Being a soldier wasn't exactly easy.

Being in the Special Forces didn't make it easier.

But being a shapeshifter in the army was probably the worst fate you could have.

At least that's what Avis thought. Not that he'd really talk about it. On the outside he was open-minded, cheerful and fiercely loyal towards his handler and his unit but on the inside his suffering ate him alive.

Avis had been bred for this. Able to shapeshift from human to white Shepherd and back. He never had a choice. He was picked as a puppy from his litter and hadn't seen his family since.

Trained through fear and pain he quickly got 'recruited' into the Task Force Proteus, also known as TFP.

He had never had friends before. Only superiors and very few subordinates. Until he met you. A shapeshifter, just like him. A similar story and with just as much fear lingering behind your eyes, you had been taken into the same unit.

Your conversations were limited. Sometimes you only saw each other during training or missions. But it was enough for Avis to stay grounded. Not to try to run again like he had so many times before and carried scars from it. The silent meeting of eyes, tails brushing against each other, a quiet wuff. Your wuff.

During the units training in summer in the Swiss alps Avis was almost happy. Training was hard and his handler did things to him that weren't just consequences for bad behavior anymore. But he wouldn't tell that to anyone. Not even you. But despite the daily abuse, the harsh training and the mental and physical exhaustion, he would call this time the happy weeks. Because you were here.

Especially now, that he was standing naked in a lake since that was just as good as a shower, splashing water at you and grinning his usual grin, the bruises on his face almost faded in the bright sunlight.

"C'mon soldier boy! Are you really gonna let that pass?"