Archive of Our Own

Janus chuckled at the pup’s effort, which Janus got another angry bark for, but even when the dog went to bite at Janus’s closest hand, it only nipped at his fingers, never trying to break the skin. The puppy had a stub leg, an unfortunate fall at only a few days old that never got addressed until it was too late.

Janus chuckled once more, turning to place the puppy in it’s personal enclosure, holding onto the puppy to make sure it wasn’t able to escape his grasp before he got it secure.

“He’s a fighter there, isn’t he?” Janus turned his head while still placing the puppy in his enclosure to see Emile standing a way away, soothing a Great Dane though the fence with gentle pets and scratches.

“I know he’d just doing it for show, didn’t even nick me. All bark and no bite.” Janus took a moment to realize he made a pun before Emile spoke up again.

“Sounds like someone I know.” Emile said, pointedly looking at Janus, who simply ignored the implication, choosing instead to focus on latching the door of the puppy’s enclosure before the puppy had the chance to make a run for it. 

“Well, whoever that is must be quite the handsome one, probably has black hair, a snazzy hat on, perhaps is and has a stellar boyfriend who both love each other like they were the universe itself. They also are probably great in-”

“Janus!” Emile whined sharply, much like the dog Janus had just put back, cutting Janus last statement before it’s obvious conclusion.

“Yes, love?”

“You’re beautiful and handsome and I love you, but please don’t do that. We’re at work!” Janus smugly turned to face Emile, having been previously occupied with waggling his fingers at the puppy, allowing the pup to once again nip as his fingers. This time felt a little more playful, the puppy bouncing back, instinctively getting into the behavior of a dog playing, pausing every so often before nipping at Janus’s fingers once more.

If Janus was going to reply, his next words were lost to time as a sound from the front of the shelter signaled someone coming into the shelter. Janus unfortunately had to follow, sadly having to leave the pup to follow Emile back up to the front.

What Janus doesn’t expect to find when he comes to the front are very two similar looking men in their mid 20s, twins, that in Janus’s opinion could really be called Adonis’s. One glance at Emile and his blushing face signaled that Emile definitely felt the same way.

They both looked so similar and yet so different. Their features were the same, but one of them was clean shaven while the other had a bit of wild stubble as well as a full on mustache. The mustache clad twin also had dyed a streak of white in his hair it just slightly greasy, perhaps wanting to be distinct in some way to his twin. In contrast, the clean shaven one had perfectly chocolate brown natural hair, the texture of his hair visibly soft. 

It took a long moment, but Janus also realized that the mustache twin had an amputated looking right arm, stopped just before the elbow

The mustachioed twin grinned wickedly as Emile and Janus entered, excitedly patting the table with his left hand, making a smack, smack, smack sound on the smooth countertop.

“DO YOU GUYS HAVE SKUNKS?!” 

Janus was taken aback at the twin’s volume, ears nearly ringing. A skunk wasn’t the most outrageous thing asked for, but it was one of the most strangest, as who would want something that could make your house stink when it got scared?

“No, we do not, unfortunately.”

The other twins reaction confirmed the fact that his twin legitimately wanted a skunk as well as affirming the fact the average person would dislike having a creature like that in their house.

“Remus, we’re here to get a dog or a cat, maybe they even have a rabbit or a rat. I would actually be fine with a rat from here, because here they’re not going to be diesase-ridden like your other attempted pets. But they wouldn’t have a skunk here as skunks are wild animals, I know you think every animal as a pet no matter what, but mother would not allow you to get something that could make the house stink.”

The mustache twin, who’s name was apparently Remus, slumped at the initial  refusal and admission the shelter had no skunks, but his face shot up when his clean twin mentioned a rat, starting to pat the table in front of him in excitement again.

“Rat? Do you have a rat? Rat’s are my favorite other than squids and octupi and so many slimy things! Roman, please tell me they have a rat!” 

The other twin, Roman, sighed, turning to Emile to ask, “Do you have any mice or rats, he’s had an obsession with them since he was little and as he said... slimy things, but our mother never let him get one.”

Emile smiled sadly knowing there weren’t many pet rats in the area, “Unfortunately, we don’t, but we can bring you back to see if there’s anyone you would like, but I apologize that I don’t have exactly what you’re looking for.”

Remus looks dejected once again, but looks hopeful as Emile opens the door for the two twins, allowing both to enter. 

Remus bounds in, excitedly bouncing around from one enclosure to the other, seeing if there’s anything he would want. 

Roman stays by Emile and Janus, watching his twin with an unreadable expression, happily bouncing around without a care in the world. Roman looked a little weary, but there was something in Roman that looked free, like a weight had been lifted off of him.

Roman stands there in silence a long moment, tension building, before Roman cut the tension with a surprisingly personal admission.

“This... is the first time he’s been happy in years, I... don’t even think I want this visit to end.” Roman brought his head down, looking a the floor for a moment before raising his eyes, this time giving the shelter a 1000 yard stare.

Janus was agains taken aback, this time by the other twin at the stark admission. 

“After he lost his arm, everything’s been hard for him, he got some body permanence for once in his life. I’m thankful he’s not completely flipped into over cautiousness, but I can’t lie and say I don’t miss when he would do such dumb shit without caring if he could get hurt. God, I don’t know why I’m telling this to both of you this when I just fucking met you, but you’re the first people I’ve been able to see this side of Remus again with. I wish that we could come back here, just so Remus gets to be his normal self again. I-”

Janus sees Roman start to shake, the odd sight of such a beautiful man experiencing such ugly emotions triggering Janus’s instinct to comfort the man. Janus touches Romans arm at first, allowing Roman to refuse the contact at any time. Slowly, Janus brings Roman into a hug, silent sobs into Janus’s shoulder wracking his frame.

They stayed like that for what felt to Janus as a eternity before Remus’s voice shattered the silence, Janus hearing Remus bounding up behind him.

“Hey I found one I lik- Roman, are you two gonna fuck? I would love to fuck him if you won’t.”

Janus felt his face bloom with a raging blush. Yeah, Janus was attracted to them. But you don’t just say something like that! 

“Uh....”

Janus pulled back abruptly, Roman turning to Remus, saying something that Janus couldn’t focus on as now Remus was looking at Emile and Janus, bobbing his eyebrows suggestively. Janus avoided his eyes after that, trying to calm his heartbeat.

He looked up when Remus approached Janus, Roman saying something. Remus grabbed Janus’s hand, bringing him to the enclosure Janus had just put the puppy in. The puppy inside was bounding around excitedly, barking even more incessantly, the puppy wasn’t phased by their stub leg, getting up unfazed if they fell.

Remus patted the wall on the side of the outside of the enclosure, seeming to enjoy the feeling the action brought him as with the counter at the front.

“Ah, we just got this little guy in, we haven’t even named him yet!” Emile said from behind Janus, Janus opened the enclosure, nearly dropping the puppy as the puppy suddenly jumped into his arms, straining immediately towards Remus, who stretched out his arm to take the pup.

Janus eased the puppy into Remus arm, the puppy immediately squirming around to lick at Remus’s face.

Remus appeared to enjoy the attention, but looked back up at Janus and Emile with knowing eyes.

“So, now that we’re getting this puppy, you guys wanna go-”

“Remus!” 

Roman interrupted, turning red himself, glancing at Janus and Emile for their reactions. Finally, Janus gathered the confidence in himself to reply in kind.

“While I’m not that kind of guy, perhaps me and my boyfriend could take you out somewhere special sometime, right Em?”

Emile’s eyes widened, Emile making a strangled noise before squeaking out a breathy, “Yeah.”

Remus smirked, cradling the dog with his arm as he followed Emile and Janus back to the front desk.

“Oh, well then, let’s get this little guy home and then we can work out the details over some food?” Remus suggested, shooting his brother a glance, probably thinking about going more explicit if Roman wasn’t there.

Roman sighed, the hand covering his face running down to his chin. When there was no protest, Remus spoke up again.

“It’s a date then.”