Warehouse Conversion
"Carter, I'm home! Got something for you." Ethan called his boyfriend as he sat down in the living room eating the takoyaki he bought from the local stand close to his workspace, setting the other box aside for Carter.
"Welcome home, hun. Oh, hell yeah, I've been wanting some takoyaki today. You're the best, Ethan." Carter smiled brightly, and sat down next to Ethan, giving him a peck on the cheek. He immediately opened the box and started indulging himself as well.
The two were childhood friends. Well, more like rivals at first trying to be the best in classes at first die to their parents' influences, but soon enough, they broke out of it the moment they discovered their shared interests in video games during one of their school trips.
The pair complained at first for getting seated next to each other on the bus, but they warmed up once Carter heard the familiar Dissidia jingle on Ethan's PSP before taking his own game console. Halfway through the bus ride, the two laughed merrily as they competed using the multiplayer feature, and even showed the other games they had.
From that point on, the two are stuck to each other like glue, from studying together and hanging out as much as possible from that point on. Both Ethan and Carter still chuckled when they saw their parents coming around at the sight, and began to arrange a get-together for the two families, becoming more frequent over time.
During their high school and college years, the relationship between Ethan and Carter developed even more. The two had become more intimate with each other without knowing, and after some brief nudges from their friends and parents, Ethan dropped the L word in their shared dorm room. Carter immediately followed right after, and the two celebrated their new connection with a kiss.
After graduation, the two decided to settle in an apartment room. The pair were lucky enough to discover one located close enough to both Ethan's and Carter's workspaces, and the two gladly accepted the offer at first due to the reasonable price. They would take turns on getting groceries and cooking/buying food and help out whenever possible.
Life was great for both of them at first. Ethan enjoying his days learning more and more as a lawyer, and Carter enjoying himself with his programming activities. However, a year later, the new neighbors were awful. Loud noises from time to time even after getting notices from the apartment, with very repulsive smells coming out from their room recently.
The two started looking up for new places to stay soon after while slowly racking up their savings. The search is not going so well so far, though, so Ethan and Carter decided to make-do by stuffing some used clothes underneath the entrance door and sleeping before the neighbors start acting up.
...............
"So," Carter started, right after gulping his last piece of takoyaki, "My parents told me about this old warehouse three blocks over. Apparently, Dad got it way back with a huge bargain, but they ended up not using it. Here, check these out." He opened up his Gallery app on his phone and showed the pictures to Ethan as he continued.
"After mentioning about those jackasses next door, they decided to give it to us. Yes, they complained about me paying it, but we came to an agreement soon enough. In the end, we came up with this. If you agree to this, babe, we will start paying for the amount they paid to get the place only after we started settling in for real. What do you think?" Carter asked.
"Carter, hun, this looks great! Yeah, I'm fine with that, remind me to send them a great celebration gift for next year's Christmas too." Ethan placed his arm around Carter's shoulders, smiling. "Well, actually, someone dropped this brochure earlier today. Nice timing, eh?"
The brochure is very... eye-catching, that's for sure. "We can build anything!" slogan with the company's name, Shooting Star Construction, is pasted at the top with bright colors, next to the man smiling awkwardly with open arms. Ethan would have thrown it in the trash at first, but he's immediately interested in the given design samples and the affordable price ranges.
"...Huh, for a company that I never heard of before, they sure did a lot. Really great buildings too, although... You sure this is not a scam, Ethan?" Carter wondered aloud. Sure, they are desperate enough to get that smell out of their stuff, but not to the point that they would get scammed either.
Ethan chuckled, "Trust me, buddy, I thought so too at first, until I did some investigation through the law firm's records. The phone number on that brochure matched the info provided on the list of buildings stated here, surprisingly."
"That, and... Well, it doesn't hurt to have a talk with them, right? We can decide afterwards, no biggie!" Ethan smiled.
Carter sighed, "You with your positive thinking, I swear. All right, then. Let's figure out a proper time for this."
...............................
"Babe, I really think you're going over the top here," Ethan remarked.
Carter is busy in the kitchen, preparing his special chocolate chip cookies for the guests. He has always enjoyed baking, and he will make sure to use any kinds of opportunities to get any reviews from other people regarding his cooking whenever possible. "Gotta make sure these guests feel welcome here, babe. Turn that coffee machine on for me, would you?"
Ethan sighed as he pressed the button on the machine, seeing his boyfriend on his way to putting the cookie batter into the oven. "I mean, they might not be the right one for the job, you know? Might be way too awkward to enjoy those if that's the case."
Carter smirked, as he closed the oven door. "Oh please, you're just hoping for that so you get to hog all these to yourself, hmmm?"
Ethan smiled, "Guilty as charged." At that moment, the doorbell rang. "Damn, really right on time, aren't they? Exactly at 10. I'll get the door."
Ethan reached the entrance door and opened it, "Hey there, welcome. I'm... uh..." He froze over the sight before him.
An interesting pair stood in front of the apartment room. The man on the left is massive, wearing a fancy suit that seems to be struggling to contain his figure. However, contrasting the outfit, the giant is wearing a knit cap covering the upper half of his ears, and holding a container with a cake of sorts in it. Furthermore, he seems to be a bit flustered, a bit of red can be seen on his cheeks. Next to him is a short man with a fine bushy beard with the middle part braided, holding a wooden stick on his left hand and a folder stacked with documents on his right, while wearing the same suit with the company's logo on them.
"Yo, Ethan, are they here yet? I..." Carter showed up from the kitchen, his mouth wide open just like Ethan's.
The couple snapped out of it as he heard the bearded man address himself, "Pleasure to meet you, young lad! The name's Udo here, and I'm an, uh, arr-kee-tect working for the Shooting Star Construction. You're Ethan and Carter, I presume? What a fine, handsome couple! Also, do keep your mouths closed, you don't want any flies getting in there, would you?" Udo snickered.
The man next to Udo groaned, "I swear, Udo... A-ah, yes, nice to meet you two. I'm Boris, and I am Udo's partner in the company. I am responsible for the construction aspect, trying my hardest to realize this guy's crazy designs here. O-oh, and uh... H-here, for you, a red velvet cake. Found a, ah, a bakery at the corner and... uh... decided to b-buy it for this occasion."
Udo rolled his eyes and bonked Boris lightly on the head with his stick, causing both Carter and Ethan to gasp. "Really, Boris? This is not the first time, I swear you keep going with that excuse! I apologize for that deception. Boris here loves to bake stuff for new clients, and he decided to make that cake. Show some confidence, Boris, you know you have the skills!"
Boris groaned, "And you should stop talking like that, you oaf! Way to look even older than you already are."
"I am not old, you mutt! I'm the same age as you are!" Udo countered, and he blinked at the realization. "A-ah, my apologies for acting like this."
What an... interesting pair, that's for sure. Carter shot a 'Are you sure about this?' look on Ethan, and he shook his head in response. Ethan smiled towards Udo and Boris, "Thank you, Boris. You didn't really have to. You really did a good job with the cake, it looks delicious!" He accepted the offer and Boris blushed even more at that.
Carter welcomed with open arms, "W-well, uh, come in! We can talk more about it in the living room. Sorry if the space is a bit small."
Udo guffawed, "Oh, not at all, not at all! I assure you, this is quite a comfortable place to live in!" Boris, on the other hand, simply grunted. As he walked into the apartment room, however, the couple noticed that he started sniffing. 'Might be allergies,' Carter thought.
...................................
Soon after, the couple's eyes bulged over the documents Udo laid down on the living room table. It turns out that Udo and Boris have proven their intricate knowledge over the past projects they were doing, with information that a scammer will not be able to provide. The two slowly become more and more immersed in Udo's speech. The architect seems to be quite talented in creating stories that just captures everyone's attention. Ethan would compare his way of explaining his buildings to be quite similar to a proud parent describing their child's accomplishments to others. During all this, Boris would briefly add some statements here and there regarding the peculiar features of these structures, while sniffing once or twice during his short sentences.
This whole meeting itself felt very... heartwarming, in a sense. Rather than the stiff conversation between the coworkers and potential clients in the conference room, Carter and Ethan felt like they are listening to their long-lost friends. Boris would bring up some playful banter with Udo, pouting that he is tiring himself out trying to figure out a way to bring life to Udo's unique designs. Udo would then use his wooden stick to lightly hit the giant as he defended himself. The two would giggle afterwards, and then continue the conversation once more as if nothing happened.
At the end of Udo's speech, Ethan and Carter looked at each other, nodding. There is still a risk of getting scammed, although at the end of it, both Udo and Boris seem to really know what they are doing in this field. Not to mention, with the price they are offering, even if they are deceived, it would not make a severe dent on their savings either. After the silent agreement, Ethan placed his documents on the table, describing their plans on the warehouse.
The two coworkers have a bit of a confused look at the end. Ethan questioned, "S-so, uh, what do you guys think? Is it possible to do?"
Udo coughed, "W-well, just to be sure, can you say what you are planning to do once more?"
Ethan furrowed his brows, "Yes, we'd like a warehouse conversion."
Udo and Boris exchanged looks at this, and Udo smiled brightly. "No, no, no, there is no issue here. It's just... an interesting request, but it's definitely doable! However, may I suggest some improvements with your plans? Such as... here and... here."
It's not just one or two things. Udo described a lot of potential improvements that the original plans might not even be one at the end, he's basically designing the 2.0 version out of the scraps at this point. Ethan and Carter felt like the architect is designing their dream home at this point, but...
Carter asked, "Sorry, but... Udo, we really like it, but uh... With all these changes, I don't think our budget can cover it, not to mention the additional time needed to build this. That... would be an issue for you two, right?"
Udo waved his hand at them, chuckling. "Oh, none of that, I assure you. We'll still be charging the same price, and it will still be done in one month or two, no big deal."
Ethan and Carter both exclaimed at the same time, "ONE MONTH!?"
"Ah, the exact reactions my past clients would have, it's always nice to see. I assure you that will be the case, Ethan, Carter. Right, Boris? Boris?"
The three stared at Boris. His eyes seem... unfocused, and his sniffing gets even worse, he seems to be drooling as well. Udo looked a bit panicked, and he hit Boris with a bit more oomph to snap him out of it, "Boris, you there? Come on, now, we're in a meeting!"
Boris grunted from the pain, "Ouch! O-oh, yes, yes. There will be no issue with *sniff* the construction time, really. Sure, there are some changes here *sniff* and there, but we won't need extra materials or manpower. You can trust us, really."
The couple has a hard time believing this, but the agreement did say that the payment is made at the end of the construction process. Sure, it might be delayed because of the changes, but it would be silly to deny this kind of deal. Nowhere else would one get a very cheap offer over this request.
"What do you think, Ethan? I'm fine if you are," Carter asked.
Ethan nodded, "I'm game, you?"
Carter smiled back, "Me too."
Everyone shook each other's hands over the agreement. As Ethan shook Boris' hand, though, he had to ask. "Sorry for the smell here. Our neighbors have been jackasses, and well, we should have turned on the fan or opened the windows to air it out. Are you feeling alright, Boris?"
Boris, however, shook his head frantically. "Oh, no, no. None of that, I assure you! It's just that... erm..." Boris blushed suddenly, with Udo watching him with concern. "I-it's just that... I keep smelling something sweet in the room, and it tastes so delicious. S-sorry, I didn't mean to lose focus, but..."
"Something sweet?" Carter thought. Soon enough, his alarm rang. "Oh, you mean the cookies? Sure, I was hoping we would have time to enjoy those. Hang on, then. I'll take them out of the oven, just give me a minute!" He immediately rushed into the kitchen, happy that his creations are recognized. Ethan, though, felt a bit suspicious at the weird reactions. However, he shook it off, and went into the kitchen as well to help Carter out.
As Udo and Boris saw the two walking out of the room, the two bickered frantically.Udo ranted, "What the hell are you doing? You literally blanked out there, and are you seriously going to change here, of all places?"
Boris growled, "I-it's not my fault! That sweet smell is driving me crazy, and I heard your speech multiple times already. B-besides, I'm not the only one at fault, you were doing that old-fashioned speech again! Let's not forget that staff of yours, can't you just leave it in the house for once?"
Udo countered, "I told you, I need this to indicate whether we are dealing with questionable clients! I... Shit, they're back. Look, we'll talk later!"
The moment Carter and Ethan walked into the living room, Udo and Boris started cleaning up the papers on the table. Udo wanted to deny the offer at first, but Boris was way too far gone with the cookies and cake. Soon enough, the four enjoyed themselves over the fresh cup of coffee with the cookies and cakes, talking about their daily lives, since the business is already sorted out. Boris, in particular, is eating them with such gusto that both Carter and Ethan can't help themselves from laughing over the view. All in all, it was an interesting discussion, and the couple hoped that they would be having their new house soon enough as they waved at Udo and Boris.
............................................
"Well, I'll be damned..." Carter exclaimed.
"Uuuhh, Carter, am I dreaming? What the fuck!?" Ethan remarked at the sight.
Boris took a picture of the two humans with their mouths wide open.
Udo, on the other hand, is having a blast over the hilarious sight, "See, what did I tell you two? A promise is a promise! Enjoy your new house, Carter, Ethan!"
Whatever the Shooting Star Construction did, they did it exceptionally well, like a student doing the extra effort on the assignment. On this case, though, they decided to do 500% of the expected task over an impossible time period because that is nowhere close to a warehouse anymore. Udo's suggested improvements were all realized as they went with the tour of the entire house, appalled by the extra space and how comfy everything looks.
After finishing up with the transaction, both Ethan and Carter expressed their heartfelt thanks over and over. Udo grinned brightly at this, "All right, all right, I get it! Look, I always enjoy seeing this reaction from our customers, but I think it's time for you to start moving your stuff in, yes? We won't be bothering you anymore for today."
Boris chuckled, "We will make sure to visit you two tomorrow, for some last check-ups, you see. Oh, and... enjoy your first night in the house!"
After saying goodbyes to Udo and Boris, the couple immediately moved their furniture into the house, slowly arranging everything throughout the day.
"Aaaand that should be it for the living room. How about you, babe?" Ethan shouted.
Carter shouted back, "The kitchen room is almost done. Give me a sec, and I'll help you out with the bedroom!"
Suddenly, Carter felt someone hugging him. "Sure feels like a dream, huh, Carter? Didn't expect all this to come so cheap," Ethan remarked.
Carter returned the hug, "Same here, Ethan, can't believe we're so lucky here." He proceeded to give his lover a noogie on the head. "Now, come on, let's finish this up so we can get some sleep soon enough."
Ethan nodded as he waited in the empty bedroom. The sun is almost setting for the day, and the couple would soon start their first night in this new house. Little do they know, their lives will be changed soon enough.
...................
Ethan wiped his forehead after finishing up with bed. "We're finally done! God, I hate moving so much!"
Carter sighed, "Glad we made some food beforehand. You wanna wait here while I warm them up in the microwave?"
Ethan patted Carter's stomach as he is still catching some air, "Sure, sure. I'll join you in a bit."
A few minutes passed, and Ethan felt... off, suddenly feeling more energetic but restless. He shook his head, thinking that it must be from the fatigue. He stood up and walked towards the window to close the curtains, and saw a bright full moon on the night sky.
"Oh, damn, it is already late, and... and..." Ethan was mesmerized over the moon at first, until he felt something really itchy on his right arm. His eyes bulged as he saw a patch of grey hair on it, and he started to grunt. His first instincts are to rush to Carter, hoping that he's just hallucinating.
"NGHHHH... C-Carter! S-something's..." Ethan grunted as he wobbled towards the kitchen. He forgot momentarily about the pain when he saw...
Carter in a similar state, but with... scales on his left arm, his back against the kitchen counter. "E-Ethan... I-I'm..."
However, the two were not able to talk any longer. The pain doubled over, and the couple crawled on all fours, grunting. Both Ethan and Carter groaned over their muscles bulging and their bones cracking, reshaping themselves. Grey fur is slowly covering Ethan's body, while Carter's skin is shedding, exposing red scales.
The couple would soon growl and snarl with deeper voices. Ethan's and Carter's nails become claws, Carter's hair slowly dropping from his head, snouts forming on their faces. Ethan grunted as he arched his back from the changes with a tail slowly forming, and Carter screamed from the wings bursting from his back. Both humans felt their transformations coming to a close, and the two instinctively pointed their maws to the moon, howling and roaring.
The two snapped out of it as the dragon screamed, "What the fuck!?"
Ethan yelped, "Uh, I... you... we..."
Carter blinked at the werewolf with grey fur, "Well, uh... Ethan, you didn't hide anything from me, are you?"
Ethan growled, "What? NO! I didn't even know werewolves are real, and... you're one to talk! Why a dragon?!"
Carter shook his head frantically, "I - I don't know! I mean, I don't... Oh SHIT!" The dragon clamped his maw as soon as he saw fire coming out from him.
The couple blinked at that, "You can breathe fire now!?" Ethan exclaimed.
"Mmmphhh, mmmph!" Carter nodded rapidly with his hands still holding his maw shut.
The fire show calmed both Ethan and Carter, at least. The dragon and the werewolf just sat down on the marbled floor in silence for a while.
"Well, you know... You, uh, look good as a wolf there, Ethan." Carter stated, blushing.
"O-oh, I... uh..." Ethan stared elsewhere out of reflex, his tail started thumping on the floor. "Ooooohhh no, the tail..."
Carter laughed at this, and gave some belly rubs on the flustered werewolf.
"Awwww, look at you. Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy?"
Ethan is surprised over how good it felt. His tail is going crazy now, and he starts panting in response. "S-s-stop that! Oooooh... Carter, wait!" His paw grabbed the dragon's arm. "O-OK... Look... One, you look great as a dragon as well, but... uh... I think we should call Udo and Boris."
Carter cocked his head, "Wait, why them? Oh, OH!" The dragon is fired up over the realization, "Right, you mentioned their reactions throughout the month... Yeah, let's give them a call, shouldn't be asleep this early..."
The dragon yelped though, as he felt his tail getting yanked. The wolf barked at this, "Well, it's payback for treating me like a dog earlier!" Ethan embraced the dragon right afterwards, "We... will be... Everything will be fine, right, babe?"
Carter smiled, putting his forehead against Ethan's. "We will, Ethan. I will be with you no matter what."
.........................................
Udo and Boris had appeared out of nowhere in front of Ethan's and Carter's front lawn with Udo's magic. The wooden staff's glow started to dissipate once the teleportation spell was over. Boris growled, "Why did they have to be here now? I was in the middle of watching that cooking show."
Udo sighed, "Didn't you hear the call? They seem frantic enough. Besides, I told you I have a bad feeling about this project, and it turns out they didn't even last a day in it!"
Boris smirked as the two knocked on the door, "Relax, you oaf. Look, I'm betting that it's just something small like a plumbing issue, no biggie. If I'm wrong, I will be cleaning up the dishes for the entire month!"
The two jumped over the creaking sound from the opening door. "Weeeeeeeellllll, seeeems like you would be doing the dishesss, Boris." Ethan had decided to welcome them with the menacing werewolf talk as a surprise.
"Why hello there, Ethan. What is the problem here?" Udo asked with a calm expression, while Boris is chuckling over the towering werewolf.
Ethan whimpered with his ears drooping. Carter snorted, "Well, I guess those movies didn't help much... All right, you two, come in, and explain whatever this is."
.....................
"I don't get it. This is what you want, right?" Boris asked as he sipped the tea.
"Last I checked, turning into a werewolf and a dragon is not in the contract," Carter scoffed, as he is trying to figure out the comfortable sitting position with the addition of his new wings.
Udo's brow furrowed, "But... you did... ask?"
Ethan snarled, "We asked for a warehouse conversion, not... whatever this is!"
Boris cursed, "Fuck. Stupid English. Boris, they meant warehouse, not a werehouse!"
Udo put his hands on his face, "Nooooooooo. No wonder you two said it's a simple job. The only reason I made those modifications is to compensate for your conditions after the changes."
The dragon stuttered, "S-so what does this house do?"
Udo explained, "I apologize, Carter, Ethan. I applied some magic that would allow its inhabitants to turn into their spirit animals when they stay in it during the night, and well... There you go."
Ethan nodded grimly, "That explains how you both can finish the job in a month, no wonder. With Udo's magic, it's not impossible anymore."
"Oh, he's not the only one," The couple jumped as they saw Boris grunted and changed into a werewolf with red fur. "We sure make a good duo on this stuff, see? This kind of job just goes by so fast with supernatural powers," he smirked.
Carter trembled, "S-so... are these changes... permanent?"
Udo explained, "I'm sorry, but yes. Soon enough, though, you two would be able to shift back and forth like Boris here at least. Look, as compensation, both of us can help you out with these changes."
Ethan shook his head, "Well, that's a relief. I thought we would have to figure something out for our jobs. Although... we can't invite people inside now, can we?"
"Oh no, no. Basically, the magic only works once you stay in it for 12 hours. So long that the visitors leave before that, they would be fine. For uninvited visitors, you don't have to worry either. I set up a protection magic that will prevent them from entering," Udo elaborated.
"Besides, with your new noses, you would be able to smell intruders easily before they even step in front of your house!" Boris guffawed, and whimpered as he saw Udo's dirty look. "Sorry."
Suddenly, Carter laughed, confusing the two. "Well, that's great! It is a huge misunderstanding, but I'll say, it feels nice to have a dragon body, so thanks for that."
Ethan chuckled as well, "Not to mention that we got a fine house with a small price out of it, I'd say this is a huge bonus."
"And as a return for this cheap offer and the gift that comes with it, we'll pay you back with some English lessons too, no biggie," the dragon smirked.
.......................
Months passed, and the couple had become best friends with the wizard/dwarf Udo and werewolf Boris. In fact, Boris and Carter had become baking buddies, enjoying themselves making all sorts of pastries whenever they had the time. Life has never been better, no more annoying neighbors in sight and a nice, comfy house during the night.
The red dragon sits upright on the sofa, with the werewolf lying on his belly. Ethan is making purring sounds as Carter gives him belly rubs and scritches on his ears, waiting for Udo and Boris to come for their picnic trip.
Soon enough, the dwarf and werewolf couple popped up in the living room, giving some "Aww"s on the dragon and werewolf. After making sure everything is packed up, Udo teleports all four of them into his house in the middle of the forest.
After settling in their assigned rooms, the four decided to do a race across the lake to start the event. Carter would carry Ethan with his arms as he takes flight, with Udo using his magic to do the same. While the dragon is doing a good job, the wizard seems to be having a rough time.
"Uuuhhh, babe, just saying, you don't have to push it, you know?" Boris whimpered as he kept darting his eyes on the ground.
Udo is panting, "Shut up, Boris. Don't you dare call me old! O-oh, fuck..." His wooden staff stopped glowing, and the two fell into the lake.
Ethan and Carter laughed at the sight. "We won, babe, we... Oof!" The werewolf yelped as he suddenly got lifted by the dragon, now looking face-to-face.
Carter smiled, "I love you so much, Ethan."
Ethan smiled back, "I love you too, Carter," and kissed the dragon. The two continued to kiss under the moonlight, while down at the lake...
"Showoffs," Boris muttered, shaking the water away.
Udo chuckled, "Well, I'm noting that move for the future, my wolf. Now, let's leave them be, and dry ourselves off, shall we?"
Boris laughed as he carried the dwarf on his shoulders, "Sure thing, love!"