Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

George pulled his legs up to his chest to rest his chin on his knees as he scrolled through his primary Twitter, overcome by a drowsy sense of boredom. The laundry was piled up on the far corner of his bed where it couldn’t be seen on camera and his floor was swathed in unopened mail. 

A silent video caught his attention before anything else, and he watched it play out as a grimacing woman did chores in her big, empty apartment.

The captions said, And then I got my shifter.

Suddenly, there was a pretty girl hanging off of her with a beaming smile on her face. The woman was smiling now too, laughing as she leaned back to press a kiss to the pretty girl’s temple. All of a sudden, the girl twisted and shrank down into a small cat, before draping herself over the woman’s shoulders.

The camera faded out. There was a link and socials on screen.

George turned the sound on and watched the video play again.

“...was so lonely, and I didn’t have someone to spend time with. I never really thought of myself as a pet owner, but I couldn’t deny that there was something missing in my life,”  The woman spoke. “There was nobody waiting for me to get home at night.” 

A hopeful soundtrack faded in as the pretty girl appeared. “And then I got my shifter. I never thought finding a shifter would be an option for me, but I knew it was when I saw her. Dawn was a nineteen year old tabby shifter looking for a home. We get along amazingly, and now neither of us has to be lonely again.”

Once again, the website and the socials came up on screen. George slowly opened up a new tab and copied the URL. 

The homepage loaded to display more heartwarming photos with customer testimonials written out underneath. 

“It’s the happiest I’ve ever been,” said one. “They transformed my dull apartment into a home,” read another. George was admittedly hooked. He hovered over the top and clicked on AVAILABLE SHIFTERS . 

There were far more options than he had expected, in a wider variety of ages and species. The website looked like it hadn’t been updated since 2010, and it had the layout of any animal shelter website, but George wasn’t put-off enough by it to click off. In fact, he found himself captivated by the endless stream of hybrid profiles. 

He quickly switched tabs and typed, ‘Will a hybrid companion help me feel less lonely?’

Despite his interest, it took four whole days before George discovered a hybrid who really caught his attention, 13 pages deep. 

Unlike most of the shifters, this one’s main image was a picture of his animal form instead of the human: a German Shepherd glancing up with dark, expressive eyes. Sapnap.  

What a weird dog name. 

There were, of course, pictures of Sapnap in his shifted human form too, although his profile clearly stated that he often preferred to remain in his animal form on account of his anxiety. He looked like a fraternity guy in his oversized T-shirts with a scruffy appearance and a ball cap with two holes cut for his pointed fluffy ears to stick out of. 

The profile stated that he was already 21 years old, which was explained by how he was a previous adoption in need of a new home. He was American, meaning that they would need to fly him overseas. And underneath his background information, there was a note. 

“Sapnap is a little shy when you first meet him, but once he gets to know you, he’ll blossom into a high-energy powerhouse. He can be stubborn, but I’ve never met a more loyal shifter.”

George bookmarked the page and went back to scrolling. But before he knew it, he had already gone back to look at Sapnap’s profile multiple times. 

Taken aback by the intensity of his own fixation, George forced himself to focus on his original tab and keep on scrolling. However, it was no use. No matter whose profile he clicked on, his mind kept wandering back to the stubborn one. Sap Nap.

George spends over an hour filling out the adoption request form with his background history, information about his lifestyle, photos of his abode, and bank statements. Shifters were an expensive commodity, but given the nature of George’s job as a streamer, he was prepared to splurge.

It took two whole days for them to respond to his query. Are you available for a video call? They asked him, and George sent back a hasty confirmation. 

He felt oddly nervous as he waited for the line to connect, swiveling back and forth in his chair. If all went according to plan, then they’d ship Sapnap to him like a parcel. The screen flickered, and suddenly he was on call.

“Hey there!” greeted a smiling blonde woman as she waved at the screen. George nodded back, his attention drawn to the dog standing just behind her. It was a relatively bare room, but the high camera angle allowed for him to see the floor.

“You’re George, right? What do you think?” The woman asked with a big smile. 

Once again, George’s attention was drawn towards Sapnap as he shuffled on his paws in the background. He wasn’t panting or smiling the way that George had seen other dogs often do. Instead, he kept his muzzle down, making him appear timid. 

“He’s… quite the hound,” said George, who had never been much of a dog person, and was unsure on how to compliment one. Sapnap’s eyes didn’t even bother to glance at the screen, but then again, George wasn’t fully sure that he could see it with his canine eyes.

“My name is Sylvee, I’m the lead manager of our southern kennel,” the woman, Sylvee, said. “We work to ensure a smooth transition between new owners with recommended check-ins.” 

“Oh,” George responded, blinking. He watched as Sylvee smiled again and glanced behind him. She whispered something too quiet to hear, and for a moment it didn’t seem like anything would happen. However, after a long pause, Sapnap straightened up and transformed into his hunched-over human form. 

Shifter biology was dependent on magic as much as science, so Sapnap’s human form was already fully dressed in a grey hoodie and shorts. He stood up, hovering awkwardly beside Sylvee as he scratched his neck and continued to avoid looking at the camera. 

“Say hi, Sapnap!” Sylvee encouraged, and Sapnap merely mumbled out a quiet, “Hey.” 

George couldn’t tear his eyes away from the screen. He chuckled in disbelief of the situation, drinking in every detail of Sapnap’s human-adjacent appearance from the thick pointed ears poking out through his hair to the fluffy tail tucked between his knees.

Unable to stop himself as the wave of interest crashed over him, George asked, “How do you feel about London?” Sapnap glanced to the side where George assumed the monitor was, finally raising his head enough for George to see his adorable dark eyes, wide and skittish with nerves. There were blotches of acne creeping along the bridge of his nose.

Sapnap was pathetic. He was perfect.

Speaking of the shifter, Sapnap wet his lips and shrugged, glancing up at Sylvee. When Sylvee gave him an encouraging nod, Sapnap ducked his head and mumbled out an answer.

“I mean… England seems cool, I guess. S’ long as it’s not too cold. I mean, I kinda wanna see the neat tourist stuff, and like, walk the streets and all…” He trailed off, obviously flustered and unsure of his answer, but George was more than satisfied. 

Conscious of Sapnap’s delicate state, George leaned back to appear more relaxed. 

“You know, I’d love to show you around,” he spoke, purposefully enunciating the vowels to showcase his accent. Sapnap’s ears twitched, and he finally tilted his head to peek into the camera. George mindlessly took a screenshot and froze, but thankfully, neither Sylvee nor Sapnap seemed to notice. 

“You would?” Sapnap asked slowly, doubtful. 

George felt his lips level into a pout. “Well, of course. If we’re going to be friends, then I wanna bring you on adventures. Go explore and see the country. You look like a guy who enjoys exercise.” And it struck George how true that statement was as he said it, eyes raking over Sapnap's firm chest and toned arms. 

Sapnap’s tail was still hanging low, but was slowly wagging behind him. He didn’t even seem to realize it as he leaned closer to the monitor. “Yeah… Actually, I love to work out.” He swallowed at an awkward moment, causing a wet hitch in his next sentence. “-Do you um, do you play any sports?” It was painfully endearing

On one edge of the screen, George could make out part of Sylvee’s smile. This was going really well, wasn’t it? He was almost surprised. Some part of George expected this hairbrained plan to crash and burn by now, but instead he found himself relishing in Sapnap’s attention. 

Still, George snorted at the question. “Me? I’m not really the ‘sporty’ type. I mean, it’s interesting to watch others play, but I’d rather enjoy my peace in the shade than run around and get sweaty.” Sapnap’s expression fell and George rushed to continue. “-That doesn’t mean I’m uninterested, though. I’d love to start working out if only I had the right partner.”

And Sapnap was back to gazing at the screen in interest, tail swishing back and forth. Through the grainy webcam, George could make out the telltale edge of redness running over his nose and cheeks that spoke of a fresh sunburn. He wanted to prod pick at Sapnap until the skin flaked off and revealed the tender layer underneath. 

When Sapnap didn’t speak up, George voiced a question of his own that he’d been wondering about ever since he read the profile.

“Why do you prefer to remain in your… dog form? Isn’t it better to have opposable thumbs?” His tone came off as sardonic, but luckily Sapnap seemed to receive the question in good faith. 

He pursed his lips and looked away while thinking, and even glanced towards Sylvee at one point. “You don’t have to respond,” George reassured him. Sapnap raised one shoulder in a half-shrug.

“I guess it’s easier to lounge around the house and follow orders. Humans are supposed to be busy and working all the time, but when I’m shifted, nobody expects anything from me. I can be me.” 

There was a raw emotion lurking in Sapnap’s voice that George couldn’t quite put a name to. He nodded as if he understood and made a mental note to come back to that later.

Sylvee suddenly stepped into frame, startling Sapnap, who transformed back into a canine. “Oops- sorry bud,” Sylvee apologized, placing a careful hand on Sapnap’s flank. George wanted to be the one running his hands through Sapnap’s thick fur. He wanted to play with Sapnap’s paws and ears until he got annoyed enough to slink away. “We’re all out of time, so George? Any final thoughts?”

George hummed and sat back in his chair, finally allowing his senses to wander around his own dimly lit bedroom. He could hear his neighbors laughing over in the next-door flat, muffled by the thin drywall. Through the window, he spotted a man out walking an excitable poodle. His eyes fixed back onto the screen where Sapnap paced in a tight circle, glancing up at the screen as his tongue swiped across his muzzle.

“I want you to come explore London with me,” he said. “And I want to provide a space where you can always be yourself.”

George’s leg jiggled as he sat in the thin fabric chair, watching the flight board update. It was a slow weekday morning at the airport—one of the many perks of having flexible hours as a streamer—and the bleary-eyed zombies around him nursed cups of coffee as they awaited business flights. 

His heart pounded as the door opened and the arrivals shuffled through the gate, dispersing in a scatter of directions until one figure was left lingering in the center of the tide, clutching the rim of his hat as the golden brown-black ears poking out flattened to the sides of his head. 

Sapnap wore the same oversized grey hoodie that he’d worn on their phone call and a crossbody bag. There was a neon yellow bracelet wrapped around his wrist that read I’m a shifter! to identify him

George stood up as he watched one of the airport staff approach Sapnap and ask a question that caused his fluffy tail to press tightly against his leg. Before Sapnap could grow more uncomfortable, George approached them and offered a wide smile.

“Hey, Sapnap. Welcome to London,” he said as Sapnap’s head snapped towards him. His ears were still flattened with nerves, but he nodded, shuffling closer to get away from the staff. George took his elbow and flashed them one last smile before guiding Sapnap away. 

His head spun from the giddiness of his excitement as Sapnap fell into step beside him, obligingly allowing George to pull him along. Throwing a glance down at their shoes to gauge the thickness of the soles, a rush swept over George at the realization that he was slightly taller than the other man. 

“First, we’ll grab your suitcase, I’m assuming it’s the one I sent so you could bring some of your things, and then we’ll take the train back to my area…” George listed as they sped-walked towards the baggage claim. 

Sapnap cleared his throat, stumbling over his own feet as they walked. “I- uh,” his voice cracked. “George? I think I’m gonna puke.”

“What? Why?” George’s tone soured. He furrowed his brows and altered their course, tugging Sapnap towards the nearest trash can.

Sapnap gripped the sides with white knuckles and leaned over it, his chest heaving. Despite the queasy pallor of his skin, he managed to force out an answer. “M’ terrified of planes. An’ it’s really crowded.” His stomach contracted and he squeezed his eyes shut, shaking slightly. 

While a part of George wanted to recoil in disgust, a strange urge guided him to reach out and rest his hand on Sapnap’s lower back. It was warm. George rubbed the fabric in slow circles as Sapnap shivered, breathing heavily as he attempted to calm down. It was a sight that filled George with equal parts fondness and exasperation. Sapnap was such a silly, mindless dog, worrying over crowds and planes. 

“Come on, relax for me…there’s a good boy…” George murmured, giving an affectionate scritch of his nails. Sapnap let out a low whine. 

“Fuck, I can’t do this,” he wheezed. 

George paused his ministrations and gave him a once-over, recalling what he could from Sapnap’s profile. “Would it help if you were in dog form right now?” he asked. 

Sapnap cracked his eyes open and nodded. That was all George needed to hear. He rested a hand on Sapnap’s shoulder. “Okay. You have my permission to shift.” This was met with a weird look, but Sapnap obliged nonetheless, shifting into German Shepherd form. 

He swiveled around and sniffed the garbage once before looking up at George expectantly.  George lowered his hand and allowed Sapnap to sniff it. 

“Good Sapnap. Feeling better?”

The dog Sapnap let out a huff (of affirmation?) and stepped closer. His tongue lolled out as he panted, but he no longer seemed as anxious—at least, not that George could tell. His cross-body bag still hung comfortably, although it swayed under his stomach as he moved. 

Sapnap trotted along beside George as he made his way to baggage claim and sat beside him as they watched the carousel. George recognized the suitcase he’d sent and hauled it off, grunting under the weight. He glared at Sapnap, who gave a hesitant tail wag in reply. 

It was more difficult to tell what Sapnap was thinking now that all of his expressions were conveyed through dog form. However, he followed closely as George dragged the suitcase to the nearest train. The other passengers sent curious glances their way, surely wondering why George would bring a collarless dog along his daily ventures. Some of them may have spotted the bracelet, which had transformed with him, but then again, it wasn’t as if they were a common sight. 

By the time they arrived at George’s flat, the man himself was flagging from the energy it took to go outside. He pried open the front door and shuffled inside to collapse onto his sofa with a low groan. After a moment of relief, he peered over to observe Sapnap’s tentative exploration of the space. 

George’s flat was decently-sized for the city, with a bedroom, office, and lounge with a kitchen. Unsure of Sapnap’s needs, the only changes George had made was setting up a cot in the office.

Sapnap’s claws clicked as he crept across the wooden floors, sniffing each object he encountered. George’s nose wrinkled as he realized that Sapnap would probably shed all over his floors and carpets. Teaching the dog how to clean up after itself would be a must.

“So… this is my sitting room,” George explained needlessly, drawing Sapnap’s curious gaze. “Yours now too, I guess. My room is at the end of the hall. Your bed’s in the office.” 

He took the silence as an acknowledgement and laid back with a yawn, sinking down into the cushions. “Do whatever, I guess. Just don’t go outside or touch my computer.” George allowed his heavy eyelids to fall shut. 

His legs ached from their jaunt outside. Had it really been so long since George had done anything physical? Even a simple trip had nearly given him a headache. The tapping of Sapnap’s claws as he trotted down the hall to explore made a steady enough background noise for George to fall asleep to. 

When he came to, the light was turned off, and the apartment was quiet apart from the distant sounds of the city. 

George stretched his arms above his head, preparing to go check the office for Sapnap. However, he paused once he noticed the warm lump on the opposite end of the sofa.

Sapnap was coiled like a shrimp on the far end, with his muzzle resting on top of all four of his paws. It would’ve been cute, if you ignored the dark fur coating the tan fabric, illuminated by the passing brights of cars. 

“Sapnap,” George hissed, leaning over to push his haunches. Sapnap jolted and sat up, swiveling his big dumb head in sleepy confusion. His button dark eyes met George’s. 

“No dogs on the sofa, okay? You’ll get your smell all over it,” George said. 

Sapnap leaned back, seeming bewildered. But he wasn’t the owner here. George was.

“Off!” he commanded. Sapnap tentatively got up on all fours, and Georgr snapped his fingers, raising his tone. “Sapnap, off!” 

With a clumsy hop, Sapnap leapt down from the couch and sat in front of him. He looked disgruntled, but still allowed George to lean forwards and pat him on the head. The top of his head was softer than George had expected, and he let his hand linger, running his fingers through the black fur with the lightest touch. 

After a few moments, Sapnap hunched down to dislodge his touch. George clucked in displeasure, patting Sapnap one last time. 

“Are you going to be human, now? Or will you go for a lie down in your bed?” 

A whine escaped Sapnap’s throat as he peered up at George, but George didn’t relent. He crossed his arms and watched as Sapnap made his way to the office with his tail drooping between his legs. Begging was for the weak-willed, and it would make Sapnap grow spoiled. However, George could admit that it brought him a twinge of satisfaction to deny the poor thing. 

He yawned and shuffled to his bedroom, too tired to consider the fact that dinner had not occurred.

Chapter Text

Two weeks went by where Sapnap refused to transform back into a human. Then three. 

This wasn’t necessarily the end of the world, however, if George had wanted an overly intelligent dog, then he would’ve simply paid for an ordinary pooch and obedience classes instead of flying a hybrid overseas. 

Despite his canine inclination, Sapnap was excellent company, and the perfect excuse to get George out of the house. 

Each morning, he nudged George awake until George prepared or ordered them both breakfast (which Sapnap ate off a plate on the floor, because he was gross). Next, they went on a walk to the park, where Sapnap ran laps around the trail and played with other unleashed dogs while George checked emails on a park bench. And if George refused to go on their morning walk, Sapnap would sit by the door and stoically yap until George got sick enough of the noise to relent. 

Naturally, George had tried everything to get Sapnap to shift again. He suggested, asked, argued, and on one memorable occasion, even tried withholding food. Unfortunately, Sapnap was quite large and adept in his dog form, so he was still able to wriggle past George’s legs and snatch things from the lower cabinets as he pleased. 

When George asked if it was in retaliation to something, Sapnap shook his fuzzy head. However, when he asked if it was because of anxiety, he received a hesitant nod. 

Great.

So, instead of the bonding activities he’d planned, George found himself back on his computer researching ways to handle the situation while Sapnap used his powerful jaws to rip a chew toy apart on the floor.

“Maybe we can medicate you,” George mused as he glanced at Sapnap’s reaction.

Sapnap nibbled on the edges of the rubber bone and avoided his eyes. Not a fan, then. A huff escaped George’s mouth as he scrolled to the next option. “Okay… what about a thunder jacket?”

This time, Sapnap met his eyes and dignified him with raised eyebrows, as if to say, Really?, and George moved on. 

He nearly skipped the next option entirely, but something drove him to read it aloud: “‘Get another hybrid to keep them company.’ What do you say, boy, do you want a friend?” Although George’s voice was edged with sarcasm, Sapnap’s ears swiveled up. 

Sapnap let the bone tumble out from his jaws and closed his mouth as he looked at George in curiosity. It was a far cry from the disinterest George was expecting. 

His eyebrows furrowed as he spoke. “Come on, really? I’m not going to get another hybrid—you don’t even have your own room. What if you two don’t get along?” 

These arguments made Sapnap settle back down with, dare George say, a reluctant grumble. And then Sapnap pouted. Sapnap moped on the floor like a puddle of fur and ignored George when he called Sapnap for dinner without even glancing at the bowl of ground beef and rice he’d placed down. 

“You’re being ridiculous,” George snapped. “You’re literally shy around other people, why would a hybrid be any different?”

He refused to cave. Having one pet in his apartment was already more than enough, even if Sapnap had been well worth the investment. 

Even if George pulled up Sapnap’s profile pictures to stare at because he wanted to observe what he looked like in his human form. 

Even if George was getting sick of the nasty looks people kept shooting him when they noticed him allowing his yellow-bracelet-marked hybrid to shit on their front lawns without cleaning it up afterwards. 

One dull afternoon, George compromised.

“Okay, how’s this: we’ll go to the local shop, and if there are no hybrids that we’re both interested in, you leave this whole thing behind and get medicated. Deal?”

Sapnap raised his paw for George to shake, which he did, albeit with an eye roll.

It was both annoying and endearing how Sapnap pressed against George as much as possible as they made their way down the sidewalk towards the shops. Judging from the position of his ears, he was on high alert as he watched strangers pass them. George wondered if he’d fight or flee if somebody did try and attack. Despite his initial timidness, Sapnap had been displaying a boisterous side since he started opening up. 

The hybrid shop was located downtown in one of the luxury shopping districts, surrounded by name brand stores like Prada. George felt appraising eyes on him the moment he pushed the door open for Sapnap to trot through, and was immediately greeted by a sales representative. That’s what he got for carelessly throwing on one of his expensive hoodies. Honestly, it was less intimidating when he didn’t look like some young heir with pocket money. 

The sales rep was dressed in business casual button up and slacks with round glasses on his nose. He smiled at George, then Sapnap, before speaking with the hint of a French accent. 

“Hello, welcome in. I don’t believe I’ve seen you here before, is this your first time?”

George nodded, and when Sapnap sat beside him, he brought his hand down to rest on his head. 

The sales rep continued, “My name is Shadoune, and I’ll be assisting you today. Your companion is very beautiful,” here he gestured at Sapnap. “Was he imported, by any chance?” 

Another slow nod. “Yes,” George answered. “He’s from America. We’re looking to find him a companion.” 

Shadoune’s face lit up, and he was turning and waving for them to follow before George could say anything else. “I have the perfect fit for you. Follow me, this way!”

George exchanged a bewildered look with Sapnap before trailing after the man. 

It was a large shop with another human and a hybrid standing together at the front counter dressed in the same business wear as Shadoune. The store opened up into multiple lounge areas, with other hybrids sat in chairs or rolling around on the plush carpets in their animal forms. 

There was a wealthy looking couple standing on one side of the store chatting with another sales representative as their young son sat and played with a cat on the carpet. Sapnap pressed harder against George’s legs when he saw it, much to George’s bewilderment. However, he eased up as they breezed past the others and entered a backroom where rows of other hybrids were sequestered into narrow rooms divided like prison cells in kennel-like display cases.

Sapnap balked at the sight. Shadoune headed further down and opened one of the clear doors. “Dream, come on out,” he called. 

They waited for a few beats, long enough for Shadoune to open his mouth like he was going to repeat himself, before he was nudged aside by a tall hybrid who stepped out.

“Dream was a rescue from America,” Shadoune boasted, seemingly uncaring over the way his words made Dream’s scowl deepen. “He is an Anatolian Shepherd-Goldendoodle mix, so he can be very protective and prone to herding.”

Dream had curly hair to match the curly blond fur of the ears folded on his head, one of which was missing a chunk. The pale lines of scars cut across his neck and jaw. Dream’s build was wide and muscular, with a powerful tail that tucked beside his leg. 

He glared at Shadoune before his eyes flicked over to George, then down to Sapnap, where they remained. 

“You’re… I know you,” Dream said suddenly.

Sapnap made a strange noise that George had never heard him make before and stepped closer. Dream’s eyes bore into Sapnap as his nostrils flared.

“What.” said George. 

Dream’s scowl melted away as he stared at Sapnap without saying anything else. The air was awkward, and George was close to calling it quits by the time Shadoune cleared his throat and continued down the hallway. “Come, why don’t you two play in the yard together?”

He showed them the backdoor, where George was surprised to see steps descending into a small, grungy looking patch of grass in the way that only an inner-city back patio could be. George used his leg to nudge Sapnap and motioned for him to explore the square of grass. Sapnap reluctantly complied, although he kept shooting glances at Dream. 

As always, Sapnap was tentative as he made his way around the yard and sniffed at the edges of the fence. However, his head snapped up immediately when Dream followed him down the stairs and shifted into his other form. 

George sucked in a sharp breath.

“That is not a dog,” he breathed as the massive curly horse thing trotted up to Sapnap and stood nearly half a foot higher than him. 

Sapnap tilted his head up at Dream and then slowly dipped into a play bow, tail curled up behind him. After a moment of hesitation, Dream mimicked the pose, and Sapnap’s tail began fanning from side-to-side with excitement. 

All of a sudden, Sapnap lunged at Dream, bumping his head against Dream’s chest playfully. Dream twisted his head down and nipped at his scruff in response, surging forward and trying to pin Sapnap down with his larger body. 

Sapnap barked and squirmed, trying to duck underneath Dream’s legs to escape, however with a few disturbing snapping sounds, Dream transformed back into a human and moved to trap him in a headlock.

One second Dream was wrapping his arms around Sapnap’s canine head, and the next, Sapnap was shifting into a human and twisting around to wrestle him down, letting out a peal of laughter.

A pink flush of exertion stretched over the bridge of Sapnap’s nose as he beamed at the man below him. The ends of his hair flipped out in ringlets just like George remembered.

“Dream!” he shouted in excitement. “It’s really you—I missed you so much!”

To George’s utter shock, Sapnap then began dragging the flat of his tongue over Dream’s chin. He stared in shock as Sapnap licked his face until Dream shifted their positions, and George could see that he was chuckling as Sapnap lapped at his jaw.

“It’s how dogs say hello,” Shadoune whispered to him, a polite explanation. 

George was almost willing to accept this explanation until Dream turned his head and started doing it back. He eagerly tasted his way up Sapnap’s neck and into his mouth, cupping the back of his head with both of his hands as he plunged his tongue in. 

Sapnap licked into his mouth in response, perfectly pliant as Dream ravaged him.

Desperately wanting to put a stop to the strange scene, George moved until he was standing over them. 

“So… you two know each other?” The question came out flat. 

Dream didn’t even bother with a glance, but Sapnap’s head shot up and his tail thumped against Dream’s thigh. 

“GEORGE!” Oh great, now Sapnap’s volume button was broken. “They put us in obedience school together when we were like ten. I think I still have the group photo from when we graduated at fourteen!”

Dream’s hands slid down to rest on Sapnap’s waist but Sapnap hardly seemed to notice. Instead, he kept his eyes on George. Why was he…

Hm.

Sapnap’s big dark puppy dog eyes begged for approval. He wanted George’s judgement here. George flicked his own gaze back towards Dream, and they made eye contact. Dream’s smile dropped into a neutral line as he observed what had diverted Sapnap’s attention. 

George reached forward and ran his fingers through Sapnap’s sweaty bangs. Ew. He forced his hand to linger, scritching the back of Sapnap’s ear with his nails to watch him squirm and thump his tail more furiously. 

“What a crazy coincidence,” he murmured, keeping his tone aloof.

George felt an excited shiver run down his spine as Dream’s expression darkened further. Both of them knew that George had all of the power here. With just a few simple words, George could forbid Sapnap from ever seeing Dream again. And judging by his expression, Dream hated him for it.

It was exhilarating.

George loudly rejected Shadoune’s offer to take Dream home, at least, not today. He gave his reasons, which were all valid in his opinion, starting with the fact that Dream was massive and George didn’t have any space prepared for him. 

“He can sleep with me,” Sapnap tried, deflating when George shot him an incredulous look. “...He can sleep on the couch?” Sapnap amended. 

After the reconciliation in the backyard, Sapnap had become sweet and deferential to George, as if he’d finally gotten the stubborn behavior that had characterized these past few weeks out of his system. 

George haughtily reminded Sapnap about his “couch rule” to watch him wilt with no small satisfaction. Meanwhile, Dream watched with furrowed brows. 

“Well… why can’t I take the couch?” Dream argued in a sullen voice. 

It was clear that he had no motivation in this transaction outside of Sapnap, and he didn’t bother to hide his disdain towards the humans and the entire process. George would almost respect it, if it weren’t such an idiotic strategy. 

They were sitting in the front room to discuss the adoption like the family they had passed before. Dream, George, and Shadoune had pulled together plush chairs to sit in while Sapnap had elected to sit on the rug with his back pressed against George’s legs. Once again, George pushed his hand through Sapnap’s sweaty hair and allowed his eyes to crinkle back at Dream’s glower. 

“Not allowed to shift on it, ‘cause of the fur,” Sapnap explained matter-of-factly. Dream’s expression darkened even further. 

“What kind of an idiotic rule is that? You spend most of your time shifted, and you’re still not allowed on the couch like some animal?” 

George threaded his fingers through Sapnap’s hair to tug at the soft strands.

“Sapnap is a dog, and he’s mine.” 

Dream’s lip curled up to expose one of his canines as a low rumble poured out of his chest. He was growling.

George huffed. Sapnap had never growled at him, ever. In fact, Sapnap sat up on his knees to position himself in between them, and Dream’s growl cut off with a delicious flash of shock in his eyes. 

“Dream- quit it,” Sapnap scolded. “He didn’t mean it in a bad way.” 

Dream looked like he was on the verge of exploding. “What do you mean, ‘not in a bad way,’ Sapnap he called you his dog! He’s petting you!” 

Sapnap worried his lip between his teeth, glancing up at George for reassurance. “...But I am his dog. And I like it when he pets me.”

The way Dream’s mouth hung open was nearly enough to make George laugh, but he had enough sense to stifle it. Unfortunately, Dream noticed the split second where he was fighting a smile and let out another growl.

Considering this was the second time it had happened, George decided that this was unacceptable behavior. He decided to take his petty revenge by directing his next statement at Shadoune. 

“He doesn’t seem very well-behaved,” George observed, watching Dream stiffen in the corner of his eye. 

To his credit Shadoune didn’t miss a beat. His smile was professional and sympathetic as he replied, “Well you see, Dream was rescued from a hybrid fighting ring. He’s been in recovery for over a year, but it’s time to find him a new home.” 

A fighting ring? George didn’t even know those existed outside of movies. It would make sense though, given Dream’s scars and tough appearance.

Sapnap barked out in disbelief, “How the hell did you end up there?!”

It was clearly the wrong thing to say, because an annoyed expression grew on Dream’s face. He fixed his eyes on Sapnap, coldly. 

“Because my owner fucking- grew up and got sick of me. Isn’t that why you’re here?”

Sapnap physically flinched back into the couch and his hand scrambled back to grip George’s pant leg. 

Unfortunately, as it turns out, dumb Sapnap was terrible at defending himself, because even as his face flushed, he blustered insults without any real bite to them. “Shut the fuck up, dumbass. You don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

A sudden swell of anger burned through George. He wanted to say something that would hurt and embarrass Dream. 

“Is he house-trained?” George asked Shadoune, tipping his head at the hybrid in question. It took a moment for the question to register, but the silence that followed was deadly. 

Dream bared his teeth. “Fuck. You.”

George hardly spared him a bored look. He stood up and snapped his fingers at Sapnap the same way he did when he was in his canine form, then relished in the despair on Dream’s face as Sapnap obeyed. 

He turned his attention back to Shadoune as he began to walk, and the attendant stood to trail alongside them. Dream got up and stumbled behind the group. 

“I think we’re done here. You may see us again… or not,” George explained, sending a distasteful glance back to make it even more clear why they were leaving. Sapnap hooked his arm around George’s, which George allowed. 

It was clear that a decision had already been made. Shadoune, ever the composed salesman, simply nodded. 

“I completely understand. These difficult types… the rescues… they’re not for everyone. But if you ever decide that you wish to see more of our selection, I’d be happy to help you find a better fit.” 

And then he extended his hand and offered George a card—his business card—which George graciously accepted.

“Thanks.”

They were on their way out the door when a shaky voice stopped them in their tracks. 

“W-wait!” 

Sapnap froze in place, and George knew he could pull him onwards, but he decided to humor him by turning to look.

Dream was a pitiful sight with his eyes wide and scared and his shoulders hunched as if he wasn’t strong enough to bench another person. His hand was outstretched, but he quickly drew it back to his chest.

“You’re leaving?...That’s it?” Dream asked. He sounded so helpless that George almost felt bad for him. 

George gave a slow, deliberate shrug, taking care not to dislodge Sapnap’s grip. “I need an obedient pet,” he explained. “And you don’t want to be a pet at all.”

He watched with satisfaction as Dream’s brows furrowed, holding back his smirk as Dream’s eyes darted to Sapnap. George didn’t have to look to know that he was probably giving Dream the same chocolate puppy dog eyes he gave George when begging for seconds.

Go on. Say it.

Dream wet his lips and exhaled slowly. “I… want to be a pet.”

“Look me in the eyes.” George ordered, and Dream complied. He raised an eyebrow to prompt him, and Dream grit his teeth.

“I want. To be. Your pet,” he forced out with the edge of a growl. 

George felt the hopeful sway of Sapnap’s tail against the back of his legs and smiled in satisfaction. He turned around again, bringing Sapnap with him. 

George lifted up his free hand and waved Shadoune’s card above his head as he exited the store. 

“Thanks for the service. Maybe I’ll be in touch.”