Chapter Text
"Are you looking for a hybrid with a developed speech capability?"
The pet store attendant- Jim, says his puppy paw print adorned tag- asks them, pen poised above his notepad.
"Yes, if possible."
A box gets ticked.
Jack has done his research.
He's done extensive research actually, ever since Robby started looking a little too longingly at hybrids, really since the one time he caught Robby between shifts staying to comfort a hybrid whose owner- is that the term?- was in surgery with a soft little pat to his ears and a gentle hey buddy.
So Jack's been studious. Looking up the different kinds of hybrids available and trying to slip it into conversation between the usual shooting shit. (Though maybe in retrospect pausing with Robby's dick in his mouth, pulling up and leaving a trailing line of spit, just to ask 'Hey Mike, you more of a cat, dog or bunny person would you say?' wasn't the best of ideas.) ((The answer is dog, by the way.))
Now, Jack's tabs are filled with different things about hybrid care, puppyhybrid care, and he's reading shit like 'How to care for your hybrid- 5 Myths about cages (hint- they're not a punishment)'.
All to say, unbeknown to this poor attendant, they are not here to be ooo-ing and aah-ing at the cute little ears and tails.
No, Jack has this shit on lock.
He knows they want a puppyhybrid, not too young, but still energetic enough, none of this 'virgin' shit- Jack wants a rescue, something to sink his teeth into. Robby wants something sweet off the batt, something he can dote on and hand feed and love. Lets hope they find a compromise. He wants to see that too, it's not like he doesn't. He doesn't want a growling little alpha with behavioural issues, but he'd spent his time pitching to Robby about the unfairness that some of these hybrids are subject too, and how nice it would be to help them.
Robby had liked that- bleeding heart that he is- liked the idea of taking in something that needs a little extra love.
A male hybrid too- an omega (Robby's preference). When he'd written that down on their grocery-esque list of what they're looking for in a boy Jack had frowned, and then tried to school his face. He doesn't really miss pussy, but there was a moment of insecurity with that when he realised Robby might. That he might not be getting everything that he wants from Jack.
He's not stupid though, he knows that sometimes love isn't enough, and Robby's been struggling a little lately. And …. well, if a wet little hybrid-omega pussy is going to cheer him up then fine.
The only real strong preference Jack has that Robby is indifferent on is speech capability.
Robby would be happy without it, which Jack both gets and doesn't get at all. He thinks, sometimes, when Robby talks about it it's also a little that he's scared of just how much he wants this, and if he can have his cake and eat it and be able to talk to the hybrid, that it would feel a little like… what? Cheating? He's not sure, Robby sure as hell won't talk about it, but it's more than just the kink of it Jack knows that.
The thing is though, Jack knows he could train a hybrid to give them the best of both worlds. Train him right up so that he knows when Jack's at work and he's with Michael he can't speak dogs don't speak Jack, they bark and he knows he can when Jack's home I'm not yapping to myself all night Michael.
He doesn't want a stupid dog.
Jack relays most of this to the attendant, who studiously nods and notes some things down. "Okay, boy you guys sure do know what you want huh? Makes a nice change."
He leads them through to the back, where the big windows are casting rays of light down on the shared play area. It's a cute sight, Jack has to admit. He's never really been into the whole hybrid craze, but seeing the little bunnygirls curled up around the catboys and the puppy's play growling and tugging ropes between them. Yeah, cute.
Robby looks fucking enamoured too, sucker.
Jack laughs into the palm of his hands.
"Okay so we have a couple of options…" Jim takes them around to meet a few hybrids, who are nice and all, but largely indifferent.
Jack would have happily adopted any of them, none of them seemed to object, but Robby- when he was a wee kid- once had a puppy jump into his arms and snuggle into his neck. He still to this day to to Jacks nerve laments to Jack that his bubbe didn't have the capacity to keep it and him, and Jack thinks that he's secretly wanting to recreate that here.
Robby outright veto's the one that growls at him, though Jack would have also taken a crack at that one. He's grown up with dogs, see, back in the mountains. He knows how to set down rules and guidance in a way he thinks Robby would be terrible at. And really, with some of these hybrids, their animal nature runs closer to the surface than you might think.
They see him when Robby starts to flag. Deflating like a popped balloon the more he doesn't get his perfect fantasy. Jack shoulda seen this coming, he should have prepared but then-
Well, Jack sees him first.
The hybrid is laid out in a corner on some blankets, stretching his arms above his head and yawning so hard it ends in a little yip. He's in the sun like a cat, but those are definitely puppy ears on his head between those would be curls- a little scruffy and matted a bit at the ears.
Maybe with some care and attention and some of Jack's curl cream they will spring up nicely. Fuck, he even looks a little like Jack in med school. Definitely Robby's type then.
The stretch pulls up his t-shirt, giving Jack a look at the taught stretch of his little stomach. Very cute. He nods his head and Robby follows his line of sight.
Like fate, when he looks over the hybrid blinks open his sleepy eyes and perks up, floppy ears twitching and his head raising. He smiles over at Robby and his little tail starts to wag.
Robby, predictably, melts.
"Oh hey buddy." Robby grins, leaning down and crouches next to Dennis, whose whole body wiggles as he shakes his tail.
"Oh, Dennis." The attendant says, tapping his clipboard. "Hmm-"
"Hmm?" Jack parrots, crossing his arms as he watches Robby tune them all out in favour of Dennis.
"Well, he does fit your needs. He can speak, male omega, he's twenty seven."
Dennis clearly gets fed up of waiting for Robby and butts his head straight into his chest, huffing as Robby brings a delighted hand to his ears to pet him.
"Okay… so?" Jack raises his eyebrow.
"Dennis is…a slightly more complicated case. Bought for farm work as a pup, raised with the family in Nebraska, but presented late as an omega. The owner has put a pretty- a pretty exceptionally high price tag on him, shipped him over here I think in an attempt to fool some city slicker. Financial trouble I think. Hoping to get him sold as a breeding omega, but he's a little too old for the price tag on him, despite being a virgin."
"Huh, and how much are we talking?"
Robby is laughing now as Dennis wiggles and rolls about and shows Robby his belly, stretching out again as Robby says 'big stretch puppy wow.' God, he's gonna make a city slicker out of Jack isn't he. Jack is gonna be the sucker here.
Jim names the price Dennis' owner has set, and Jack winces.
It's more than double what he'd expected, way too high for what Dennis is, but then who the fuck cares about that. They both have way too much money to know what to do with, and they're not breeders or traders, he just wants a pup that will make his partner think twice about stepping near the fucking edge of the roof again.
"Are we sure he can speak?"
"Ah, well most people prefer them not to. So we advise them to stay quiet during the meet and greet stage of adoption."
"Sure."
"It's sad really. He's such a good boy, we've never really had any trouble with him at all, but the price just-"
"I think if my partner agrees then we'd be interested." Jack interrupts, as he watches the boy giggle as Robby scruffs him about a bit. "Is there any room for negotiation on price?"
"I'm sorry- his owner was very clear on that. He's been rotated around five stores already. Due to be moved on next week."
Jack winces. Poor little pup.
"Michael?" Robby peers over his shoulder, hand stilling in Dennis' ears. Dennis stills too, looking up at him, over his crossed arms and raised brow and bites at his lip, ears going back a little. "What do you think?"
"Jack." He breathes out. Yeah, he thought so.
"Okay, we'll take him."
Dennis' tail stars wagging so hard that Jack thinks he might take off. He yips excitedly and he can't help but smile down at the kid.
"What a day hey Dennis!" Jim laughs too, reaching down to pet Dennis' ears. "You want a little more time or are you happy to start the paperwork?"
"Why don't you go ahead Mike and get us started while I say hi to Dennis here?" Jack offers. He still hasn't heard the kid speak yet. Although he's not sure he could stop Robby wanting him even if Jim was wrong and he couldn't.
When the two men move to the side and Robby starts giving out their information Jack tentatively reaches out his hand, palm towards Dennis. The kid considers him for a second or two, much longer than Robby, but then butts his head into Jack's hand and hums delightedly when Jack scritches at his ears.
"There we go kiddo. So, Jim tells me you know how to speak?" Dennis looks at him cautiously. "It's okay, I know you were told it's better to stay quiet? But I'm looking for a hybrid who can."
Slowly, Dennis leans back to peer up at him, but not so far as to dislodge Jack's hand. "Hi."
"Hi." Jack laughs. "My names Jack, that over there is Robby, or Michael. Or sometimes I call him Mike."
"Thats a lot of names, I'm just Dennis." He tilts his head to the side and his ears flop.
"Yeah, I'm just Jack too kid."
He gets a hand under Dennis' ear and feels a little at the matted fur. He tries to do it subtly, but Dennis flushes and looks down. Nothing they can't fix with a bit of brushing.
"Are you really going to adopt me?" Dennis asks quietly, looking up at Jack with his big wet eyes.
"Well, that depends on you buddy."
"Me? I'm sorry- I know I should care for my fur-" He looks to Robby desperately and then back to Jack. "-I'll be good I promise I'll-"
"Hey buddy, shh, no need for all of that. I didn't mean this-" he tugs gently at the tangle. "Michael will love to brush this out for you pup, I just meant that adoption. Well, it's not just our choice." He runs his hand from the base to the tip of Dennis' ear. "Michael is super excited because he's been wanting to adopt a hybrid for a while, you'll have to excuse him, but that's why he has me right? I want to see if this is what you want to."
"Oh…Yep!" Dennis bounces on his heels. "For sure."
"Hold up there buddy." Jack laughs. "I know you've been waiting a while for this, but it would make me feel better, personally, if I told you what it would be like if you came home with us, and then you can make an informed decision. I…hybrid ownership has never been on my radar before, so it's all a little new for me. Can you do that for me?"
Dennis tilts his head the other way, and his ears flop again. He considers, biting his lip. "Okay, yeah. I can do that."
"Good boy. Okay, where to start." He'd planned this but it feels strange now that Dennis is sat in front of them. A real life boy, not just a fantasy thrown between them in their bedroom or a list on the kitchen table. "We both work at the hospital, I work nights and Robby works days, so they'll be someone at home most of the time. We live near a nice park-" Dennis' ears perk up. "-and I like to run if you think you can keep up with me. We go hiking sometimes in the woods, and have a nice little yard. But also… you grew up on a farm right? Farm work is a little different to being a house pet…"
Dennis bites at his lip. His canines are a little longer than humans. Jack wants to put his fingers in that mouth. He wants to be bitten, though he thinks Dennis might be too much of a good boy to do it.
"You can say it. I know that owners have sex with house pets, not like working hybrids. I presented a little late, and then my da- my owner. He uh, I think wanted to sell me to a breeder, so I haven't had sex or anything," he says, fast. "-and they didn't want me to do anything to like impact that sale? So I haven't touched myself a lot or anything but I know what house pets are expected to do, 'specially omegas… can I tell you something though?"
Makes it a little easier. Dennis sure isn't stupid.
"Sure bud."
"Sometimes when the others are getting adopted, the older rescues who have already had sex, they uh- they play with them here? To see if they wanna adopt them. And sometimes I wish that was me. I've touched myself um- twice? Just on the outside, and it was so good but then they made me stop. And they always look like they're having a lot of fun."
Dennis is bright red, squirming and looking down.
"Yeah puppy? You gonna be our good boy and let us make you feel good too?"
"Please? Do you um- I know Robby was interested but do you think I'm… do you want me too?"
He actually, genuinely, looks like he cares about the answer- sweet thing.
Jack laughs, scuffing his ears. "Very much pup. What about us? How do you feel about us?"
Dennis flushes nearly twice as much. Beet red to match the blanket he was sprawled about on.
"Well I guess that answers that well enough. You were practically crawling in Robby's lap earlier. None of the other hybrids were doing that. So, you wanna come home with us Den?"
"Yes please Jack- very much!"