Ocean Kisses

Cozy

Doc’s POV

We took Ren home, the walk back feeling more natural than it had in months, like the weight between us had finally lifted. As we approached the house, I noticed Ren’s gaze drift over to the dog, who was lounging lazily by the door, wagging his tail.

Ren tilted his head curiously, studying the dog with a frown that barely registered on his face. “What’s up with him?” he asked, his voice still soft, like he was trying to find his footing with everything again. “I didn’t think you were really a dog person…”

I looked at him, blinking as if he’d said something completely absurd. "Ren, you're a dog, too, you know," I said, half-amused, half-serious. Then, I chuckled softly. "We’re just watching the dog for a friend."

Ren shot me a look, clearly not expecting that response. But before he could say anything more, I gave him a nudge to keep things light.

Ren didn’t respond right away. Instead, he just stood there for a second, his golden eyes distant. Without saying another word, he walked past the dog and into the house, heading straight for the fireplace.

I watched him for a moment, unsure what was going through his mind, but somehow understanding. He needed space to adjust, to settle back into a place that hadn’t felt like home for a long time.

Ren knelt in front of the fireplace, his fingers brushing the mantle as if reconnecting with something familiar. The crackle of the fire filled the silence as he stared into the dancing flames, lost in thought. I knew that look—he was thinking. The kind of thinking you do when you’re trying to piece things together, or when you’ve been through more than you can really process at once.

I stayed by the door, watching quietly.

My son had already gone upstairs, leaving the room quiet except for the soft crackling of the fire. Ren shifted into his wolf form, his fur rippling as he curled up next to the hearth. It was nice having him back—like a piece of something that had been missing finally clicked into place—but there was still something… off.

I couldn’t quite pinpoint it, but his behavior tugged at me. His golden eyes would flick toward the dog resting by the door before narrowing slightly, and I could swear he was pouting. Was he jealous? Seriously? It wasn’t like the dog was even ours.

I walked over carefully and crouched beside him. “You know we’re just watching that dog, right?” I said softly, more to test the waters than anything. Ren huffed in response, pointedly looking away like he didn’t care—but his ears betrayed him, swiveling back toward me.

Smirking a little, I reached out and scratched him gently behind the ears. Ren stilled for a moment, as if resisting, but then his tail started thumping against the floor in slow, heavy beats.

“Yeah, I thought so,” I murmured, watching as his tail picked up speed, wagging almost aggressively now. The tension melted off him, his golden eyes softening as he let out a low, contented rumble.

“There’s the happy wolf,” I teased, scratching a little more. Ren finally stopped being weird, letting his head flop against his paws with a deep sigh, though his tail kept thumping like he couldn’t help himself.

I chuckled quietly, glancing toward the firelight dancing across his fur. Ren’s wolf form was so striking, his golden eyes reflecting the flames, and I found myself reaching down to gently scratch behind his ears again. To my surprise, he licked my hand, and I let out a small laugh, the feeling of his warm tongue brushing against my skin making me chuckle.

I hadn’t realized how much I missed this—this comfort, this closeness. I wasn’t sure if Ren could talk in this form or if he simply chose not to, but it didn’t matter. The way he looked at me said everything. Gosh, he was so adorable in his wolf form, and I couldn't help but shower him with affection, running my hand through his fur, scratching along his neck and under his chin.

But as I kept going, I noticed something. The other dogs, still lounging by the door, started to whine softly, eyes fixed on Ren with a hint of jealousy. It made me laugh even more, and I pulled back just a little, glancing at them. "Jealous much?" I muttered, amused.

Ren simply rolled over on his back, tail still wagging enthusiastically as he stretched out on the floor, looking up at me with those ever-expressive eyes. The other dogs? They were still watching, but now it seemed like they were begrudgingly accepting that Ren was getting all the attention.

I smiled, feeling a bit of warmth in my chest. It felt nice to be surrounded by this odd little family we were building. No matter how unusual or complicated it might seem, there was something undeniably comforting about being together, even if that meant dealing with some jealous pups now and then.

To my surprise, the other dogs, sensing an opportunity, shuffled over, tails wagging eagerly as they tried to nudge their way into the attention I was giving Ren. Usually, Ren would have growled or at least gotten possessive, but this time, he didn’t. He just rolled over, letting out a content sigh as he glanced over at the other dogs.

Instead of snapping or hogging my attention, he simply sat up a little and looked at me with those soft, golden eyes, as if giving me space to acknowledge the others. It was almost like he was sharing the affection, accepting that the others wanted in too. I couldn’t help but smile at how he had changed, how he had settled in this new space.

I reached down, giving one of the other dogs a scratch behind the ears, then ruffled Ren’s fur gently. "You’re being generous today, huh?" I murmured, and Ren’s tail wagged just a little faster, though his eyes never left me.

It felt good, this calm moment, with all of them there. The fire crackled in the background, and for once, I wasn’t thinking about everything that had happened. I could just enjoy the presence of the pack, in all its strange, chaotic beauty. It was a small but perfect moment of peace that I wasn’t willing to take for granted.