#hybrid puppy jayce x reader

[oneoftheextras]

lockjaw | j.t five

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paring: hybrid puppy!jayce talis x f!reader

summary: after a recent breakup you find yourself adopting a hybrid to keep you company, but he's more feral than you can handle

series warnings: 18+, hybrid jayce (ears and tail), slight a/b/o traits (could argue alpha jayce), eventual smut, protective jayce, size difference

words: 5.4k

chapter warnings: old scars, angst (trauma response), discrimination, argument, some fluff

proof-read by my girl: @madschiavelique

part one | part two | part three | part four | part five | part six |

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The warm water of the shower was refreshing against your cold skin, although winter was coming to an end there was still a stiff chill in the air.

If time would have allowed it, you’d have spent all day letting the heat cascade down your spine and through your hair, but you’d already wasted so much of the day by sleeping - and your water bill was already calling your name.

You turned the faucet off and immediately missed the comfort the shower brought you, but there were things to do. Wrapping a towel around yourself, you threw your pajamas into the washing hamper in the corner of the room and opened the bathroom door.

“All yours,” you called out in no particular direction before heading into your bedroom and shutting the door behind you.

There was a moment of silence as you stood with your back to the door, but when you heard footsteps getting closer and the bathroom door click shut again, you knew it was safe for you to drop your towel and dry yourself properly. 

Jayce glanced around the white tiled room, the small frosted rectangular window letting in just enough light to sting his tired eyes. He stood in front of the sink and acknowledged his reflection in the mirror of the medicine cabinet.

His glass twin stared back at him with exasperated surprise. How long had it been since he last saw himself that wasn’t in a passing car or a dimly lit store window? Not to mention doing it willingly.

He combed his fingers through his beard and felt the strands of tangled hair catch on his nails painfully, making him wince at the tug of his skin and recoil his hand. It was longer than he thought it was.

He then ran his fingers through his hair, finding the same type of intertwined follicles there too, but it was less painful against his scalp. He gently pinched a clump of his fringe and separated it from the rest, pulling it down and in front of his eyes - it stopped in the middle of his nose.

As he followed the dark brown wisp he was unintentionally forced to make eye contact with himself, and almost immediately diverted his attention away from his own pupils with a scowl.

Grasping the hem of the black t-shirt he’d slept in, he lifted the fabric up and over his head, shaking it as the elastic collar pinged against his ears and disorientated him momentarily. The fabric dropped to the floor and his hands braced against the sink, with a sharp inhale of breath he returned his gaze to his reflection.

He was larger than he remembered, and the light coloured lines that littered the expanse of his skin told the story of how, one that he would never retell himself.

He trailed a particularly elongated one across his left peck, the flesh was slightly raised. Despite it being at least four months old, it was still the freshest and so was the memory of what caused it. 

The pain, the helplessness, and the acceptance all came rushing back to him. He’d done nothing to stop it, but looking at himself now, he understood why.

His body was a battlefield of scars that he’d come to agree he’d deserved. He observed his physique; a wide chest dusted with dark brown hair, broad solid shoulders, and thick arms leading to large veiny hands. He was imposing and frightening - built for violence.

He sniffed sharply to push back any chance of anger, the scent of your body wash unintentionally filling his nostrils from the residue that remained in the bottom of the bathtub.

The skin that covered his knuckles - tough and calloused from years of use - had turned white the moment he laid eyes on himself, but your lingering aroma quelled the bubbling desire to shatter his reflection with his fist.

You were kind and your voice was soft. You spoke to him like you did to anyone else; apart from the apparent caution which sometimes arose. It was nice, but he didn’t deserve nice. He’d never deserved nice.

There was a ticking clock, counting down the seconds to when you’d come to the same realisation. 

Of course you’d be scared of him, any sane person with an ounce of self preservation would be, he just couldn’t understand as to why you’d allowed him into your home. To be as vulnerable as to fall asleep next to him on the first day.

A careful knock brought his attention away from the mirror, “I’ve put your clothes outside the door, you left them in the living room and I guessed you’d need them,” your voice was muffled by the 2 inches of wood that stood between you both.

He felt the tension in his shoulders relax, and the vice grip he had on the sink loosened. He waited to hear your footsteps fade before he opened the door a crack and grabbed the clothes, shutting it again.

Returning to the sink, he placed the clothes down neatly atop the closed toilet seat and turned the faucet on to let the basin fill with warm water. 

His eyes roamed the room when he spotted a shelf to his right; there was a neatly folded cloth with body wash, shampoo, conditioner and deodorant. A piece of folded paper stood in front of it that said ’For Jayce’. He held it in between his fingers and admired the soft strokes of your handwriting with a mellowed smile, placing it gently back onto the shelf for safe keeping.

Using the washcloth you’d provided for him, he submerged the fabric under the warm soapy water in the basin and rung it out until it was only damp. He scrubbed all the important parts of his body quickly, he hated the way the water trickled down his skin in small beads, but knew it needed to be done.

Once he was clean and dry he reached for the pile of clothes you’d bought for him, slipping the boxers up and letting the waistband hug his hips - they were a little bit tight around the thigh, but not painfully so - then followed the black jeans, socks and the white t-shirt. 

All very simple clothing but he guessed you were playing it safe in case he didn’t like what you picked. He blew air out of his nose as a small laugh, as if he’d complain about something you bought for him.

He glimpsed at himself in the mirror again, avoiding his face but focusing on the clothes, he looked like a regular person you’d see on the street. A big person, but a person nonetheless.

He stepped back so he could see his lower half, which is where the problem began. His tail protruded out the top of the jeans and curved over the strain of the waistband like water arching from a fountain. The bend of it being forced into an upward position wasn’t painful, but it was uncomfortable.

Grabbing the base of the appendage, he started to shove it into the leg of his pants. It wasn’t as uncomfortable, but it did make a rather obvious bulge down the back of his right leg, ending just before the curve of his knee. 

He grumbled with frustration and pulled it back out again, instead lowering the jeans so it wasn’t bent in an awkward position. He lifted the white shirt slightly but was immediately greeted with the sight of his ass cheeks, so he swiftly pulled them back up again.

He let out a low sigh, he was going to have to put up with the discomfort.

As he left the bathroom, you noticed how he was playing with the back of the jeans with a deep scowl on his face and teeth bared in frustration. “If they’re the wrong size, you don’t have to wear them,” you tried to reassure him with a gentle tone.

When you saw him struggling with his tail it didn’t take you long to realise what was bothering him and you instantly mentally scolded yourself. Of course normal pants wouldn’t fit him.

Guilt washed over you as you searched for a solution, “Oh!” you clapped your hands as the idea popped into your head and you disappeared. He paused his fussing to watch you leave, only to reappear with a pair of scissors in your hand.

“We can cut a hole into the back for you,” the suggestion seemed like a quick and simple answer, but as you tried to step around him to get to the area he twisted his body and stepped backwards.

You blinked at his reaction, “I’ll be really careful, I promise,” you tried to reassure him with a light tone but when you shuffled closer with the scissors held in your hands he moved again, his spine pressed firmly against the wall.

You glanced up at his face and your heart panged with pain when you saw how his nose was scrunched up and his lips trembled as they failed to hide a snarl of warning he was giving you. 

His teeth were bared at you with the points pressing harshly into his bottom lip, in the short amount of time you’d spent with him you’d only seen his canines when he’d smiled or was enjoying himself. This was new and unexpected aggression.

“Oh, fuck,” you exhaled quietly as you hastily lunged backwards and exited his personal space. “I’m- I’m so sorry,” your voice shook as much as your hands did as you placed the scissors down on the arm of the couch and retreated further.

You watched him cautiously push himself off of the wall and slightly relax. His chest heaved with a panic that had taken you too long to notice, but it was slowing down.

“I-” you started to say, but stopped yourself. Carelessness like this was exactly what you wanted to avoid. Should you give him space? Should you explain what you were trying to do? 

“I’d never hurt you,” looking at him was proving difficult so you focused on the tatty rug under the coffee table you’d bought when you’d first moved in, “I’d never-” you repeated but couldn’t finish. Your voice was already practically inaudible, so it was barely noticeable when you’d stopped talking.  

Jayce noticed. He heard the way your voice trembled out an apology and he wanted to believe you. He closed his eyes and sharply twisted his head to the side in a harsh blink, like he was trying to shake away the defensive response that was so deeply ingrained in him.

His pupils quivered inside golden irises as he forced himself to observe your reaction. Forced himself to take note of how his actions had affected you. How you chewed the inside of your gum and caressed your elbow in search of comfort he couldn’t give you.

You studied the fibres of the rug from where you stood. It was more frayed and dirty than you’d remembered, worn from walking over it with shoes inside the house. Maybe you should make a rule of no shoes indoors from now on.

The train of thought was interrupted by quick movement in your peripheral vision. Jayce held the jeans out to you with an extended arm and an apologetic gaze in his eyes.

The surprise on your face was clear, especially when you glanced down and realised the only thing he had on his bottom half was his boxers, you darted your eyes back up to his and pushed any details you may have subconsciously remembered out of your brain before they could settle.

He jutted his arm forward indicating for you to take the jeans, of course he wasn’t holding them in the air for the sake of it. It was a compromise.

“Thank you,” you took the fabric and held it to your chest, slowly reaching for the scissors again. He didn’t flinch this time so you picked them up and moved to the couch, draping the jeans over your lap.

The one thing you hadn’t thought of was where his tail was anatomy-wise. “Is it on your coccyx? Like, your tailbone?” you felt silly asking as soon as the question left your mouth. Where else would it be?

He moved from the defensive position to stand in front of you and watch you work. You held them up in front of you, trying to gauge where his tailbone would settle; then returned them to your lap and sliced through the fabric with difficulty.

“That should be okay for now,” you moved the scissors to the side and slid your fingers into the hole you’d made to check if it was big enough for the appendage, “I have a friend who is a seamstress, I can ask her to alter them properly for you so it’s less-”

A hum of agreement came from his throat causing you to glance up from your work. What you didn’t expect or anticipate was that when you’re sitting down and he is standing, your head is directly in line with his crotch.

For the second time today you quickly shifted your eyes away from his boxers and held up the jeans as a make-shift barrier, “Done!” you said hastily.

He took the pants and slipped them back on with no issue, pulling his tail through the crudely made hole. It wasn’t ideal but it was much better than the alternative. You watched him quietly, wondering whether you should at least offer to help, but from his earlier reaction you had a feeling it wouldn’t go down well.

A somewhat awkward silence fell over the two of you as you put on your comfiest shoes and Jayce slipped on the smart dress shoes he was wearing when he arrived. You watched the - what you assumed to be - fake leather bend and flake at the toes from the pressure. 

He twisted the frayed laces around his fingers and tied them into a bow in a way you’d never seen anyone do before; it was like he was solving an intricate puzzle he had created and only he knew the answer to. They were worn from years of use; these were either the only shoes he’d ever owned, or they were second-hand from the sanctuary. The latter seemed like the most plausible.

He needs new shoes, you mentally noted.

Once you were both ready, you walked down the stairs together quietly until you were outside in the crisp air. It wasn’t late enough that the sun had set but it was late enough into the afternoon that a chill was setting in.

“Will you be cold?” you turned to Jayce, a question that you should’ve asked before you left the apartment. He’d taken a grey hoodie from the assortment of clothes you’d thrown at him, but compared to your coat, scarf and beanie he was basically wearing summer clothes.

He shook his head ‘No’ and you tried to read his expression to see if he was just trying not to be difficult, but he seemed relatively unbothered by the winter air.

“Okay, well, let me know if you do,” he nodded in agreement, the brown tassels of his fringe bouncing with the movement of his head, and you started walking in the direction of town.

For a Saturday afternoon it wasn’t as busy as you’d expected it to be. Which, in hindsight, was a strike of luck - you hadn’t stopped to think about how that would’ve affected Jayce. He’d spent the last few months stuck inside with other hybrids, not a busy town filled with people hauling too many shopping bags and street vendors shouting rhythmically to secure the last sale of whatever they had left before they had to close for the day.

It might have been too much noise for him to handle so soon. A few cars had passed you quicker than they should have and his steps faltered at the sudden loudness of the engine as it passed.

You’d asked him to swap places with you so you were between him and the road but he declined. Although, after the fourth car zoomed by you he stopped reacting to them - perhaps he adapted quicker than you thought he would.

After approximately thirty minutes of walking with only the sound of two pairs of shoes hitting the wet pavement between the two of you, you’d made it into town.

“I probably should’ve asked you if you liked long walks,” you chuckled to yourself as you nuzzled your chin into your scarf. He didn’t respond to your comment; his attention was, instead, on your surroundings.

The buildings in town ranged in height but the majority were three-story buildings. Typical shops on the ground floor with apartments built into the upper floors, you were thankful that your home was an apartment complex.

As you were walking to your first destination, Jayce had slowed down to a stop by a man who was drawing people’s portraits. He’d positioned himself in a way where he could see the man’s sketchpad as well as the woman he was drawing.

It had taken you a second to realise that he’d fully stopped and you’d accidentally continued walking so you hurried back to him. 

He studied the man’s technique without getting too close to him which you were grateful for, you were sure if he’d snuck up behind you whilst you were concentrating it would make you jump at the very minimum.

With his hands in the pouch of his hoodie, he tilted his head to the side and observed every movement the artist’s hand made and eventually he started bobbing his head as if the pencil was controlled by his forehead.

His face was calm and serene, with a tint of excitement in his eyes, something you only saw in him when he was playing a game with you. The absentminded smile that crept onto this closed lips was contagious to your own.    

Jayce was engrossed in watching him work and you didn’t have the heart to tell him you needed to be quick before the café you wanted to show him closed, especially when his tail started to swish back and forth behind him.

You were uncertain how long you’d stood with the rest of the crowd watching the artist, and you were sure you were going to be shooed away by him at any moment, but he never did. It was probably part of the job, the attention of having an audience watch you work.

It was your stomach rumbling that eventually made his ear twitch and his attention flip back to you, his eyeline drifted to your stomach and back to your face. As he started to continue walking you tried to reassure him, “We can stay, it’s okay,” but he ignored you, leading the way blindly. 

He had no idea where he was going but you followed him regardless. The only time you stopped him was when you wanted to go into a particular store; you wanted to reach out and touch his forearm or bicep to stop his long strides, but called his name gently instead.

Every time the syllable left your lips he felt a flutter in his chest; he would never get bored of hearing you say it.

After an hour of unintentional shopping you’d collected a few things that you needed for the apartment, and somehow missed the few strange looks that had been thrown your way.

You had managed to show him the majority of the town, when you were really starting to feel the hunger.

“Do you wanna get some food?” you asked, as if you weren’t the one that kept sidetracking your journey to the cafe whenever something caught your eye, and the look Jayce gave you reflected that.

You rolled your eyes with a smile and waved for him to follow, “Okay, okay, let’s go”, luckily the cafe wasn’t far from where you were. 

The door jingled from the bells that hung just above the frame as you pushed it open, the scent of coffee and freshly baked goods immediately filling your senses. 

Casual chatter of customers hummed all around, creating a warm and friendly ambience. 

“I always come here when I’m in town,” you said in a hushed voice as you held the door open for him. He had to duck slightly to not bump his head on the way inside.

As the two of you walked towards the counter the voices around you became noticeably quieter; Jayce hunched his shoulders and neck forward in an attempt to seem smaller but it didn’t help much.

You were more than oblivious to the hushed whispers that followed you the deeper into the cafe you went. 

“Hello!” you greeted the worker, who was busy restocking the bakery display and hadn’t seen you yet, in a joyful sing-song voice like you did every other time you visited.

“Good afternoon, what can I-“ her voice cut off into a surprised shriek as she acknowledged your presence. The tray of brownies she was holding almost scattered to the floor from the full body jump that rocketed through her muscles.

Her attention was not on you or your concerned expression, but on the hulking figure shuffling awkwardly behind you.

“I’m sorry, we don’t allow animals inside,” her statement trembled in her throat, but that didn’t stop your concern elevating to shock, “Excuse me?” you asked politely and blinked at her with the hope that you’d just misheard her.

She cleared her throat with a cough, “It will have to wait outside, we don’t allow animals-“ she started to repeat herself but the shock from how she spat out the word ‘it’ had twisted and evolved into irritation, “It?”.

Even a non-English speaker could’ve understood from the tone of your voice that not only were you insulted, but bordering on anger.

She glanced between Jayce stood behind you and your sharp eyes that dared her to speak again without thinking.

“For hygiene purposes, we can’t have animals in the store,” the arrogant uncertainty in her voice was evidence enough that she was lying but trying to find an excuse to insult him. 

“First of all, he’s not an animal, he’s a person-“ you paused to place your hands on the counter in an attempt to ground yourself and resolve the confrontation, but the way she regarded Jayce with disgust made it increasingly difficult, “- Secondly, with the dirt under your nails I’d say you’re concern for cleanliness is misplaced.”.

The noise that came out of her was a mixture of a scoff and a short laugh. 

Of course, the sensible thing would’ve been to leave the moment she’d opened her mouth. 

However, you’d seen actual animals in this particular cafe on multiple occasions and there was an explicit irony that directly behind her on the wall was a sign written in chalk that said ‘Dog friendly’ with a crudely drawn smiley face.

This was not about animals being near food, this was a specific attack against Jayce and something deep within you would not let it slide. 

“Tell your mutt to leave and I’ll think about serving you,” her eyes narrowed and her lips tightened until they were barely visible.

Adrenaline coursed through you in a burst and your breathing became heavy, but you had to try and remain calm.

“I see that thinking isn’t your strong suit so I’m going to say this very slowly,” your voice was low and almost a whisper as to give her no voice but to listen to what you had to say.

You kept your eyes latched onto her, “I wouldn’t trust you to make a glass of water properly-“ as you were about to continue, another worker, this time a lean brunette man, appeared to your right.

“What’s the problem?” he interrupted with a calm and polite voice which only served to piss you off more. You sighed and gestured to the young girl behind the counter.

“Your colleague had some unprofessional things to say about my friend,” it took you a moment to think of the correct word for him. 

The man raised an eyebrow at you in confusion “Your friend?” he repeated your words back to you but converted it into a question, “Yes, my-“ you turned to look at Jayce but he was no longer there.

Your heart dropped when the space behind you was empty until you saw his silhouette through the condensation covered glass window. 

Arguing with this girl had been so important to you that you hadn’t noticed his departure.

“A hybrid,” the girl spat the words out like she had taken a bite of a sandwich only to find that it was mouldy inside. She folded her arms over her chest defiantly and with a smug smile that screamed arrogance.

“Well,” the man turned his head to his colleague slowly, “We serve everyone here, hybrids included,” he said as if he was reminding her of their policy in real time, and her smile dropped at the realisation that she was not being supported in her discrimination. 

“Please allow us to apologise with complimentary food and drinks for you and your friend,” he leaned over the counter, reaching for something you couldn’t see but you shook your head.

The girl was staring daggers into you and you could sense she knew she was going to be spoken to when you left.

You looked over your shoulder and saw that Jayce was still stood outside, “With all due respect, no,” your words were blunt and to the point. If there was a way for you to voice how angry you were without sounding like a Karen, you would.

“The next time you have an opinion about someone, at least make sure it’s your own and well informed, otherwise you’ll come across like a snivelling bigot,” you shot at the girl before you confidently strode to the exit.

The chiming of the bell when you swung open the door didn’t sound as sweet anymore, and the coffee scent you’d grown to love over the last year tasted sour in your throat.

You couldn’t meet his eye when you were outside again so you kept your gaze to the ground. Something you’d noticed that had become a habit around him.

The feeling of guilt had returned to crawl its way up your throat again; you could’ve done more. You should’ve checked that this cafe was a safe place for him before taking him inside. He must hate you for humiliating him in such a way. You wouldn’t blame him if he wanted to leave and never come back to you.

The door behind you opened with a jingle and you felt irritation seep into your back before you heard the voice of the person who caused it, “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to listen in to your conversation-” you turned to see an elderly lady with a kind smile.

You stepped to the side to let her fully exit the cafe and close the door behind her, “-but I know another cafe that is very hybrid friendly just outside of town,”. The woman peered up at Jayce through her glasses, her gaze unbothered by his appearance, “There’s people like you there all the time,” the wrinkles around her eyes and cheeks creased as she grinned.

Jayce was taken aback by how easily she spoke to him, his eyes wider than usual as he glanced between you and her, “That would be lovely, thank you,” any previous notes of anger in your voice had left you as you handed her your phone to give you directions.

It wasn’t far, but she was right with it being on the outskirts of town, and you were in unfamiliar territory with only your phone navigation as your guide. When you eventually found the building with ‘Paws & Pour’ painted in white italics above the door, you knew you were in the right place.

You chuckled to yourself at the cheesy title they’d chosen, but it was also rather endearing, in a quaint homely kind of way. As you opened the door there was no bell to signal your arrival but an enticing smell of oak and warm tea surrounded you like an invisible mist.

This time you wouldn’t make the same mistake as before. You poked your head through the open doorway to inspect the interior and to check how busy it was inside; something you couldn’t do from the safety of the street due to the windows and door being tinted.

It wasn’t too busy, a few tables were taken but it was quite spacious for how deceivingly small it looked from the outside. 

Your intention had been to ask Jayce to wait outside whilst you asked the barista if it was okay for him to enter, however, before you could even fully step inside a wisp of white flew past as if a momentary blizzard had clipped your vision.

You followed the direction the snowstorm to the corner where a group of beanbags had been strategically placed by the window - a woman with long white hair plonked herself down into a dark blue one, and if it wasn’t for the gentle piano music playing through the speakers, you probably would’ve heard the rustling of the polystyrene shifting inside the fabric as she got comfortable.

She turned to talk to the woman next to her and that’s when you noticed the shoulder length rabbit ears swaying with the movement of her head. Her companion sat crossed-legged in the accompanying red beanbag next to her, and held her mug with both hands. Her black pointy ears twisted like a satellite towards her friend’s voice as she spoke. 

You pushed the door open fully and stepped through the threshold so you weren’t hovering strangely and gestured for Jayce to follow with a reassuring smile. This time he didn’t need to duck to enter the building, but he still hunched his shoulders in an attempt to seem less imposing.

As you approached the counter a feeling of deja vu and dread lingered around you, but was quickly washed away by the couple occupying the booth directly opposite. 

At least you assumed they were a couple by the guy’s hand settled tenderly on the plush skin of her thigh, and the wide-eyed adoration she held for him as he softly tucked a strand of hair out of her face. His proud feline ears were a stark comparison to her cropped crescent-moon’s, despite them both being blonde, only his was a darker shade.

Whatever telepathic conversation they were having through the love-struck gaze they shared was completely lost on the man on the opposite side of the table. Another feline with fluffy pointed black ears atop a cloud of hair the same colour, but he seemed happy enough scrolling through his phone.

That answered one of your questions, this truly was a place where hybrids were welcome.

lockjaw:

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[httqvi]

JAYCE TALIS. ꒰ masterlist. ꒱

CATEGORIES: sfw & nsfw oneshots, drabbles, imagines, headcannons, smaus

LABELLING: ‹3 a favorite, 𖥻 shed tears

[ SFW — ONESHOTS ]

[ NSFW — ONESHOTS ]

lockjaw by oneoftheextras

— 2.7k words. hybrid puppy!jayce talis x f!reader, 18+, hybrid jayce (ears and tail), slight a/b/o traits (could argue alpha jayce), eventual smut, protective jayce, size difference.

[ IMAGINES & DRABBLES ]

[ HEADCANNONS ]

[ SMAUS ]

© httqvi, 2024.

[oneoftheextras]

lockjaw | j.t

masterlist | tip for the author?

paring: hybrid puppy!jayce talis x f!reader

request: after a recent breakup you find yourself adopting a hybrid to keep you company, but he's more feral than you can handle

series warnings: 18+, hybrid jayce (ears and tail), slight a/b/o traits (could argue alpha jayce), eventual smut, protective jayce, size difference

words: 2.7k

chapter warnings: a lot of exposition, but trust me

chapter notes: first time writing a hybrid, let me know how i did, this will be multi-chaptered

part one | part two | part three | part four | part five

want a handwritten letter from a character? / join the discord

When your friend had suggested you get a pet, this is not what you imagined. 

A cat or dog perhaps, even a fish would've made more sense, this whole thing started with you coming into the shelter asking for just that.

You’d asked about their cats or even their smaller dogs, but they’d all either been adopted or were reserved by potential owners.

“Have you considered a hybrid?” Those five words, and your inquisitive “A hybrid?” Is what landed you in this situation.

The lady excitedly lead you through a few different doors until you were in a room that overlooked a large spacious area.

“There’s so many of them,” you muttered to yourself, but it was clearly loud enough for her to hear you.

“Not many people want a hybrid, they prefer a traditional cat or dog,” her tone was melancholic, and a pang of guilt hit your chest. That was exactly what you’d done.

“Chances are the majority of these guys will spend their whole lives here,” she sighed sadly.

A high pitched yelp interrupted her train of thought as she perked up to see who the culprit was. It seemed to be a pink haired girl, her matching feline ears were pressed back against her head whilst another hybrid had their hand raised into a fist.

“Jinx no!” Your guide leaned over the small balcony to scold her. All the hybrid’s snapped their attention to where her voice was, but the blue-eared one slowly lowered her fist and skulked off to another corner; content that the conflict was over the rest of the room relaxed and continued what they were doing previously.

However, one pair of eyes remained on the balcony.

You couldn’t place it at first, but then you spotted him. His eyes were so piercing that you quickly avoided eye contact.

“Who’s the one on their own?” You asked quietly as if he could hear you. The vet leaned into you and the excitement was radiating off of her.

“That’s Jayce, our chocolate Labrador hybrid,” she paused for you to ask questions, but continued quickly anyway.

“He’s been with us for about 3 months, he was completely feral when we found him. He’d been abandoned by his previous owner when he was a puppy and was surviving on his own for so long,” her voice lost its usual joyful lint the more she spoke.

“When he arrived he was practically uncontrollable, we thought we’d have to separate him from the others entirely,” she paused as she realised her voice was getting louder, “But he bonded well with one of our felines, Viktor his name was, but he was adopted quite quickly-“.

The entire time she was talking your eyes kept darting back to who she was talking about.

He was sat in a chair with with his leg on his knee, away from everyone else, his annoyed gaze continuously on the balcony as if he knew he was being spoken about.

“-We encouraged them to adopt the two of them as a pair, but they didn’t want a canine, so he stayed with us. Unfortunately, some of his feral habits returned but he mostly keeps to himself now,” she finally finished her monologue.

You furrowed your eyebrows with empathy and glanced towards her, "He's lonely, like me," you commented and put your elbows on the railing to rest your chin on your palms, overlooking the space again.

His eyes were still on the two of you, you could feel it.

"Do you want to meet them?" the vet asked a little too swiftly.

The thought bounced around in your mind for a moment, contemplating if you should even entertain this idea; but as you looked around the room you felt your heart ache for them.

You sighed as a sign of conceding to the idea, "Yeah, why not?" you pushed yourself up off of the balcony and turned to the vet, waiting for her to start moving.

The smile on her face was one of relief and joy. It was clear that not many people were jumping at the opportunity to adopt a hybrid, let alone even entertain seeing them.

It didn't take long to get to the 'sanctuary' door - that's what she called the main communal area for them - she swiped her key card and the door beeped open.

For some reason your heartbeat increase slightly as you stepped over the threshold and into the room.

"Hello everyone!" she said in a slightly elevated voice, not loud enough to be shouting but loud enough for it to carry throughout the room. "We have guest today, she's very nice so don't worry," she warned them.

Although the atmosphere didn't feel hostile, it didn't feel welcoming either. The majority of them observed you from a distance.

There were so many questions you had, but you didn't know where to start.

"If we take a seat over here we can let them come to us," she lead you to a sofa in the middle of the room, but as you sat down she moved away to a cabinet to retrieve a big folder.

The time you were alone was minimal but a spike of anxiety went through you, some of the hybrids moved closer to observe you but never close enough to speak to any of them individually.

The vet returned and sat next to you on the sofa, placing the big folder onto the table, "We have all the information on the residents in here," she didn't open it but left it for you, if you felt inclined.

It didn't take long for the blue haired feline from before to bound over and sit next to the vet, "Hello sweetie," the vet said as the feline put her head on her shoulder and started playing with her hair.

"This is-" she started, but this time you interrupted, "Jinx?".

Both the vet and Jinx looked up at you when you spoke, "Yes! She's quite the troublemaker, especially with her sister Vi," she pointed at the pink-haired feline that was being bapped earlier.

"I see," you spoke slowly as you opened the folder to their joint page. 'Must be adopted together', it read in bold under their photos.

"As they're actually siblings, we can't have them separated, it wouldn't be healthy," she explained as she started to tighten one of Jinx's braids.

It reminded you of her story from before and you instinctively raised your head from the folder to where the Labrador hybrid was sitting before, he was still staring at you.

"What type of space are you working with?" you were thankful she was asking you questions, you felt completely out of your depth.

Your eyelids fluttered in surprise, he must be territorial, you thought.

"Just a one-bed apartment," you eventually answered. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw the vet lean back to glace at Jayce and her lips curled into a smile again.

"Ah," the noise of disappointment, "That's not a lot of space for play, if you were to adopt it would need to be someone more relaxed,".

She leaned forward and started flipping through the folder, unclipping certain pages and laying them in front of you.

"Unfortunately, they're all a little rambunctious here, but these are who I'd recommend," she'd placed two folders on the table.

"Caitlyn', and 'Ekko", she said aloud even though their names were written down in front of you - Jinx stuck her tongue out and made a 'Bleh' noise when she said Caitlyn.

You spent some time reading their files, they seemed nice enough, two felines; but the whole time you were reading your mind kept drifting back to the one who's eyes you could feel in the side of your head.

"What about-" you started, pausing for a moment to reconsider if you actually wanted to suggest this, but before you could get the courage to complete the sentence the vet interjected with a surprised "Jayce?!".

You glanced up from the pages to ask her how she knew what you were going to say, when you realised there was a large figure basking you in his shadow.

Immediately, your heart started beating quickly again and a nervous rush went through you. "Oh, hello," your voice shook as you spoke.

Now that he was closer you could see that his eyes were a golden yellow, which complemented his chocolatey brown hair pretty well. His nose twitched as if he was also rethinking his approach, or he was catching your scent.

"Jayce, this is..." the vet started the introduction and waited for you to say your name out loud for him, which you did.

His eyebrow raised slightly as he seemed to look you over; from your shoes to the top of your head.

Before, it felt like you couldn't make eye contact with him, but now you were struggling to look away. There was a sadness in his eyes that you recognised all too well, he was lonely too.

Unsure of how to manage the situation, you stuck your hand out for him to shake. He studied your hand silently and without movement, you were starting to think you should put your hand down when he slowly took it.

His hands were large, much bigger than your own and very warm. Although he didn't move his hand, he held a gentle grip on yours and watched where they connected.

"Nice to meet you, Jayce," you tried to say as softly as possible and timidly shook his hand up and down. His brown ears twitched slightly at the mention of his name.

After a few long seconds he let go of your hand and with a quick exhale he walked away.

You blinked a few times and lowered your hand, "Did I do something wrong?" you asked the vet, she chuckled to herself "Not at all, I'm actually surprised he showed any interest at all, he normally never moves from his spot,".

"Oh," was all you could say.

After some time, the vet stood and gestured for you to do the same, leading you towards the exit, "We should leave them to it, we try not to overstimulate them with new people too often,".

Once you were out in the halls again, you asked "Why's his hair so long?". Whilst it wasn't an unmanageable length, it was certainly dishevelled and outgrown.

"He doesn't really let people near him, let alone people with scissors and a razor," she laughed, "Like I said, he still has some feral tendencies, nothing that we're concerned about but it does mean he's a bit scruffy sometimes." she explained.

You nodded slowly to show your understanding. Whilst you felt yourself being drawn towards Jayce, the more you heard about his behaviours the more you were thinking that you weren't cut out to have a hybrid.

"I don't think I’m capable of looking after someone like him," you confessed even though it physically hurt your chest to say.

The vet chuckled again, "When it comes to hybrids, they look after themselves. All you really need to do is feed them, give them a home and attention when they want it.".

She picked up the folder again and flipped through the files, "I know it might seem overwhelming, but we don't just let anyone adopt our hybrids, there's a vetting process to it," she said as she handed you another file.

"What about my apartment? It's only one bedroom, and he's quite..." you didn't know what word to settle on, "Large,".

She nodded at your concern, "Ordinarily, I'd say it was an issue, but for a canine like Jayce, he just needs companionship and intellectual stimulation.".

You took in her words, you were hoping she would agree and tell you that it wasn't possible, that it wasn't meant to be. Then you could let this go and move onto something less demanding.

"Take this home, have a read and see how you feel. If you're still interested we can set up another meeting," you took the file from her and held it close to your chest.

Over the next couple of days, that's exactly what you did.

You read the file over and over, it felt like every detail was engrained into your brain, along with those piercing yellow eyes that were so full of sadness.

He was like you. As much as you hated to admit it, he was your reflection.

"Hello?" you spoke into you phone, the voice on the other end greeted you and asked you to verify your name, which you did.

"How can I help you today?" the receptionist was characteristically bubbly, "I'd like to set up a meeting, please?" you asked hesitantly.

The line was quiet, save for the tapping of her fingers on the keys, "Of course, is that for Jayce?" she eventually said and you felt a bolt of excitement charge through you.

"Yes, please," you confirmed. A few more details were exchanged and the meeting was set, "Perfect, we'll see you tomorrow at 1pm!".

The evening went by too quickly and too slowly at the same time.

Luckily, you worked from home so you were able to be fairly flexible with your availability, despite your morning being relatively unproductive.

Instead of doing your job, you'd spent the first three hours of your shift researching canine hybrids; their needs, requirements and any medical issues.

You'd only just started researching about feral hybrids before you realised the time, 12:30.

When you arrived he was sat in the same chair as before, but this time he wore a black tunic with the sleeves rolled up.

If not for the fluffy ears and tail, you'd think he was a business man or politician of some sort.

As you approached him - with the vet in tow - he stood.

It took you by surprise and your steps faltered. He blinked a few times and his eyebrows softened slightly for a second, before putting his hand out the same way you had a couple days prior.

A soft smile came across your lips as you tentatively took his hand and shook it, he’d copied your gesture to make you comfortable. His touch felt familiar, as if he was someone you’d known for years.

Despite the gentle nature he was showing you, his eyes still bore into you like he was trying to figure out if you were a threat or not.

When he eventually let go of your hand, he sat down and his eyes looked between you and the chair opposite him. He wanted you to sit as well.

You glanced at the soft armchair behind you and side stepped until you were in front of it; before you lowered yourself down, you turned your head back to Jayce to check this is what he wanted.

When there was no change in his demeanour, you plonked yourself into the soft cushions less than gracefully, it was a lot lower and bouncier than you’d anticipated.

“He got this out when he heard you were coming today,” the vet said from behind you, honestly you’d forgotten he was there.

You’d somehow failed to notice that on the table in between the two of you was a chess set, set up and ready for a game.

“I’m sure you’ve already read his file, but Jayce here is very intelligent, he loves these types of games,” the man sounded so proud.

Meanwhile, Jayce stared at him with a displeased facial expression, like he was waiting for him to stop talking.

“I’ll leave you to it, but I’ll be over here if you need me,” the man gave you a small wave as he moved to the other side of the room.

This was the first time you and Jayce were somewhat alone, there was a spark of excitement as well as nervousness.

You just hoped he liked you.

[oneoftheextras]

lockjaw | j.t four

masterlist | help me fund my top-surgery?

paring: hybrid puppy!jayce talis x f!reader

summary: after a recent breakup you find yourself adopting a hybrid to keep you company, but he's more feral than you can handle

series warnings: 18+, hybrid jayce (ears and tail), slight a/b/o traits (could argue alpha jayce), eventual smut, protective jayce, size difference

words: 4.4k

chapter warnings: blood, violence, and angst (trauma), not a lot for this one but its got nuggets if you can find them

part one | part two | part three | part four | part five |

want a handwritten letter from a character? / join the discord

Droplets of scarlet hit the wet pavement under his hands in trickles. The rain tried it’s best to wash away the blood seeping out of the abrasions on his knuckles but it was failing. 

He lifted his hand to wipe away the metallic-tasing liquid that filled his mouth from the split in his lip, and pushed himself back on his knees. 

“Get up, puppy!” the man who’d hit him shouted the pet name with the intent to cause offence. He spat a ball of saliva at him, clearly meaning for it to land on his person, but his inebriated state affected his aim as well as his decision making skills.

Jayce tilted his head diagonally but kept his eyeline to the floor; lips parted as an attempt to inhale the fresh rain-chilled air and calm his growing frustration. It would’ve been refreshing if not for the lingering flavour of iron.

The man, with his companions in tow, continued their approach, “Are you deaf, mutt?” he kicked up a puddle, splashing his already dirty t-shirt with filth, “What’s the point in those ridiculous ears if they don’t work?”.

Jayce shook his head, letting little beads of water fly from his hair, and got to his feet. He noticed how the three pairs of steps faltered for a moment when he’d fully straightened his spine, before they advanced. 

He didn’t want this. All he was trying to do was find somewhere safe and dry to rest for the night and avoid the storm.

“Freak!” one of the men yelled as he lunged forward, a metal pole moved with him like an extra limb, swinging through the air. 

Jayce leaned backwards to avoid it, and the end of the metal skimmed his cheekbone, but didn’t make contact. He used the man’s momentum to push him into the wall of the alley. His head collided with the brick and he slumped to the ground with a groan.

Hold back, don’t hurt them.

Upon seeing their friend get so easily manoeuvred, the other two charged like angry bulls. One tackled his middle section and the other jumped and grabbed him by the roots of his hair.

“You fucking animal!” the one on his torso cursed as he repeatedly punched him in the stomach, while the other shifted his grip to be on his sensitive ears, pulling them until he was hunched over.

He could’ve fought them off, he was physically stronger, but when he saw the crimson streak running down the man’s face - the one who he’d pushed - he knew he shouldn’t.

Hold back, don’t hurt them!

He closed his eyes and inhaled with every strike, it would be over soon. They dragged him to the ground and pushed his face into the dirty puddle that had stained his clothes, the murky water attaching itself to his skin and hair like a fungus.

“Monster!” they spat as they got their last jabs in and left him on the ground to collect their friend, satisfied that he was no longer moving.

Maybe he was a monster, but what else was he supposed to be?

A loud thud shook you awake, your body was on red alert as you jolted from your bed. The room was steeped in darkness, the illuminating glow of the street light leaking through the crack in your curtains was your only source of light.

Blindly you reached for your phone and clicked the button to light up the screen, the eye that was more awake than the other focused on the time; 4:22am.

You rubbed your face and put your phone back on the side, it was too early to be awake yet, so you started to lay back down with an attempt to go back to sleep. However, before your head could fully touch the pillow you heard footsteps from the living room.

For a moment it startled you, the sensation of living alone still second nature, but you settled once you realised it must have been Jayce.

Adrenaline still flowed through you, so there was no chance that you’d be getting back to sleep any time soon. Throwing your blanket off of your body, you stretched and wandered to the living room.

The small reading lamp gave the room a slight orange tint, not enough to hurt your tired eyes but enough to radiate the room with a soft glow. 

“Hey,” you called out to him gently, your voice cracking from the first use of the day. He stopped his pacing when he heard you, and turned to your direction - his hair was ruffled with strands sticking up in places, even the fur on his ears was unkempt.

You glanced down at the couch where the brown fluffy blanket was scrunched up to one side and the pillows slightly torn, their white polyester innards across the couch and some fallen to the ground.

“Couldn’t sleep?” you asked cautiously, trying to ignore how deep the gashes in the fabric were.

He averted your gaze and slowly moved towards the window to observe the street below, his jaw was clenched from gritted teeth hiding behind pursed lips, and his amber eyes were hard and unmoving.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out that something had rattled him. It was unsurprising considering he was in a strange place with new smells and sounds; a lot of the forums said sleepless nights were common for the first few days.

“Do you want some tea or coffee?” you stretched again with a groan and started toward the kitchen but waited for his response before fully exiting the room. The ear closest to you twitched and you saw him briefly look at you out of the corner of his eye.

His body language shifted to indicate he wanted to follow, but something was holding him back. “Well, I’m going to make a coffee, you’re welcome to join me if you want,” you left the door open and decided not to push him any further.

You got two mugs out of the cupboard and set them down on the counter, rubbing your eyes with your free hand - the glare of the kitchen light stung - when you heard footsteps getting closer to you.

Glancing over your shoulder and towards the doorway, you watched Jayce enter slowly. He was cold and somewhat unreadable but you could see the uncertainty in his eyes, so you pulled out one of the stools from the island and tapped it for him to sit.

“Come, keep me company while I wait for this to boil,” you gestured to the kettle, “And…” you extended the word and held it until you found what you were looking for. “I got you these-” you placed a wooden box in front of him and lifted the lid, “-just choose one and let me know, okay?”.

The box contained different packets of tea, each divided into their own section and labelled, you’d bought it specifically for him. 

“I don’t know if I remembered all the ones you had back at the sa-” you paused to correct yourself, “-the other place, but I got a few that I thought you might like,” you rambled as you filled the coffee machine with a pod and put your mug under the nozzle, pressing the button for it to start.

He inspected the box; picking up a packet, reading it, sniffing the outside and putting it back into the box. After the sixth sniff test you were starting to worry if you’d remembered incorrectly.

He inhaled one light-blue coloured one and scrunched his face up with disgust - he doesn’t like chamomile, okay, noted.

“Did you know that-” he lifted his attention from the box to the back of your head while you watched the coffee pump out into your mug and spoke, “-No one knows where chamomile tea originally came from?”.

You twisted the mug on it’s podium so the hand was on the right and let the brown liquid slowly fill it, “Well,” you interrupted yourself, “That’s technically a lie,” you chuckled.

“The first documented use of it is in Ancient Egypt for religious ceremonies, you know, the whole embalming the body so it’s preserved for when they meet the gods type of deal,”.

At one point when you were speaking you’d turned to lean against the counter, but your eye line was still watching your mug. He didn’t know why, but you knew it was because the coffee machine would sometimes cut out while pouring and you didn’t want chunks of granules in your drink.

He observed the side of your face, watching your jaw move as you continued, “It was the Romans who started to actually drink it, and then unsurprisingly, so did the Greeks-”.

The machine stopped pouring and gently beeped to notify you that it was done, so you lifted the cup from its platform and continued making your drink.

“-And they largely documented it as being medicinal- Oh!” you exclaimed as you remembered another fun fact, “Did you also know that the word chamomile comes from the Greek word ‘khamaimēlon’, I’m definitely pronouncing that wrong, but it means ‘earth apple’, isn’t that funny?” you stopped rambling when you turned to him to collect whichever tea sachet he’d picked but realised he was staring at you with a blank expression.

You pulled down the sleeves on your shirt to cover your knuckles when you finally acknowledged his gaze. He noted the gesture and wondered why you did it so much.

“Did you choose one?” you timidly asked, trying to act as if you hadn’t just spewed all your thoughts out at once. Noticing that he had a packet in his hand, pinched between two fingers, you extended your palm to him.

However, instead of giving it to you, he stood from his seated position and ripped open the paper with his teeth, wrapping his hand around the empty mug and placing it in front of him.

“I don’t mind doing it for you,” you stepped closer to him, expecting him to move out of the way so you could take over. As if you were both south poles of a magnet and your proximity repelled him; the closer you got to him the further he leaned away - taking the mug with him, and paper still clenched between his canines.

You recoiled your hand and stepped away, a soft “Okay,” was all you could manage before you returned to your cup and gave him space.

He was more isolated than yesterday. His shoulder muscles tensed when you moved too quickly or closely to him, so perhaps it was best to keep your distance until he approached you.

He trickled the boiling water into the mug and bounced the teabag, submerging it under the water and letting it rise again with delicate precision until he was happy with the colour it had changed to.

“When it’s a more reasonable hour-,” the two of you had made your way back to the living room, “-I can show you around town, what’s nearby and stuff, if you want?” you tucked your legs under yourself as you got comfortable on the couch.

The semi-destoryed pillow puffed out more white innards when you leaned back on it, “We should probably get you some new pillows too, but I don’t know if they do indestructible ones,” you chuckled, trying to make light of the situation.

The whole time you spoke Jayce stood by the large window, staring down at the barren streets below. He held the mug with both hands, the only visible part being the handle hooked over two of his fingers, maybe you should look for some larger cups for him too?

“Or we can stay inside, I’m not working again until Monday, so I’m all yours for two days!”, he glanced at you out of the corner of your eye and you suddenly felt very small again, “Well,” you cleared your throat, “I have chores I need to do, but you get what I mean,”.

A car revved its engine outside and his attention darted back to the intrusive sound, the hairs on his arms standing to attention, leaving goosebumps across his skin. 

The grip he had on the mug was intense, causing his knuckles to start to lose their colour, “Come sit down,” you suggested, trying to hold some authority in your voice but largely failing.

He regarded you again but didn’t move from his post, instead sipping his drink and keeping his eyes on the street.

He reminded you of a sentinel, ever watching and ever on guard duty.

You turned the TV on and quickly muted until you were able to put on some relaxing meditation music which finally made him turn away from the window and towards the TV.

The muscles in his nose scrunched lightly as the wrinkle between his eyebrows deepened, his eyeline switching between you and the TV, “It’s cheesy, I know, but it genuinely does help,”.

There was a moment of stillness, neither of you moved, just the sound of the music filled the air but the atmosphere was anything but calm.

You pointed towards the bag you’d handed to him yesterday which had been placed next to the TV, “Did you take a look inside?”, he shook his head softly and eyed the bag, “Oh! Go get it!” you shuffled with excitement, picking up your coffee cup and cradling it in your hands.

He hesitated but eventually put his cup down atop one of the coasters on the table and retrieved the bag, “Sit, sit, sit!” you tapped the couch next to you like a child about to open presents on Christmas day, but he opted for the armchair adjacent to you.

Maybe you shouldn’t have told him to sit? It slipped out so naturally, but perhaps it came across that you were treating him like an actual dog? You shook your head, trying to ignore your thoughts and instead focus on him.

He put his hand into the bag and slid the first box out, Clue. He turned the box over with confusion and inspected the back, his eyes sliding from side to side - at least that answered a question about whether he could read.

“Have you played Clue before?” you asked. He gently placed the box on the coffee table and shook his head again whilst revealing more board games; Catan, Monopoly, Battleship, and of course, a chess set.

Every box he studied with acute interest, taking in every picture and word on the print like it was the first time he’d seen it. He glanced up to you from the last one, his amber eyes slightly softer and calmer than before, and the corner of his mouth upturned into a subtle smile.

“We can play now if you want?” you placed your coffee to the side and started to clear the table, he shuffled forward to the edge of the armchair cushion and helped you, “You choose, I'm happy to play whatever,” you encouraged him.

He immediately picked up Clue, seeing as it was the one that you'd asked about and seemed the most excited for. When you smiled, he knew he'd picked correctly.

He ran the nail of his pinky along the seam where the lid met the rest of the box, and sliced through the thin plastic wrapping, pulling it off whilst you moved the last few things off of the table. 

Jayce placed the box on the surface and slowly lifted the lid until it popped off, but let you set up the board and shuffle the cards.

You explained how the game worked whilst he picked up each of the small coloured cones and their respective character cards, deciding which one he wanted to play as.

He eventually decided on Colonel Mustard, and chose Professor Plum for you. 

It took him a few rounds to fully understand the mechanics of the game; roll the dice, enter a room and make a guess. He’d write his three words down on a notepad you’d found for him, and the first thing you noticed was how neat his handwriting was.

It was bigger than yours and slightly slanted as if it were in italics, but almost like something you’d expect to find on a fancy sign.

You won the first few games, "Unfair advantage," you'd commented to reassure him, but as you'd expected, he started to pick up your tactics quickly.

“Rope, Library, and Reverent Green?” you recited what he’d written as his next guess and inspected your hand, none of those cards were between your fingers, “I think you’ve got it,” you smiled at him and picked up the envelope in the middle of the board to hand it to him.

He slipped one of his fingers into the sleeve, the paper bending to the outline of his digit and he pulled the three cards out to see if he was right.

He grinned as he turned each of the cards over, revealing one by one.

Reverend Green. He turned the second card over on the board, Rope. He narrowed his eyes at the last card smiling, his canines poking out from under his top lip; as he pinched the card between his middle and index finger to slowly turn it towards you, Library.

He’d won, again. “Damn,” you looked at the spread of cards, the regal yet smug expression on the Reverend's face, sandwiched between the darker tones of the Rope and Library, “Not a bad way to go,” you muttered to yourself with a giggle. 

Your tone wasn’t lost on him. He side eyed you with a raised brow, his expression unreadable but somewhat judgemental. “Sorry, I’m tired,” you said as you fought the rising heat in your cheeks, and rubbed your face with your hand.

The coffee in your cup had long since emptied, as was Jayce’s tea, but he picked up the cards and started to shuffle them again.

You glanced up to the clock on the wall, 6:53am. The two of you had been playing for over two hours, but Jayce didn’t seem the least bit tired.

He organised the cards, reset the pieces and slipped the three winning cards back into the envelope and started to mix the rest together.

His hands moved quickly, like a man who’d spent his whole life shuffling these cards, but your vision was starting to defocus like a faulty camera. Progressively throughout the night you’d slumped further and further into the side of the couch until you were laying down with your arm propping your head up to see the board.

Jayce handed you your pile of cards and rolled the dice, taking his turn first as the winner of almost all of the previous games, but your one eye that remained open couldn’t make out what number he’d rolled.

The last thing you remember was the clicking of his plastic yellow piece tapping gently against the board, signalling every step his character took. He must’ve rolled a five because you heard five taps, or was it four? It was hard to keep count.

When you awoke for the second time that Saturday, although eclipsed by the dark grey curtains that covered the windows, the sun shone brightly alongside the light trickling of rain. 

You stretched your limbs, hearing a few pops and cracks as your joints woke up slower than your brain; and the brown blanket that you’d left at the end of the couch for Jayce slid off of your torso as you sat up.

A groan left your lips as your spine fully extended and the muscles in your arms and legs relaxed from the tension. You peered towards the armchair but found it surprisingly empty, the large figure that had occupied it mere hours prior nowhere to be found. Even the cushion that normally sat there was missing.

With sleepiness still haunting your vision, you stood from the couch and went to pick up the mugs left on the coffee table. The right hand connected with your cup, which was strangely full with luke-warm coffee, and the left hand found nothing.

As if on autopilot, you shuffled towards the kitchen to empty your mug, rubbing your eyes with the back of your hand when you almost tripped on a leg.

Luckily, some part of your occipital lobe was awake enough to notice the limb before you stepped on him.

Jayce was sat on the floor and using the side of the couch as a backrest; one leg bent so he could rest his arm on it and the other - the one you’d nearly stumbled over - had fallen carelessly to the ground and extended in front of him. Becoming the perfect hazard for your clumsy feet.

His head was tilted back and sideways against the arm of the couch, and his eyelids closed with his lashes delicately resting against his skin. His chest rising and falling with every inhale and exhale of deep breath. 

He appeared so peaceful when he was like this, a picture of contrast to his agitated 4am demeanour, but you were confused as to why he was on the floor. Was it because you’d accidentally taken the couch?

You tiptoed over his leg, successfully passing him without disturbance and continuing your journey to the kitchen, when there was a knock at the door. 

The sudden unexpected noise made you jump out of your skin; you were surprised that you didn’t spill the contents of the mug onto the light grey carpet. Thankfully, it stayed inside it’s ceramic container. Coffee stains were a pain to get out of the cheap yarn that the landlords had chosen as flooring.

When you opened the front door you were greeted by the friendly face of your neighbour, “Morning!” you whispered to him as an attempt to maintain whatever tranquillity Jayce had found in your apartment.

“Afternoon?” he laughed back, “Wait, what time is it?” you whipped your head around as if it was even possible to see the living room clock from where you were standing. Instead of ticking hands, you were met with piercing golden eyes staring back at you from the ground. The door was in the direct line of his sight. 

It was hard to break away from his gaze as he got to his feet, “It’s almost 1pm,” your neighbour confirmed, bringing your attention back to the man at the door, “Anyway, I was getting my mail and thought I’d grab yours too,” he extended a handful of envelopes to you.

“Oh, that’s kind, thank you!” you took the letters and smiled at him as if he didn’t do this on a weekly basis, “Not a problem, how have you been?” He put his hands in his pockets and made no gesture to indicate that he was leaving any time soon.

You turned your head back inside the apartment at the sound of a creaking floorboard to see that Jayce was walking towards you and the door whilst stretching his arms above his head.

“I, uh-” you stuttered as you stepped closer to the doorframe and pulled the door with you, trying to hide as much of the interior from him as you could.

“-I can’t really talk right now, sorry, I have company,” you tried to give him the hint to leave. After an already rough first night, you didn’t know how Jayce would react to another stranger within his proximity, and you hadn’t exactly cleared Jayce moving in with your landlord.

“Oh?” your neighbour quirked an eyebrow and smiled at you in a suggestive manner. Whilst you wanted to correct him and explain that it wasn’t like that, you could hear the footsteps behind you getting closer.

You chuckled to him and shrugged your shoulders, “Yeah, can’t keep him waiting,” you played into whatever narrative he had running through his head if it meant he would leave. 

He gave you a toothy smirk and looked you up and down, “Well, at least you’ve moved on,” his comment wasn’t supposed to come across as an insult but the implications stabbed you in the gut.

“Thank you for the mail!” you gave him the falsest smile you could muster after being so brutally and bluntly reminded of your loneliness, “We’ll go get brunch soon and you can tell me all about it,” he whispered to you with a wink before you finally managed to shut the door.

You inhaled deeply and leaned against the back of the door, happy to not be forced into a social situation you didn’t want. 

Jayce had stopped his approach when the door had closed, his nose crinkled up in distaste and his eyes boring into the door as if he could still see your neighbour through it. By that reaction alone, you knew you’d made the right call of not introducing them.

“Mail,” you waved the letters in a circular motion and put them on the table by the door. “I’m sorry I slept in so late,” you apologised, despite being the one that woke up first.

“I propose-” you started as you walked into the kitchen, finally completing your mission of emptying your mug and putting it in the sink to be washed up later, “-We go get you some better pillows, and I can show you what’s nearby, and we can get some lunch while we’re out,” you raised your voice slightly so he could still hear you in the other room.

“What do you think?” you popped your head around the doorframe and found him standing in the hallway as he was before. He opened his mouth widely to yawn; even though he covered his mouth with his hand, you could still see the sharp canines that lined his gums.

He rattled his head as if he was trying to shake away any remaining sleepiness in his body, but eventually nodded in answer to your question.

“Great!” you beamed, almost skipping with joy past him and towards the bathroom, “I’m going to have a quick shower, I’ll let you know when I’m done so you can use it, then we’ll head out,” you tapped the door frame as if you were a judge and your hand was the gavel making the final decision.

You had exactly the lunch spot in mind to take him.

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[oneoftheextras]

lockjaw | j.t three

masterlist | help me fund my top-surgery?

paring: hybrid puppy!jayce talis x f!reader

request: after a recent breakup you find yourself adopting a hybrid to keep you company, but he's more feral than you can handle

series warnings: 18+, hybrid jayce (ears and tail), slight a/b/o traits (could argue alpha jayce), eventual smut, protective jayce, size difference

words: 7.3k

chapter warnings: size difference, a smidge of hunter/prey, and anxious reader

part one | part two | part three | part four | part five

want a handwritten letter from a character? / join the discord

The following weeks were filled with interviews and background tests in between work shifts; you were mentally and physically exhausted.

The vet had pre-warned you with how many hoops you’d have to jump through, but this was more than you had previously anticipated.

They really weren't joking when they said they don't let just anyone adopt a hybrid.

Today was your home inspection. The whole morning had been spent deep cleaning every inch of your home and making it look like something you'd see walking through IKEA.

Once you were done, your apartment was spotless - a bit too spotless.

You sat down on your couch and shuffled around a bit to make it seem at least like someone lived here.

Admittedly, when they told you they would be visiting your home, you'd spent hours searching the internet for how to make your place more comfortable and appropriate.

Looking at different adoption forums to give you an idea of what the inspectors would look for as hazards and immediately removing them from your home.

Candles were bought, lit and then blown out because you didn't like the scent.

Eventually you baked some cookies and left them in the oven after reading that it was an old realtor trick to make a place seem more homely.

Never before had you made such an effort to make your home so appealing.

There was just enough time to shower and get dressed before they arrived, even then, your hair was still slightly damp at the ends when the first knock hit your door.

You gave it one last ruffle with the towel before you opened the door, not wanting to keep them waiting too long and having your first impression be one of tardiness.

"Hello!" you smiled brightly as you swung the door open, seeing the vet who introduced you to Jayce the first time - you'd come to learn that her name was Dr Nala - with a man you'd never met before. His expression was pretty stern.

She greeted you with the same enthusiasm. As she stepped over the threshold of your apartment, your heart thumped in your chest, this was the last sprint to the finish line.

"Have you been baking?" she asked almost immediately and you tried to hide the grin that crept up on your face, not wanting to seem too keen, "I have!" you confimed.

She nodded and continued to follow you through to the living room area, "I'll admit, I don't think I'm very good at it, but when you follow a recipe it's pretty simple," you rambled nervously.

You gestured to the couch for them to take a seat, "Oh, would you like a drink? Coffee? Tea? Water?" the speed at which you were talking wasn't normal for you, and you had to mentally tell yourself to slow down.

"Water would be lovely," Dr Nala spoke gently, but the man just shook his head no.

Hurrying to the kitchen you grabbed your nicest glass and filled it with water, your had was visibly shaking. Inhaling slowly through your nose and out through your mouth again, you took a second to compose yourself.

They had only just got here, you needed to show them that you were capable of looking after someone else, and you weren't going to do that if you were falling apart already.

"I've got this," you muttered to yourself, "I've got this!" you repeated with more confidence.

Handing her the glass of water and sliding a coaster onto the table in front of her to put the glass on, you took a seat in the armchair adjacent to them.

She eyed the coaster carefully and sipped her water, the silence was killing you.

"Your apartment is lovely," she complimented after she'd swallowed her sip, but you could tell she wasn't done, "Is it always this tidy?" she asked kindly, but bluntly.

You let out a small laugh, but when you realised it was a serious question your mind went into overdrive - what was the correct answer?

"For the most part," you settled on, "I try to keep it clean as much as I can, but I'm not obsessed with it being like this all the time," you said with honesty.

The man, who was yet to speak or introduce himself, started taking notes and your heart dropped. That must've been a wrong answer.

"But I'm not a slob or anything!" you quickly redacted what you said, trying to make up for any blunder you'd already made.

"May we have a look around?" Dr Nala asked politely, and you didn't know if you were thankful or not that she didn't address what you'd said.

The speed at which you stood up was too-eager, "Of course!".

'Chill, you need to chill!' Your inner monologue screamed at you.

The two stood almost in unison and followed you out of the room, "As I said to you when we first met, it's nothing big or fancy, just a one-bed apartment," you showed them your bedroom first.

They glanced around the room; one starting with the left-hand-side and the other starting with the right, meeting in the middle at some point to cross over - whilst you stood awkwardly with your arm out like you were presenting a gameshow prize.

"So, this is my bed, obviously," you tried to make it humorous but were really worried it didn't come across that way.

Dr Nala hummed, "Have you thought about where Jayce would sleep?" she turned to you, giving you her full attention and awaited your answer.

"Uh-" you started. No, you hadn't. You'd been panicking so much about passing all these exams that you hadn't given it a moments notice, "-Wherever he wants, I guess?" you couldn't have sounded more unsure.

A dog bed just felt wrong and dehumanising. Yes, technically he was going to be your 'pet', but imagining him trying to curl up on one of those small circular beds on the floor didn't sit right with you.

The idea of finding one big enough to fit him was even worse.

She raised an eyebrow at you, and you knew for sure that wasn't the right answer to give.

"I mean, honestly, I thought he'd like the couch. It's pretty comfortable, and a lot of my research said that's what hybrids prefer!" you began to ramble again.

She watched you as you spoke, "I guess, my plan was to ask him the next time I saw him." you confessed, "And if he didn't like what I have here already then we'd go together to get something he did like," you were thinking aloud and for once you weren't trying to think of the perfect answer.

"Your research?" she repeated your words back to you and you felt a pang of embarrassment. "Yeah! I've been looking up things when I've had the time, to make sure I know what I'm doing before he-" you stopped yourself, "If, he gets here," you corrected.

She stared at you for a moment before admiring your bedroom again, "You care a lot," she commented and left the room, showing herself the rest of your home.

She walked into the bathroom, there was a shower-bath and the essentials with a small roof window for ventilation.

"Is this the only bathroom?" she pointed at nowhere in particular inside the room, "Uh-huh," you nodded, but when she didn't say anything else and simply left, you wondered if one bathroom was enough.

Finally, they moved into the kitchen, observing the area the same way they had every other room.

There was an island in the centre that doubled up as a table with the high stools you'd put there.

"Have you thought about meals?" she asked as her small heels made a clicking sound against the tiles.

It was strange to think that this woman was the same person who had been so excited to show you the hybrids in the first place.

"Yeah, protein is a priority but he'd be able to eat the same things as me as long as it's balanced correctly," you practically regurgitated a sentence that you'd seen online.

She nodded slowly, "He does have his likes and dislikes-" she started to say but you interrupted her, "-I know," you opened a draw and pulled out a notebook where you'd copied the things he didn't like from the file she gave you and slid it across the counter to her.

The pair shared a glance as she read your notes.

"Okay, well we wont take up any more of your time," she smiled again, and the suddenness of their departure made your heart sink, it couldn't be a good sign.

You hurriedly put the notebook back into your draw, "Is it okay? My home I mean?" you were speaking quickly again, "Is it suitable? I know it's small, and he's, well, big, but there's a park close by and I need to get out mor-", she interrupted you by saying your name before you started to spiral too much.

"The main purpose of these visits is to make sure the home is safe and welcoming, the main factor being the person living in it," she chuckled, her pleasant demeanour returning.

She tapped her fingers on the counter delicately and glanced around the room, "It's evident that you care a lot, and want the best for him, and that is the most important thing. I have no doubt he will be very happy here with you,".

"Does that mean I'm approved?" you held your breath, "Well, there's paperwork to fill in, but I see no reason why he wouldn't-", "-thank you, thank you, thank you," you shamelessly jumped off of the floor with excitement.

There were happy tears building up in your waterline that you hadn't expected to be there, just over a month ago you had no clue that Jayce existed, now you were the happiest you'd been in a long time.

"Don't thank us, thank you for giving him a second chance," her tone was kind and full of sincerity.

"Could I try one of those cookies?" the man who'd been taking notes finally spoke. You laughed and nodded, wiping at your eyes to make sure you wouldn't actually cry, and plated the cookies that were still sat in the oven.

He ate one happily and hummed to show his enjoyment. Goodbyes were said and they promptly left, taking the anxiety and weight of the encounter off of your shoulders with them.

The following days were torture. A monotonous cycle of getting up, going to work, spending the evening alone, going to bed and repeating.

Wednesday was the day you were bringing him home.

They'd suggested you visit him one more time so you could let him know the good news yourself, but your workload had increased tenfold due to someone being on maternity leave.

Oftentimes you were working through your lunch break, and the sanctuary didn't allow visits after 6pm.

However, you'd booked Wednesday off as holiday and you were collecting him at 4pm, giving you most of the day to buy some last minute things.

By the time you'd done all of your shopping and put it in the right place inside your home, it was almost time to leave.

All too eager to see him again, you left early - driving perhaps a little too fast along the roads, you made one stop along the way, but you made it there safely.

"Hello, I'm here for-" you started as you walked into reception but they were already expecting you, "-Big day today!" the male vet from your last visit brimmed with excitement.

You chuckled at his enthusiasm and nodded, swallowing back how nervous you were.

He lead you through the corridors that were all too familiar to you at this point, but you took a new turn away from the sanctuary you were used to.

The delay in your footsteps as you slowed at the corner you normally took didn't go unnoticed by him, "He's not in there," he called from the other hallway.

Twisting your head back in the other direction, you continued to follow him, "We have a different pick up point for the ones leaving us, it would be too distressing for them and the other residents to do it in the communal area," he explained.

"Yeah, that makes sense," you shook your head, annoyed at yourself that there was yet another thing you didn't think of, but you didn't have time to self-scold.

He stopped at a singular white door and you felt like your lungs had rolled themselves up like when you're trying to get the last bits of toothpaste out of the tube, all ability to breathe was gone.

The vet grinned at you as he pushed open the door, allowing you to step in first.

For a second you thought your knees were going to give out on you. You couldn't remember the last time you were this nervous.

What if he didn't want to go with you? What if he didn't like you as much as you liked him? What if they were forcing him to leave so they could say they were able to get the feral hybrid adopted?

You shook your head to try and get rid of the bad thoughts but they swam around in your brain like algae in a pond, clinging to every surface.

When you finally entered the room he was in the corner next to the window overlooking the parking lot with his arms folded across his chest, he'd watched you arrive.

"Hey," you spoke softly and made sure your tone was as friendly as it could possibly be to not startle him.

He turned his head towards you and the side of his mouth twitched upwards into a smile for just a second, and you felt a tiny piece of worry fall from the mountain you'd created.

"I assume you know why I'm here?" you queried and slowly approached him, he nodded and his tail swished slowly behind him, but the vet vocally responded for him, "Oh yes, we told him yesterday!", causing his tail to stop just as quickly as it had started.

His interruption irritated you. There was a small part of you that wanted to remind him that you hadn't asked him.

Instead, you tried to not let him sour this moment and kept your focus on Jayce. Watching his body language and facial expressions intently for any signs of discomfort or distress.

"Are you okay with it?" you asked him quietly, your voice unintentionally more hushed than usual so though you were trying to make sure that your words only fell on his ears.

He gazed at you, not really giving too much of an indication of a reply to your question; he seemed somewhat indifferent to the idea.

The pang in your chest returned, it felt like your muscles were closing in around your heart - squeezing just enough to allow it to keep beating but hard enough to make it hurt.

Was this your sign that he didn't like you? That he didn't want to leave?

You shuffled forward but made sure to keep your distance, "If home isn't with me, that's okay," you focused on keeping your voice strong and confident, but couldn't tell if you were failing.

One of his ears perked up when you said 'home', leaving the tips to bounce at the sudden muscle movement.

You noticed it but didn't want to give yourself any false hope, instead you let the sensation flutter across your chest.

"I'd really like it if you did," the sleeve of your hoodie was suddenly very interesting. "But it's your choice," if you were paying attention to him, you would've noticed how his eyebrows lost their tension at the sound of your sincerity.

Inhaling, you braved meeting his eye, "Do you want to come home with me?".

His ear twitched again but other than that his expression remained unchanged, until he nodded.

It was subtle and quick; down and up, down and up, but it was certain.

You exhaled and felt instantly lighter, "I'm glad," you tried to let yourself relax, the first hurdle was done, "Where are your things?". Other than him and the empty table and chairs, the room was barren.

"He doesn't have any belongings," the annoying observer said from the corner he was lurking in, "What do you mean? He has clothes and...", you stopped to think, "What about his chess set?".

"They're property of the sanctuary, they can't go with him," he smiled, but that was the last thing you wanted to do in this moment.

With gritted teeth, you glanced between Jayce and the vet. Apart from the basic necessities to survive, he truly didn't have anything to hold onto here.

How could you have been so ignorant to ask him if he was happy here before? How could he be? The entire structure was a constant reminder that nothing he touched was his to keep. That it could be taken away at the click of someone else's fingers.

Even his own freedom was not his.

That stopped today. You'd make sure of that.

"What about his boat?", "What boat?". The desire to lose your temper was strong, but you knew that would get you nowhere.

"The boat that he made with Viktor?" there was a new tension to your voice that he should've taken for a warning, but unfortunately, he was as oblivious as he was ignorant.

His eyes found the corner of the room as he feigned thought, "I don't recal-", "It's on the top shelf of the cabinet closest to the door," you didn't allow him space to speak.

The look you gave him dared him to try and dispute it with you, "Once we have that, we'll be out of your hair," you forced the polite and soft lint to your voice.

He opened his mouth to speak, but his eyes drifted to the shadow behind you and it promptly closed. He managed to mutter a simple, "I'll take a look," before he left the visiting room.

The air felt calmer now that he was out of sight, but that creeping feeling of anxiety clawed it's way up your throat as you realised that Jayce had witnessed that whole scene.

"I'm sorry," you turned your body to face him but still avoided his eye - instead finding an interest in the scuffed up black brogues he wore, "I'm not usually like...that," you tried to explain, "I just know it means a lot to you and I couldn't stand the idea of them keeping it,".

Jayce observed you as you spoke. He felt no malice in your words, not even when you were addressing the man who made his ears hurt.

He noticed how you rubbed your own arm for comfort, and how you avoided eye contact with him - he wasn't surprised, most people did. He wished you wouldn't; your eyes were kind.

When you found the ground more interesting than him, he resided to the window. All he could do now was wait.

"This one?" broke the silence, alongside the sound of the door swinging shut.

The vet was holding the mechanical boat between his fingers by a thin part of the mast, and a part of you knew he was doing it on purpose.

"Yes, that's it, thank you!" you quickly took it out of his grasp and nestled it into your own like a baby bird that you'd found injured on the ground - like it was the most precious thing in the world.

The sooner you removed Jayce from this building the better.

Something that hadn't exactly crossed your mind was how he would be on the journey home.

You took the lead with him trailing behind you at a larger distance than you'd hoped for, you suppose it was natural for him to be uneasy being outside. It wasn't clear as to whether the vets let them go outside of the sanctuary.

Someone like Jayce probably wasn't given that luxury, with his size and obvious athletic build, they would stand no chance of getting him back if he decided to run.

Influenced by your own train of thought, you peered over your shoulder half-expecting him to not be there anymore. Much to your joy, he was.

Opening the door to your car for him and waiting for him to catch up to you, the thought occurred to you; had he ridden in a car before?

Surprisingly, he sat down in the passenger seat with no issue. Apart from having to duck quite significantly to not hit his head.

Once you'd taken your own seat and closing the door softly, he mirrored your movements, clicking his own door shut.

His nose twitched as he scanned his surroundings. There was a sweet smell that tingled his nostrils and filled his senses, but he couldn't place it.

He checked the seats behind him but it wasn't coming from there. The space between his eyebrows wrinkled in frustration at not being able to locate the scent, it was surrounding him.

"I, uh-" your voice drew him out of his search, "I got you coffee on the way here," you were holding up a light brown cup and he noticed that there was an identical cup in the holder separating your legs from his.

He wrapped his fingers around it and accepted the gift, the cup seemingly significantly smaller in his hand compared to yours.

"I'm sorry if it's cold, we were a little longer than I thought we'd be," he lifted the lid of the cup and appreciated the remnants of an intricate flower design in the foam, parts of it had dissolved whilst it had sat in the car.

He inhaled above the liquid, the scent not dissimilar to the one that clouded his brain, but there were elements missing. As if this was one ingredient in the recipe.

He tentatively sipped the coffee, it was luke-warm, but he didn't mind - it was a gift from you.

The butterflies in your stomach fluttered up into your chest as you watched him; his eyes closed and enjoying his drink. You'd had the coffee the sanctuary offered, and it wasn't good. So, you wanted to treat him to something of quality to start your journey together off on the right foot.

When he stopped for breath you chuckled at the milky foam that had clung to the ends of his moustache, the pleasant sound of your laugh turning his attention to you.

"There's- you've got a little bit there," you tapped your top lip and he quickly wiped it with the back of his hand, missing some bubbles.

Subconsciously, you picked up a napkin and reached for him, intending to clean up the patches he'd missed but he moved back sharply, his ears pressed flat against his head and eyes narrowing with suspicion.

Your breath caught in your throat, a wave of guilt crashing over you. Instead, you left your hand in the air, presenting the napkin for him to take.

"Sorry," you muttered as he slowly took the napkin from in-between your fingers and wiped his mouth.

Be mindful. Let him come to you.

When he seemed to be back to the picture of indifference that you'd come to know, you started the car with a rumble and scrolled through your phone for music to put on for the drive home.

What would he even want to listen to? Did he like music?

Overthinking was going to be the death of you, and you hadn't even tackled getting home yet.

Hitting play, you let shuffle decide for you as you reversed out of the parking lot.

Approximately 10 seconds into the song Jayce leaned over to where your phone was in the holder and pressed the pause icon, the tip of his sharp nail making a pleasant sound against the glass of your phone.

With your concentration being on not hitting any of the other parked cars, or running someone over, you didn't have the opportunity to watch what he was doing.

When the song started from the beginning again, then abruptly stopped and a new song started playing, you knew he'd figured out what each button did.

He eventually settled on a slower song with quieter female vocals and leaned back again, placing his coffee cup into the holder next to yours, and you were on your way home.

The time was closer to 5:15pm and with the colder weather seeping in, it was getting darker earlier than usual, but it worked in your favour as somehow you'd timed this journey almost perfectly.

Whilst you couldn't enjoy the scenery as much as you would've liked to, the orangey-yellow hue of the setting sun traced over the road and cars in front of you.

When you eventually hit the rush-hour traffic and your car became stationary in the line of other vehicles just wanting to get home after a long days work, you allowed yourself to take in the world around you.

It wasn't anything too glamourous, and you'd driven along this road multiple times in the past, but somehow it felt different this time.

The city skyline was silhouetted by the backdrop of the golden hour sun, leaving nothing but tall blacked-out shapes for you to view. It was as if someone had stolen an oil painting and pinned it to the outside of your window.

But the vision that caught your eye was Jayce.

His eyes were closed so gently you may have thought he'd fallen asleep if not for his fingers tapping his thigh to the beat of the music playing. The sun rays were trailing through the glass of the window and laying delicately across his face, highlighting freckles that you hadn't noticed before.

He was at peace, basking in the last pieces of warmth this day had to offer him, and for once his face was relaxed - no scowl or caution on his features.

How long had it been since he'd been allowed a moment of tranquillity to truly appreciate something so minimal, something that you'd taken for granted?

Out of the corner of your eye, you spotted the line of cars starting to move forward again and you debated whether you should hold up the traffic so he could stay like that for just a little while longer, but the honking of horns wasn't worth it.

The car slowly started to move again and, as you'd expected, he opened his eyes at the sensation - for a second you caught how the sunlight refracted in his irises, illuminating the colour to create the illusion of liquid gold.

You wished you could admire them for longer, but with home so close, you didn't want to shatter the moment.

Unlocking the front door was proving to be the hardest task yet. Your hand would not stop shaking.

The constant tremble that plagued your wrist and fingers made it almost impossible to slide the key into the lock.

Did you tidy everything up before you left? What if he didn't like the space?

Well, he'd just climbed three flights of stairs with you and didn't seem the slightest bit out of breath, so he could always run away if he was that offended by your interior decorating.

The door creaked as you held it open for him, "This is us," you said in the softest voice you could muster - the word 'us' felt foreign on your tongue.

He jutted his chin forward, gesturing for you to enter first. Maybe he was just being cautious?

You walked into your apartment the same way you had every day for as long as you'd lived here, putting your bag down on the table and turning towards him.

He stood in the doorway unmoving, his shoulders and the top of his head almost touching the frame, surveying the room with hooded eyes.

Your best guess would've been that he was checking for any dangers, or simply mustering up the courage to breach the threshold of his new home.

His eyes met yours and you realised you were staring. That probably wouldn't help encourage him.

"Take your time, I need to get something," you tried to hold your head high and straighten your back as if the weight of worry wasn't compressing your spine.

You stepped out of his line of sight and into the hallway that connected to your bedroom and bathroom. Turning right, you chose the former - you'd have to remember to close your door when you slept from now on.

A quick inhale to try and starve off the nerves that lingered, then you picked up a pile of things you'd purchased earlier in the day.

There was a doubt in your head that if you glanced towards the front door that it would still be open but the doorframe empty. If you didn't look then, if you were right, you could live in ignorance.

You exited your bedroom and turned left towards the living room again, but hit a solid wall and stumbled backwards - it was your fault for keeping your eyeline on the things in your arms.

A stupid thought created an unnecessary fear of your own front door and had caused you to slam into a building structure that had been there for a year.

But you hadn't. When your eyelids opened from the shock, you were exactly where you thought you'd be - your back on the floor, staring up at the ceiling of your hallway.

Jayce stood as the blockade between yourself and the living room. He glanced down at you with a cocked eyebrow and a crinkled nose of confusion. He'd followed you once you were out of sight and just so happened to collide with you.

With him staring down at you from such a height, you understood why the other hybrids at the sanctuary didn't invade his space. He was intimidating, even if he wasn't trying to be.

His shadow cast over you and shrouded you with ease, and his bright eyes pierced through the darkness like the sight on a gun lining up it's target.

Your chest moved up and down rapidly, your mouth going dry, the familiar feeling of inferiority fell over you the same way it had when you were playing chess against him.

He stepped forward and your breath hitched in your throat, images of his sharp canines and pointed nails flashed in front of your eyes - was this the type of mistake you heard about in true crime podcasts?

He saw the glossy fear in your eyes. He saw it in a lot of people, he'd become accustom to the gaze of alarm staring back at him.

Something about that tension in your eyes, paired with how helpless and small you were on the ground made his heart beat harder and his mouth salivate. For what reason? He was unsure.

He shook his head - his fluffy ears waving with the motion - and he averted his gaze as he lowered himself to the ground, bending at the knees until he knelt on them.

As his shadow shrunk so did your worry. You were unable to move for longer than you would've liked, it reminded you of a rabbit in headlights.

When he started to pick up the pieces of clothing and paper bags you'd dropped you finally snapped out of it, getting up off your back and helping him collect the discarded objects.

"T-Thank you," it came out as a tremble so you cleared your throat.

He didn't hand you the things, instead he backed out of the hallway and stepped to the side so you could pass.

You shuffled past him and gently dropped everything onto the couch, "These are actually for you!".

The assortment laid in a mess on the couch so you tidied them into piles as you spoke, "I didn't know what you'd like, or what would fit you, so I had to guess," you placed the clothes onto one cushion, and the paper bags on the other.

He picked up one of the tops you'd bought for him and held it up, by visuals alone it seemed like it would fit him. He pinched the fabric of the white button-up shirt he was wearing and looked at you.

"You don't have to wear them if you don't want to!" you stepped back from the couch to give him some space, "But I thought you'd like to have a change of clothes, something more comfortable," you called behind you as you entered the kitchen.

It was getting late; you were slightly hungry, and you weren't sure when he last ate so you pre-heated the oven and got to work.

After around thirty minutes of quiet - apart from the sound of the oven humming and water boiling - you grew worried.

You were sure he would be okay, but were you doing the right thing by leaving him to his own devices so soon after he got here?

Most of the forums and blogs you'd read told you that it was best to let them find their own way around the home. In some cases they recommended isolating them to one room until they were used to the smells and sounds of their new home.

Jayce was intelligent, which was great but it causes other problems to arise.

He'd picked up on things just from simply observing you doing them once, whether you were aware of it or not. Which posed the question of, was he like other hybrids?

Would keeping him in your living room for a few days be helpful, or would that freak him out- no. You promised yourself and him that he would have his freedom, which meant he could go where ever he wanted when he wanted.

Once you'd plated the food and slid it over to the counter where the stools were, you thought you'd better go and find out what he was doing and why the apartment was so quiet.

"Jayce?" your voice carried through the hall and hit his ears like a song. It was the first time you'd called him by his name, and he wanted to hear it again.

It wasn't condescending or overly high pitched like how the vets would say his name, you said it with sincerity and kindness. One he didn't hear very often be associated with himself.

When you found him still in the living room, you were greeted by the sight of his bare back, toned and muscular with scars scattered over the tanned skin. "Oh, I'm sorry!" you apologised for the fourth time today.

Your hands shot up to your eyes to give him some privacy, and you turned around leaving almost as quickly as you'd entered, "Foods ready, it's in the kitchen whenever you're done!".

Eventually, he joined you in the kitchen, having now put on a plain black t-shirt and changed into jeans instead of the tattered white shirt and suit trousers he'd arrived in.

As he entered the kitchen you noticed he was holding one of the t-shirts you'd bought for him. It was a light grey long sleeved polo. His eyes flitted up to yours as he handed it to you sheepishly.

You cocked your head with confusion and looked at the fabric, "Did you not like this one?" you asked as he slinked onto the stool in front of one of the plates.

"I didn't know what you liked-" you held up the polo in front of you and stopped mid-sentence when you realised why he had handed it back to you, and more importantly, why he was being avoidant.

There was a tear across the chest, the soft fabric frayed as evidence of a battle lost against a muscular build.

"That's okay!" you tried to hide the chuckle that wanted to leave you, "At least I know what size not to get you from now,". He visibly relaxed, his shoulders lowered as they lost some of their tension.

You folded up the shirt and put it on the counter next to your phone. Sewing it up was always an option, or you could rip it into pieces and use it as dish cloths?

He seemed more comfortable now, chewing on the chicken you'd made slowly as if he was savouring the texture and flavour with every bite.

Despite his nature, he slowly and cleanly ate the food you'd prepared, there was no trepidation about using cutlery either. So you were beginning to wonder if he was actually as feral as the vet had described.

The atmosphere was pleasant. For once you weren't unhappy with someone else being in your space, normally you'd be relatively uncomfortable when another person invaded your home, but there was a familiarity with Jayce.

Other than his large frame being slightly out of place at your counter, it was as if he'd always been there, part of the furniture.

Your train of thought was disrupted by the sound of your phone vibrating across the hard counter top.

The screen lit up with a name you were sure you wouldn't see again, it stopped you in your tracks like flashbang. "I-" you started to say, as if talking to the inanimate object would make it stop.

With a slightly raised heartrate you reached a shaky hand out and tapped the red 'hang up' circle.

Why was he calling you? You'd made it pretty clear that you didn't want any further contact with you after what he'd done, but you couldn't bring yourself to block his contact at the time, and evidentially, you'd forgotten.

Without realising it, you'd been staring at your phone for a good minute before you came back to the present.

You finally tore your eyes away from the screen, "How's the food?" you managed to say, but any sort of response Jayce could've give you was cut short by the annoying buzzing noise echoing on the polished wood.

Jayce's ears flattened against the back of his head at the intrusive sound, and you blinked in semi-disbelief and semi-irritation.

You pressed the hang up button more aggressively, swiped the screen down to turn it onto do not disturb, and placed your phone face down.

"Go away," you whispered to yourself, and Jayce's left ear twitched forward at the hushed tone of your voice.

You stabbed your fork into your food harshly and put it into your mouth, chewing it as you leaned your cheek on your fist.

Thoughts of the past crept their way into your mind, and it was noticeable on your face. You were so occupied with internal questions that you didn't notice Jayce staring at you.

A low huff came from across the table and you looked up at the sound. He was regarding you expectantly; his amber eyes hard and waiting.

"What?" you mumbled with your mouth still full of food. His eyes darted to your phone and then back to your face, and you knew what he was asking, but you weren't sure if you wanted to go there tonight.

Inhaling deeply, you thought about how to respond, "It's nothing," you waved your hand and glanced back down at your almost-empty plate.

He tapped the space on the counter between your plates and twisted his hand to point two fingers upwards towards his face, silently saying, 'Look at me,".

It worked as you re-met his gaze, his stare was still intense but there was a note of curiosity? No, concern perhaps? It was hard to read him.

"Okay, it's not nothing," you sighed, "I'll explain it to you some day, but not tonight, please," you struggled to hold his eye contact, but your response seemed to sedate him as he nodded and returned to his food.

Once you'd finished your meal you put the dishes in the sink and realised it was much later than you thought. "I guess I should give you a quick tour," you laughed as he stayed sat at the counter.

"Obviously this is the kitchen-dining area-" you waved your arm across the room, "-the plates, mugs, and glasses are in here," you opened and closed one of the cupboard door to show him.

"Dry food in here, if you ever get hungry and want a snack," you did the same with the cupboard next to it. "Pots and pans in there," you pointed at one of the lower doors, then to the one next to it, "Cleaning supplies,".

"Fridge, and oven," you put your palm against each metal surfaces respectively, then started walking out of the room, waving for him to follow you, which he did.

He followed you through the living room and into the bathroom, "There's only one bathroom, and unfortunately there's no lock-" you half-closed the door to show him that you weren't lying, "-So, I guess we can have a rule where if the door is closed then don't go in?" you shrugged as you thought out loud, "Or, knock?".

He seemed to understand what you were saying, so you started to head back to the living room, but stopped at your bedroom.

"This is my room-" you reached around the door frame and switched on the light, and realised that you hadn't actually tidied it before his arrival, "-you can come in here if you want, but you probably wont need to," you turned the light off again before he could fully register how messy it was.

Moving back into the living room to grab the blankets and pillows you'd bought for him, "That's everything! I know it's pretty small but it's cosy," you ran your hand nervously over the fluffy brown fabric.

It was complete coincidence, but the blanket you'd bought him was the same shade as his ears and tail.

Extending it out for him to take, you looked up at his face, "I didn't know how or where you'd want to sleep, but the living room is yours," when he took the bedding, you rubbed the back of your neck.

"We can get a different couch if it isn't comfortable, or one of those pull out ones that turn into a bed," you rambled as you mimed what you were describing.

He just stood, holding the bedding, watching you word-vomit to him. He didn't wait for you to stop talking before he started to set up the couch as his bed for the night, and you took that as a sign to stop talking.

It had been a long day filled with new experiences, he was probably very tired.

"I'm going to leave you to it and get ready for bed, there's a toothbrush and stuff for you in the bathroom, use whatever you want," you pulled at the sleeves of your sweater for comfort.

This was the first time you had a guy stay over, granted the situation was vastly different from the usual circumstances someone would think of if you said there was a man staying the night.

But this one was here to stay. It was his home too now, and things were most certainly going to be different from this point on.

"Goodnight, Jayce," you smiled at him softly and gave him space to take everything in. You just hoped he'd be happy here with you.

taglist:

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[oneoftheextras]

after heavy inspiration from @madschiavelique i have made an oc for lockjaw

i'm writing my own little spin off thingy for him and jayce, i might post it - it's purely rough and aggressive self-indulgent smut for puppy hybrid jayce

lemme know if i should post it, or post snippets or keep it to myself lol

[oneoftheextras]

lockjaw | j.t two

masterlist | help me fun my top-surgery?

paring: hybrid puppy!jayce talis x f!reader

request: after a recent breakup you find yourself adopting a hybrid to keep you company, but he's more feral than you can handle

series warnings: 18+, hybrid jayce (ears and tail), slight a/b/o traits (could argue alpha jayce), eventual smut, protective jayce, size difference

words: 3.8k

chapter warnings: predator/prey vibes, the slow burn begins, mentions of a bad relationship

chapter notes: chess descriptions but easy to follow, salo is reader's ex

part one | part two | part three | part four | part five

want a handwritten letter from a character? / join the discord

The game started quickly, although you hadn’t played chess in years so you weren’t putting much thought into your moves.

The fabric bottom of the metal pawn made a satisfying but muted click as you put it down on the metal square.

Jayce cocked his head to the side by no more than an inch, staring at the pawn with furrowed eyebrows. After a few seconds, his eyes moved to you.

Even though he didn’t say anything, his facial expression spoke for him. ‘That was a stupid move’.

He continued his eye contact with you as he picked up his bishop and slid it diagonally across the board until it collided with your pawn with a melodic ‘tink’ sound.

As he lifted up your pawn and put it on his side of the table you realised just how smart he was, and that you’d clearly insulted him.

For a second you felt ashamed of the assumption you’d made. For thinking this would be an easy win.

“Okay, Jayce. Game on,” you said quietly to him and readjusted yourself in the chair; your voice carried a playful and challenging tone which made his ears twitch.

He liked how you sounded when you were having fun and not overthinking your words.

He looked up at you through the strands of hair that fell in front of his face, the side of his mouth curled every so slightly upwards into a cocky smirk.

It was so subtle that you almost missed it, but it was as if to say ‘Challenge accepted’.

After a mere eight minutes you knew you’d lost the game.

All you had left was your king, a castle and a handful of pawns, whilst Jayce’s side of the board was heavily populated.

Staring at the pieces wasn’t going to win you the game, no matter how hard you studied them. A hundred different moves had gone through your thoughts but not one of them would help.

Jayce exhaled through his nose and leaned backwards in his chair to watch you, he was letting you take your time but he was also very aware of your impending loss.

You glanced up at him with a somewhat pleading look, silently asking him to show you mercy and not rub it in too much.

If he was thinking of finishing this quickly then his face showed no signs of it.

When you eventually made your move he sat forward, his forearms leaning on his thighs to interlock his fingers together in thought.

Even you knew he didn’t need to think about it for as long as he was, any move would mean you were one step closer to defeat.

There was a clear space for him to seize your castle and leave you with only two pawns to protect your king, but he didn’t take it.

Instead, he moved his own pawn forward. A seemingly useless move that achieved nothing, but the small smile on his lips indicated he was up to something.

Quirking your head to the side to ogled his piece with confusion, you tried to understand why he'd make such a move.

His eyes gave nothing away. He simply leaned back in his chair again and rested his mouth against his knuckles as he watched your reaction.

You moved your castle into a more offensive position, trying to create a protective wall around your other pieces, but Jayce moved his pawn closer.

His queen was still in play, as well as other more threatening pieces, so you were perplexed as to why he was only moving his pawn. It was only when he slid it one space forward so it was diagonally next to your castle, that it clicked.

The pawn was in position to take your castle, but your castle couldn't attack the pawn - it's only option was to retreat.

You glanced up at him from the chess board and he did the same, your eyes meeting for a second before you relented and moved your castle horizontally a few spaces to save it the embarrassment of being taken by a pawn.

A low chuckle came from Jayce's throat; it took you back for a second - you were pretty sure that was the first noise you'd heard him make.

He reached over the board and moved his bishop into position to block your two pawns and your king into the corner.

With a loud sigh, you moved your pawn back a space to buy you some time to think of what to do, but he immediately moved the bishop closer.

One diagonal square at a time he enclosed your pieces into the corner. He could've done it all in one move or even ended the game several moves ago, but he wasn't.

"I surrender," you threw your hands up in defeat, but when you saw the determination mixed with something similar to playfulness in his golden irises, you started to understand why he was drawing this out.

He smiled for a moment and you spotted his sharp canines peeking out from under his scarred lip; the sound of your forfeit was pleasant to his ears, evident from the bristled fur around the base - but he wasn't interested.

He wanted to corner you. Trap you with nowhere to go. Then he would take his win.

Eventually, he took your castle and one of your pawns, leaving you with nothing but a singular pawn to defend yourself.

There was nothing you could do but back yourself into the corner until there were no more spaces left.

The glint in his eye only shone brighter once you moved for the last time, his pieces surrounding yours; that's when you finally understood fully.

He'd played with you, hunted the pieces down until all that was left was him to take them - it was like a bright neon sign had switched itself on in your brain to give you a deadly reminder:

'Unfortunately, some of his feral habits returned but he mostly keeps to himself now'

The vet's voice reverberated in the back of your mind as you pushed your last pawn forward and into the firing line of his, your heartbeat quickened as if it was yourself stepping into the jaws of the starving beast.

Jayce's tongue darted out to wet his lower lip as he collided his bishop into your pawn, he picked up your piece and placed it with the others he'd captured.

He gazed up at you with triumph, his pupils slightly enlarged compared to before, but apart from the small signs you'd picked up on he seemed completely calm.

"You won," you said slightly-breathlessly, and he held your gaze.

For a moment, you were unsure if he was done with you. His stare was intense and hungry. He no longer looked like a chocolate Labrador, moreso a wild wolf.

Then he broke the eye contact and started to reset the board.

You felt like your breath had been returned to you, as if he'd released you from whatever cage he'd put you in.

Maybe it was just you being too cautious, and you'd misread him. Maybe you were unfairly making assumptions based on what you knew about his past.

"Some tea before you go?" the man from before was stood next to your table, holding a tray with two cups and a teapot on it.

"Before I go?" you queried and glanced towards the clock on the wall - you only had around 17 minutes left of your visit. Somehow the conclusion of that game took nearly 30 minutes.

The man slid the tray onto the table next to the chess board and Jayce side-eyed him as he leaned down but continued to reset the board.

"Pick whichever flavour you like," he gestured to the small box with multiple different colours of teabag packets, and took hold of the teapot and poured hot water into the cup he'd put in front of Jayce.

As he went to pour the water into your cup too, Jayce tapped his hand firmly and grabbed hold of the handle, forcing the vet to let go and give it to him.

He then slowly and gently poured the water into your cup for you before placing the pot softly back down on the tray. His actions and demeanour were a stark contrast to how he was a few moments ago.

"Oh, I don't think you'll have time for another game, sorry buddy!" the vet cooed at him as he returned to putting the chess pieces back into place.

Jayce gave him a scolding glance, but ignored what he was saying. If you were being honest, you didn't like the tone he was using with him. It was similar to baby-voice with an infant; it was condescending.

"Thank you," you smiled at the vet as an indication that he could leave as you picked your tea flavour and submerged the bag in the hot water.

When he eventually left there was silence around you and Jayce again, and you wondered if he would talk - or if he even could.

You'd heard him laugh earlier so you knew he had human vocal chords, maybe? You'd have to research it when you got home.

When he was done resetting the chess board, he picked his own tea flavour and put it into his own cup, repeatedly dunking it with his teaspoon.

"So..." you awkwardly attempted to start the conversation, and his eyes darted up to yours at the sound of your voice.

"Do you like it here?" was the first question you could think to ask, but his quirked eyebrow and facial expression was all the answer you needed.

Of course he didn't. It was the equivalent of the pound, or an orphanage, just fancier and cleaner.

"Sorry," you rubbed the bridge of your nose with the hand that wasn't holding the teacup, "I've never been very good at small talk," you laughed nervously.

He observed you as you sipped your drink, he noted how delicately you blew on the hot liquid so you wouldn't burn yourself, and how you struggled to keep eye contact with him.

You were certainly different to the other people who walked through that door, especially the people who worked here.

"I don't really know what to ask you, I'm not usually the one who carries a conversation," you confessed as you put your teacup back down on the tray and glanced around the room.

The other hybrids were out as well, but other than a few curious peeks in your direction, they'd stayed away.

It wasn't surprising that they kept their distance. From the brief moment that you'd stood opposite him, you got a gage for how big he was.

Not just tall, but muscular as well - if you were a hybrid you'd probably keep out of arms length as well.

"Why do you stay here?" you asked suddenly and before thinking. He stared at you with no indication of a response like earlier. "I mean-" you tried to reword your question, "-I guess you don't really have a choice-", his eye flitted to the ground for a millisecond then back up to you, confirming your words were true.

"-But you can clearly look after yourself fine, and physically you wouldn't have a problem fighting anyone off if you needed to," you gestured to his bicep and his attention went down to his own arm.

The shirt he was wearing was very flattering for his physique, but you hadn't meant to point it out so blatantly.

"What I'm trying to say is, if you wanted to leave you probably could, so why do you stay?" you concluded, unsure if anything you just said made sense.

He didn't move for a moment and you were afraid that you'd insulted him, but then he suddenly pushed himself up and startled you in the process.

He walked over to one of the cabinets on the other side of the room and you watched how confident his strides were, his fluffy brown tail swishing behind him with every step. Other eyes were on him too, clearly it wasn't often he moved.

He reached up to one of the high shelves and picked something up, cradling it in his hands until he could hand it to you.

You took it as gently as you could, it was a small metal boat - despite it's size it was very detailed.

There was a tiny crank on the side, which he reached down and delicately started to wind it up, which made the circular engine move; you were sure if you put this into water it would be a functioning machine.

He took it from your hands to turn it over for you. That's when you saw the engraving on the side, 'V & J'.

"You made this?" you grinned with surprise and looked up at him. You hadn't realised, but he had put one hand on the back of your chair and was leaning over you.

He bent down, even closer than he was before and tapped the 'V' on the boat specifically, then it clicked what he was trying to say.

"Viktor?" you whispered. His expression softened and he nodded, "He was your friend wasn't he?" you asked and he smiled sadly - he clearly missed him.

Then it all made sense. Why he was showing you this, after your specific line of questioning.

Never before had you looked at someone and so clearly seen yourself staring back. "You don't want to be alone," you said aloud, and this time you were unsure who you were saying it to; yourself or him.

He picked the boat up gently and let it sit in the palm of his hand to observe it again. He started poking and prodding different parts and you could almost mentally hear him criticising his own work.

"I get it, in my own way," you reassured him, and a part of you wanted to take his hand - enclose as much of him in your grasp as you could, to let him know that it was okay to feel what he was feeling - but neither of you were ready for that.

He glanced from the boat to how you were admiring his work and it made his chest warm up. The way you took in every detail and really appreciated it was something he hadn't felt in a long time.

"The whole reason I'm here-", "Okay guys, that's one hour!" the vet clapped his hands from his seat across the room, and Jayce's ears flattened at the loud sound, causing the confession to die on your tongue before it could begin.

The bubble of comfort around the two of you had been abruptly popped before it had even finished forming.

You stood slowly, glancing between Jayce - who was staring daggers - and the vet.

"Right, yeah," you acknowledged his announcement and stood from your chair, "It was nice to meet you properly, Jayce," you said softly as you stepped away from him reluctantly.

He smiled for a second before his expression returned to the neutral scowl he had when you first saw him, and he sat back down in his chair as if you'd never arrived.

There was a pang in your chest when you looked over your shoulder one last time as the sanctuary doors swung shut, blocking your view of him.

An arbitrary afternoon of work bled into an evening of solitude. You sat on your couch and mindlessly flicked through TV channels, finding nothing of worth for you to watch.

It was hard to not think about him, especially when you were alone. What was he doing right now? What were they allowed to do in the evenings?

It was so blatantly obvious to you that you weren't ready for this type of commitment yet; you had no idea how to take care of a hybrid let alone one like Jayce.

Jayce.

His face flashed in your mind. His sad golden irises, his momentary smiles, and the gentle way he handled something so dear to him.

That pain in your chest hit you again, "You deserve someone better," you muttered to yourself and picked up your laptop.

The email to the vet was written within the hour; a simple explanation that, whilst Jayce was lovely and he hadn't done anything wrong, you felt you weren't the right fit for him.

But pressing send was proving impossible.

The tip of your finger had been against the mousepad for longer than it had taken for you to write the email; reading and re-reading your own email back to yourself over and over again.

Would they show him it? Would they let him know that you wouldn't be seeing him again? Or would he eventually realise you weren't coming back?

A singular tear that you didn't know was forming dropped from your waterline and hit the back of your hand; at the same moment your phone rang.

It was your friend, the one who had originally recommended you get a pet. The one that started all this.

"Hey?" you answered the phone with a shaky voice and a sniffle, "Hey, what's up?" your friend's voice travelled through the speaker but you could tell she'd picked up on the fact you were crying.

"Not a lot, you?" your answer was a cookie cutter response and she knew it, "What's wrong?" she ignored your question and instead asked her own.

A puff of air, which you think was supposed to be a laugh, came out of you, "Nothing, I'm fine!" you protested, but the silence on the other end was evidence enough that she didn't believe you.

"Tell me," she eventually said, and you caved.

"You know how you suggested I get a companion after Sal-", "We don't say his name in this household," she interrupted you, "But yes, I do, continue,".

A sad sigh left your lips, "Well, I think I found one, but he's-" she injected again, "Oooh! Tell me everything! Cat or a dog? I'm going to guess a little kitty," she was more excited than you were originally.

It sat with you for a moment; you wanted to tell her everything but the subject of hybrids had never come up before with her and you weren't exactly sure if it would go down well.

"He's a dog," you scrunched your face up at your own words, you hated referring to him in such a basic way.

A surprised sound came from your phone, "A small one though, right? Like a dachshund or something?", this time you were the one that was silent.

"A Labrador," you muttered, "Quite a big one too," you clarified.

She said your name in a scolding manner, "Do you have enough space? Do you know how much energy they have? It'll wreck your apartment!".

"He's actually very calm and polite," your words came out more defensive than you meant them to, "Polite?" she laughed at your choice of words.

"I'm more worried about if I can take care of him properly," you admitted, "Dog's are easy; walk them once a day, feed them and let them out when they need to shit!" by the tone of her voice, she was finding this all very amusing.

You opened your mouth to explain how different your situation was, but the sentence died in your throat, knowing it would cause more questions than you'd be able to answer.

"He's a rescue though, that's what I'm worried about," you thought hard about your wording, "He was abandoned really young so he's lived his whole life fending for himself until recently,".

"How recently?" she asked her voice becoming more serious. "I think they said 3 months- but he's adjusted really well!" you started to counter any arguments she was thinking of putting forward.

You retold the story of how he'd befriended a feline and it had grounded him, obviously rewording some parts.

"That's a good sign that he was chill with a cat, not a lot of dogs are like that," she paused for breath, "What's his name?" she asked.

Your heart skipped a beat and you smiled to yourself, "Jayce," you said with a giddiness you didn't know you had.

"Is he cute?" her second question came, and immediately your brain filled with images of him.

His strong jaw, his prominent cheekbones, his muscular frame, and his ears that looked so soft to touch.

"Y-Yeah, he is," your smile widened, "Then what is it that you're actually worried about? 'Cause you seem to like him a lot," she cut straight to the point.

Your grin started to fall, "I guess-" you started, inhaling deeply to prepare yourself for what you were going to say, "I guess I think he's better with someone else, who's adopted a rescue before, and emotionally together,".

This was something you'd only thought about, but for the first time you were speaking it aloud, "After Sa-" you started, but stopped yourself, remembering her rule about his name, "-After everything with him, I haven't been my best self, you know?" you vented.

She hummed as a sign that she was listening to you. "He needs someone who will take care of him properly, not make him worse," you concluded, slightly breathless from the confession.

"My mom adopted a rescue a few years back," she started what seemed like a tangent, but you let her continue, "My dad was so against the idea, but once my mom had met her there was no changing her mind, they'd bonded almost instantly."

You knew the dog she was talking about, you'd met her once and you'd had no idea she was a rescue until now.

"The little shit spent months warming up to her, but you could see it in her big soppy eyes that she adored my mom, but was scared to trust again," as she spoke, sad golden eyes flashed in your mind.

There was a short pause as you heard your friend sipping whatever drink she had before she continued

"What I'm saying is; yeah, rescues are hard work, but once you earn their trust, there is nothing stronger," she sounded uncharacteristically philosophical.

You nodded even though she couldn't see you. "I get what you're saying," you verbally confirmed so she knew you were still listening.

"Anyway, you might find that he brightens your miserable-ass up and makes you fun again," she insulted you but you knew it was meant with love and she was only semi-serious.

"Yeah, you're right," you said absent-mindedly. She quickly changed the subject and started to talk about how her day had been and how her girlfriend's birthday was coming up soon and she didn't know what to get her.

As she spoke, you listened but dragged your cursor over to the 'Delete' button of your email and confidently clicked your mousepad without a second thought. Your moment of doubt, and email, gone.

taglists:

all:

@mylife-demonstrates-murphys-law @hereticpriest @enagmaticether @anxiousgoddest @kodzu-ken @moonnei @diesinspanishbcimhispanic  @fvckmeupyoonz @homosexualjohnwayne @notplutos @moth-baybee @answer-the-sirens @ochakoakabane

lockjaw:

@jijihana @ k00yaa @ die-prophetin @slugstarzz @v1tale @bigchungusdrinksspritecranberry @pipsqueakpiper @lovely-dove69 @forcefullyawake @philwrites @mkelly16 @mymidnightsky @hydrasgarden @bak-eri @sweet-potat0 @shybookdragon @risingofjupiter @lostsoul526 @belm4rie @calciferthelivingfire @kiannaf @bottlcaps @bellizs @lewd-alien @xynokune @blinkerteleporthero @ciai5v-blog @pink-ys-world @sym6olism @roku907 @tati-the-fangirl @avtrsiren @cheesestickz @night-fall-moon @thegothicfox @jellyfish-princess3 @moonlitlovver @1-800-powpow @ssseu4643 @lethargicluv @katsutoria @greatbeautyoflife @morosluvbug @croweyes @memoysie @wonyexe @izakyun @funktchonalhuman3 @cumberdaddys @victoria2054 @sweetdayme4427 @undergroundratwatcher @heyimolive @bru5678 @accliahowl @2000m1n @captain-aulasy @pyro-arts0nist @iogutwsm @tigerlily7270 @opossumclown @yuren-sj @mioblobby @craxkbaby @avivamaligua-blog @madschiavelique @puppyminnnie @jackiekennedysxx @izabell26 @novausstuff @blanksy @alox @ribrye @prolongedmonologues @lananotdelreytbh @fleurlust @microsketchy @paudemuss @cxm177e @xxjinchuurikixx @gummyellie2000 @kenzbruhh @that--thing @firehart9 @pudimpood @emikareads @madschiavelique @elwiwi09 @ohgutz @shortnmean @tfamidoingwithmylife @luvhyux @sodandoumaolhadasla @zomzomfun @darknessbyme @w0nd3rlnd @omg--bluexx @bonkme26 @sunnyfranc @puppyminnnie @brandy-and-bane @m0ch10 @smokeycoconut11 @thegutterrat @schey @littleanubis21 @imbadatmakinusernames @iwasholic @aw-coffee-n0 @smotheredinlighterfluid @thehappyaddy @enoa-nightshade @hal0an0maly @nexxus13 @cloudstuffy @sorurolis @lovebuggyboo @im-just-a-simp-le-whore @simping-for-mgg @red22wolf @vasarii @bakusquadobsessed

[madschiavelique]

i brought this to the attention of my friend, here i will put fourth the info about the bot. PLEASE go signal it, or if you know/are the one who created the bot, delete it. This kind of behaviour kills authors’ writing motivation and just generally speaking doesn’t encourage writers at all. This is a very mediocre behaviour to have.

Please babes, whoever has a c.ai account, could you please go and signal this one? That would be really thoughtful and just generally speaking the right thing to do.

so, someone has decided to take my lockjaw fanfic and put it into character ai…

thank you, not only have you killed any motivation i had to continue the story, you didn’t even have the courtesy to ask me first

i spend hours upon days writing and rewriting my stories and i put my whole heart into them, so to have it so carelessly copy and pasted into a computer kinda tells me that you don’t need me to continue the story

honestly don’t even want to post part 3 now in case that gets stolen too

if it’s your bot, please delete it. you have no idea how soul crushing it is to see that as a writer

[vthemultifangirl]

Poor baby 🥺. I want to hug him

Magnificent as always!! ❤️❤️. Love this series

lockjaw | j.t five

masterlist | help me fund my top-surgery?

paring: hybrid puppy!jayce talis x f!reader

summary: after a recent breakup you find yourself adopting a hybrid to keep you company, but he's more feral than you can handle

series warnings: 18+, hybrid jayce (ears and tail), slight a/b/o traits (could argue alpha jayce), eventual smut, protective jayce, size difference

words: 5.4k

chapter warnings: old scars, angst (trauma response), discrimination, argument, some fluff

proof-read by my girl: @madschiavelique

part one | part two | part three | part four | part five | part six |

want a handwritten letter from a character? / join the discord

The warm water of the shower was refreshing against your cold skin, although winter was coming to an end there was still a stiff chill in the air.

If time would have allowed it, you’d have spent all day letting the heat cascade down your spine and through your hair, but you’d already wasted so much of the day by sleeping - and your water bill was already calling your name.

You turned the faucet off and immediately missed the comfort the shower brought you, but there were things to do. Wrapping a towel around yourself, you threw your pajamas into the washing hamper in the corner of the room and opened the bathroom door.

“All yours,” you called out in no particular direction before heading into your bedroom and shutting the door behind you.

There was a moment of silence as you stood with your back to the door, but when you heard footsteps getting closer and the bathroom door click shut again, you knew it was safe for you to drop your towel and dry yourself properly. 

Jayce glanced around the white tiled room, the small frosted rectangular window letting in just enough light to sting his tired eyes. He stood in front of the sink and acknowledged his reflection in the mirror of the medicine cabinet.

His glass twin stared back at him with exasperated surprise. How long had it been since he last saw himself that wasn’t in a passing car or a dimly lit store window? Not to mention doing it willingly.

He combed his fingers through his beard and felt the strands of tangled hair catch on his nails painfully, making him wince at the tug of his skin and recoil his hand. It was longer than he thought it was.

He then ran his fingers through his hair, finding the same type of intertwined follicles there too, but it was less painful against his scalp. He gently pinched a clump of his fringe and separated it from the rest, pulling it down and in front of his eyes - it stopped in the middle of his nose.

As he followed the dark brown wisp he was unintentionally forced to make eye contact with himself, and almost immediately diverted his attention away from his own pupils with a scowl.

Grasping the hem of the black t-shirt he’d slept in, he lifted the fabric up and over his head, shaking it as the elastic collar pinged against his ears and disorientated him momentarily. The fabric dropped to the floor and his hands braced against the sink, with a sharp inhale of breath he returned his gaze to his reflection.

He was larger than he remembered, and the light coloured lines that littered the expanse of his skin told the story of how, one that he would never retell himself.

He trailed a particularly elongated one across his left peck, the flesh was slightly raised. Despite it being at least four months old, it was still the freshest and so was the memory of what caused it. 

The pain, the helplessness, and the acceptance all came rushing back to him. He’d done nothing to stop it, but looking at himself now, he understood why.

His body was a battlefield of scars that he’d come to agree he’d deserved. He observed his physique; a wide chest dusted with dark brown hair, broad solid shoulders, and thick arms leading to large veiny hands. He was imposing and frightening - built for violence.

He sniffed sharply to push back any chance of anger, the scent of your body wash unintentionally filling his nostrils from the residue that remained in the bottom of the bathtub.

The skin that covered his knuckles - tough and calloused from years of use - had turned white the moment he laid eyes on himself, but your lingering aroma quelled the bubbling desire to shatter his reflection with his fist.

You were kind and your voice was soft. You spoke to him like you did to anyone else; apart from the apparent caution which sometimes arose. It was nice, but he didn’t deserve nice. He’d never deserved nice.

There was a ticking clock, counting down the seconds to when you’d come to the same realisation. 

Of course you’d be scared of him, any sane person with an ounce of self preservation would be, he just couldn’t understand as to why you’d allowed him into your home. To be as vulnerable as to fall asleep next to him on the first day.

A careful knock brought his attention away from the mirror, “I’ve put your clothes outside the door, you left them in the living room and I guessed you’d need them,” your voice was muffled by the 2 inches of wood that stood between you both.

He felt the tension in his shoulders relax, and the vice grip he had on the sink loosened. He waited to hear your footsteps fade before he opened the door a crack and grabbed the clothes, shutting it again.

Returning to the sink, he placed the clothes down neatly atop the closed toilet seat and turned the faucet on to let the basin fill with warm water. 

His eyes roamed the room when he spotted a shelf to his right; there was a neatly folded cloth with body wash, shampoo, conditioner and deodorant. A piece of folded paper stood in front of it that said ’For Jayce’. He held it in between his fingers and admired the soft strokes of your handwriting with a mellowed smile, placing it gently back onto the shelf for safe keeping.

Using the washcloth you’d provided for him, he submerged the fabric under the warm soapy water in the basin and rung it out until it was only damp. He scrubbed all the important parts of his body quickly, he hated the way the water trickled down his skin in small beads, but knew it needed to be done.

Once he was clean and dry he reached for the pile of clothes you’d bought for him, slipping the boxers up and letting the waistband hug his hips - they were a little bit tight around the thigh, but not painfully so - then followed the black jeans, socks and the white t-shirt. 

All very simple clothing but he guessed you were playing it safe in case he didn’t like what you picked. He blew air out of his nose as a small laugh, as if he’d complain about something you bought for him.

He glimpsed at himself in the mirror again, avoiding his face but focusing on the clothes, he looked like a regular person you’d see on the street. A big person, but a person nonetheless.

He stepped back so he could see his lower half, which is where the problem began. His tail protruded out the top of the jeans and curved over the strain of the waistband like water arching from a fountain. The bend of it being forced into an upward position wasn’t painful, but it was uncomfortable.

Grabbing the base of the appendage, he started to shove it into the leg of his pants. It wasn’t as uncomfortable, but it did make a rather obvious bulge down the back of his right leg, ending just before the curve of his knee. 

He grumbled with frustration and pulled it back out again, instead lowering the jeans so it wasn’t bent in an awkward position. He lifted the white shirt slightly but was immediately greeted with the sight of his ass cheeks, so he swiftly pulled them back up again.

He let out a low sigh, he was going to have to put up with the discomfort.

As he left the bathroom, you noticed how he was playing with the back of the jeans with a deep scowl on his face and teeth bared in frustration. “If they’re the wrong size, you don’t have to wear them,” you tried to reassure him with a gentle tone.

When you saw him struggling with his tail it didn’t take you long to realise what was bothering him and you instantly mentally scolded yourself. Of course normal pants wouldn’t fit him.

Guilt washed over you as you searched for a solution, “Oh!” you clapped your hands as the idea popped into your head and you disappeared. He paused his fussing to watch you leave, only to reappear with a pair of scissors in your hand.

“We can cut a hole into the back for you,” the suggestion seemed like a quick and simple answer, but as you tried to step around him to get to the area he twisted his body and stepped backwards.

You blinked at his reaction, “I’ll be really careful, I promise,” you tried to reassure him with a light tone but when you shuffled closer with the scissors held in your hands he moved again, his spine pressed firmly against the wall.

You glanced up at his face and your heart panged with pain when you saw how his nose was scrunched up and his lips trembled as they failed to hide a snarl of warning he was giving you. 

His teeth were bared at you with the points pressing harshly into his bottom lip, in the short amount of time you’d spent with him you’d only seen his canines when he’d smiled or was enjoying himself. This was new and unexpected aggression.

“Oh, fuck,” you exhaled quietly as you hastily lunged backwards and exited his personal space. “I’m- I’m so sorry,” your voice shook as much as your hands did as you placed the scissors down on the arm of the couch and retreated further.

You watched him cautiously push himself off of the wall and slightly relax. His chest heaved with a panic that had taken you too long to notice, but it was slowing down.

“I-” you started to say, but stopped yourself. Carelessness like this was exactly what you wanted to avoid. Should you give him space? Should you explain what you were trying to do? 

“I’d never hurt you,” looking at him was proving difficult so you focused on the tatty rug under the coffee table you’d bought when you’d first moved in, “I’d never-” you repeated but couldn’t finish. Your voice was already practically inaudible, so it was barely noticeable when you’d stopped talking.  

Jayce noticed. He heard the way your voice trembled out an apology and he wanted to believe you. He closed his eyes and sharply twisted his head to the side in a harsh blink, like he was trying to shake away the defensive response that was so deeply ingrained in him.

His pupils quivered inside golden irises as he forced himself to observe your reaction. Forced himself to take note of how his actions had affected you. How you chewed the inside of your gum and caressed your elbow in search of comfort he couldn’t give you.

You studied the fibres of the rug from where you stood. It was more frayed and dirty than you’d remembered, worn from walking over it with shoes inside the house. Maybe you should make a rule of no shoes indoors from now on.

The train of thought was interrupted by quick movement in your peripheral vision. Jayce held the jeans out to you with an extended arm and an apologetic gaze in his eyes.

The surprise on your face was clear, especially when you glanced down and realised the only thing he had on his bottom half was his boxers, you darted your eyes back up to his and pushed any details you may have subconsciously remembered out of your brain before they could settle.

He jutted his arm forward indicating for you to take the jeans, of course he wasn’t holding them in the air for the sake of it. It was a compromise.

“Thank you,” you took the fabric and held it to your chest, slowly reaching for the scissors again. He didn’t flinch this time so you picked them up and moved to the couch, draping the jeans over your lap.

The one thing you hadn’t thought of was where his tail was anatomy-wise. “Is it on your coccyx? Like, your tailbone?” you felt silly asking as soon as the question left your mouth. Where else would it be?

He moved from the defensive position to stand in front of you and watch you work. You held them up in front of you, trying to gauge where his tailbone would settle; then returned them to your lap and sliced through the fabric with difficulty.

“That should be okay for now,” you moved the scissors to the side and slid your fingers into the hole you’d made to check if it was big enough for the appendage, “I have a friend who is a seamstress, I can ask her to alter them properly for you so it’s less-”

A hum of agreement came from his throat causing you to glance up from your work. What you didn’t expect or anticipate was that when you’re sitting down and he is standing, your head is directly in line with his crotch.

For the second time today you quickly shifted your eyes away from his boxers and held up the jeans as a make-shift barrier, “Done!” you said hastily.

He took the pants and slipped them back on with no issue, pulling his tail through the crudely made hole. It wasn’t ideal but it was much better than the alternative. You watched him quietly, wondering whether you should at least offer to help, but from his earlier reaction you had a feeling it wouldn’t go down well.

A somewhat awkward silence fell over the two of you as you put on your comfiest shoes and Jayce slipped on the smart dress shoes he was wearing when he arrived. You watched the - what you assumed to be - fake leather bend and flake at the toes from the pressure. 

He twisted the frayed laces around his fingers and tied them into a bow in a way you’d never seen anyone do before; it was like he was solving an intricate puzzle he had created and only he knew the answer to. They were worn from years of use; these were either the only shoes he’d ever owned, or they were second-hand from the sanctuary. The latter seemed like the most plausible.

He needs new shoes, you mentally noted.

Once you were both ready, you walked down the stairs together quietly until you were outside in the crisp air. It wasn’t late enough that the sun had set but it was late enough into the afternoon that a chill was setting in.

“Will you be cold?” you turned to Jayce, a question that you should’ve asked before you left the apartment. He’d taken a grey hoodie from the assortment of clothes you’d thrown at him, but compared to your coat, scarf and beanie he was basically wearing summer clothes.

He shook his head ‘No’ and you tried to read his expression to see if he was just trying not to be difficult, but he seemed relatively unbothered by the winter air.

“Okay, well, let me know if you do,” he nodded in agreement, the brown tassels of his fringe bouncing with the movement of his head, and you started walking in the direction of town.

For a Saturday afternoon it wasn’t as busy as you’d expected it to be. Which, in hindsight, was a strike of luck - you hadn’t stopped to think about how that would’ve affected Jayce. He’d spent the last few months stuck inside with other hybrids, not a busy town filled with people hauling too many shopping bags and street vendors shouting rhythmically to secure the last sale of whatever they had left before they had to close for the day.

It might have been too much noise for him to handle so soon. A few cars had passed you quicker than they should have and his steps faltered at the sudden loudness of the engine as it passed.

You’d asked him to swap places with you so you were between him and the road but he declined. Although, after the fourth car zoomed by you he stopped reacting to them - perhaps he adapted quicker than you thought he would.

After approximately thirty minutes of walking with only the sound of two pairs of shoes hitting the wet pavement between the two of you, you’d made it into town.

“I probably should’ve asked you if you liked long walks,” you chuckled to yourself as you nuzzled your chin into your scarf. He didn’t respond to your comment; his attention was, instead, on your surroundings.

The buildings in town ranged in height but the majority were three-story buildings. Typical shops on the ground floor with apartments built into the upper floors, you were thankful that your home was an apartment complex.

As you were walking to your first destination, Jayce had slowed down to a stop by a man who was drawing people’s portraits. He’d positioned himself in a way where he could see the man’s sketchpad as well as the woman he was drawing.

It had taken you a second to realise that he’d fully stopped and you’d accidentally continued walking so you hurried back to him. 

He studied the man’s technique without getting too close to him which you were grateful for, you were sure if he’d snuck up behind you whilst you were concentrating it would make you jump at the very minimum.

With his hands in the pouch of his hoodie, he tilted his head to the side and observed every movement the artist’s hand made and eventually he started bobbing his head as if the pencil was controlled by his forehead.

His face was calm and serene, with a tint of excitement in his eyes, something you only saw in him when he was playing a game with you. The absentminded smile that crept onto this closed lips was contagious to your own.    

Jayce was engrossed in watching him work and you didn’t have the heart to tell him you needed to be quick before the café you wanted to show him closed, especially when his tail started to swish back and forth behind him.

You were uncertain how long you’d stood with the rest of the crowd watching the artist, and you were sure you were going to be shooed away by him at any moment, but he never did. It was probably part of the job, the attention of having an audience watch you work.

It was your stomach rumbling that eventually made his ear twitch and his attention flip back to you, his eyeline drifted to your stomach and back to your face. As he started to continue walking you tried to reassure him, “We can stay, it’s okay,” but he ignored you, leading the way blindly. 

He had no idea where he was going but you followed him regardless. The only time you stopped him was when you wanted to go into a particular store; you wanted to reach out and touch his forearm or bicep to stop his long strides, but called his name gently instead.

Every time the syllable left your lips he felt a flutter in his chest; he would never get bored of hearing you say it.

After an hour of unintentional shopping you’d collected a few things that you needed for the apartment, and somehow missed the few strange looks that had been thrown your way.

You had managed to show him the majority of the town, when you were really starting to feel the hunger.

“Do you wanna get some food?” you asked, as if you weren’t the one that kept sidetracking your journey to the cafe whenever something caught your eye, and the look Jayce gave you reflected that.

You rolled your eyes with a smile and waved for him to follow, “Okay, okay, let’s go”, luckily the cafe wasn’t far from where you were. 

The door jingled from the bells that hung just above the frame as you pushed it open, the scent of coffee and freshly baked goods immediately filling your senses. 

Casual chatter of customers hummed all around, creating a warm and friendly ambience. 

“I always come here when I’m in town,” you said in a hushed voice as you held the door open for him. He had to duck slightly to not bump his head on the way inside.

As the two of you walked towards the counter the voices around you became noticeably quieter; Jayce hunched his shoulders and neck forward in an attempt to seem smaller but it didn’t help much.

You were more than oblivious to the hushed whispers that followed you the deeper into the cafe you went. 

“Hello!” you greeted the worker, who was busy restocking the bakery display and hadn’t seen you yet, in a joyful sing-song voice like you did every other time you visited.

“Good afternoon, what can I-“ her voice cut off into a surprised shriek as she acknowledged your presence. The tray of brownies she was holding almost scattered to the floor from the full body jump that rocketed through her muscles.

Her attention was not on you or your concerned expression, but on the hulking figure shuffling awkwardly behind you.

“I’m sorry, we don’t allow animals inside,” her statement trembled in her throat, but that didn’t stop your concern elevating to shock, “Excuse me?” you asked politely and blinked at her with the hope that you’d just misheard her.

She cleared her throat with a cough, “It will have to wait outside, we don’t allow animals-“ she started to repeat herself but the shock from how she spat out the word ‘it’ had twisted and evolved into irritation, “It?”.

Even a non-English speaker could’ve understood from the tone of your voice that not only were you insulted, but bordering on anger.

She glanced between Jayce stood behind you and your sharp eyes that dared her to speak again without thinking.

“For hygiene purposes, we can’t have animals in the store,” the arrogant uncertainty in her voice was evidence enough that she was lying but trying to find an excuse to insult him. 

“First of all, he’s not an animal, he’s a person-“ you paused to place your hands on the counter in an attempt to ground yourself and resolve the confrontation, but the way she regarded Jayce with disgust made it increasingly difficult, “- Secondly, with the dirt under your nails I’d say you’re concern for cleanliness is misplaced.”.

The noise that came out of her was a mixture of a scoff and a short laugh. 

Of course, the sensible thing would’ve been to leave the moment she’d opened her mouth. 

However, you’d seen actual animals in this particular cafe on multiple occasions and there was an explicit irony that directly behind her on the wall was a sign written in chalk that said ‘Dog friendly’ with a crudely drawn smiley face.

This was not about animals being near food, this was a specific attack against Jayce and something deep within you would not let it slide. 

“Tell your mutt to leave and I’ll think about serving you,” her eyes narrowed and her lips tightened until they were barely visible.

Adrenaline coursed through you in a burst and your breathing became heavy, but you had to try and remain calm.

“I see that thinking isn’t your strong suit so I’m going to say this very slowly,” your voice was low and almost a whisper as to give her no voice but to listen to what you had to say.

You kept your eyes latched onto her, “I wouldn’t trust you to make a glass of water properly-“ as you were about to continue, another worker, this time a lean brunette man, appeared to your right.

“What’s the problem?” he interrupted with a calm and polite voice which only served to piss you off more. You sighed and gestured to the young girl behind the counter.

“Your colleague had some unprofessional things to say about my friend,” it took you a moment to think of the correct word for him. 

The man raised an eyebrow at you in confusion “Your friend?” he repeated your words back to you but converted it into a question, “Yes, my-“ you turned to look at Jayce but he was no longer there.

Your heart dropped when the space behind you was empty until you saw his silhouette through the condensation covered glass window. 

Arguing with this girl had been so important to you that you hadn’t noticed his departure.

“A hybrid,” the girl spat the words out like she had taken a bite of a sandwich only to find that it was mouldy inside. She folded her arms over her chest defiantly and with a smug smile that screamed arrogance.

“Well,” the man turned his head to his colleague slowly, “We serve everyone here, hybrids included,” he said as if he was reminding her of their policy in real time, and her smile dropped at the realisation that she was not being supported in her discrimination. 

“Please allow us to apologise with complimentary food and drinks for you and your friend,” he leaned over the counter, reaching for something you couldn’t see but you shook your head.

The girl was staring daggers into you and you could sense she knew she was going to be spoken to when you left.

You looked over your shoulder and saw that Jayce was still stood outside, “With all due respect, no,” your words were blunt and to the point. If there was a way for you to voice how angry you were without sounding like a Karen, you would.

“The next time you have an opinion about someone, at least make sure it’s your own and well informed, otherwise you’ll come across like a snivelling bigot,” you shot at the girl before you confidently strode to the exit.

The chiming of the bell when you swung open the door didn’t sound as sweet anymore, and the coffee scent you’d grown to love over the last year tasted sour in your throat.

You couldn’t meet his eye when you were outside again so you kept your gaze to the ground. Something you’d noticed that had become a habit around him.

The feeling of guilt had returned to crawl its way up your throat again; you could’ve done more. You should’ve checked that this cafe was a safe place for him before taking him inside. He must hate you for humiliating him in such a way. You wouldn’t blame him if he wanted to leave and never come back to you.

The door behind you opened with a jingle and you felt irritation seep into your back before you heard the voice of the person who caused it, “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to listen in to your conversation-” you turned to see an elderly lady with a kind smile.

You stepped to the side to let her fully exit the cafe and close the door behind her, “-but I know another cafe that is very hybrid friendly just outside of town,”. The woman peered up at Jayce through her glasses, her gaze unbothered by his appearance, “There’s people like you there all the time,” the wrinkles around her eyes and cheeks creased as she grinned.

Jayce was taken aback by how easily she spoke to him, his eyes wider than usual as he glanced between you and her, “That would be lovely, thank you,” any previous notes of anger in your voice had left you as you handed her your phone to give you directions.

It wasn’t far, but she was right with it being on the outskirts of town, and you were in unfamiliar territory with only your phone navigation as your guide. When you eventually found the building with ‘Paws & Pour’ painted in white italics above the door, you knew you were in the right place.

You chuckled to yourself at the cheesy title they’d chosen, but it was also rather endearing, in a quaint homely kind of way. As you opened the door there was no bell to signal your arrival but an enticing smell of oak and warm tea surrounded you like an invisible mist.

This time you wouldn’t make the same mistake as before. You poked your head through the open doorway to inspect the interior and to check how busy it was inside; something you couldn’t do from the safety of the street due to the windows and door being tinted.

It wasn’t too busy, a few tables were taken but it was quite spacious for how deceivingly small it looked from the outside. 

Your intention had been to ask Jayce to wait outside whilst you asked the barista if it was okay for him to enter, however, before you could even fully step inside a wisp of white flew past as if a momentary blizzard had clipped your vision.

You followed the direction the snowstorm to the corner where a group of beanbags had been strategically placed by the window - a woman with long white hair plonked herself down into a dark blue one, and if it wasn’t for the gentle piano music playing through the speakers, you probably would’ve heard the rustling of the polystyrene shifting inside the fabric as she got comfortable.

She turned to talk to the woman next to her and that’s when you noticed the shoulder length rabbit ears swaying with the movement of her head. Her companion sat crossed-legged in the accompanying red beanbag next to her, and held her mug with both hands. Her black pointy ears twisted like a satellite towards her friend’s voice as she spoke. 

You pushed the door open fully and stepped through the threshold so you weren’t hovering strangely and gestured for Jayce to follow with a reassuring smile. This time he didn’t need to duck to enter the building, but he still hunched his shoulders in an attempt to seem less imposing.

As you approached the counter a feeling of deja vu and dread lingered around you, but was quickly washed away by the couple occupying the booth directly opposite. 

At least you assumed they were a couple by the guy’s hand settled tenderly on the plush skin of her thigh, and the wide-eyed adoration she held for him as he softly tucked a strand of hair out of her face. His proud feline ears were a stark comparison to her cropped crescent-moon’s, despite them both being blonde, only his was a darker shade.

Whatever telepathic conversation they were having through the love-struck gaze they shared was completely lost on the man on the opposite side of the table. Another feline with fluffy pointed black ears atop a cloud of hair the same colour, but he seemed happy enough scrolling through his phone.

That answered one of your questions, this truly was a place where hybrids were welcome.

lockjaw:

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[madschiavelique]

okay so

i’m perfectly normal about this. like i’m soooo normal. totally didn’t spend the entirety of my reading going back and forth in dearest jude’s dms to tell him how this chapter got me feeling every single paragraph haha

anywho i will now stare at my ceiling while i try and find sleep because holy shit this is so good and i need everyone to read it IMMEDIATELY

you can expect art from me. i’ll be in that state when i get on it :

jockjaw | j.t three

masterlist | help me fund my top-surgery?

paring: hybrid puppy!jayce talis x f!reader

request: after a recent breakup you find yourself adopting a hybrid to keep you company, but he's more feral than you can handle

series warnings: 18+, hybrid jayce (ears and tail), slight a/b/o traits (could argue alpha jayce), eventual smut, protective jayce, size difference

words: 7.3k

chapter warnings: size difference, a smidge of hunter/prey, and anxious reader

part one | part two | part three | part four

want a handwritten letter from a character? / join the discord

The following weeks were filled with interviews and background tests in between work shifts; you were mentally and physically exhausted.

The vet had pre-warned you with how many hoops you’d have to jump through, but this was more than you had previously anticipated.

They really weren't joking when they said they don't let just anyone adopt a hybrid.

Today was your home inspection. The whole morning had been spent deep cleaning every inch of your home and making it look like something you'd see walking through IKEA.

Once you were done, your apartment was spotless - a bit too spotless.

You sat down on your couch and shuffled around a bit to make it seem at least like someone lived here.

Admittedly, when they told you they would be visiting your home, you'd spent hours searching the internet for how to make your place more comfortable and appropriate.

Looking at different adoption forums to give you an idea of what the inspectors would look for as hazards and immediately removing them from your home.

Candles were bought, lit and then blown out because you didn't like the scent.

Eventually you baked some cookies and left them in the oven after reading that it was an old realtor trick to make a place seem more homely.

Never before had you made such an effort to make your home so appealing.

There was just enough time to shower and get dressed before they arrived, even then, your hair was still slightly damp at the ends when the first knock hit your door.

You gave it one last ruffle with the towel before you opened the door, not wanting to keep them waiting too long and having your first impression be one of tardiness.

"Hello!" you smiled brightly as you swung the door open, seeing the vet who introduced you to Jayce the first time - you'd come to learn that her name was Dr Nala - with a man you'd never met before. His expression was pretty stern.

She greeted you with the same enthusiasm. As she stepped over the threshold of your apartment, your heart thumped in your chest, this was the last sprint to the finish line.

"Have you been baking?" she asked almost immediately and you tried to hide the grin that crept up on your face, not wanting to seem too keen, "I have!" you confimed.

She nodded and continued to follow you through to the living room area, "I'll admit, I don't think I'm very good at it, but when you follow a recipe it's pretty simple," you rambled nervously.

You gestured to the couch for them to take a seat, "Oh, would you like a drink? Coffee? Tea? Water?" the speed at which you were talking wasn't normal for you, and you had to mentally tell yourself to slow down.

"Water would be lovely," Dr Nala spoke gently, but the man just shook his head no.

Hurrying to the kitchen you grabbed your nicest glass and filled it with water, your had was visibly shaking. Inhaling slowly through your nose and out through your mouth again, you took a second to compose yourself.

They had only just got here, you needed to show them that you were capable of looking after someone else, and you weren't going to do that if you were falling apart already.

"I've got this," you muttered to yourself, "I've got this!" you repeated with more confidence.

Handing her the glass of water and sliding a coaster onto the table in front of her to put the glass on, you took a seat in the armchair adjacent to them.

She eyed the coaster carefully and sipped her water, the silence was killing you.

"Your apartment is lovely," she complimented after she'd swallowed her sip, but you could tell she wasn't done, "Is it always this tidy?" she asked kindly, but bluntly.

You let out a small laugh, but when you realised it was a serious question your mind went into overdrive - what was the correct answer?

"For the most part," you settled on, "I try to keep it clean as much as I can, but I'm not obsessed with it being like this all the time," you said with honesty.

The man, who was yet to speak or introduce himself, started taking notes and your heart dropped. That must've been a wrong answer.

"But I'm not a slob or anything!" you quickly redacted what you said, trying to make up for any blunder you'd already made.

"May we have a look around?" Dr Nala asked politely, and you didn't know if you were thankful or not that she didn't address what you'd said.

The speed at which you stood up was too-eager, "Of course!".

'Chill, you need to chill!' Your inner monologue screamed at you.

The two stood almost in unison and followed you out of the room, "As I said to you when we first met, it's nothing big or fancy, just a one-bed apartment," you showed them your bedroom first.

They glanced around the room; one starting with the left-hand-side and the other starting with the right, meeting in the middle at some point to cross over - whilst you stood awkwardly with your arm out like you were presenting a gameshow prize.

"So, this is my bed, obviously," you tried to make it humorous but were really worried it didn't come across that way.

Dr Nala hummed, "Have you thought about where Jayce would sleep?" she turned to you, giving you her full attention and awaited your answer.

"Uh-" you started. No, you hadn't. You'd been panicking so much about passing all these exams that you hadn't given it a moments notice, "-Wherever he wants, I guess?" you couldn't have sounded more unsure.

A dog bed just felt wrong and dehumanising. Yes, technically he was going to be your 'pet', but imagining him trying to curl up on one of those small circular beds on the floor didn't sit right with you.

The idea of finding one big enough to fit him was even worse.

She raised an eyebrow at you, and you knew for sure that wasn't the right answer to give.

"I mean, honestly, I thought he'd like the couch. It's pretty comfortable, and a lot of my research said that's what hybrids prefer!" you began to ramble again.

She watched you as you spoke, "I guess, my plan was to ask him the next time I saw him." you confessed, "And if he didn't like what I have here already then we'd go together to get something he did like," you were thinking aloud and for once you weren't trying to think of the perfect answer.

"Your research?" she repeated your words back to you and you felt a pang of embarrassment. "Yeah! I've been looking up things when I've had the time, to make sure I know what I'm doing before he-" you stopped yourself, "If, he gets here," you corrected.

She stared at you for a moment before admiring your bedroom again, "You care a lot," she commented and left the room, showing herself the rest of your home.

She walked into the bathroom, there was a shower-bath and the essentials with a small roof window for ventilation.

"Is this the only bathroom?" she pointed at nowhere in particular inside the room, "Uh-huh," you nodded, but when she didn't say anything else and simply left, you wondered if one bathroom was enough.

Finally, they moved into the kitchen, observing the area the same way they had every other room.

There was an island in the centre that doubled up as a table with the high stools you'd put there.

"Have you thought about meals?" she asked as her small heels made a clicking sound against the tiles.

It was strange to think that this woman was the same person who had been so excited to show you the hybrids in the first place.

"Yeah, protein is a priority but he'd be able to eat the same things as me as long as it's balanced correctly," you practically regurgitated a sentence that you'd seen online.

She nodded slowly, "He does have his likes and dislikes-" she started to say but you interrupted her, "-I know," you opened a draw and pulled out a notebook where you'd copied the things he didn't like from the file she gave you and slid it across the counter to her.

The pair shared a glance as she read your notes.

"Okay, well we wont take up any more of your time," she smiled again, and the suddenness of their departure made your heart sink, it couldn't be a good sign.

You hurriedly put the notebook back into your draw, "Is it okay? My home I mean?" you were speaking quickly again, "Is it suitable? I know it's small, and he's, well, big, but there's a park close by and I need to get out mor-", she interrupted you by saying your name before you started to spiral too much.

"The main purpose of these visits is to make sure the home is safe and welcoming, the main factor being the person living in it," she chuckled, her pleasant demeanour returning.

She tapped her fingers on the counter delicately and glanced around the room, "It's evident that you care a lot, and want the best for him, and that is the most important thing. I have no doubt he will be very happy here with you,".

"Does that mean I'm approved?" you held your breath, "Well, there's paperwork to fill in, but I see no reason why he wouldn't-", "-thank you, thank you, thank you," you shamelessly jumped off of the floor with excitement.

There were happy tears building up in your waterline that you hadn't expected to be there, just over a month ago you had no clue that Jayce existed, now you were the happiest you'd been in a long time.

"Don't thank us, thank you for giving him a second chance," her tone was kind and full of sincerity.

"Could I try one of those cookies?" the man who'd been taking notes finally spoke. You laughed and nodded, wiping at your eyes to make sure you wouldn't actually cry, and plated the cookies that were still sat in the oven.

He ate one happily and hummed to show his enjoyment. Goodbyes were said and they promptly left, taking the anxiety and weight of the encounter off of your shoulders with them.

The following days were torture. A monotonous cycle of getting up, going to work, spending the evening alone, going to bed and repeating.

Wednesday was the day you were bringing him home.

They'd suggested you visit him one more time so you could let him know the good news yourself, but your workload had increased tenfold due to someone being on maternity leave.

Oftentimes you were working through your lunch break, and the sanctuary didn't allow visits after 6pm.

However, you'd booked Wednesday off as holiday and you were collecting him at 4pm, giving you most of the day to buy some last minute things.

By the time you'd done all of your shopping and put it in the right place inside your home, it was almost time to leave.

All too eager to see him again, you left early - driving perhaps a little too fast along the roads, you made one stop along the way, but you made it there safely.

"Hello, I'm here for-" you started as you walked into reception but they were already expecting you, "-Big day today!" the male vet from your last visit brimmed with excitement.

You chuckled at his enthusiasm and nodded, swallowing back how nervous you were.

He lead you through the corridors that were all too familiar to you at this point, but you took a new turn away from the sanctuary you were used to.

The delay in your footsteps as you slowed at the corner you normally took didn't go unnoticed by him, "He's not in there," he called from the other hallway.

Twisting your head back in the other direction, you continued to follow him, "We have a different pick up point for the ones leaving us, it would be too distressing for them and the other residents to do it in the communal area," he explained.

"Yeah, that makes sense," you shook your head, annoyed at yourself that there was yet another thing you didn't think of, but you didn't have time to self-scold.

He stopped at a singular white door and you felt like your lungs had rolled themselves up like when you're trying to get the last bits of toothpaste out of the tube, all ability to breathe was gone.

The vet grinned at you as he pushed open the door, allowing you to step in first.

For a second you thought your knees were going to give out on you. You couldn't remember the last time you were this nervous.

What if he didn't want to go with you? What if he didn't like you as much as you liked him? What if they were forcing him to leave so they could say they were able to get the feral hybrid adopted?

You shook your head to try and get rid of the bad thoughts but they swam around in your brain like algae in a pond, clinging to every surface.

When you finally entered the room he was in the corner next to the window overlooking the parking lot with his arms folded across his chest, he'd watched you arrive.

"Hey," you spoke softly and made sure your tone was as friendly as it could possibly be to not startle him.

He turned his head towards you and the side of his mouth twitched upwards into a smile for just a second, and you felt a tiny piece of worry fall from the mountain you'd created.

"I assume you know why I'm here?" you queried and slowly approached him, he nodded and his tail swished slowly behind him, but the vet vocally responded for him, "Oh yes, we told him yesterday!", causing his tail to stop just as quickly as it had started.

His interruption irritated you. There was a small part of you that wanted to remind him that you hadn't asked him.

Instead, you tried to not let him sour this moment and kept your focus on Jayce. Watching his body language and facial expressions intently for any signs of discomfort or distress.

"Are you okay with it?" you asked him quietly, your voice unintentionally more hushed than usual so though you were trying to make sure that your words only fell on his ears.

He gazed at you, not really giving too much of an indication of a reply to your question; he seemed somewhat indifferent to the idea.

The pang in your chest returned, it felt like your muscles were closing in around your heart - squeezing just enough to allow it to keep beating but hard enough to make it hurt.

Was this your sign that he didn't like you? That he didn't want to leave?

You shuffled forward but made sure to keep your distance, "If home isn't with me, that's okay," you focused on keeping your voice strong and confident, but couldn't tell if you were failing.

One of his ears perked up when you said 'home', leaving the tips to bounce at the sudden muscle movement.

You noticed it but didn't want to give yourself any false hope, instead you let the sensation flutter across your chest.

"I'd really like it if you did," the sleeve of your hoodie was suddenly very interesting. "But it's your choice," if you were paying attention to him, you would've noticed how his eyebrows lost their tension at the sound of your sincerity.

Inhaling, you braved meeting his eye, "Do you want to come home with me?".

His ear twitched again but other than that his expression remained unchanged, until he nodded.

It was subtle and quick; down and up, down and up, but it was certain.

You exhaled and felt instantly lighter, "I'm glad," you tried to let yourself relax, the first hurdle was done, "Where are your things?". Other than him and the empty table and chairs, the room was barren.

"He doesn't have any belongings," the annoying observer said from the corner he was lurking in, "What do you mean? He has clothes and...", you stopped to think, "What about his chess set?".

"They're property of the sanctuary, they can't go with him," he smiled, but that was the last thing you wanted to do in this moment.

With gritted teeth, you glanced between Jayce and the vet. Apart from the basic necessities to survive, he truly didn't have anything to hold onto here.

How could you have been so ignorant to ask him if he was happy here before? How could he be? The entire structure was a constant reminder that nothing he touched was his to keep. That it could be taken away at the click of someone else's fingers.

Even his own freedom was not his.

That stopped today. You'd make sure of that.

"What about his boat?", "What boat?". The desire to lose your temper was strong, but you knew that would get you nowhere.

"The boat that he made with Viktor?" there was a new tension to your voice that he should've taken for a warning, but unfortunately, he was as oblivious as he was ignorant.

His eyes found the corner of the room as he feigned thought, "I don't recal-", "It's on the top shelf of the cabinet closest to the door," you didn't allow him space to speak.

The look you gave him dared him to try and dispute it with you, "Once we have that, we'll be out of your hair," you forced the polite and soft lint to your voice.

He opened his mouth to speak, but his eyes drifted to the shadow behind you and it promptly closed. He managed to mutter a simple, "I'll take a look," before he left the visiting room.

The air felt calmer now that he was out of sight, but that creeping feeling of anxiety clawed it's way up your throat as you realised that Jayce had witnessed that whole scene.

"I'm sorry," you turned your body to face him but still avoided his eye - instead finding an interest in the scuffed up black brogues he wore, "I'm not usually like...that," you tried to explain, "I just know it means a lot to you and I couldn't stand the idea of them keeping it,".

Jayce observed you as you spoke. He felt no malice in your words, not even when you were addressing the man who made his ears hurt.

He noticed how you rubbed your own arm for comfort, and how you avoided eye contact with him - he wasn't surprised, most people did. He wished you wouldn't; your eyes were kind.

When you found the ground more interesting than him, he resided to the window. All he could do now was wait.

"This one?" broke the silence, alongside the sound of the door swinging shut.

The vet was holding the mechanical boat between his fingers by a thin part of the mast, and a part of you knew he was doing it on purpose.

"Yes, that's it, thank you!" you quickly took it out of his grasp and nestled it into your own like a baby bird that you'd found injured on the ground - like it was the most precious thing in the world.

The sooner you removed Jayce from this building the better.

Something that hadn't exactly crossed your mind was how he would be on the journey home.

You took the lead with him trailing behind you at a larger distance than you'd hoped for, you suppose it was natural for him to be uneasy being outside. It wasn't clear as to whether the vets let them go outside of the sanctuary.

Someone like Jayce probably wasn't given that luxury, with his size and obvious athletic build, they would stand no chance of getting him back if he decided to run.

Influenced by your own train of thought, you peered over your shoulder half-expecting him to not be there anymore. Much to your joy, he was.

Opening the door to your car for him and waiting for him to catch up to you, the thought occurred to you; had he ridden in a car before?

Surprisingly, he sat down in the passenger seat with no issue. Apart from having to duck quite significantly to not hit his head.

Once you'd taken your own seat and closing the door softly, he mirrored your movements, clicking his own door shut.

His nose twitched as he scanned his surroundings. There was a sweet smell that tingled his nostrils and filled his senses, but he couldn't place it.

He checked the seats behind him but it wasn't coming from there. The space between his eyebrows wrinkled in frustration at not being able to locate the scent, it was surrounding him.

"I, uh-" your voice drew him out of his search, "I got you coffee on the way here," you were holding up a light brown cup and he noticed that there was an identical cup in the holder separating your legs from his.

He wrapped his fingers around it and accepted the gift, the cup seemingly significantly smaller in his hand compared to yours.

"I'm sorry if it's cold, we were a little longer than I thought we'd be," he lifted the lid of the cup and appreciated the remnants of an intricate flower design in the foam, parts of it had dissolved whilst it had sat in the car.

He inhaled above the liquid, the scent not dissimilar to the one that clouded his brain, but there were elements missing. As if this was one ingredient in the recipe.

He tentatively sipped the coffee, it was luke-warm, but he didn't mind - it was a gift from you.

The butterflies in your stomach fluttered up into your chest as you watched him; his eyes closed and enjoying his drink. You'd had the coffee the sanctuary offered, and it wasn't good. So, you wanted to treat him to something of quality to start your journey together off on the right foot.

When he stopped for breath you chuckled at the milky foam that had clung to the ends of his moustache, the pleasant sound of your laugh turning his attention to you.

"There's- you've got a little bit there," you tapped your top lip and he quickly wiped it with the back of his hand, missing some bubbles.

Subconsciously, you picked up a napkin and reached for him, intending to clean up the patches he'd missed but he moved back sharply, his ears pressed flat against his head and eyes narrowing with suspicion.

Your breath caught in your throat, a wave of guilt crashing over you. Instead, you left your hand in the air, presenting the napkin for him to take.

"Sorry," you muttered as he slowly took the napkin from in-between your fingers and wiped his mouth.

Be mindful. Let him come to you.

When he seemed to be back to the picture of indifference that you'd come to know, you started the car with a rumble and scrolled through your phone for music to put on for the drive home.

What would he even want to listen to? Did he like music?

Overthinking was going to be the death of you, and you hadn't even tackled getting home yet.

Hitting play, you let shuffle decide for you as you reversed out of the parking lot.

Approximately 10 seconds into the song Jayce leaned over to where your phone was in the holder and pressed the pause icon, the tip of his sharp nail making a pleasant sound against the glass of your phone.

With your concentration being on not hitting any of the other parked cars, or running someone over, you didn't have the opportunity to watch what he was doing.

When the song started from the beginning again, then abruptly stopped and a new song started playing, you knew he'd figured out what each button did.

He eventually settled on a slower song with quieter female vocals and leaned back again, placing his coffee cup into the holder next to yours, and you were on your way home.

The time was closer to 5:15pm and with the colder weather seeping in, it was getting darker earlier than usual, but it worked in your favour as somehow you'd timed this journey almost perfectly.

Whilst you couldn't enjoy the scenery as much as you would've liked to, the orangey-yellow hue of the setting sun traced over the road and cars in front of you.

When you eventually hit the rush-hour traffic and your car became stationary in the line of other vehicles just wanting to get home after a long days work, you allowed yourself to take in the world around you.

It wasn't anything too glamourous, and you'd driven along this road multiple times in the past, but somehow it felt different this time.

The city skyline was silhouetted by the backdrop of the golden hour sun, leaving nothing but tall blacked-out shapes for you to view. It was as if someone had stolen an oil painting and pinned it to the outside of your window.

But the vision that caught your eye was Jayce.

His eyes were closed so gently you may have thought he'd fallen asleep if not for his fingers tapping his thigh to the beat of the music playing. The sun rays were trailing through the glass of the window and laying delicately across his face, highlighting freckles that you hadn't noticed before.

He was at peace, basking in the last pieces of warmth this day had to offer him, and for once his face was relaxed - no scowl or caution on his features.

How long had it been since he'd been allowed a moment of tranquillity to truly appreciate something so minimal, something that you'd taken for granted?

Out of the corner of your eye, you spotted the line of cars starting to move forward again and you debated whether you should hold up the traffic so he could stay like that for just a little while longer, but the honking of horns wasn't worth it.

The car slowly started to move again and, as you'd expected, he opened his eyes at the sensation - for a second you caught how the sunlight refracted in his irises, illuminating the colour to create the illusion of liquid gold.

You wished you could admire them for longer, but with home so close, you didn't want to shatter the moment.

Unlocking the front door was proving to be the hardest task yet. Your hand would not stop shaking.

The constant tremble that plagued your wrist and fingers made it almost impossible to slide the key into the lock.

Did you tidy everything up before you left? What if he didn't like the space?

Well, he'd just climbed three flights of stairs with you and didn't seem the slightest bit out of breath, so he could always run away if he was that offended by your interior decorating.

The door creaked as you held it open for him, "This is us," you said in the softest voice you could muster - the word 'us' felt foreign on your tongue.

He jutted his chin forward, gesturing for you to enter first. Maybe he was just being cautious?

You walked into your apartment the same way you had every day for as long as you'd lived here, putting your bag down on the table and turning towards him.

He stood in the doorway unmoving, his shoulders and the top of his head almost touching the frame, surveying the room with hooded eyes.

Your best guess would've been that he was checking for any dangers, or simply mustering up the courage to breach the threshold of his new home.

His eyes met yours and you realised you were staring. That probably wouldn't help encourage him.

"Take your time, I need to get something," you tried to hold your head high and straighten your back as if the weight of worry wasn't compressing your spine.

You stepped out of his line of sight and into the hallway that connected to your bedroom and bathroom. Turning right, you chose the former - you'd have to remember to close your door when you slept from now on.

A quick inhale to try and starve off the nerves that lingered, then you picked up a pile of things you'd purchased earlier in the day.

There was a doubt in your head that if you glanced towards the front door that it would still be open but the doorframe empty. If you didn't look then, if you were right, you could live in ignorance.

You exited your bedroom and turned left towards the living room again, but hit a solid wall and stumbled backwards - it was your fault for keeping your eyeline on the things in your arms.

A stupid thought created an unnecessary fear of your own front door and had caused you to slam into a building structure that had been there for a year.

But you hadn't. When your eyelids opened from the shock, you were exactly where you thought you'd be - your back on the floor, staring up at the ceiling of your hallway.

Jayce stood as the blockade between yourself and the living room. He glanced down at you with a cocked eyebrow and a crinkled nose of confusion. He'd followed you once you were out of sight and just so happened to collide with you.

With him staring down at you from such a height, you understood why the other hybrids at the sanctuary didn't invade his space. He was intimidating, even if he wasn't trying to be.

His shadow cast over you and shrouded you with ease, and his bright eyes pierced through the darkness like the sight on a gun lining up it's target.

Your chest moved up and down rapidly, your mouth going dry, the familiar feeling of inferiority fell over you the same way it had when you were playing chess against him.

He stepped forward and your breath hitched in your throat, images of his sharp canines and pointed nails flashed in front of your eyes - was this the type of mistake you heard about in true crime podcasts?

He saw the glossy fear in your eyes. He saw it in a lot of people, he'd become accustom to the gaze of alarm staring back at him.

Something about that tension in your eyes, paired with how helpless and small you were on the ground made his heart beat harder and his mouth salivate. For what reason? He was unsure.

He shook his head - his fluffy ears waving with the motion - and he averted his gaze as he lowered himself to the ground, bending at the knees until he knelt on them.

As his shadow shrunk so did your worry. You were unable to move for longer than you would've liked, it reminded you of a rabbit in headlights.

When he started to pick up the pieces of clothing and paper bags you'd dropped you finally snapped out of it, getting up off your back and helping him collect the discarded objects.

"T-Thank you," it came out as a tremble so you cleared your throat.

He didn't hand you the things, instead he backed out of the hallway and stepped to the side so you could pass.

You shuffled past him and gently dropped everything onto the couch, "These are actually for you!".

The assortment laid in a mess on the couch so you tidied them into piles as you spoke, "I didn't know what you'd like, or what would fit you, so I had to guess," you placed the clothes onto one cushion, and the paper bags on the other.

He picked up one of the tops you'd bought for him and held it up, by visuals alone it seemed like it would fit him. He pinched the fabric of the white button-up shirt he was wearing and looked at you.

"You don't have to wear them if you don't want to!" you stepped back from the couch to give him some space, "But I thought you'd like to have a change of clothes, something more comfortable," you called behind you as you entered the kitchen.

It was getting late; you were slightly hungry, and you weren't sure when he last ate so you pre-heated the oven and got to work.

After around thirty minutes of quiet - apart from the sound of the oven humming and water boiling - you grew worried.

You were sure he would be okay, but were you doing the right thing by leaving him to his own devices so soon after he got here?

Most of the forums and blogs you'd read told you that it was best to let them find their own way around the home. In some cases they recommended isolating them to one room until they were used to the smells and sounds of their new home.

Jayce was intelligent, which was great but it causes other problems to arise.

He'd picked up on things just from simply observing you doing them once, whether you were aware of it or not. Which posed the question of, was he like other hybrids?

Would keeping him in your living room for a few days be helpful, or would that freak him out- no. You promised yourself and him that he would have his freedom, which meant he could go where ever he wanted when he wanted.

Once you'd plated the food and slid it over to the counter where the stools were, you thought you'd better go and find out what he was doing and why the apartment was so quiet.

"Jayce?" your voice carried through the hall and hit his ears like a song. It was the first time you'd called him by his name, and he wanted to hear it again.

It wasn't condescending or overly high pitched like how the vets would say his name, you said it with sincerity and kindness. One he didn't hear very often be associated with himself.

When you found him still in the living room, you were greeted by the sight of his bare back, toned and muscular with scars scattered over the tanned skin. "Oh, I'm sorry!" you apologised for the fourth time today.

Your hands shot up to your eyes to give him some privacy, and you turned around leaving almost as quickly as you'd entered, "Foods ready, it's in the kitchen whenever you're done!".

Eventually, he joined you in the kitchen, having now put on a plain black t-shirt and changed into jeans instead of the tattered white shirt and suit trousers he'd arrived in.

As he entered the kitchen you noticed he was holding one of the t-shirts you'd bought for him. It was a light grey long sleeved polo. His eyes flitted up to yours as he handed it to you sheepishly.

You cocked your head with confusion and looked at the fabric, "Did you not like this one?" you asked as he slinked onto the stool in front of one of the plates.

"I didn't know what you liked-" you held up the polo in front of you and stopped mid-sentence when you realised why he had handed it back to you, and more importantly, why he was being avoidant.

There was a tear across the chest, the soft fabric frayed as evidence of a battle lost against a muscular build.

"That's okay!" you tried to hide the chuckle that wanted to leave you, "At least I know what size not to get you from now,". He visibly relaxed, his shoulders lowered as they lost some of their tension.

You folded up the shirt and put it on the counter next to your phone. Sewing it up was always an option, or you could rip it into pieces and use it as dish cloths?

He seemed more comfortable now, chewing on the chicken you'd made slowly as if he was savouring the texture and flavour with every bite.

Despite his nature, he slowly and cleanly ate the food you'd prepared, there was no trepidation about using cutlery either. So you were beginning to wonder if he was actually as feral as the vet had described.

The atmosphere was pleasant. For once you weren't unhappy with someone else being in your space, normally you'd be relatively uncomfortable when another person invaded your home, but there was a familiarity with Jayce.

Other than his large frame being slightly out of place at your counter, it was as if he'd always been there, part of the furniture.

Your train of thought was disrupted by the sound of your phone vibrating across the hard counter top.

The screen lit up with a name you were sure you wouldn't see again, it stopped you in your tracks like flashbang. "I-" you started to say, as if talking to the inanimate object would make it stop.

With a slightly raised heartrate you reached a shaky hand out and tapped the red 'hang up' circle.

Why was he calling you? You'd made it pretty clear that you didn't want any further contact with you after what he'd done, but you couldn't bring yourself to block his contact at the time, and evidentially, you'd forgotten.

Without realising it, you'd been staring at your phone for a good minute before you came back to the present.

You finally tore your eyes away from the screen, "How's the food?" you managed to say, but any sort of response Jayce could've give you was cut short by the annoying buzzing noise echoing on the polished wood.

Jayce's ears flattened against the back of his head at the intrusive sound, and you blinked in semi-disbelief and semi-irritation.

You pressed the hang up button more aggressively, swiped the screen down to turn it onto do not disturb, and placed your phone face down.

"Go away," you whispered to yourself, and Jayce's left ear twitched forward at the hushed tone of your voice.

You stabbed your fork into your food harshly and put it into your mouth, chewing it as you leaned your cheek on your fist.

Thoughts of the past crept their way into your mind, and it was noticeable on your face. You were so occupied with internal questions that you didn't notice Jayce staring at you.

A low huff came from across the table and you looked up at the sound. He was regarding you expectantly; his amber eyes hard and waiting.

"What?" you mumbled with your mouth still full of food. His eyes darted to your phone and then back to your face, and you knew what he was asking, but you weren't sure if you wanted to go there tonight.

Inhaling deeply, you thought about how to respond, "It's nothing," you waved your hand and glanced back down at your almost-empty plate.

He tapped the space on the counter between your plates and twisted his hand to point two fingers upwards towards his face, silently saying, 'Look at me,".

It worked as you re-met his gaze, his stare was still intense but there was a note of curiosity? No, concern perhaps? It was hard to read him.

"Okay, it's not nothing," you sighed, "I'll explain it to you some day, but not tonight, please," you struggled to hold his eye contact, but your response seemed to sedate him as he nodded and returned to his food.

Once you'd finished your meal you put the dishes in the sink and realised it was much later than you thought. "I guess I should give you a quick tour," you laughed as he stayed sat at the counter.

"Obviously this is the kitchen-dining area-" you waved your arm across the room, "-the plates, mugs, and glasses are in here," you opened and closed one of the cupboard door to show him.

"Dry food in here, if you ever get hungry and want a snack," you did the same with the cupboard next to it. "Pots and pans in there," you pointed at one of the lower doors, then to the one next to it, "Cleaning supplies,".

"Fridge, and oven," you put your palm against each metal surfaces respectively, then started walking out of the room, waving for him to follow you, which he did.

He followed you through the living room and into the bathroom, "There's only one bathroom, and unfortunately there's no lock-" you half-closed the door to show him that you weren't lying, "-So, I guess we can have a rule where if the door is closed then don't go in?" you shrugged as you thought out loud, "Or, knock?".

He seemed to understand what you were saying, so you started to head back to the living room, but stopped at your bedroom.

"This is my room-" you reached around the door frame and switched on the light, and realised that you hadn't actually tidied it before his arrival, "-you can come in here if you want, but you probably wont need to," you turned the light off again before he could fully register how messy it was.

Moving back into the living room to grab the blankets and pillows you'd bought for him, "That's everything! I know it's pretty small but it's cosy," you ran your hand nervously over the fluffy brown fabric.

It was complete coincidence, but the blanket you'd bought him was the same shade as his ears and tail.

Extending it out for him to take, you looked up at his face, "I didn't know how or where you'd want to sleep, but the living room is yours," when he took the bedding, you rubbed the back of your neck.

"We can get a different couch if it isn't comfortable, or one of those pull out ones that turn into a bed," you rambled as you mimed what you were describing.

He just stood, holding the bedding, watching you word-vomit to him. He didn't wait for you to stop talking before he started to set up the couch as his bed for the night, and you took that as a sign to stop talking.

It had been a long day filled with new experiences, he was probably very tired.

"I'm going to leave you to it and get ready for bed, there's a toothbrush and stuff for you in the bathroom, use whatever you want," you pulled at the sleeves of your sweater for comfort.

This was the first time you had a guy stay over, granted the situation was vastly different from the usual circumstances someone would think of if you said there was a man staying the night.

But this one was here to stay. It was his home too now, and things were most certainly going to be different from this point on.

"Goodnight, Jayce," you smiled at him softly and gave him space to take everything in. You just hoped he'd be happy here with you.

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[madschiavelique]

i influenced u so good bro do it

after heavy inspiration from @madschiavelique i have made an oc for lockjaw

i'm writing my own little spin off thingy for him and jayce, i might post it - it's purely rough and aggressive self-indulgent smut for puppy hybrid jayce

lemme know if i should post it, or post snippets or keep it to myself lol