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Fighting mad geneticists who wielded bioweapons instead of the usual guns and lasers had its downsides.
Namely, getting turned into a freak science experiment.
John was fortunate — his super soldier physiology had kept him from transforming into some mindless, hairy beast — but that's where his fortune had ended.
Because now he was officially off-duty for the stupidest reason possible.
"Aww, don't mope, Walker. I think you look cute."
John glared at Yelena, who had stayed with him in the medical bay until he was cleared to join everyone else in the debriefing room. "I am not cute," he growled, teeth bared.
"Not when you are making that face, no," she replied, totally unfazed. "But the ears and tail are nice."
John grumbled, his ears drooping. Because that's what his ears could do now. His stupid floppy dog ears that looked like two bent over triangles on top of his head, and his stupid furry dog tail sticking out behind him. "This sucks."
"The doctors said that they can reverse it in a few days. Don't you think that is better than the alternative? We were all very worried about you."
John heard the genuine concern in Yelena's voice and sighed. He had been mostly unconscious while his body fought the genetically-altering pathogen, but it had been touch-and-go at times, and he knew that must have unnerved his teammates. He was grateful to be relatively okay, despite the complaining.
When he entered the conference room, he was greeted by the others. Yelena must have already warned them about the ears and tail, because nobody said anything about them, although Ava really looked like she wanted to.
"Walker!" Alexei's voice was booming, as always. John's ears pinned back at the volume. "Glad to see you up and about. Good thing you are on two legs and not four, yes?"
“Yeah, I guess so." John sat down, then winced and readjusted himself. Stupid tail.
Bucky flipped on the holographic projector, then stepped aside so that Yelena could join him at the head of the table. “You did good out there,” he said to John. “I’m impressed.”
To John's horror, his tail began to wag at the praise, slapping against the side of his chair audibly. Ava's composure broke and she burst into laughter. "Shut up!" John barked. "I'm not doing that on purpose!"
“Obviously,” Ava snorted, fighting back her giggles. John continued to glower at her and she rolled her eyes. “Don’t be so testy, this is your own fault for throwing yourself in the line of fire.”
“He was going to hit you if I didn’t!”
Ava gestured at herself. “Hello? I can phase, remember?"
"You don't know if you could have done that in time," John retorted in frustration. He may have even whined a little, which was embarrassing, but he'd had this argument with Ava so many damn times. He was looking out for her!
"I know how to dodge an attack, Walker, I —“ She trailed off, shielding her eyes and fighting off another smile. "Never mind, I can't have this discussion with you looking like that."
"Like what?" John frowned, but then Yelena was nodding in commiseration.
"Yes, he looks very sad with his eyes and his ears like that, but we need to stay on task." Yelena took control of the projector, bringing up the latest information on the bioweapons smuggling ring. "Let's get through the debriefing, and then we can treat ourselves to post-mission takeout."
John's ears perked at the word treat, but thankfully, nobody noticed.
~*~
Deciding what to get for takeout took longer than the actual debriefing. Yelena and Ava went to pick it up while Bucky and Alexei finalized the report to Valentina, as they were the only ones willing to put up with her, most days.
John, meanwhile, headed for his room, determined to sulk in private, but found Bob lingering outside his door once he got there.
"Don't," he snapped as soon as he saw Bob's eyes widen in surprise. "I've already heard enough from everyone else about what I look like."
"Oh... I wasn't..." Bob dropped his gaze, bangs falling into his eyes. "I just wanted to see how you were feeling. It looked painful, when they brought you in."
John sighed, ears drooping again. Bob had been struggling with a depressive episode the past few days, he could see it in the man's disheveled hair and fragile expression. Seeing a friend (because, despite the odds, they were friends) in peril probably hadn't helped his mood. "Sorry. I'm just —“ He waved his hand at his stupid ears. "It's annoying, but I'm okay. I feel fine otherwise."
That brightened Bob's expression a little, enough that he looked up at him again. "Good. It's, um... I mean, I know you just said that you didn't want to hear it, but I think it's flattering on you. Your ears and tail match your hair."
It was true that John did not want to hear compliments about his freakish appearance, but somehow when it came from Bob, it wasn't so bad. His tail even wagged a little. He tried not to grimace. "We got takeout for dinner, I'm sure Yelena will text you when she's back."
Bob nodded, but when John opened the door, he didn't walk away. "You'll be there, right?" he asked hopefully. "When it's time to eat?"
John had planned on eating dinner in his room, but he couldn't say no to the look Bob was giving him. And Yelena thought he had sad puppy eyes. "Yeah, sure. I'll see you then."
Bob smiled, maybe for the first time in a while. John hurried into his room and shut the door before Bob could see his tail wagging up a storm.
"Traitor," he hissed at his new appendage.
~*~
A hot lead on the smuggling ring meant that the team was off on a new mission, minus one very miserable John Walker.
It was partly the logistics that kept him off duty: his uniform would need room for his tail, and his helmet would muffle his ears, unless he wanted to look like a character from Paw Patrol. John also suspected that Valentina did not want to field any questions about his temporary change in appearance, which meant that he was essentially confined to the Watchtower until he was cured.
That was fine with him, actually. He did not want "furry" added to the list of things people made fun of him for on the internet.
He worked out in the gym, alone, grateful that no one was around to hear his yelp when the tip of his tail accidentally got caught in the weight machine. Then he made himself breakfast, and a smoothie for Bob, who was holed up in the reading nook. "You need to eat something," he said, placing the smoothie on the little table next to Bob's chair. "And get up and move around a little, you've been sitting there are all morning."
Despite the gruff tone, he was concerned about Bob’s mood tanking again. He circled around the chair restlessly as Bob slowly put his book away and stood up. “Let’s go to the helipad,” he said impulsively. “I need some fresh air.”
“I’m not dressed,” Bob protested softly. He was still in his pajamas and bathrobe, his outfit for the past couple of days.
“So? I look like a weirdo, no one’s going to see us.”
Bob smiled, glancing up at John’s ears. John was sure that they were doing something stupid, but he didn’t care. “Okay. You’ve convinced me.”
~*~
Normally, John went up to the helipad alone. He liked to stand by the edge, maybe a little too close for the average person’s comfort, but this time, he was content to stay by Bob’s side, neither of them saying much for a while, simply taking in the view.
“Does it feel different?” Bob asked out of the blue.
“Hmm?” John looked at him. “What does?”
“Your ears.” Bob had taken his smoothie up with him, and was now aimlessly poking at the dregs with his straw. “Does it change the way you hear?”
John shrugged. “A little. I’m not sure. I don’t think I’d know without more testing, and I already got poked at enough while I was recovering.”
“You don’t like having your ears touched?”
John raised his eyebrows at the question. “Do you?”
“It depends on who’s touching them.” Bob blushed a little. “What I meant was, are they more sensitive now?”
“Oh.” John mulled it over, squinting thoughtfully. “Not especially, I guess.”
Honestly, he was trying to avoid thinking about his ears at all. He hated the way that they kept moving around, reflecting every bit of his attention, but right now they were raised up in curiosity. How would it feel, to have someone touch them? To have Bob touch them, since he was standing right here…
“They look soft,” Bob said, his gaze drifting up to them. Then he abruptly looked away, cheeks red. “U-uhm, anyway, I should head back down, I need a shower.”
John blinked at Bob’s sudden departure, then shrugged and headed inside, as well. Bob was smelling a little ripe, that must have been what he was embarrassed about. It couldn’t have been about John’s ears, that didn’t make any sense.
~*~
John was running out of things to occupy his attention.
After cleaning the kitchen and straightening up the common area, he flopped down on the large sectional and turned on the television, flipping channels until he found a soccer game to watch. Soccer was not normally his first choice of sports, but something about several people chasing after a ball had him riveted.
Bob joined him a little later, smelling clean, which was definitely progress. John’s tail began wagging automatically. “Mind if I draw here?” Bob asked, holding up a sketchpad and pencil.
John shook his head, gaze darting briefly from the action on screen. “‘Course not, Bobby.”
The nickname had slipped out unintentionally, but Bob didn’t seem to mind. He smiled and sat down on the next cushion over. John swept his tail out of the way so it wouldn’t whack him.
They stayed like that for a while, Bob’s pencil scratches mostly drowned out by the sound of the television. During a commercial break, John snuck a glance at the sketchpad and was surprised to see a drawing of himself, dog ears and all.
Bob caught him staring and raised the sketchpad up to his chest anxiously. “Sorry, I was just looking for something to draw, and —“
“No, that’s fine. Can I see?”
Slowly, Bob lowered the sketchpad and turned it towards John so that he could get a better look. It was a side profile, his furry ears up and alert, a hint of a smile on his otherwise attentive face. He had been avoiding his reflection like the plague, but in this drawing, he didn't look like a freak. Bob had captured his likeness while somehow keeping his dignity.
"This is really good," he murmured, tail thumping against the couch cushions. Bob had even included his freckles and moles. "You're talented."
Bob ducked his head, tucking a lock of hair behind his ear. "Thanks. You make a good subject."
John's tail thumped harder. He thought about sitting on it, despite how uncomfortable it'd be. "You should draw the rest of the team. But give them dog ears, too, to be fair."
Bob smiled at the idea. "Me included?"
"Of course. You're part of the team, aren't you?" Bob had a tendency to question whether he belonged in the Watchtower or not, especially when he was feeling low. With a playful squint, he examined Bob's hair, still a little damp from his shower. "I'm thinking cocker spaniel ears for you. They'd blend right in."
Bob let out an honest-to-goodness giggle, which got John’s tail going again. His chest felt lighter for it, too. Perhaps Bob's depressive spell was finding an end.
~*~
John was a notoriously light sleeper. Between the night terrors and his super soldier senses, any little thing could disrupt his sleep.
This time, it was a tiny, trembling tap on his door. Like someone had started to knock and then changed their mind.
It could have been nothing, but John got up, anyway, and opened the door. Bob was already partway down the hall, shuffling back to his room. He turned and looked over his shoulder guiltily. "I, um... I didn't mean to —“
"Come in," John said with a sigh. Bob was a bad sleeper, too, and they often crossed paths at odd hours. But John was genuinely tired and didn't feel like chasing Bob around.
Bob hesitated, then made his way back to John's room and stepped inside. He was in a clean set of pajamas, which made John feel underdressed in his tank top and boxers, but anything more than that and his tail would get all tangled up in the fabric, making it impossible to sleep.
John shut the door, then sat on his bed and flicked on a lamp. "What's up? Couldn't sleep?"
Bob nodded and fidgeted with his fingers. The soft light made him blink a few times, and he avoided John's gaze. "Bad thoughts," he said quietly.
"Void thoughts?" John asked, ears swiveling back and tail stiffening.
Bob shook his head quickly. "No, no. Just the regular kind."
John relaxed immediately. "Did you want to talk about them?"
Bob shook his head again. He looked exhausted. "No. I just didn't want to be alone."
John knew that Bob sometimes slept in Yelena's room, or Ava's, when he was feeling like this. Bob didn't feel entirely safe with most men, although he got along well with Alexei and Bucky. By all accounts, he shouldn't feel safe around John, but here he was, anyway. It made John feel a strange sort of way, like he wanted to curl himself up around Bob and whine. "Okay, well, here we are, then. Get in and we can try to go back to sleep.”
Bob’s eyes widened in surprise. “Are you sure? Because I can sleep in one of your chairs, or —“
“Jesus Christ, would you just get in the bed already,” John said, and he did whine that time, much to his chagrin, but at least Bob finally listened, crawling into bed beside him.
Once Bob was settled, John turned off the lamp. His stupid tail meant that he couldn’t lie on his back, but facing away from Bob meant that his tail was going to be brushing over the other man any time he moved, so he chose the lesser of two evils and rolled over to face him.
“Goodnight, Bobby,” he said, shutting his eyes, too tired to stop himself from using the nickname affectionately.
Bob yawned. “Goodnight, John.”
Maybe it was the way Bob said his name, but John’s tail wagged one last time before he fell back asleep.
~*~
When John woke up for the second time that night, it was also because of Bob.
Both men had drifted into one another’s space while they slept, and now John’s head was tucked up underneath Bob’s chin. Every time Bob exhaled, it ruffled his ears and made them twitch. It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling, but it was incredibly distracting.
John shifted a little lower, which unfortunately roused Bob, who snuffled questioningly and turned his head. Bob’s lips unintentionally brushed one of his ears, and a shiver went from the top of his spine all the way down to the tip of his tail.
“Fuck,” he whispered.
“What’s wrong?” Bob asked groggily.
Everything, John thought. “Nothing. Go back to sleep.”
Bob fell quiet, and John did his best to ignore the ghost of Bob’s accidental kiss.
~*~
John tried to pretend like nothing had happened the next morning. He left Bob in his bed and went down to the gym, running on a treadmill as fast as he could until he felt about ready to collapse. Then he trudged back upstairs and made breakfast, which this time consisted of a lot of bacon. He had such a strong craving for it that he nearly burned his fingertips picking pieces out of the pan instead of laying them on a paper towel first.
By the time he returned to his room, Bob was gone. John felt a strange mixture of relief and disappointment, wondering where he’d gone off to. If he decided to leave the Tower, then John was going to be by himself. The thought made his ears droop.
He showered and changed, then headed back to the kitchen. Bob was there, pouring himself a bowl of cereal. He smiled at John, dimples popping, and John’s tail began to wag enthusiastically.
Goddammit, when did Bob get so cute?
“Did you want me to make you something?” John offered. Bob would eat nothing but cereal and candy if left to his own devices. “Anything but bacon, we’re out.” Because he ate it all.
“I’m good,” Bob responded, putting the cereal away. He gave John another smile. “I’ll take care of the dishes, too. You’ve already done plenty.”
John’s tail slowed sheepishly. Bob was clearly doing better than last night, and could take care of himself. “Oh. Okay. I’ll, um… go do something else, then…”
He left the kitchen and returned to his room. Idiot. Bob didn’t need his company, what was he thinking?
~*~
John used the rest of the morning to catch up on official Avengers business. His teammates were close to shutting down the bioweapons smuggling ring for good. With any luck, they’d be back by the end of the day. Yelena had sent a text checking in on him and Bob, and was happy to learn that Bob was feeling better, replying with a thumbs up and a dog emoji.
He did a little check of various social media sites to make sure his transformation hadn’t leaked, and was relieved to see only the usual rhetoric surrounding the new Avengers.
“John?”
Bob’s voice broke him out of his doomscrolling. He set his phone down and looked up at the other man, who was standing at his open door. His tail wagged tentatively.
“I did the dishes. And straightened up, too. I thought maybe we could get something delivered for lunch? So we don’t have to clean the kitchen all over again.”
John shifted in his seat, mindful of his tail. “Sure.” His ears perked up. “You’re okay with getting it from the lobby?”
Bob nodded and smiled. He had changed into actual clothes, not something that could be confused for sleepwear. “Yeah, I don’t mind. And then we can eat together.”
“Sounds like a plan,” John replied, his tail giving away his casual tone. Fuck. When did spending time with Bob become so important to his mood? He picked up his phone and opened the delivery app. “Thanks for cleaning up, by the way.”
Bob’s smile grew, like sunshine, and John was glad that he wasn’t the only one affected by praise.
~*~
They got deli sandwiches and ate them in the common area, chatting about whatever. Bob was easy to talk to, even if he had a tendency to go on wild tangents. Lord knew that John could yap someone’s ear off if they let him.
Bob graciously cleaned up the trash when they were done. The crinkling of paper made his ears twitch like crazy, which did not go unnoticed by Bob. “Does that feel weird?” he asked when he returned to the couch, staring at John’s ears. “Feeling them move around like that?”
John cocked his head to the side, considering. “A little. I’ve gotten used to it.”
He wasn’t lying about that, either. He kept thinking about the way Bob had drawn him, how his ears hadn’t looked so freakish or out-of-place anymore. His tail was another story, betrayer of his emotions and almost always in his way, but his ears? Not the worst thing that had ever happened to him.
Bob was still staring at his ears, although the gaze in his dark blue eyes was soft and distant. Then he seemed to snap out of it and looked down at his hands, as if caught out in doing something inappropriate.
“You want to touch them, don’t you.” John didn’t think that was too much of an assumption, based on Bob’s behavior. Or maybe he was wildly projecting his own desires.
Bob glanced at him tentatively, lower lip caught between his teeth. “I thought you didn’t want to get poked at.”
John shrugged. “Not by the staff in medical, no. But I don’t mind if it’s you.” He leaned his head towards Bob as an offering and smiled. “Go ahead. I won’t bite.”
Bob giggled softly at the joke, then reached out and very gently brushed his fingers along John’s ears. “Wow… they are soft…”
“Softer than my beard,” John agreed, nails of one hand discreetly digging into his thigh to stop himself from whining. His spine was tingling again, tail starting to thump out a rhythm on the cushion behind him, but otherwise he was holding it together. Barely.
Then Bob’s fingers slid down to the base of one ear and lightly scratched, and John groaned, full and throaty, his eyes falling shut.
“Feels good?” Bob asked with a bright laugh.
John answered with another groan, and leaned into the touch. Part of him was mortified by his reaction, but he didn’t care. It felt amazing. Euphoric. “More,” he pleaded, the only word he could get out of his mouth.
Bob provided, bringing his other hand up so he could scratch at the base of both ears. John practically collapsed into Bob’s lap, overwhelmed by the sensation. Maybe it was the ears, maybe it was because he hadn’t been touched like this in ages. The last time he had felt anything close to this was when Olivia had —
The realization cut through his blissful haze, his tail freezing mid-swing and his ears flattening against his skull.
Bob took his hands away immediately. “Too much?”
John whined at the loss. He sat up, willing himself to calm down. “Yeah, maybe a little,” he admitted after a hard swallow.
He was sure that he looked like an idiot, his face burning up and his hair disheveled, but Bob didn’t seem to mind. His gaze was soft, like before, except now it was on John’s lips instead of his ears.
John’s phone buzzed, rattling the coffee table and breaking the moment. His ears swiveled towards the unexpected sound and he scooped it up, reading a new message from Yelena. The mission was a success, and they were en route to the Tower. However —
“They’re heading directly to the medical bay?!”
“Did someone get hurt?” Bob asked, voice full of worry.
John frowned at his phone. If he had gotten hackles in addition to the ears and tail, they’d definitely be raised. “I don’t know,” he muttered, before tucking his phone away and grabbing Bob’s hand. “C’mon, let’s meet them there and find out.”
Whatever epiphany he had just had regarding Bob and his feelings, it would have to wait.
~*~
It was normal to suffer some minor injuries after a mission, but the plasma blast that had hit Ava caused enough damage to her suit that she needed to be stabilized promptly. John stayed by her bedside as the others had their own scrapes and bruises seen to.
“I’ll be fine,” Ava insisted, only wincing a little as she sat up. “This is nothing compared to what I’ve been through before.”
“I told you that you needed to be more careful in open combat,” John replied sharply, although for his teammates (even Bucky), his bark was always worse than his bite.
Ava rolled her eyes. “There it is, the ‘I told you so’. Pleased, are we?”
“Of course I’m not pleased!” John’s growl turned into a whine, ears dropping and tail tucked between his legs. “You’re hurt, Ava, that’s what I wanted to avoid in the first place!”
He clenched his jaw, waiting for Ava to poke fun at his outburst. Instead, her expression softened dramatically. “I know.” She sighed and looked away for a moment. “I’m not saying you were right…”
John’s tail lifted a little. He tried not to smile. “But…?”
“…but things would have gone a lot smoother if you were there.”
John grinned, his tail wagging in earnest. “Damn right.”
Ava made a sound halfway between a scoff and a laugh. “God, so predictable. Would you like a scratch behind the ears, too?”
John felt his face heat up at the query. “What? No. Why?”
“Relax, Walker. I’m just curious if you’d like it. They look very soft. Yelena agrees with me, don’t you, Yelena?”
Yelena, who had been keeping Bob company, trotted over with him in tow. “Yes, we were talking about it on the way home.” She wrinkled her nose at John. “Do not act like we are perverts for wanting to know what they feel like.”
“They are soft,” Bob said quietly, his face also an interesting shade of red.
Yelena gasped and smacked John in the shoulder. “Walker! You let Bob touch your ears, it is only fair that you give us a turn, too. Look at poor Ava sitting here on death’s door, it is her one wish that she and I get to pet your ears.”
“Me too!” called out Alexei.
“And Alexei, too,” Ava said, feigning a weak cough. “It is the only thing that will cure me.”
John glared at Ava, but his tail told a different story, wagging happily at the possibility of affection from his friends. “Fine,” he snapped. “Make it quick.”
And so, both Ava and Yelena petted his ears, cooing over him obnoxiously. Alexei came over and patted his entire head, and Bucky flicked the folded over tip of one of his ears as if out of a morbid curiosity. “We really did miss you out there,” he added casually, sending John’s tail into a wagging frenzy. All the attention felt nice, although not nearly as good as when Bob had done it, which was honestly a relief.
It wasn’t his ears. It was Bob that had made him feel that way.
He tried to meet Bob’s gaze, expecting the other man to look amused, but instead Bob had something of a glower on his face, although he quickly shifted his expression once he noticed John looking at him. John frowned briefly. What was that all about?
Bob left the medical bay before he could ask.
~*~
The rest of the day was filled with debriefing reports and a meeting with Valentina. John wisely chose to sit that one out, as did Bob, who was moping outside the conference room when John finally caught up to him.
“Hey. Can we talk a minute?” John’s ears were down and slightly back, his voice low. “You’ve been avoiding everyone all afternoon. Are you okay?”
Bob smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Yeah, I… I dunno. I’ve got a lot of thoughts in my head.”
“Bad ones?” John glanced towards the conference room. “Do you want me to get Yelena?”
“No,” Bob said quickly. “No, it’s not those kind of thoughts.”
“What kind of thoughts, then? I’m pretty sure you can talk to Yelena about anything.”
Bob rolled his eyes upwards and laughed dryly. “Uh, not these ones, I think.”
John sighed impatiently. “Look, Bobby, I want to help, but I’m not a mind reader. If you —“
“I didn’t like everyone else petting your ears,” Bob mumbled, wrapping his arms around himself. “It made me feel jealous, which is dumb, because it’s not like…”
He trailed off, lips turned down petulantly. John stared at him in surprise. He’d seen Bob get possessive of Yelena’s attention on occasion, but never John. Or maybe he hadn’t noticed before.
Slowly, John’s tail started to wag. “You don’t have anything to be jealous about,” he admitted. “It wasn’t like when you did it.”
Bob looked up at him cautiously, a small glimmer of hope in his eyes. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” John’s tail wagged harder, which gave him an idea. “And I wouldn’t have let any of them touch my tail, but you can, if you want.”
Bob’s eyes widened at the offer. “But — I mean, don’t dogs not like having their tail touched?”
“First of all, I am not a dog,” John said emphatically. “And second of all… I dunno, maybe it will feel funny, but I trust you.” He stepped closer, turning so that he standing by Bob’s side, tail smacking against his leg. “Technically you’re already touching it.”
Bob laughed. With a careful hand, he placed it on the base of John’s tail and ran his fingers down the fur to the longer hairs at the tip.
It felt… well. Kinda meh, honestly. But it put a smile on Bob’s face. John thwacked him a few more times. “There. Now you’ve done something that no one else gets to do.”
Bob looked at him in gratitude. “Thanks,” he said softly. “Sorry I was being weird about it earlier.” His gaze shifted up to John’s ears. “Do you think I could…?”
John bowed his head without question, then nearly collapsed when Bob started scratching behind both ears. “Jesus, that feels good,” he groaned, leaning his body weight into Bob so he didn’t melt into the ground.
The door to the conference room swung open. Valentina stepped out and sighed in exasperation as her eyes fell on the two men. “Are you fucking kidding me? You’ve already got my PR team working overtime, John, and now you’re adding a bi-awakening to the list?”
John’s ears and tail stiffened, his arms immediately wrapping around Bob possessively. He bared his teeth at his de facto boss and snarled.
Valentina threw up her hands dismissively, already walking away. “Relax, Cujo. I’m not going to steal your man. Come on, Mel.”
Mel, who looked at least a little more concerned than Valentina about John’s behavior, sidled past the two men and followed after her. “Shouldn’t we be worried about that?” she asked as they headed for the elevator.
“No, that’s normal for him,” Valentina replied, her voice carrying down the corridor. Less than a minute later, and they were gone.
Only then did John drop his arms, face flushed in embarrassment and leftover anger at Valentina. But then Bob was scratching behind his ears again, and all the rage drained out of him at once.
“Not really beating the dog allegations,” Bob said with obvious amusement, as John leaned back into him with a sigh. “It’s nice being the one you’re trying to protect, though.”
John grumbled some nonsense, but once again, the soft wag of his tail gave him away.
~*~
Bob slipped into John’s bed again that night, with only the flimsiest pretense of having trouble falling asleep. This time, he didn’t have to ask to scratch John’s ears, as John was already butting his head up into Bob’s hand and whining softly, self-control in shambles.
It wasn’t long before Bob’s fingers began to wander. First, through his hair in general, then down to his beard, as if comparing the texture. John’s tail only thumped harder. “Keep that up and I might do something stupid, Bobby,” he growled, Valentina’s flippant remarks from earlier ringing in his ears.
Bob’s eyes met his in the dark. “Not if I do something stupid first.”
Then he kissed John, and John groaned into it, pleasure sparking all through him like little bursts of fireworks.
They kissed again, and again, even while Bob continued to pet and caress him. John greedily reciprocated, burying his fingers in Bob’s hair and tugging gently at the curls. His tail knocked the covers aside, and John shivered from the cool air on his skin and the way Bob softly praised him in the space between their lips.
“Is it… is it too much if we…?” John couldn’t quite bring himself to ask. In fact, he wasn’t entirely certain what he was asking for, only that he wanted more of it.
Bob answered him with another kiss.
~*~
The next morning, John got a message from the medical staff: they were ready to reverse John’s transformation. Finally! His stupid tail wouldn’t stop wagging at the news, but he didn’t care. In a few hours, it would be gone, and his ears would be back to normal.
Bob accompanied him to the procedure, holding his hand and staying with him until the sedative kicked in. Bob was also the first person he saw when he woke up in the recovery room.
“Very handsome,” Bob agreed with a small smile after John asked his opinion about his ears for the fourth or fifth time. (John may have recovered quickly, but his body was still clearing out the heavy-duty sedative). “You look like yourself again.”
John sighed happily. “Feels good to be able to lie on my back again.” He caught Bob making a wistful expression and took his hand, giving it a light squeeze. “Don’t tell me you miss the ears and tail,” he teased.
“It’s not that,” Bob replied, shaking his head. “It was just easier to tell what kind of mood you were in, y’know? If you were putting up with me, or genuinely wanted me around…”
“I always like having you around.” John blushed at his own admission. “I know I’m shitty at showing it sometimes. I’ll try harder, Bobby.”
“You’re not alone, it’s something we’re all working on.” Bob gave him a sweet smile and brought their joined hands up to kiss his knuckles.
“Can I get a kiss here, too?” John tapped his lips. “Is that obvious enough?”
Bob laughed and bent down to kiss him, his free hand making its way into John’s hair, drawing a pleased groan out of him.
Yep. The way he felt about Bob was definitely not because of the dog ears.