authors note: before you read the story i just want to say thank you all so much!!🥹 this story reached so many people, at first i just wrote it for fun but I'm glad so many of you like it so here's a story i was trying to write for a while hope you enjoy! :D

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Three months.

It had been three whole months since Petey and Li'l Petey moved in.

And honestly?

It was weird how fast they all got used to it.

-

Dog Man never needed an alarm anymore. He woke up naturally at the same time every morning—because every morning, like clockwork, Li'l Petey would stretch, yawn, and smack both him and Petey in the face with his tiny paws.

"Mornin'!!" Li'l Petey chirped.

Petey groaned, rubbing his face. "Kid, ya gotta stop sleepin' like a tornado."*

Dog Man yawned and rolled out of bed, stretching.

"Breakfast time!" Li'l Petey announced, jumping off the bed.

"Petey sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I'm comin'.

By now, it was routine.

Petey made breakfast.

Dog Man tried to steal food before it was ready.

Li'l Petey scolded him.

Dog Man pouted.

Petey handed him a plate anyway.

And then, before Dog Man left for work, Petey packed his lunch.

Without fail.

Every single morning.

Dog Man never asked for it.

Petey never said why he did it.

It was just... something that happened now.

Over time, they all picked up habits from each other.

Dog Man stopped chasing the vacuum every time Petey used it. (Mostly.)

Petey begrudgingly got used to Dog Man's snoring. (Barely.)

And Li'l Petey?

...Li'l Petey started wagging his tail when he was happy.

Petey refused to comment on that.

"It's not a dog thing!" Li'l Petey insisted one day. "I just like wavin' my tail!!"

Dog Man beamed, wagging his own tail twice as fast.

Petey just buried his face in his paws. "I'm livin' in a madhouse..."

And yet—

He never packed up to leave.

-

Dog Man slung his bag over his shoulder, ready to head out.

Li'l Petey hugged him. "Bye, Dog Man!! Have a good day at work!!"

Dog Man barked happily.

Petey leaned against the kitchen counter, arms crossed. "Don't get into trouble, ya menace."*

Dog Man grinned and gave Petey a hug, too.

Petey sighed, not even fighting it anymore. "Yeah, yeah. Get goin' already."*

Dog Man grabbed his lunch bag and trotted out the door.

Li'l Petey waved. "Bye-byyyyyye!!"

The second the door shut, Li'l Petey turned to Petey and smirked. "You totally like Dog Man."*

Petey scowled. "Yer three months too late with that joke, kid."*

-Lunch Break Rumors-

At the police station, Dog Man sat in the breakroom, munching on a sandwich from the lunch Petey made him.

Chief sat across from him, sipping coffee.

Then, casually—

"So, Dog Man," Chief said. "You and Petey, huh?"

Dog Man blinked.

He tilted his head.

"Oh, don't play dumb with me," Chief smirked. "There's rumors goin' around about you two."*

Dog Man's ears perked.

Chief leaned in, grinning. "Apparently, people are sayin' you and Petey are more than just roommates."

Dog Man choked on his sandwich.

"HA!! I knew it!"* Chief laughed. "Yer blushing, buddy!"*

Dog Man frantically shook his head.

"Yeah, yeah, sure. Just roommates. But lemme tell ya—" Chief smirked. "Nobody's buyin' it."*

Dog Man furiously ate the rest of his sandwich in silence.

Chief just chuckled. "Yeah, keep pretendin' all ya want, but everybody sees it, pal."*

Dog Man's tail thumped against the floor—

And for some reason...

He wasn't sure why his face felt so hot.

-

-A New Thought-

Dog Man had always been good at his job.

He was the top cop, the hero of the city, the unstoppable crime-fighting machine.

But today?

Today, he was useless.

-

He sat at his desk, staring blankly at his paperwork.

His tail, usually wagging with energy, just... twitched.

Chief's words from lunch kept looping in his head.

"You and Petey, huh?" "Nobody's buyin' it." "More than just roommates."

Dog Man had never thought about it before.

Petey was Petey.

His roommate. His friend. The guy who complained a lot but still packed him lunch every day.

The guy who always grumbled about Dog Man's snoring but somehow never moved out of bed.

The guy who always had something sarcastic to say but still reached for Dog Man's hand when he thought nobody was looking.

The guy who...

...who felt like home.

Dog Man's tail stopped wagging.

Oh.

Oh no.

-

He tried to get back to work.

He really did.

He tried to do his reports. But all he did was scribble on them absentmindedly.

He tried to go on patrol. But he got distracted every five minutes.

He tried to chase down a bad guy—

But he ran face-first into a street pole because he wasn't paying attention.

The bad guy just stared at him before running off.

even a squirrel from outside the window didn't catch his attention

something was clearly wrong

-

-Realization Hits Hard-

By the time he got back to the station, Dog Man slumped into his chair.

His ears drooped.

His brain hurt.

Three months ago, he was just Dog Man, the cop who lived alone.

Now, he had a home.

A family.

Li'l Petey, who always greeted him with a hug.

Petey, who always made sure he had food before work.

It was... nice. It was more than nice. It was everything he ever wanted.

But now, Chief had put a new thought in his head.

More than just roommates.

Dog Man whined and flopped onto his desk.

Why did that thought make his ears feel warm??

Why couldn't he stop thinking about it??

Why did it make his chest feel weird???

-

-Seeking Answers-

Dog Man had too many thoughts in his head.

He didn't like it.

Thinking too much made his brain feel itchy.

So, he did what he always did when he needed help—

He went to see Sarah Hatoff.

She was a news reporter, after all! If anyone knew about the rumors... it was her.

-

Sarah was busy typing up an article at her desk when Dog Man trotted into the newsroom.

"Dog Man?" She blinked in surprise. "What brings you here? Crime scoop? A new case?"

Dog Man shook his head.

He hesitated.

Then, he grabbed a notepad from the desk and started writing.

Sarah watched, curious.

When he turned the notepad around, it read:

"Rumors???"

"?Sarah raised an eyebrow. "Rumors about what

Dog Man scribbled again.

"Me and Petey."

Sarah's eyes widened.

Then—

She smirked.

"Ohhh..." She leaned forward. "So you have heard about them."*

Dog Man's ears perked in alarm.

So it was real.

The rumors were actually real.

He quickly scribbled: "What do they say??"

Sarah tapped her chin, pretending to think. "Oh, y'know... just that you two seem awfully close these days..."

Dog Man's tail stiffened.

"You've been livin' together for a while now..."

His ears twitched.

"And some people think it's more than just 'roommates' and 'co-parenting.'"

Dog Man froze.

Sarah grinned. "And I may or may not have been writing a piece about it."*

Dog Man's fur fluffed up.

Sarah leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "C'mon, Dog Man. It's not every day the city's greatest hero moves in with his ex-rival. People wanna know—"

Dog Man frantically waved his arms, shaking his head.

Sarah chuckled. "Relax! I wasn't gonna publish anything without talkin' to you first."*

Dog Man let out a relieved sigh.

Sarah studied him for a moment. "But seriously... does it bother you? The rumors?"

Dog Man hesitated.

Did it?

Usually, he didn't care what people said about him. He wasn't the type to overthink things.

But now?

Now he couldn't stop thinking about it.

Sarah smirked. "You like livin' with Petey, don'tcha?"

Dog Man nodded without hesitation.

"And you like how things are right now?"

Another nod.

Sarah tapped her desk. "Then why does it matter what people say?"

Dog Man's tail thumped thoughtfully.

She had a point.

Sarah leaned in. "Lemme ask you something else, though."*

Dog Man tilted his head.

"If Petey packed up and moved out tomorrow... how would you feel?"

Dog Man froze stiff.

The thought alone made his stomach twist.

Sarah grinned. "Yyyyep. Thought so."*

Dog Man whined, covering his face with his paws.

Sarah chuckled. "Well, if ya need more advice, you know where to find me. Otherwise—" She smirked. "—I'll just be waitin' for an even bigger scoop."*

Dog Man barked in protest, tail wagging furiously as he scrambled out the door.

Sarah just laughed.

-

-A Moment of Realization-

-petey's POV from when dogman left for work-



Petey sat on the couch, tail lazily flicking as he flipped through a book.

Li'l Petey sat beside him, kicking his feet in the air while munching on a snack.

It was a normal morning. Dog Man had already left for work, the house was quiet, and for once, Li'l Petey wasn't causing trouble.

It was... nice.

Peaceful.

At least, until Li'l Petey spoke up.

"Gee, can you believe it's been three months already, Papa?"

Petey blinked. "Huh? Three months?"

"Yeah! Since we started livin' here with Dog Man!" Li'l Petey beamed.

Petey opened his mouth—then froze.

Three months?

Had it really been that long??

-

Petey's ears twitched as the realization sank in.

Three months ago, his lab had been destroyed.

He had gritted his teeth and reluctantly agreed to move in with Dog Man. He had expected to be miserable, constantly annoyed, and counting down the days until he rebuilt his lab and left.

But now...

Now, he had a routine.

He woke up every morning to Li'l Petey snuggled between him and Dog Man.

He made breakfast (because Dog Man couldn't be trusted to cook everything).

He packed lunch for Dog Man in secret, even though he still denied doing it out loud.

He complained when Dog Man sat too close on the couch, but somehow never moved away.

...And he had stopped thinking about leaving.



"Papa?"

Petey blinked. "Huh? What?"

"Are you gonna rebuild your lab soon?"

Petey opened his mouth to answer.

Then stopped.

...Was he?

Three months ago, the answer would have been obvious.

But now?

His tail curled slightly.

Did he even want to leave?

Petey frowned, staring down at his book—but he wasn't reading anymore.

Because, for the first time, he didn't know the answer.

-

-Doubts and Dilemmas-

Petey sat in silence, staring at the pages of his book without actually reading them.

The thought had never crossed his mind before.

Three months. Three whole months of living here, waking up in the same house as Dog Man, eating meals together, falling into a routine that—

That didn't feel temporary.

But... was it supposed to be?

Was he supposed to be here this long?

-

Dog Man had never complained about them staying.

But what if that was just because he was too nice to say anything?

Petey's ears twitched.

What if Dog Man expected him to leave eventually? What if he had just been polite this whole time, letting them stay because they had nowhere else to go?

Petey suddenly felt restless.

Had he been invading Dog Man's space?

Had he—

Had he overstayed?..

Three months ago, he was a supervillain.

He had a lab. He built machines. He made inventions that would strike fear into the city—

But now?

Now he was making sandwiches for Dog Man's lunch and arguing about bedtime stories with a six-year-old.

Petey groaned, rubbing his temples.

He wasn't evil anymore. He knew that. But he was still a scientist. An inventor.

And since moving in, he had—

He had stopped.

Petey frowned.

Maybe it was time to rebuild his lab. Maybe it was time to—

"Papa?"

Petey flinched at the small voice.

Li'l Petey was watching him, tail curled around himself, ears slightly drooped.

" are you thinking about the lab? we're not leaving right..??"

Petey hesitated. "I—"

Li'l Petey grabbed his arm. "But I like livin' with Dog Man! We have so much fun! We're happy, right?"

Petey stared.

Li'l Petey's face was so hopeful, so desperate—

Petey felt his chest tighten.

He opened his mouth—

Then froze.

Because for the first time, he wasn't sure what his answer was.

-Crossroads-

Petey's tail flicked anxiously as he sat on the couch, deep in thought.

If he stayed here any longer...

Would he stop being himself?

Would he wake up one day and realize he was no longer Petey, former villain, genius scientist, and lone wolf—but just... some guy? Some guy who cooked breakfast, packed lunches, and argued about bedtime stories?

Had he already changed too much?

Or—

Did he want to change?

Petey didn't know.

And that was the scariest part.

-

Li'l Petey was still looking at him with big, hopeful eyes.

Petey clenched his jaw. He needed to think.

"Hey, kid," he said, standing up. "Why don't you hang back here for a bit? Stay with 80-HD, okay?"

Li'l Petey blinked. "Huh? Where are ya goin'?"

"Just... out."

"But—"

"I won't be long." Petey forced a smirk. "Try not to burn the place down while I'm gone, alright?"

Li'l Petey still looked unsure, but eventually nodded. "Okay..."

Petey ruffled his fur before heading toward the door.

He needed to see something.

-

When Petey arrived at his old lab, it was exactly as he left it.

Destroyed.

The roof caved in, walls cracked, machines covered in dust and debris.

He stepped over the wreckage, running a paw over an old control panel. It had once been the heart of his greatest schemes. Now it was nothing more than scrap.

Once, this place had been everything to him. His home.

Now?

It felt...

Cold.

Empty.

Petey's ears flattened as he sat down in the rubble.

This was where he was supposed to be, right? Rebuilding? Picking himself back up?

So why did it feel like he had left something behind?

Why did it feel like—

Like maybe...

Maybe this wasn't his home anymore?

Meanwhile, Back Home...

Dog Man stretched as he stepped through the front door, tail wagging.

But as soon as he entered—

Something felt off.

Li'l Petey was curled up on the couch with 80-HD, hugging his tail. His ears perked up when Dog Man walked in.

"Oh! Dog Man, yer back!"

Dog Man barked happily—then tilted his head.

Li'l Petey wasn't his usual hyper self.

Dog Man's tail lowered. He sniffed the air.

...Where was Petey??

-Searching for Answers-

Dog Man's ears perked as he scanned the room.

Something was wrong.

Li'l Petey sat curled up on the couch, tail wrapped around himself, fidgeting with his paws. 80-HD beeped beside him, occasionally nudging the kitten as if to comfort him.

But the usual energy in the house? The warmth?

It was missing.

Dog Man sniffed the air. The usual scent of home—Petey's fur, the faint smell of coffee, the lingering scent of breakfast—was there.

But Petey wasn't.

Dog Man whined softly.

"Papa left," Li'l Petey murmured, barely looking up.

Dog Man blinked. His tail stopped wagging.

Left?

-

Dog Man quickly trotted over and sat beside the kitten, nudging him with his nose.

Li'l Petey sighed. "He said he needed to think. I dunno what about, but he was actin' all weird..."

Dog Man tilted his head.

"I think... I think he's scared," Li'l Petey continued, ears drooping. "I was talkin' about how we've been livin' here for three months, and he got all quiet. Then he said somethin' about goin' out and left."

Dog Man let out a small whimper.

Petey was scared?

Li'l Petey frowned. "I think he thinks he doesn't belong here..."

Dog Man's tail lowered.

Petey didn't think he belonged?

That didn't make sense!

Of course he belonged!

This was their home.

Petey was part of it.

Dog Man huffed, determination flickering in his eyes. He gave Li'l Petey a reassuring bark, then stood up.

"Yer gonna find him?" Li'l Petey asked.

Dog Man nodded.

"Good." Li'l Petey smiled weakly. "Bring Papa home, okay?"

Dog Man barked once and turned toward the door.

He would.

Tracking Petey Down-

Dog Man sniffed the air again, catching the faintest scent of Petey's trail.

His paws carried him through the city, weaving through streets and alleys until—

He stopped.

The old lab.

Dog Man frowned. Why would Petey come here?

The place was ruined.

Carefully, he stepped over the wreckage, ears twitching at the faintest noise.

And then—

There, sitting in the middle of the broken lab, staring at nothing, was Petey.

Dog Man's tail lowered.

Petey looked... lost.

Like he didn't know where he was supposed to be.

Dog Man took a step forward, his heart heavy.

It was time to bring him home.

-Don't Leave-

Dog Man stood in the doorway, ears twitching as he listened.

Petey sat hunched in the wreckage, tail curled tightly around himself. His ears drooped as he stared at the remains of his old lab.

And then, softly, he spoke.

"Maybe I should rebuild it..."

Dog Man froze.

"I mean... this was my place, wasn't it?" Petey muttered to himself. "I had everything I needed here... My inventions, my work... I didn't need anyone. Didn't have to rely on anyone. It was just me."

Dog Man's heart clenched.

"Maybe that's what I should do," Petey continued, voice quieter now. "Maybe I should fix this place up and... and move back in."

Dog Man's ears drooped. His chest suddenly felt tight.

Move back in?

Leave?

The thought sent a horrible, twisting feeling through him.

If Petey left...

That meant no more waking up to his grumpy morning complaints. No more meals together. No more quiet moments on the couch. No more Petey rolling his eyes but secretly enjoying the way Dog Man always sat close.

No more—

...No more home.

Because, somewhere along the way... Petey had become part of what made their house feel like home.

And Dog Man didn't want to lose that.

He didn't want to lose him.

Dog Man took a deep breath and stepped forward—

But then, he stopped.

Petey had gone quiet.

And when Dog Man peered closer...

Petey's shoulders were shaking.

A soft sniffle broke through the silence.

Petey was crying.

Approaching Petey-

Dog Man's heart ached.

He stepped forward, slow and careful, paws crunching lightly against the rubble.

Petey tensed immediately, ears perking up in alarm. He turned sharply, eyes wide and red-rimmed, before quickly wiping his face.

"Wh—What the—?!" he sputtered. "What are you doin' here?! Why—"

He cut himself off, sniffling again as he furiously rubbed his eyes.

"Why'd you come lookin' for me?" he muttered, voice rough.

Dog Man just stood there, watching him with soft eyes.

Then, carefully, he took another step forward.

Petey scoffed, turning away. "I—I wasn't crying, if that's what you think."

Dog Man tilted his head, unconvinced.

Petey sighed. His tail twitched restlessly.

"Seriously, why are you here?" he asked again, voice quieter now.

Dog Man hesitated for a moment.

Then, he took another step—

And gently, carefully, pressed his forehead against Petey's.

Petey stiffened, eyes widening.

Dog Man's tail wagged softly, a quiet rumble of a whine escaping his throat.

"as if he's saying "Please don't leave

Petey swallowed. He stayed still for a long moment—

Then, slowly, he let his eyes drift shut.

...He didn't pull away.

-Stay-

Petey didn't pull away.

Usually, he would. Usually, he'd scoff, roll his eyes, call Dog Man a flea-ridden doofus, and push him away.

But this time...

He didn't.

Dog Man kept his forehead pressed against Petey's, ears twitching as he waited. He could feel Petey's breathing—shaky, uneven. His fur was warm, but his body was tense, like he was holding something in.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then, finally...

Petey exhaled.

"I don't know what to do," he muttered. His voice was quiet. Tired.

Dog Man's tail stopped wagging.

Petey let out a humorless chuckle. "Can you believe that? Me? Not knowin' what to do? That ain't like me." He shook his head. "I always have a plan, always know my next move. But now..."

His ears drooped.

"I've changed, haven't I?" he whispered.

Dog Man blinked, tilting his head slightly.

Petey let out a slow sigh, pulling away just enough to look at him. His eyes were sharp, but there was no anger behind them. Just confusion. Maybe even a little fear.

"Ever since I moved in with you, I stopped makin' my inventions. Stopped thinkin' about takin' over the world. Stopped—stopped bein' the same ol' Petey." He let out a bitter laugh. "What happened to me?"

Dog Man stared at him for a moment, then tilted his head and barked softly.

Petey frowned. "That's easy for you to say. You've always been the good guy. But me? I—" He hesitated, curling his tail around himself.

"If I stay..." He swallowed. "Am I still me?"

Dog Man's ears twitched. Then, gently, he reached out and placed a paw on Petey's.

Petey tensed.

"Dog Man's grip was firm. Steady he looked straight into petey's eyes as if saying "You're still you

Petey glanced down at their paws, then sighed again, rubbing his eyes. "I dunno, ... Maybe I'm just scared."

Dog Man barked softly, nudging him.

"I mean, think about it," Petey continued, rubbing the back of his neck. "What if—what if you're just lettin' us stay out of pity? What if I'm just takin' up space? What if—"

Dog Man huffed.

Petey blinked. "Did you just—"

Before he could finish, Dog Man pulled him into a tight hug.

Petey stiffened.

Dog Man's grip was strong—warm and safe and certain.

And for the first time since he'd left the house...

Petey let himself lean into it.

-Home-

Dog Man pulled away just enough to reach into his vest pocket. He pulled out his trusty notepad, flipped to a fresh page, and scribbled something down.

Then, he held it up for Petey to see.

"You're still you."

Petey blinked.

Dog Man kept writing.

"You don't have to be scared to change."

Petey's ears twitched. He stared at the words, his heart thumping a little harder in his chest.

Dog Man continued.

"No matter what... we're a family now, right?"

Petey inhaled sharply.

Family.

That word had never meant much to him before. But now? Now, it felt different. Warmer. Real.

His tail flicked, and without even realizing it, his face felt hot. His heart was racing—why was his heart racing?!

He didn't know what to say. Didn't trust his voice.

So instead...

He just smiled.

A small, genuine, soft smile.

Dog Man's tail wagged, and he barked happily, tucking the notepad away.

Petey rolled his eyes, but there was no annoyance behind it. He stretched his arms and sighed. "C'mon, mutt. Let's go home."

Dog Man perked up at the word home.

Yeah.

Home.

Together.

And so, side by side, they walked back.

.

.

.

I'll definitely make a part 2 dw!

this was supposed to be a 2k special but now ive reached 4k reads?!?! that's so insane thank you all 😮😮🥹🥹

(also i know Dogman doesn't have paws but it's cuter to say so🥹)