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om_mainSummary: Steve is moping a little a few days after his meeting with Jean-Paul and Cal tries to talk him out of his mood.
There really was something so fucking simple, in the best of ways, about being a dog. Cal was just coming back in from a run on the grounds with Sirius, and he had no intention of shifting back into human form until the mutation got away from him. So it was a huge mastiff cross golden retriever that nosed the door to his room open before padding in, still breathing a little hard from the recent exertion.
Steve had been brooding. Oh, he wouldn't have called it that, but ever since his run-in with Jean-Paul, he couldn't seem to get Jack's words out of his head. Did he really think that Jack was less invested than he was in this relationship? He didn't think so, but he could also bring up evidence that might give him hesitation. The fact that trying to talk to Jack was like trying to pull teeth. Or that he had admitted to enjoying the kiss. Not just doing his duty, but apparently getting into the kiss.
He glanced up when the door opened, expecting to see Cal or maybe Jack. It left him looking at head-height and so it took him a minute to look where the person - or rather, animal - who had opened the door was. He dropped his head down and frowned. He knew because of Bigby that there were people here who could turn themselves into dogs, but he couldn't figure out why one of them would be coming in here. So did that mean they had a stray?
He sighed a little and held out his hand.
Well, okay. Cal didn't know what was going on with Steve, but clearly something was. Something that could only be made better by a little doggie time, before he switched back. Dogs were good for people's moods! It seemed extremely simple to him. He gave a soft bark of greeting and padded forward until he could push his head against Steve's hand.
Well, he - and a quick glance proved that the dog was a he - was friendly at least. Steve buried a hand in the dog's fur before pushing away from the bed and glancing out in the hall, but no one was there looking for the dog. He shrugged to himself and headed back to the bed.
"I shouldn't be encouraging you, but..." He patted his hand on the bed.
Cal barked twice, friendly and happy, and jumped on the bed. He was a huge dog, as big as Sirius', but honestly, these mattresses could take it. Now, the state of his paws might not be perfectly clean, but what was a dog to do, wash off at the sink? Good luck. He just pushed his head at Steve's hand again. Petting made everything better.
"You're almost as tall as I am," Steve said, lips twitching a little. "Sit down." But he reached for the dog's head. He'd missed out on one of the stereotypical parts of suburban life. He'd never owned a dog. He moved a little until his back was to one of the walls and then patted his lap before worrying the dog would take it to mean he should sit in Steve's lap. He only wanted the dog's head.
Cal went one better. He flopped down against Steve's leg (but not on it, even in dog form he realized that that would be a) weird, and b) a great way to cut off blood flow, given his weight) and rested his head on his thigh, looking up at him with big puppy eyes.
Steve was quiet for a while, just burying his hand into the thick fur and scratching. Eventually, he said, "I have this boyfriend. And he's good. Great. It's just that...well, he has this way." Which was to say he was almost too friendly. To everyone. Or at least almost everyone. "And then he has to go around kissing Jean-Paul."
Well, okay, no, that was just not really done, was it. Listening to Steve pour his heart out without Steve knowing he was talking to Cal. It was actually kind of shitty - although it was useful to know that the issue was that kiss again, although Cal had thought that Steve had mostly gotten over it. Time for human time, clearly.
So he barked softly, almost apologetically, then moved away from the seriously awesome scratches, perched himself on the edge of Steve's bed, then shifted back into Cal, wearing his usual t-shirt and jeans. "I figured, if we're gonna talk, less petting, more actually being able to talk."
Steve stared for a minute because sure, he knew what Cal's power was, but it was something else to see it in action. It was also something else to know that he'd been talking to - petting! - his best friend.
"If you weren't straight," he said, trying not to sound as uncomfortable as he really was, "we might have to talk about petting."
"I was a dog," Cal answered with a shrug, apparently completely unbothered by the implication. "It's a thing. Really," he insisted, at the look Steve shot him. "Whatever - what happened? I thought that was resolved, and now you're sulking again."
"I'm not sulking," Steve muttered and slumped back against the bed. Even he knew it was ridiculous which is why it was one thing to say what he was feeling to a dog and another thing to say it to an actual person even if that person was Cal.
"Brooding, angsting, whatever," Cal brushed that aside, turning towards his friend. "Did something happen?"
"No, not really. I just...I ran into Jean-Paul in the kitchen." Which wasn't really surprising considering both of them spent a fair share of time there whenever it was mealtime.
"You hadn't seen him yet?" Cal guessed, leaning on one hand.
Steve shook his head. "Jack I'd seen, obviously, but not Jean-Paul. And it was fine. We made food. But..." He shrugged. "Things I tried to put behind me came back to haunt me, I guess."
"Makes sense," Cal stated. "You wanna talk it out, or...?"
Not really, but he was going to have to talk about it with someone or else it would probably eat at him. He sighed. "Jack said something about me wondering whether I was more invested in this relationship than him. After we had the fight about him and Jean-Paul. And he was wrong. Then." It wasn't until he saw Jean-Paul that he started wondering.
Cal wasn't sure he was following. "You mean he's less into you guys than you are?"
"I don't know," Steve said with a shrug. "I don't want to think it, I don't, but it's kind of like trying not to think of a pink elephant." It became the first thing you thought about, whether you wanted to or not.
"Alright," Cal nodded. "So, what's the evidence?" Hey, he'd forever be a scientist.
Steve scowled a little. "You two should get along great. It's nothing I can prove. Just a feeling." More of a fear, really.
"Sooo, it's more like you're afraid that it's the case?" Cal tried to figure out. "But you don't know that it is."
"Something like that. I mean, that's how it went with his last boyfriend." Or whatever Curtis had been to him.
"Have you talked to him about it?" Cal asked, eyebrows raised. "I mean, you can tell me or any dog all you want about it, but he's the only one that could actually put your fears to rest, right?"
"Not yet. He tends to...overreact," Steve said, thinking back of the couple of times when it seemed as if Jack had been waiting for the other shoe to drop. Except that there was no other shoe. Steve didn't plan on breaking up with him.
"Does he?" Cal asked with raised eyebrows, clearly surprised. But he didn't know Jack that well, after all. "Well, still."
"Well, still?" Steve repeated. "That's your argument?"
"Wait, sorry, is this debate class? I didn't know," Cal protested, then dropped the act, growing serious again. "Seriously, bro. I shouldn't have to argue to get you to talk to your boyfriend about stuff that's about him."
"Well, still," Steve said again, "I'm really not in the mood for an argument. With you or him. And that's why I haven't said anything. Because I don't have anything but a feeling." And he already knew how Jack felt about his 'feelings'. They'd end up having an argument about why he felt the way he did again and he couldn't explain it. It just was.
"So? I'm pretty sure if you keep that feeling to yourself it's just gonna get worse," Cal stated, then shook his head with a small chuckle. "So, you know, listen to the dude who's never even been in a relationship? I don't know, man. It just seems like talking to him's the only way forward."
"I will," Steve promised. And he mostly meant it. "Just as soon as I figure out how to say what I mean and have him actually understand it. Unless the problem goes away by itself." He managed a weak grin. He could hope, couldn't he?
Cal returned the smile - less weakly, obviously. "Yeah, that's likely." He clapped Steve on the shoulder. "Come on, what are we doing tonight, to take your mind off things?"
"Movie?" Steve suggested. We can make it a thing. Get a group together."
"Sure," Cal nodded easily. "I'll go knock on some doors."
There really was something so fucking simple, in the best of ways, about being a dog. Cal was just coming back in from a run on the grounds with Sirius, and he had no intention of shifting back into human form until the mutation got away from him. So it was a huge mastiff cross golden retriever that nosed the door to his room open before padding in, still breathing a little hard from the recent exertion.
Steve had been brooding. Oh, he wouldn't have called it that, but ever since his run-in with Jean-Paul, he couldn't seem to get Jack's words out of his head. Did he really think that Jack was less invested than he was in this relationship? He didn't think so, but he could also bring up evidence that might give him hesitation. The fact that trying to talk to Jack was like trying to pull teeth. Or that he had admitted to enjoying the kiss. Not just doing his duty, but apparently getting into the kiss.
He glanced up when the door opened, expecting to see Cal or maybe Jack. It left him looking at head-height and so it took him a minute to look where the person - or rather, animal - who had opened the door was. He dropped his head down and frowned. He knew because of Bigby that there were people here who could turn themselves into dogs, but he couldn't figure out why one of them would be coming in here. So did that mean they had a stray?
He sighed a little and held out his hand.
Well, okay. Cal didn't know what was going on with Steve, but clearly something was. Something that could only be made better by a little doggie time, before he switched back. Dogs were good for people's moods! It seemed extremely simple to him. He gave a soft bark of greeting and padded forward until he could push his head against Steve's hand.
Well, he - and a quick glance proved that the dog was a he - was friendly at least. Steve buried a hand in the dog's fur before pushing away from the bed and glancing out in the hall, but no one was there looking for the dog. He shrugged to himself and headed back to the bed.
"I shouldn't be encouraging you, but..." He patted his hand on the bed.
Cal barked twice, friendly and happy, and jumped on the bed. He was a huge dog, as big as Sirius', but honestly, these mattresses could take it. Now, the state of his paws might not be perfectly clean, but what was a dog to do, wash off at the sink? Good luck. He just pushed his head at Steve's hand again. Petting made everything better.
"You're almost as tall as I am," Steve said, lips twitching a little. "Sit down." But he reached for the dog's head. He'd missed out on one of the stereotypical parts of suburban life. He'd never owned a dog. He moved a little until his back was to one of the walls and then patted his lap before worrying the dog would take it to mean he should sit in Steve's lap. He only wanted the dog's head.
Cal went one better. He flopped down against Steve's leg (but not on it, even in dog form he realized that that would be a) weird, and b) a great way to cut off blood flow, given his weight) and rested his head on his thigh, looking up at him with big puppy eyes.
Steve was quiet for a while, just burying his hand into the thick fur and scratching. Eventually, he said, "I have this boyfriend. And he's good. Great. It's just that...well, he has this way." Which was to say he was almost too friendly. To everyone. Or at least almost everyone. "And then he has to go around kissing Jean-Paul."
Well, okay, no, that was just not really done, was it. Listening to Steve pour his heart out without Steve knowing he was talking to Cal. It was actually kind of shitty - although it was useful to know that the issue was that kiss again, although Cal had thought that Steve had mostly gotten over it. Time for human time, clearly.
So he barked softly, almost apologetically, then moved away from the seriously awesome scratches, perched himself on the edge of Steve's bed, then shifted back into Cal, wearing his usual t-shirt and jeans. "I figured, if we're gonna talk, less petting, more actually being able to talk."
Steve stared for a minute because sure, he knew what Cal's power was, but it was something else to see it in action. It was also something else to know that he'd been talking to - petting! - his best friend.
"If you weren't straight," he said, trying not to sound as uncomfortable as he really was, "we might have to talk about petting."
"I was a dog," Cal answered with a shrug, apparently completely unbothered by the implication. "It's a thing. Really," he insisted, at the look Steve shot him. "Whatever - what happened? I thought that was resolved, and now you're sulking again."
"I'm not sulking," Steve muttered and slumped back against the bed. Even he knew it was ridiculous which is why it was one thing to say what he was feeling to a dog and another thing to say it to an actual person even if that person was Cal.
"Brooding, angsting, whatever," Cal brushed that aside, turning towards his friend. "Did something happen?"
"No, not really. I just...I ran into Jean-Paul in the kitchen." Which wasn't really surprising considering both of them spent a fair share of time there whenever it was mealtime.
"You hadn't seen him yet?" Cal guessed, leaning on one hand.
Steve shook his head. "Jack I'd seen, obviously, but not Jean-Paul. And it was fine. We made food. But..." He shrugged. "Things I tried to put behind me came back to haunt me, I guess."
"Makes sense," Cal stated. "You wanna talk it out, or...?"
Not really, but he was going to have to talk about it with someone or else it would probably eat at him. He sighed. "Jack said something about me wondering whether I was more invested in this relationship than him. After we had the fight about him and Jean-Paul. And he was wrong. Then." It wasn't until he saw Jean-Paul that he started wondering.
Cal wasn't sure he was following. "You mean he's less into you guys than you are?"
"I don't know," Steve said with a shrug. "I don't want to think it, I don't, but it's kind of like trying not to think of a pink elephant." It became the first thing you thought about, whether you wanted to or not.
"Alright," Cal nodded. "So, what's the evidence?" Hey, he'd forever be a scientist.
Steve scowled a little. "You two should get along great. It's nothing I can prove. Just a feeling." More of a fear, really.
"Sooo, it's more like you're afraid that it's the case?" Cal tried to figure out. "But you don't know that it is."
"Something like that. I mean, that's how it went with his last boyfriend." Or whatever Curtis had been to him.
"Have you talked to him about it?" Cal asked, eyebrows raised. "I mean, you can tell me or any dog all you want about it, but he's the only one that could actually put your fears to rest, right?"
"Not yet. He tends to...overreact," Steve said, thinking back of the couple of times when it seemed as if Jack had been waiting for the other shoe to drop. Except that there was no other shoe. Steve didn't plan on breaking up with him.
"Does he?" Cal asked with raised eyebrows, clearly surprised. But he didn't know Jack that well, after all. "Well, still."
"Well, still?" Steve repeated. "That's your argument?"
"Wait, sorry, is this debate class? I didn't know," Cal protested, then dropped the act, growing serious again. "Seriously, bro. I shouldn't have to argue to get you to talk to your boyfriend about stuff that's about him."
"Well, still," Steve said again, "I'm really not in the mood for an argument. With you or him. And that's why I haven't said anything. Because I don't have anything but a feeling." And he already knew how Jack felt about his 'feelings'. They'd end up having an argument about why he felt the way he did again and he couldn't explain it. It just was.
"So? I'm pretty sure if you keep that feeling to yourself it's just gonna get worse," Cal stated, then shook his head with a small chuckle. "So, you know, listen to the dude who's never even been in a relationship? I don't know, man. It just seems like talking to him's the only way forward."
"I will," Steve promised. And he mostly meant it. "Just as soon as I figure out how to say what I mean and have him actually understand it. Unless the problem goes away by itself." He managed a weak grin. He could hope, couldn't he?
Cal returned the smile - less weakly, obviously. "Yeah, that's likely." He clapped Steve on the shoulder. "Come on, what are we doing tonight, to take your mind off things?"
"Movie?" Steve suggested. We can make it a thing. Get a group together."
"Sure," Cal nodded easily. "I'll go knock on some doors."
