Jack is good at hiding his feelings. He doesn’t do it on purpose, he swears, it just happens. And usually, people don’t notice. He doesn’t care because he just unpacks it in therapy and packs it back up before going home. No big deal. He’s aware of it, so that means it’s fine!
Dennis is nicknamed “a bloodhound” for a reason. He learns the minute Dennis becomes a permanent addition to his life that his boy can professionally sniff out sadness. He didn’t say anything at first, just gave Jack little side eyes and longer lasting hugs on bad days.
But then, when Dennis realized this fragile little relationship they had was all of a sudden not so fragile and not so new, he took it up a notch.
Jack doesn’t like being held, he’d like it noted. It’s not his thing. Makes him feel squirmy. But when he gets sad, when he has his lowest days, there’s a lingering thought at the back of his mind that makes him feel like a boy begging for his mom. And Dennis, The Bloodhound, smells it on him.
When they’re laying in bed and Jack is acting like everything is totally normal, Dennis will turn to him and open his arms up wide. Jack plays like he’s reluctant, but he’s never felt better than after quietly sobbing into Dennis’s chest while the boy plays with his curls and whispers at him.
It’s less fun when Dennis chides him in the morning for not saying anything sooner, but he’s found himself burying less feelings. After all, his sweet bloodhound will just dig them up anyway.
