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Yuri had always been the type to take strays under his wing. Whether it was leaving scraps out for the scruffy tribes of cats that roamed the Lower Quarter's alleys, or surprising some kids with colored chalk and a new game, he always looked after those that the rest of the world left out in the cold. So the day he finally brought a dirty, squirming bundle of fur home, Flynn mostly just wondered what had taken him so long.
"His name's Repede," Yuri said, as though that were any kind of explanation. He set the scowling puppy down on top of the rickety table, presenting him to Flynn with spread arms and a flourish.
Flynn watched as Repede stuck his nose into a knot in the wood, wuffling suspiciously. "A dog, Yuri?"
"Nah, he's a Krityan in disguise. Of course he's a dog." When Repede looked back up, Yuri reached out and skritched him behind the ears. Judging by the way Repede leaned back into the touch, he liked it. Flynn couldn't blame him -- Yuri had nice hands. But still--
"That's not what I meant," he said.
Yuri shrugged. "He was out by the trash. A bunch of bigger dogs were after whatever he'd found, but this little guy was really holding his own. Weren't you?" He addressed the last part to Repede, who yipped in response. If the proud look on Yuri's face was any indication, the dog was already as good as his.
"Sounds like someone else I know," Flynn said dryly, reaching out to pet him. Repede eyed him suspiciously, but eventually closed his eyes to better enjoy the sensation.
"Really? I can't imagine who." The expression of innocence on Yuri's face was impeccable, but his lips twitched into a grin when Flynn's fingers brushed over his own on Repede's back.
Repede eyed the bucket warily, his eyes flicking up to Yuri's face ever so often as though to ask what, exactly, he thought he was doing. After a moment, he prodded it with the stick he held between his jaws.
"Look, Repede, I know you don't like it, but you're covered in mud," Yuri told him. He paused and made a face. "Or, uh, at least I hope it's just mud. If it's not..."
Flynn tossed a ragged towel onto Yuri's head. "Try not to get sidetracked," he reminded him.
In a display of his usual maturity, Yuri stuck out his tongue as he grabbed the towel. "Who's getting sidetracked?"
"The point is," Flynn said, ignoring him and crouching down to bring himself closer to Repede's level, "the landlady isn't going to let you back up into the room until we clean you off. It'll be easier if you cooperate."
The expression on Repede's face remained dubious. "Woof," he said, narrowing his eyes.
"Yuri didn't like baths when he was little, either, but even he had to take them. Otherwise I'd kick him out of bed because of the smell," Flynn added. He managed to keep his expression serious right up until the moment Yuri made an outraged noise, at which point he lost it and gave a hastily-muffled laugh.
"That's it," Yuri growled. Before either Repede or Flynn could react, he raised the bucket up high and dumped the water over both of them. The effect was immediate: two yelps, one canine and one human, echoed through the streets.
The bed was hardly big enough for both Yuri and Flynn anymore, much less a growing dog. Somehow, though, they managed. Yuri had commented once that it was a little like putting a jigsaw puzzle together every night, except that it involved blankets and too many legs. The end result was somehow comfortable anyway, even if the bedframe was starting to creak alarmingly under all the weight. Flynn just hoped that it would wait to collapse until no one was in it.
"You still awake?" Yuri asked in a voice slurred with sleep. He yawned against Flynn's shoulder and tried not to kick Repede as he shifted his legs.
Flynn carded a strand of Yuri's hair through his fingers before deciding that maybe a verbal response was needed. "Mmm," he said.
Despite the dark of the room, there was a visible gleam in Yuri's eyes as he raised his head. "Can't sleep?"
"I didn't say that," Flynn murmured. He stroked his hand through Yuri's hair again, working through the little tangles that had formed in his sleep. "I was just thinking."
Yuri rolled his eyes. "You do too much of that already. Bedtime's for sleeping, Flynn, not planning how to take over the world. Well," he added after a slight pause, "mostly for sleeping, anyway."
That brought a smile to Flynn's face. Leave it to Yuri to turn a scolding into an invitation. "Oh yeah? What else did you have in mind?"
The expression on Yuri's face was positively wicked. "I dunno. Guess you'll have to find out." With that, he leaned in and brushed his lips over Flynn's. The kiss was slow and sleepy, and a little bit awkward, what with the tangled blankets and Repede's warm, furry side at their feet--
Flynn broke the kiss, looking down at him. Yuri followed his gaze, and sighed. "Voyeur," he accused.
Repede yawned hugely and laid his head on his paws.
The night that Yuri came through the door, face drained of all color and his hands wet with blood where he was holding a limp Repede, was one of the worst in Flynn's memory. The moment Yuri carefully lay Repede on the table, all hope that the injuries looked more serious than they actually were flew from of his mind. There were scratches and bite marks, and all the usual indicators of a fight, but worst of all was the bloody gash over his left eye.
Flynn didn't bother to ask what had happened. Once he found his voice, he just said, "I'll see if Ted's mother has any bandages."
After that, everything was a blur. There were warm rags to gently daub blood away from Repede's wounds, and bandages to cover them with. Yuri's hands never stopped trembling, even while he was wrapping the bandages. Flynn would have liked to be hold him, to make things better somehow, but inside he was feeling just as shaken up as Yuri.
It wasn't until much later, when Yuri was feeding bits of apple gel to a recently-awakened Repede, that Flynn finally remembered to breathe. Things were going to be all right, he realized. It was okay. Something of his thoughts must have shown on his face, because Yuri shot him a weak grin.
"You want one?" he asked, holding up one of gels. "You look like you could use one yourself."
Repede gave a soft wuff of breath in agreement, looking up at Flynn through his one good eye.
"No," Flynn said. Looking from Yuri's exhausted but cheerful face to Repede's determined one, he managed a ghost of a smile. Maybe, he thought, Yuri wasn't the only one with a penchant for strays. After all, his own family was made of nothing but. "I'm good."