SUMMER OF WHUMP - DAY 9 - ANIMALS
Orfeu and his weird problem
@summer-of-whump
Tagging: @whumpropaganda, @whumpzone, @cupcakes-and-pain, @tears-and-lilies, @lightdrinker, @lave-whump, @freefallingup13, @temporary-whump-sideblog, @pinkraindropsfell, @as-a-matter-of-whump
Cw: Pet whump; low self-esteem; depression; loneliness; fear of abandonment; animals; animal death;
Animals had hated him his entire life.
It was concerning when, for his whole life, he had heard people saying that when an animal liked someone, it meant they were a good person. If that went both ways… It could only mean he was a demon.
Ever since he was a child, he remembered seeing the dogs around the congregation barking and running away as he approached. The birds Father Benedict had would chirp insanely in his small office, a few of them dying from stress, until he decided to move them into his private room. The stray cats… Well, some hissed to everyone, but others were sweet to others, and all claws and teeth for him. Even reptiles, whom he thought might like him - after all, they too, were signs of the devil - would run and hide from him.
...It broke his heart every time. Was also the reason he was kicked out of one or two of his homes as a teenager. And as an adult…
Hell, he had surfed through a lot of ‘How not to feel lonely’ blog posts. They all resumed to quite a few similar things, and when you didn’t have any solid relationship with anybody… The pet seemed like a better option. At least then, the silence wouldn’t be so deafening, crushing his heart day by day.
Of course… There was always the suggestion to get a ‘Pet’. But that had always sickened him. He had to admit Blue and Haru changed things a lot, but they weren’t fucking animals, no matter what society told about them, but they were company. A lot less silence to deal with. He loved them dearly. And he thought… that despite having that same fear animals had… they had learned to love him, too.
And after they were comfortable, they started to bring the topic of animals up, too. Especially Haru, it seemed like a passion to him. He would constantly bring birds into the house to nurse them back to health, keeping them hidden from Orfeu.
Of course, they’d feel his presence, and panic. More than a dozen had died from that. And Orfeu didn’t have the heart to tell Haru to just… stop.
And it all culminated one day, as he returned home from groceries. He put the bags on the table, and crouched on the floor. It had been a while since he came home to a scene like that: Haru and Blue, perfectly lined up, kneeling, foreheads on the floor, hands reaching forward to be offered for punishment.
“Haru, Blue, babies…” He tries to sound as soothing as possible “...What happened?”
...Haru moves slightly, barely staring at him, flushing eyelashes. He handed him a little note.
Master please, please, please. We both love you so much and we are so very grateful. Your *unreadable* dumb slaves hope they aren’t asking for too much. Please, please, let your slaves have a pet. Please? May we have a dog? We promise we will take care of it. We will share our food and keep it clean and good and it will not cause any trouble. Please? Please? Please?
...He rubbed his face, sighing. He hated to say no to them. He hated that Haru had returned to calling himself ‘a slave’. He hoped it was just because they had been trying this for a while, and failing.
“...Boys” ...And then he heard a bark coming from upstairs. Both of them flinched to the sound, slowly turning to look at eachother. Blue swallowed a knot on his throat “You already got the dog”
“S-sorry…” Blue whimpered, curling up even further on himself “M-mas-master we… We… it was on the trail! S-s-sorry! It just, was, a-a-alone and we- we didn’t mean to disrespect you, please w-we…”
Haru too started to panic, softly whimpering, hands trembling slightly. Alright, ear scratched for Blue, head pats for Haru, those always seemed to help. Haru bumped against his hand, blinking through tear-filled eyes.
“It’s okay. I understand. I’m not mad. I’m not, really” Haru at least, seemed to ease up a little, while Blue remained on edge “But the dog has to go”
...A unisound whine was heard, Haru shaking his head, with big, pleading eyes, Blue raising to his knees and hugging Bonnie, curling away from Orfeu and the ear scratch.
“B-b-b--but Master… It… It has no, no home…Nowhere to go! It was… was hungry… We… we take care of it! Promise!!”
“I… I know you would Blue. But we truly can’t” He sighed, not knowing how to explain it “I don’t… I don’t know what’s wrong with me but… Animals hate me. They always do. They get scared… panic. You guys know that feeling, right? The dog won’t be healthy living around me”
“What if this one doesn’t?” Haru gestures, hands trembling so much is barely understandable.
Orfeu nodded. He hated to give them false hope, but it would hurt even more not to let them even try.
“...If he doesn’t, then yes, he can stay. But… don’t get your hopes up, please. I have never found an animal that didn’t”
The boys stare at each other, with slight smiles, probably getting their hopes up. Orfeu sits crossing his legs to wait, despite knowing very well how this will go. Blue gets up to bring the puppy from upstairs, while Haru gestures “Thank-you” over and over.
“I’m sorry Haru. I don’t think this will go well”
“...Thank you for letting us try” ...Orfeu smiles.
When Blue comes back into the kitchen, it starts to scream, loudly barking, even scratching blue so it can run and hide. The dog runs into the living room, under a cabinet. The boys stare, in shock. They probably didn’t expect it to be this bad.
Orfeu shakes his head, getting back up to pick up a box from the closet.
“...Sorry” He sighs “...I’ll look for a good place for them. I promise, the dog will be safe and have a good home”
...Haru and Blue exchange a look, quietly pulling each other into a hug. He wonders if they think he would ever do the same to them.
