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“If I told you I wanted a dog, what would you think?” Jake asks suddenly, as they both wash the dishes together on a sunny afternoon.
...
Tom stops scrubbing the plate, not knowing what to answer.
What was that about? It was just—so sudden.
He likes to think they’re content together, just the two of them. They’ve been married for years, gradually building the small and intimate routine that he cherishes so much, filled with the simple joys of domestic life. Just the two of them.
That’s why it surprises him when Jake asks about getting a dog out of the blue, with no preparations whatsoever, no previous talk about it—just a sudden question on a completely random day.
“I know it’s a big change,” Jake continues when Tom doesn’t answer. “That’s why I’m asking you first.”
“Why?” is the first thing that comes out of Tom’s mouth, naturally.
Not that he has anything against dogs, of course, but with his job and all, he never considered it.
“Well, when you’re not home because of work, sometimes it leaves me all alone and it’s kind of boring, you know?” Jake explains, and Tom winces, guilty and apologetic. “Oh. Sorry about that,”
“No, no, don’t apologize, it’s not your fault. And, I don’t always feel lonely, but when I do… I just want company when I’m waiting for you at night, you know? Ashley always sleeps early and Ally… well, I know she’s up playing video games but don’t want to bother her, she’s always streaming anyways,” Jake rambles on.
“I always tell you to stop waiting for me,” Tom says, as if that was the only thing he heard. “I don’t like it at all.”
It’s a bit hypocritical on Tom’s side. Yes, he doesn’t really like the idea of Jake staying up late waiting for him, yet it warms his heart to think that Jake is willing to sacrifice his sleep just for him.
(And, he adds, it’s especially comforting to be greeted by Jake after such grueling nights.)
“Yeah, but your job is super dangerous. What if you need me while I’m sleeping? I can’t just stop,” Jake says. “Especially not after that little stunt you pulled that other night,”
“I thought we agreed to let that go!” Tom argues, because he knows exactly what Jake is referring to—that time when he returned home with a hidden injury.
He hates thinking about it; failures always leave a bitter taste, after all.
“You almost made me have a heart attack that day, I’m never letting that go. But, that aside, wouldn’t it be exciting to have a dog?” Jake excitedly asks.
Tom doesn’t seem to be that excited.
“And it can protect me in case one of your… uh… spy rivals… attack?” Jake adds, a nervous smile on his face.
Tom’s eyebrow raises a bit this time, but doesn’t necessarily object to it. He didn’t have a ‘spy rival’—how did Jake even come up with that?—but okay, fine, why not… If Jake wanted to protect himself, then so be it, he supposes.
“Depends what kind of dog, I mean, little dogs are obviously out of the question, but do you really want something big? Because, no offense, but I can’t see you with a rottweiler or something. I can’t take care of a rottweiler, either,”
“...Tom, I just made it up.” Jake snorts. “I just want a dog, okay? Not for protection, just for company,”
“Are you sure?” Tom asks, hesitant. “I mean, I love our life together just the way it is. Don’t get me wrong, I love dogs, but I… you know?” Tom’s never been good with words, so he’s hoping Jake would catch his drift.
Jake’s gaze softens, and, gentle, he takes Tom’s scarred hands into his.
“I love what we have too, and a dog will never change that. We’ll just have another thing in common, something we share and love together. It’ll be good to have a dog, trust me. Good for the both of us,” Jake encourages. “What do you say?”
“I’ll think about it,” Tom offers, and Jake smiles, patient. “Sure, that’s enough for me. Take your time,”
+
To Tom’s surprise, they don’t talk about it again.
However, Jake’s desire for a dog becomes… evident at this point.
It’s clear from the way he stares longingly at dogs passing by when they’re on dates, his eyes lighting up with a mix of envy. It’s clear from the way Jake leaves dog adoption websites open on his laptop, almost as if he wanted to get the message across. It’s clear from the way Tom often finds him scrolling through pictures of puppies with a wistful smile.
It’s just so undeniably clear that it would make Tom a liar if he said he didn’t actually know.
The most obvious sign is when his best friend Ashley comes to visit. Jake always insists that she brings her dog, Winona. He eagerly volunteers to pet-sit her, and he swears, the joy on Jake’s face is unmistakable, it almost makes him feel jealous.
It’s impossible for Tom to miss the signs: Jake really wants a dog.
And what Jake asks for, he gets, naturally, because one thing about Tom is that he cannot deny Jake a single thing. Years of being married made it that way; it made Tom too weak for him.
That’s why, despite his doubts, he randomly brings a dog home one day.
It’s white, small and very, very fluffy—small enough for it to be considered a puppy, even if it was rather big. To be honest, Tom didn’t check the age; he just picked the first dog on the list and ran with it.
“Jake! C’mere for a sec, wanna show you something!” Tom calls, and, from the bedroom, Jake replies, “Coming!”
Tom waits with great anticipation, and, the moment Jake enters the living room, his eyes are immediately drawn to the puppy in Tom’s arms. And then, Tom watches fondly as his radiant smile widens so hard, it brightens his features with an undeniable warmth that leaves Tom momentarily breathless.
(No, really. Jake’s smile is shining bright, it almost reminds Tom of the day he had proposed to him. That's when he realizes how much it was worth it.)
“Tadah!” Tom announces proudly, gently placing the puppy on the floor.
“A puppy!” Jake exclaims, clapping his hands in pure excitement, and Tom feels his heart somersault at the sight. “No way!”
“Well, you asked for it, and who am I to deny you anything?” Tom replies smoothly, a grin playing on his lips.
“I—first of all, aww, second, I didn’t expect you to get one like that, especially so soon, thank you!” Jake grins as he peppers Tom’s cheek with kisses.
“Whatever my prince asks, whatever he gets,” Tom’s grin gets wider, clearly enjoying the kisses he was receiving.
“Oh, you,” Jake giggles, his cheeks flushed. “Aren’t Samoyeds rare though? How did you get your hands on that?”
“That’s… actually an American Eskimo,” Tom sheepishly corrects.
“You know what, since you went ahead and got it on your own, you should name it,” Jake says, his tone warm.
“...That’s fair,” Tom says with a shrug, not particularly as excited as Jake, because while he wasn’t against adopting the dog, he didn’t necessarily want it either.
By his logic, Jake should name it as he was the one who wanted it in the first place.
However, Tom figures naming it might make him closer to it. That’s why he accepts Jake’s idea, despite his… initial reluctance towards the dog.
“Okay, uh, how about Tom Jr.?” Tom proposes. Neither Jake nor the dog seem to be impressed.
“Okay, that one was a joke, looks like it didn’t land…” he chuckles to himself. “How about, uh, Dogatron 3000, like the movie?”
Another bark. “Rex?” Bark. “Peanuts,” Bark.
“...How about Bullet?” Tom feebly tries one more time, but the dog responds with the same bark of disapproval.
His shoulders sag in defeat, his mind running out of cool names to propose. To be fair, he knows a dog this cute should not be named Bullet of all things, but damn was it a cool name. Tom likes cool.
“It hates your names.” Jake comments, eyeing Tom with a wry smile. “Guess it’s up to me to name it,”
“Fine,” Tom grumbles. “What names do you have in mind, then?”
Jake hums thoughtfully. “How about Diamond? It sounds lovely for a white dog,”
To their surprise, the dog immediately springs up and leaps towards Jake, its little paws resting on his thighs as its tail wags excitedly. Jake and Tom share a long stare, before turning their attention to the dog simultaneously.
“Okay, guess your name is Diamond now!” Jake exclaims, bending down to ruffle the dog’s fur, and, upon seeing the twinkle in Jake’s eyes, so bright even against their dark shade, Tom almost can't stay bitter at the dog anymore.
Keyword being almost.
Tom loves dogs, he really does, but did it really need to disapprove of every name he proposed? Rex sounds awesome for a dog, thank you very much. He put great pride and effort into thinking of these names. It just wasn’t fair.
“How did it instantly like your name?” Tom asks, throwing up his hands in exasperation. “It barked at everything I said!”
“Oh, I dunno, maybe because Dogatron 1000 isn’t exactly a proper name for a dog?” Jake deadpans.
“I said Dogatron 3000, like the movie.” Tom corrects, as if that made it better.
“That’s the same thing,” Jake waves his hand dismissively. “Point is, he loved my name way better, so Diamond it is,”
“Whatever, fine, Diamond it is,” Tom simply replies as he shakes his head, deciding to let it go.
After all, he hadn’t been keen on the idea of getting a dog in the first place, so he figures he shouldn’t dwell on it too much. Like Jake said, Diamond it is, and that was it. Case closed.
+
Just like that, slowly but surely, they welcome Diamond in their life.
In turn, Diamond takes to Jake immediately, but with Tom, it’s a different story.
Of course, dogs can’t talk; they can’t express dislike through words, but they certainly can through actions.
It’s the little things that hint at its obvious dislike towards Tom, ones that go absolutely unnoticed by Jake, but not by Tom, who knows.
Tom knows it hates him when it barks every time Tom enters a room, for example. Jake sees that as Diamond simply being excited to see him, but Tom sees something entirely different.
He might believe Jake’s words if Diamond didn’t pointedly avoid him by moving to the other side of the room whenever Tom got too close.
He might trust Jake’s reasonable suspicion if Diamond didn’t ignore the food Tom set out, instead waiting for Jake to serve him.
He might convince himself that nothing’s wrong if Diamond didn’t prefer curling up next to Jake when they’re sleeping, shooting wary glances at Tom as if to remind him of its dislike towards him.
Or if it didn’t snatch his socks when he wasn’t looking… Or if it didn’t like to munch on his shoes specifically—seriously, how was he supposed to go anywhere with no socks or shoes?
The point is that Diamond absolutely hates Tom, and Tom doesn’t understand why.
In his eyes, he did nothing wrong towards it. If anything, he left it alone, giving it absolutely no reason to be annoyed with him. It leaves him perplexed, wondering what he did wrong. Maybe Diamond was just being petty? Why would it be petty, though? It’s a dog!
In the end, this is way too complicated for Tom’s simple mind.
Dogs can’t talk, as stated earlier—but damn, Tom wished they could right now.
+
“Hey, do you think that the dog likes you better than me?” Tom asks one day out of the blue, in the middle of a movie.
He fully knows the answer, but a part of him still seeks for a second opinion, just to be sure.
Jake tilts his head, confused. He pauses the movie, then turns to look at Tom in the eyes, teal eyes locking with dark ones.
“Not really.” Jake admits. “He’s been good to both of us. Why do you think that?”
“Have you seen how the dog treats me?” Tom asks, and Jake sends him another puzzled look. “...No? I mean, he’s a dog, you know?”
“Sometimes I feel like it hates me,” Tom complains. “I don’t know, I mean, the shoes, the barking,”
“I told you, the barking is because he’s excited to see you, that’s all. And about the socks, he doesn’t know any better,” Jake responds, but Tom doesn’t look convinced in the slightest.
“Look, I think you’re reading too far into it. He’s just a dog.” Jake continues after he gets no response from Tom. “There’s no reason for Diamond to dislike you. You’re the one that got him, after all. Tell you what, I’ll buy you new boots next time.”
“...Fine. But it wasn’t about the shoes,” Tom grumbles, not entirely persuaded.
Jake huffs a laugh. “Whatever you say, handsome. Why the long face, though? Come on, stop being so grumpy!”
In an attempt to console Tom, Jake leans in to give him a peck on the cheek, then another one, and another one, and another one—until Tom’s frown melts away.
Eventually, a reluctant smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. “Fine, you win,”
And this little moment between the two of them feels cozy and reassuring, as if it's lifting a weight off his shoulders—that is, until Diamond suddenly runs into the living room, its tail wagging vigorously.
Before either of them could react, Diamond abruptly jumps on the couch, wedging itself between the two of them and pushing Tom and Jake apart.
“Diamond! What the hell! Easy now,” Tom groans as he begrudgingly makes room for the dog. He isn’t sure if he’s being unreasonable here, but he feels as if it pushed him on purpose.
When Tom catches sight of Jake’s endeared smile, Tom’s jealousy churns inside him, but he keeps quiet this time.
“Whoa, hey, Diamond,” Jake greets as he pets it, completely oblivious to the withering glare Tom sends the dog. “Good timing, we were just talking about you,”
Diamond happily barks, as if to greet Jake back. Tom, on its left, is left completely ignored by it.
Good, he bitterly thinks to himself, bceause it’s not like he wanted to see it, either.
“He probably heard you say his name earlier. That, or he really wants to watch the movie too,” Jake jokes. Tom would’ve laughed if it wasn’t for the fact that the dog was getting in his way.
Eventually, he drops it—again, for Jake’s sake—and lets him enjoy the movie in peace.
It eases his mind knowing that, eventually, Diamond will be able to get used to Tom. It’ll just take time for the both of them, he assumes.
+
Nevermind that. Nevermind what Tom previously thought. Just nevermind.
Tom considers himself a patient man. Well, he’s not sure if people would agree with him, but that’s what he firmly believes, at least.
That’s why he was willing to give the dog time, he really was—and that included tolerating the naughty things Diamond did behind Jake’s back.
However, one thing he could not accept is the dog getting between the two of them. Yes, as it turns out, Tom isn’t keen on sharing Jake with anyone, and especially not the dog.
The realization strikes him one day when he returns from running errands.
Tom pushes the door open, holding a couple of grocery bags in his hands as he steps into the house. He closes the door shut behind him, and, as he makes his way into the living room, he spots Aiden and James lounging on their couch.
He also notices Diamond in the corner of the room, curled up and dozing nearby. Despite their feud, Tom can’t help but find the sight rather endearing.
“Oh, hey, Aiden, James! You didn’t tell me you’d drop by!” Tom says, setting the bags down on the floor.
“Yeah, I wanted to see the dog you guys have been talking about!” Aiden grins. “Hope you don’t mind,”
Oh.
Tom wants to roll his eyes at that, but nonetheless, he’s still pleased about James and Aiden’s sudden visit.
“Nah, of course not! It’s always good to see you guys,” Tom exclaims as he makes his way to the couch and gives Aiden a friendly hug. James stands up, and Tom greets him with a firm handshake and a pat on the back.
“Where’s Jake?” he can’t help but ask, and Aiden replies, “In the kitchen.”
Tom knows he should stay with his guests out of politeness, but the idea of Jake being alone (read: without the dog) is too tempting of an opportunity for him to pass on.
It might seem like an exaggerated reaction given that he only went out for errands, but God, how Tom misses him.
“Right, I’ll be right back then,” Tom says, and he tries not to look too eager as he dashes to the kitchen, finding Jake quietly arranging a tray of snacks on the counter.
“I’m home,” he announces, embracing Jake from behind as he presses a gentle kiss to the back of his neck.
“Welcome back, handsome. You’re back early,” Jake comments, leaning further into Tom’s embrace.
“We’ve been doing the same list of groceries for years. I’m starting to get used to it,” Tom says next to his ear. “By the way, you didn’t tell me they were coming.”
“It wasn’t planned, it was a surprise vis—” Jake doesn’t get to finish his sentence, though, because a familiar tuft of white fur abruptly squeezes itself in between them.
“Oh, hi, Diamond.”
Of course.
Tom was so engrossed in Jake that he didn’t even realize that Diamond had made its way to the kitchen. Either way, he isn’t pleased to see it in the slightest.
Eagerly, it nudges Jake’s hand, asking him to pet it, right in the middle of their intimate moment.
And that’s when Tom loses it.
“See, it’s doing it again!” Tom whines, letting Jake slip away from his grasp. “I told you it hates my guts!”
“Tom, we talked about this,” Jake reminds him as he happily gives in to Diamond’s demands. “He’s literally just asking me for cuddles. Why would he hate you?”
“To get your attention! Because, because—it’s hoarding you from me!”
“What? Hoarding me?” Jake repeats, confused.
Shaking his head, he takes the tray in his hands and heads to the living room to serve their guests. Tom follows him behind, seemingly intent on continuing his rant.
“Yeah, and it’s not the first time!” Tom accuses, obviously having forgotten about their guests. Aiden and James are completely silent as they stare at each other, listening to Tom’s words attentively.
“Have you seen how it follows you everywhere so I can't speak to you, or that one time when it interrupted us during movie night? Or, or, or when it keeps bringing you toys every time we get close so you’d play with it instead!”
As he places the tray on the coffee table, Jake’s glance trails towards Diamond. It tilts its head, then sticks its tongue out, panting vigorously. Jake looks at Tom again, incredulous.
“These are just coincidences. Come on, are you seriously jealous of a dog?” Jake giggles behind his hand, unable to stop his laughter. “Really, Tom?”
“I’m not jealous, I just—it hates me,” Tom protests, unsure how to get his point across. He glowers towards the dog to let it know that while Jake might not believe him, he knows.
As if on cue, Diamond cutely rolls on the floor, baring its belly in a clear invitation for cuddles from either of them. Despite his feud with the dog, which he insists is not one-sided, Tom has to admit it looks adorable. Tom’s eyes narrow in response to the dirty trick—that was not fair.
“Really? That’s the dog that hates you?” Jake snorts, before he tilts his head towards it, “Look at it!”
“That’s just how he acts when you’re around!” Tom argues. “It always barks at me!”
“Tom, come on. It’s a dog.” Jake raises an eyebrow, an amused smile tugging at his lips. “It can’t act. I told you, it’s just excited to see you.”
“Fine, don’t believe me!” Tom huffs, crossing his arms as his glare gets deeper, his eyes not leaving the dog. “You’ll see! You’ll all see!”
Before Jake could even make a retort to that, Tom grumpily leaves—Jake has no idea where he’s heading, but obviously, it’s left Tom tense.
“...What was that all about?” Aiden finally asks. Next to him, James looks equally as confused.
“Tom thinks the dog hates him,” Jake explains, shaking his head. “It’s ridiculous, isn’t it?”
“Well, I can’t say for sure,” James says, deciding to give Tom the benefit of the doubt. “Maybe it does act differently when you’re around, who knows.”
“James, it’s a dog.” Aiden parrots Jake’s words, not convinced by James’ argument. “Dogs can’t have ill intent,”
“Right? That’s what I’ve been telling him! There’s no way the dog hates him! Of all people, he can’t hate Tom. I mean, Tom’s the sweetest! And the most thoughtful! And just the perfect man around! I think he’s just being paranoid for no reason,” Jake chatters on enthusiastically.
“Look who’s talking,” James mutters under his breath, then begrudgingly mumbles a half-hearted apology when Aiden hisses at him to stop being mean.
Fortunately, Jake either didn’t hear a word or didn’t comment on it, his attention long on the dog.
“Seriously, look, isn’t he a sweetheart!” Jake points at Diamond, lovingly ruffling its belly. “Can’t have an ounce of hate in his little head, right?”
“Aww! That makes me want to have one too!” Aiden coos, and Jake sees James wince from the corner of his eye. He almost wants to laugh.
+
“Your performance this time falls far below the standard we expect from you, Tom,” his boss chides, the dimness of the room darkening his features. “Your last mission went smoothly as far as I’m aware. What could’ve possibly distracted you this time? I know something is preoccupying you.”
Tom cringes at the mention of his last mission, which, in contrary to his boss’ assumption, did not go smoothly at all. If only he knew.
Unfortunately, this mission didn’t go well, either—to cut a long story short: he got distracted by his thoughts (which may or may have not have to do with Diamond and Jake). As a result, a security guard spotted him at the wrong time. So, he had to abort the mission, and, judging by his boss’ expression, it was clear he wasn’t pleased with the outcome.
...A shitty way to start the night, basically.
To answer his boss’ question, it takes him time to find the right words, not wanting to look ridiculous near him of all people.
“Personal problems at home,” Tom finally says, unable to come up with a better explanation.
“Ah, marital problems.” his boss assumes. Tom isn’t sure how he jumped straight to that conclusion, but it's not that far from the truth. “Take it from me, divorce is no easy matter. I understand.”
“No, no, it’s going great with—my husband,” Tom starts, careful not to reveal any details about Jake. He trusts his boss, of course, but as a spy, he can’t afford to slip up and compromise Jake’s safety.
“Then what is the matter?”
“It’s just—we have a dog now, and it’s… complicated.” Tom carries on, before he straight up admits it, with no ounce of shame, “It hates me.”
“Pardon?”
Tom had never heard his boss sound so confused.
“The dog, it hates me! And it’s stealing my husband from me! Seriously!” Tom explains, almost sounding frantic. “The dog knows it too! It’s taunting me!”
His boss stares at him blankly, perplexed—either by Tom’s childish behavior, or the sheer absurdity of the situation, he wasn’t sure. For the first time in Tom’s long career, his boss is left utterly speechless. (Truly, his only achievement of the night.)
A long silence settles between them as Tom stares at the ground dejectedly. His boss finally sighs, already exasperated by his attitude.
“I’m too old for this. I have no idea what you’re talking about, but it’s obviously left you on edge. That’s why I will give you a week to get yourself together,” he declares wearily, leaving no room for argument.
Tom wants to object, but the look his boss sends him is enough for him to back down. “I trust that you’ll make good use of this week to finally solve your problem. This case is a delicate one, and we don’t need any distractions.”
Tom can’t bring himself to meet his boss’ gaze.
Not only is he losing his husband to a dog, but he’s also disappointing his boss, too. This simply couldn’t get any worse.
“Right, thank you for giving me another chance, sir,” Tom weakly says, and his boss shakes his head. “You are dismissed,”
.
Once again, Tom falls into their familiar routine—arriving home late at night to find Jake patiently waiting for him. A routine that he did criticize at first, yet at this moment, he looks forward to it more than anything.
He knocks three times, and, almost immediately, Jake opens the door, his face adorned with a brightness that seems out of place for the late hour. Tom desperately wishes he shared the same enthusiasm right now, but alas, failure feels heavy on his shoulders.
“Finally! I’ve been waiting for you, big guy,” Jake pulls Tom into a warm embrace, his arms wrapping around him with the same tenderness that always soothes Tom after a bad day.
Tom takes advantage of the hug to peck Jake on the cheek, twice, before Jake leans further into the hug.
“Did I leave you waiting for too long?” Tom asks, voice barely above a murmur.
Jake replies, head resting on Tom’s shoulder, “No, don’t worry. I just really missed you.”
It takes forever for one of them to finally let go, and it’s Jake this time, who leads him to the couch as he closes the door behind them.
“You okay? You seem off. And you better not hide anything from me this time,” Jake warns.
“Oh, yeah, yeah. No injuries, just screwed up the mission this time, almost got caught,” Tom sighs, disappointed in himself.
“Aw, that sucks, I’m sorry to hear that, big guy,” Jake says, his hand offering a comforting pat on Tom’s back. “...Want me to cheer you up?”
“Gladly,” Tom replies, though his heart isn’t fully in it. Call him cheesy, he knows, but he’s pretty certain anything Jake does would absolutely make him feel better.
“Okay, check out the tricks I taught Diamond when you were gone, I bet you’re gonna love them,” Jake excitedly says, face brightening up once more.
Tom’s expression falls flat immediately.
Nevermind.
He always appreciates Jake’s well-meaning nature, he really does, but Jake has no idea of how much he dreads the mention of Diamond right now.
“Oh my God,” Tom mutters under his breath, fighting the urge to roll his eyes, before he sinks further into the couch, his head falling back as he gloomily stares at the ceiling.
Jake looks at him apologetically. “That tired, huh,”
“Yeah,” Tom mumbles, exhaustion clear in his voice.
“Maybe I’ll show you the tricks later. Just rest,” Jake suggests, tenderly kissing Tom’s forehead. This time, Jake does manage to coax a smile from Tom. “I’m gonna run you a bath like last time, don’t fall asleep in it though, okay?”
“Sure,” Tom tiredly replies, barely awake. “Thanks,”
+
Two days pass and nothing truly changes. It’s just the same old, same old: Tom and Jake going about their domestic duties together, Diamond somehow interrupting the both of them whenever it could, leaving Tom frustrated in the end, and that was that. Their new routine, if you will.
Today is supposed to be no different, except that, instead of cooking dinner together, the evening took on a… much different tone. And he has absolutely no idea how they ended up like this, but either way, he likes it.
He likes how Jake is sitting neatly on his lap, wearing nothing more than his boxers and a robe barely covering him up. He likes how his robe is mostly open, leaving Jake’s chest and collarbones exposed and bare. He likes the multiple hickeys adorning them, courtesy of himself. He likes how loving Jake’s kisses feel, so tender yet so heated and eager.
All in all, it’s the start of a splendid night, if Tom says so himself.
It starts slow, at first. His hands trail over Jake’s thighs before they make their way to his hips, holding him firmly into place, as Jake pulls him into what seemed to be the third kiss in the span of what, barely ten minutes?
“You’re eager today,” Tom comments, pretending like his tongue wasn’t ardently dancing with Jake’s a moment ago, with just as much vigor as his husband presented.
“Oh, shut up, you’re the one that started this,” Jake weakly argues. He changes his target and goes straight for Tom’s throat, sucking on it until it leaves a red mark matching his own. It makes Tom draw in a sharp breath, before he grinds his hips against Jake, and—
Scratch.
There’s a particular sound coming from outside that startles the both of them, evident from how Jake’s body tenses at the noise, pulling away from him. Tom halts in his movements, and silence falls until the sound—it starts again.
Scratch. Scratch. Scratch.
It’s then followed by a bark and whimpers from the other side of the door—horrible, grating sounds that set Tom’s nerves on edge, and dare he say, even make him want to bash his head in frustration.
“It’s Diamond,” Jake states, as if it wasn’t obvious already.
“Damn it, you’ve got to be kidding me,” Tom growls, wrapping his strong arms around Jake in a humorously protective manner, as if trying to keep the dog away from him.
When he’s met with pure silence from Jake’s side, Tom’s glance darts up at him. He definitely doesn’t like how Jake stares at the door, his expression weighed down by guilt as he bites his lip.
“Really?” Tom groans.
Jake winces. “Well, what if it’s hungry? I can’t ignore a hungry dog! What kind of monster would that make me?”
As if to emphasize Jake’s words, the scratching and whining grow louder, becoming impossible to ignore.
That seems to make up Jake’s mind.
“I’ll feed him and then we’ll finish what we started, okay?” Jake gently says as he frees himself from Tom’s embrace. He plants three little kisses on Tom’s cheek as a silent apology, before swiftly getting off Tom’s lap.
Jake walks towards the door, tying his robe and covering himself as he goes. Then, he swings the door open to reveal Diamond’s eager face, almost taunting in enthusiasm.
Tom swears the dog is downright laughing at him, he swears .
“Aww, there’s my little Diamond! Hungry, are you?”
Diamond barks in agreement, a sound that almost seems to mock Tom.
“Yes, you are! Okay, okay, let me get you something,” Jake coos as he tousles the dog’s fur in glee. He then exits the room as Diamond trots faithfully behind, leaving a dumbfounded and half-naked Tom.
Tom stares at the door in pure and utter disbelief, completely indignant at what had just happened.
…
. . .
Did he just get cockblocked by a dog? Yes. Yes, he did.
Was he going to let that slide? Absolutely not.
+
That’s when Tom decides that enough is enough.
If the dog was going to stay there rent-free while getting fed and bathed for free, the least it could do is stop growling every time he approaches his own husband.
For any outsider, he might sound absolutely crazy. He’s fully aware his boss saw him that way the other day. His concerns are, however, to be warranted, because Tom met him first, for God’s sake! He couldn’t let his Jake get stolen by a dog. Plus, he couldn’t lose to an animal, too, it would be embarrassingly… embarrassing.
That’s why, despite the late hour, he turns to his best friend for help. Surely Aiden wouldn’t let him down... At least, that’s what he believes as he dials Aiden’s number.
“Hello? ” Aiden answers, his voice sounding tired.
“How can I make it love me?” Tom blurts out, disregarding any proper greeting for poor Aiden. “The dog, I mean,”
“Ugh, not this again,” Aiden groans from the other end, before he lets out the longest sigh Tom has ever heard in his thirty-five years of existence. “What did it do this time?”
“Well, Jake and I were about to, uh… you know,” Tom says, hoping that Aiden would get the picture.
“Okay, go on,” Aiden prompts.
“Then the dog just started scratching at the door, so Jake went to check it and he completely forgot about me!” Tom whines, burying his face in his hand. “It’s like it did it on purpose! Really, out of all the times it could ask for food?”
Aiden’s laughter loudly rings through the phone, which absolutely blasts Tom’s eardrums in the process. Tom scowls in response.
Good to know his source of frustration was entertaining to Aiden.
“James, you’re not gonna believe this!”
“Oh I heard,” Tom almost couldn’t discern it due to how distant James’ voice sounds, but he detects a subtle hint of amusement laced in his tone. “Sounds like that dog’s really got it out for you, huh?”
“Seriously! It keeps barking at me! Like I’m doing something wrong or something!” Tom defends himself. “I’ve done nothing wrong!”
“Maybe it just sensed you were jealous,” Aiden suggests once his laughter subsides, though Tom can tell he’s still not taking the situation very seriously.
Tom squints his eyes. How can Aiden not see it? Tom could forgive Jake for being oblivious, but he didn’t expect Aiden to fall for it, either.
“I’m not jealous.” Tom says, annoyed. “It’s always barking when I’m near Jake, it’s the one that’s jealous!”
“Right,” Tom can practically hear Aiden rolling his eyes from miles away.
Okay, fine. If Aiden wouldn’t take his side, surely James would play the voice of reason. That’s why he asks, almost sounding desperate, “James, you believe me, right bud? Help me out here!”
“Yeah, sure,” James absent-mindedly replies, punctuating his response with a yawn. “Let’s just say that I don’t care and that I just want to sleep already.”
“Right, in a minute, honey! Tom, back to your problem, maybe it sensed that you dislike dogs?”
“Me, dislike dogs? No way! I love dogs, my co-worker has one and he’s the best!” Tom replies. “And my neighbor had one when I was a kid, too, and—”
“Okay, well, did you spend time with the one you have right now? ” Aiden questions, his tone now fully serious.
It takes a moment for Tom to properly answer, realizing that no, he hasn't bonded with Diamond lately.
Or ever, really.
Oh.
“...Not really,” Tom answers Aiden’s question guiltily, because it absolutely sounds bad now that he thinks about it.
“What the hell did you expect then?” Aiden’s irritation grows evident. “Of course it dislikes you, that’s because it’s not familiar with you. Jake made an effort, it’s time for you to do the same,”
“I would’ve made an effort if it didn’t reject the names I proposed!”
“Oh yeah, Jake told me about that. Really, Doggotron 2000? ” Aiden says, clearly unimpressed with Tom’s choice.
“It’s Dogatron 3000! It’s the best movie ever! It’s about a lonely inventor who created a robot dog to fill the void in his life! It was touching!” Tom explains, “You wouldn’t get it anyways,”
“That film was total trash,” James drowsily comments, followed by a louder yawn this time.
A yawn that silently urges Tom to leave them to sleep—though if James were more awake, Tom would surely argue that Dogatron 3000 is indeed the best movie ever. James just doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
“Whatever, it probably sensed that you didn’t want it at first, that’s why it hated you.” Aiden says, before he mumbles into the phone, voice quieter, “James is dozing off, so I’ll have to cut this short. We’ll talk tomorrow. You better make it up to the dog.”
Click.
Before Tom could utter another word, Aiden hangs up, leaving Tom to grapple with his thoughts in solitude, silence only broken by the occasional beep–beep–beep of the disconnected call.
+
As Jake sleeps peacefully next to him, his limbs sprawled in a way that definitely isn’t comfortable, Tom thinks about Aiden’s words carefully for the rest of the night.
Oh, and the dog is there, between the two of them, taking much more space than it should, but then again, what can he do about it?
Aiden’s theory makes sense now that he thinks about it. It’s been what, two weeks, and he didn’t make any efforts to bond with it. He can’t even blame his job for that one—his boss did give him a week off.
That leaves a single question in his mind: how can he make it up to the dog?
A good idea would be to try winning it over without Jake being around, for one, because otherwise it would run straight to him without giving Tom a chance, but what can Tom offer that Jake doesn’t? Jake bathes it, feeds it, cuddles with it, plays with it…
And Tom is just there.
That, obviously, complicates things a bit.
But Tom doesn’t like to complicate things, at all. To hell with it, actually; as Jake said, it’s just a dog. Any treat should be good enough, and that was that. And, if his perfect plan fails, he could always try something else; but Tom has complete faith in the power of treats.
+
To his surprise, the exact next day, Tom gets lucky.
With how much the dog—right, he should probably stop referring to it as such and instead call him by its true name, Diamond.
Okay, with how much Diamond clings to Jake, it’s hard to find any opportunities to bond with it. Luckily for him, Jake decided to run errands this time, leaving Tom alone in the house with the dog. And he plans to take advantage of that, obviously.
He knows where to find Diamond. It likes to wander in the kitchen, often waiting for food. Diamond has shown itself to be gluttonous at times, as Jake had mentioned, because he listens to everything Jake tells him, like the absolute perfect husband he is. (Of course, not to brag… or maybe just a little.)
The moment he enters the kitchen, Diamond whips its head towards him, and upon realizing that it wasn’t Jake, it almost looks disappointed.
“Look, we started on bad terms,” Tom tries to explain, raising his hands to signal that he’s harmless. Diamond tilts its head curiously.
“So, uh, I’m here to make it right! Say, how about a little treat, huh buddy?” The word ‘treat’ seems to excite it greatly, as upon hearing that, it immediately springs up.
“Catch,” Tom tosses it a treat, and, after straight up devouring it, Diamond softly nudges his hand, as if to thank him.
It’s at this moment that he starts to understand why Jake is so smitten with Diamond—because that was awfully cute, he couldn’t deny it.
“You’re not too bad when you’re not barking at me,” Tom confesses with a fond smile, gently running a hand through Diamond’s snowy fur. “I’m sorry for not making an effort. I’ll definitely work on that in the future, honest,”
Tom lowers himself, addressing Diamond with a gentle tone as if he was talking to a child and not a dog of all things. “Do you forgive me buddy?”
Diamond’s big, round eyes meet Tom’s teal ones, its tail wagging. With a lick on Tom’s cheek, Diamond excitedly jumps on him, rubbing its fur against him. Surprised by the dog’s strength and enthusiasm, all Tom could do is weakly reciprocate the cuddle.
“Haha, I’ll take that as a yes,” Tom chuckles, ruffling the dog’s fur affectionately. “Looks like I found your weak point. Treats!”
“Treats are both your weak points,” a very familiar voice interrupts the both of them. It almost makes Tom jump in surprise; even Diamond seems to have been startled.
“Jesus, Jake, you could’ve made me have a heart attack! Warn a guy, will you?” Tom exclaims. “How long have you been there?”
“...That’s not the issue right now,” Jake avoids the question with a shrug and a smile. “The issue was the fact that you and Diamond weren’t getting along, apparently.”
“I didn’t hate Diamond, it hated me,” Tom corrects, but Jake counter-corrects him, kindly, “Diamond is a he, Tom. He’s a boy.”
“Whatever, he—hated me, alright? And it didn’t help that you were always leaving me for him.”
Jake’s smile falters a bit.
Oh. Oh, he didn’t realize that. At all, actually.
Reflecting on it, Jake definitely found the situation amusing, but he didn’t want to downright hurt Tom’s feelings, either.
“I didn’t know,” Jake says, voice carrying a note of remorse. “I’m sorry I’ve made you feel like I was neglecting you. It’s just that—it’s a big change and I want the dog to feel comfortable with us, you know? I didn’t think I was being… well… neglectful.”
Tom simply sighs, his fingers combing through his dark hair as his voice softens up, “It’s fine, it’s my fault anyways. I didn’t spend time with him because I liked the two of us being alone at first…”
“Like you said, it’s a big change, and I wasn’t ready at first, but I got Diamond anyways because I knew it would make you happy,” he finishes.
“So you were jealous,” Jake grins, jabbing a finger into Tom’s chest.
“Fine, yes, I was,” Tom admits, defeated. “Look, can you really blame me for that?”
“You being jealous of a dog is hilarious, sorry,” Jake manages to say between peals of laughter, the sound warming Tom’s heart despite its teasing undertone. “Man, to think I didn’t notice at first,”
“Stop laughing! It was very stressful for me! I thought I was losing my husband!” Tom playfully argues, biting down a smile, because ultimately, he finds it better to laugh about it than to dwell on it any further.
“Sorry, sorry,” Jake laughs, wiping an imaginary tear in the corner of his eye. “I’d never leave you for a dog, you know that?”
“I know, but I mean, you’re just—always with him! Do you know how annoying it is to be interrupted by him all the time?” Tom asks, surprisingly with no hint of frustration in his tone this time.
“Right, but I’m sooo not letting you live this down,” Jake says, a teasing edge on his voice.
To match with Jake’s joviality, Diamond’s tail quickly wags again for what seems to be the third time today, as he circles around Tom, his tongue lolling out in excitement.
“I think Diamond is starting to really like you,” Jake remarks, grinning. Tom grins just as widely. “Yeah, we’re on the same page now, so no more interrupting us during private times, got that, little rascal?”
He gets two barks in response.
“...That’s what you got out of this situation?” Jake deadpans, but the way his voice is dripping of amusement is telling.
“Getting blue-balled three times this week has been tough, okay?” Tom retorts, and Jake laughs, pulling Tom in for a kiss. Tom eagerly kisses him back, his hand sliding over Jake’s waist to hold him closer.
“I know, I guess I’m gonna have to make up for neglecting you tonight,” Jake says, and the speed at which Tom’s face splits into a smile is almost comical.
“Really?”
Unable to take the situation seriously anymore, Jake throws his head back in laughter, almost losing his balance if not for Tom’s hand firmly holding his waist. “God, you’re so cute when you’re excited like that,”
“Was it that obvious?”
“Well, you didn’t exactly hide it, either,” Jake replies, before he coos, “You know, you look just like Diamond when he’s excited. That’s adorable! You guys match!”
Tom thinks it’s funny that just a week ago, such a comparison would’ve made him cringe. Right now, though, it’s endearing more than anything.
“You mean, he looks just like me,” Tom rectifies, a grin on his face. Jake playfully rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, sure,”
Tom wants to kiss him again, but then he notices—Jake’s smile is entirely gone. Tom looks at him, recognizing that expression a bit too well—guilt.
“Hey, I know I was laughing about it earlier, but I’m really sorry. I mean, dogs can't exactly have ill intent, but I still should’ve reassured you better. I know how it feels to be neglected, and I didn’t mean to hurt you like that.” Jake apologizes again, truthful and honest.
He then carefully takes Tom’s hands in his as if they were something precious, squeezing them tightly. “You know I love you more than anything, right, sweetheart? I’d never put anyone over you.”
Tom always appreciated that part of Jake, so thoughtful and so kind, but right now, it nips at his heart more than anything. He didn’t mean to make Jake feel guilty at all; he doesn’t deserve that.
“I told you, it’s not your fault. You didn’t do it on purpose. No need to apologize. I should apologize for not making an effort c onsidering Diamond mattered a lot to you. And it is kinda funny that I was beefing with a dog now that I think about it, yeah,” Tom says, and he believes that should be it.
“But you told me about it and I didn’t take it seriously,” Jake argues.
“You can’t really believe what you don’t see.” Tom cuts him off. “That’s okay, Jake, really, it’s my fault too. Don’t blame yourself. Let’s just laugh about it and move on, alright honey?”
“Alright.” and Jake hauls Tom in for a kiss yet again, before he lets go of Tom and says, “I’m still gonna make it up to you tonight, though,”
“That, I won’t object to,” Tom replies, giving him his best bedroom eyes—
Aaand Diamond happily barks, again, interrupting the both of them.
Except that, this time, it’s Jake’s turn to be startled.
His gaze shifts from Diamond, momentarily forgotten, before it shifts back to Tom, who sports a smirk so broad it’s almost impressive.
“I think I’m starting to get you now,” Jake jokes, slightly shaking his head. And that—that startles a loud, boisterous laugh out of Tom, one that still makes Jake’s stomach do backflips even after all those years. “See?”
Jake giggles along with him. Their joy and laughter are so contagious that, even though dogs can’t smile in the way humans do, Diamond’s tail wags and his eyes are bright with joy, almost looking like it’s laughing at him.
“What are you laughing at,” Jake playfully says to the dog, then turns back to Tom, “Well, now that it’s finally over, I actually came here to tell you that I bought you pastries,”
“Pastries?” Tom repeats, perking up.
“Yeah, you’re really not that different from him, you know that?” Jake snorts, then looks at the dog. “Lucky you, Diamond, I got you treats too for being such a good boy!”
“Treats?” Tom mimics in a higher-pitched voice. Jake gives him a puzzled sideways glance, because why would Tom want dog treats?
“...That’s how he would sound like,” Tom explains, pointing to a panting Diamond, who seems excited at hearing the word ‘treat’, again.
“Oh,” Jake laughs. “Definitely. Anyways, donuts on the table, big guy,”
And Tom immediately dashes out of the kitchen, because, at his big age—thirty-five, actually—he still can’t resist donuts.
It leaves Jake staring fondly behind them, finding the way Diamond ran after Tom endearing, before he too, follows them to the living room, content.
Content with their little life, content with their new little family and content with what they have.