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He had no idea what they were going to think of this, the hyena let out a sound in the backseat of the truck, blood slickening its fur and clumping it together- it let out a grunt at him- its matted fur horrific under the low light.
“What do we do now?” He asked the hyena, looking at it through the mirror, he frowned behind his mask-
The hyena hung its head low, blood dripping from its maw and onto the seats. The car reached a halt, Nikto felt his heart pang in something at the animals state- they were both hungry, cold and tired.
He halfway turned to face the hyena, hesitantly offering gloved hand- letting the creature sniff at him
“we're friends now, yeah?” The hyena let out a happy cackle towards him, trying to get itself closer to Nikto
“Yeah.” He coos, scratching behind its ears, the hyena let out a soft grunt- climbing up and into the seat next to Nikto.
“What is it I call you, hm?” he stared, the creature stares back, Nikto thinks- “Sputnik.”
The hyena let out a confused sound, Nikto pointed.
“Sputnik.” He repeated
The hyena let out a soft noise, staring out at the outside of the truck.
“Okay, okay.. Let's head back to base.”
Sputnik made a noise again, staring outside as the drive continued on.
★
“Nikto! there you are, we got worried about you, brother.” Rodion waved towards him, Nikto nodded
“Don't be, it's a waste.” Rodion rolled his eyes- Nikto shook his head in dismay. Bale waving to him
“You were gone for a long while, brother.” Minotaur motioned with his hand, Nikto bounced his weight on one foot then the other.
“Ah, I was uh.. busy.. picking something up..” Nikto admitted, scratching at his neck
“And that something is…?” Minotaur raised an eyebrow, Nikto was getting nervous- he's not much of a good liar by any means.
“My dog, Sputnik.” He said shyly
“You have a dog?? Can I see?” Rodion bounced on the heels of his feet all too eager
Nikto thought for a second.
“Yes. A moment.” Nikto whistled, hearing the scrambling of Sputnik.
Rodion screamed, all a sudden in the arms of a very panicked Bale.
“Nikto! what the fuck?!-” Minotaur fussed, trying to give distance between him and the hyena
Sputnik let out a soft whoop- headbutting Nikto's hip, he scratched behind his ears again
“It's my dog.” Nikto restated.
“Not a dog-” Rodion whimpered, clinging to Bale.
“How did you even get one of those?” Bale looked at him more bewildered- looked between him and Sputnik
“I never said what kind of dog he was- it's a long story…” Nikto sighed, Sputnik grunted- Rodion let out another noise, trying to get further away from it.
“He's not going to bite you.” Sputnik grunted, sniffing the air curiously
“He looks like he does.” Minotaur frowned, choosing to hide near Bale alongside Rodion
“He just looks like that.” Nikto huffed a laugh at them, Sputnik giggled again, like it was laughing alongside Nikto at the situation.
“You swear he won't main us?”
“Hyena's do not attack people- Sputnik only mains our enemies.” Nikto said firmly
“He is sweet.”
Minotaur looked at him skeptically, Sputnik let out another soft noise. Nikto observed the other spetsnaz readily calm down and inch closer towards the hyena, inspecting him cautiously. Sputnik made a whine noise, tilting his head in confusion.
“See? Fine.” Nikto sneered
“Don't think I have met anyone with a pet hyena..” Rodion admitted, crouching near him and scratching at the hyena's neck, Sputnik made a pleased noise at that
“Surprised you got it on base, Nikto.” Minotaur chuckled
“It was as easy as it sounds.”
★
The Spetsnaz let Nikto sleep in, Sputnik curled right in his side, snoring softly.
What was it? love? For this thing he picked from an awful situation, scars settling and splitting his fur to show pale skin- he did not feel pity, he refused to- Sputnik was beloved by him, and the rest of his unit- he cared about the spetsnaz, and he cares about sputnik just the same. The hyena was willing to follow him to the ends of the earth, he was unsure if he could say the same about the rest of his unit.
Sputnik huffed, Nikto wanted to sleep, insomnia and nightmares tearing apart his brain, leaving him restless- The warmth was comforting though, the chill brought him back to panic induced thoughts that sent him spiraling- Sputnik was a better distraction, he focused on all the little varying spots, the pale face covered in small scars from the past of his torn training as a creature of war Nikto freed him from.
Nikto was exhausted, curling up next to the sleeping body of sputnik, focusing on everything but his anxieties- static fuzzing his brain until he drifted to sleep, for once- without a nightmare to hitch his peace.
He wasn't awoken abruptly, Sputnik nudged him awake, letting out a soft groan.
“Yes, Good morning, Sputnik.” Nikto groaned groggily, sitting up and rubbing his eyes- looking at Sputnik
Sputnik giggled to him, nudging him again
“I'm up, I'm up…” Nikto moved Sputnik awake, standing up, the hyena leaving first, whining at him, Nikto following him closely behind into the kitchen of the base.
★
The allegiance was odd, to Nikto- Sputnik staying loyal to his side, anxious around the many new people, he let out a short high toned cackle nervously, Nikto pet the fur like mohawk on his back.
“Sputnik seems nervous, Nikto” Minotaur looked at him, he nodded, the hyena's ears were flat against its head, looking around nervously.
“It's the people that are making him nervous..” Nikto placed a part of his rifle nearby, inspecting the parts closely.
Minotaur nodded “I'd be nervous too.”
Nikto set the taken apart rifle down, rubbing at the cool material of his mask, Minotaur stabbed at whatever makeshift food he was eating-
“Are you worried?” Minotaur asked, looking at Nikto with strange concern. “Your silence is different.”
“Somewhat.” Nikto confessed, beginning to put the rifle back together.
“Ahhh, It will be fine! do not worry much- you'll scare Rodion.”
Nikto snorted, and Minotaur chuckled.
“You should relax, Nikto.”
“We don't afford it.” Nikto sets the intact rifle down, paying more mind to Minotaur and Sputnik- The hyena was trying to get into Minotaur's food- no matter how often the blond had pushed him away from it- he kept trying to get it
“Sputnik- damn you-”
Nikto could grow a little fond of this, it was… nice? for once. He might be able to live a little easier alongside Sputnik & the other spetsnaz.
that'd be nice
★