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Dusk fell around Kou and Daisuke in orange and blue and purple, the sky streaking with long white clouds, and the lush green of the trees waving below them in a cool late breeze. They were on the top of the hill looking out over Inaba. The air smelled of grass and flowers, and the cicadas chirped a boundless chorus. Kou lay spread out on the ground, lovingly watching his Daisuke sniff the fragrant grass. He walked on his wrists and his knees, sports protectors strapped to them to guard his precious skin, and he dug his nose into a shrub where he smelled something interesting.
Kou had a very interesting dog. A human dog with human arms and legs, who could talk and usually walked on two legs only. He’d never been allowed a normal dog by his family. His grandmother disapproved of it. But he always wanted to experience what having a dog was like, to have that unconditional love beaming at him no matter the circumstances.
Thankfully he had this confused gay guy… Daisuke Nagase… to fill the position of dog.
“Come here baby…” Kou said softly, reaching out his hand to encourage Daisuke closer.
Daisuke perked up his head, face covered in dirt and grass and crawly bugs. “Woof! Kou! Kou!” he barked, shaking his head to get the dirt off, wiping himself with his equally dirty hands. It didn’t do much to clean him, but at least it looked very adorable, messing around with his cute, hand-like paws.
He pushed his face into the grass again, picked up something with his teeth and held it proudly out to Kou.
“Hmm, what’s that?”
“Stick woof!” Daisuke barked through the wet branch.
Kou huffed and shook his head. That thing had to be filled with bugs and bacteria, but Daisuke never cared. Not when he was a pup anyway. He did anything his heart desired, following his instinct and his senses, instead of what was normal. Luckily he’d never gotten sick. Being a pup made his immune system stronger, he’d say, and Kou had yet to find a chance to disagree with him.
“That’s a very nice stick!” Kou said with a gentle nod. “Do you wanna give it to me?”
“Grrr…” Daisuke furrowed his brow. He thought hard and deeply. His pup voice was just as pleasantly deep as it always was, not childish at all even though he spoke in short sentences. “No my stick!”
“Mhm, I can understand that you’d want it,” Kou laughed. “It’s a great find.”
Daisuke trotted over, walking four-footed, spitting out the stick next to Kou and looking at it with a proud grin. He immediately lay down and curled up beside him, possessively hugging his stick as he nudged into Kou. He wore his blue tracksuit, warm and soft against Kou’s bare arms, and a pair of shorts. His hair was wet and sticky from soccer practice and left wet streaks on Kou’s cheeks.
Daisuke stuck out his tongue, waiting for Kou to prepare himself and nod, and licked Kou’s nose with his big sloppy wet tongue. “Woof! I love… you, woof!”
“I love you too, my sweet pup,” Kou chuckled. “You’re looking especially handsome today. Maybe it’s the sun on your cheeks? Or maybe it’s the fact you played soccer all afternoon, and your hair is still a little sweaty? You look absolutely beautiful, man.”
“Sweat looks good on me?” He ran his pawlike hand through his hair, and rubbed the glistening moisture soaked into his short hair.
“You look fit and sporty, and that’s pretty handsome to me.”
“Nice!” Daisuke smiled. “I thought I’d look gross as hell coming here, for a walk, straight after finishing soccer practice, but I guess you’re a weirdo.”
Daisuke was the most down-to-earth guy he knew, and for him to behave so abnormally, to be a puppy, it wasn’t something he expected when they met as kids. But he also kinda got it. When they were young, Daisuke was always the one getting into trouble for what he said. He never meant to be rude but he was bad at reading the room and didn’t know the right thing to say. At some point the rejection by others made him want to escape into something else. To become a dog. Dogs were loved and they could be honest and genuine without being scolded for who they were.
“I’m the weirdo?” Kou laughed, scratching Daisuke behind his ear, watching him wag his leg excitedly. “Pretty sure you’re the grown man walking on all fours, barking and sniffing the ground like a dog.”
“This is the most normal thing ever,” Daisuke grinned. “Nothing more normal than a guy following instinct.”
“True, true,” Kou laughed. Ah, Daisuke’s instincts. If only Kou could figure himself out as easily as Daisuke, to have such genuine and undamaged thoughts and feelings. “Ohh, good boy, big boy, very good,” Kou chuckled, rubbing Daisuke’s belly.
They lay there together, cuddling as closely as they could. It was truly the best having a boyfriend. The fact they were both gay and both into each other, was the biggest stroke of luck they could’ve both hoped for. If Daisuke wasn’t gay, it’d be a bit awkward hanging around with a straight guy, and maybe they wouldn’t be so close anymore. Ah, and Kou also heard that gay men are way freakier than straight guys, which could clearly be evidenced by Daisuke’s behavior, and that made their bond only feel more tight. Bonding over Daisuke’s weird habits…
Daisuke whimpered. He perked his head up and looked fearfully at the path up the hill.
Kou petted his head and asked, “What’s wrong, puppy?”
“N-nothing…” Daisuke scratched his cheek, which turned hot and red. “I thought I heard human. If human came it’d be very humiliating…”
“Hmm? I don’t see anyone.” Kou stroked his head. “You have a very keen ear. Just like a puppy would.”
“P-puppy…” Daisuke repeated, blushing.
“Puppy! You’re my sweetest good boy, Daisuke!”
Daisuke buried his face in the crook of Kou’s neck.
“Damn you smell so good…” he inhaled deeply. “Did you shower after training?”
“No, not yet.”
“Ah, you know exactly what I like…”
“Hmm puppy loves smells, doesn’t he?”
“Y-yes woof…”
Daisuke’s face was bright red and sweaty, and he leaned back, a shy smile curling over his lips. There was a yawn, and he stretched his arms. Kou noticed how soft his belly was—not fat or anything, but not as skinny Kou was either.
Maybe he should hold off the treats for a while.
They were so fun to give though! He could get Daisuke to do all sorts of things, like sit on his knees and raise his paws and make him bark—all for a treat! And since he was such an active guy, he never thought it’d be fine no matter how much he gave him.
Well, Kou didn’t mind Daisuke being a little soft, so it was okay and he wouldn’t mention it, as long as he stayed watchful. Being a pet owner was such a responsibility after all. It was only natural that you’d want to pamper your sweet puppy boy, but you had to not overdo him with love and praise either.
Right now, all Kou wanted to do was to hug Daisuke from all sides, scratch him at the sensitive spot behind his ear, and call him good boy all evening long. He wanted Daisuke to know he was the best guy in the world, that he could do any puppy-related things he wanted with Kou, be the dog he wanted to be. But he also knew that being mushy would embarrass Daisuke, so he kept his thoughts for himself, just for now.
For now he’d simply lie here with him, watch the sun set below the horizon, appreciating the warmth that his puppy shared with him. On their way downhill, he’d buy him another treat and he’d drop him off at his house, where his family waited for him to return to his human role again. And then tomorrow they could be together again, as puppy and owner.