The yapping little thing is a terror that came into Stanley's life only to cause suffering, he swears.
Stanley never wanted a dog. He isn't against dogs per se, he enjoys petting the ones he sees on the streets and he likes Tom's bulldog quite a lot. But to actually have one? No, he was always very much a bird person, never found dogs worth the trouble they came with.
So when LeFou came home with that… that thing, he was quite reasonably upset; they hadn't discussed having a dog and given that he was the one that worked from home that meant good part of the job of raising the small puppy would be his. But LeFou was so happy with the little gremlin in his arms, talking about how he always dreamed of having a pet but that having lived in an apartment for most of his life and being allergic to cats never allowed him, you see. Seeing that sign about her being up to adoption was destiny!, he insisted with such belief that Stanley didn't have the heart to say no.
The dog stayed.
Kiki is a small black and brown Shih Tzu whose favorites pastime is to make a mess on their new carpet with dirty dirty paws and munch on Stanley's softest fabrics. He's never seen a dog so protective and jealous of her owner like Kiki was with LeFou—barely ever leaving his side,—who couldn't be more happy spoiling her with treats and kisses. She hates Stanley with such a passion that would be scary if she didn't fit in one hand, and the feeling is mutual.
LeFou, of course, finds it hilarious.
"How can anyone hate you? You're such a good girl," he cooed the third time he found them having a stare down. LeFou's laughter echoed through the house as Kiki preened at his words and tone, licking him with her disgusting dog tongue. "Yes, you are, my beautiful girl. You're a little angel!"
Still, neither would budge. Stanley sometimes pretends to accept the little monster in front of LeFou while in exchange Kiki only destroys his shoes when the other isn't home. They still fight for his attention but for all LeFou knew they had become begrudgingly friends.
Maybe. Mostly.
Ok, he wasn't fooled.
"She's just a puppy, Stanley!"
"She's evil, that's what she is," he replies angrily, trying his best to fix yet another fabric ruined with paw prints, "I don't understand how you can't see she's doing it on purpose! She hates me, I swear!"
LeFou shakes his head, disappointed. "She's a sweetheart. Maybe she dislikes you so much because of how you treat her!" He picks up the manipulative little spawn and cooes when Kiki whines and plays the victim once again. "You didn't do it on purpose, did you girl? No, you were just trying to play! Your papa is just being a big meanie again."
"I don't understand why you're never on my side, it's almost as if you love that dog more than you love me."
"Now don't be silly, Stanley," LeFou reproves, barely hiding his amusement, "I'm never on your side because you think our puppy is an evil mastermind. You know I love you, but she's our baby."
Stanley sights defeated. That 'baby' was now months old and a flea magnet, but he didn't mention it. Arguing with LeFou about her never worked, he was blind to Kiki's evil ways, but still it never hurt to try. One day he would see it. Until then, Stanley guesses, he'll have to resort to glaring at her to show he wasn't fooled by her cute face. Kiki glares back just as fiercely until—
"Did you see that?!" Stanley asks outraged, jumping from his chair in shock and almost falling down. "She winked at me! LeFou, stop laughing, she winked at me! She thinks she won, babe!"
He gives his anger up when LeFou refuses to stop laughing at him, being accused of pouting which is ridiculous, he's a grown man, but he sucks it up as LeFou starts giving him kisses between his adorable giggles making him smile and forget all about the fight. Sweet trades of kisses soon turn into a hand on the hip with the other on LeFou's hair and suddenly he's being pulled down on the couch by the man, breathless, wanting more and more and...
"Stanley, stop! Kiki is watching us."
And the dog needs to go. Now.
A few days later LeFou leaves on a trip back to his hometown to spend a week with his family, leaving the both of them alone with the promise that Stanley would look after Kiki carefully. A promise in which Stanley was almost tempted to break—spending a few days with his parents would hardly do Kiki any harm let's be honest, they love her—but whenever he seriously considers it he remembers the look LeFou gave him, so thankful that he was willing to do this, that he couldn't. LeFou deserves better, even if Kiki doesn't.
So they settle with some sort of temporary truce in the end. Stanley takes care of Kiki, feeding her and taking her out for a walk at night, and she doesn't bother him nor destroys his things while LeFou is gone.
It works and it's the most peaceful the house has ever been since Kiki showed up.
Of course it doesn't last.
Stanley sees now that he may have been a bit too harsh in judging Kiki for being glued to LeFou; the man had only been gone for two days and half now and Stanley was already feeling lost without him. He couldn't sleep as well without LeFou there to hold him, their bed felt giant without the man, and so did their shower. Watching TV wasn't the same without his comments, and really what is sewing without LeFou singing in the background? Breakfast was torture without LeFou's beautiful grumpy face and wild bed hair.
The calendar was now the most viewed app on his phone.
Their whole house screamed LeFou—screamed them—and without him there it was just… wrong.
He's moody and easily irritated, his only relief being when LeFou calls the house or skypes him and even then his mood is always ruined again when the man insists on spending good half of it talking with the spawn—time he should've spent with him, his boyfriend of years now that missed him very much! He snaps at Tom and Dick when they come over to have some drinks quite a lot until they call him out on it and have a sincere talk; when he does it with Paulette the very next day she's nowhere as gentle.
So really, it's understandable that Stanley reacts the way he does later that night, when he's tired and feeling lonely, craving some comfort, and he goes to pick one of LeFou's favorite shirts from the chair it was left on and instead of it coming with him the shirt barely moves only to then bark and try to bite him in the hand. He just wanted to hug something that smells like his boyfriend and instead he almost had a heartattack.
"You!" Stanley yells angry at the dog who was apparently sleeping on the shirt, pulling it from under Kiki with all his strength ignoring when she stumbles and falls back on her butt on the chair. "You almost bit me, I can't believe this! Get out of that chair, ugh, now there's fur all over it. God, you're such a little—!"
He stops when he hears a cry, finally looking at Kiki.
"You… you're just missing him too, aren't you?"
Kiki doesn't answer him, obviously, but still she lowers her head and sniffs the chair around for LeFou's smell. She doesn't try to bite him again when he picks her up, closing her eyes at the contact and letting out a pitiful whine.
"I'm sorry, dear, I'm not used to being without him either. I guess we're more alike than I thought."
Stanley settles the shirt on his pillow and Kiki right next to it, laying down with her and petting her long fur. She had finally grown out of her gremlin-like face, now her snout was a bit longer and her fur almost royal-like. Kiki tilts her head when he scratches a spot behind her ear, kicking and closing her eyes in glee making him laugh.
"I'm sorry I've been such an ass to you, I was just jealous. I didn't mean to scare you like that. I just forget, I guess, that you don't really understand things. You're not some demon spawn, are you, girl?" He sighs when she just looks at him, confused. "You're just… a dog. A pretty smart one, but still just a dog. No wonder LeFou always laughed at me. I'm sorry."
If the lick he receives is an answer to his apology or the petting he couldn't say, but he likes to think it's from both. That she forgives him for being so silly. Kiki was a smart girl after all, even if she could be evil at times. She just loves LeFou a bit too much, just like Stanley.
"Hey Kiki, do you want to start over? Because I think I know where he hid your treats."
When LeFou comes home days later, exhausted from being confined in a plane for so long, it's to a mess of a house. Fashionable dog clothes and dresses everywhere, both complete and still unfinished, together with toys he was sure they hadn't before his trip. And, in the middle of it all, there's Stanley and Kiki: sleeping in the couch together, cuddling like best friends, the latter wearing a bow on her head and a homemade pink scarf that almost looked bought, the fabric having tiny dyed paw prints on it in purple.
The love of his life and the dog of his dreams finally together.
LeFou sighs, satisfied, and dials a number on his phone with a grin on his face. "Maman? It worked like you said. They're adorable, I'm going to take so many pictures… yes, of course I'll send it to you!"