the pitt hyperfixation

Outside of the store, Dennis' form is a little more visible, and the boy has muscle. Probably from all that farm work. It makes Jack's mouth a little dry watching him flex them as he rocks back and forth on his heels, clasping his hand behind him and grinning as he forces himself to slow down. 

"Sorry. I know I'm a bit… much." 

"Don't apologise puppy. This is a yapping friendly house-" Jack nods solemnly, until he gets a shoulder nudged into his own and a wink from his partner, the corner of his mouth pulled into a teasing tug. 

"Well." 

Jack throws him an exasperated look, and semi-jokes back. "Well. We can get to that later Michael. Jeez let the puppy settle in." 

Looks like he'll have to manage them both. 

Dennis narrows his eyes at them, and then widens them as big as the moon. "Oh is it like, Jack you want me to talk and Robby you want me to.. not? Like they asked us to in the store?" 

"Shit I-" 

"Thats okay!" Dennis says quickly. "I can do that!" 

"It's not that I don't want you to talk." Robby says, shoving his hands in his pocket.

Except, that is what he wants. That was clearly on the list of things they wanted from adopting a hybrid, someone to dote on and care for and to be a sweet little pet that barks and whines. Obviously not strictly, they're not assholes, but he shouldn't be lying to the kid to appease him either. Or diminishing his own wants and needs. Jack frowns. 

Before he can intervene, Dennis goes to bump his head into Robby's chest, snuffling and pressing until Robby gets a hand in his hair. "M' not saying it to say it cos' you adopted me. I like doing more hybrid stuff, being more hybrid. I used to play with my brothers like- like a real dog I guess. That was fun. And then I would yap with my- uh- I called her my ma, but she wasn't but- I just mean that both are fun for me. Sometimes it's nice to switch my brain off for a while." 

Robby flushes, "yeah? It's not- it wouldn't be like- you can speak if you needed something for sure. I would never-." Dennis butts his head into Robby again, all his pearly white teeth gleaming in the sun, shoving a little harder this time until Robby stumbles back. "Okay, okay. I get it puppy." 

Jack tries, and fails, to hide his grin. Jim was right, Dennis is a good boy. He'll talk to him later about it again, preferably alone so Robby doesn't sabotage himself. 

"Mmhm." Dennis hesitates. "But can I speak now? While you show me around?" 

"Course' pup." Jack laughs. "We haven't talked about that sort of stuff yet, and I don't think we could stop you if we wanted- you look like you're about to take off." 

"M' just so excited!" Dennis bounces from heel to toe. 

"This is a house of talking Den." Robby huffs through a laugh. "Too much talking sometimes. You wont get anything past this one without a million and one conversations about feelings." He leans down and whispers, "he's goes to therapy and don't we all know it." 

"Heaven forbid everyone's on the same page." Jack laughs as Dennis giggles, running a hand through the kids hair and patting his back. "Come on, let us show you the rest of the house." 

The kids enthusiasm is a little infectious, but he still gets all solemn and nods seriously when Jack or Robby gives him what they call 'serious info', where to find the medication draw for painkillers, how to lock the doors, where they keep the keys. He doesn't even protest when Jack tells him that until he's settled they'd prefer him to come to them before he takes anything from the draw. None-pulsed by the lack of trust. 

"Do you have a- uh- like a bath thing for me? Outside?" 

"Oh, um, we thought you'd just use our shower?" Robby looks at Jack and he nods, hand on Dennis' lower back as he peers at the two sets of electric toothbrushes and shaving cream. A disposable razor and a fancy stainless steel engraved safety razor. He wishes he could peer inside of the kids mind. 

"You're gonna let me shower where you shower? With hot water?" 

"Yeah… did you not have that at the shop?" 

Dennis peers into the shower. "Oh at the shop sure! It was really nice, and they had this cool shampoo we could use for our fur and our hair! At home I just bathed outside cos' I used to run around a lot and get all dirty and they said I'd clog the drains." He giggles. "And so we just used soap cos I used to get dirty so often." 

The kid pauses, seems to realise what he's saying, and he peers up at them both. "Not that- I won't get- I won't do that with you guys, promise, I'll be clean and-" 

"We don't mind a mucky pup do we Mike?" Jack forces a smile on his face. He'd wanted a rescue hybrid, something he could get a handle on. Dennis is a little… softer than he'd perhaps been expecting. He doesn't think Dennis will struggle to follow any rules. But maybe this can be what he sinks his teeth into. "What's the point in enjoying the outside if you don't get all up in it, hmm?" 

Dennis studies him for a second, before slowly grinning again, practically vibrating as he says, "right!!" 

"Sometimes I like to run the trails, gets real muddy in the autumn or after some good rain." 

"He comes back filthy, mud splattered up to his eyelashes." 

"Really?" Dennis' tail wags with fever now. "Can I run with you? Please? Please Jack? I love running." 

Robby groans, "-oh thank fuck. Does this mean you won't try and persuade me to go then anymore?" 

Jack dutifully ignores him."Sure pup, we'll get you fitted for some shoes today if you want." 

Dennis' tail slows a little. "You don't have to do that. Spend money. I can just have, um, cheap ones? From goodwill or something." 

Robby frowns. "Puppy, it's okay we want to buy you things." 

"Mike loves buying shit. If you wanna make him happy let him spoil you." 

"And Jack always tells me getting good shoes is important." 

"It is. We'll get your gait measured and make sure your feet don't roll and get you proper support. Helps with knee problems and shin splints and blisters." 

"And then you'll be able to run for miles." 

"And then you might be able to keep up with me." 

"He's probably going to run rings around you Jack." 

"Just because when I run with you I have to go snail pace doesn't mean that's how fast I run without you Michael. Do you even check my strava?"

"Do I check your strava? No Jack I think I have better things to do with my-" 

Jack turns his head exasperatedly to the kid, who is looking at them wide eyed, but his little tail is wagging again at least. "He doesn't even check my strava puppy. I think I have grounds for divorce." 

"We're not even married Jack!" 

~

Eventually, they manage to cajole Dennis into the idea of a shopping trip. They might as well get everything they need in one go while it's their day off, and there's still so much of the day left. The actually logistics of adopting Dennis had been surprisingly simple. 

It does make Jack feel a little strange, they they were practically just given Dennis with only one nebulously promised house visit, but it's fine. Dennis seems happy at east. Despite his protests about having money spent on him, it's clear that Dennis is excited. 

Now that they're making waves to get going, Dennis has stopped his yapping and has instead taken to circling Robby, nudging him and stepping over his feet and swatting him with his tail. If he could crawl inside of Robby's skin Jack's pretty sure he would. He even yips in excitement when Robby grabs for the keys. 

And Robby is enamoured, guiding Dennis with a soft hand to the back of his neck or in his ears, and one memorable moment- a hand tugging gently at his tail while Dennis giggled, stopping him from ragging about Robby's shoes. The little menace. It's clear too, that Dennis is taken with Robby. Pushing him playfully to get little reactions. 

Robby keeps a hand to his shoulder all the way to the car, opening the door for the kid to jump in the back. 

They start with some clothes, nice jumpers (Robby), some little white Nike socks the kid will look adorable in (Jack), and a cap that says 'bad day to be a hotdog' (Dennis). 

Then to the running shop, where Dennis' sprint on the treadmill genuinely makes him fear for his life on their next run. They'd started at a nice pace, upped it to Jack's own speed when Dennis was clearly having a ball- his tongue lolling out, and then up to a sprint, and a mega sprint, just to see him go. Even the shop's staff had gotten excited with him, two of the boys making a bet with the woman behind the counter and the seasoned ultra marathon runner owner. They just kept on upping the speed and Dennis kept laughing and speeding up his legs. 

At his fastest, Jack had hovered a hand behind his back just in case, but he shouldn't have worried. Dennis was a little greyhound. 

When he finally stepped off the treadmill, dopey grin on his blotchy red face and sweat at the corner of his brow, he'd gone straight up to Robby (sat on the little chairs for people to try on the shoes) and collapsed down between his legs, resting his grinning face on his knee and puffing out air while Robby pets him. 

"Enjoy that puppy?" 

"So much. I've never been on one of those before." 

Jack smiles over at them, and then turns to owner to negotiate shoe options. 

He doesn't let Dennis see the price when they leave. 

The real gem of the day though is the hybrid pet store. 

"Woah- this is huge." Dennis breathes out, eyes sparkling as they walk through the automatic doors, Robby's hand practically glued to him still like Velcro. "Is this just for hybrids?" 

"Yup. Perks of living in a city I gue-" 

"JACK IS THAT A FRISBEE?" 

Jack, rather unsuccessfully, hides his grin behind his hand. 

~

"Hmm, how do you feel about this one pup?" 

Robby's fingers trace the delicate blue collar with the a little black plastic clasp, though his eyes keep sweeping up to the premium solid block of leather on the top shelf. Jack personally thinks the leather and the flimsy blue thing are stupid choices- he'd go with the sturdy looking one with the grab handles but whatever. He'd told himself that he'd leave this bit to Robby, and Robby is apparently keen on choosing it together with Dennis.

It's very sweet. 

"Thats nice, sure." 

"But you don't love it?" 

"Uh- it's a bit thin maybe?" 

"Hmm, I agree yeah." Robby's eyes slide back up to the leather, and Jack has to look to the side to resist the urge to interfere. He loves Michael, he does. He loves him in a way he didn't think was possible after Liz, in a way that feels both comparable and completely incomparable at the same time. 

But it doesn't mean that Robby doesn't annoy the fuck out of him sometimes. Especially with this shit. The way he continually ignores his own wants and needs because he thinks they'll be an imposition, when all Jack wants is for him to impose. 

He looks down the isle and makes a mental list of all the things left for them to buy, going through the essentials first and then the wants, and then the 'absolutely unnecessary but definitely going to buy'. 

When he looks back over to them, its to Dennis peeing up at Robby with a contemplating look in his eye as Robby glances up again. He quickly makes himself look busy when Robby looks back down at him, but after a few minutes he does a little- if Jack's being honest a little on the nose- theatrical little gasp. He peers up at the thick leather and points with his little hand. 

"What about those ones? I like that colour- do you?" 

Jack sees the moment he notices the prices, and his ears go back a little, but Robby has already perked up, biting at his lip.

"I do, those are really nice Dens. Which do you like?" 

Jack wants to take him by the shoulders and shake him. He was half-joking before but he's not now. He'll train both of them, and he'll use each of them to train the other, just watch him. 

"Will you pick me some options? Theres too many to choose from." 

"Sure puppy." 

He gets three down, the one he keeps looking at- a thinner option- and a truly garish black one. It's a good thing Dennis' neck is a little thick from farm work, because both Dennis and Jack can see clear as day which he's favouring. 

Still, Dennis pretends to consider and then nudges the thick collar with his hand (paw?) with a little yip. 

Mike beams. 

When they've done trying it on, both on them nearly wriggling with excitement, Dennis turns to look at Jack. When he grins, all Jack can hear in the tug of his mouth is see? See Jack? Did you see how I picked the right one? Did you see how happy I made him? Are you proud of me?

It's like he knows, the clever little pup, that the quickest way to Jack's heart is through kindness to Michael. 

~

They make it through most of the essentials. Dog bed, blankets, a cage (not as punishment as per the article), fur shampoos and normal shampoos and curl cream (though Jack probably has enough to share, it's nice for Dennis to have his own things). They're mostly done when they see the little tag engraving machine. 

This time, it's Dennis who looks at it and away a little too many times. 

Jack nudges Robby and tilts his head over to Dennis then to the machine. 

Sometimes, the effortless way they move with each other really is a blessing. Robby gets him almost instantly. 

"Oh wow, look at this- I didn't know they were automating them now. Look at this Dens!" 

After a little back and forth, they decide on a plain circular design and a gold brass. The little machine engraves the 'Dennis' on one side and 'M. Robinavitch and J. Abbot' on the other, their phone number underneath. Not that Jack thinks they need it- but it means something to Robby he thinks, something that he's not sure he'll ever be able to fully understand. And it clearly means something to Dennis too, as he peers through the glass and watches their names etched permanently into bronze, eyes misty and watery as he pulls back. 

~ 

"Shit- Jack we forgot a harness and leash. I was thinking one that matches the collar." 

"I'm not going to run away." Dennis pouts. 

Robby flushes beet red. "Um- it's not- I was thinking." 

Jack leans down and says lowly in his ear. "He wants to strap you up and fuck you in it puppy- that something you're up for?" 

It's Dennis' turn to flush then, squirming on his toes and peeing up at Robby with his big round eyes. "Y-yeah. Please? Whatever one you want." 

"Do you want to come help me pick?" Robby powers through.

"No I trust you." Dennis tells him. 

While they wait for him, Jack snags a few toys and treats for their already overflowing cart before his eyes snag on the cute little underwear section. He supposes that's to be expected, the frills and the sex toys. House pets do tend to be fucked. That is, too, why they have Dennis. And Jack supposes too, that people want their house pets to look all pretty and sweet. 

It's just that earlier Dennis had picked up some classic boxers, and Jack knows from his paperwork that Dennis is sporting a pussy and a cock under his shorts. He's just not sure how that shit works. How gender works, he guesses, for male omegas and female alpha hybrids. He's never really thought to ask. The middle of the store doesn't quite feel like the place to either. 

"Which do you like best? I think the blue ones are neat." 

He raises his eyebrow. "Don't play that game with me kid. I'm not sucker like Robinavitch." 

Dennis giggles and for the first time since leaving the house, butts his little head into Jack. 

"How'd you feel about them though? I wouldn't be opposed to seeing you in some adorable little frilly panties kid, no shame in saying it, getting you all wet and soaking them through, but-", he shrugs. "Maybe a little much for now." 

"I haven't had sex but I didn't live under a rock Jack. I had a hand-me-down phone and access to the internet. I've like- gotten off- to stuff before I presented." 

Huh. Of course. Jack hadn't considered that-

"It's just my pussy I haven't played with." 

"Christ puppy." Jack mutters, glancing around to see if anyone is close. Luckily not. But then again, what are they expecting from a guy and his omega hybrid stood in front of panties and sex toys. Gruffly, he asks, "what size are you pup?" 

Dennis grins hard and runs his fingers over some of the knee-high socks and suspenders.

"You a little freak Dennis? Hmm?"

Dennis flushes. "Just pick what you like I'll wear them." He peers up innocently. Though Jack can see right through his little facade. "I just want to make you happy Jack, will this make you happy? I'll be good for you I promise." 

Jack puts several sets in the cart. (And one particularly lacy panties, bra and knee-high socks set). 

~

"Pup, it's like the middle of the night for me. Come cuddle." Jack demands. He's fucking shattered its 2pm and though he's got tomorrow off he really doesn't wanna obliterate his sleep schedule. Plus the puppy looks like he could do with a nap after all that excitement. 

"Oh- I was going to help Robby with the things." Dennis rings his paws in the hem of his shirt, ears perking up at the sounds Robby's making in the kitchen unpacking the actual food shopping they did too. Gotta get good snacks for the puppy.

Jack shoos him away with his hand. "He'll be fine." 

"Will he now?" Comes the muffled reply. 

"He will if he wants me to be awake enough to fuck the pup later. Otherwise he's waiting for me." Jack calls back. 

Robby grumbles, but otherwise doesn't protest. 

"He'll be fine puppy, it's just a few bits and bobs. How about we nap in your room? You up for it?" 

Dennis nods eagerly and follows him upstairs practically nipping at his heels. They'd decided to give Dennis the spare room as his own safe space, but they're hoping to transition him to the dog bed in their room, or to the crate that will also be in their room. For now, Jack pats the bed and Dennis hops up and instantly curls into him, wrapping his tail around Jack's hip alongside one of his legs. 

Jack huffs, pressing a kiss between Dennis' ears. 

"You're such a good boy Dennis." He mumbles. "I'm really glad we found you." 

Dennis chirps, letting out a content little sigh and rumble as he presses boneless into Jack. "I'm glad you found me too. Today was so good Jack. Like, the best day ever." 

"Yeah?" Jack snuffles a laugh into his hair. "You know… we talk a lot of game puppy, and I know you're excited too, but it's okay to be nervous as well. When or if we do anything later, if you want to take it slow, or stop, you just say okay?" 

Dennis nods and burrows into his chest. "K'ay Jack." 

"And if you don't like something tell me. It's only fun for us if it's fun for you too. Don't try and impress us because you think you need to. Especially cos we bought you these things. You don't owe us anything." 

Dennis is silent for a moment. 

"But you adopted me because you wanted to fuck me?" 

Yeah, Jack supposes they did. "Mmm." 

"So if I say I don't want to then I'll go back to the shop right? And you'll have wasted all your money." 

He really is a smart fucking kid. 

"Two things, one- not wanting to now, or wanting to go slow doesn't mean no forever. It doesn't have to be all or nothing, we can go at your pace. And two- I know what I said at the shop, but thinking and doing are two different things. I won't ever begrudge you for trying something and discovering you don't like it. If you hate it and never want to do it, then we'd just adopt another hybrid and you'd have a friend." 

Dennis scoffs. 

"Hey- I'm not kidding. You're cute, you're funny, you've already had Michael smiling more than I've seen him smile in months. You don't need to audition to stay kid, you've got the part." 

"Yeah?" He asks weakly. 

"Yeah puppy… Do you feel like you could tell me Dennis? If you didn't like or want something? And know that I wouldn't be mad at you or disappointed? It's important to me that you understand that." 

"Yeah. I… I do yeah." And he sounds it, rolling the words around on his tongue and settling on them. "What are you- um- what should I?" 

"Oh you don't have to do anything but let us make you feel good. Gonna maybe start by kissing you a little, run our hands over your body, tease your nipples. Then probably play with your cock if you like that, if you get hard. Robby's got quite a mouth on him, and I'm betting you've never had anyone suck your cock before right? 

Dennis shakes his head. 

"Mmm. Well that'd probably get your pussy dripping enough that we could hve a little play with her. We'll try you out on some fingers, see if we can get you to cum a few times. If you like that, maybe we can stretch you out to take us. Little steps see? Build you up. Nothing youve gotta do but lay there and look pretty and let us make you feel good puppy. Just like your friends in the shop yeah?" 

Dennis whimpers, squirming on top of Jack while his cock starts to thicken. Jack feels it, surprisingly big- not huge, but big- against his stomach. He grins and pats his back.

"Sleep Dennis, they'll be time for all that later."