Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/ works/9805058. Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: Choose_Not_To_Use_Archive_Warnings, Underage Category: M/M Fandom: Haikyuu!! Relationship: Kyoutani_Kentarou/Yahaba_Shigeru Character: Kyoutani_Kentarou, Yahaba_Shigeru, Yahaba_Shigeru's_Mother, Yahaba Shigeru's_Father, Yahaba_Shigeru's_Sister, Oikawa_Tooru, Iwaizumi_Hajime Additional Tags: Dubious_Consent, Minor_Iwaizumi_Hajime/Oikawa_Tooru, Past_Abuse, Master/ Pet, Master/Slave, Dog_Kyoutani_Kentarou, Animal_Traits, rich_boy_yahaba, Other_Additional_Tags_to_Be_Added, selectively_mute_kyoutani, Muteness Stats: Published: 2017-02-17 Updated: 2017-04-07 Chapters: 3/? Words: 3590 ****** Discount Dog ****** by gabronwrites Summary Yahaba Shigeru has always wanted a Pet. Kyoutani isn't really the Pet he planned on getting.   A Master/Pet Animal!People Kyouhaba fic. Notes So this fic is probably pretty weird/ooc but I had fun writing it so… This takes place in a universe where people-animal hybrids known as “Pets” exist. They are treated in much the same way as normal pets are treated, with some important exceptions. I’m kind of making up this setting as I go so sorry if anything is unclear, please let me know and I will do my best to clarify/fix it? !! I do not at this time have this fic completed, additional tags, warnings, and side pairings will be added as I figure things out. I will mention in the top notes if I have added any tags/warnings/etc since the last chapter. !! If you have any questions about any warnings/tags/content that may be in this fic it’s always ok to ask on here or on tumblr. I don’t want anyone to be surprised by content they don’t want to see so I will do my best to prevent that. I’m not Japanese and am not very familiar with Japanese names, I’ve had to chose some names for supporting OC’s and I did my best to pick suitable ones but if I’ve made some mistake please let me know. Updates are going to be infrequent/irregular, please be aware. See the end of the work for more notes ***** Chapter 1 ***** Shigeru has always wanted a Pet. As a kid he’d begged his parents to get him one. His parents had never been keen on the idea though. When they had, out of the blue, bought his older sister Masuyo a Kitten he had thrown a massive fit about it. Embarrassing as that was, it had gotten him the results he wanted and his parents had agreed to let him get a Pet for his next birthday. He’d spent the last month preparing. He’d read a bunch of books on how to train a Pet and how to choose what kind was right for you. He’d also bought supplies. Lots of supplies. Masuyo complained that he was going overboard and that whatever Pet he got would be the most spoiled Pet in town, but he didn't care. He was excited. On the way to the Pet store his mother turns to him from her place in the front passenger seat to ask him, not for the first time, if he is sure he wants a Pet. “They’re just so much work Shigeru, and you’ve got other things to focus on. I really don’t understand why you want this so badly.” His mother says. He’s heard this before. His parents won't go back on something they've promised him, but that doesn't mean they won't try to talk him out of it. “I just do mom. You promised.” He doesn’t bother trying to explain why he wants a Pet. He knows she wouldn't really listen if he did, and this isn't the first time they’ve had this conversation. It doesn't help that he doesn't have a clear answer. His parents have always prefered clear answers that can be summed up in a sentence or less. It doesn't leave much room for emotions, but he’s pretty sure that’s part of the reason they prefer it. His mom moves on to talking about how lovely some of the lower maintenance Pet options are. Shigeru pretends to listen. His mother pretends she doesn't know he is pretending. This is where his family is most comfortable. Pretending that they get along. Pretending to understand each other. Pretending that they care. It doesn't matter what she says anyway. Shigeru has already picked out which Pet he wants, he’d chosen weeks ago. Since then he had anxiously checked the Pet store’s website everyday, worried someone else would buy her before he got the chance. She’s a Kitten, purebred, blonde and tiny and probably the most adorable thing he’s ever seen. When they arrive at the Pet store Masuyo immediately heads towards the Cat toys and accessories section, her Kitten following along behind her. Shigeru’s parents stay at the front by the registers, his mother frowning at her surroundings and standing stiffly and his father talking to one of the cashiers. Probably checking the return policy. Shigeru wishes he could be surprised by his parent’s behavior but this is all astoundingly expected. He heads straight for the back where he knows they keep the for sale Pets. He knows which Kitten he wants, but he still feels like looking at the other Pets. It’s not like he’s going to be allowed to buy another anytime soon, so he figures he might as well try to get the most from this shopping experience as he can. So he starts in the opposite direction from where he knows the Kittens are. He passes the kennels that house the Dogs. He only stops for a brief look here, because he knows Dogs aren’t really for him. Every online quiz and personality test he had taken over the years had assured him that a Kitten was the perfect kind of Pet for him. He’d always gotten the lowest compatibility score with Dogs. He takes a bit longer looking at the Birds. He doesn’t really want a Bird either, but he finds them more interesting to look at then the dogs. Next is the Reptiles section. He passes those cages without even looking. He’s always been just as scared of Reptiles as he is of reptiles. He’s not really sure what he finds so creepy about them, but just looking at them can make him anxious. Next is the Cat section, he knows from his frequent visits to the store over the past month. Something catches his eyes though. A kennel set apart from all the others, off to one side and partially obscured by a display stand for Bird toys, with a hand drawn sign affixed to the side. “Special Deal” the sign reads in hasty red handwriting. From this angle the kennel looks empty. Shigeru’s parents have plenty of money. They could afford the full price of any Pet in this store several times over without even having to call their banker, not that they’d ever let Shigeru get more than one Pet. So it isn't thriftiness that has him approaching the door of the kennel to get a better look. Maybe curiosity. Pets are a hot commodity. He isn’t sure what would have to be wrong with one for them to be sold at a discount this extreme. He does want to find out though. Standing just outside the chain link fence door it still takes him a moment for his eyes to find the Pet. It’s crouched on the floor, and has somehow wedged itself between the cot and the back corner of the kennel. It’s head is down and it’s facing away from him. With the bad positioning and the relatively poor lighting of this forgotten back corner he can’t see it well enough to even know what it is, or what is wrong with it to merit such a discount. Frowning he shifts his attention back to the sign, and notices another handwritten sign that seems to have fallen from the side of the kennel. He picks it up and reads it over. “This dog is a rescue. He was found as a stray living on the streets and we’re trying to find him a new forever home. He is in his teens and very quiet, though he does have some behavioral issues. We think he was likely abused by a previous owner and he needs retraining. The best owner for him would be someone who is patient and understanding, he’s not a bad Dog he’s just been treated badly and is probably scared it will happen again.] Huh. Behavioral issues. So apparently that was what merited the discount. The phrasing of the sign made it seem like no one had spoken to the Dog, Pets are fully capable of speech so there really shouldn't be that many unknowns in the history unless the Pet is refusing to talk. Shigeru wonders what a person would have to do to a Pet to make them refuse to talk to people just trying to help. He’s clenching his hands, he realizes. This isn't helping anything, Shigeru thinks to himself, trying to force himself to calm down. He makes a conscious effort to remove the tension from his body, unclenching his hands, and letting out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. It comes out in a huff, not loud compared to the rest of the store but loud enough for the discount Dog to hear apparently. The Dog’s head lifts and he turns his face towards the sound, growl already rumbling through his chest and a snarl already on his lips. But when his eyes meet Shigeru’s the growl dies and the snarl that was forming gives way to wide eyed surprise. Probably a look that is mirrored on Shigeru’s face. The surprise only lasts a moment before the Dog’s expression shifts to reflect some other emotion. One that has the back of the Dog’s neck going red even as he turns his back to Shigeru to hide the matching color on his cheeks and the shame in his eyes. “Kyoutani?” The name comes out like a question even though there’s no way Shigeru has mistaken the Dog’s identity. He’d only met the Dog a few times, when Oikawa had asked him to help out with the Pet League team he coaches. But those eyes are too distinctive, it’s definitely him. Shigeru’s having trouble processing all this new information through the haze of surprise from seeing Kyoutani here of all places. The first coherent thought he manages is that it is not going to be fun explaining to his parents why he chose this rough looking Dog instead of the Kitten they are expecting him to come back with. ***** Chapter 2 ***** Chapter Notes Sorry for the wait! My life's kinda messy rn so updates are going to continue to be irregular/infrequent. Sorry! See the end of the chapter for more notes All of Shigeru’s preparation for buying his first Pet has not sufficiently prepared him for how much of a hassle buying Kyoutani winds up being. First he has to find a shop employee to get them to let Kyoutani out of the kennel. It takes him a little while but he eventually finds one over by the Birds. When he tells her which Dog he wants the employee looks him over with wide surprised eyes. “Are you sure you want that one?” She asks him. “We have lots of other Dogs here too, would you like me to show you them?” He reassures her that yes, he is certain, and no, he does not want to go look at the other options. She seems skeptical still, but she goes with him back to Kyoutani’s kennel and unlocks the door anyway. “Um… h-here boy?.. this young man is going to buy you so you need to come with us now.” She tries from the doorway to the kennel. Kyoutani doesn’t move. “Kyoutani. Come.” Shigeru says in what he hopes is a firm, authoritative voice. That’s what all the books say you're supposed to try to sound like when training your Pet. He’s read a lot about training, knowing his parents wouldn’t tolerate a badly behaved Pet in their house. He just hopes it will be enough to make this work somehow. At first Kyoutani doesn't react and Shigeru is worried he's not going to listen. But, after a moment, Kyoutani stands and makes his way over to Shigeru. Hes scowling, and hardly looks the part of a well behaved Pet but Shigeru supposes he should be grateful that at least it seems like he's going to listen to what Shigeru tells him to do. For now at least. The shop employee looks more surprised than Shigeru is by Kyoutani’s reluctant obedience. “He usually doesn’t listen this well, have you met him before?” She asks Shigeru. “Mhm.” Shigeru says. He doesn’t elaborate though he can see the curiosity on her face, “Oh.” She says. She seems on the verge of asking another question but Shigeru speaks first. “I’ll need a collar and leash.” He says. “Oh, uh, right! Right this way.” She says, gesturing for him to follow her as she leads him towards that section of the store. He already knew where they were, he just didn’t want to have to deal with her prying into his and Kyoutani’s relationship. He follows after her and is relieved when Kyoutani follows by his side. He needs some time to come up with a strategy of how to make sure his parents don’t refuse to buy him Kyoutani. He could always start crying if they say no, but he would rather not have to resort to that in front of anyone in the store, least of all Kyoutani. He glances at the Dog by his side. Kyoutani is refusing to look at him, but Shigeru can still tell he’s scowling. He’s got the same simple clothes on that all of the Pets in the store are wearing. A plain grey t-shirt. Black pants. Shigeru can’t see any physical injuries, and he seems to be able to walk normally, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t any he can’t see. There are a few tears and missing bits on the edges of Kyoutani’s dog-like ears, but Shigeru is somewhat ashamed to realize he has no idea if Kyoutani has always had those or if they’re more recent. He’ll need to set up an appointment with a vet as soon as possible. Choosing a collar and leash goes relatively smoothly. As does getting a tag engraved with Kyoutani’s name and Shigeru’s contact information. Introducing Kyoutani to his parents for the first time does not go smoothly. He catches the disdain on his parent’s faces when they first realize he’s chosen Kyoutani, even though they cover it quickly. “I… I thought you wanted a Kitten Shigeru.” His mother says, like she hadn’t just tried to convince him a Kitten was a bad idea on the car ride here. “Mm, I did.” He had come up with a plan while they were getting the tag engraved but he has had no chance to speak it over with Kyoutani. He’s just going to have to try it and hope Kyoutani doesn’t react too badly. “But then I found this one,” he gushes, hoping it doesn’t sound too contrived. He links arms with Kyoutani in an affectionate gesture, the Dog flinches but otherwise does not react. Thank god for small mercies, Shigeru thinks. “And he is sooo much better Mother.” His parents look like they don’t believe him. “Oh?” His mother says, voice laced with false lightness. Shigeru knows her well enough to know that what she really means is “I doubt that”. “Oh yes.” Shigeru says. The nearby employees, including the one who had been helping him, aren’t even really pretending not to be staring. Shigeru can feel his ears heat up with embarrassment. He pushes through with his plan anyway though, using his spare hand to pat Kyoutani’s chest. “This is Kyoutani. He plays volleyball and he’s really good. He’s on the team Oikawa-san coaches.” “Oikawa-san just got into that prestigious program at the university, as you know, and he was just telling me the other day that his coaching work in the Pet-League really helped his application along through the approval process.” Shigeru continues, knowing this will be the deciding factor in whether or not his parents actually let him buy Kyoutani. “So I was thinking I should take over the position when Oikawa leaves for university. And of course I’ll need the best possible players if I’m going to lead them to a national championship.” They’ve been pushing him to apply for that same program for a while now, his dad especially. He’s hoping confirming that he’ll do what they want and asserting that buying Kyoutani will help him achieve greater success will be enough to convince them to let him buy him. “Ah come on Koto, a boy’s got to have a dog you know.” His dad says to his mom, and Shigeru knows he’s won. “Besides, Shigeru will train him up good and make sure he doesn’t make any messes, right son?” “Of course Father.” Shigeru says, the smile on his face is fake and his dad probably knows it but he doesn’t comment. “Kyoken-chan will be a good boy.” He can feel the muscles in Kyoutani’s arm tense at the nickname but thankfully he doesn’t say anything. Shigeru’s mother still looks displeased with the turn of events but she doesn’t voice any opposition, instead volunteering to go find Masuyo so they can check out. Shigeru keeps his arm linked with Kyoutani’s while his mother finds his sister, all through the checkout process, and even out to the car. Kyoutani seems to be maintaining his apparent vow of silence and thankfully says nothing. Once they’re both strapped in he reaches for Kyoutani’s arm again, only then noticing the way his hands are trembling. Chapter End Notes Ah, hope you are liking it so far. If anyone is wondering about timeline things, Yahaba is still in his second year of high school. Yahaba has just turned seventeen and his birthday is March 1st, so this places this near the end of the school year (the japanese school year ends in march if i am understanding correctly?) Kyoutani is already 17, as his birthday is in December. I am not really following a strict timeline with this, and I will likely be diverging from the series timeline a lot as I am a show- only fan right now and as of writing this I believe I am already ahead of the timeline of the show so… If anyone has any questions feel free to ask. I have a tumblr under the same name as I use here (though be warned that blog includes lots of nsfw content including irl stuff). http://spankmespacedaddy.tumblr.com/ ***** Chapter 3 ***** Chapter Notes So in the past I have been trying to capitalize words like Kitten and Pet to differentiate the humanoid kittens and pets from the animal kittens and pets but I have decided to forgo that from this chapter on as I feel it is unnecessary because the story isn’t really ever going to talk about non humanoid pets. If there’s any confusion/ questions/etc regarding this change please let me know. Some tags have been added. See the end of the chapter for more notes Shigeru immediately leads Kyuotani upstairs to his bedroom when they arrive home. He’s never exactly keen on spending time with his family, but he’s even more averse to it right now. He needs a chance to get some things straight with Kyoutani before he’s willing to risk any more interaction between him and his family. He drops Kyoutani’s arm and puts some distance between them as soon as his bedroom door is shut behind them. Kyoutani’s still scowling, but Shigeru can see a faint glimmer of interest in his eyes as he takes in his surroundings. Yahaba brushes aside the uncomfortable vulnerability he feels. He’s just a dog. Just a pet. What should Shigeru care what he thinks? Kyoutani tenses, and Shigeru follows the line of his eyes to the pet crate off in the corner. He looks back to Kyoutani. The dog is trying to hide it, but he is definitely afraid of that crate. Interesting. “If you’re good you won't have to be in there.” He says. All the crate training guides say not to use the crate as punishment, but Shigeru isn’t really planning on using it at all. His parents had insisted when they had agreed to let him have a pet, so he’d bought it. It’s not like they’d notice he isn’t using it, they probably wouldn’t even know if he took it apart and put it away in his closet. But he does need Kyoutani to behave so his parents don’t make him get rid of him. He highly doubts Kyoutani will behave just because he asks him to, so if letting him know there will be consequences for his actions is what it takes it’s what Shigeru’s going to do. Kyoutani’s expression doesn’t change, but his eyes are on Shigeru now. He hopes it means he’s motivated to listen. “My parents won't tolerate an ill mannered pet in the house so you’ll need to behave.” He continues. Kyoutani doesn’t say anything, just continues to watch him. “That means you can’t make any messes and you have to be quiet. Don’t speak unless you’re spoken to, and always refer to them respectfully. Mr & Mrs Yahaba. That sort of thing.” Kyoutani’s silence is starting to irritate him. “Understood?” He asks. Kyoutani glances away from his stare and doesn’t respond. “I said, understood?” He repeats. Kyoutani stays silent. “You are to respond when you are spoken to, or do you need to spend some time in the crate already?” Shigeru asks, feeling his frustration rising. Kyoutani seems to shrink, he’s still trying to hide it but Shigeru can see the fear. There’s panic in Kyoutani’s eyes. Yet still he does not respond. Why? There is obviously something more to this then Kyoutani just being obstinate for the sake of irritating Shigeru. He tries to keep that in mind and let go of his building frustration. “Fine.” He says, not quite able to keep the irritation from his voice despite his best attempt. “You’re mostly going to be with me but when you’re not you will for the most part be in this room or the attached bathroom. There should be relatively few times you have to interact with them when I’m not with you.” He looks Kyoutani over again and tries to decide what to do. Kyoutani needs to be bathed and changed before dinner, but he’s pretty sure none of the clothes he bought in anticipation of getting a kitten will suit Kyoutani, or even fit him. “Come on,” he says, gesturing with a nod to the door to his ensuite bathroom. Kyoutani follows him, putting more space than strictly necessary between him and the crate on the way. Once in the bathroom, Shigeru turns to face Kyoutani. “Strip.” He orders. He knows he’s being shorter with Kyoutani then he should be but it seems he wasn’t able to completely let go of his irritation. Kyoutani’s eyes widen and he makes no move to start undressing. “Get undressed, you need a bath before dinner.” He elaborates. He doesn’t add that he wants to make sure Kyoutani isn’t injured, which is why he is staying for this part. Shigeru can practically hear Kyoutani’s teeth grinding from across the room but the dog starts undressing anyway. Naked under Shigeru’s scrutiny, Kyoutani is clearly uncomfortable. His blush extends from his cheeks to his chest. Yahaba takes his time though, making note of the many scars and marks littering Kyoutani’s skin. There’s lots of them, but none appear particularly fresh or otherwise alarming. That done, he can’t help but take notice of Kyoutani’s other attributes. The dog is well muscled from sports conditioning and it seems he was naturally blessed in other departments. Shigeru can’t deny his attraction, and he’s not really sure why he feels like he should. It’s far from unusual for someone to use a pet in such a way, and though it’s not exactly condoned by society it's not like it's condemned. He had planned to make such use of his kitten. He’s not sure why he feels different about doing the same with Kyoutani. He tries to remind himself again that Kyoutani is just a dog. He doesn’t want to push Kyoutani too hard and cause him to act out, but he’s still a dog. If he serves no purpose then there is no point to all the work Shigeru is doing to try to keep him. He looks at his watch. They don’t have time for this. He shows Kyoutani how to work the bath and gathers up the clothes the dog had been wearing. “I’ll be back in a bit with some fresh clothes for you to put on. Make sure to wash thoroughly.” He says as he exits back into his bedroom. He tosses the pet store clothes into the trash bin by his desk and makes his way to his closet. Chapter End Notes Hope you liked it! comments/kudos appreciated! End Notes Hope you liked it. Comments are definitely appreciated, and I would love to hear any requests for side pairings/types/characters etc people want to see in this fic. It’s going to focus on Kyoutani and Yahaba mostly and I already have plans for some of the others but I am open to suggestions/requests still. Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!