A/N: Little oneshot I did for Inuvember 2017.

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Gross Yet Strangely Compelling

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Ginta was a strange pup. Very strange. So much so that the elders were more than a little concerned. Why you may ask?

He liked to lick things.

Not just the usual things. Oh no. He licked all the things.

He licked dirt.

He licked tree bark.

He licked the walls and floor.

He licked weapons.

Just to name a few.

If something existed, there was a good chance that Ginta had licked it at some point or another. Most of the other pups wouldn't go near him. It seemed other children didn't necessarily appreciate having their hair suckled on and their arms licked for no particular reason. Imagine that.

It was quite sad really. He was such a sweet boy once you got to know him and these were the formative years when the pecking order for the pack truly began to be determined. Koga - of course- was destined to become an alpha just like his father and his father before him. It was strange but the future leader seemed to have no interest in finding a beta. It was most irregular. He had been showing favor to young Hakkaku for god only knows what reason. That pup had no promise whatsoever. He was not stronger or faster or more intelligent than any other pup his age. He was average at best and yet Koga seemed to favor him. How very odd...

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Koga, you wanna go swim in the river? It's really hot," Hakkaku whined as he saddled up to his friend, "The elder wouldn't mind I don't think."

"I dunno," Koga responded as he furrowed his tiny brow, "Imma see if they'll let me join the hunt."

"Oh," Hakkaku answered dejectedly, his lips forming a tiny pout- obviously disliking the idea of being left behind. Sighing, he asked timidly, "If you go on the hunt, can I go?"

"Yeah duh," Koga snorted as he rolled his small sapphire eyes, "You go wherever I go, right?"

"Yeah," Hakkaku cooed happily, "I would totally...ewwwwwww..."

Looking at his silmy wet arm then up at the small boy now grinning at him and back down again, Hakkaku frowned slightly and furrowed his brow before a wide grin burst over his face as though he had just had the most marvelous epiphany the world had ever seen. After a few seconds in which the small Ginta held his breath- much to the horror of every adult in the vicinity - the small Hakkaku licked the strangest little pup in the pack right back.

Ginta for his part could barely stand his excitement - oblivious to the general horrified muttering of the adults around him. None of the other pups had ever done that back to him. Ever. This was quite possibly the best day of his young life.

"Will you be my friend?" Ginta asked breathlessly before adding quickly as he heard Koga's tiny growl, "I...I mean, if...if Koga..."

Pouting slightly, Koga looked between the two for a moment with a strange mixture of longing and fear in his tiny sapphire eyes before he smirked and hopped up effortlessly to his feet. Walking up to the pair, Koga did something that had everyone on the vicinity almost dying from shock.

He licked them both in turn before taking a step back and grinning.

"I like you guys," Koga announced happily as he swung his tiny arms and grinned at the two pups who were staring at him as though he had just hung the moon, "You're funny."

The elders watched on in horror as the three small pups began chasing each other around - attempting to lick each other for no apparent reason whatsoever. They laughed high-pitched squeaks of joy as they ran- tackling each other, teaming up, and licking everything in reach.

It appeared that Koga had found not one but two betas. Two incredibly strange betas with no particular skills or special knowledge whatsoever. Two pups who had somehow managed to worm their way into the heart of the pup they were grooming to one day lead the pack. Two pups that - for all their strange quirks - would quite literally follow Koga into the underworld if he asked and whom they would never be able to get Koga to change his mind about - despite the future decades the elders would spend trying to dissuade their alpha in training.

God help them all.