Sam is woken up by the bed shaking, slobber dripping down his cheek from the soft tongue that licks at his face and various nudging of paws or kicks of legs. Groaning, he ignores his own need for sleep to drag himself to the bathroom, blinking the fuzziness from his vision. Why do I have dogs again? Is a short thought, quickly forgotten when his blabber screams. The time is eight-thirty, enough time to shower, walk the dogs and grab a quick breakfast before his shift at the bakery at nine-thirty. Hurriedly, he showers and dries off, dressing in the uniform. The shirt is a pale sky blue with deep black slacks, and the cupcake cartoon logo design of the building is on the breast pocket. 

The slacks are a tight fit, but he can breathe and move and that's what's important to him. Letting his short hair air dry, he's herded to the kitchen by three sets of paws and shoulder bumps on his legs to keep him moving. Fenrir talking, demanding breakfast, with deep rumbling growls and gentle nibbling of fingers. Sam laughs, gathering the big bowls and supplies for their light breakfast. Measuring out a healthy amount of food, adding the correct powders to help joints or digestion, and two carrots each.

Setting the bowls down on the respective mats in the corners of the kitchen, the dogs sit patiently at their bowls for the go-ahead to eat. A sharp whistle puts them in action, eating as quickly as the mazes in each bowel allow. It's to keep them from choking or flipping their stomachs, eating too quickly can cause issues and Sam wants to avoid that. They haven't learned to slow down just yet and he's taking precautions. As he waits for them to finish, he eats oatmeal to get something in his stomach before the walk. It's plain, nothing added to make it taste better rather than cinnamon. However bland, it is only meant to be a snack before his meal. When Fenrir, Orthrus, and Cerberus finish eating, they all prance around like excited ponies, ready to go walking. 

Grabbing the colored harnesses he gets them ready; black for the dark-coated eldest Fenrir, the middle sibling in blue that shines against the sleek gray coat of Cerberus, and red for the youngest light brown spotted white Orthrus. While the dogs may not be able to see colors, they know which one is theirs by the hooks they hang from. Fenrir's harness hangs closer to the door, Cerberus is in the middle, and last, Orthrus is at the end. They sit, squirming in excitement as they're secured in the harnesses. Sam pets and praises them, kissing heads and scratching behind ears, taking joy in playing with them. He grabs his keys and phone, connecting the harnesses to the multiple-clip single leash he has, one leash that connects all three dogs.

They guide him out into the hall, using soft, quiet barks or happy growls to show how excited they are. Sam is always secretly proud when they use their 'inside voice' as he trained them, so they don't bother the neighbors with loud barking. It took a lot of work on all parts, the human had to take classes to train the dogs and the animals had to be taught by a student trainer. It wasn't easy, but eventually, it worked out. The dogs are trained nearly perfectly for what their daily schedule is and what the surroundings are, for an apartment building. They nudge him gently and wiggle, wet noses slicking his wrist or elbows as he locks the door. Soon, they're leading the way to the elevator to go down to the lobby, tails wagging and big smiles with long tongues hanging out. The morning work rush brings out a lot of neighbors, the elevator has three people in it when it stops for them. 

Two older gentlemen in suits and a teenage girl in a school uniform, the slacks and t-shirt bland and unfaltering. Once the dogs are acknowledged they receive vast reactions from the people, the girl grins at them while one of the men shifts into the corner further away from them. Sam settles in the middle, knowing from experience that people would rather walk behind the dogs instead of in the front. The breeds have a bad reputation and no matter how liked they are to neighbors, there are still others in the building that aren't as used to them. The scary looks of them create a circle of uncertainty around Sam, with others mostly unwilling to test the dogs. The girl is the only one of the three who steps closer, respectively asking to pet the dogs before touching or getting closer. At the quiet nod she can, she grins and pets each wiggling body and asks their names.

The ride is quick, spent answering questions and watching the girls' morning be made when the dogs show off their whispering. The men simply watched, the one in the corner relaxing when he saw how gently the big animals treated the young girl. Once out of the building, the dogs start in the direction of the dog park, the path memorized from walking there every morning and evening. Along the way, other people give Sam a wide girth because of the breed of the dog. The animals sniff and find spots to do business on, listening to signals or heel commands when one of them gets overly excited about a squirrel. The walk to the park is a good fifteen minutes and they usually stay for ten, allowing the dogs to run around off-leash and socialize with other animals before walking back home. 

Sam stays off to the side, sitting on a bench and watching his dogs to make sure they're okay. The siblings stay with each other, playing wrestling and chasing, Fenrir gets a poodle to play with them and Orthrus gets distracted by a bird for a minute or two. Cerberus is the first to come back when it nears ten minutes and he notices Sam stand up, he gains praise and a kiss on the head for it. On the way home, he slows them down to let them sniff or be outside in fresh air a bit longer. Making a promise to himself to stop and get them ice cream after his shit, animal friendly, of course.

The extra minutes it takes to walk back make him hurry through the lobby, apologizing quietly for nearly running into a man walking from the elevator. Sam didn't pay much attention to the man, merely herding his group into the lift before the doors closed. Fumbling in his pockets for his keys, murmuring to himself about being late and sneaking more danishes than normal. Fenrir grumbles as the stranger lingers at the doors, light amber eyes flicking from each tall, strong dog to the thin, coltish human. The stranger smiles to himself as the elevator doors shut, stopping the mumbled, worried soft voice that the man finds particularly alluring. This stranger makes a promise to find the young colt with three guard dogs before the end of the week. Sam, completely unaware of anything, is busy unlocking his door to let the dogs in, apologizing for being in a hurry. His eyes happen to glance across the hall and widen, the door across from his own is cracked and there's a big box just within view inside. Someone, obviously, just moved in. Sam mulls about who the new neighbor could be, if they're nice or if they'll be decently quiet like everyone else, as he refills the water bowls with fresh water for the day.

Afterward, he gives out kisses and pets and promises to miss them all. He hurries his way out of his locked apartment, looking down at his keys and phone as he speed walks back to the elevator. Missing the, now, open door being blocked by a silhouette with vibrant amber color in the eyes.

°°°

The day at the bakery is quiet, spent with the oven timer and the occasional check-in from his boss. He makes batches of cupcakes, danishes, muffins, and two birthday cakes, among more sweets. His favorite was a birthday cake for a kitten, made specifically to be safe for the tiny animal. It was decorated with little rainbow paws and a picture of the gray kitten in the middle of the cake, it was adorable. A complete honor to make and prepare the cake, no matter how small, a kitten's first birthday is a big deal after all. It gave him ideas for his boy's birthdays, he doesn't know the exact dates, yet he uses the dates of adoption as birthdays. Fenrir is the oldest according to the vet, Cerberus only a few days behind him then Orthrus is the youngest with only a day or so behind his brother. They are all close in age, as the timeline of DNA tests and shelter records say. He makes sure he does something for each day, a trip to the store, more toys, and goodies from the bakery. Perhaps, he'll make each of them their special themed cake. The flavors of bacon, carrot cake for Cerberus or maybe try his hand at turkey cake. Infuse the flavor of turkey into a cake, if that's possible.

He makes notes of his ideas on his phone, keeping them for later to add more details. Humming contently to himself as he thinks how happy his puppy family would be to receive their very own cakes, all the excited kisses, and joyful prances. He'll prepare every detail, spending his entire check to make sure the puppies get anything they want in toys or treats. With a grin, he will. All through the rest of his shift, he can't get his thoughts away from giving his beloved dogs the best birthdays he can. The shift ends before he knows it, pouting to himself at his forgetfulness of eating a danish or muffin for a snack. Hanging up his apron, he shyly waves to the other boy working at the counter and checks in with his boss. Once given the okay to leave, he gathers his things in his pockets and pushes the door open out into the crisp air. The sun is just setting, casting shades of pink, orange, and purple in the sky with dark clouds that can be the shadows of the sun or a rainy night.

The walk home is peaceful, taking in the fresh air and feeling the cool breeze on him makes Sam buzz with a spark of life that he feels he particularly lacks. Light window shopping as he goes past small shops, considering going to the grocery store on his day off. Fenrir ripped up his stuffed bunny, Cerberus had worn out his third doggy bed and Orthrus had accidentally ripped his favorite blanket. It is against house rules to leave them without the necessities of these products, otherwise, they whine and grumble. Besides, they also need more food, as does the only human in the house. Sam is running out of the usual, cheap, and easily made meals. Home-cooked meals are rare, mainly once or twice a year when he has enough money to buy ingredients for his favorite dishes. 

The building comes into view after two blocks and a stop at the local ice cream shop for the pups, the sun now set and the sky getting darker. Sighing, he stumbles into the lobby, tired and sore in his fingers from mixing or kneading dough. Taking the elevator, he yawns and blinks his eyes to bring his clear vision back. On his floor, he faintly hears what seems to be shouting and yelling, curses. Eyebrows furrowed, he steps closer to his door only for the obnoxious noise to be louder and from across the hall; the new neighbor. He sighs deeply, there goes his hope for a quiet neighbor. The sound gets even louder for the few seconds it takes to unlock his door, Sam rolls his eyes and shakes his head. Some people like to sleep, he thinks, obviously not this person.

Grumbling, he dips into his apartment long enough to change out of his uniform into a pair of leggings with little ghosts on them and an oversized hoodie. While inside, he gathers the dogs to feed them dinner and give them the frozen treats, waiting patiently and eating a quick sandwich while they devour the food. The aftermath is a direct copy of the morning, with everybody running to the harnesses at the door and announcing they want to go walking. Except, this time, Orthrus decides to nose between his brother's paws, the human's legs, and the crack in the front door, and go running the hall like a particularly hyper toddler. Sam calls out, tired and attempting to be quiet to respect his neighbors. Fenrir and Cerberus lead the human out into the hall, tails wagging and barking tiny whispers and growls. 

The sight makes Sam pause, blinking owlishly at the doorway across from him. Orthrus, the silly Boxer is wiggling his adorable hips, legs, and all, as a tail wag. Looking up with his tongue out and rubbing against a large leg, which belongs to a gigantic building of a man. Deep red hair, sharp and strong facial features, thick and lean with muscle, and dark amber eyes that stare intensely at the smaller, duller man dumbly staring. The new neighbor has dark stubble covering his jaw, the naturally red to orange hair brings out the amber of his eyes with the help of long, thick lashes. Sam, begrudgingly admits, the man is attractive in an objective way. His personality is still to be discovered, the only factor that actually matters in the attractiveness of others.

Sadly, it's found that the new man is loud, obnoxiously so. The key to Sam's neighborly heart is respect for the thin walls, the other neighbors, and quiet. Damn the hyperactivity of Orthrus.