summary -> you’re a big animal lover and fall in love with everyone’s pets the second you meet them so arthur surprises you
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you never stood a chance when it came to dogs. one look at a wagging tail, a wet nose, or those soul-piercing puppy eyes and your heart was theirs. it wasn’t just that you liked animals —no, you felt something every time you met one. dogs especially. you connected with them instantly, like you’d known them in a past life and they were just waiting for you to come back.
it had become a running joke amongst your friends —your inability to resist any dog you met. arthur teased you constantly about it. and now, hanging out more frequently with the sidemen and their circle because of your growing presence on youtube, it was almost too easy to fall in love.
your first true test came at simon’s.
“okay, but i’m warning you now,” simon said, opening the door to his house with a raised eyebrow, “if you make that squealing noise again when you see her, i’mm revoking your dog privileges.”
you grinned, bouncing on your toes. “no promises.”
he stepped aside dramatically like he was revealing royalty.
the golden retriever you’d stalked for months on Instagram, seen in countless vlogs, and now… now she was walking toward you in real life with that serene confidence only retrievers seem to have. like she knew she was the star of every room she walked into.
you didn’t even finish greeting simon properly. you dropped to your knees like your soul had left your body.
“NALA,” you gasped, arms already outstretched.
she blinked at you, tail giving a curious wag —then broke into a full run, barreling into you like you were long-lost best friends.
“she’s softer than i imagined,” you mumbled, face buried in her golden fur.
“she’s also going to leave you in five minutes for a piece of ham,” simon quipped.
“she’s perfect,” you said, ignoring him.
nala licked your cheek, and you genuinely thought you might cry. she was a walking serotonin boost, and you refused to believe that this was just a casual meeting. this was love. soulmate-level.
talia walked in just as you tried to take a selfie with nala’s head on your shoulder. she rolled her eyes with a smile. “another victim, i see.”
“don’t act like you weren’t the same,” simon said, nudging her.
“she’s magic,” you murmured. “i would die for her.”
simon groaned. “you met her two minutes ago.”
by the time you left that night, nala had successfully claimed 47 new photos in your camera roll and at least three mentions in your Instagram story. you weren’t ashamed.
the next week, you were at tobi’s.
“she’s a bit shy,” he warned as you walked into his cozy living room. “takes a while to warm up.”
you immediately crouched down and kept your hands in your lap.
“hi, luna,” you said gently. “it’s okay. take your time.”
the black lab mix peeked out from behind the sofa, cautious eyes watching you like she was trying to solve a puzzle.
“she’s a rescue,” tobi added. “didn’t have the easiest start.”
you nodded softly, not taking your eyes off her, “she’s beautiful.”
a few moments passed —then luna padded forward, ears back but nose twitching with curiosity.
when she finally reached you and nudged your hand, you felt that same heart-thudding connection again. you let her sniff, then slowly scratched behind her ears. she leaned into it like a sleepy cat.
“she trusts you,” tobi said quietly. “that’s rare.”
you looked up at him with a watery smile. “she’s safe now. she knows.”
after that, it was game over. you visited luna at least three more times in the span of two weeks. you memorized where she liked to be scratched, which squeaky toy was her favorite, and how she did a little full-body shake after every nap.
by the time you were posting a tiktok dedicated to her, arthur texted:
do i need to start barking to get your attention or…?
ypu replied with a photo of luna snuggled against your lap and captioned it:
his response came instantly:
still, he never seemed bothered. not really. he always seemed… amused. a little quiet when you talked too long about someone else’s dog, sure. but his eyes always softened when he saw you like that —all light and affection and no filter.
then one thursday night, while you were half-asleep on facetime with him, he asked, “you free Saturday?”
you blinked. “uh, yeah, i think so. why?”
“got something planned. just be here at 3.”
you sat up a little. “why? what are we doing?”
he smirked. “you’ll see. don’t ask questions.”
you raised a suspicious brow. “if this is an elaborate intervention for how obsessed i am with dogs—”
“you’ll see,” he repeated, grinning before ending the call.
saturday rolled around. you stood outside his flat, suspicious and excited, wondering if maybe he’d borrowed a dog for the afternoon just to mess with you. or worse —adopted a raccoon. arthur would do something chaotic like that.
but nothing prepared you for what was behind that door.
arthur answered with the most casual expression ever, despite the fact that he was obviously dying to spill something.
“hi,” you replied, narrowing your eyes. “you’re being weird.”
“i’m always weird,” he said, stepping aside.
you walked in —and froze.
you heard it first. a tiny, excited whimper. then a shuffle. then the sound of claws gently tapping against hardwood.
you turned toward the sound —and your heart dropped into your stomach.
in the center of the room was a small playpen. inside it sat a crate, some toys, a tiny food bowl… and the smallest puppy you had ever seen in your life.
golden-brown fur. big floppy ears. a speckled nose. and the moment she saw you, her tail wagged so hard her whole body wobbled.
“Arthur,” you whispered, stunned.
he tried —and failed —to keep a straight face. “so, you know how you keep falling in love with everyone else’s dog?”
you turned to him in disbelief, heart pounding. “you didn’t.”
“i did,” he said, stepping closer. “she’s yours.”
your hands flew to your mouth.
“she needed a home,” he said, voice gentler now. “and you… you’ve got the biggest heart i know. i figured, if anyone could love her the way she deserves—”
you didn’t hear the rest. the puppy barked, a tiny, excited squeak, and you rushed forward to open the gate.
she launched herself at you, clumsy and wiggling and full of joy. you scooped her up, your eyes already full of tears.
“she’s so little,” you whispered, pressing your face against her.
“she’s a rescue, got a bit of retriever, a bit of shepherd —maybe some collie too. bit of everything. she’s smart. and loud. like someone i know.”
you laughed through your tears. “i can’t believe you did this.”
arthur rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly shy. “i just wanted you to have something that makes you happy. every time you see a dog, you light up. i thought… maybe this time, it could be yours.”
the puppy licked your cheek, tail wagging furiously as she squirmed in your arms.
you looked up at arthur, heart thudding. “god, i love you.”
the words slipped out before you could even think.
his eyes widened —and then softened.
“i love you too,” he said, stepping closer. “have for a while, actually.”
you stood there, puppy in your arms, love of your life in front of you, and for once, you didn’t have anything sarcastic to say. you were full. complete.
“what’s her name?” arthur asked softly.
you looked down at the puppy. her eyes blinked up at you, full of trust. like she already knew who she belonged to.
“cleo,” you said. “she looks like a cleo.”
arthur grinned. “cleo it is.”
you sat on the floor together, cleo snuggled in your lap, her tiny snores filling the room like the final note in a perfect song.
and somewhere between the crinkle of her toy, the warmth of arthur’s hand in yours, and the feeling of unconditional love wrapped in fur, you realized: this wasn’t just a surprise.
it was the beginning of your forever.
