Chapter Text
The walk turned out to be great. It went smoothly. James educated him about the dog breed and this particular dog since he now found out that not all dogs are the same, but they have their own personality.
The dog they walked didn’t have a name. The dog answered to a certain whistle.
”So, if I adopt him, I can name him?” Keith asked as James was behind the counter, filing papers. Keith’s arms were folded on top of the counter. James leaned on the counter, their faces inches apart.
“Of course you can.” James said before his voice came down to a whisper. “You should hurry up though. This cranky old lady wants him even though she’s not exactly the right person. Not even the dog likes her.”
Keith stifled a laugh. “Okay. What do I have to do?” He whispered.
James looked surprised. “Wait, you actually want him? Like if I gave you a form that you could sign and wait to get approved right now, you would?”
Keith nodded. “Yeah. I like him.” And you. He didn’t say that.
James hummed thoughtfully. “What would you name him?”
Keith thought about it. “Kosmo. With a K, because I start with a K, and I feel like we would be bonded if he started with the same letter.”
James shook his head, but not disapprovingly. “That’s cute.” James then looked down and picked up a paper. It was yellow. He handed it to Keith along with a pen. As Keith filled it out, they were talking.
”It’s a way better name than what the old lady was going to name him.”
“What’s that?”
”Gertrude.”
”What the fuck.” Keith whispered as quietly as he could since children were around.
”I know! I kept telling her, he’s a boy, a full male. Male parts, male reproductive parts.” Keith laughed at that. “But she wouldn’t get it!”
Keith signed the bottom then handed the form to the wonderful boy in front of him.
“Great! Thank you.” He said then placed it into a tray with other yellow papers inside. “I’ll make sure yours goes first.”
Keith’s heart warmed.
“Want to go play with him?” James offered.
”Don’t know. Would you be coming?”
“Yes.” Keith saw James’ face turn a shade of pink.
They took Kosmo out to the dog park that was attached to the building. James gave him a frisbee and Keith tossed it. Kosmo chased it and jumped, but unfortunately, it hit him in his face and he fell. But like a champ, he got back up and returned the frisbee.
James snorted and Keith couldn’t help but think it was cute. Keith laughed a little too.
“So he’s a clumsy one?” Keith asked as he took the frisbee from Kosmo’s mouth and tossed it again.
“I guess you could say that. He has his moments.”
Keith smiled when Kosmo managed to catch it into his mouth.
“Why did you decide to get a dog?” There it is. The question.
Keith just shrugged. “My brother told me to.”
”And you listened to him?”
”I mean, yeah. Said I was too lonely or whatever, so I agreed. After weeks of convincing.”
They were silent. Keith cleared his throat.
”What about you? Why did you decide to volunteer at a shelter?”
James’ eyes seemed to light up at the question. “I really had nothing to do. I don’t get paid, not that I wanted to. I just like caring for animals and I like finding them nice homes. Makes me feel good, I guess.”
Keith didn’t know why, but he nudged James’ shoulder with his own and gave him a nice smile that James gladly returned.
They continued to play until the summer heat was almost unbearable. They sat on a bench in the shade as Kosmo noisily lapped up water from a bowl. He then placed his head on Keith’s knee, looking up at him with pleading eyes. Keith brought his hand down and stroked the space in between his eyes and the top of his head.
“He really likes you.” James murmured, his voice so soft and borderline fond. Keith smiled.
“He’s a good boy.” Keith said then made space for him on the middle of the bench. He tapped the space with the palm of his hand and Kosmo jumped up and put his head on Keith’s lap and his body on James’ lap. His tail was wagging wildly that Keith was afraid he could hurt it.
James rubbed the side of his stomach and lightly pat the dog’s thigh.
”Do other people want him?” Keith asked, afraid of the answer.
James let out a sigh and regretfully nodded. “Yeah. A family.”
Keith bit his lip. “He deserves a family, right? Not just me, a guy who is not really sociable? But a very kind family, who has people that could give him more love.” Keith pat his stomach. Kosmo panted and looked up at him, it looked like he was smiling.
“You can always make your own little family. Him, you, someone else. A partner? You have one, right?”
Keith shook his head, “Nope.”
”Friends?”
Keith shook his head again, “I mean, yes, but they’re all back home all over the world. They come once every year and they already came. They left. Unless I want to travel to Britain, Cuba, Samoa, and Italy. My brother moved in with his fiancé. They have a house in Japan, back to where he’s from.”
“He’s Japanese? Are you?”
“Nope.”
Keith didn’t know exactly why he told James this. That he was literally all alone to a guy he’d just met. Maybe because James was infuriatingly easy to talk to. Keith was glad James didn’t ask about his parents.
James continued to pet Kosmo. “If you want, I could help you take care of him. Give if some love if you’re up for it. I’m always here, and my friends are too if you decide you want to give him more.”
”Your friends? The dogs?”
James gave a hearty laugh. “No! Oh my god. Human friends. They live here and we play beach volleyball too and Go-Kart for fun.”
Keith liked it when he laughed. “If I end up getting the dog, then maybe.”
Or maybe it could just be us, Keith thought.
They headed back inside and Kosmo back into his cage were he laid down on his bed to take a nap. Keith and James walked back to the lobby and sat down in plush chairs that weren’t hard like the wooden bench outside.
Keith was grateful for the air conditioning.
”Okay, so, in order to have a chance of adopting Kosmo, what do I have to do?”
“First, they’re going to interview you. Not like the one I did with you, but they’re going to ask you why you want the dog and how you’re going to care for it. I suggest you go into much detail as you can.” James replied before continuing. “Then they’re going to take you to meet the dog to see how well you two get along. I’m pretty sure Kosmo loves you. Then they’re going to do a house visit where they see if your home is suitable for the dog. So, clean it up real good, fix whatever you think needs fixing, put dangerous things away, decorate nicely.”
Keith felt overwhelmed, but he nodded.
“It won’t be that hard, right?” Keith nervously asked.
”It shouldn’t be if you’re confident and sure that you’ll win him.”
Keith wasn’t all that confident if he was being honest. The family had a better chance of adopting him than him because he knew Kosmo needed a very loving home; what’s better than a family of five? Definitely not a family of one or the very rare five as well.
Keith wasn’t the most optimistic person, but he would try to be just for Kosmo. And maybe James.
It was the day of the interview. Keith made himself look nice and took his red Jeep to the shelter, wanting to look slightly serious without his bike. He arrived and saw James talking with the family that he was informed about.
Just like James said, it was a family of five. They looked highly functional, unlike his own, and very clean cut. Their children looked well behaved and the parents still happily in love with each other.
Keith didn’t feel so confident anymore.
He saw James wave goodbye to them before walking up to him.
James gave him a smile. “Nervous?” He asked.
Keith sighed and nodded, “Is it obvious?”
James pat his arm, “You’ll be fine. Trust me. You got this in the bag.”
Keith muttered a, “I hope so.”
Keith went through the interview. It wasn’t all that difficult if you were truthful which Keith definitely was. He wasn’t sweating buckets like he thought he would, but instead he was calm and collected. He did take James’ advice of going into detail, which he thinks the interviewers appreciated.
On the way out the door, he gave James a thumbs up, which James returned and mouthing: ‘good luck.’
The house visit went quick as they checked stuff on their clipboards. Keith made sure everything was clean. He mowed his backyard and in the front of the house, made sure to clean the windows, mop the floor, scrub the counters and stove, clean the fridge, and vigorously scrub down the bathrooms.
He didn’t have anything dangerous in sight, not like he owned anything dangerous anyway, and even made sure his pool was clean and sectioned off with a fence.
Keith and the interviewers headed back to the shelter, wasting absolutely no time since they had clients later.
Keith stood by James once the interviewers went with the family.
James nudged his shoulder with his own. “I’m sure you did good.”
Keith rubbed the back of his neck, “Hope so.”
”Don’t be so hard on yourself, Keith, okay?” James reassured him, voice dripping with certainty.
Keith didn’t say anything.
Now, it was all down to one thing: the meeting.
Keith and James walked out into the dog park with the family already standing there. They were talking amongst themselves, the children clearly excited. It made Keith feel a little bad knowing that if he did end up adopting Kosmo, they would be disappointed.
James seemed to sense his guilt and hooked his pinkie around Keith’s. Keith looked up at him and James gave him a wink. Keith looked away, cheeks flaming.
A worker came out with Kosmo on a leash, he was trotting happily beside them. The worker gave him a treat. The worker led Kosmo to the family who bent down and pet him all over. Kosmo soaked up all the attention and licked some of their hands. He seemed pretty timid though, all the attention somehow making him shy and unsure.
Keith gripped James’ hand with his own once Kosmo was led over to them. Kosmo jumped up and leaned against Keith. Keith cupped his face and smiled.
“Hey, buddy.” Keith greeted him and pet him where Kosmo seemed to like it most; in between his eyes. Kosmo tried to jump up and lick at his face but he couldn’t quite reach.
Unfortunately, they had to take Kosmo back inside for a re-evaluation. The interviewers dismissed them so they could talk it out.
Keith and James walked back inside. “When will we know?”
“Tomorrow. Lucky for you, I will be the one to know. I’ll have to call whoever could adopt him and let them know.”
Keith’s anxieties did not settle.
“Do you want to go visit him?”
Keith agreed to that and so they went over to Kosmo’s cage. When they arrived, Keith crouched down and Kosmo came up to his face, trying to lick it through the wire. Keith stuck his finger in, allowing Kosmo to lick at it.
“Would you want to come home with me? Promise I’m not a bad person, even though certain people say I am. But, I will treat you so good that you’ll get annoyed of the love I give you.” Keith mumbled. “Dad would have liked you. Maybe mom too, not sure.”
Kosmo gently nibbled on his finger like a puppy would, but except he was 3 years old.
“You can meet Lance, Hunk, Allura, and Pidge. Hunk would make you so many treats, Allura would dress you up and try to put hair clips on you, Lance would take you surfing, and Pidge would make you her assistant when she’s making a robot. Shiro and Adam would try to steal you and make you their child.”
James was silent. He really hoped Keith could get the dog.
Keith stood back up and looked at James. He gave a smile.
James crossed his fingers and held his hand up. “I really hope you get the dog.”
Keith didn’t receive a phone call. But he did get a call from James who told him to get to the shelter immediately. Keith almost didn’t. He was distraught that he didn’t get Kosmo, but the urgency in James’ voice made him get up from his unmade bed and into his car.
He entered the building and he saw James already standing near the front desk. He looked bright as ever.
Keith walked up to him, confused since James didn’t look like he was scared or anxious. Keith tried not to show how upset he is.
”Guess what?” James asked. Keith didn’t feel like guessing, but he’ll play along just for him.
”What?” Keith sighed.
”No. You have to guess.” James replied quickly. Keith didn’t really feel like playing.
”Chicken butt. Look James, I really don’t-“
”You got the dog.”
Keith’s eyes widened. “What?” he spluttered.
”You got Kosmo.”
Keith’s spirits immediately lifted. His face broke into a smile. He didn’t know how and why they chose him as a suitable owner for Kosmo, but he sure as hell wasn't complaining.
”Oh my god.” Keith exhaled. He felt lightheaded and was just about ready to faint.
He got the dog of his dreams. His new best friend, his new roommate, his new dog. Was Keith ready for this kind of parenthood?
”Where is he?” Keith asked, excited to take him home.
”He’s waiting for you outside.” James answered then took his hand and led him out to the dog park. There, Kosmo was laying down with a chew toy in his mouth that he was happily gnawing on, the squeaker inside of it annoying.
Kosmo ran up to him as soon as he saw him.
“Hi baby. How are you?” Keith asked the dog who only wagged his tail in response.
Keith looked to James who was already looking at him. Keith didn’t really care of the outcome of his actions, but he hugged James tightly. James hugged him back as he let out a gentle laugh when Kosmo wanted affection as well.
Keith felt like he was high off happiness. He needed to thank Shiro for convincing him.
Keith pulled back from the hug. “Go out with me?” He asked.
James got flustered easily. “Really?”
“Yeah, please.”
James nodded excitedly. Keith didn’t really kiss until after the first or second date, but he didn’t really care at this point. He just grabbed James by the collar of his shirt and pressed his lips.
”I know this is probably too forward, but I don’t really care because I really like you, but do you want to be a little family with me a Kosmo?”
Kosmo barked at them.
”Of course.”