Archive of Our Own

“Felix? Are you awake yet?” Chan’s voice sounds from outside Felix’s bedroom door. A light scratch against the wood follows, then a hesitant set of knocks. “Felix?”

Felix rolls onto his side to face the closed door, wishing his body weren’t as heavy as a boulder and his head so cloudy he can barely think.

Walking home from work in the rain the other night was a bad idea in hindsight, but he didn’t expect to face the consequences less than a week later in the form of a terrible cold.

Chan calls his name again, a little more impatience in his tone. Felix opens his mouth to answer, only for his face to scrunch up, and he blows out a loud sneeze into his arm instead. That’s when the door finally creaks open, and Felix hurriedly covers his runny nose with a tissue when Chan appears in the doorway

The wolf hybrid is clad in the same clothes he wore last night, a black hoodie and joggers that he has been living in ever since Felix bought them for him. His broad silhouette is backlit by the morning light in the hallway, furry black ears perked up atop his head the moment he sees Felix’s sickly form, eyes blown wide with worry.

“Oh no, oh no, Felix—” Chan dashes towards the bed in a panic, arms outstretched for an embrace, but Felix musters enough strength to shoot upright and stop him with a raised hand.

“Don’t come too close, Chan,” Felix warns, voice hoarse from sleep. He sniffles and blows his stuffy nose into his tissue, placing it beside the box on his nightstand to dispose of later—the trash bin is just too far right now. “I’m sick, I don’t want to infect you.”

Chan juts his lip out in a pout, ears flattening to his head as he kneels at Felix’s bedside. “But… but I want to help you," he whimpers, eyes glassy with unshed tears, lower lip trembling like a leaf. He props his chin on his folded arms, staring at Felix like he’s the most precious person in the world. “Please don’t die… please.”

Felix feels something tug at his heartstrings, pulling harder the longer he swims in the wolf’s sweet brown eyes. Chan has grown so attached to him, even after five short days of living here. Felix can’t bear to see him cry when things are starting to look up for him.

“Don’t worry, Channie, I’m not gonna die.” Felix is swift to reassure the innocent hybrid, patting his head of soft curls between his droopy ears. He attempts a half-smile to set an example for Chan, pleased when he slowly blinks away the mist of tears. “It’s probably just a bug going around, I’ll be fine by tomorrow.”

“You will?” A glimmer of hope shines in Chan’s eyes as he looks up at Felix, clear as day, even in the dimly lit room. “Promise?”

Felix extends his pinky for Chan to loop with his own, squeezing it tight. He taught him what this gesture means the night he found him, something a once lone wolf could catch onto with ease. “Promise.”

The fear on Chan’s face subsides, but traces of worry still remain. “Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?” he asks, nose twitching as he takes in Felix’s scent. If he smells like death personified, which is likely the case, Chan doesn’t acknowledge it—he’s far too sweet to do that.

“Could you get me some Nyquil? It’s in the cupboard beside the fridge, top shelf, blue bottle.”

Felix feels a pang of guilt in his chest. Asking his randomly acquired hybrid to fetch things for him seems wrong when Chan is still acclimatizing to his new home. He considers retracting his request and getting the medicine himself, but his body refuses to haul him out of bed, telling him to lay down and rest instead.

Besides, Chan is already heading out the door with an understanding “Okay”, fluffy black tail swishing behind him as he embarks on his quest for the Nyquil.

Felix finds himself smiling fondly at the open door, not minding that Chan forgot to close it to spare his bleary eyes from the sunlight. If the wolf is willing to be his nurse for the day, Felix won’t stop him.

Bottles clatter in the distance, and Felix silently hopes that Chan doesn’t break anything without meaning to. He's a gentle wolf from what he’s seen of him thus far, but he's also a clumsy one—being in an unfamiliar environment could have something to do with that.

Luckily, Chan returns with the desired medicine, dropping to his knees and handing it to Felix.

“Thank you, Channie.” Relieved, Felix pours some of the liquid into the lid and downs it in one gulp, the bittersweet taste unpleasant but tolerable. He closes the bottle and sets it aside before slumping onto his back again, meeting Chan’s vacant stare once he notices it. “What is it?”

Chan clutches the edge of the mattress, fingers inching closer to Felix only to shy away. “I… I really wanna hug you,” he admits with a frown. “Are hugs allowed? Can I hug you?”

Hug, hug, hug. The word echoes in Felix’s head and almost compels him to reach out to the wolf and risk getting him sick. He is able to refrain, as difficult as it is to resist Chan’s puppy dog eyes. “Sorry, Chan, I don’t think that’s a good idea right now.”

Chan whines despondently, resolving to lay his head on the mattress while his knees dig into the hardwood, waiting for Felix to be free of his ailment. The sight breaks Felix’s heart. He can’t let Chan sulk like this, but kicking him out of his room sounds worse.

An idea takes shape at that moment, a compromise that will satisfy them both and lessen the chances of Chan falling ill. “But you can still stay here with me if you want.”

“Really?” Chan lifts his head at that, hopeful once again.

Felix nods. “I’m gonna go back to sleep for a bit, I could use the company.” He reaches out to pat the empty spot near the foot of the bed, drawing Chan’s attention. “Why don’t you lie here?”

Before Felix can even blink, Chan is scrambling onto the mattress, mindful of Felix’s legs under the blankets as he settles into place. His tail wags as he circles around on all fours, finally resting on his side after the third rotation, Felix’s calf serving as a makeshift pillow.

“I’ll watch over you, make sure you don’t fall off the bed,” Chan proudly declares like it’s his civic duty. “I’ll be your guard dog. I’ll take care of you just like you do for me.”

Felix’s heart swells. Chan is too adorable for his own good. “You’re sweet, Channie, thank you.” He is about to give the wolf a grateful pet, but he seizes up just as he stretches his arm out, bringing it to cover his mouth as he jolts through three consecutive sneezes.

Chan is unfazed, regarding Felix with such a fond gaze that anyone who didn’t know better would think he’s admiring an angel, so attentive and endeared. “Bless you, Felix.”

“Thank you, Chan,” Felix replies, congestion coating his voice with nasal until he blows his nose again. He sighs and pulls the covers up to his chin, praying his symptoms dull out by the time he wakes up later.

Every move Chan makes is subtle enough to miss, and yet Felix is aware of them all, even when he is halfway to dreamland. The wolf noses at his covered ankle, caresses his knee with gentle hands, waves his tail to cool off his reddened face.

Ultimately, the warmth of Chan’s weight on his legs and the calming, earthy scent of his fur are what end up soothing Felix to sleep, lips curling into a serene smile.

They will make chicken noodle soup in the afternoon, he decides, a hot meal they can share together while watching the cartoons Chan has grown to love.

The door is still open. Felix still doesn't mind.

***

A man with wolf ears and a fluffy tail sitting at the kitchen table in a white robe is a vision Felix thought could only exist in the strangest of fever dreams. And yet Chan is as real as him, fresh from a shower and nibbling on a slice of brown bread he’d dipped into the chicken soup Felix prepared for him.

The wolf looks a lot better than he had less than an hour ago, no longer covered in the dirt and grime of the city streets, hair and fur shiny under the dim lights overhead. His skin is smooth with a golden tan, the loose robe revealing hints of his chest.

Felix averts his eyes before they wander too low—he doesn’t want Chan to feel uncomfortable.

“This is delicious, Felix,” Chan says, sipping another spoonful of his soup. “You’re a wonderful cook.”

“Oh, um, thanks. Glad you like it.” Felix accepts the compliment, the wolf’s soft brown eyes too wide and cute to not elicit a smile.

A part of him wishes the soup were fresh. He made it a few days ago from a recipe Minho sent him after suggesting he ditch canned soup for the healthier alternative of making it from scratch, and it’s a miracle he didn’t butcher it. Cooking is still a learning curve for him, while baking is his strong suit.

Leftovers are better than nothing when tending to a houseguest, he reasons, especially one who survived on scraps from the dumpster for weeks on end.

When Chan finishes drinking the rest of his soup, he blows out a sigh as if defeated, face faltering into something somber that immediately sparks worry in Felix.

“What’s the matter, Chan?”

“I guess when my clothes are clean, I should get out of your hair, right?”

“Wha… what do you mean?” Felix nearly gasps, shocked that Chan would even think that. He just got here, enjoyed a hot shower and a warm meal. How could he think Felix would let him brave the storm on his own when he has nowhere else to go? “Chan, you can’t go back on the street. It’s too dangerous.”

“But you have such a lovely home and you live so comfortably. I don’t want to be a burden to you.” His chair scrapes on the floor when he slowly pushes it out, head downcast and ears drooping. “I’ll just find a park bench to sleep on.”

“Chan, you’re not a burden.” Reflexively, Felix reaches across the table for Chan’s large hand, his own smaller one dwarfed by its size. The touch forces the wolf to lift his eyes, Felix’s cue to reassure him. “I invited you in because I want to help you. You’re welcome to stay here for as long as you need to.”

“I am?” Chan’s voice is meek and small, like he's on the verge of tears. “Do you really mean that?”

“Of course.” Felix is aware that he is instilling an enormous amount of trust in the wolf—Chan likely doing the same by being here in the first place—but his heart is too big to deny him when he's so vulnerable. “I’ll do my best to take care of you, I promise.”

As childish as it is, Felix releases Chan’s hand and extends his pinky, met with a confused look from Chan. “Oh, um, you’re supposed to link your pinky with mine,” he quickly explains. “It’s a way to seal a promise.”

Understanding, Chan nods and tentatively locks his pinky with Felix’s, a hopeful smile pulling at his lips when Felix gives it a light squeeze. “Thank you so much, Felix. You’re the kindest human I’ve ever met. I promise to be a good wolf for you.”

The stars dancing in Chan’s wide eyes make it impossible for Felix not to believe him. “I have no doubt you will be.”

***

Two weeks have passed since Felix started kissing Chan. It gets easier every time, a part of their daily routine that puts the most beautiful smile on Chan’s face and makes Felix’s heart flutter in turn.

Once it became clear that Chan would be a mainstay in his life, Felix spent a long night reading up about canine hybrids; what to feed them, how to make them feel at home, how to alter their clothes to accommodate their tails. A key piece of information he found is that most breeds adore receiving and giving kisses.

It was obvious Chan was among one of those hybrids when Felix arrived home from working overtime at the bakery one night. The wolf launched himself at Felix after waiting at the door for his return, licking wet stripes up his cheek.

It felt like being greeted by an excitable puppy, smothered in unconditional affection, which may as well have been the case. Chan is more puppy than wolf in the way he carries himself, hence why Felix bestowed that very nickname upon him, which Chan gladly accepted.

They kissed for the first time two weeks after meeting. It was a surprise smooch on the lips that neither of them planned, and it left them both turning beet red.

Another two weeks quickly bled into a month and they have fallen into the comfortable habit, setting time aside before bed to cuddle and kiss on the couch.

Felix lays on top of a giggling Chan, his lips forging a path from his dimpled cheeks to the corner of his mouth. His fingers thread through Chan’s curls and tickle the base of his ears, the sensitive nerves twitching at the touch.

Pulling back for a breather, Felix sees that the flush on Chan’s face is a deeper crimson than usual. He feels the warmth on his thumbs when they rub circles on his rosy cheeks. Then Chan is tilting his head up and giving Felix a mouthful of laughter as their lips lock, sweet and uncoordinated and full of smiles.

“Puppy, what’s so funny?” Felix asks when they break away, infected by the wolf’s cheery mood, eyes crinkling into crescents.

“You’re a really good kisser,” Chan says, like it’s common knowledge. His arms tighten their hold around Felix’s waist to bring him closer, eyes shimmering with mirth as their foreheads knock together. “I like kissing you, Felix.”

Felix huffs out a stuttered laugh, a bit bashful, and the flutter in his chest turns into a swarm of butterflies. He swears the wolf’s heart is pounding twice as fast. “I like kissing you too, Chan.”

“Can I have more?” Chan puckers his lips with little smacking noises, making Felix snort at his antics. “Pretty please?”

“You can have as many as you want.”

Felix easily caves to the wolf’s cuteness, head dipping to initiate another round, and they kiss until they fall sound asleep in each other’s arms.

***

Felix had a hunch that a wolf hybrid would enjoy meat of any kind. He was made privy to Chan’s affinity for steak in particular when a cooking show on television fascinated the wolf in the middle of channel-surfing.

The chef was preparing a juicy cut of wagyu steak that had Chan foaming at the mouth, tongue lolling out with a line of saliva dribbling onto his hoodie. For a second, Felix thought the wolf would reach out and try to grab the meat through the screen. While he thankfully didn’t, the idea amused him.

During one of his biweekly grocery runs, Felix peruses the meat section in search of the best steak they offer, dropping five of them into his packed cart as a surprise for Chan.

Sure, he nearly blacked out when given the total price at check-out, but he is positive it will be worth it—his bank account can cry about it later.

“Channie, I’m back!” Felix kicks his shoes off and makes a beeline for the kitchen with the grocery bags, throwing them on the counter.

Chan crashes into him a second later, enveloping him in a welcoming hug that pushes the air out of Felix’s lungs. He wheezes, tapping the wolf’s back as a signal to let go, even if the squeeze is far from lethal.

“Ch-Chan… little too tight.”

“Oops, sorry, Felix. I just missed you a lot.” Chan says this every time Felix comes home, no matter how long he's gone. He could step out for two minutes to retrieve the mail and Chan would welcome him as if he returned from a year-long voyage around the world.

“Look what I got you.” Felix directs Chan’s focus to the plastic bag containing the coveted steak, laying each of them out on the counter with a bright smile, the wolf’s eyes widening into saucers at the glorious sight. “Surprise!”

“This… this is for me?” Chan asks, mouth ajar as he gawks at the meat before glancing at Felix, disbelief written on his features. “You got all of this steak… for me?”

“Yup. they’re all for you,” Felix beams. “I know it’s your favourite meat, so I got some for you. I don’t really know how to cook them like the chefs on TV, but we can figure it out together. I hope you—Hey!”

Felix’s rambling is cut off by his own squeal when Chan wraps him up in his arms and sweeps him off his feet, brimming with palpable joy as he spins him in circles.

“Oh, Felix, thank you, thank you, thank you!” Chan cheers, his laughter contagious. Felix finds himself grinning from ear to ear, a delightful dizziness sinking into his bones that leaves him feeling weightless when Chan sets him back down.

His optimism won out in the end. Spending all that money really was worth it.

In the short time Felix has known Chan, this is the happiest he’s seen him. He's so happy that he cups Felix’s face in his large hands and closes the space between them, pressing a smacking kiss to his lips.

Rendered frozen, Felix barely processes what is happening until it’s over. His brain short circuits, buzzing from the feeling of plush lips on his, so sudden as if it were a hallucination dug out from the deepest recesses of his subconscious.

Silence hangs over the room and then it finally dawns on him.

Chan just kissed him.

Chan looks equally as stunned, jumping back and clasping his hand over his guilty mouth with a sharp gasp. It fails to hide the deep red blush creeping onto his face, bright enough to catch fire. “I-I’m so sorry,” he stammers. “I got excited, I didn’t mean to—”

“No, no, it’s okay,” Felix interrupts, heat rising in his cheeks and spreading to the tips of his ears. “I don’t mind. I… I liked it.”

What’s more surprising than the kiss is Felix's honesty in response. His tone may be laced with kiss-addled nervousness, but his words are true. He liked it, he really liked it.

“Y-you did?” Chan hesitates. His head lowers and he looks at Felix through his lashes.

“Yeah, um… dogs like kisses, don’t they?” Felix throws out the tidbit of information he picked up on his deep dive into canine hybrids last night, offering a shy quirk of his lips.

The cute little nod he receives from Chan makes him feel like he just did the right thing, even more so when he moves his hand to reveal a sweet smile, tension visibly dissolving from his body.

Chan draws closer and brings Felix in for another hug, effectively crushing the awkward atmosphere in favour of coziness. His embrace is snug and so warm it has Felix melting against his sturdy chest, head nestled into Chan’s broad shoulder, cushioned by the soft fabric of his hoodie.

He smells like ocean breeze laundry detergent and the great outdoors. He smells safe.

“Thank you so much for the steak, Felix,” Chan says softly into Felix’s ear, punctuating his gratitude with a chaste peck to his neck. “You’re the best.”

Felix makes a mental note to put steak on his shopping list for the foreseeable future.

***

Felix halts in his tracks at the faint sound of whimpering that cuts through the rain shower beating down on his umbrella. It’s coming from his left, in the alley between a restaurant and a convenience store. If his ears aren’t deceiving him, it sounds like a lost or wounded puppy in desperate need of shelter.

“Hello?” Felix enters the narrow alley with caution, searching for the source of those helpless sobs and finding it within a few steps, a figure huddled against the brick wall.

In the shadows, Felix can vaguely make out its silhouette—much bigger than a puppy, or a fully grown dog for that matter. With his free hand, he chances a touch, but flinches back at the sight of glowing brown eyes staring at him, pointed ears shooting up from the creature’s head.

Animal ears, a husky’s ears perhaps.

No… wolf ears?

“P-please… please d-don’t hurt me,” the creature begs, presumably a man, his voice thin like he fears for his life. He shrinks into himself when Felix shuffles closer, hugging his knees to his chest and ducking his head to shield his face. “I don’t want any trouble, just please…”

“Hey, hey, don’t worry, I’m not gonna hurt you,” Felix says in a soft tone. He sets his umbrella down and crouches next to the man, who is shivering now, worn-out clothes soaked and clinging to his body. “What are you doing out here? Are you lost?”

“I don’t have anywhere to go.” The man snivels. “Pack left me, don’t want me… I-I’m so cold, so hungry.”

Pack? Wait a minute…

From his lowered position, Felix is able to get a better look at the man. His wolf-like ears catch his eye again, soggy from the rain and flattening to his head of black curls. They look far too lifelike to be part of a costume, the muscles within them twitching weakly.

This man must be one of those human/animal hybrids Felix has heard about. He's never seen one in the flesh before, thinking they were few and far between in his relatively small town. Now there is a bonafide wolf hybrid right in front of him, abandoned and terribly distraught.

“How long have you been out here?” Felix asks, morbidly curious.

The wolf wipes his face with his sleeve, only smearing more speckles of dirt onto his splotchy skin that mix with the remnants of old tears. He must have been crying for hours.

“I don’t know… a few weeks,” he guesses, and Felix’s heart breaks. “Tried knocking on doors, but no one would let me in. It’s so lonely out here, and I can’t find any food, except in there.”

Felix is made aware of the dumpster a few feet ahead, overflowing with the uneaten food the restaurant throws away. The thought of this wolf having to rummage through the garbage for sustenance almost brings tears to his eyes; the poor thing must be starving.

“I’m sorry, you probably didn’t want to hear all that,” the wolf assumes, slowly unfolding his limbs and preparing to stand up. “I didn’t mean for my whining to disturb you. Do you want me to go? I can find another alley to spend the night.”

“Wait, no, don’t go.” Felix grabs the man’s hand before he can get to his feet, afraid for a split second that his abrupt action will scare him away. But he stays put, lifting his head to meet Felix with those great big eyes, something attentive in their flicker.

Maybe it’s his overgrown heart or his inherent need to take care of people, but Felix would never forgive himself if he left this helpless hybrid alone on a stormy night like this.

What he's about to do is beyond risky and possibly dangerous, and yet he can’t think of a better course of action.

“Um, well, if you need a place to stay, you’re welcome to come home with me,” he offers, his grip on the wolf’s hand loosening. “My apartment is just around the corner. You can dry off and I’ll make you something to eat.”

“Y-you… you want to help me?” The wolf’s expression has disbelief written all over it. “But I’m a hybrid. Humans hate hybrids. None of them wanted to help me.”

“Then those other humans sure are heartless,” Felix thinks out loud. Any person cruel enough to reject a hybrid in need is devoid of a functioning heart in his opinion.

He rises off the damp pavement with his umbrella, prompting the wolf to follow suit with a gentle squeeze to his hand. “Look, I know we don’t know each other, but I want you to be safe and warm and not lonely,” he says, tone laden with sincerity. “Come home with me, okay? Let me help you.”

There is a trace of hesitance in the wolf’s demeanour, rightfully so, his eyes wavering from Felix’s expectant gaze to their joined hands.

For a moment, Felix is worried his offer is about to be declined. Thankfully, that moment doesn’t last long.

“Okay, I’ll go with you,” the wolf agrees with the most subtle hint of a smile. Felix’s heart stitches itself back up as he guides the hybrid out of the gloomy alley and down the sidewalk, the umbrella protecting them both from the heavy rain. “Thank you so much for this.”

“You’re welcome.” Felix realizes his finger’s are still intertwined with the wolf’s. He doesn’t bother letting go.

Even though his features are distorted under the streetlights, Felix notices how handsome the wolf is, despite the blemishes and shallow scratches. The bridge of his wide nose slopes down to a cute, wide tip, full lips slightly cracked from the cold.

For the first hybrid Felix has ever encountered, this wolf sure is a pretty one.

“Um… my name’s Chan, by the way,” the wolf introduces, casting Felix a timid glance. “What’s yours?”

“Felix. Nice to meet you, Chan.”

***

Chan is in love with Felix.

There's a possibility that Felix is jumping to conclusions—lots of dogs are affectionate with their owners when they’re treated well.

But Chan isn’t his pet and Felix doesn’t view him as such, nor himself as his owner. Chan is a hybrid with genuine human emotions, and almost all of them are narrowed on Felix.

Felix picks up on the small things Chan does for him as tokens of his appreciation for taking him in. He greets him at the door with hugs and kisses every day, helps him cook meals, lays at his feet during his gaming sessions, and calms him with cuddles when he rages over a loss.

Unless Felix is at work or running errands on his own, the wolf is rarely torn from his side, turning the two of them into a package deal.

And the way Chan looks at him, wide-eyed and full of wonder and reverence as if Felix hung the sun, moon and stars in the sky. Words are not required for Felix to decipher what lies beyond that adoring gaze, the windows to his soul wide open.

Chan has fallen in love with him… and Felix doesn’t know how to feel about it.

“Felix, do you like me?” Chan murmurs into Felix's chest one night, on the verge of falling asleep as Felix cards his fingers through his hair. “Like, do you really, really like me?”

“Of course I like you,” Felix replies with a smile. He’s unsure if he should elaborate until Chan tilts his head up with an expectant look, lips puckered in a cute pout. “It’s hard not to like you, Channie. You’re such a sweet puppy.”

Chan blinks and that loving stare makes itself known again. Felix stops breathing when he leans in for a kiss.

“You’re sweet too, Lix,” Chan whispers, humming as his lips trail down Felix’s neck, slow and drowsy, but with enough pressure to have Felix’s skin heating up. “Sweet and pretty and wonderful and—Gosh, you’re perfect.”

Felix’s heart pounds in his ears, and he knows Chan can feel it, his palm pressed where his heart resides in his chest as he peppers kisses along his collarbone near the neckline of his pajama top.

He can’t control how his body reacts when the wolf loves on him, and the beginnings of arousal that stir in his groin are a testament to that.

Tonight isn’t the first time Chan has crushed Felix under his weight in his bed, plush lips lazily worshipping his face and neck. And yet, Felix still has to stifle a shaky breath at a particularly firm suck, sweat collecting in the curve of his back on the mattress.

The wolf never ventures lower than his clavicle, primarily because Felix has never asked him to. Intrusive thoughts of bathing in a shower of Chan’s kisses have surfaced in passing, along with other more lewd fantasies involving the gorgeous wolf, and they always leave him with a guilty twist in his stomach.

Chan would do whatever he demands at the drop of a hat, always at Felix’s beck and call for anything he may need. If he took advantage of his obedience for his own pleasure, Felix would feel like a complete scumbag.

He welcomed Chan into his home to protect and care for him, not to turn him into his personal sex puppy.

So he distracts Chan with a scratch to his ears before his kisses have a chance to deepen, making him whine into the silky material of Felix’s shirt.

“Careful, pup,” Felix chides with no real bite in his tone. “It’s a little too late to kiss me like that. I thought you were tired.”

“I am, but…” A wide yawn halts Chan’s sentence and he ultimately gives up on finishing it, rolling off of Felix to snuggle into his side, inhaling his scent like oxygen. “Mmm, you smell so good.”

“Yeah, you’re definitely tired,” Felix giggles. He tugs the blankets up to cover both of them and pecks the tip of Chan’s nose. “Sleep now, pup. See you in the morning.”

Like a magnetic force is compelling him, Chan ducks his head to nuzzle into Felix’s chest, his favourite position to drift off. “G’night, Felix.”

Felix breathes in and is blessed by the outdoorsy smell of the wolf’s fluffy hair under his chin, fresh pine and soil after rainfall combining to create a scent that is uniquely Chan.

It floods Felix's senses and has him holding Chan tighter, the rumble of his snores vibrating through him, slowly lulling him to sleep.

I love you.

A voice echoes from somewhere in the distance, but it feels so incredibly close, seeping into Felix’s skin and finding a home in his heart.

It sounds like Chan. Chan is asleep. Maybe it was just a dream.

***

“Channie, Channie...”

Felix sucks in a sharp gasp that drags his bottom lip between his teeth, stuffing down the third utterance of the wolf’s name. He tries his damndest to keep quiet as he spreads his hole with a trio of slick fingers, mindful of Chan sleeping soundly in the living room.

Waking up in the middle of the night was not something Felix anticipated, and neither was the extremely vivid wet dream of Chan fucking him deep and languid, causing him to jolt awake and mourn the loss of the wolf’s phantom touch.

Ignoring his throbbing horniness was impossible, so he sought to rectify the situation himself.

This is wrong, Felix’s thoughts nag at him, white hot shame curling in his gut. He ignores the voices in favour of seeking out the pleasure he is aching for, slender fingers plunging as deep as they can reach before he deems himself ready.

In a lust-induced haste, Felix grabs the large dildo beside him and coats it in a hefty layer of lube, groaning into his pillow as he rubs the length against his wet entrance.

He normally wouldn’t tease himself while he is so eager to be full, but this is how he pictures Chan warming up, rutting his hard cock between Felix’s ass cheeks before splitting him apart.

His hips lift up and he chomps down on his swollen lip when his hole swallows the tip, stretching him out the way Chan’s cock did in his dream. A stuttered breath leaves him the further he drags the toy, bottoming out in a single stroke.

“Fuck, Channie, s-so big, so big inside me,” Felix whines pitifully, pinching his eyes shut for his imagination to run wild.

Sensual visions of the wolf in all his naked glory come rushing in, his body swaying as he pounds into Felix’s willing hole, toned muscles glistening with sweat, teeth gritted with primal growls at the tight heat wrapped around him.

Felix moves the dildo in shallow thrusts before finding the perfect rhythm, so deep and delicious it has him drooling like a dog in heat, the tip of his cock feeling sticky on his stomach from the precum beading there.

"Cha-an, Chan.”

“Felix?”

Suddenly frozen, Felix’s head snaps towards the soft voice calling his name, met with a confused Chan standing in the doorway in nothing but his underwear.

Panic surges through him and he is quick to rip the dildo out of him, wincing at the abrupt movement and the dull sting on his backside when he turns over.

“Ch-Chan?” Felix stammers as he hurriedly brings his knees to his chest to shield his cock, the dildo shoved haphazardly under the wrinkled sheets where the wolf hopefully won’t notice. “Wh-what are you doing here? Why are you up?”

“I heard you call me. I thought you had a nightmare and needed cuddles,” Chan says, slowly approaching the bed to do just that. His sweet response is expected—Chan is wholesome to a fault at times.

Just when Felix thinks he could be in the clear, Chan pauses at the foot of the bed, rounded eyes spotting the base of the dildo poking out before Felix can even think about chucking it under the bed with the dust bunnies.

“Is that a toy next to you?” Chan asks, and Felix outwardly cringes when he climbs onto the bed to get a closer look at the dildo, a tentative hand grazing the protruding shaft over the sheets. “Like, a sex toy?”

“I, uh…” There is no use in denying the obvious, so Felix comes clean, cheeks hot with a red blush as he meets Chan’s curious eyes. “Y-yeah, it is. I-I got desperate. I’m sorry I woke you up, Channie, I didn’t mean to.”

Felix shuts his mouth before he can ramble further into embarrassment, lowering his head when Chan prods at the base of the toy like a science project. He considers retreating under the covers, but he has already been caught red-handed. Chan must be so weirded out by this revelation.

The wolf hums and rearranges himself to sit in front of Felix’s tense form, placing his hands on his bent knees. “Why are you using a toy to make yourself feel good? You have me.”

Felix raises his head at that, the cogs in his brain turning to figure out what Chan is implying. His earlier horny haze must still be present because no thoughts come to him, too distracted by how closely Chan is surveying his flushed face.

"What do you mean?”

“You don’t have to rely on a toy when I’m with you,” Chan reiterates, and the slight upward quirk of his lips has Felix’s heart hammering against his ribcage, something suggestive in the wolf’s eyes that wasn’t there before. “If you’ll let me, I’d be happy to take care of you in the way you need.”

Felix sucks in a silent breath when Chan’s hands frame his face, a thumb brushing dangerously close to his parted lips. It’s then when he catches on to the insinuation, and all of a sudden, he wonders whether or not he's still dreaming.

Chan is offering to fuck him.

“Chan, you don’t have to do that,” Felix insists despite himself, attempting in vain to shrink away from Chan’s touch for the sake of posterity. “You’re my friend, I don’t want to overstep—”

“—I love you, Felix,” comes Chan’s soft-spoken interruption, and Felix’s entire world is flipped off its axis, his speculations of the wolf’s feelings swiftly proven true in a single moment. “I love you.”

Felix blinks, utterly dumbfounded. “Y-you do?”

“I’ve loved you since the night we met.” Chan blows out a chuckle, like blurting those three words has lifted a tremendous weight off his shoulders. “You’re my favourite person in the world and I want to make you as happy as you make me.”

“Channie…”

“If you want me to pleasure you, I’ll do it. I’ll do anything for you, Felix.”

A fuzzy warmth crawls through Felix’s chest, his heart melting along with the tension in his body as he leans into Chan’s touch. The sincerity shining in the wolf’s eyes is crystal clear, and if he truly wants to be with Felix like this, who is he to stop him?

Driven by renewed desire, Felix repositions himself so he’s straddling Chan’s lap and captures his lips in a passionate kiss. It’s different from the countless kisses they’ve shared before—this one is sweeter, deeper, so many intense emotions poured into the gesture that they could drown in them together.

Felix keens when a pair of strong arms envelop him around the waist, holding him flush to Chan’s chest. He grants Chan’s slick tongue entrance into his mouth when it swipes over his bottom lip, moaning around it as his fingers thread through his curls, earning a muffled whine at the gentle pull.

“I love you too, Chan,” Felix finally confesses, voice just above a whisper. A tidal wave of relief washes over him and he can’t help the giggle that escapes him when Chan licks his blooming smile. “I love you so much.”

In a casual show of strength that has Felix’s unspoken muscle kink screaming with joy, Chan guides Felix to lie on his back in one seamless maneuver, their torrid exchange staying intact.

Felix mewls Chan’s name and arches his back just as Chan starts grinding down, breath hitching at the friction of his cock meeting Chan’s clothed bulge. His hands move on autopilot, gliding down the broad expanse of Chan’s back until they hook under the waistband of his boxers, a wordless plea to remove them.

Chan picks up on the signal, straightening up to yank his underwear down and kick them aside, his cock springing free and slapping against his defined abs. Felix is frothing at the mouth at the realization that Chan is even bigger than he was in his fantasies, thick shaft tapering to a flaring red tip that shimmers with precum.

“Channie, you’re so fucking beautiful,” Felix exhales, his breathing becoming shallow as his eyes rake over Chan’s body, committing every inch of his tan skin to memory.

Chan chuckles, the tips of his ears turning a shy shade of pink. In contrast, his hand makes a bold move, taking his dick into a loose grip and letting out a stuttered moan at a single upstroke.

“S-so are you, Felix,” he says, his gaze unwavering as he marvels at Felix’s body laid out beneath him. “So pretty when you’re naked. I… I really wanna make love to you.”

“Go ahead then, puppy.” Felix fights the temptation to reach out and stuff the wolf’s cock into his mouth, blindly feeling around for the lube instead and grasping the cool bottle tucked under his pillow, passing it to Chan. “Get yourself ready for me. Let me watch you.”

And watch Felix does, lazily stroking his throbbing member as Chan clumsily decants the lube into his palm and slicks up his own, both of them groaning in unison. He doesn’t miss the antsy swish of Chan’s tail or the way his ears twitch, adding a cute undertone to his sweltering sexiness.

“Gonna take care of you, Lixie,” Chan declares airily, bending down to hover over Felix and cage him in his arms, the head of his cock poised at Felix’s wide and willing entrance. “I’ll be a good puppy for you.”

Felix gets varying versions of this promise almost every day, but this one is packed with so much meaning that it feels like the first time he's hearing it. “I know you will, Channie,” he murmurs against his lips. “You’re always good for me.”

Head dipping for another searing kiss, Chan gives one slow grind of his hips that pushes his bulbous head past Felix’s rim, eliciting a muffled moan that he gladly swallows. The immense stretch has Felix’s mouth falling open, no sound coming out as shockwaves zip through his veins, slowly adjusting to the sheer girth of Chan’s cock the further he slides into him.

“Oh my god, F-Felix, you’re so warm around me,” Chan groans into Felix’s ear when he finally bottoms out, littering kisses on his neck in an effort to soothe him. “Are you okay? Am I too big? Is this too much for you?”

Every press of his plump lips brings Felix’s voice back in a series of unintelligible whimpers. He feels so stuffed and Chan hasn’t even started moving yet. He wants him to move, wants to experience what it’s like to take such a big cock from such a beautiful wolf.

“F-fuck me,” Felix stutters, hands slinking around Chan’s torso to rest on his back, one of them drifting down to tap his ass cheek. “It’s okay, I can take it, pup. Use that fat cock and fuck me.”

Chan shudders at Felix’s filthy demand, lips latching to the juncture of his neck as he follows his order. His hips wind back and slam forward once, twice, until he finds a rhythmic pace, each languid thrust drawing out wrecked noises that Felix never imagined he could make.

“P-pup—puppy, fuck yeah, just like that.” Felix clenches around Chan’s pistoning length, pliant walls molding to fit every ridge and vein, milking him for everything he has. “So good, fucking me so well, puppy, yes!”

Chan releases a throaty sound akin to a growl, reverberating from his lips over a sensitive pulse point on Felix’s neck. “Love when you talk like that, so hot,” he says, hips snapping faster, giving Felix a prime view of his face contorting with pleasure when he balances on his forearms. “So hot getting fucked, Lix, love it—ahh, love you.”

The wolf’s sentence fragments morph into babbles that Felix can barely understand, but it serves to prove how far gone Chan is, so aroused that language eludes him.

Felix claws at Chan’s muscled back to ground himself lest he falls apart too soon. The molten lava rushing through his loins lets him know he's almost there, every long drag of Chan’s cock along his walls spurring him on, and stars rim his vision the moment his sweet spot is discovered.

“Right there, puppy, right there,” Felix cries, holding Chan’s lustful stare the best he can through his slowly blurring sight as the wolf keeps pounding him at the perfect angle. “Yes, yes, good puppy, best puppy—Ahh, you’re the best puppy, fuck!”

Inching closer to the edge, Felix’s legs wrap around Chan’s waist, trapping him in a tight embrace as if to merge into one entity. The idea of becoming one with the wolf has him buzzing from head to toe, his bobbing cock dripping precum while his ass grips Chan’s shaft greedily.

“Please, please come for me, baby,” Chan begs, canine instincts sensing Felix’s impending orgasm. “Wanna see it, wanna feel you, baby, please.”

The nickname coupled with the wolf’s pining gaze sets Felix ablaze, and he only needs one more thrust to his prostate before he comes undone. He throws his head back, mouth agape with a scream as he spills all over his stomach and chest, Chan fucking him through it the whole time.

“Chan…” is all Felix has the capacity to utter in his fuckdumb state, the wolf at the center of his world as his periphery fades to white. Chan’s moans thin out to heady, delirious whines, his thrusts ragged and uneven, and Felix dissolves into putty as heat fills his ass.

All Felix knows is Chan the moment he realizes the wolf just came inside him, painted his walls with his seed and marked his territory, consummating their love.

He feels Chan everywhere as he collapses on top of him, their bodies glued via cum. He smells Chan's addictive, woodsy scent and inhales it like it’s the air that keeps him alive. He hears Chan's honey-coated voice bless his keen ears with countless professings of “I love you, I love you, I love you.”

Chan has invaded him from the inside out. He has never been happier.

“Felix, are you sleeping?” Chan asks a little later, but Felix is too dazed to respond, his answer eventually coming in the form of a wince when Chan carefully withdraws his softening cock.

“Oh, there you are," Chan lets out a breath of relief. “I thought you blacked out.”

“I’m okay,” Felix assures, pleased when his dazed smile prompts Chan to put on the same look, his heart growing a thousand sizes at those pearly whites shining down on him. “I’m just in love.”

“So am I.” A kiss lands on Felix’s forehead, then on his nose and finally on his heart-shaped lips. “With the greatest human in the world.”

“C’mere, puppy.”

Felix loops his arms around Chan’s neck and beams when they roll onto their sides together. His fingers get lost in the wolf’s unruly curls to start massaging his fluffy ears, and the little high-pitched noises Chan emits are so cute Felix might cry.

If Felix could stay this way forever, legs intertwined with Chan’s as they bask in their afterglow, he would.

“Should we shower?” Chan mumbles into Felix’s chest, clearly seconds away from falling asleep. “We’re all sticky now.”

Felix sighs deeply, too exhausted to move and uninterested in leaving this bed, this cozy haven of love they’ve created. “In the morning. I’d rather stay here with you.”

“Mmm, that sounds a lot better,” Chan concurs without question, forever sealing himself in Felix’s heart with a tender kiss to that spot on his chest that is brimming with undying affection. “Goodnight, Lixie.”

“Night, Channie… I love you.”

***

“Do you wanna go to sleep?”

Felix glances up from his spot on Chan’s lap. “We slept this morning.”

“I know, but you’ve been really quiet for a while,” Chan points out. “Must be full after all the soup we ate.”

“Hmm, yeah, you’re right,” Felix agrees with a sigh, his warm tummy and droopy eyes giving him away.

The hearty chicken soup they made together aided in lessening the symptoms of his cold, as well as inducing that infamous, post-lunch fatigue that left him in a sluggish haze. But it’s hard to complain when he got to spend the whole day with Chan by his side.

They have been lounging on the couch for the past hour, Chan’s firm thigh serving as a pillow for Felix’s head while a movie of his choosing plays on a low volume.

Now that Felix thinks about it, this is the first time he and Chan have been together all day since he brought him home. No errands to run, no work obligations due to his sickness, just the two of them in their humble abode.

Something about that realization fills his chest with a warm, fluttery sensation, or it could just be the three helpings of soup sloshing around in his stomach.

“I guess I could take a quick nap,” Felix reasons, shifting to face the TV with his cheek resting comfortably on Chan’s thigh, nuzzling into the soft material of his pants.

“Is it okay if I rub your head?’ Chan asks, moving the hand that’s caressing Felix’s shoulder up the column of his neck, fingers ghosting over the baby hairs on his nape. “It feels nice when you scratch my ears, so I wanna try it on you, even though you don’t have ears—I mean, like, animal ears.”

The upward curve of Felix’s lips is inevitable. Even when Chan stumbles over his words, he is so lovable.

Reaching an arm around, Felix places his hand over Chan’s and guides it into his messy hair. “Go right ahead, Nurse Chan.”

Sleep doesn’t end up claiming Felix, no matter how many contented hums vibrate in his throat from how soothing it feels to have Chan’s fingers carding through his blond strands. Instead, he just closes his eyes and rests, letting the movie fade into white noise as his mind drifts.

His thoughts revolve around Chan and how happy he is that he appeared in his life out of the clear blue. A fuzzy feeling blooms in his heart knowing that after being abandoned for so long, the wolf’s life is slowly but surely getting better every day.

He could get used to having Chan around.

“Hey, Chan?”

“Yeah, Felix?”

“I’m glad you’re here.”

A peek over his shoulder isn't necessary when Felix already knows that Chan is smiling.

“Me too.”