Best Friend's Best Friend (Patreon)

This was a story commission for one of the top tier patrons - hope you all enjoy!

 It was the sad truth that ever since Teen Wolf had ended, Dylan didn’t get to hang out with his best friend as much anymore. He had bonded with fellow actor Cody Christian surprisingly quickly on the set of the MTV supernatural drama and the two had quickly become each other’s closest confidant and partner in crime. 

When the show ended though, they both moved onto other projects and the time they got to spend with each other was dramatically decreased. Dylan was glad that Cody had found success on the CW’s All American but he still couldn’t help but wish that they got to spend more time together, rather than only seeing each other once every couple of weeks, thanks to the other’s busy shooting schedule.

Of course Dylan wasn’t the kind of guy who was straightforward enough to admit to Cody how he felt. The last thing he wanted was for the other to think he was some kind of homo looking for Cody to be his boyfriend. Dylan just enjoyed his company and was miserable without his best friend by his side. His downhearted nature wasn’t all that well hidden from the people around him either, although he’d always blame it on some sort of head cold or upset stomach. It wasn’t until he was sat alone at a beer with a few beers in him that he finally found himself confessing the reason for his misery to an unfamiliar bartender.

Dylan didn’t know how many times he’d walked down that street without once catching a glimpse of Henry’s Tavern but that lonely night it was as if the bright purple neon sign called to him and he was lured right the way up to the bar. 

It was quiet - almost too quiet - but the drinks were cheap and the bartender was a good ear, listening to Dylan’s stories with a pleasant smile and asking questions whenever the young actor’s dialogue lapsed for too long. Dylan had never intended to open up to the man as much as he did but there was something reassuring about the bartender’s calm demeanour and his kind steel grey eyes that made the actor trust him.

After he had finished telling the story of his friendship with Cody, Dylan slumped against the bar and finished off his latest bottle of bar. The other man stood still and silent for a moment before suddenly querying, “What is it you want most, Master Dylan?”

It didn’t take Dylan long to find his answer. “I want to hang out with my best friend more,” the actor slurred, mildly concerned that the whole world aside from the bartender was little more than a blur in his vision. “I wish I saw him on a daily basis.”

The next thing Dylan knew, a shot glass full of an amber liquid was placed in front of him. He stared at it in confusion before the bartender explained: “For your troubles. Don’t worry, sir, it’s on the house. My treat.”

“What is it?” Dylan question, picking up the shot glass and sniffing at the liquid it held. He couldn’t quite place the scent - it certainly wasn’t an average whiskey or rum though.

“We call it a Wishgranter,” came the response. “Sweetest thing you’ll ever taste, guaranteed.” The words were accompanied by such a polite smile, although Dylan was too far gone to detect the suspicious gleam in the bartender’s eyes.

Although dubious of the bartender’s claim, the young actor was hardly one to turn down a free drink and as such, brought the glass to his lips to down the whole shot in one go. Sure enough a sweet taste passed over his tongue and down his throat before settling in his stomach. A wave of relief rushed through him for a moment before he suddenly slumped forward and his head hit the wooden top of the bar, the world around him being swallowed by an endless black.

“Liam! Liam, wake up, buddy!” 

The familiar voice broke through the darkness after what felt like a lifetime. Dylan’s heartbeat raced as he recognised it instantly - Cody. But what was he doing there and why had he referred to him by the name of his old character? 

With some struggle Dylan finally managed to force his eyes open and was met with a number of shocking things: first, he was no longer in the bar; next, he was in Cody’s downtown LA apartment; third, everything around him seemed much, much larger than he remembered it. 

Cody himself towered over him like a skyscraper and Dylan’s nerves spiked as his humongous best friend leaned down towards him and took him in his strong group to raise him high into the air - dangerously high!

“Cody!” Dylan exclaimed, only to be stunned by the noise that came out of his mouth: barely more than a high-pitched squeak. “Put me down!” Those words were equally unsuccessful, each one emerging as an unintelligible yelp. Cody didn’t seem nearly as concerned as Dylan was though, instead his lips spread into a wide smile and he chuckled softly.

“Someone’s talkative today, eh buddy?” his best friend remarked, bringing his fingers to scratch at the top of Dylan’s head. The sensation sent ripples throughout his body and he instinctively wagged his tail in delight. 

Wait… tail? 

There was no denying what he was doing though, he could feel it as distinctly as he felt like arms and legs. Then again, even those didn’t seem right anymore. His whole body shape felt off for reasons he couldn’t explain, although the puzzle pieces were slowly falling into place.

“Cody?” Dylan tried again, the words once again coming out as nothing but a soft bark like one might expect of a small puppy. Staring up at the delight in his best friend’s face, Dylan had no idea how to feel. This wasn’t how he’d expected to be reunited with Cody at all and yet he couldn’t deny how good it felt to have the other scratching his head. It was even enough to make him feel less nervous about how high up in the air he was being held!

His senses were going crazy too. All he could smell was Cody and he’d forgotten just how good his best friend smelled. Was that weird to think about? Cody’s scent was everywhere, including all over him, and Dylan couldn’t help but enjoy that. It felt familiar and safe and those were precisely the feelings he needed given how confusing everything else in that moment was. He hadn’t even known that Cody had adopted a puppy, let alone one that he’d named after Dylan’s Teen Wolf character!

With some difficulty Dylan thought back to his time in the bar - the bar that he was almost certain hadn’t existed until that very day - and what he’d told the bartender. The wish he had unwittingly made, and the shot of Wishgranter that had come afterwards. Given the circumstances, it only seemed logical to think that this whole situation was a result of some crazy magic trip! He desperately wanted to tell Cody what had happened and who he really was but how could he communicate as such through mere barks?

Being carried through the apartment, Dylan glanced around and attempted to fight the fear creeping up inside of him. He couldn’t be stuck like this! He couldn’t eat and drink from a bowl like a puppy and as for going to the toilet… no, he had to find a way to get the truth to Cody. First though, he desperately needed a snack. Maybe if he stared lovingly up at the other man, his owner would be nice enough to give him something? 

What am I thinking? Oh god, I’m even starting to think like a dog: with my stomach!

“I can’t wait for you to meet my buddy Dylan,” Cody purred against the real Dylan’s floppy ear as he fished a chew sweet out of a container in his kitchen, “He’s gonna go nuts for you!” Dylan was so fixed on the chew sweet in his new owner’s hands and drooling at how delicious it looked to even be concerned anymore. He had the best master ever!