Work Text:
Sebastian was at his wits’ end.
Sam had come home from work again with his eyes red, sniffling. It had happened every day this week and nothing Sebastian said would help.
“Sam, you really gotta stop playing with that dog.” He sighed, watching Sam blow his nose for the millionth time that night.
“He just lobes to wrestle!” Sam protested through his plugged nose.
“Yeah, but you have an allergy, Sam. And you snore horrendously at night after you go to the farm.”
Sam came over and wrapped his arms around his husband. “I’m sorry baby. He’s just so lonely up at the farm when the farmer is away. And I’m almost done fixing up the barn!”
Sebastian sighed again. Sometimes he wondered if Sam liked dogs so much because he could relate to them; the sad puppy-dog eyes he was getting worked a bit too well.
“Just take care of yourself, Sam. And try not to bury your face in his fur.”
“It’s so floofy though…” Sam protested.
Sebastian groaned.
---
He started his research the next morning. Well, next early afternoon, to be precise; he needed a long sleep-in after another restless night of listening to Sam’s plugged nose make him sound like a drunk whale.
Someone in the valley had to have a hypoallergenic dog for sale, right? They couldn’t be that rare, could they?
Except, somehow, they were. Either that or nobody in the valley used computers – which was probably the most likely scenario.
Which meant asking around in person. Or phoning around, which would be even worse. Marnie would probably know, but…
He decided to start by calling his mother. That, at least, wouldn’t be so bad.
Unless Demetrius answered.
It was a good day for a walk, anyways. Sebastian pulled on his black hoodie and headed up the mountain towards his old home.
Robin was in the workshop when he entered. She usually was these days; most of the jobs around town Sam took, now that he was apprenticing under her. Sebastian sometimes suspected her of giving Sam extra work instead of taking it herself so that they would have more money – it was the kind of thing she would do.
“Sebby!” she exclaimed, jumping up and wrapping him in a hug as he came in the door. “How are you?”
Sebastian hugged her back gingerly - even after a year of marriage to the world's most physically demonstrative man he wasn't totally comfortable with hugging others - and pulled back.
“Hi Mom. I’m good, how are you?”
“Just marvelous now you’re here! You know, it gets so lonely up here now you’re gone! You boys should visit more.”
Sebastian shrugged uncomfortably. Things were better with Demetrius now that they didn’t live together, but they would never be friends. “Yeah, we’ll try to come up more often.”
Robin beamed at that. “Have a seat, Sebby. What brought you all the way up the hill today?”
Sebastian sat on the little stool in her workshop. “Sam really wants a dog.”
Robin sighed. “Poor Sammy! I know. I'd kind of like to get one myself - it's so lonely now you've moved out. But it wouldn't be fair to Sam."
Sebastian wasn't sure how it could have made any difference him moving out, since he had stayed in his basement all the time when he lived at home. If anything, it seemed more lively here without him and Demetrius arguing all the time.
“I was thinking about seeing if I could find one of those hypoallergenic dogs. The ones people don’t react to as much.”
“That’s a splendid idea!” Robin exclaimed, delighted. “You’re so smart, Sebby! I don’t know why none of us ever thought of that before.”
Sebastian shrugged. “I can’t find any online though. I thought maybe you might have some ideas.”
“Hmm.” Robin pursed her lips. “I used to do some work for a lady who said her dogs were the kind that people don’t get allergic to. I could see if she has any puppies, or knows anyone who does.” She jumped up. “You stay right here, Sebby, and I’ll give her a call right away!”
She dashed off - even the fact that she was nearing fifty didn’t slow Robin down at all – and Sebastian sat back on his stool, relieved. Robin knew everyone, and if he was lucky, they’d find a dog without him having to make any phone calls at all.
Robin came back in the room a few minutes later, chatting animatedly. “That sounds amazing, Helen! Sebby and I will be over today to come take a look. I’m so excited! Yes, you too! We’ll see you soon, dear, can’t wait.”
She grinned at Sebastian. “She has puppies! How perfect is that? I’ll just go get the truck keys and we can head out.”
Sebastian hesitated. He had been planning to get that website done today. It was almost finished and the client was antsy. But... well, Sam took precedence. “Sounds good, Mom.” He agreed. “See you out front.”
He stuck his hands in his pockets when he got outside and sucked in his cheeks. He had been off smoking for a while now, but standing out here, in his old haunt, made him crave a cigarette worse than ever. He could even see the irritating silhouette of Demetrius off in the distance, out by the lake.
But he meant to be a good insurance prospect for his boy’s sake, if nothing else. No more cancer sticks for him.
Robin pulled the truck around the front and he hopped in, brushing sawdust off the seat first. “What kind of dogs were they at this place, anyways?” he asked. Not that he had high hopes. Most of the hypoallergenic breeds were pretty silly looking.
Still, Sam would be happier with a bichon frise than nothing at all.
"Well... I forgot to ask what kind of dog." Robin confessed. "But she's just a town over. We’ll be able to see for ourselves pretty soon.”
Sebastian shrugged. It was too late now, anyways. “Sounds good, Mom.”
Robin chatted cheerfully all the way down the highway, and Sebastian wished Sam could have come with them. "Sammy" fit in with Sebastian's family better than Sebastian ever had, and always provided a perfect buffer for his quieter husband.
He had been trying to spend more time with Robin, at Sam's urging. Sam and Robin were practically best friends at this point, and she apparently missed Sebastian now that he wasn't around as much. Sebastian didn't know why she would miss him, but it was easy enough to go up the mountain for a chat and eat something other than his own cooking. Most importantly, it made Sam happy.
The house they pulled up to was neat and tidy, with a well-built picket fence that looked as though it might be Robin's work. Sebastian followed Robin up the straight stone path and waited behind her as she knocked on the wooden door.
“Robin! Hello!” Exclaimed the small, white-haired woman who opened the door. “And this must be little Sebby!”
“Er. Hi.” Little Sebby replied. This was the dog breeder? She looked almost as old as Evelyn.
“Just follow me – mind you take off your shoes at the door, please, I just swept. Duchess and the puppies are back here. I sure hope you can take one – I just know any dog would be safe with your family, Robin. Did you say it was for your wife, Sebby?”
Sebastian tolerated being called ‘Sebby’ by one person only – even Sam didn’t use that nickname after it killed one of his boners mid-foreplay. He was here for Sam, though, so he bit his tongue – mostly. “For my husband.”
“Oh!” She peered at him. “I’m sorry – I thought Robin had said you were a young man! Don’t mind me, my eyesight isn’t what it used to be.” She shook her head. “Well, you’re a very thoughtful wife, getting a pup for your husband.”
Sebastian gave up and shrugged miserably at Robin.
“Hi, Duchess baby!” Helen crooned. “We’re here to see your beautiful puppies!”
Sebastian froze in the doorway.
Oh, Yoba.
Duchess was a snow white poodle. The little pom-pom on her tail wagged happily as the old woman – whose name Sebastian still didn’t know – pet her fondly.
Maybe one of the puppies was a different colour? No, there were five little puffy pups but they were all white too.
Well, it was a dog for Sam, not him. But… a poodle! Duchess even had the stereotypical haircut, with little pom-poms on her feet and a ridiculous little afro between her ears.
Still, any dog would make Sam happy. And if it made Sam happy… well, it had to be done.
He would definitely NOT be allowing Sam to give the dog a stupid haircut, though. Never.
“There’s just one puppy left unclaimed,” Helen told him, pointing to a smaller one. “But he’s, um… well, he’s very nice!”
The puppy in question was engaged in chasing his stubby little tail, occasionally tripping over his own feet in the process.
Well, Sam was very nice too. “I’ll take him.” Sebastian said.
---
Sam’s eyes were red again when he came home from work that evening. “I know, baby.” He said, sniffing. “I just lobe that dog so much. Anyways, I’m done at the farm for a while now, so no more dog for me.” He sniffed again.
“It’s okay, Sam.” Sebastian said, standing on tiptoes to kiss him. “Go blow your nose before dinner, please. How was work today?”
Sam blew his nose loudly. “I’m all done the barn! The cows seem to really like it.”
“What about the farmer?”
“I mean, I guess she does too.” Sam blew his nose again. “What’s for dinner, baby boy?”
Sebastian shrugged. “Just stew – I didn’t have a ton of time to cook. I have something to show you in the bedroom first, though.”
“A surprise?” Sam grinned. “I love you!”
“I mean, you don’t even know what it is, Sam. Maybe I just want to show you a leak in the ceiling.”
Sam kissed him. “It would still be a surprise. And I still love you!”
Sebastian snorted. “Come on, dumbass.”
He pushed open the bedroom door, keeping an eye on Sam’s face as he did so.
Sam’s eyes widened, and then his face turned pink. “Is it- is it for us?” he exclaimed. “Hi baby! Oh my god, Sebastian, oh my god.”
Sebastian bit his lip. “He’s all yours, Sam. Sam! Are you crying?”
Sam sat down on the bedroom floor, the puppy racing around him, and sniffed loudly. “I love it.” He sobbed.
The dog was kind of cute, Sebastian had to admit. He picked it up and put it on Sam’s lap. “He’s a boy and you can name him.”
Sam hugged the dog, who promptly started licking tears off his face. “Can I name him Sebastian Jr.?”
“Absolutely not.”
“But then the two things I love the most in the world would be named Sebastian!”
“Still an absolute no, Sam.”