Chapter Text
Gio knew Viktor was in love the moment they stepped foot in their new home.
He could claim this with confidence because his precious human had uprooted their entire life from the city to move someplace far. Maybe Viktor needed that since he always came home late and tired back in their old place. He barely had the time to play with Gio, which made him sad. However, he was more concerned seeing Viktor practically drag himself everywhere, a dark cloud hanging over his head.
Seeing Viktor's eyes go bright once more with enthusiasm in his gait the moment they arrived, Gio knew he wouldn't miss their old place for anything. His human was in love with the place the same way Gio loved to fall asleep beside Viktor. Here, Viktor didn't have to leave Gio alone for most of the day. Viktor could finally play with him again, making him chase his favorite tennis ball in the wide expanse of grass in their backyard.
Gio loved this new place that made Viktor laugh at him again. He loved how warm his human felt when they went to sleep. Everything was perfect.
Well, almost perfect.
The only thing ruining it all is the presence of that other human with his crazy feline companion. They both tried to take Viktor away from him, and even if Gio was perfectly behaved and did nothing wrong, Viktor would tell him not to do the things he didn't even do.
"It's that cat!" Gio would reason out, his voice warbling as he tried to explain himself. However, Viktor wouldn't believe it and no longer gave him treats. Meanwhile, the true culprit of whatever he was being accused of was being petted and fed fondly by his equally frustrating human.
Gio held his tongue and his attitude because Viktor wanted him to behave. He was Viktor's good boy and best friend—so when that other human was about to eat his Viktor's face, he came in between to save his human. He tried to warn Viktor that the other big human was evil and wanted to hurt him. Gio should've growled and jumped at that other human so Viktor could flee.
However, that annoyingly prideful cat stared at him condescendingly, as if daring Gio to try and do something to the big human. There was a strange feeling in Gio's bones that held him back from doing so, focusing on getting Viktor out of there instead.
Those two were clearly dangerous! Why didn't Viktor see that?
Then, as if the world was intent on proving him correct, Herald went ahead to insult his human. Thinking about it now made his blood boil—but he didn't retaliate because Viktor didn't want Gio fighting with others. He thought back to that time that someone in the street shouted at his human because Viktor had accidentally dropped Gio's leash.
Because Gio wanted more of that "pup cup"—this yummy treat that Viktor only bought him if he had been especially good for a week waiting for him patiently at home—he tried running back to the store. However, he accidentally bumped against someone's leg in his enthusiasm. He wasn't as big then as he is now, but that mean and ugly human shouted at Viktor because of him.
That human called Viktor many bad names too, and even if Viktor was apologizing and tried to keep a straight face, Gio could see the twitch in the corner of his lips and how shiny his eyes were. Gio didn't like that and wanted this bad human to leave his Viktor alone—so, he barked angrily at that person, baring his fangs as the human backed away.
Then, he pointed at Viktor and called him something mean again before pointing at his human's leg. That's when Gio pounced on the human and tried to bite his hand off. The bad person started running away, and everyone was looking at them in the street.
Suddenly, Gio found himself lifted from the ground, which made him whine as he glanced up and saw his Viktor wincing in pain. He tried to shake himself free from his human's hold—Viktor shouldn't be carrying him because he was heavy. What about his leg?
However, Viktor's hold on him was so tight until they got back home. Viktor looked very sad as he ruffled Gio's head. Was Gio being a bad dog for protecting his human? Gio whimpered before hanging his head low.
"Gio, my dear, look at me," Viktor encouraged with a wobbly smile as Gio followed the command. "There's my good boy."
Gio woofed before nosing at Viktor's cheek. "Viktor, okay?" he tried to ask, his question coming out all garbled. His human only chuckled before sniffling, wiping at something wet sliding down his cheeks. Viktor was crying, and Gio whimpered at the sight.
"Yes, I'm okay," Viktor lied. Gio frowned. "I appreciate what you did earlier, Gio. But next time, don't attack anyone anymore, okay?"
Gio barked once in disagreement. How was he going to protect Viktor from people like that in the future if he couldn't bite them?
"I don't want them to think you're a bad dog and take you away from me," Viktor explained quietly as he ruffled the sides of Gio's fluffy face. Viktor held back a sob before embracing his dog. Gio could only rest his head on his human's back as his front paws came to return the gesture. "I know you chose me back then, but I don't know what to do without you anymore," Viktor confessed as his entire body shook.
Gio vowed then and there that he'd be a good boy forever so that he wouldn't have to see Viktor cry again.
Which is why Gio only told Herald to back off from Viktor since he said all kinds of mean things about his human. He wasn't certain why the next thing he knew, he had a faceful of cat claws. Gio had only tried shaking and pawing the cat away from him—who seemed intent on coming back to murder him if the way he slashed and bit him all over was an indicator of anything. Their scuffle led to a chase that brought them outside, with Herald—the fucking coward—running up a tree when Gio wanted to get even.
The next thing he knew, he heard Viktor shouting his name and that other human with a wild look on his face throwing him away. Herald's human reeked of fear, and Gio didn't like the way he held him by the neck. Confused and a little frightened by the quick progression of unfamiliar events—especially when he could only smell the oncoming rain and soil—the only thing that managed to give him a sense of direction was hearing Viktor's voice amidst it all.
"Kurva! Gio!"
Gio had limped back to his human, telling him to stay back because the scary human and his crazy cat were going to hurt Viktor. However, Viktor began shouting at him with a look he'd never seen in his face before. Gio only let Viktor drag him by his collar because he could smell a familiar, dark scent leaking out of his human.
Fear.
Gio followed inside and watched as Viktor fell to his knees and examined him all over with frantic eyes. His face was wet as he gently touched the parts of Gio that made him whimper softly when pain lanced up his spine. He tried not to be so loud nor show that he couldn't take a few bites and scratches from an obviously feral creature so that Viktor would stop smelling and looking so sad.
It wasn't like this was the first time this happened to him. When he was young, he was able to take all kinds of painful things from his previous master. Gio was a pretty rowdy and disobedient dog after all, so his master always threw a fit and took it out on him for not following orders quickly or perfectly enough. When Gio decided he didn't like being with his master anymore, he fled and eventually found Viktor after getting lost in a new and big place for what felt like an eternity.
Ever since then, Gio had never been in serious pain—maybe that's why he was doing such a terrible job at hiding it from Viktor.
"Don't cry, Viktor..." he tried to say as Viktor cradled his dog's head and pressed their foreheads together.
"We're going to the vet, okay?" Viktor said as he wiped his face with the sleeve of his shirt. He sniffled as he slowly stood up from his position with a pained groan. He told Gio to stay in the living room and returned with his blue carrier. When Viktor told him to go inside, he did so quietly. "Good boy. Now, I want you to behave the entire way to the vet, okay?"
Gio woofed in response, whimpering when he heard his human sniffle. He didn't want to make Viktor upset, and yet. Gio remained quiet the entire time, and even as those strange people in white with cold blue hands touched the places he was hurting in and put a weird object around his neck, he didn't protest.
The entire way back, Gio couldn't stop thinking about the scary human. When Viktor started smelling all nice and happy when that person knocked on the door, Gio felt protective.
And when Viktor pressed his face on that bad human's cheek the way Viktor would for him when he was being an extremely good and funny boy, Gio decided he's had enough. One way or another, he would let Viktor know that the other human was evil and he needed to stay away for his own good. The situation was so bad that he had even agreed to cooperate with the enemy.
There was this saying he heard from one of the few people Viktor brought back to their home. She had very long blue hair tied in the same shape as Gio's favorite rope toy.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
Now that Gio thought about it, his enemy was not enemies with the bad human. However, they might as well be since he and the crazy cat had the same goal.
The following day, Viktor and Gio wake up from a knock on the door. There was the scent of something sweet and yummy coming from the kitchen, but it obviously wasn't because of Viktor. Gio barked at the door before nudging Viktor awake, warning him that the bad human was about to poison them.
"V? I made you pancakes," the other human calls from the other side. Viktor groans as he sits up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"I'll be there," he mumbles sleepily as Gio yawns along with him. He paws at Viktor's stomach and receives a ruffle on his head. "Good morning to you too, my dear," he greets in a slightly high-pitched voice. Immediately, Gio's day can't get any better.
Except... It only gets worse.
Viktor puts him on a leash before heading to the dining room, and Gio knows it's only because his human doesn't want him to get hurt again. He doesn't know that he and that insane cat won't fight again. Still, it makes him a little sad when he doesn't have the freedom to go wherever he wants.
When Viktor begins eating breakfast with the other human, it's like they forget that anything else exists outside of them. Gio can't help but growl at the sight of the bad human taking his chance and placing his hand over Viktor's.
"Down, dog," Herald commands smugly from Jayce's lap. They converse under the table as their humans laugh softly, the scent of something warm and sweet—nothing like Gio has ever scented before—begins wafting from them.
Herald's tail flicks behind him as he clenches the air with his front paws. Why is he doing that while purring? Gio bets he must feel good about himself while they're doing absolutely nothing to prevent their humans from getting closer.
"I feel like we should be doing something right now to break them up," Gio complains as he lies down on the ground and observes Herald.
"Enacting our schemes happens after breakfast," Herald says, trying to make it sound like it's an enlightening fact. Gio notices he's on a leash too, so all he can do is smirk. "I don't like eating while surrounded by inferior creatures."
Gio tries not to roll his eyes. "Didn't know our evil plans were a nine-to-five thing," he comments sarcastically. "Should I clock in so I can get paid, your highness?"
Gio thinks he sees Herald smirk, but he can't really tell with those paws in the way. "You know quite a lot of human concepts," he notes, "for a dumb dog.
"I'm not dumb, and I'm not taking that from a psycho cat who's better off in the jungle," Gio tries not to growl at the insult as he rises. He only knows a lot because Viktor has always been so kind to explain a lot of things to him. When his human isn't home, he tries to find entertaining things to do aside from playing with his toys and rope, and that turned out to be watching the television.
Herald stretches on Jayce's lap before practically yawning, seemingly bored out of his mind. "Prove it," he dares before turning those sharp gold eyes to him. "Unless you want to fight again so their breakfast will be ruined? Hah. Now, there's an idea."
Gio huffs. "There's other means of separating them aside from violence, you know," he says as he begins trotting beside Viktor. "Let me show you how."
Then, with an act that deserves an award, Gio begins to whimper sadly as he nudges Viktor's good thigh with his snout. Immediately, Viktor turns to him with an exaggeratedly sad pout before ruffling his head.
"Oh, my dear. Hungry already?" Viktor asks as Gio nods, his cone an irritating companion. He scratches at it with genuine annoyance, making Viktor rise from his seat and reassuring him he'll bring him breakfast. He takes Gio with him to the kitchen, but not far enough for him to see the dining room.
Gio peeks inside the room and sees a stupid look on that bad human's face. His eyes can't leave the place where Viktor left, his cheek in the palm of his hand. Gio hates him.
"Stay away from Viktor," he threatens, his voice all warbled even as he frowns deeply and growls at the other human. The human only glances at him in worry before glancing down at his cat. Herald then hops on the table and turns to Gio blankly before looking at his human. His paw is on the corner of the plate.
The human gasps in offense. "Herald! Don't you dare..." he trails off warningly as Herald slowly pushes the plate. When the human clicks his tongue and holds the plate in place, Herald suddenly starts acting strange.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Gio asks, unable to hide his amusement. Herald suddenly rolls on his back, baring his stomach.
"Taking a page from your book, as they say. This is how pathetically you have to do it, no?"
Gio snorts. He wants to ask Herald if he's the most pathetic between the two since he's doing it even better than him. He's got his paws bent, eyes wide and watery before meowing softly. It's... unfortunately adorable, and Gio has to look away from the sight of the human cooing and talking to Herald like he's an infant.
When Viktor enters the dining room with Gio in tow, he laughs at the sight of the human with Herald. "He's like your child," he remarks as the bad human buries his face in Herald's stomach.
"Of course he is," Jayce confirms before nuzzling his nose against Herald's fur. "Isn't that right, angelito?"
Herald only meows in return before purring. Gio can't believe his ears—for someone who's scheming, Herald sure is enjoying himself.
Viktor sets Gio's food on the ground and pats his head. He already has a feeling that his human laced his food with medicine. Gio turns to Viktor and only stares at him before lying down and flattening his ears. He whines and glances up at Viktor before turning to the food then looking away.
"What's wrong, Gio? Don't like the food?" Viktor asks as he sits on his seat, his attention solely on Gio this time and not even that stupid, stinky, and mean human. Gio tries to hide his smile under both of his paws but fails due to this damn cone around his head.
Gio tries to wriggle out of it and pretends to cry, especially when Viktor tries to strike another conversation with Jayce.
"Viktor," he calls before howling sadly.
Viktor hushes him before sighing. "Okay, okay... I'm here," he reassures as Gio begins to take slow bites of his food. He tries not to gag when he faintly tastes the medicine in his food—not when Viktor is telling him he's such a good boy.
Gio tries not to growl when he scents something spicy in the air, like another dog in rut. When he tries to trace the scent, it's coming from that bad human—who won't stop staring at Viktor.
"Do something about your human!" Gio tells Herald. "He smells disgusting."
Herald only trills, completely ignoring Gio as he's being petted and scratched with both of his human's big hands. Gio supposes it's up to him now. He placed a paw on Viktor's foot before nuzzling his leg. "I love you, Viktor," he tries to say—though, it's all wobbly and comes out wrong. He hopes Viktor understands it though.
Viktor's features soften and he starts smelling like the sun. Gio howls in delight.
"Is it just me or they're acting clingier than usual?" Jayce asks across the table. "Herald has never acted this way around me before, not enthusiastic when I've fed him all the food and treats he likes for an entire day."
"You can say that again," Viktor says as he turns to Gio, who has started gnawing on the edge of his slipper. "Perhaps the fight yesterday has rattled them more than usual?"
"You could be right..."
"It is only a theory, Jayce, but maybe they are seeking us for stability while recuperating, hence their behavior."
"That makes sense."
The entire day, the two pets selfishly demanded their humans' time and attention, which was given to them generously. While their humans were physically further apart in the room or outside, that didn't seem to stop them from conversing by simply increasing the volume of their voices.
Gio wanted to feel frustrated that their plans for the day were failing, but when was the last time Viktor had played fetch with him? He loved every second that Viktor gave him a smile and praised him before giving him treats. It was as if there was only him and Viktor once more—if he completely disregarded the two outsiders lounging under the shade of a tree.
Regardless, today was the best day ever.
"Fuck," Herald curses at the end of the day. Their humans have already fallen asleep and they've both decided to reconvene in the living room again. "I made myself look like an utter fool, and yet we still failed!" he hisses.
Gio sighs, happily resting his snout on top of his cone and front paws as he closes his eyes. He feels a little tired after the event of the day. "Maybe that's the reason why," he says.
Herald hisses in frustration. "I knew it, I never should've trusted you, you incompetent little..." he meows in frustration before hopping on a couch and digging his sharp teeth into a throw pillow.
"Hey, I suggested it, but I never said it would work," Gio says matter-of-factly. He doesn't tell Herald about how his plans evaporated the moment his human got his hands on him—at the end of the day, he's just a cat as much as Gio's just a dog. It's neither their fault that their entire life revolves around their human's happiness and attention. "If you have any better ideas, go right ahead, Herald. By all means, show me you're smarter and better than me."
Herald pauses and turns to Gio. His eyes seem wide, pupils like black pools. Meanwhile, his tail goes rigid behind him, the tip curling softly like a claw. Gio shoots him a look of confusion—why the hell is the cat looking at him like that?
Herald turns away, his tail flicking sharply to one side. He hops off the couch and refuses to look at Gio.
"You look stupid with that cone around your neck."
Gio rises from his position, confused. What the hell is this cat saying all of a sudden?
"Shut it, you crazy cat. We both know this is your damn fault anyway," he retorts as he watches Herald walk back to his human's bedroom.
Herald pauses and glances back once. "That's why you have to hurry up and get better, you stupid dog," he says before disappearing around a corner. "How else are we going to separate our humans if you're not at your best?"
For a second, Gio thought he caught a whiff of concern from Herald—but surely, it's not that, right? This is all just for their common goal.
Yeah. Their common goal.