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It wasn’t unusual for Ash Lynx to wake up alone.
See, the thing was that Ash refused to get up at normal human hours, unlike Eiji and Shorter.
Ash didn’t believe that morning people were real before meeting Eiji. It was almost illegal how much Eiji genuinely liked to wake up early in order to get a head start on the day.
Shorter was just the most adaptable person in the world. Meaning that he could sleep the day away or be bright and alert at ungodly hours. The reason he started to get up so early was entirely Eiji’s fault for convincing him that it was a good idea to also become a morning person to be more productive.
In Ash’s opinion, Eiji was too much of a good influence on him.
Eiji and Shorter always woke up first, and despite their best attempts to try and get Ash to join them for an early walk or an even earlier breakfast; it just never worked.
Ash loved them both dearly—but he also loved sleep. If Eiji and Shorter were both his partners, so was the King-sized bed.
The day starts out like most of their Sundays. There is no work to get to, no need to rush for any of them. Despite this, Eiji and Shorter still got up early to start the day.
After some lazy cuddles with Ash drifting in and out of sleep; Ash would fully awaken a bit before noon in their cozy NYC apartment.
So again, it was not unusual for Ash to wake up alone in bed.
What was unusual was the sound of hushed whispers coming from the living room.
He can’t make out what they were saying exactly, but the walls were thin, and they seemed to be—discussing something? There is also this other sound that he can’t quite make out, but there was definitely something else there.
That was odd, considering that both Eiji and Shorter knew that Ash slept like a brick and didn’t really have a need to be so quiet. Especially this time of day where they would eventually come up and drag him out of bed, having no need for inside voices at that point.
After a quick trip to the restroom, getting rid of most of the drowsiness in his body, Ash decides to investigate whatever it was that was happening.
He was about to say “good morning” to his boyfriends, but the words got stuck in his throat at what he saw.
There Shorter and Eiji were, in the middle of the living room; Shorter holding a fluffy Golden Retriever puppy in his arms, Eiji stroking the puppy’s head and looking like he was going to cry out of happiness.
A puppy.
Shorter was holding it. Eiji was petting it.
A very real, very alive puppy was in their living room.
They don’t own a dog.
“Which one of you brought the puppy.” This is the first sentence to finally make it out of Ash’s mouth.
He is met with silence, but not for very long.
Shorter still held the puppy carefully to his chest with one hand and with the other pointed at Eiji while Eiji pointed back at him.
“No, you can’t both point to each other.”
“But it was him!” They both say in unison, almost like they practiced earlier.
Ash raises an inquisitive eyebrow.
“Fine, we both kind of brought the puppy here.” Shorter finally admits. The puppy seemingly content and calm in his arms, having fallen asleep. As puppies tend to do.
“Yes, we both decided to bring him here.” Eiji says, trying to gauge how Ash felt about the situation.
“Just so you two know, I’m not mad or anything. I’m just surprised?” Ash replies reading the room.
“Ah.” Eiji and Shorter says, understanding.
“Where did you find it? Or, how did you get it?” Ash asks.
“We found him on our walk. You should have seen it. He was in an alleyway by himself in a box.” Shorter says, bouncing the little guy in his arms.
“Like in a movie.” Eiji helpfully adds.
“Right.” Ash says.
“I didn’t want to leave him, and Shorter said that if we brought him here first that you couldn’t say no to keeping him—” Shorter gives Eiji a look and Eiji gives him a look right back.
Ash looks surprised. “You want to keep the dog?”
“Yes, I would like that very much. I think that we can give him a good home.” Eiji says, and Ash knew he was making those eyes at him on purpose.
“Here, hold the puppy for me, will you?”
“Wait, hold up,” Ash half-heartedly protests as the puppy is gently placed into his own arms over from Shorter.
He doesn’t stand a chance, the fluffy golden puppy stirring from his sleep, blinking its sleepy eyes up at Ash and nuzzling closer.
“Oh my god.”
Eiji smiles. Shorter does too. They both know Ash.
He did mention before that while he liked cats, he also liked dogs just as much.
“We’re keeping it.” Ash says, completely melting as the puppy licks his face.
“Really?” Eiji asks, hope in his eyes.
“Yes, oh my god. Why does he smell good? Did you give him a bath already!?”
Shorter laughs. “Yeah, we kind of did that when you were still pretty knocked out.”
“What did you even use?”
“Baking soda, vinegar, and dish soap. Don’t worry, I made Eiji look it up on the Internet.”
Eiji nods sagely. “He did.”
Shorter, quick to action, gets up. “I’m going to run to the Pet Store down the street then to get stuff. You get acquainted with our new friend.” Shorter says, halfway out the door already.
“Never wasting a second huh.” Ash shakes his head fondly and Eiji can’t resist giving both of them a hug and kiss (all three of them, of course).
-
Shorter is back home at record speed.
“So, what are we naming him?” Shorter asks, putting the new collar on the puppy. Purple, because he insisted on the color. Eiji is the one holding him now on the couch now. Ash can’t tell who looks happier.
“I'm not very good with names.” Ash admits.
“Neither am I,” Shorter says.
“Sunny? That’s a dog name, right?” Ash tries.
“He doesn’t look like a Sunny.”
“How do you know? You know any actual dogs named Sunny?”
“I just know things sometimes. Wait, I just got an idea, how about we name him Sing Junior?
Charlie Junior?”
“I don’t think he would appreciate having a dog named after him Shorter. Nadia definitely wouldn’t appreciate her husband’s name being used for our dog.” Ash deadpans.
“I would be honored to have a dog named after me!”
“That’s because, that’s you.”
“What is that supposed to mean huh—"
Eiji laughs and stops the fake fight. “Wait. I think I have an idea.”
“Please, anything is better than what Shorter can come up with.”
“Hey!”
Eiji shakes his head before answering. “I think Buddy is a good name for him.”
“Buddy?” Ash asks.
“How did you come up with that?”
“I just feel like it fits him.”
Ash can’t really explain it, but it feels right somehow, like it was meant to be. Maybe.
“I like it.” Ash smiles.
“Me too!” Shorter grins.
“Then it’s Buddy. Hi Buddy.” Eiji whispers softly to the young pup, while Shorter, being Shorter tries to put on his obviously too big sunglasses onto the dog’s head.
He didn’t expect to spend today adopting a new member to their little family, but here they are, and he can’t say that he minds at all.
Ash couldn’t be more smitten even if he tried.
Buddy is the happiest dog in the world.