Very belatedly taken from AO3 because... well, because. Winston is a good egg who doesn't like Hannibal and thinks Will is failing at being a dog... so he takes matters into his own hands.

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There are times when Winston is reminded that Master is, perhaps, not the brightest dog in the pack. Even though Winston happily accepts he's his alpha, Master does many odd things that make Winston wonder who raised him as a pup; Winston even considers for a time that Master has some sort of brain trauma. At least that would excuse his actions and his complete lack of instincts.

Master throws out the best part of food all of the time, and Winston—along with his brothers—watches mournfully each time the offal and bone slide off the plate and into the trash.

Master always washes off the best smells from himself, every day disappearing into a room that sprays warm water—sometimes more than once. When he's under the water, Master covers himself in bubbles and rubs at his skin just like he did to Winston when he was first brought back to the house. When he leaves, he covers himself in fabric so Winston can't even lick his body to give it some halfway respectable scent before he leaves the house.

Master hardly ever lets Winston sniff his back quarters either. He only ever manages a good whiff when Master is distracted and bent over, but it never lasts long before Master moves away with a short noise, pushing Winston's head away. And Master never smells Winston's—no matter how many times he raises his tail and presses into his face.

Out in the field, Winston can only look back fondly at Master as he tries to keep pace with him and his brothers. Master has very long legs, but he can't move them very fast. He is always at the back of the pack, breathing heavily, which, Winston figures, gives credence to his theory that Master has some sort of disability. He doesn't love or revere him any less.

It makes a lot of sense, and it would explain why he lets him come into their home.

Master calls him Hannibal.

He may fool his brothers by plying them with sausage, but Winston has tasted that flavour before. Winston can tell Hannibal thinks he has them all duped, judging by the shadowy aura he exudes when his brothers inhale the treats. Winston isn't though, and he's not eating anything Hannibal brings anymore—instead choosing to eye him warily from afar.

Sometimes, Hannibal brings enough treats for Master too, though they eat theirs separate from Winston's brothers. Master is insistent on eating while he sits down, pressing his hind quarters down and curling his long legs over one of the many chairs he has in the home. Whenever Hannibal is there, Master eats his meals with him in the kitchen instead of on the chair near Winston and his brothers' beds. "People food" Master calls it. Winston's own experience eating people food is very limited and usually only when he's done something that pleases Master. Occasionally though, Master sets asides a piece of meat or green bean for Winston even when he hasn't done anything.

This is just one of the reasons why Winston knows Master is good.

Sometimes the people food Hannibal brings for Master has the same smell as the sausages he brings for Winston's brothers.

This is just one of the reasons why Winston knows Hannibal is bad.

To Winston's dismay, Master has no idea. He eats the food happily, and Hannibal starts to darken their doorstep more often than naught. When Master bares his teeth in the odd way that he does when he's happy, Winston realises Master is fooled just like his brothers.

He knows what he'll have to do; if Master isn't capable of protecting himself then Winston will have to do it for him.

He starts small, relying on old tricks to scare Hannibal away. Winston's low growl paired with bared teeth has always managed to scare off undesirable people in the past. But Hannibal, Winston learns, is not like most people; he's wholly unaffected by Winston when he growls—even when he nips at his fingers when they stray too close to his mouth. Somehow without baring his teeth or growling, Hannibal manages to match Winston's hostility with a cool, dark look that scares Winston.

The strategy proves unsuccessful, as Hannibal continues to visit Master. In fact, it only serves to earn him punishments. Master yells loudly and swats at Winston's nose. "No" is said forcefully before Winston is even allowed back inside, where he has to watch them make noises at each other. It's then that Winston wishes Master could just speak properly.

Winston alters his plan, setting out to mark his territory. While the two men withdraw to the couch and make their unfathomable sounds to each other, Winston pads over to Hannibal's shoe and covertly pisses in it. This makes Master upset, but he takes his anger out on Buster. Winston doesn't know why. If he just smells the shoe he would know the scent to be Winston's; but Buster did the same to Master's shoes when he first arrived, so Winston admits that he is the next best culprit. It's a bullet dodged, in any case, as Buster is left outside by himself for a while. After that, Hannibal begins to leave his shoes high atop the bookshelf, far from Winston's reach.

Now having been thwarted twice, Winston realises he needs to take a more direct route. Since Hannibal is over at their house often, Master brings him along on their walks through the fields. While his brothers race ahead with barks that suggest a squirrel is running away for its life, Winston decides to hang back, close to Master—closer to Hannibal. Winston creates a dance, slipping in between Hannibal's moving legs until he trips against Winston's body. He darts away with a victorious yip, clearing the ground where Hannibal will surely fall. Winston twirls he's so pleased, but when he turns around he sees that Master has managed to catch Hannibal before he fell.

Master is good at catching things.

Winston manages to trip Hannibal several more times before Master puts a stop to it. Somehow, this is even worse than when he growled at Hannibal, and his punishment is being barred from communal walks when Hannibal is present. Watching them from the window until their bodies disappear into the forest is worse than any feeling Winston has ever felt before. When he loses sight of them, he finds it difficult to do much of anything. The thought of Hannibal out there, left unattended, with his brothers and Master is terrible. He doesn't sleep, even though Master's bed is available and Master can't yell at him to get down. Instead, he waits at the door until they return.

After what feels like forever, Winston is finally allowed to join them on their walks again. For a long time, Winston is kept on a leash, and a sharp tug brings him back to Master's legs whenever he strays too close to Hannibal. Winston gives up, walking like a good dog next to Master. Eventually, the leash disappears and he joins his brothers to roll in the dead bird remains—though he makes sure to look back and check on Master every once in a while.

When Hannibal is away from the house and it's just Master, Winston, and his brothers, Master pays particular attention to Winston, and it makes him feel warm deep inside his belly. He laps up every extra scratch and hug that comes his way. Master even wrestles with him and his brothers—Winston's favourite game ever and one that Master doesn't indulge in often. But sometimes, Winston notices that Master stares at him with the look that says he doesn't understand Winston—just how Winston sometimes doesn't understand Master.

After a while, the times in between Hannibal's visits start to grow shorter. Most of the time, he drops by with food and leaves—not even shedding the first few layers of fabric that Master always takes off when he enters the house; but tonight Hannibal hasn't left yet. He came over with people food, and now he's sitting with Master on the edge of his bed. Winston watches in confusion as Master and Hannibal begin to lick at each other's mouths. They shed the fabric they always wear and wriggle against each other in play.

What happens next truly shocks Winston. Master rolls on his back, showing off his belly as he continues to lick at Hannibal. Hannibal is not the dominant dog in this household, and Winston knows he has no right to be propped up over Master like that.

While his brothers largely ignore the developing play, Winston slowly pads towards the bed. Master begins to make unusual sounds with his mouth, but Winston doesn't think they mean anything. As he gets closer, Hannibal looks up from where he's licking Master's belly. He stares at Winston, eyes unnaturally dark. It's clear that he wants Winston to leave, but Winston just sits there, cocking his head; if Master is oblivious, then Winston can play at it too.

Hannibal looks away with a groan when Master grabs at his head and pets him like one of Winston's brothers. Winston watches as Hannibal breaks from Master's grip and moves to lick at Master's hind quarters—something that Winston is never allowed to do. It goes against everything Winston knows about Master, and Hannibal is to blame.

Master finally notices Winston sitting so close to the bed, and he makes a low noise as he waves his hand—the typical signal that means Winston should leave. He doesn't; sometimes, he has to disobey Master for the greater good, and tonight is one of those times. So he remains where he is, hoping that his stare can discourage Master from playing. He even whines softly as Hannibal deepens his licking.

It isn't long before Master stops getting Winston to leave. Hannibal has sped up their play, turning Master onto his front. Master bows low underneath Hannibal, who ruts against him like Buster sometimes tries to do with Marigold. Master looks much more pleased than she ever does, and he doesn't try to move away. In fact, he pushes back into Hannibal and is still making those unusual sounds. Their coupling surprises Winston; it seems like Master is genuinely happy to be bent underneath Hannibal.

Nevertheless, Winston knows what he has to do in order for this to stop and to prevent Master from losing his position in the pack. While they continue to rut and groan on the mattress, they don't see how Winston slowly moves to the foot of the bed. From this position, Winston is able to see more of Hannibal than ever before, and before he can consider his actions, Winston shoves his snout into his back quarters and licks at his balls.

A high pitched groan spooks Winston away and he dashes back towards his brothers, who look up in confusion. Hannibal has toppled forward and he's flush against Master's back. Master is pinned between his body and the bed, and they lie like for a while as Hannibal and Master exchange noises.

Then Master begins to shake.

Hannibal rolls off of him and lies next to him on the bed as Master covers his eyes. His mouth is bared but in a way that Winston knows to be good, and he's making his strange barking noise that means he's happy. Finally, Winston has done something right.

Meanwhile, Hannibal is silent, and if his ears were as long as Winston's they'd be slicked back against his head in deference. Hannibal meets his eyes over the room, and Winston wags his tail in triumph when Hannibal looks away first.

Master is still barking, but quieter now. He pets at Hannibal's face until he too bares his teeth, but Winston isn't sure if his is meant to be friendly or hostile. Master, in his typical fashion, gives him the benefit of the doubt and begins to lick at Hannibal's mouth again.

Winston's whines, clearly his sacrifice is for naught.

He perks up as he watches Master straddle Hannibal and press a hand down on this chest, pinning him against the mattress. Hannibal's soft belly is exposed and he makes no effort to roll away from Master. They begin to rut again, to Winston's disappointment, but at least now Master is where he should be—on top. Winston settles down and rests his head on his paws, allowing Master his playtime.