Work Text:
The relationship between Max and Charles had grown over time, and many things had changed.
Among them was the arrival of Leo.
Who’s Leo? Charles’s beloved dog. His pride and joy.
Thanks to Leo, Charles could finally understand why Max was so attached to Jimmy and Sassy. Now he truly got the power pets hold over their owners.
And speaking of pets…
Max’s usual cat-sitter had a last-minute issue, so this time Max had to ask Charles.
Despite his previous experience with the cats, Charles considered himself a good boyfriend, so he agreed—but not without conditions.
“Just three days. Three. No more. And Leo’s coming with me. I’m not leaving him alone.”
“Of course. I just need you to stay with them until the sitter’s back. And don’t worry about Leo. Jimmy and Sassy usually get along fine with dogs. When they were with Roscoe, there were no problems.”
“They’re not going to scratch him or anything?”
“Leo is adorable. And isn’t he supposed to be a brave little dog? I’m sure he can handle two grumpy cats.”
Max handed him the keys with that smile that said, “Good luck, you’ll need it.”
And now Charles stood in front of the apartment door, Leo’s leash wrapped around his wrist, a bag of dog treats dangling from his other hand.
Leo, his little short-legged Dachshund, was sniffing the hallway carpet like he was inspecting enemy territory.
“These are going to be three very long days,” Charles muttered.
Leo barked in agreement.
The apartment looked exactly the same as always—everything perfectly in order. Hopefully, it would stay that way.
Then Jimmy appeared. His walk was elegant. The moment he spotted Charles and Leo, he stretched and flicked his tail. No one would guess this was the same cat who’d once gotten stuck inside a wall.
Leo barked excitedly. He wanted to make a good impression and pulled hard on the leash. But being so small, he didn’t get far.
He softly bumped into the carpet and landed on his butt, dignity bruised.
Leo barked again, as if saying, “I just embarrassed myself in front of a stranger.”
Jimmy stared at him in silence. Then he yawned and walked away.
Apparently, Leo hadn’t made much of an impression.
Sassy, who had apparently always been on top of a shelf, didn’t bother to come down. She watched from above, between a potted plant and a book, her eyes full of judgment.
Charles closed the door with a sigh.
The first hour was… normal?
Leo, noticing Sassy, tried jumping to reach her, but only managed to scratch at the wood with his little paws while she looked down on him like an insect trying to reach the light.
He barked up at her as if introducing himself. “Hi! I’m Leo! Nice to meet you! Wanna be friends?”
Sassy simply stared, yawned, and curled back up.
Charles later found Jimmy lounging on top of the fridge, watching him with full feline superiority.
Charles was already exhausted before nightfall.
“I don’t know how to feel about this. The cats have ignored Leo all day, which is good… but also suspicious,” he said in a voice message to Max while filling two food bowls.
“I know how those two are. The moment I let my guard down—bam—they’ll stir up trouble. And Leo… Leo still thinks every animal is a potential friend. I don’t want him to get sad because of the cat indifference. He’s way too sensitive for someone who’s only twenty centimeters tall.”
Max replied with a twenty-second voice note of pure laughter.
The next morning, Charles was heading to the kitchen when he froze.
He had to rub his eyes. Something must’ve been wrong.
Leo and Jimmy were sleeping together.
Well, “together” was generous. Jimmy was half-sprawled on Leo’s blanket, using Leo’s back as a pillow.
Leo was fast asleep, legs stretched out, belly in the air.
Charles took a photo and sent it to Max with a message:
“Looks like Leo made a friend.”
Sassy watched from the window frame. At least now she was within reach—if Leo really tried.
“Jealous?” Charles asked her with a smile.
Sassy didn’t respond. Not even a blink.
Later that day, Leo had a moment of betrayal.
While Charles was cooking, a piece of fish dropped to the floor. Leo rushed over—well, as fast as his little legs allowed. But just before he reached it, a clawed paw intercepted the prize.
Jimmy, with perfect feline reflexes, snatched it away right in front of him.
Leo barked in outrage. “Hey! That was mine!”
Jimmy walked away chewing smugly, with Leo chasing after him.
Charles didn’t dare intervene. That was none of his business.
From the window frame, Sassy made a sound that—if Charles wasn’t imagining it—sounded dangerously close to a laugh.
That night, Max called.
“Everything okay over there? Still alive?”
“Well, we’re calling it okay if we ignore the fact Jimmy steals food, Leo feels betrayed, and Sassy stares at me while I sleep.”
“Again?”
“I found her on the bathroom shelf this morning. She was watching me like she knew all my sins.”
Max just laughed.
“Thanks for doing this again. I owe you.”
“No problem. You know I like a challenge. Plus, I’m the best boyfriend in the world.”
“Judging by the photo you sent, I guess Leo and Jimmy are friends now?”
“Yeah. Though I think Jimmy’s just having fun at Leo’s expense.”
“And Sassy? Has she warmed up to him?”
“She’s plotting something. I can feel it. I can’t let her surprise me again like she did that time she leapt onto my back and left claw marks.”
That final night, Charles left the TV on while he arranged Leo’s bed near the entrance.
And then, he made the mistake of thinking out loud.
“Maybe tomorrow we could all go for a walk. To the park.”
Dead silence.
Leo perked up immediately, ears alert.
Jimmy turned slowly, like he’d just heard the most ridiculous thing ever.
And Sassy… well, Sassy didn’t even blink.
“Don’t look at me like that. It’s your last day with me. It’ll be nice. Fresh air, sunshine… Plus, Leo needs to stretch those little legs.”
Leo barked in excitement, clearly understanding every word.
Sassy jumped down from her perch, walked up to Charles with all the calm in the world… and bit him. Then scratched him.
“Ow,” Charles muttered in defeat.
The next morning, Charles stood at the park entrance.
Leo was on a snug leash. Jimmy sat inside a clear bubble backpack. And Sassy… was on a leash.
Yes. Charles had dared to put a leash on Sassy. And lived to tell the tale. Don’t judge him.
“Look, Leo. You’re such a good boy. Including your new friends in your favorite activities, like going to the park.”
Leo trotted ahead proudly, as if he were a golden retriever and not a sausage dog.
Jimmy peeked out of the backpack, content not to walk.
Sassy… took exactly six steps before collapsing on the sidewalk like her soul had left her body.
Charles ended up carrying her in his arms.
People at the park stared. One woman asked for a photo.
A child tried to pet Sassy and was met with a glare he would likely remember forever.
After a lap around the main trail and watching Leo try to greet every dog, Charles found a bench in the shade.
He opened Jimmy’s backpack, loosened Leo’s leash, and placed Sassy on the grass.
Surprisingly, she didn’t run. She just sat. And observed.
“Not so bad, huh?”
Leo returned, proudly holding a feather in his mouth.
“Look what I found! My treasure!”
Charles leaned back, eyes on the trees and the clear sky.
He had a cat in a backpack, a possibly evil cat at his side, and a lion-hearted Dachshund running wild.
And for the first time, he truly got it.
The first time he watched Jimmy and Sassy, he did it nervously. But this time was different.
This time, they were part of something more.
Charles scratched Jimmy’s head. The cat allowed it.
Leo barked happily, as if to say, “Me too! Me next, please!”
“Max won’t believe me when I tell him about this,” he murmured.
But maybe he wouldn’t have to.
Because now Charles understood what Max had always felt for Jimmy and Sassy.
Because now, Charles had Leo.
And they weren’t just Max’s pets anymore.
Somehow… they were a family.