Chapter Text
LingLing sat on the living room floor, legs crossed on the soft rug, leaning back against the couch while Tofu flopped heavily onto his back in front of her.
Age had slowed the golden down.
Ten years old now.
The fur around his muzzle had lightened over the years, and a few white hairs dusted his brows. Even his movements had changed.
Slower. More careful.
But the second LingLing got down on the floor with him,
Tofu turned back into a giant puppy.
“You’ve gotten lazy, hm?”
The golden opened his mouth in a dramatic fake growl and shoved his nose into her hand.
LingLing laughed softly.
Then the fight began.
A very serious one, of course.
Tofu gently grabbed her sleeve. LingLing pushed his big head. The dog rolled harder onto his side, tail thumping wildly against the carpet despite the tired little whine that escaped him when he moved too fast.
“Ow, Tofu!”
He tried to steal her entire sleeve.
“You’re attacking me now?”
A small bark.
“Traitor.”
Tofu immediately licked her chin in apology.
From the couch, Orm watched them quietly, one hand resting on her rounded belly.
And honestly,
it was probably the softest thing she had ever seen.
At first, Tofu had been LingLing’s dog.
The one she’d adopted long before they were together. The one who had slept curled against her through the difficult nights.
But over time,
Orm had adopted him too.
Or maybe Tofu had adopted both of them.
LingLing gently cupped the dog’s face between her hands.
“You have to be nice to the baby, okay?”
Tofu tilted his head.
“No jealousy.”
The golden dropped his head into her lap with a deeply offended sigh.
Orm snorted softly.
“He really does listen to you like he understands every word.”
LingLing looked up with a tender smile.
“Tofu understands everything.”
As if to prove it, the dog stood up and carefully rested his muzzle against Orm’s belly.
The movement was clumsier this time. Slower.
But impossibly gentle.
A tiny kick answered right away.
Tofu startled slightly, then licked the round belly with total seriousness.
Orm stayed still, watching him, her fingers slipping into his warm, thicker fur.
“You know that’s not ice cream, right?”
Tofu lifted his head.
Small woof.
LingLing burst out laughing.
“Tofu…”
The dog immediately abandoned Orm and waddled back to LingLing, tail thumping enthusiastically against the rug.
Orm watched them with quiet amusement.
“He really looks at you like he understands everything.”
LingLing scratched behind his ears absentmindedly.
“Yeah… my big fluffy baby.”
Tofu’s tail hit the floor even harder.
Orm chuckled.
“That sounds terrifying when you say it like that.”
Small approving woof.
“See? Even he agrees.”
LingLing shook her head fondly before murmuring,
“If Tofu could talk… he’d tell all my secrets.”
Orm raised an eyebrow.
“Oh?”
“Terrible idea.”
The golden immediately laid his head on her thigh.
Excuse you. I’m a good boy.
Orm sat up a little straighter.
“Now I really want to know.”
LingLing sighed dramatically.
“Tofu was the first to know I was going to marry you.”
Silence.
Orm blinked slowly.
“What?”
Small woof.
Instant confirmation.
“I told him before I even officially asked you.”
Something warm melted in Orm’s chest.
Tofu, meanwhile, wagged his tail with ridiculous pride.
“So technically… Tofu knew about the proposal before I did?”
Satisfied woof.
LingLing rolled her eyes and patted his side.
“You’re way too proud of yourself.”
Tofu immediately tried to lick her face.
“Hey, no.”
LingLing laughed softly as she leaned back against the couch.
Her gaze drifted to his hind legs as he tried to stand. The movement was slower. Stiffer.
Her expression softened immediately.
Her hand moved to Orm’s belly just as the baby shifted beneath her palm.
Right away, Orm slid her fingers gently over LingLing’s.
A small, almost invisible gesture.
But enough to feel the quiet worry beneath her wife’s smile.
Because Orm knew.
LingLing smiled. Laughed with Tofu. Took care of everyone like always.
But every slower movement from the golden hurt her a little too.
After a moment, LingLing sighed softly.
“Come on, big guy. Walk time.”
Tofu lifted his head immediately.
Much slower than before.
And even with his tail wagging happily, Orm could see the stiffness in his hind legs when he pushed himself up.
Her chest tightened.
Tofu had gotten old.
Slowly. Quietly.
But LingLing had changed everything around him without ever complaining.
Thick rugs so he wouldn’t slip.
A small ramp near the couch.
Another beside the bed.
Shorter walks.
Schedules built around his energy.
Even his bowls had been raised to ease his joints.
And every night,
LingLing massaged his aching hips.
Just like now.
Tofu had stopped beside the couch while LingLing crouched behind him, slowly working her hands over his hips.
“Still hurting today, hm?”
The golden let out a tired sigh.
Orm watched them silently from the couch, one hand over her stomach.
There was something painful about how naturally LingLing loved him.
No impatience.
No frustration.
Never once acting like it was a burden.
Just love.
Tofu eventually turned and licked her wrist.
LingLing smiled immediately.
“Yeah, yeah… drama king.”
Orm muffled a laugh.
Then her eyes drifted toward the staircase.
And like every night before bed,
LingLing slipped one arm beneath Tofu’s belly and the other behind his back legs.
“Come here.”
Tofu melted against her without hesitation.
Orm immediately frowned.
“Ling, watch your back!”
“He’s heavy, but not that heavy.”
Tofu’s tail brushed against her as she slowly carried him upstairs.
Like an oversized baby.
Orm watched them disappear toward the second floor with a helpless smile.
Once Tofu was settled comfortably on his cushion beside the bed, LingLing headed downstairs again.
Because she still had her second baby to bring upstairs.
Or rather, to convince.
Orm was already standing dramatically at the bottom of the stairs.
“I hate being pregnant.”
LingLing laughed instantly.
“You say that every night.”
“Because stairs are evil.”
At seven months pregnant, climbing stairs had become an entire negotiation.
LingLing walked over and rested her hands on Orm’s hips.
Then,
a light encouraging smack against her butt.
“Come on, teerak. You can do it.”
Orm gasped in outrage.
“Ling—”
Another little smack.
“You’re abusing me during pregnancy now?”
LingLing laughed softly before brushing a strand of hair behind Orm’s ear.
“Never.”
Her hand slid lovingly over Orm’s belly.
“But your soft pillow is waiting upstairs.”
Orm immediately hesitated.
Betrayal.
LingLing saw it and grinned.
“Ah. That worked.”
“I’m doing it for the pillow. Not for you.”
Another tiny pat against her butt.
“Of course, teerak.”
Orm finally burst into laughter and slowly started climbing while LingLing stayed close behind, one hand ready in case she slipped.
“I’ve always hated exercise… pregnancy just made it worse.”
“Mhm.”
Then, far too calmly:
“And yet a few months ago, on these exact stairs, you were moaning my name just fine.”
Orm stopped dead halfway up.
Silence.
Then she turned her head very slowly toward her wife.
“Do you actually want to sleep in our bed tonight?”
LingLing immediately raised both hands innocently.
“I’ll stop teasing.”
Orm narrowed her eyes.
“Liar.”
But she still laughed before continuing upstairs.
The second they reached the bedroom, Orm collapsed onto the mattress with relief, surrounded by her giant pregnancy pillow.
“Finally…”
Tofu immediately lifted his head from his cushion.
Then stared directly at the mattress.
Very intently.
Orm narrowed her eyes.
“Oh no. I know that look.”
LingLing climbed onto her side of the bed and looked at the golden fondly.
“You wanna come up?”
Tofu was already standing.
Slowly. Carefully.
But his tail wagged with way too much excitement for a ten-year-old dog.
Orm sighed dramatically.
“Big baby wants the bed.”
LingLing folded instantly.
“He’s old.”
“Ling. He’s the size of a bear.”
Offended woof.
LingLing finally lifted the blanket while Tofu slowly headed toward the little ramp beside the bed.
He climbed it with great concentration.
And less than ten seconds later,
a giant warm ball of fur settled against their feet with a deep, satisfied sigh.
Orm immediately felt her legs trapped beneath his weight.
“There’s literally no space left in this bed.”
LingLing laughed quietly and pulled her closer.
“Teerak… you know I love you.”
Orm rolled her eyes but still tucked herself against her wife.
And in the quiet dark of the room,
LingLing’s hand slid slowly over her stomach while the baby moved beneath her palm.
Tofu let out a sleepy sigh before lazily licking Orm’s foot.
Then, half asleep, he pressed his warm nose against LingLing’s leg.
Like he still needed to make sure both of them were there.
When Liya was born, Tofu understood almost immediately that a new little human had joined his pack.
During those first weeks, he followed Orm everywhere through the house.
Always gentle.
Always watching.
Whenever the baby cried, Tofu would lift his head instantly and whine until someone reacted.
Like he was trying to help.
Or remind everyone: the tiny human needs you.
LingLing laughed every single time.
“Yes, yes… we hear you, Mr. Parenting Assistant.”
But Tofu kept doing it anyway.
During naps, he always lay beside Orm while Liya slept against her chest.
Sometimes all four of them ended up tangled together in bed,
Orm exhausted.
LingLing half asleep.
Liya tucked safely between them.
And Tofu curled against their legs with a deep, happy sigh.
Like everything was exactly where it belonged.
As Liya got older, Tofu somehow became even more patient.
Painfully patient.
He let her grab handfuls of fur.
Drool on his ears.
Fall asleep against his side.
And every time Liya got a little too rough,
LingLing corrected her gently.
“Gentle hands, baby.”
“We pet Tofu nicely.”
“No leaning on his back, okay? He’s old now.”
So Liya would try again.
Careful this time. Focused.
A tiny baby learning how to love properly.
And once she finally learned how to crawl,
Tofu officially gained a tiny companion.
Or a tiny problem.
A tiny human who already loved him with complete devotion.
Wherever Tofu went,
Liya followed.
Crawling clumsily after him across the house, her little hands slapping against the floor and her laughter echoing everywhere.
And despite his age,
despite the aching joints and slower steps,
Tofu always waited for her.
He’d walk a few steps ahead, then stop and look back to make sure his tiny human was still following.
Like he’d already accepted a long time ago that Liya belonged entirely to him now.
🐶 🍼