#jake and juniverse

[garfield-mug]

Adventures with Jake and June: Alpaca Edition

A/N: my second entry for Liz's (@sailor-aviator) Christmas Challenge. Another headcanon for you guys. It's kinda gross, but this is what it's like to work with alpacas! fun fact: during our alpaca lab i was the only student to make it out of the barn without being spit on.

i do use the word prompt, i promise.

And yes, alpaca (and llama) "spit" isn't just saliva. it's stomach contents. :) and it has a very... interesting smell.

Pairing: Jake Seresin x June Jackson (vet tech OC)

Word: Reindeer

Warnings: alpacas? animal handling? stomach contents/vomit

jake really didn't know what he was expecting when june offered to take him to a friend's alpaca farm. some cute photo ops, fluffy animals, maybe helping with some farm chores, sure. jake wasn't unfamiliar with farm chores, but they weren't his favorite thing to do. nevertheless, he'd offer to help out, even if no one asked.

june had promised it wouldn't be anything too crazy. she was meeting up with her friend and one of the doctors she knew to help get the animals in order for the new year. that mainly consisted of vaccines and hoof trimming.

the group was efficient, jake had observed. each would alternate between catching up an alpaca and doing the procedures. it was jake's job to the walk the alpacas a few feet into a different section of the barn where they had access to the pasture.

things were going smoothly up until the last alpaca. named snickers, she was anything but sweet.

getting close enough to catch her up was only half the battle, a feat in and of itself. they managed through all her kicking, biting, and spitting, eventually getting a decent hold thanks to one of the barn walls. it took the three of them to hold her for her hoof trim, june at the front, her friend at the back, and doc working the trimmers. june was holding snickers's head to her chest, but that didn't stop the animal from trying to spit in june's face.

by the end of it, everyone was panting and huffing, including snickers. she was passed off to jake, whose job was almost done, before she whipped her head around, releasing the last of her stomach contents and saliva right into jake's face, effectively splattering across his nose, cheeks, and lips. he froze, trying to process what just happened.

everyone gasped, eyes wide. june immediately rushed to jake's side, wiping at his face with the sleeve of her coveralls. her friend and doc also whipped into action, doc leading snickers out of the barn and june's friend leading the both of them to the house where jake could wash his face.

"baby, i am so sorry," june pleads as jake is holding his face under the faucet, enjoying the stream of clean warm water. she's getting a towel ready for when he's done, folding and unfolding the fabric in her hands.

jake turns off the faucet, leaning over the sink for a moment, before silently asking for the towel. he brings the plush fabric to his face, drying his skin.

he looks to his girlfriend, coveralls tied around her waist, face fraught with worry and guilt.

"stop apologizing."

"jake—"

"junebug, it's okay. i'm okay."

"you're not mad at me?"

jake brings his hands to june's shoulders.

"baby, i grew up on a ranch. i know how animals can be, especially when we're doing things to them that they don't like."

"i know, it's just—"

"it's just nothing. don't fret about it, please."

june pulls jake in for a hug. he kisses the top of her head.

he smiles after a few beats.

"if anything, it'll make for a funny story this christmas."

"like that time i got my ass kicked by a reindeer?" june's voice is small, but jake can tell she's smiling.

he chuckles, "yeah, like that time you got your ass kicked by a reindeer."

jake gives june's ass a playful smack for good measure. she yelps in surprise, pulling her head away from his chest to look at him incredulously.

"you are absolutely awful, jake seresin."

"but you loooooove me." he bumps his nose with hers, thankful it doesn't smell like alpaca spit anymore.

"i do."

[garfield-mug]

there may be another addition to the jake and juniverse sooner than expected

[garfield-mug]

so uhhh

the next addition to the jake and juniverse is gonna be sad

but also happy