him down.

To Jimin’s relief, the weapon in question had been thrown down with a clatter amidst the man’s struggle, the gun still rotating slightly in its place from the force of its projection.

Then his bones freeze up when he watches the shiny object come to rest by a steel-capped boot, a boot so familiar to his eyes because it’s the exact same one he wears.

It’s Jung. Slumped against the wall, unmoving, unseeing … blood pools everywhere around him, and the iron-tinged smell hits Jimin right in the face until he can barely stand to breathe. “H-Hoseok, no…”

Mandu’s growls bring him crashing down to Earth, and Jimin’s pulled the trigger before he can even think twice about his actions. In the back of his mind, he knows he’s trained unconditionally to aim for non-fatal points on the human body, but right then and there, through the crimson haze of his fury, he wished he’d been able to do it.

Avenge him.

“Park…”

“Officer Park? Are you with me?”

Jimin gasps lightly, blinking his eyes to chase away the all-too-fresh memory from his mind yet again. His bottom lip is clamped so hard between his teeth, he wonders if the iron taste of blood in his mouth had actually been more than imagination. The superior officer sat at the desk in front of him nods solemnly.

“Park Jimin, I understand completely. I can’t stop you…”

The chief’s voice fades into the background as Jimin lets his thoughts wander once more, but he soon feels the darkness eating away at him again. The inner demons, the pain and suffering, because everyone leaves you, Jimin. The cycle repeats, you let yourself love then you let yourself lose.

“The … adoption of ‘Mandu’ as you’ve stated here, has already been finalised. We’re glad to see a long serving canine of our force retire to a responsible home. Thank you, Park.”

“Of course, Chief.”

The older man sighs and gives Jimin a once-over, clearly recognising that the man before him needs time to heal, however long that may be. Jimin feels it too, deep within his heart, his mind, and his very soul. This was it. He could finally hide. He could finally stop inflicting all this pain on himself and push it back to the deepest corners of his mind, where it would remain untouched.

“We thank you for your service, please hand in your badge and equipment by the end of the week.”

  ~ three months later ~

 “That’s it for the day!”

Muscles aching and eyes watering from a yawn, you peel the stretchy gloves from your hands with a grimace. The sweaty feeling lingers on your skin long after throwing the disgusting things in the trash. It’s only after you shed your nurse scrubs and lanyard that you remember you aren’t quite ready to finish up.

“(Y/n), you just have to take Jessie out for a bit before you go,” your colleague calls, much to your chagrin at the reminder. It’s been a long day at the veterinary clinic, and even if vet nursing wasn’t quite as strenuous of a job as legitimate veterinarian work, it still sapped a decent amount of energy.

God, you just want nothing more than to go home to your warm bed, and your fluffball cat. Instead, you pack away your uniform and grab a leash to prepare for the walk.

“C’mon girl,” you coo gently to the old border collie resting in her cage. There was an immense pride in the way the clinic took care of its sick and injured animals, and that included exercising the dogs every single day without fail. You absolutely loved it, loved your job and everything it entailed.

Ten minutes later, you’re letting the gate to the local park click shut behind you.

The dog park is remarkably busy today, you muse after letting Jessie off her leash for a run. Inside the spacious area – fenced off nicely with grasses delightfully green from the Spring air – are dogs and puppies of various shapes, sizes and colours bounding around each-other like ping pong balls.

You can’t suppress a snort of amusement as a particularly handsome pooch catches your eye, something akin to a German Shepherd though not quite as large. Your eyes follow the energetic bundle of energy as he darts around the group of dogs, chasing them and nipping at their heels to keep them controlled, just how he likes it.

It was inevitable that Jessie would soon join in, and you can only let out knowing sigh at the sight of the beautiful collie’s eyes lighting up with that familiar fire; a flame that had remained dormant for many, many years within her ageing mind. She takes off and rounds up the strays of the flock, arthritis in her joints long forgotten as her instincts to chase and collect take over entirely.

“Mandu, why…”

A breathy sigh escapes the person standing barely a metre away from where you sit on the park bench, and you finally take a moment to observe the other dog owners milling around this sector of the park. Their eyes are wide in confusion as they witness the spectacle happening before them, but you’re brought back to the man closest to you as he lets out another disappointed click of his tongue.

“It’s normal with herding breeds,” you find yourself saying through a fond smile, though your socially awkward inner self wants to kick you in the ass for it. The man, who looks as though he’d been about to jump in to collect his zippy companion, falters in his motion to regard you in surprise.

“Yeah, uh, it’s just been a while since my boy’s done it.” He rubs at his neck self-consciously, eyes glancing around to see if anyone’s thrown him a dirty or judgemental look already. From your place on the wooden seat, you can easily catch the way the sunlight caresses the man’s unique features, the worn-out sneakers and running wear telling you that he comes this way often to exercise.

He clears his throat. “You…”

As he trails off, somehow losing confidence halfway through his sentence, you feel that familiar pang of embarrassment that comes with talking to strangers. “Mine’s the collie, so I know I should probably step in too.” You laugh quietly, instantly breaking eye-contact when he holds your stare for a second too long.

He was stunning, to say the least, with incredibly soft looking caramel hair swept back from his face, and pillowy looking lips that were large, but fitting when placed together with his smooth sloping cheekbones and an elegant jawline. His eyes, though, were tired. They were so tired, and you knew exactly what it felt like to leave home every day when you were … that emotionally exhausted.

At your comment, the man breaks into a grin, because well … you’re in the same boat here. He’s probably relieved that you hadn’t lectured him on dog behaviour or keeping his pet in check, or something like that. Nope, turns out you were just as liberal as he was.  

You get to your feet, trying to inwardly shake the tingling in your chest from the sight of his lips curling into a smile alone, and jostle the leash in your hand to try and get your playful lady’s attention.

When that didn’t work, you let out a loud whistle and hope that the slight burning sensation travelling up the back of your neck would fade away soon. Although, you knew that as long as the curious man kept his eyes trained on you, it would persist. “Jessie, here girl.”

The beautiful stranger follows suit, but to your shock he barely has to make any noise, just a simple gesture and briskly spoken word before his responsive dog is sitting to attention at his feet. Ears pricked and warm canine eyes focusing on his owner as if nothing else in the world would ever matter as much as he did in that moment. You quickly look up to catch a glimpse of the man’s face once more, and the love now swimming in his gaze as he ruffles the dog’s pointy ears was nothing short of breathtaking.

You should go now.

You utter a tiny ‘bye’ as you take your leave, not even sure that the captivating man is able to hear you over the way he’s currently trying to scold his tawny-furred dog in a soft, gentle tone. A stern voice that still made it obvious just how endeared he was behind the annoyed façade.

You glance down to where Jess pads quietly on the pavement beside you, her black and white wavy pelt somewhat tousled from the exertion and her tongue lolling out in pure elation after stretching her legs. Sunlight, a blinding smile, caramel blonde hair…

How were you supposed to think of anything else now?

~

Three days pass, and you’re back in the clinic. Work is piling up, and you’re basically booked out thanks to a spontaneous outbreak of ‘Kennel Cough’ throughout nearby shelters. How the infectious disease spread to not one, but two localised areas, nobody knew.

“Someone must have taken their dog to all of them, or maybe had it transferred mid-vacation,” you growl to Dr. Kim, lining the antibiotics up on the med table after checking the clipboard thoroughly. Healthy vaccinated dogs would be fine, perhaps a tad sickly for a week or two, but puppies and those with immune deficiencies? Out of luck unfortunately.

“I’ve scheduled the radiographs for the most affected,” Dr. Kim informs, and you’re in a right mind to believe he’s only trying to reassure you right now. He sighs and flashes you a weary smile, age-lines prominent around his kind features thanks to the recent months of stress. “Hopefully we can rule out any pneumonia. You’re free to go on break by the way, Nurse (L/n).”

At the word ‘break’, you feel dread crash through your body like a heavy wave. Shit, had you forgotten to bring lunch today? A wishful image floats through your head of the delicately tossed Greek salad you’d prepared the night before, only problem being that it was still wrapped neatly in the fridge at home.

“Damn it,” you mutter, planting a forced smile on your face when the older doctor eyes you worriedly at the soft outburst. “Sorry, I’ll need to head out today.”

You can’t stop internally punching yourself for being forgetful, knowing that it’ll cost you precious time to walk to the nearest eateries and back. Perhaps if you owned a car, you’d be able to savour those few extra minutes of relaxing during your break.

Nope, it’s walking for you now. Idiot.

So off you go. The route is pleasantly quiet for the most part, with the sun slowly beginning to warm the leaves on trees as they protect their newly forming flower buds. There’s the incessant yet melodic chirping of birds while they scourge the nearby plants for food, either for themselves or their young. It was easy to stop and appreciate the various signs of revival and rebirth around you, but maybe not today.

Today, you had too much to worry about and too much weighing you down. There were so many helpless animal lives that were going to be lost, all because of one person and their ignorance. You had to come to terms with death fairly quickly when entering this line of work, but that didn’t make it any easier as time passed by.

Especially for someone like you.

You come to a sudden stop and blink your eyes firmly. The painted sign that blocks your path display the words ‘DOG PARK’ in all capitals, and it throws you off guard completely. You’d … somehow taken this heavy of a detour? Well, you suppose it could be worse, and the park did have another entrance on the far side you can use to somehow shortcut your way into town, but you can’t shake your confusion until ah.

There he is. The dog park guy, standing slightly off the well-trodden path. He’s dressed in a casual grey tee shirt and comfy matte black shorts this time, effortlessly showing off the defined muscles of his calves as he bends down to retrieve a bright green frisbee. He then flings it so high into the air, you doubt even his wonderfully enthusiastic dog will be able to catch up to it.

But when the well-built canine does in fact manage to clamp his teeth down on the airborne toy, you only manage to pick your jaw up off the floor after a handful of shellshocked moments. Some special kind of training had become evident in the way the animal springs off its hind legs with such intensity.

Right, you should stop staring like a maniac and keep walking.

At this rate, you’re going to be late back to work, and with the sheer number of things left to do and problems to solve with the shelters and kennels, you know that’s not an option. Hell, you’re so swallowed by your anxiety that you break out into a slow jog to make it at least halfway through the dog park in time.

Don’t look at him, don’t.

You glance at the man as you pass him, hoping to dear God that he’s focusing on his dog rather than the strange pet-less woman running through the park meant for pets, wearing dark forest-green scrubs underneath her jacket because she was too stupid to remember her food for the day. But alas, he is looking at you too.

It’s a weird kind of energy you can’t place, as if some kind of invisible force is trying to slow your feet down. The air thickens in resistance, and it’s like you’re barging through it to continue forward on your path. Everything in your body screams at you to stop, to talk to him, to say ‘hello’ with a smile because he deserves to have his own friendly one returned in some way. Oh wow, he’s actually looking at you, isn’t he?

The thing is, in situations like this you get nervous. You and attractive guys? Not quite the match made in heaven you’d probably expect. He flashes you that smile, all pearly whites to accompany the recognition from yesterday glittering in his startled gaze, but all you can manage is a strained grimace-like grin in return with a tiny wave of your sweaty palm.

Great. Fucking great.

At least you’re already gone before you can wallow in the humiliation; before you can simmer in it like a fine stew. He’s probably forgotten you already anyway, but you can’t help looking over your shoulder to check regardless.

Checkmate, he’s watching you go. The smile is now amused, and his head is cocked cutely to the side in playful confusion. As his dog jumps all over him to try and win back his attention, you flip the hoodie of your jacket up and try to ward off the embarrassed onslaught of laughter that bubbles in your chest. It would take more than a few days to wipe the image of his crescent moon shaped eyes from your memory this time around.

~

Jimin wakes to a wet and uncomfortable sensation prodding his face, and if he didn’t already have an innate sense for his favourite living being in the whole world, he’d be on his feet and ready to fight in no time at all.

“Mandu you gotta let me sleep,” he groans out, voice deep and groggy from his slumber. A persistent whine dragging from the throat of the animal rouses Jimin further, and he slides up to rest back on his elbows, eyes squeezing shut and skin covered in the slightest sheen of sweat from how hot it’d been under the bedcovers.

His dry lips part in a yawn. “Fine, you hungry?”

Mandu pokes his snout into Jimin’s cheek once more, big gentle brown eyes urging him to get up and start his day. Jimin knows that without his best friend with him, he’d barely have any motivation to step foot outside his room, let alone head out for a run each day consecutively.

It helps that his buddy looks out for him as diligently and as loyally as he had back when they were in the force together. It’s like nothing ever changed, and in the back of Jimin’s mind, he knows that the sense of routine had most likely saved his life time and time again.

“Alright,” he grunts loudly, lips curving into a smirk as he cups Mandu’s furry face into his palms, squishing the doggy cheeks he finds there together until the dog squirms in his spot on the bed. It’s not until Mandu lets out a frustrated yet playful growl that Jimin leaves him be with one last ruffle of his dark pointed ears.

Yeah, he really was fucked without his boy reminding him to eat, walk and sleep every day. Jimin knew it was pathetic, and he’d never felt so useless in his whole life, but it was enough to get him through for now.

Jimin scratches at his bare chest, freezing on his amble towards the kitchen when he spots something. Mandu stops along with him, his nails click on the floorboards in impatience but Jimin’s eyes are intensely locked onto the photo frame perched on the living room cabinet.

Idiot, of course there was one left.

He slams the frame down, making sure he can’t see the two laughing faces for a second longer than needed. He realises with a frown that he probably forgot to remove it due to barely ever setting foot in the living room as it was. Up until now, for the last five years, he’d spent most of his time at the station or out on the field. Patrolling, tracking … even apprehending, but that simply meant areas of his home went essentially unused for months on end.

Things were changing…

“Hey bud, what’s for breakfast?” he hums to his pal softly, finding a small happiness in the way Mandu circles around his legs like a bothered child. He assumes that if the dog were human, he’d be sporting the mightiest of pouts right about now.

Ten minutes later, Jimin finds himself nose deep in a bowl of flavourless cereal. On any other ordinary day, he and Mandu would usually race to see who could finish their meal the speediest, but he’s not feeling it this time around. The fawn coloured dog seems to give him a judgemental stare, as if saying ‘what’s wrong with you, did you let me win!?’ to which Jimin looks down at him and lets a breathy laugh fall from his lips.

“Not everything’s a competition boy, grow up already.”

Mandu simply huffs and moves to lay down, resting his muzzle on his front paws in defeat.

“How dare you roll your eyes at me.”

A dismissive sniff in response. Jimin finishes his meal with a shake of his head, knowing that if anyone were to ever hear the way he spoke to his pet dog, he’d most likely get shipped off to the nearest mental institution available. The sudden dark thought earns a surprised raise of his brows, but as he rinses his bowl off in the sink, he knows he has nothing to worry about.

It’s only him and Mandu now, and nobody else mattered. Nobody else was allowed to matter.

Yet Jimin’s always one to wear his heart on his sleeve. Even if he tries the hardest he can to shut the world out, he’s continuously drawn to people. Drawn to seek company and validation, drawn to love others with his whole heart unconditionally. He could have it all, but all the world does is take from him.

He sighs and sits back at the kitchen countertop, head resting on his folded arms much like the sassy child sprawled underneath the stool right now. “Do you think we’ll see the pretty lady from the park again today?”

The dog’s ear twitches, then flicks as if bothered by an irritating bug of some description. Jimin doesn’t know how to take that, really. Was it a no? Did Mandu even want to see her as much as he did? He supposes not, considering the ex-police dog was trained to be protective, and was instinctively so in every possible way.

He belongs to Jimin, and apparently that means Jimin belongs to him too, no friends allowed. Something in the back of his mind shouts that he shouldn’t be wanting friends anyway, that they were something to be afraid of.

“Whatever.”

It was the next day when things turned sour. To Jimin’s slight disappointment, they hadn’t seen the pretty lady in strange green attire again, but something did go horribly wrong instead.

Jimin exits the bathroom with a snowy white towel draped over his head, hoping that somehow his laziness will be overlooked for once and the towel will simply dry his hair for him with no additional effort, only for the fabric to fall from his head once he catches sight of Mandu walking down the hallway. Only he’s not walking, but rather limping.

“Buddy c’mere,” Jimin calls, voice pitching higher than usual in concern. With fear and cold hard dread settling deep into the pit of his stomach, Jimin observes the dog instantly perking up at the sound of his voice.

Mandu lets out a small yelp of excitement, but still has a stiffness and slight limp to his gait when he makes his way over. Jimin crouches down and pets the canine fondly, the sinking of his heart telling him that his suspicions were right all along.

Something is wrong here. He has to know what’s up, has to make sure his boy’s alright.

Jimin’s bundled the both of them into the car before he can stop to even think straight, and Mandu is nothing but a ball of excitement – bouncing around and goofily grinning the entire time. It hurts to think he’s fooling the dog into believing they’re going on some sort of spontaneous adventure, but that wouldn’t be entirely wrong. It’s only around noon so the local vet clinic has to be open, right?

He’s not dying, you really need to chill out.

Jimin knows his inner voice speaks the truth, but he continues to justify his frantic driving with a carefully crafted self-assurance. He’s only making sure, he’s simply worried for his baby.

He doesn’t stop to think about the way his hair is still unpleasantly damp from the shower, having forgotten to actually dry it beforehand, or the way his socks had somehow ended up being odd colours. He hastily finds a park outside the clinic and attaches his leash to Mandu’s collar.

What Jimin doesn’t expect to see, when striding through the administration doors with the dog in his arms, is you.

Your expression matches his own look of astonishment, your beautiful eyes widening in recognition in the exact same split-second his do. If Jimin was being honest with himself, he could probably just stand there looking at you for the next thirty minutes or so, but a miniscule wriggle from the animal in his hold brings him crashing back down to Earth.

“Um, hi,” he begins awkwardly, paces enormous as he lurches towards the desk you’re bracing your hands upon, still recovering from the shock of seeing him again it seemed. “I have a problem…”

You clear your throat and try not to smile at the amusing sight before you. Jimin knows it can’t be the strangest thing you’ve ever seen here, but the openly scared and confused dog clutched to his chest is enough to make you bite your lip in an effort to restrain yourself.

“I can see that. Luckily, we’ve got nobody in queue so you can jump right out back with me,” you say with a kind lilt to your tone that Jimin can tell is part of the customer service sector of your job description. He doesn’t really mind, nor does he even care. Right now, his only concern is Mandu.

No pretty lady in green scrubs is going to distract him from his best bud right now.

Fifteen minutes pass, and Jimin is worrying the skin of his bottom lip with his teeth. His wide troubled eyes trail over every movement you make as you examine the incredibly stiff and uncomfortable dog on the sterilised table. When Jimin meets Mandu’s startled gaze, he tries his best to calm his best friend down in a familiar gentle tone he would use at home.

“It’s okay buddy, you’ll be alright. Good boy…”

If you’re irritated or weirded out by his vocalisations, you don’t show it. Your mind seems to be too wrapped up in gently working your fingertips into the back haunches of the dog, massaging in slow circles. Jimin’s drawn in by the way you handle Mandu with such care and precision, and he begins thinking that if you were to do that to him, he’d probably be relaxing in no time.

Weird thoughts, but whatever, I guess.

The same can’t be said for the dog, though, and Jimin can only pick up the intensity of his soothing praises once he catches sight of Mandu trembling in fear on the table. The dog’s elbows seem to want to buckle under the stress of the situation, and it breaks Jimin’s heart to pieces to see his pal all worked up like this. It’s lucky that the animal has been trained well enough to trust in his handler’s presence alone, otherwise this whole examination might’ve taken a … darker and more vicious turn.

“Do you know what’s wrong?” he asks you quickly, voice high and strained as he reaches forward to scratch behind one of the dog’s ears in what he hopes is a comforting gesture. Mandu licks his palm in return, and usually Jimin would recoil and protest loudly, but today he was fairly sure he’d let his boy get away with anything.

You sigh softly, and Jimin doesn’t know what that means at first, but then you peel the gloves from your hands and flash him a small smile. Everything starts to feel okay somehow. “You see, Sir, this is quite commonly seen in specific breeds of dog, including your German-”

“Belgian Malinois.” The correction is out before he can hold it back, and Jimin wants to slap himself for how snappy and rude it sounds, but you don’t take offense in the slightest. Instead, he’s stunned once more when you click your fingers with a light gasp of realisation.

“That’s what it is! I was trying to remember the name of this breed for days on end, after the first time I saw him in the park.”

Jimin raises his brows at that, feeling the last of his anxiety melt from his bones at the sight of your smile, which was slowly beginning to familiarise itself to him.

“Ah, well you could’ve asked me. I would’ve told you in a heartbeat.” He chuckles, though it’s somewhat dry from the raw emotions still running their course through his brain. When you let out a soft laugh in return, he forces himself to tear his eyes away.

“Oh well, anyway you can calm down a bit, there’s nothing life threatening going on here just yet,” you assure in a calming tone, and Jimin can easily sense how there’s more sincerity behind the sound compared to the voice you’d used earlier when greeting him.

“There are two things I can narrow down for you, taking into consideration the information you’ve given me so far. Commonly found in these breeds is something called hip dysplasia, where the hip joint undergoes abnormal development or growth. The other possibility for his lameness is a form of chronic arthritis called osteoarthritis, which deteriorates joint cartilage more commonly in older dogs like Mandu here.”

“He’s not that old though?” Jimin hums, brows furrowing in bewilderment at the news. He pats the dog’s head fondly, saddened but glad that he can breathe a little easier now that he knows what’s going on.

“Perhaps, but he’s lived a very active lifestyle, you see. Heavy strain and activity on the dog’s body can bring this forth quicker, much the same as it does in humans,” you explain with a sad sigh.

“I do recommend getting x-rays done to check out the full extent of the damage, as well as to check for any other abnormalities.”

You then take your leave to fetch the main doctor, and Jimin finds himself startled to discover you’re only a veterinary nurse here. By the way you were reeling off information from the top of your head, as well as the confident manner in which you examined and diagnosed his dog, he would’ve effortlessly assumed you ran the goddamn joint.

He waits in the administration area while Mandu’s getting his x-rays done, fingers fiddling with themselves from the trepidation building up inside him. He doesn’t even hear you enter the room, and can’t help his back going ramrod straight attentively when you clear your throat. Curse his years of training in the force.

“Hey, I can just see that you’re a little stressed out there. He must mean a lot to you.” You walk around the corner of the front desk and take your place one seat away from him. Jimin realises that you most likely keep your distance from most customers with an unmistakeable barrier of professionalism, but for him you seem to be stepping right out of your comfort zone.

He can tell by the unnecessarily chipper tone of your voice, and how your eyes flicker nervously to the side every once in a while. You’re good at hiding how anxious you are, he’ll give you that, but not good enough to escape watchful eyes such as his. Not when he goes through the exact same thing.

He finally musters the courage to respond after a few seconds of simply eyeing you in curiosity. “Yep.” He smiles tightly and returns his gaze to his interlocked fingers, knowing the expression wouldn’t reach his eyes. “He’s been with me through thick and thin. Almost like a little brother or son to me, as weird as that probably sounds.”

“I wouldn’t say weird,” you instantly oppose, laughing to brighten the sullen mood Jimin knows he’s bestowed upon you. “I think it’s sweet, and he’s a very lucky dog to have someone caring about him so much.”

Your sentiment melts the icy sadness around Jimin’s heart ever so slightly. The cold blanket encompassing him ever since his last loved one left his side. He hasn’t felt the urge to open up since, but he knows he sure as hell wasn’t going to start now. “I- thanks, I guess.”

Before he can continue on and ruin the somehow light-hearted atmosphere by telling you he wants to be alone, you’re suddenly speaking again in that gentle voice of yours. “It’s kinda funny how we keep running into each-other, don’t you think? I can’t help but hope you’ll both be at the park whenever I pass by…”

Jimin’s at a loss for words at your candour, looking up sharply to see the way you’re shyly tucking a strand of hair behind your ear and avoiding his eyes like the plague. It looks as though you regret the words as soon as they’re out in the open air.

But … he feels the same.

He can’t say it. He won’t. He can’t just let you in and create a space for yourself in his life, or heart right now. He cannot admit that you’ve lived in his mind for free ever since he saw you that second time, running past him with that smile on your face, confusing him with your antics to no end. Why do you keep getting under his skin in the best possible way?

“I mean, i-if you’d like to go out for coffee or something later on, I-”

He dips his head with a small sniff to attempt to cut you off in a somewhat polite manner. “Ah sorry, I’ve got a … funeral at two. Not really in the mood these days, but I appreciate it. Seriously, I do.”

He doesn’t wish to see your reaction to his less than eloquent rejection, but he catches it regardless. That wrenching moment you come to the conclusion that you read the signs all wrong. The glimmer of hope and interest in your eyes slowly flickering out like dying embers, although not completely, and he has no doubt it ever would.

You frown and instantly come through with a quiet “I’m sorry for your loss,”, but Jimin dismisses the sympathy with a tiny wave of his hand, claiming that it was a colleague and acquaintance rather than a close friend or family member.

It’s already obvious to him how much of an optimist you are. You’re holding onto that tiny shred of hope as if it were the string of a helium balloon, one moment of slack and he’d be floating away from you far out of reach.

“Right, sorry if I overstepped.”

He doesn’t know what to say. You’re way too considerate and understanding of him, and the painful burn that leaves on his conscious is so real. It reminds him of all the times his brother would tell him to never take people’s kindness for granted, but here he was shooting you down even though you’d never given him a reason to.

In fact, he likes you enough to go back almost instantly on his words.

“I really am busy, otherwise … I would actually love to, believe me.” He combs a hand through his hair in exasperation, inwardly cringing at the damp dewy sensation greeting his palm as he’s reminded again of his post-shower dilemma. You’re already chuckling at your newfound victory, and he’s pleasantly surprised at the sudden streak of mischief in your eyes.

“Let’s make it a date for Saturday then, see you at the park usual time? I’ll make sure to come out earlier so I don’t miss you again.”

Damn you’re assertive, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t liking it. Something in the way you so effortlessly drew him out of his shell was electrifying. Was he even in total control of his own emotions right now?

He’s left in a stunned silence, nodding in response to your question before you’re suddenly making your exit, uttering something along the lines of ‘best wishes for the funeral’ and ‘good luck with Mandu’, but he can barely hear beyond the rushing of blood past his ears. He’s a flustered mess of a man right now.

He only regains majority of his focus once he’s left the clinic with some anti-inflammatory and pain meds for his dog, a slight dent in his bank account, and a date.

~

Holy fuck. You really did that. You did.

When it came down to it, you just saw your shot and took it. Simple as that, really. When the attractive guy from the dog park had shown up at the clinic, piercing deep brown eyes full of purpose, you’d very nearly felt your brain short-circuit at the sight. However, as time went on you began to get a glimpse of his true self.

It took every ounce of strength within you not to openly coo at the way he soothed his canine friend, with gentle words of encouragement spilling from his plush lips like a steady stream of water. If you’d been blind, you might have even been led to assume he was speaking to a fellow human.

Jimin, he’d revealed as his name. He was so lost in his worry for Mandu you didn’t think he’d even retained memory of your own name when you’d given it, but in the end it didn’t matter. You now had a literal date planned where you could talk and get to know him even more! How you’d managed to force the bold question out, you’ll never know, but hey at least one of your spontaneous and stupid decisions had to go well once in a while, right?

You sink into your couch, a fluffy white cat curled up on your lap as you relive the memories from the day. The relaxing sounds of purring surround you as you massage your fingers into your cat’s thick neck fur.

“Oh Ghostie, what the heck am I gonna do?”

Right now you can only think back to the way his hair was a bit of a jumbled mess, evidently damp and sticking out in all directions cutely. The addicting scent of his body-wash, if the rushed situation and flushed complexion was anything to go by, and aftershave. The man had those butterflies swooping around in your stomach already, and you barely knew him.

Your cat growls in protest when you let out a tiny squeal and make a harsh grab for a couch cushion, effectively burying your face deep into it in pure unadulterated embarrassment and disbelief. After living life being perfectly happy and single, why was this one somewhat decent-looking man sweeping you off your feet?

And sweep you off your feet he would, because when you finally show up to meet him at the dog park on Saturday, you’re being harshly barked at and sent flying to the ground before you can even process what’s happened. The dull ache from the force of impact fades quickly, and you try to regain your bearings before anything worse can happen.

“Fuck, sorry!”

The sight of your freshly washed jeans, now sporting a lovely scuff, causes you to cringe slightly. You shake your head and lock eyes with the pointy-eared dog standing over your body. It strikes you as bizarre, seeing as Mandu’s not exactly attacking you, but he’s not all that happy to see you either. You’re locked into a stand-off, despite you currently being knocked onto your ass with your heart still racing.

“Get off her!” comes Jimin’s outraged yell, his eyes are wide in sheer disbelief and disappointment. You can’t help but laugh softly at his exasperation, the shock of the fall now trickling away at the sight of the familiar face, or rather faces.

“I’m sorry (Y/n), I honestly don’t know what came over him. We were waiting by the pond and he just … took off when you came around!”

You stand and brush your clothes off, feeling your cheeks burn at the fact that he had actually remembered your name from the clinic the other day. You try to tell him it’s fine, but he still scolds the now sheepish looking dog at his feet – albeit as gently as possible through his vexation.

“I couldn’t leave him at home,” Jimin starts, sighing and clipping a leash to the dog’s collar pointedly. “Told him to behave himself but yeah, that didn’t go down well.” He regards you with concerned eyes, and you feel your heart melt at how he tries to subtly check you over for any injuries.

“I’m fine, Jimin, trust me. Working at the clinic means I’ve had my fair share of body-slams. Don’t sweat it.” You wave your hands before squatting, lowering yourself to be face-to-face with Mandu who still seemed to be eyeing you warily.

You understood it. Here you were, nothing more than a stranger, trying to take his owner and favourite person in the world away from him. You had to somehow convince Mandu that you weren’t a threat to their little family of two.

“Hey, buddy. Remember me?” You slowly reach out a hand to pat the top of the dog’s furry head, eager to earn his trust. “I’m not gonna hurt either of you, promise.”

You miss the way something flickers in Jimin’s eyes after hearing you say that. A glazed look of predictability, of cold hard doubt … but it’s gone when you rise to your feet once more. The dog seems to have accepted you for now, averting his eyes from the direct and intimidating glare he’d had trained on you ever since he’d pinned you down.

“Shall we, then?” You find yourself saying, self-confidence shocking you both as you smile and lead the way out of the park and towards the middle of town.

It doesn’t take long to find a nice café to sit at, and it’s with reluctance that Jimin leaves Mandu tied up outside. However, he knows he has to tone down his attachment in view of the public eye, and you especially. He doesn’t know just how far you’re willing to go for him.

He was a closed iron door to the world, yet he was still somewhat intrigued to see your efforts in getting inside. There was no way he was going let it happen, not again, but … why was he here then?

After ordering the coffees, him taking his black after years of late nights on patrol and you filling yours with sugar, you both surprisingly hit it off well. You suppose that after noticing how heavily you could relate to him, and vice versa, it was easy to understand one another and fall into steady conversation.

“The police force, huh.” You sip at your drink with a drawn-out hum of confirmation. “I actually kinda guessed that.”

Jimin blinks in shock. “You did?”

“Yeah! I mean I’ve seen Mandu a handful of times now, and it’s in the way he’s thoroughly trained to listen to your every command, not to mention the way he moves. When I gave him the check-up at the clinic, I forgot to mention that I just assumed your occupation when I said ‘active lifestyle’ back then.”

There is no way you’re going to tell him that you’d also made that assumption based on the man’s incredible build and well-toned muscles as well. Best to keep your thoughts on the dog, and luckily for you Jimin turns his head to check on his companion resting outside by a bowl of water, allowing your eyes to roam freely for a decent second or so.

“Well, you’re more observant than I thought,” Jimin notes through a breathy laugh, fingers lightly tapping at his coffee mug in thoughtful contemplation. You can’t help getting lost in the sight of him yet again.

He’s an absolute vision right now even if he’s dressed casually, only foregoing the shorts and joggers for simple black jeans and flatform sandals. His hair looks as soft as ever, and though his eyes are still open windows that show he’s hurting inside, you can’t help finding the immense beauty behind the pain.

There’s a short, comfortable silence as you both nurse your mugs of caffeine, but you break it in fear of letting an awkward air settle in. Damn, you do love being a little socially inept sometimes.

“Why the name Mandu?” You think it’s an innocent question, but unbeknownst to you, Jimin’s thoughts spiral at the reminder. The memories and origins of his boy’s name that uncomfortably sting at his heart like nettles.

“Ah, it was my brother who named him … actually,” he reveals, wondering if the slight crack of his voice is noticeable as he smiles convincingly. If you see through him, you don’t show it. Instead, you register the hint ever so slightly and aim to avoid prying.

“You would’ve only had him for a few years, right?”

“I served for five, so yeah he’s only been mine for a few years, but I did meet him before that while we were both in training.” Jimin laughs at what seems to be a fond memory, pushing the other ones to the back of his mind for now. “I was a little obnoxious about it back then, because I had to be with him. I demanded it to the chief and everything, if I wasn’t getting Mandu then I would drop my application because we’d bonded so well.”

You giggle, and cough lightly to hide your embarrassment instantly afterwards. “I love that, it’s quite obvious to me that you two are meant for each other.”

“What about you? Got any pets?” he asks, eyes alight with a newfound interest. Catching the way he leans forward in his seat ever so slightly; you feel a familiar warmth bloom in your chest. Jimin was finally relaxing around you.

“Yeah, a cat.” You cover your mouth with one hand to suppress your amusement, waiting for Jimin to scoff at you or screw his face up in disgust, but he doesn’t. Rather, he looks upwards in thought and then shakes his head while chuckling meaningfully. “Mandu would hate you for saying that.”

“Not a fan?”

“Absolutely not. I’m impartial though.” He watches you over the rim of his mug when he lifts it, an amused glimmer in his eye.

“Good to know. Good to know.” Your eyebrows shoot up and you can’t wipe the grin from your face, absent-mindedly stirring your coffee with your spoon. It wouldn’t be long before the drinks were finished, but you didn’t want this moment in time to end.

The two of you chat for another half hour or so, but you can’t help noticing the distant look that surfaces in Jimin’s gaze whenever he brings up old memories of his family or brother. Your curiosity burns at this point, and you feel yourself wanting to get to know him so much more. He’s such an enigma to you. Watching the way he tries to let go and be himself, unapologetically, but holding back just as you catch an addictive glimpse of what that might be.

As you exchange more stories and memories, you can’t help but feel yourself digging a little deeper to uncover what’s tearing him down so hard. “You keep mentioning your brother, I’m guessing you guys are close?”

And ah, now you’ve done it. It hurts to see the guarded expression slam back down on Jimin’s features, but you knew it had to be done. You didn’t know if it were just you who could see it, but by repressing all his memories and feelings, Jimin was doing more harm than good to himself. Some internal part of you wanted to help him, because you knew exactly what it was like.

Though you weren’t expecting every dam to break just yet.

It takes a moment for Jimin to deliberate on his next words, but you wait out every second with him, patient and understanding. He notices this and decides that it’s alright for him to indulge just this once, to let someone in for just a single moment. “Not really, well … used to be. He, uh, he left town a while ago.”

Left?

You keep your tone quiet, not wanting to scare him away because he did seem like the type to take off at any given moment. “Sorry to hear that,” you murmur.

“It’s alright,” he says, wondering just how much he should give away. It’s the first time he’s met up and gone out with someone he’d consider a ‘friend’ of sorts in ages, so he’s not sure how much he should be disclosing right now, but something about you makes him want to let it all go. It scares him like nothing else.

“Honestly it hasn’t been … a great time for me since he left. Y’know, he was the only one that ever stayed, and things were tough being in the force and everything,” he offers through a dry laugh.

You want to reach out for his hand on the café table so badly, but it’s too soon to be that close. He’s testing the waters right now, showing you a vulnerable side that you can easily tell he doesn’t let out very often. It warms your heart, and all these broken feelings he’s showing you make everything feel so real. You can’t help but want to give yourself back to him.

“I can’t imagine it would’ve been easy. I know how it feels, actually.” You mentally prepare yourself to revisit a time you usually laid to rest, keeping the gentle smile on your face because even though these subjects were touchy and very meaningful to the two of you, you’d actually come to terms with yours years and years ago. Learned how to turn that pain and suffering into progress, self-growth.

“You do?” You can tell the sheer hope and relief in his tone doesn’t quite match the caution in his eyes, as if he doesn’t want to think that someone as bright and bubbly as you can ever have as many problems as he does, but you shut that train of thought down for him.

“Yeah, I … don’t have any family left either.”

He wants to know how, why, but he pulls himself back from the question almost instantly. Still, you can see it all on his features. He’s an open book for you to read.

“It’s okay Jimin, I came to terms with it a while back. I’m an only child, but my parents died when I was a teen.”

It hits him like a freight train then. The realisation that yes, of course there are other people in the world who have lost just like he has. The sad but forgiving look in your eyes just about breaks him. He’s been so self-centred the whole time, not even thinking that maybe you’re sitting across from him going through a life just as lonely as his own.

“I don’t know what to say.” To your shock, it’s him that reaches across the table to grasp your hand gently, and you hadn’t even realised it was shaking slightly until he’d steadied it with his own. There were no hidden intentions in his gaze, just a pained understanding. You’d both needed to simply tell someone.

“I promise I’m fine now. It was years ago. I don’t even know why I’m…”

You trail off with a shaky laugh, tightening your grip on his hand slightly in fear that he would let go of you. You were essentially strangers, but you’d both needed this. You needed someone to listen as you talked, to have that visceral sense for the pain rather than simply try sympathising with it. It was different when you knew the feeling.

After the sudden serious note of the conversation had passed, both you and Jimin felt a little weight taken off your shoulders. You’d both torn some walls down today, and that in itself was enough to garner bucketloads of respect and admiration on both accounts.

You part ways back at the park, a new kind of friendship blossoming that, if you were being honest, neither of you had seen coming.

~

A couple of months pass after that, and in between his regular walks and visits to the clinic, Jimin finds himself spending more and more time in your presence. He even jokes around with Mandu that he should walk just a tad more lamely so he can stay a little longer between check-ups. But at the end of the day he knows he truly wants his boy to get better.

The first time he steps foot inside your house, he’s instantly halted in his tracks by the fluffiest white cat he’s ever seen. After hearing you mention, ‘she hates strangers’, and ‘she’ll probably cuss you out straight away’, it comes as a surprise to both of you when Ghost wraps herself around Jimin’s leg and purrs needily. A louder purr than you’ve ever received in your whole ten years of being her owner.

“Stop whoring yourself out! He’s just here to pick up some worming tablets,” you tut in disapproval, earning a hearty laugh from Jimin at the snappy tone. Ghost narrows her green eyes at you and rubs her chin along Jimin’s pant leg one more time for good measure, proceeding to saunter into the kitchen utterly oozing with sass.

After a few more random visits, you stop beating around the bush and begin inviting Jimin over to either chill out or have dinner. Obviously, more often than not it turned out to be both.

You’d order something in and then joke about how unhealthy you were for being too lazy to cook. Jimin even gets so exasperated sometimes that he carts food over from his own home to cook up in your kitchen, funnily enough. It wasn’t your fault you never really had the time to teach yourself during your unrelenting years of university and work, and it wasn’t as if you had a parent around to help you learn as a child.

Jesus, way to be depressing.

It wasn’t uncommon for you and Jimin to find random spots of humour within your combined trauma and abandonment issues either, as unhealthy as that sounds.

You always figured that life was too short to be sad all the time anyway, and even though that ideology alarmed your newfound friend at first, he soon slowly began to see the appeal. He was kind of over being sad, honestly.

He remembers standing by the coffin at Hoseok’s funeral, the very same fateful day he’d encountered you at the clinic for the first time. He’d felt overwhelmed at the emotions threatening to pull him apart at the seams, but at the same time, he’d felt cold at the lack thereof.

That was the result of letting himself get close to someone again, even through work of all places. His partner with the sunny disposition and heart-shaped smile? Gone from this world in a single click of a finger. It was too easy, too much of a risk to get closer. Jimin remembers not even being able to bring himself to cry back then, but things are starting to change now that you’re in the picture.

He still has that lingering dread that you’ll leave him too, but try as he might to keep you at arm’s length, he simply can’t. You bring out the best in him, and you make him want to try harder, to try being better. In a sense, you’re like another Mandu to him. He can’t just ignore that.

He tells you about Hoseok one night, just because it comes up in conversation and he’s already rambling on before he can stop himself. He looks up at your crestfallen face, knowing your heart hurts for him even though he’s unable to muster the correct emotions, all thanks to the disconnection he’s forged from his dead colleague already.

He recalls severing himself from those feelings right as he died, and again when he stood by his body at the funeral, but then you went and somehow reconstructed that bridge without him knowing.

“You know it’s okay to miss people, Jim. To remember them for who they were, and what they meant to you. It’s okay to miss them because they’re gone.”

He cries in your arms until 1 a.m. that night.

After a while, he begins to let people see the true him, fed up with hiding and done with shutting the world out. He returns smiles directed his way in the street, he ventures out to do nothing but simply stop and smell the roses. It’s refreshing, and it’s as if he can barely remember what it feels like after years of being chained down by depression and self-loathing.

You did that, with your calming presence, your affirming words, your genuine care. He’ll never forget it.

And slowly but surely, Mandu begins to warm up to you as well.

“I swear he’s only squaring up just to show off or something,” Jimin snorts as he walks beside you on the concrete path, Mandu in tow on a leash now that you’re leaving the park.

“He’s asserting dominance.” You cast a glance behind you to see the dog glaring you down, just as usual.

‘Why the hell are you walking next to him when I’m supposed to be there? You’re just a lowly human who doesn’t deserve my dad’s time or attention. How dare you!’

You bite back a laugh when you imagine the thoughts running through Mandu’s head, and he sniffs and growls at the sight of you not taking him seriously. He’s a big bad wolf, fear him goddammit.

“I’m sure he’ll accept me into the pack one day,” you respond good-naturedly, earning an eye-roll from Jimin as he shoots a pointed look of warning towards his boy once more. He can’t help but feel tingles erupt across his skin hearing ‘the pack’ come from your mouth. You make it sound like an actual family, and for some reason he seems to crave exactly that. That’s what all of you are to Jimin, a little family.

“Sure, but good luck convincing him to accept Ghost. I’m sure he’ll be walking around with a ‘NO CATS ALLOWED’ sign hanging from his neck soon enough.”

The dog agrees.

The next day is when Mandu’s last check-up is scheduled, and you wait by the front desk nervously as Jimin discusses options with Dr. Kim in the next room over. It’s been several weeks since the dog’s initial diagnosis, and he’s had a slight improvement, but it isn’t enough.

You and Jimin have spoken about how worried he is regarding the dog’s rapid muscle loss, and your heart always constricts at the sight as well. There’s only so much medication you can give.

You already know that Jimin’s current status of unemployment means he probably doesn’t have the means to fund more than one surgery, that is if he wants to remain financially stable. You’d need another plan.

“Hydrotherapy?” Jimin squawks. He’s a picture of confusion right now, one eyebrow cocked and pretty lips parting in surprise. You can’t help laughing at his dumbfounded expression.

“Yes, Jiminie. Dr. Kim has asked me to explain it to you so we can work out when to schedule it. Basically, dogs with chronic arthritis need to be able to exercise their joints and muscles without the excess strain, so regular swimming sessions are perfect.”

“It’ll help him get stronger?”

“Exactly, and since he’s up to date on his vaccinations we can organise a session right away, if you’d like?”

Jimin can’t suppress a shit-eating grin at the formal tone you’re using with him. He’s so used to messing around with you and having general chatter that the sudden switch to your ‘customer’ voice, as he calls it, is now more amusing to him than ever. You grumble under your breath, knowing all too well that he’s making fun of you without actually saying it.

“Fine, when can we start then? I’ve only ever seen him swim once, and it didn’t go well for the bad guy,” Jimin acquiesces, lifting his brows once and smirking at you mischievously. You ignore him.

“That’s alright Sir, we can start this Thursday.” You smile in such a pretentious and artificial way that Jimin has to smother his offended gasp. Now you’re just being rude.

“Pretending not to know who I am? Damn, guess I’ll just throw that strawberry shortcake I bought in the bin when I get home…”

And he’s got you. Your eyes light up and your fingers curl into fists on the desktop. You swallow thickly at the thought of him eating one of your favourite desserts on his own, or even worse throw it out like the heathen he is, but you’re determined not to cave in.

“I’m sorry Sir, I don’t quite follow. Your unhealthy affairs have little importance to me.”

You’re putting up a fight this time around, and Jimin’s willing to play. He leans on the desk with his elbow, the suave and impish air he suddenly exudes makes you nervous on the other side of the marble structure. “In that case, can we make this quick? I gotta rush home and catch up on the last two episodes of ‘Anohana’.”

This time you can’t contain your sharp inhale. “You promised we’d watch that together.”

Jimin chuckles with glee, taking the easy victory with a cocky lick of his lips. You trail the movement with your eyes before glaring at him again. “I don’t even care, you’d better not.”

He enjoys riling you up way too much. “Or what?”

“I’ll literally bust down your door at 2 a.m. in the morning Park, don’t test me.”

He knows you’re only joking around, but hearing his last name uttered in such a grave manner shifts something within him. He’s suddenly transported back to the chief’s office, hands wringing together in unease. “Park, is this about yesterday?”

“Park! He ran over there, follow me quick!”

“Jung wait…”

He has to shake his head, the smattering of memories and thoughts filtering from his mind slower than he’d like. He needs to drown out the sound of the echoing gunshot with something else, something louder.

You’re watching him the entire time with an apologetic gaze, picking up the miniscule signs that tell you he’s had something from the past triggered and brought back up unwillingly. You don’t even know what it is that you said, but you stay quiet and allow him to regain his composure.

“You okay Jiminie?”

“Yeah, sorry. Just thought of something,” he hums, not bothering to try and pretend as if nothing happened. You both knew each other too well at this point, and you understood him enough to have learned it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. Sometimes these things just happened.

“Thursday sounds great, (Y/n).”

“Of course, I’ll lock it in. How does catching those last few episodes tonight sound? We can ugly cry and eat ice-cream like the cliché we are,” you say with an enthusiastic clap of your hands, and Jimin smiles tenderly. You always have a sense for what he needs.

He inwardly thanks the heavens for your existence, because now he won’t be alone in the silence of his home, with nothing but his thoughts to keep him company. Even Mandu couldn’t help him sometimes.

“Lovely. It sounds lovely.”

You’ve changed him, and he wants to spend the rest of his life telling you just how thankful he is.

So when his phone rings one late night and he sees your name light up on the screen, he doesn’t hesitate to pick it up, even though his past self would have lethargically thrown it to the side while shrinking away from any kind of human interaction that wasn’t necessary.

“Hey,” he mumbles, eyes still squeezed shut from sleep.

Silence.

He’s startled into a more wakeful state by Mandu lifting his head suddenly from his lap, the attentive canine’s ears twitching as he bores holes into the phone in Jimin’s hand. Now worrying, Jimin says your name into the phone twice, eyes scanning the way his dog seems to be picking up whatever tiny sounds are coming from the speaker.

There’s a sniffle, and a tiny hiccup. “Jimin … I’m sorry. Can you come over right now?”

Anxiety flares up like some kind of wildfire within him, and Jimin’s rocketing from the bed before he can take the time to stop, breathe and think. Mandu follows, a bark of alarm leaving him as he dances around Jimin’s bare feet in excitement. He gets that the dog doesn’t know any better, but from the sound of your sobbing on the other side of the line, anyone could tell that something had gone terribly wrong.

He needs to be by your side now.

“Mandu stay,” he orders, not caring to use any proper commands due to the way his hands are shaking. His heart is hammering against his ribcage, just as it had way back when he’d rushed Mandu to the vet for a simple arthritis problem. Now, his next favourite being in the world was the source of his panic.

He’s thrown on whatever clothes he can find and tries to ignore Mandu’s flurry of whines and howls from inside the house once he’s settled in the car. You’re still on the phone, but he can barely get a word in when you’re crying and blubbering nonsense like you currently are. The most Jimin can do as he drives is what he would need in the stark moments of a mental breakdown, gentle words of encouragement and … a song.

He hates himself for it, but he remembers the lullaby his brother used to sing for him whenever he cried, and he hopes to dear God that he can calm you down with his voice just as Taehyung had when they were younger. The soothing notes fall from his lips, and the memories they bring hurt so much that he can feel himself choking up, but he tells himself that you matter more.

He pulls up to your house ten minutes later, your crying thankfully reduced to a collection of whimpers and sniffles. He doesn’t dare hang up, but barges through the front door without a single second of hesitation. He briefly glimpses the flash of a white fluffy tail disappearing down the hallway, the cat obviously scared out of its mind from the recent events.

Then he sees you curled up in the kitchen, and he just wants to make everything stop.

You’ve got your head in between your knees, tears falling freely from your cheeks as you cradle one arm in your other. Jimin notices with a jolt of shock that the arm you’re holding is all red and blotchy, and it’s clear to him that you must’ve burned yourself somehow.

He rushes to your side and holds you as carefully as he can, almost slipping on the pool of water and charred remnants of baking paper scattered on the tiled floor just beside you. “What happened?” he urges after trying to soothe your trembling form for ten minutes.

He has you on your feet now, arm in the sink as he runs icy cold water over the heated skin as gently as he can. He’s clumsier than you though, so even as he tries to handle your limbs with as much care as you’d once handled Mandu at the clinic, you still wince in pain every now and again. Guilt shoots through Jimin every time, but he knows you’ll forgive him.

You don’t speak until your arm is sufficiently treated and wrapped, thanks to Jimin’s courses in first aid that he can barely remember at this point, but it serves him well enough for now. Your eyes are downcast, and your lips are cracked from all the grief you’d caused them with your teeth. He waits for you to get it together.

“I’m … I’m sorry you had to come all this way-”

“Don’t say that, I’m so glad you called me (Y/n),” he cuts you off, leading you to the plush couch in the living room and sitting you down firmly. He kneels in front of your figure, now wrapped tightly in a blanket for security and comfort, and rests both of his hands on your upper arms.

“You need to tell me what happened, do you feel alright now?”

You nod your head, but he fixes you with strong disbelieving eyes and boom you’re weakened, shaking your head with a sigh. “No, I’m not.”

“How can I help? I’m not great at it, but I really want to help you,” he says earnestly, fingers pressing circles into your arms and calming you down enough to breathe evenly. Your lips twitch up into a nervous smile.

“That song you sang over the phone helped a lot, actually. I don’t know why.”

Hearing that causes Jimin to undergo a whirlwind of conflicted emotions, but he once again tells himself that you’re the only one that matters right now. He starts to sing again but you reach forward to ruffle his messy hair with a chuckle. “It’s okay, I’m just letting you know.”

Thank God, he thinks. Then again, maybe if he uses the melody and lyrics for good, those negative associations could be turned into positive ones. Maybe it was time to make the song his own.

He sees you struggling to think of where to begin and shifts to take a seat next to you with a smile. “Just start with what happened, yeah?”

“Okay.” You nod, combing back your hair with your fingers and wiping the last salty tears from your skin. “So I wanted to try baking something…”

You eye him with a glimmer of amusement in your gaze, and he instantly capitalises on it. “Well there’s your first mistake.”

You playfully wack him, feeling your spirits lift at the sound of his laugh and the sight of his crescent moon-shaped eyes. He really was your light in the dark right now.

“It was going well, actually, but then I heard Ghostie knock something over in my room and I went to check for … not even two seconds.”

Jimin knows that this is where it gets serious, your eyes glaze over again and he can see the recollection of the events flashing through your mind like a reel of film. “I left the baking paper out, and the space was way too messy, I-I definitely should’ve kept it cleaner. I came back and there were some things on fire, but nothing too bad. I just…”

You bend down to rest your face into your hands once more, and Jimin quietly rubs your back in concern. By the looks of it, you were able to put the fire out easily, so what exactly prompted you to break down like that?

You lift your head and keep your shaky hands clamped together by your lips, eyes stricken and weary from the onslaught of emotional stress. “There’s something I haven’t told you yet Jiminie, I would never hide anything from you, so I guess it just never came up. It’s … why I kind of lost the plot after throwing water over the entire kitchen like a lunatic.”

“You can tell me,” he soothes, brows furrowing in distress.

“It’s my parents. How they died….”

His throat tightens with apprehension at the topic, knowing it’s something you definitely avoid talking about whenever it comes up. It was always buried so deep, and Jimin can’t recall ever asking you about the finer details of what you went through.

He feels time slow to a halt as you utter your next words. “They died in a house fire when I was fourteen. Burned to death.”

Oh fuck. Fuck.

It falls into place now, and Jimin snaps out of his daze when he feels your shoulder shudder underneath the palm of his hand. He’s at a loss for words, the sight of how truly upset you are making his heart sink in sorrow.

He scoots over on the couch to hold you close and whisper soft calming words. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. You’re alright, I’m here now.”

You know he has no idea how much it means to you, just hearing those simple words when the anxiety and fear continue to claw at your throat like hellish nails. You’re caught in its grip, the flashing images of flames and the sounds and smells of screeching, burning, crumbling to dust. It surrounds you, and you choke on the tendrils of smoke as if they’re really there, filling your lungs like a heavy sand. It stings, and it’s excruciating.

“Maybe I’d fare a little better … if I’d just stayed somewhere else that night,” you can’t help whimpering out, the memories resurfacing too quickly for you to have control over them.

“You were there?” Jimin reels. Hearing that you’d witnessed your own parent’s death was nothing short of devastating. That was way too much for a young mind to handle, surely. Could the world really be that cruel to one of, if not the most amazing person he’s ever met? He can’t help but cry for you in this moment, trying his best to stay silent as his tears soak into your shirt.

You both stay locked together for another hour or so, Jimin listening intently as you explain the story to him of what happened that night. It’s agonising to relive it, but you know he needs to hear it from you. There’s nowhere else he can hear it from, really.

“Y’know, working in the force meant I had to handle situations like that a few times. It was rare, but it did happen. I’ve seen the faces of the families; I’ve seen the damage it can cause. I just wish you hadn’t been alone, fuck,” he mumbles, hating that he can’t just go back and fix what’s unfixable.

You wave him off. “Jimin, you’ve done more for me tonight than … literally anyone’s ever done for me. Truly, I love you for that.”

His heart leaps in his chest.

“I don’t relapse too often,” you carry on shakily, “it’s just that the sight of a fire that’s out of control just … it just terrifies me so much. I see their faces in the flames.”

It’s so fucking messed up. He feels his entire being shiver in discomfort at the image you’re painting for him, but he only holds you closer. He wants to chase it all away, even though deep down he knows he can’t. All he can do is be here for you, with you when you need it most.

“That’s why I went into vet science,” you say, eyes growing brighter the longer Jimin embraces you. It’s like he’s physically holding you together, and it’s so very safe in his arms. “I had to come to terms with death as a concept, like properly. I wanted to save those who didn’t deserve it just yet, those who deserve to live longer lives just like they did. It’s my life’s purpose.”

Jimin comes to the realisation, right then and there, that he probably loves you.

You are, without a doubt in his mind, the strongest and most remarkable person he’s ever met. He wants to be around you all the time, wants to share your energy, wants to be half as amazing as you are – with every fibre of his being. It’s not like he can just say that though. Not right now, anyway.

He tucks the thought away for another time. A better one.

“What about you? Why did you want to become a police officer?” you ask, snorting once into a tissue to finally rid yourself of the snot and tears.

“Me?” Jimin chuckles. You’re always one to turn it around, never wanting the spotlight for more than needed. He fondly reaches up to run his fingers through your hair, grazing the skin of your cheek along the way and making you smile wistfully.

“Well, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly why. It always comes down to justice, right? We all want to enforce that, protect those that need protecting, and saving lives as well. I’m very similar to you in that sense,” he starts, clearing his throat to lighten the atmosphere with a confident tone. You find yourself snuggling into his side, just longing to hear him talk for hours while you wrap yourself in the warmth of the blanket and his reassuring presence.

“My family left a while back, and my brother was the only one who stayed with me. Both of us had to fend for ourselves, and with me being the eldest, it was easy to fall into that father-figure kind of mould. I wanted to protect what we had, but it was pretty laughable when I was the smaller kid.” Jimin laughs, surprising not only himself, but you with the way he speaks about his past so openly and without any bitterness or animosity.

He was looking at it a different way, and he had you to thank for that.

“So I trained,” he continues. “I trained so hard and spent years proving myself. I came home to our tiny flat every night, prouder than I’d been the night before. And Tae-”

His throat tightens and he has to cut himself off, the syllables of his brother’s name dying on his tongue due to disuse. He hasn’t said it in years, and the feeling his name conjures is strange. There’s the ever-present cold hard hatred building in his chest, but in some wild and wacky way, it’s easier to move past it.

“Taehyung … he was so proud of me too.”

You lift your head from where it rests on Jimin’s chest, moving your hand to envelope his where it resides in his lap. His fingers grasp yours gently, a simple squeeze telling you that he’s alright to keep going. He’s got you so relaxed in his arms that you can almost feel yourself falling asleep, but you know you mustn’t. You have to stay awake for him right now, right when he’s opening up completely.

“Since you shared your story, I figure I have to share mine.” Jimin smiles, the expression not completely reaching his eyes. Both of you have made so much progress tonight, it’s not even funny. He knows that if he doesn’t tell you now, he most likely never will.

“We … fell in love with the same person, me and Tae. It got ugly, and we were super close until the countless fights and yelling matches tore us apart. Even after we both got over this person, we couldn’t stand each-other. We couldn’t make it through one day without a handful of painful jabs being sent back and forth. It was bad, so bad.” He takes a deep breath, and you sit up slightly to hold him closer. The positions were reversed now.

“I needed him, despite all that, I really did. He was the only one left, and I was too proud to just forget everything that’d happened to us. I got offered a place in an exchange program with a group of officers in my force, it was to Europe and it went for no longer than two weeks, but when I got back Tae was…”

“He was gone,” you finish for him when he can’t, raising your hand to wipe the singular tear cascading down his smooth cheek. Jimin sniffs and smiles at you, turning to bury his face into your hair and letting out a large, heavy exhale.

“I sold the flat after many nights of just crying and breaking down,” he mumbles softly into your head. “I still don’t know where he went, but I also didn’t want to exploit my access to citizen information to find out. I think that’s when my passion for the force started to die down, though it took years for me to finally have the guts to leave. Nothing’s fair in this godforsaken world.”

It was a harsh and negative outlook, but you found yourself agreeing to a certain extent. Here you were, the epitome of optimism and ‘bright side’ herself, wanting to watch the world burn for just a second. Just like your family had.

You cringe at your own line of thought. “It’s our job to make it better-”

“Don’t even say it (Y/n), I swear to God,” Jimin warns playfully, cupping you cheeks in both palms and squishing them until your lips open and close like a fish. His eyes sparkle with adoration, and you whine out in protest against his actions before you can get lost in them.

“I’m just saying!”

“Don’t just say! Let me be emo for once you fool.” He tackles you onto the couch, spirits steadily rising from the depressing venture into his memories. Feeling light and as unburdened as a feather, he pins you down and tickles your sides mercilessly.

You miss the warmth of his comforting hugs but can’t help shrieking in laughter as you let it happen. You’re happier seeing him happy anyway.

Before things can escalate further, a disapproving meow interrupts the two of you, and you both whip your heads to the side to see Ghost sitting in the middle of the room. Her tail twitches in annoyance, and her face seems to be screaming ‘are you lumbering idiots done yet?’.

“Wow, a whole mood-killer. Maybe we should clean up the kitchen, actually,” you suggest while trying to catch your breath, grateful for the reprieve. Jimin’s eyes flit back to meet yours, and you catch the dark look he’s giving you. He knows you’re just trying to escape him right now.

“Fine, but don’t go thinking you’re off the hook even for a second.”

~

Weeks fly by after your emotion-packed, train-wreck of a night. If anything, it only drew you and Jimin closer than ever. You now had another layer to your friendship, another reason to stick together through thick and thin.

Jimin had attended around three hydrotherapy sessions with Mandu, and to your delight, it actually seemed to be working well! The dog would definitely soon be right on track to return to his former glory, minus the slight greying around his muzzle from old age. There only seemed to be one problem though…

Mandu was shit scared of water.

Every single time, the poor canine would whine and yelp for his owner as if he were legitimately dying. You could only watch on in amused silence, pursing your lips to hold back a cackle as your best friend had to bend down at the pool’s edge in order to calm the dog down.

The staff members working at the specialist pool were understanding at least, but that didn’t stop Jimin’s cheeks from flushing with embarrassment every single time.

“Buddy please, you’ve literally chased down killers and jumped over an entire ravine before. Some water won’t kill you!”

It fell on deaf ears, and Mandu howled extra forcefully in defiance. You couldn’t hold back your snort of laughter this time, the scene of the heated argument between dog and owner way too funny to let slide. Jimin throws a betrayed look at you over his shoulder, grumbling something under his breath you can’t quite catch.

In the end, some of the more patient staff members manage to coax the shaky dog into the water, and it’s with great struggle that they finally manage to get him swimming properly. Jimin has to stay within the dog’s line of sight 24/7, even one moment away and Mandu would start thrashing about and yipping in a panic.

You laugh at Jimin the entire time as you stand back to watch, the looks he sends you in return having ‘traitor’ written all over them. If he didn’t have to stay dutifully by the poolside, you’d be in your right mind to believe he’d storm over and kick you into next week for being so bratty.

“You just need to practice. Get him used to it,” you tell him once you’re all leaving the facility, a freshly dried pooch trotting beside you with fur sticking up in all directions. You can’t help but think the dog reminds you of Jimin like this, back when he’d rushed to the clinic in all kinds of disarray.

“Used to it? Did you see him in there!?” Jimin splutters, squatting down to hold Mandu’s face sternly between his palms. The dog remains unbothered as he flashes you a side-eye for assistance.

“Yes I saw. I’m surprised police dogs don’t spend more time training in water, to be honest,” you muse thoughtfully, reaching down to ruffle Mandu’s ears in reassurance. “It’s okay baby boy, you’re not alone,” you coo, smiling when the dog’s tail wags twice in response.

“Baby b…” Jimin trails off, clearing his throat consciously after feeling heat crawl up his neck at the pet-name.

“Anyway, it’s been a few sessions and he hasn’t quite got the hang of it. Why don’t we try spending some time in the water outside of sessions too?” you suggest cheerfully.

“Where? I don’t have a pool.” Jimin cocks an incredulous brow. There’s no way any public pool in these parts would let some random dude and his dog splash around and dirty their space.

You step up and poke Jimin firmly in the chest with one finger. “Did you just never look out the back of my place?”

“You have a pool? What in the hell-”

Jimin’s mouth hangs open in outrage. Even after all this time, he really hadn’t noticed it even once? You had to be fucking with him. “No way.”

“Uhh, yes way? Dude all you had to do was look outside.” You rest your hands on your hips, definitely unimpressed right now but trying your best not to laugh at him too much. He’s already been the butt of all your jokes today. Every single one.

Jimin has to see it for himself to believe it, so the next evening he pulls up to your home with Mandu in the passenger seat. The poor baby is blissfully unaware of the fate that awaits him here, but Jimin only feels the sweet, sweet taste of revenge on his tongue at the notion. After the hell Mandu had put him through these past few weeks, it was time to get payback.

“C’mon boy,” he sniggers. An evil grin stretches across his face and figurative crimson devil horns poke out from his hair.

“How dare you take advantage of him and his inability to be human,” you drawl lazily from the now open front door, and Jimin jumps in his skin from the shock. He hadn’t even made it to the damn porch and you’d already heard him.

“He deserves the slander.”

You shake your head and lead the duo inside, instantly groaning when Ghost and Mandu begin hissing and snarling at each other like their toes have been stepped on. Your fluffy white cat has all her hackles raised in hostility, and the dog in return has his lips drawn back to reveal a row of sharp white fangs.

You’re at your wits end, and similar to the other few instances of Mandu and Ghost meeting, you stomp your foot and stand over the pair as menacingly as you can. “You two are acting like complete animals right now, calm down or you’re going into timeout!”

When the two pets actually shut up, Jimin guffaws with no restraint. You simply huff, as if expecting that your threats would work regardless, and gesture to the glass sliding door adjacent to the kitchen. “It’s out there, are you happy now?”

Jimin cranes his neck and lo and behold, there it is in all its glory. A fucking pool. And to top it all off, it’s even surrounded by a towering black metal fence and gate, as if Jimin didn’t feel stupid enough for not noticing it already.

“So who was wrong and who was right?”

“Shut up.”

The two of you get ready to begin your little ‘home brand’ hydrotherapy session, with Jimin already donning swim trunks in case he has to jump in and intervene at any point. The pool is already much deeper than he’d anticipated, considering the ones at the actual therapy centre were nice and shallow for the dogs in rehab.

You’re dressed in a similar manner, with small tight shorts and a black t-shirt that’s so long it almost hides the fact that you’re wearing pants at all. Jimin has to keep his gaze controlled from raking up the expanse of your bare legs. He wonders if you’d somehow planned to get him all hot and bothered, seeing as it was a warm Spring night that was perfect for taking a dip.

“Okay, well he already seems spooked at the sight of water. You’re going to have to get in,” you say apprehensively, eyeing the way Mandu is already shifting anxiously from paw to paw. You’re all stood beside the shallow end of the pool, the gate fastened shut in case the dog tries to make a break for it suddenly.

Jimin coaxes Mandu forward with soft words of support and praise, taking the steps one at a time. It’s obvious how much the canine is hating this, his ears are pinned flat to his head and his knees are wobbling from the fear. Your heart is shot through with pity for the animal, but he needs to get better at this.

“Here, I’ll help,” you mumble, getting to your feet and stepping into the pool behind the jittery dog. With Jimin pulling him forward by his shoulders, and you urging him onwards from behind, it doesn’t take long for him to start doggy-paddling around. You help Jimin monitor his movements, checking for any signs of discomfort but finding nothing as Mandu works to keep his snout above water.

“I think he’s less nervous because it’s just us,” Jimin comments, a wide smile on his face at seeing his boy paddle around calmly. No frantic thrashing, no barking, no outbreak of chaos as usual.

“Funny that,” you breathe out with a chuckle. The waterline comes up to around your chest at this height, and you shiver as the cool liquid brushes against the underside of your bra. “I can’t go much further, all my underwear’s gonna get wet.”

The innuendo is essentially fresh bait, and you already know you’ve set yourself up nicely just before Jimin chuckles. “Right, why don’t you just go back and take a cold shower then huh?”

“Literally fuck you.”

“I thought you didn’t want to get wet?”

You gape at his bold humour, not used to the suggestive way he’s eyeing you as he leads his innocent dog around in the pool. If you were being honest, the ideas he’s putting into your head are absolutely sinful to say the least.

“What if I do?” you scoff, and two seconds later you’re plunging deeper into the refreshing coolness of the water before Jimin can even clap back with something lewder. You’re completely submerged, and for some reason Mandu begins to panic slightly when you vanish from sight.

“Woah, it’s okay she’s not drowning,” Jimin hushes in a serious tone, making sure to support the dog’s body with both arms as the animal treads through the water with powerful kicks of his hind legs. You resurface further down, hair now completely wet and sticking to your head uncomfortably.

“Hey, he got scared for you just then,” Jimin calls out. You feel a tug on your heartstrings and swim back down to the shallower part of the pool.

“Aw, Mandu was worried for me? What happened to hating my guts for stealing Jimin?”

Jimin gives you a weird look at that. “Stealing me? Jesus, do I just exist to be passed around by you guys?”

“Maybe.” You giggle. Something about the assertive way you act has Jimin feeling hot all over, and he’s reminded yet again that it’s a quality of yours he’s come to find madly attractive.

Or maybe it’s just the fact that your basically halfway naked not even a metre away from him. He can’t even focus on the task at hand when he gets a full view of your soaked t-shirt, and how the outlines of your rounded chest are now completely visible to his watchful eyes.

He can’t help but gulp at the thoughts running through his mind. “Hey, how long has it been now? Think that’s about one session’s worth for today.”

“Right, it probably is. Good progress! I might stay out here for a bit though, it’s super hot and my air conditioner basically cracked the shits last night.”

Jimin climbs out of the pool, the hem of his shirt soaked but luckily everything above that dry as a bone. He grabs a towel and dries Mandu off, whispering praises of how well he did to swim properly today. Once he’s done, he opens the gate and lets the dog out to run around your somewhat spacious backyard. Jimin has to look away in disdain, because he knows it won’t be long before his buddy starts rolling around and making himself filthy again.

Jimin returns his gaze back to you, and he stifles a laugh when he sees you randomly floating on your back in the middle of the pool, limbs splayed out like a starfish. You look dead to the world, but honestly, he can’t blame you. It is rather hot for a Spring night.

He barely even thinks about his actions before he’s peeling the shirt from his back. His honey blonde hair becomes tousled from the movement, and he throws away the piece of clothing without batting an eyelid.

As for you, well, now you’re stressed.

Sure, you knew he was an ex-police officer. You knew he worked out daily and took care of himself unbelievably well. Sure, you were happy to just close your eyes and pretend like you weren’t ogling the heck out of him right now, but it just wasn’t happening.

He was absolutely beautiful; you could even say carved from marble and it wouldn’t be much of a stretch. It was difficult not to gawk at the smooth way his muscled arms and shoulders tapered down into a gracefully cinched waist, not to mention the nice set of washboard abs and delicious V-line that has your mouth very nearly watering. You remind yourself to ask him later what the large ‘Nevermind’ tattoo stretching along his ribcage means.

“Wow, you could have some shame.” He flashes you that shit-eating grin, but frankly, you’re just ecstatic that he seems to be so confident in his own skin. Once upon a time throughout your friendship, he would have never been this comfortable around you.

“What, am I not allowed to appreciate what you’re showing me? You could’ve easily just left the shirt on,” you complain loudly, rolling over to lay face down in the water in hopes that it would douse the heating of your rapidly burning cheeks. With your eyes and ears underwater, you only feel the ripples hit your skin as he jumps in to join you.

You lift your head and gasp for air, catching sight of him swimming towards you rapidly. “Wait, what are you doing!?” You barely get to shout before he’s picking you up and throwing you back down into the water with a tremendous splash, loud laughter booming from his chest as you scream and struggle in his grip.

“Jimin I swear-”

You cut yourself off by sweeping a massive wave of water in his direction with both arms, grinning wickedly as it smacks him straight in the face. He wipes at his eyes and shakes his head, much like a dog would, and you vaguely register Mandu’s barks of excitement from somewhere out in the yard.

“I’m getting you back for that,” Jimin grunts, and you feel your stomach squirm as he starts moving towards you again.

“No, no, no! Okay I’ll be good, leave me please!”

Your pleas are left unheard as you try to escape from his grasp, but he’s too quick and too strong to evade. Your legs kick up into the air helplessly as he dunks you again, and once you finally resurface, he’s already got you in his hold. “Stop, I can’t compete with you, you beefcake.” You purse your lips and blow a raspberry of pool spittle into his face, struggling within his arms in fear that he would start throwing you again, or even worse … tickle you.

Your loud wails and shrieks of laughter had filled the air for the past ten minutes or so, but you were obviously weaker than he was, and you both knew you were going to tire out much faster. So, to your pleasant surprise, he stops teasing you and simply holds you by the waist, high enough that your entire head and neck are above water.

“You’re absolutely ruthless,” you grumble, bringing your hands up to rest on his bare biceps for support. You marvel at the way the lean muscles flex underneath your fingers as he shifts you to be more comfortable.

It’s so very hot, and you can’t help but notice the heat licking at your abdomen the longer you stay locked in this position. Your legs wrapped around his torso, and his face is just above the line of your soaked chest. You just thank God you hadn’t chosen to wear a white shirt at this point.

“Yeah, well you’re just fun to mess with,” he finally responds after a few moments of slowly floating around the pool’s edge. You smile warmly down at him and use both your hands to comb back his dripping hair with your deft fingers. Once again, you’re stunned into silence at how attractive he truly is. Especially when he looks at you like that.

Wait, why is he looking at you like that?

His handsome eyes are dark, and lidded. He’s smirking at you just as he always does, but this time there’s something different. The air around you changes. It feels … charged.

He’s not done, shockingly, and he continues to back you up until you feel the edge of the pool press into your back ever so slightly. He then lets you down to stand on your own two feet now that it’s shallow, your toes brush the pool tiles suddenly and the feeling elicits a small jump of surprise.

He’s closer than he’s ever been, and you feel your breath hitch at the feeling of his bare chest brushing against the material of your saturated bra. His hands come up to trace the line of your waist again, and you have to remind yourself to breathe.

“Jimin,” you sigh, looking up at him through your lashes. Your hands have a mind of their own at this point, and they find themselves tracing the lines of his dripping arm muscles once more. His eyes are staring into your own, burning with a heat and a desire you know all too well.

He wants you, right now.

You immediately cave in, feeling your thighs squeeze together as he descends upon your lips. The kiss is somewhere in between sensual and ravenous, with both your lips parting almost simultaneously in pleasant surprise. He lifts one hand from your hips to tangle into the wet hair at the back of your neck, pulling you closer to him as he melds his lips together with yours.

God, you’ve pined after him for so long that you somehow forgot what the feeling was called. You moan softly into the kiss and feel his lips quirk into a smile. He immediately knows just how badly you’d been craving this, and honestly, he’s been thinking about the exact same thing for months now. You both just needed some kind of hot situation to force you together, to give you the confidence to finally take the chance.

“You don’t know how long I’ve just wanted to have you like this,” Jimin says in a low voice, pulling back to catch his breath and rest his forehead upon yours for a moment. Your heart is going absolutely crazy in your chest, and you bring both your hands up to cup his face gently.

“I’ve wanted you since we met in that damn park, can you beat that?” You hum sweetly.

His eyes widen immensely, but then soften in a warm realisation. “Okay, I think you got me there. It’s been a couple of months though. Wow, the park? Really?”

You nod, and he lifts his hand to cover yours over his cheek. His eyes are swimming with a love so deep and profound, you just want to kiss him silly. “Yeah, I mean I don’t think I fully realised it until later on. I was happy to just keep that crazy good friendship of ours, but then I knew all along I was in deep,” you say candidly.

Jimin kisses you again long and hard. “Shit, I think I’m gonna say it. I love you. God I love you so, so much.”

You could almost cry at the heartfelt confession. His smile is blindingly bright, and his eyes are positively gleaming with happiness. You realise then that they weren’t tired anymore. Perhaps they hadn’t been for a while now.

“You saved me, (Y/n). You literally brought me out of a dark place I never thought I’d get to leave.”

“Stop you’re going to make me...”

‘I’m serious,” he murmurs, lifting your face with his thumb and forefinger to catch your overwhelmed expression.

You peck his cute little nose. “I know you are, and the same goes for you! You were always there when I needed you, Jim. I love you so fucking much, it hurts.”

He laughs airily, chest feeling light and fit to burst from your requited affections. He can’t believe that for once, this cruel world had decided to give him something nice for a change. He was … actually allowed to keep you?  

At the same time, you’re positively brimming with relief and pure bliss. You jerk forward and catch him in a needy kiss mid-laugh, silencing all your nerves and disbelief as he returns it passionately. You squeak in surprise when he lifts your body – with ease, you might add, thanks to his physique – to sit up on the edge of the pool.

He continues to trail his lips along your skin as you hold him tight, and you love the way he handles you so carefully as if you’ll break in his palms if he’s somehow too rough. You simply can’t wait to see his face when you tell him you like it that way.

As he moves to your neck, you snake your arms around him and drag your nails down his back sensually, needing to feel him against you to prove that this is happening, that this is real and not some kind of dream.

“Fuck, you’re gonna be the death of me,” he groans, nibbling at the juncture of your neck and sucking harshly at the skin there. The contrast of the cool droplets of water clinging to your body as they meet his hot languid tongue has you shivering all over.

You can’t get enough of his lips, and you’re all but suddenly finding out just how skilled he actually is with his mouth. Tiny lustful whimpers fall freely from your throat as his hands move from your neck down to your breasts, and when he begins to brush his fingertips over your nipples through the shirt and bra with a broken groan, you just about lose it.

“Jimin, I want to feel you,” you choke out, pulling him as close as the edge of the pool will allow. Thankfully, it’s shallow enough on his end that he can still reach up to your face, and you instantly take advantage of your height boost to wrap your legs around his body.

You tilt his chin upwards towards you with one finger and part your lips, instantly feeling his tongue slide fervently past them into your mouth. It’s such a forward and sultry manoeuvre that you lose yourself in the pure unadulterated heat of the moment. God, you’ve never been so turned on in your life.

His hands, which had fallen to brace himself on the concrete tiles on either side of your hips, now find purchase on your bare dripping wet thighs. You can’t suppress a shudder when he digs his fingers into those too, tracing circles with his thumbs to let you know where he’s going with this.

You pull away from his irresistible lips with a gasp. “What are you..?”

He smirks, mouth all swollen from your teeth and tongue, eyes pinning you down with a dark gaze full of salacious longing. You don’t think you’ve ever seen anything hotter, until he growls, “I wanna take you right here, right now,” with a lick of his lips and downward glance of his eyes.

You’re left speechless, and before you can muster up anything to say in response, he’s hooking his arms underneath your knees and parting your shaky thighs slowly. He angles you closer to the edge of the pool, and you want nothing more than to just be under him. “Oh God. Jimin we should go inside.”

He looks like he’s about to argue, but then a flurry of wild barking and panting causes both of you to whip your heads around. There stands the source of the noise in question, all covered in grass and weeds from romping around your yard, and it bounds incessantly around the towering pool fence.

He’s watching you both excitedly and demands your undivided attention with another yap. If you had to take a wild guess as to what the dog wanted, it would be that he wishes to join in with his family’s little ‘wrestling’ match rather than being locked outside in the lonely backyard. You and Jimin exchange a look.

“Yeah, not in front of Mandu.”

“Never in front of him.”

You both grab your towels and scamper inside like two horny teenagers, very naked and afraid, but still laughing the entire way at your predicament.

Safely within your walls and locked away from the innocence of animals, you pick up where you left off beside the pool. The haphazardly tossed pieces of wet clothing and damp footprints throughout the house are soon forgotten when Jimin gets you in between your sheets. It doesn’t take long for him to have you screaming his name well into the night, and you’re sure that by the end of it, his lips and tongue have touched almost every inch of your body.

That’s not to say you didn’t have a fair go at him too, because when you wake in the morning to turn and see your hickeys scattered across his bare neck and stomach, you swear you’ve never felt more satisfied in your life. Yes, he’d proven himself to be quite a little switch in the making, and you feel positively giddy at the prospect of getting so much more time with him to find out exactly where that might lead.

He was yours and you were his. Together, you had something truly marvellous.

He turns his head with a grunt and catches you admiring his sleeping form. The resulting dazzling smile that splits his face leaves you positively breathless, just as every other aspect about him does.

“Morning,” you both mumble at the same time, and while you scrunch your face up in an endeared cringe, Jimin just laughs sweetly at the clumsiness between you. He moves over to plant the softest of kisses to your forehead, and you cuddle into his side like it’s your designated space to reside until the end of time.

In lieu of the family-shaped hole you’d been carrying with you your whole life, there now appeared a Jimin-shaped puzzle piece slotting into place.

And with that, you could ask for nothing more.

 ~

~

 Somewhere in the distant night, a young man taps his finger on the steering wheel of his car as he speeds along the eerily quiet highway.

The late hour does nothing to deter him, and he fights back the drowsiness threatening to pull him under as the road falls away beneath the tyres. He’s been driving for hours, but he persists without rest and soldiers on, full of purpose. Every time he feels a shred of doubt begin to linger in his mind, he glances over to the wrinkled photo resting on his dashboard and the initial burst of vigour returns.

He runs a hand through his long, curly black hair and eyes the photo again. The smiling faces look back at him, and he immediately wonders for the millionth time if he truly is doing the right thing here. The turn-off sign whizzes by his car window, and he realises that now is his last chance to change his mind.

He can keep living a peaceful life if he just continues straight past without looking back, but there’s no way he can do that. He can’t fail his only remaining family any longer.

He veers for the turn-off, taking a deep breath and reaching forward to brush a finger against one of the smiling faces in the roughly crinkled photo. It’s final, he’s made his decision.

I’m coming home. 

.

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵  

TO BE CONTINUED

Copyright © 2020 by salade. All rights reserved.

[zipperuser103]

The Foxes as Dog Breeds: From a Person who Works at a Dog Kennel

Kevin - German Shepherd — A little too loyal… smart and athletic, has attachment issues….

Renee - Great Pyrenees — Very soft and sweet and cuddly, but also independent and protective…

Matt - Bernese Mountain Dog — Has NO clue what personal space even is, will sit on your feet and get in your way ALL THE TIME but they’re just so sweet and cute you can’t help but love them… (my kennel currently has five, and they are so annoying… but they just so cute…)

Dan - Rottweiler — Protective, very sweet, has a natural authority and uses it…

Allison - Husky — Very opinionated and not afraid to share it, smart, athletic, loud…. And very beautiful, let’s be real…

Seth - Doberman Pincher — Standoffish to anyone other than those close to them, very loyal… I don’t know a lot about Seth (rip) but I feel like he would have been these qualities if we got to see more of him….

Aaron - Smooth Collie — Smart, soft, quiet while also a bit loud… He also gives me Yellow Lab vibes….

Nicky - Chocolate Labrador — Way to friendly, has no idea of personal space, very energetic… (yes there is a difference between yellow, black, and chocolate lab temperaments, as any lab owner would know lol)

Andrew - Maremma Sheepdog — Smart, protective… not easily shaken, very **sturdy**… (My kennel once had a maremma, his name was Nibs, he was an asshole… knew exactly how to push my buttons and annoy me… he was very sweet when he wanted to be though…)

Neil - Poodle — Anxious energy (Waffles never stops pacing), athletic, fast, way to smart for their own good, and very much an asshole… (Spencer, the other poodle at the kennel, once attacked a puppy for no reason….)

Hope you enjoyed this.. lol, idk why I made it…

[tenacityreturns]

“listen, asshole. i’m gonna carry you home whether you like it or not. you’re not in any condition to get there yourself.” (you know the ship)

send me prompts for me to get mega carried away writing aokaga drabbles! ♥

          kagami knew he wasn’t going to be able to play basketball for a little while. he knew not to wear shorts in the winter under the impression he’d inevitably end up going to the outdoor court near his house and running drills by himself. he knew he wouldn’t be able to play in the practise game against kaijo next week, or enjoy any one-on-ones with his rivals. it upset him to know that the cast on his foot was also stopping him from working out, and even moving, let alone how it was affecting his basketball.

miserable, basically. kagami was miserable. he still met up with his friends, and insisted on coming to practise just to see what everyone was doing. coach allowed him to practise his three-pointers under the agreement that he was absolutely not to attempt dunks. kagami’s not that stupid, come on! joining his team doesn’t make him feel any less torn up, though. in fact, it could be argued that watching everyone have so much fun makes him feel worse, not that he’d say it for the fuss he put up even being allowed to come in the first place.

it makes sense that aomine would be waiting for kagami’s badly sprained ankle to heal up before they meet up. the redhead is convinced that the limits of his appeal are closely defined by his basketball ability, and this goes for aomine’s impression of him as much as anyone else’s. that’s fine. aomine likes basketball, so what else does kagami have to offer besides that and cooking for him ( which kagami is unwilling to do all the time )? nothing, exactly. kagami has accepted it, and by aomine’s silence, it sounds like he has too. can’t blame him.

in his second week with the awful brace on, aomine contradicts kagami’s assumptions by asking ( in his own way ) to go to maji’s. it sucks that aomine would see kagami with his stupid little brace, but at least he isn’t using a crutch anymore! there’s no shame in being injured, kagami knows this, but he really wants to play and he was thinking he’d be able to grin and bear it if he’d have the brace off by the time they met up. kagami really isn’t sure how much fun he’ll be, but he agrees because it’s aomine and he misses him. ( is that stupid to admit in itself? that he misses getting clowned on, and lectured, and spoken down to? crushes are weird. )

maji’s wasn’t that bad, either. aomine almost didn’t mention kagami’s injury, except to ask if it hurt bad to walk on. it is, but he’d said it wasn’t. he’s too restless to do nothing as it heals! it’s boring. 

kagami eats apparently noticeably less today, but he hasn’t done anything to work up an appetite. he’d been worried there would be awkward silences, but there aren’t. aomine mentions kise, kagami tells him that he’s having to sit out of the game, and the conversation swiftly moves along to something entirely different. 

scarlet eyes watch carefully. is aomine talking... more than usual? is something up? kagami almost asks straight up, but decides against it at the last minute. what good would it do? kagami doesn’t want to hear aomine admit that he just wanted to hang out! how fucking embarrassing would that situation be? so it cheers him up a little that aomine isn’t just hanging around for the basketball. ( and if he is, he makes such a fuss about being too tired to play one-on-ones that he’s got a funny way of showing it. )

so. the scene has been laboriously set. the characters, kagami taiga: injured, miserable; aomine daiki: love interest, acting strangely sensitively towards miserable rival, have been introduced. not to mention the lingering stares, shared food, hurried apology promptly buried after aomine had accidentally nudged the bad leg under the table. 

after the meal, they cut through the park towards town to do some shopping. aomine said he was too tired and couldn’t be bothered, but kagami has things he wants to buy and despite not insisting, the other teenager tags along. not five minutes into their journey, demons appear. as fast as their legs can carry them, three hellhounds race across the grass and STRAIGHT into them! he doesn’t know the breeds ( boxer, pug, border collie ), but they have big teeth and they’re barking at them! kagami’s body reacts before his scream can leave his throat, and he’s running in the opposite direction before aomine could tell him not to because of his bad leg.

( kagami doesn’t see this because he’s five metres away already, and ten seconds from falling on his face, but aomine is alarmed by the animals too before the come to a stop a few feet away. kagami! what are you, stupid? you’ll hurt yourself! but it falls on deaf ears. tails wagging, the dogs run around each other and then come up to aomine to say hi. the pug yells, the border collie barks, and the boxer is their silent guardian. she’s much quieter, and earns pets from aomine who is more than happy to pay them. the collie is more excitable, but he’s sure that’s a trait of the breed. a woman comes running across the grass in workout gear, and she apologises for her dogs, she lost grip of their leashes. aomine will have to shrug it off because where the fuck has that idiot gone? and what does he mean by running when he’s got an injury?! )

crash. his brace isn’t meant for running on. a stone beneath his foot sends him stumbling to the ground. the subsequent steps he takes mid-air, trying to save the fall from landing on the bad leg, has him land on the good one and now that hurts too. but kagami shifts around to sit so that he can at least see the dogs charging behind him until finally they eat him alive. but the dogs are being taken away by a girl, and aomine’s jogging to catch up.

     “what the fuck was that?” he asks in annoyance, "i know you don’t like dogs but you gotta be careful.”

    “don’t like them?” kagami repeats weakly, but it’s the rage which gives him voice. “what the fuck do you mean i don’t like them! there were three of them and they were coming straight at us! any normal person would run away! are you stupid yourself?” he tries to get to his feet but it’s a struggle. what has he done to his other foot? “shit---”

    “ah, did you hurt yourself? i told you,” despite the totally unwelcome reprimands, aomine hooks his hands under kagami’s arms and pulls him to his feet. much to kagami’s angered embarrassment.

    “i’m fine, get your hands off me,” but he’s grumbling, not shouting. he’s grateful really. kagami takes a step onwards, away from the dogs and, as it happens, back home, but the good leg buckles under sharp pain. it’s his knee. it isn’t his foot. fuck. this is much worse. as the pain subsides, kagami becomes acutely aware of the hand on his back. somehow, in a quiet way, this is worse.

    “easy. what’d you hurt this time?”

    jeez, aomine makes it hard to be anything but angry sometimes. “nothing! i’m fine.”

    “kagami,”

    “shut up! i’m going home,” but the step on his bad leg hurts, and the next makes his knee hurt again. he grits his teeth, screwing eyes tightly shut. no, this really fucking hurts. what if he’s fucked up his knee again? is he going to have to take longer off basketball? this is shit!

    “listen, asshole,” aomine’s hand glides across kagami’s shoulder-blades to find a firm grip of his shoulder, but it’s not the straightened arm that stops him from walking ( it’s the straight up yearning ). “i’m gonna carry you home whether you like it or not. you’re not in any condition to get there yourself.”

    “no---!”

    “shut up. you think i want to carry you, fatass? we’re only a couple blocks from your house, it’ll be fine.”

    “who the hell are you calling a fatass!"

    "stop complaining, you're being too noisy."

this is such an unfair statement to have made. kagami is often unaware of how loud he's being, so he is told off by teammates for this all the time. aomine saying it just makes him pause and check himself. but his volume had been fine! aomine just called him a fatass, isn't it natural to fight on that? aomine doesn't think so. his hand leaves kagami's shoulder and thoughts feel a little more coherent, but he's still insisting.

    "no, aomine, I don't want you to fuckin' carry me. how embarrassing is that?"

    "okay," he shrugs, "let's go back."

that was... easy. "what do you mean! you're gonna make a fuss and then drop it just like that?"

    "let's go," he nods his head to gesture onwards, but it's a second before kagami can even consider moving. is aomine being... respectful of his wishes? ( also, when did the bare minimum become so applaudable? )

kagami grits his teeth through stepping on his bad ankle, eager to prove that he’s absolutely fine to walk, but cannot prevent the wince when it comes to his knee. it’s really sore. it feels kind of like when he’s jumped too much in a game, so he must have hit it in the worst possible spot.

when his eyes eventually bring themselves to find aomine’s, he finds that aomine had not moved since insisting they leave. he’d been watching to make sure kagami could do it. this is so embarrassing.

    “yeah,” aomine rolls his eyes, reaching behind his head to pat his own back in gesture, “anyway, hop on, tiger.” 

    “i’m heavier than you------”

    “i can do it,”

    “wait, who are you calling tiger?!”

    he smiles, as if laughing at his own super original little joke. that pisses kagami off! and embarrasses him further! his face is red hot and burning ever brighter, but aomine just walks around to stand in-front of him, facing away. “i’m serious, kagami, get on.”

    “are you--- sure?” is kagami really considering this now? “if only to get you to shut the hell up...”

    “yes, i’ll shut the hell up if you get on my back. jesus fuckin’ christ, kagami.”

it’s leap frog. it’s just a piggy back ride. it’s an emergency! it’s anything other than being that close to his crush --- and maybe even crushing his crush. whatever, kagami likes weighing close to 200lbs, that’s why he eats so much! but if he hurts aomine too... that would be pretty bad...

    “kagami,” it’s a stern reprimand from aomine that kick-starts kagami’s ascension. it almost makes the redhead forget who he’s talking to, so used to getting told off ( and then doing what he was told ) is he.

    “alright!” he retorts, hobbling closer. “ready?”

    “born it,”

that’s so lame. this is so dumb. almost hoping aomine topples forwards under his weight, just to prove a point, kagami grits his teeth and hops up onto aomine’s back. dark hands grip under his thighs and, yeah, this is about as terrible and catastrophic as it is awesome. aomine grunts under the weight, readjusts, and starts walking. kagami blinks. he’s------ he’s doing it? they haven’t fallen over yet?

all the same, kagami’s arms wrap around aomine’s shoulders in case of collapse. he can’t see whether the expression worn by his knight in shining armour betrays the strain, but from here, he seems to be holding up! is aomine... secretly really strong? this is... so cool...

    “you’re stronger than you look,” kagami remarks quietly.

    “what’s-- that supposed to mean?”

    “uh-- you’re not that built? like, you’re more slender than me?”

    “i’ll drop you on your ass, so help me.”

it’s so much easier dealing with aomine when he’s being snappy. snappy is so much better than sappy. sappy is offering to carry him. snappy is threatening to drop him. kagami smiles. he’s doing everything in his power to avoid thinking about those hands under his thighs, so he doesn’t even think to fight him about the threat. maybe he would if kagami couldn’t distinctly feel aomine’s back under his chest. it’s important in moments like these to remain completely in control of one’s body, to avoid very embarrassing things. he’s not thinking about them either, just in case he accidentally wills it into life.

they leave the park and aomine’s still carrying him. about a block away from his apartment, aomine takes a right when he should’ve gone straight on, and kagami speaks up.

    “hey, we’re going the wrong way. you should’a kept going on, dumbass. you forget already?”

    “there was a dog,” he replies frankly, “i don’t wanna risk our necks over it.”

    “oh,” that’s pretty considerate of aomine, actually... weird...

    “so you’re really scared of them? like a phobia, or whatever?”

    “yes,” kagami huffs, “i got bit when i was a little kid.”

    “and it stuck with you?”

    “you got a problem?”

    “no, just asking. you scared of tetsu’s dog, nigou?”

    “not so much. what’s that thing where, like, if you’re scared of the dark, then psychiatrists will put you in a dark room ‘til you get over it?”

    “huh?”

    “i don’t know the japanese for it, dude! ugh, whatever---”

    “like exposure therapy?” he laughs, “did tetsu force you to get over it for nigou’s sake?”

    “basically! it was always me putting on his jersey, or he put my water bottle in nigou’s hands when passing it to me. seriously annoying. kuroko’s kind of a bastard.”

    “mmm,”

    “but he likes basketball, so he can’t be all bad.”

    “tetsu or nigou?”

    “nigou, keep up!”

    “sorry, i’m just lugging ‘round a 4-tonne whale on my back----”

    “shut the hell up! it’s all muscle, anyway, so it’s not like you’re insulting me!”

    “all dumbass more like.”

    “hey!”

    “don’t shout in my ear!”

kagami decides to pull said ear between finger and thumb.

    “oi, ungrateful bastard!” aomine ducks away, but still doesn’t drop him.

    “ungrateful? i’m not ungrateful, idiot! i’ll make you something nice when we get in, how’s that?”

    “i don’t want anything---”

    “no, we gotta be even, and since i can’t play basketball--”

    “that ain’t even, i win every time.”

    “oh, every time? how about at the winter cup?”

aomine fakes a drop by loosening his grip and dropping his knees down. kagami’s grip tightens around aomine’s neck, confirming that if one fell, the other would too.

    “i know i was with my team that day, stupid!” kagami exclaims, “don’t fuckin’ drop me just ‘cuz i said that!”

    “gotta learn to be respectful somehow.”

    “not like that!”

    “calm down, i’m not actually gonna drop you. obviously, idiot.”

and he doesn’t. kagami makes a move to get down once they’re close to the building and aomine puts up a fight about it, and the same happens when they get to the front door. it’s only once they’re waiting for the elevator that aomine stands straighter and lets kagami slide off. aomine’s sweaty now, and leans into the wall as they’re taken to the penthouse floor.

aomine’s a good guy. he seems to like keeping that fact a secret, but kagami knows what it’s like to brush people off to avoid getting close ( and subsequently hurt by ) others. sometimes having no friends is just simpler. but kagami’s glad that he joined the seirin basketball club that day for hundreds of reasons, and standing in the elevator with an exhausted rival who just carried him for the whole five minute walk home is just one of them.

kagami is glad to have met aomine for hundreds of reasons, but finding a likeminded friend in him is just one of them. of course, ideally he’d like to be more, and the unconquerable smile on his face when aomine looks over, says it all. unfortunately, aomine doesn’t seem to be listening for it.

    “what?” aomine’s drowsiness fades in an instant.

    “nothing.”

    “well, shut up.”

    “i didn’t say anything!”

    “stop thinking whatever you were thinking.”

    kagami’s smile broadens. “you have no idea what i was thinking about.”

    “probably something perverted,” aomine clicks his tongue. “disgusting.”

    kagami immediately shoves him, “shut the hell up! as if i’m thinking about you like that!” maybe earlier, much to his dismay, but not right now!

    “oh! so you were thinking about me?” aomine smirks, catching the wrist and pushing it away. “interesting.”

    “shut up!”

    “i didn’t say anything,” 

he’s really a bastard, huh? a beautiful, dumbass bastard. kagami lowers his eyes ruefully. alright. so maybe he’s head over heels for him, what of it? he exhales. a proper thank you is definitely in order. he’ll feel bad if he doesn’t say it. after a moment of opening and closing his mouth, quite oblivious to how obvious his struggles are, it’s aomine who speaks first.

    “don’t bother,”

    “what?”

    “i said don’t worry about it. listen next time.”

    “you don’t know what i was gonna say!”

    “you were overthinking how you could thank me,” aomine pushes his index finger against kagami’s forehead. “i could see the cogs turning.”

    “get the hell off me,” kagami, despite being madly in love with him, is also the man’s primary target for irritation, and aomine always knows how to push his buttons. he’s blushing, but angrily. “i was just thinking how i was gonna tell you that you smell bad.”

    “shut up,” aomine shoves him, “i smell great, you’re just jealous of my natural musk.”

    “you’re such an asshole,” but kagami’s smiling again. “is it fun being on my nerves all the time?”

    “hey, ‘least i’m on your mind.”

    “you don’t need to be an idiot for that to happen!”

    “huh?”

    “what?”

    “ah, so you do think of me?”

    “no.”

    “you just said you did.”

    “what? no i didn’t! so what if-- if that’s true, anyway? idiot. you’re making a big deal out of nothing! it’s normal to think about your rival. how else do you come up with ways to beat him?”

    “sure.”

    “shut the fuck up with ‘ sure ’ !” 

    the elevator dings. aomine shrugs. “if you’re still worried about how you can make it up for me for saving your ass back there,” the doors open, he leans in close momentarily. “i can think of a few things you could do.”

is there... any way... that the way aomine said that... could mean anything else but what kagami immediately thought of? his cheeks, already hot, start to sting with how intensely he’s blushing. aomine saunters out, but waits half-turned towards him outside the elevator. kagami stares for a second. tries to recover. almost gets locked inside the lift as it’s called down, and hobbles out to catch up with his awful rival.

    “hey aomine?”

    “what?”

    “don’t tell anyone i hurt my knee. it’ll be fine in a day or so, probably. it’s----- embarrassing.”

    “tch, like it isn’t embarrassing for me too?”

kagami hadn’t really thought of that side of it. aomine had been so insistent that he’d figured aomine didn’t care. ah man. now neither of them are talking and the stinging heat on his face is back! he unlocks the door, and neither of them talk about it again. kagami’s smile hardly fades all afternoon.

[pawsitivevibe]

I love being told what breed my dog is by random strangers. 

Like no it’s not up for debate. I literally know what the mix is. Your opinion is 100% wrong. 

Why do some people just refuse to accept your answer even when you say you know for sure. There’s no question. No guessing required. I KNOW.

[dustyard]

I have a question about dog deamons if u fancy Sharing your opinion. Dogs are seen as obidiant and in the books are always pared with servants of some description or another. How do you feel about this because I think that there’s a wide variety within dogs like stray dogs are very indipendent and collies are really smart for exsample?

Sure thing.

So, while the way we test for intelligence in animals frequently overlaps with obedience tasks, we also test things like self-awareness, memory, empathy, and a number of other things. Dogs are incredibly smart, and (while not all dogs are as, um... obviously intelligent) they serve a lot of different purposes, many of which you might not even realize.

The stereotypically smartest dogs are usually dogs that, unsurprisingly, are working breeds. I personally have a working line GSD as my service dog, and let me tell you, he is a beast who sometimes appears to be psychic, he's so damn smart. Australian shepherds, border collies, dobermans, German Shepherds, poodles, huskies, malinois, these are all working dogs that are, unsurprisingly, very, very smart. However, lots of independent hunting breeds and companion breeds are equally as intelligent, they just express them differently.

What people often describe as obedience can be better broken down into two characteristics: working drive, and people-pleasing.

For working drive, these types of dogs need a job to do. They need to be stimulated or they get bored, restless, anxious, even aggressive. For people with these types of dogs as their dæmon, they need a purpose, whatever that happens to be. These types of souls are generally going to be drawn to high-pace working and living environments where they can expend their seemingly boundless energy.

For people-pleasing, these types of dogs are not only very social creatures, but they really care about making other people (or just one person) happy. They actually get upset and unmoored when they are unable to make the people they care about's lives easier or more enjoyable. You can read this as someone who needs external direction in their life, but more accurately they aren't hapoy if other people aren't happy, which can lead to a wide variety of jobs, lifestyles, and personalities.

When you put these two traits together, a lot of people end up with obedience, which isn't... exactly accurate. Let me give you examples with specific breeds.

German Shepherds: I speak from experience, these dogs have high working drives and a big interest in people-pleasing. They get called velcro dogs for a reason. People with German Shepherd dæmons need a purpose or a job to fulfill, it's non-negotiable (though the level of stimulation needed can vary) and they greatly prefer that job overlapping with external approval. These types of souls do well in structured, high-pace working environments that have clear boundaries, goals, and rewards. However, they also display these tendencies by being attentive to the person/people they care about and showing them how much they love them by doing things for them.

Huskies (malamutes or siberian, but sled dogs in general): high working drive, low people-pleasing. These dogs need a job to do, and they are not doing it for you. Yes, they can be very friendly and affectionate, I know, but these dogs tend to be more aloof and interested in doing their job until it's done or they're collapsed in an exhausted heap. What you want from them matters... minimally. These dogs are also super smart, but that doesn't mean they'll use their intelligence and effort to make your life easier.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels: low working drive, high people-pleasing. Unsurprisingly, as these are companion dogs, cavaliers mostly want to make you happy; they don't need a job the way shepherds or huskies do. These people love making others around them have better, happier lives, but they don't need the constant stimulation and energy drain of working dog. The actual breed tends to score pretty low on obedience, but that's not because they're stupid, they're just not very driven. You can read this as ambition, but you can also read this as how intense their need for stimulation is, which isn't much.

Greyhounds: low working drive, low people-pleasing. Not to be confused with not having a prey drive, by the way, these dogs go nuts for a rabbit. If you've ever had one, though, you might notice that they are L-A-Z-Y. They also aren't the most attentive, affectionate dogs. They want to do what they want to do, when they want to do it. They are also not stupid, just independent hunters who don't need as much external approval.

There are also more low-key dogs that are people-pleasers who have like having a job (labradors, golden retrievers, etc.) They don't have quite the same vibe though, as they trend towards people-pleasing above a need for a job, because they don't need a job, they just enjoy it.

So while dogs do frequently care about others and want to work to show them, that is by no means a universal trait. It also varies in intensity depending on what that dog was bred for. There are hundreds of dog breeds out there, and the way they're categorized will tell you a lot about what they're good at.

The servant thing in the book is a pretty big stereotype, in my opinion. Dog souls aren't bound for life to be butlers and maids, that's not how that works. They don't need to be told what to do; even the dogs that score highest on obedience tests will find things to do if you let them get bored enough, they're just capable of performing tasks on command, it's not an innate drive to do what they're told. High drive, people-pleasing dogs might like being told what to do if it makes people happy or if it helps them fulfill their job but they don't just wait around to serve. That's a fundamental misunderstanding of why dogs act the way they do. Do I think that public service jobs would probably attract dog souls? (Firefighting, the military, nursing, social work, etc.) Absolutely. But again, these jobs provide a distinct purpose and people-oriented work environment where you see direct results for your efforts.

You mentioned stray dogs, and I want to mention that I tend not to suggest mutts/stray dogs as dæmon forms simply because "dog" has such a wide variety of characteristics. Also, you're taking a domesticated animal and placing it in a situation where all of its potential drive has to focus on staying alive. Plenty of these dogs would act differently if they'd been treated like the domestic animals they are. Most of their traits are learned behaviors that are being expressed, rather than temperment. I'm not saying nobody can or has used this form, I just don't personally suggest it, especially to newer dæmians.

[thatbritishbastard]

Hello! May I ask why you went with a GSD for an SD? I've been considering one for a while, but I'm struggling to figure out why someone would go for a GSD over a Rough/Smooth Collie as an SD, if it's that unique herder disposition they want. I love GSDs, but they have so many lines and a fair amount of health issues (bloat and spinal problems being my main concerns), and I'm interested in knowing why you decided on one. Sorry if this is invasive!

I went with a GSD for a Service Dog because I’ve always been involved with working dogs. Whether that is service dogs, protection dogs, etc. I was actually having a similar discussion with one of my roommates about this in the last couple of days. I will happily train a client’s easy puppy for them - say, a Golden Retriever or Labrador. But after that, I desperately want to give it back. The reason? I get bored. There isn’t enough drive in that dog to keep me interested. And for most pet people, that works just fine. They don’t want a dog with malinois energy. They want a dog that will follow commands, be content with the semi-occasional walk and at the end of the day, fall asleep on the couch whilst its person watches television before bed. To me, that is an absolute nightmare. I want a dog that will push me just as much as I can push it back. I don’t just want a challenge. I need it.  With a German Shepherd - a breed that I have plenty of prior experience with - this seems like a run of the mill no-brainer. I don’t require psychiatric tasks, per se, so with a dog that possesses the potential to excel at service work, this turns out just fine! I, however, do not recommend the breed as a whole to folks looking for a dog to become their service dog prospect. They have a much higher washout rate than most, especially when selected from sub-optimal lines for the work or dogs that have not even been temperament-tested at all. I personally do not mesh well with collies, amongst other breeds that are seen as soft and cannot take a harder correction without feeling unsure of themselves. Training them is fine, living with them is a completely different kettle of fish.   As for the lines of GSD, that is fine for me, personally, as I have been involved in the German Shepherd world for long enough for me to have experienced the lines of the breed, from various show lines to various working lines to know exactly what I prefer and what I mesh with. Regarding the health issues, the spinal issues can be solved by testing for the Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) and ensuring that the parents are clear or there is only one carrier within the pairing.  Bloat, on the other hand, is a risk with all breeds over a certain size, German Shepherds, Labradors, Golden Retrievers, even Poodles, and Collies. There is the correlation that it is genetic and in over 20 years of breeding, my breeder for Bipha has only had two cases. That speaks volumes compared to other breeders that I have seen, both in this breed and in others. Note: Never feel as though a question is too invasive. I am happy to answer any and all questions put towards me and there are very few that I would deem too invasive. 

[fidgetspringer]

Hey, would you mind sharing your opinion on English springers (and has it changed before vs. after Røst?)

Sure!

Before I got Røst I had no prior experience with the breed, they had always been 'bird dogs' to me, thrown into the same pile as Setters, and so up until maybe a year before I got puppo I never even considered them an option.

The reason I looked into the breed to begin with was that I started seeing videos of them doing rally obedience. My number one conderation when looking at dog breeds is trainability and will to work.

From there I read up on the breed and fell more and more in love with it, i liked the idea of a dog with intelligence and trainability close to that of a border collie, minus the bat-shit crazyness. I figured they seemed close to a golden retriever in temprament, but a bit more exciteable.

I also wanted a dog that would love hiking and that would hike however far I wanted to. At the same time I wanted a working dog, i originally wanted to do search and rescue.

Oh and I ultimately chose the springer cause of their very few health issues. (Though that went kinda tits up)

Has my opinion changed since i got him?

Yes. First off i've since realised i don't know if i ever want to own anything else, this breed ticks every box for me and I adore it.

But also before i got him i read how they could be timid and prone to anxiety, and I thought that since i got him from pretty bold brave lines and since i was going to keep on top of it with training it would never be an issue.

And it's not a huge issue, but it's something i'll definitely remember for the next one. I've learned that they're a sensitive breed, one that doesn't like you to get physical and if you do they'll give what they get. He's also shown me they have a stubborn side.

Also i was prepared for the grooming to be worse, but i never groom him! I trim him every now and then and bathe him maybe once a week.

One thing i didn't really expect is how mouthy he is. And the drool. But yeah he's very mouthy. Not in a bitey kind of way, but he licks, puts your whole hand in his mouth, he loves to corncob you when you itch him. He eats everything, he tries to grab things out of your hands, he's not a heavy chewer but he's always got something in his mouth.

But over all he's exactly what I wanted and expected, which is why i've fallen so heavily in love with the breed! He's perfect despite his flaws.

[inikavulpixelreviews]

Let’s Talk About Pokemon - Yamper and Boltund

835: Yamper

Aww, I got my corgi Pokemon!! And I like it quite a bit as is. Corgis definitely feel like one of those animals that are hard to design a Pokemon around since they're pretty much just Dwarf Dogs. But I'll take it as an electric-type with lots of sparky energy to it. I love that its body is almost just a sausage with feet. Hardly even legs, just feet. That's funny, hehe.

I adore that goofy face it has too. Just a pure happy puppy smile, but with a wider grin than anything else in this dang game. And it even has a heart on its butt! Just like on a lot of corgis! It's neck ruff even “sparks” and “jolts' when it runs, as if the act of running just sets off electric energy from its body. Yeah, it's a cutie with little else to it, but I have a soft spot for it!

Personal Score: 8/10

836: Boltund

...Which only makes Boltund here puzzle me. You would think for max appeal points, Yamper would just stay a corgi but instead it evolves into... I'm not exactly sure. Is it supposed to be a Lab now? I don't know! It's just DOG dot PEE-EN-GEE! I feel bad for repeating complaints but this mistake keeps coming up, what exactly is the point of Boltund in the larger Pokemon universe? What design-wise niche is it filling, exactly?

Electric dog? We already have Manectric though... and while I'm not WILD about Manectric it's still a far more interesting dog monster than Boltund. Is there anything else to its design? I guess if you feel like Manectric's color scheme is a little too bold for you, Boltund has you covered....??? But there's so many electric types that are black and yellow. Hell, Manectric's SHINY is black and yellow! So yeah. Manectric kinda already has Boltund covered. While you can argue Electrike is just as much a fill-in for Yamper, at least Yamper is a representative of a popular breed of dog, so if nothing else at least corgi fans will like Yamper but may not necessarily be a fan of Electrike.

While it wouldn't be impossible, if you like Manectric already, what does Boltund have to it that would impress any Manectric fan? Nothing I can really point out, really. I guess if you just found Manectric's design just a little too crazy out there to enjoy and you needed Boltund to keep things just a little more grounded. But at that point I have to wonder what you're playing Pokemon for if you don't like eccentric, highly fantastical animal designs.

In fact, what about a fairly grounded dog? We already got plenty of those. The whole Lillipup line, Houndour and Houndoom, Growlithe and Arcanine, Rockruff (and Lycanroc's Day form too, arguably), Furfrou, even some of the Eeveelutions. So many dang dogs! Even among them, Boltund just doesn't stand out to me.

Yamper didn't even NEED to stay a corgi. Dog Pokemon have shifted breeds before, so why not let one English herding dog evolve into another, like a Shetland or a Collie? Personally speaking, a shetland is pretty up there as far as dog breeds I want made into Pokemon go!

Personal Score: 4/10

[Archive]

[zebraslovescupcakestoo]

Awkward Encounters While Walking My Friend’s Dog

I was in my office and just finished my paper work for the day. It was a rare occasion that there's only a minority criminal activities and we didn't had any emergency calls yet so this is a very good day so far. Fortunately, my chief told me that I can take the rest of the day off after so I'll take this chance to relax a bit at home before the kids comes home from school by Sheba's turn.

That is until I saw someone at my door who rarely wore a navy blue jacket and I knew him well enough that he doesn't wear it without a good reason. “Sam, are you attempting to shop lift right in the station?” I asked him. He shushed me. “Hey! Are you done? Kit told me that you've don't have much today. We need to get out ASAP with you.” Did he said we and with me? Who is he talking for and... why does he looked a bit bigger with that jacket that he rarely used? Lawyers do have a three piece suits but Sam had his signature yellow sweatshirts on most days and doesn't take the coat parts unless he had to.

But then I heard am animal noise and some wiggling... then it made sense.

I have a friendly dog who likes to run around You may have seen us on our daily walk

Sam have brought his dog today! “Sam, why are you hiding Tia-” He hushed again. “Félix, just finish that sh!t and let's go. I don't wanna deal with any more pot-heads today!” He really doesn't liked being with people that he gets 'bad vibes' from. I know that he's hard to get along sometimes, but I know him well that he's a really nice guy and hopefully one day he can be a bit more nicer... “Alright, just let me report these and then 'we'll' head out. That poor girl needs air.”

We frequent the river and the parks around the town When I see someone I know she'll always let me stop and talk

When we exited the station without drawing suspicions, Sam finally let out his boarder collie, Tiara. She's a very friendly and beautiful dog. I'm also her favorite human next to Sam. It might come to a surprise that I'm a bit fond of dogs but not as much since as I'm more of a 'cat' person. For some reason since I can remember, dogs liked me, even the more ferocious ones like a guard dog.

She gets a little anxious when she sees another dog But with people, she's always been relaxed

“I hate it whenever I take her for walks, there's a bunch of idiots that wanted to see her.” Sam complained. “Then why couldn't you, I don't know, take a different route?” I might not relate cause I never had dogs in my life. “Félix, I already tried it three times, I can get lost in the Amazon jungle and there's still people that wanted to talk to my dog. She's a beauty but she's not exactly that one with white gloves and worked in Disneyland.” He sighed. I know it wasn't his or Tiara's fault that people liked her, but I do understand that being in the center of attention can be daunting.

But she's not very discerning when it comes to choosing friends And there seems to be a certain type of people she attracts

“Let's stop at the local supermarket before we stop at my house. It's my turn to make dinner and I was thinking making macaronis. Would you like to join us for dinner tonight?” I'm not a five star chef but I can do more than just slapping PB and J sandwiches. It was usually Sam who covered our coffee  most of the times so I thought that this would be a nice gesture in return. “Yeah, sure, at least your cousin is out of town at the moment.”

“Why?” I asked confused. “Same reason why there's less branches in your backyard.” Ohhhhhh... Alex and Sam 'helped' to get a ball back a few days ago before he had to leave a while for 'business' reasons.

Translation: Alex refused at Sam's idea because he himself is more capable climbing trees and getting the ball than him. He pulled the tourist rule about not allowed to 'work' so Sam decided to 'reason and negotiate.' By throwing him up in the tree and then tells him off with his lawyer degree skills and the loop hole in that rule.

All the local whiners want to make friends with my dog and I'm far far too polite to walk away

We walked for quite some time and like Sam described, some people were attracted to her. If this was a dog show, she'll be winning first prize for sure. Sam was beginning to get a bit grumpier as soon as there's a few people that walked up to Tiara. “OMG! Is that your dog?” “Awww! Hey there!” “Who's a good doggie?”

They ask me lots of questions and offer their affections and I feel obliged to uncomfortably stay

I would feel a bit sad for him cause he has to deal with this, but I took that back when I looked up to him as saw that he was 'flipping' them off with both hands.

Their behavior may be crude but to ignore them would be rude and my mother didn't bring me up that way

“I found out that I could do this for a good amount of period and they still wouldn't notice it. How hilarious is that?” Sam smirked but I had to scold him and make him stop before they noticed it. All the local whiners want to make friends with my dog and I'm far far too polite to walk away

After they had their attention and noticed Sam's response, I had to scold him. “Sam! You can't put everybody on the hate list forever. Just because, and I know, there's bad people, there are also good people that really didn't meant any harm.” “ Félix, if I had to 'politely' accepted a salad dish recommendation and crap like a parrot for the next couple of days, you can at least let me steam off some 'pet peeves' or what I preferred to call some major psychotic f#king hatred.” I sighed deeply in frustration and rubbed my eyes. I swear sometimes that he must be related to Bendy like a long, lost elder brother. “Listen, I can hear your problems anytime over coffee if you promise not to do it again like that.” I offered so that way he's not gonna cause more damage. He shrugged but decided to agree. “Fine... Only because I trust you and when you're around.”

She's utterly oblivious to my concerns of their intent She runs to greet them with a wagging tail

Thankfully, the 'fans' soon resumed their ways without them noticing my friend's behavior. How can someone like him have a sweet dog like that? I decided to ask for real this time since I rarely ask about his past before he moved. “Hey Sam. I've never know how you got your dog since we've met. How did you got her?” I desperately search around for an easy exit point but the incoherent small talk starts before I have the chance to bail

He then told me the story. “Eh bien, Félix, it was when I returned back home from the war. After I reunited and returned with my twin brother, Simon, we both headed to our childhood home. Mind you, I didn't go back after that night he and my ex we're cheating on me at the time and before the war. That place was then passed on my brother since I didn't claim half of it. Which I didn't care for the old barn but anyways, I then soon found out that during those times I was 'missing,' they got married, had triplets which was a big surprise back home and what's more surprising but not that it's new by now, they look a lot like me at that age.” I can't argue with that cause I saw them in pictures and in persons at his birthday party. “I found they're really nice family. They are so-” “They're a bunch happy-jolly ranchers and I can only tolerate so much like my brother. They all drive me nuts but at least... they aren't bad.” He then said. I know that Sam's not much of an optimistic, but I do understand where he's coming from. “So apart from that, I did had a small apartment in the nearby town and build my career from law school. One day, they showed up on my rare days off and they gave me a puppy. She was from a litter in a neighboring farm and they wanted to give me a companion since I didn't have anyone and I was being 'cold' to almost anyone.”

My senses always tell me that I'm going to be mugged So I reach to get my wallet and my phone

“Well... maybe they wanted you to help you and wanted to give some affections? I get that sometimes from pets. I'm sure they really cared about you and wanted you to be happy.” “Félix, if I wanted some 'affectionate' companion at the time, I would have gone to a brothel.” I frowned a 'WTH' face at Mr. Sourpuss. But he then he got a gentle expression I occasionally see. “But... at least she's reducing my stress and well... comforts me.” I can imagine him sleeping and his dog snuggling in his bed. Most people wouldn't want dog hair in their beds but some would take the risk. He really is a nice guy deep down. I flinch as they utter unintelligible words And then sigh with relief when I detect a friendly tone

“Also, one of the best part is that she doesn't throw dishes at me when I called her mom's a bi-” “SAM!” Happy place is now temporary closed.

All the local whiners want to make friends with my dog and I'm far far too polite to walk away

We walked a bit more until we hit at a winery store. It seems like they're having some sort of a wine tasting stall outside of their store. I end up in a fug of fags and stale cider breath and I try to hide my obvious dismay

Like the previous group, they notice us and they went for the dog. How can a half drunken people be out like this at this time of the day?

She seems to be a breed that has a certain appeal to types whose diet consists of bark and boos for every meal

The owner had handed out cups of wine to both of us before he joined the others to have his turn petting the beautiful dog. Sam took mine and he dunked both cups into the drain. “White wine taste better anyways.” I would have 'remind' him again, but the dog's affections can distract people. Plus, I don't drink so he get a pass just this once.

All the local whiners want to make friends with my dog and I'm far far too polite to walk away

After a few minutes, we resumed and left those people with happy drinking. “Gee, Sam. Tiara is really is a special dog.” He laughs. “Ha! I had her for 5 years and you think I wouldn't noticed it? The kids loved her just as much.”  I agreed. We already had a cat until we lost her a few years ago. The twins barely remembered him cause they were little, but our cat was so cuddly to me and he had a fulfilling life. I was pretty sad when he died and I wasn't ready for another one since then. Not to mentioned that the twins were a bit too wild to take care for one, no matter how many times they brought up the subject and I had to remind them the responsibilities that comes with it. But at least they started to learn a bit once Tiara came into the picture. “At least it's a good experience for them. Maybe one day we can have a pet in our house once they've learned their lessons.”

I do my best to avoid certain areas of the park where the druggies and the rough teenagers dwell

We then stopped at the grocery store. Unfortunately, dogs aren't allowed. Sam then handed the leash to me “I'll go. You stay here with her. I don't want anybody so something to her like tying cans to her tail.” “But Sam, I'm the one who's in charge of-” “Where do most pasta stuff is shelved?” He reminded me. “...Top. The top shelves. I'll wait here.” I forgot that time we both got in there and it was one of those tall-short problems that got 'solved.' Sam was going to grab an item that was on the top shelves but I said I was going to grab it. That smart@ss agreed, picked me up and said 'OK, you can grab it.' Oh my Ra! That was so embarrassing! Sometimes, it was better to grab my twins than tagging with him.

I rarely venture out with her when it has gotten dark lest we catch the attention of some drunk may be well

I was enjoying some alone time and dazed for a few minutes. I rarely have this type of moments so I indulge myself to clear my head. Sadly, life doesn't go the way we planned when I saw a familiar bodyguard coming towards me. It was Boris Von Wolf. Bendy's right hand man and the second command in Alfonzo's mafia. I gritted my teeth. What is he doing here? I try to keep away when there are people hanging round the benches and the sitting walls and swings on the playground

He seems to noticed me and smirked. So of course, he walked up to me. “Well, well, well. If it isn't the 'ace' detective himself. He he! Taking the night off? Well, at least we'll be sleeping better for tonight.” I just glared at him. “I'm still not falling for your dirty tricks. You two and the rest of you scums can't fool everyone forever. One day you'll pay for what you've done for the innocents.” I spatted. He then cracked his knuckles. “Oh really? Are they ALL innocent to begin with? You're just as dumb as Bendy always said.”

Then suddenly as if out of nowhere they appear staggering hands out slurring:

He then reached out at me, or at the thought of the moment at least. I winced for impact until I heard:

“BAHHH, Who've we got here?”

I widen my eyes and turned my head next to me to see the big, bad wolf being a softie to Tiara. Oh yeah, I forgot to watch her from anyone who tried to harm her. For someone like him who detested 'good guys,' he sure has a huge soft spot for dogs. If that wasn't enough to convince you, does these words that came out of his mouth sounds like it? 'Who's a good doggie? Is it you? Is it you? Dawwwww!'

All the local whiners want to make friends with my dog and I'm far far too polite to walk away

Now this is a rare situation. It's not exactly threatening, but it isn't good either. I'm risking my friend's dog to the second most powerful man of the Chicago underworld who's infatuated with her friendly doggy charms. I was not trained for this kind of situation! As if it didn't got any worse, Sam came out of the store.

They greet me with a wink and they offer me a drink and I say thanks but it's too early in the day

He got stunned to see me and the other two. I mouthed 'I swear I didn't mean to!' He just waved and singed me to say 'I know what to do.' He then handed me the grocery bag and did a karate chop on the wolf's fedora. Hard. I choked.

Though they catch me unprepared, I've long stopped being scared I just find it hard to work out what to say

The sun hasn't set yet and they already started to light up the matched. Boris grumbled as he rubbed his head and fixed his hat. He glared up to see Sam. “Oh, what a nice, f#kng, surprise to see you here. I should have paid better attention.” He dusted himself off from invisible dust as he got up.

All the local whiners want to make friends with my dog and I'm far far too polite to walk away

Boris then got face to face and stared at Sam like it was some sort of contest. From my point of view, they're only about a head apart in height. On one side we have a football/boxing body builder type while the other was decently built but taller person. While one is close combat expert while the other is more technique planned. It's a bit of a competition in a brawl.

And then there's me with only a dog... whom she did nothing wrong.

All the local whiners want to make friends with my dog and I'm far far too polite to walk away

“I see that you're still working for pigeons, lamp post.” Boris 'greeted' “I see that you're still an ottoman for your bat brat, ya wolf skinned doormat.” Sam replied. Sam and Boris is like me and Bendy, we don't belong in the same room together. “You're just jealous that I don't have to work that hard to get anything I want such as money, love and power. There's nothing that you and the kid next to you can't compete with what we have.” Boris said. But Sam brushed it off. “I object, cause I found one thing that MY cat partner let me have that your 'cat' partner will never let you have.” He squinted his eyes. “Oh really? What is it, bird brain?”

Accessorized with diamond white and cans of special brew It's really very sweet in its own peculiar way

Sam then smug a big grin as he grabbed me and Tiara in both his arms, while he had both his hands free to 'flip' him off. “I get to keep my dog, B!!!!!!!!!!!!tch!”

Ok! Now we're gonna die, thank you Sam, you gave me a reason why I will die so young.

Though they may cause some alarm, they don't mean any harm They only want to come and have a play

I can see the shaking anger from Boris as if he's gonna go rampage. “Oh, by the way, I think that specific duck meat that only sells in here, you know, that one your cat person loved so much? I think I saw only one left. It would be ashamed if someone else grabs it before you do.” Sam suggested. That made Boris calm down a bit. “Dang! That's the only ones Bendy likes only for here! Fine, you win this time, but don't you think you'll get off easy next time. You're only lucky that it was today's special dinner. I bid you two losers an unpleasant day. ” He then entered the store.

All the local whiners want to make friends with my dog and I'm far far too polite to walk away

“Lucked out indeed. He can't beat me that easy and he knows it's bad luck to mess with a black cat, righty-o, Félix?” Sam teased. “You're old enough to know I don't say righty-o.”

Dad, if you're still watching me from above, what did I do to deserve a friend like him and where would I be without him?

----Author's notes-----

Haaaaaaaaaah! I'm lagging nowadays! I wanted to do stuff but I just MEH!

So at least One-shots are faster and better. So I did made a story with my personal OC fave with his dog. It's a boarder collie, so they're very eye catching.

The song inspired this was Awkward Encounters While Walking My Dog by Thomas Benjamin Wild Esq

There is also that Felix the cat catch phrase ‘Righty-o’ I bet that Felix really doesn’t like to do it for some reason. Which on the other hand, my OC was based on the fruit loops mascot with his catch phrase of ‘Just follow your nose!’ which I could see him doing that but added: cause I can smell bullsh!t with mine!

I know that Boris is loyal to Bendy and would do anything, but I bet that he wouldn't harm any dog unless it's threatening his buddy. Including police dogs if there are any in the main BBTIM AU.

So I hope that everyone is doing well so far during these times. I know that there is a lot going on including recent events these past few weeks, but I do wish everyone the best.

BBTIM humanized characters belong to @marini4 and OC humanized Sam Toucan is mine.