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There is a man sneezing beside Youngjo.
Youngjo is sitting on a bench in the veterinary clinic, his dog Sunny in the bag in his arms, and there is a man that has been sneezing for the past few minutes seated next to him. The office is surprisingly empty, and so Youngjo has had the misfortune of sitting beside the sick man. He doesn't want to change seats purely because of courtesy.
Instead, as discreetly as Youngjo can, he gently turns Sunny and himself away from the stranger, and he coos at his puppy while waiting for the office secretary to call for him. Sunny needed to get a checkup, but there was nothing drastic. Sunny looks at him and pants loudly with his tail wagging, the stubborn thing thwacking against the fabric of the bag. It's a familiar way of asking for pets which Youngjo graciously gives.
A particularly painful sounding set of sneezes startles Youngjo from his cooing. Sunny gives a single bark of concern. Youngjo looks over to the man beside him, who looks devastatingly pink and who has tears in his eyes.
"Are you okay?" Youngjo asks, cautious but worried. There's a sniffle and a glance at his direction.
The other man nods, seemingly embarrassed, and doesn't say much more. The blond awkwardly shuffles in place, fixing his oversized jacket, and Youngjo goes back to playing with Sunny.
“Mr. Kim?” comes the call from the secretary, as a pair — a woman and her poodle — leaves one of the offices.
Youngjo stands up to the door and carries Sunny, petting the puppy softly as he puts him down on the table. Geonhak greets him from inside the room, and Youngjo hugs the other quickly. The door closes with a sneeze from the blond outside.
The checkup is simple and straightforward, and Youngjo is out in under half an hour with a promise from Geonhak to go drinking out soon and Sunny calm in his arms.
The blond is still there, except he’s now playing with a fluffy cat — fur thick but matted with slight grime and dirt — and Youngjo suddenly wonders if the man had been devastated over seeing the stray and maybe brought it here for treatment. He feels slightly guilty at the thought and is just about to walk over to the man to ask about whether or not he needs help, but suddenly Dongmyeong is standing there in front of the blond. Dongmyeong is the other vet at the clinic, and Youngjo talked to him sometimes. Geonhak said that Dongmyeong had the temperament of a dog but tended to cats more often, which Youngjo could see.
“Hwanwoong,” Dongmyeong says, and his voice is chastising. Youngjo is slightly taken aback by the name the doctor calls the stranger, but he supposes his own name isn’t any better.
“Did you even buy any tablets?” Dongmyeong asks, sitting next to Hwanwoong and petting the skittish cat in the blond’s embrace.
Hwanwoong sneezes again slightly, shaking his head. “Forgot,” Hwanwoong answers, voice obviously clogged and rough with all the sneezing. Nonetheless, he’s pouting.
Youngjo decides he shouldn’t pry any further and just hopes that Hwanwoong and the cat will do alright, and he leaves the clinic.
The next day, Youngjo is driving back to the clinic because Sunny chewed on something he shouldn’t have, and Youngjo isn’t sure if his dog swallowed anything or not.
Youngjo sighs as Geonhak looks over the dog, and looks at Sunny with a suffering look.
“Don’t eat pen caps,” he hisses to his dog, and Sunny doesn’t do anything but bark at him.
“I thought you bought him chew toys?” Geonhak asks as he fixes his setup once more.
“I did, but he doesn’t like them,” Youngjo says. Geonhak hums in understanding.
“Chew bone?” Geonhak offers.
Youngjo shrugs. “I ran out. I’ll go buy some more I guess.”
Geonhak nods supportively.
“How are you and Seoho?” Youngjo asks, and laughs pleasantly at the way that Geonhak fumbles with his entire can of pens and pencils. Geonhak turns to glare at him, but the effect is lost on Youngjo, who is both familiar with the way that Geonhak is and also the blush high on his friend’s cheeks.
“Good,” Geonhak mumbles, spluttering at first, and fixes the case on his table once more.
“I’m just saying, I’m pretty sure you want to propose to him,” Youngjo says in faked nonchalance.
“I do!” Geonhak says defensively. Youngjo puts up his hands away from Sunny and smiles placatingly at Geonhak.
“I know, you bought a ring already,” Youngjo states matter-of-factly, because he’d seen the message Geonhak had shot in his chat before the other had deleted it. “I just meant if you ever need someone to help set it up, I’m here for you, ‘Hak.”
Geonhak’s features soften and he smiles, looking off to the side with a mixture of a huff and a chuckle.
“I know. Don’t worry about it,” Geonhak replies.
Youngjo nods. “Are you free this Saturday?” he asks, and smiles widely when Geonhak says he is.
“Do you promise to propose to Seoho by then?” Youngjo teases, and laughs as he leaves when Geonhak bats at him with a hand.
Youngjo is placing Sunny back into the carrier when the door jingles, and the blond man from yesterday is there again. His thick hoodie was rumpled but otherwise clean, and the sleeves were bunched up around Hwanwoong’s arms as the other carried a small box onto the counter.
“Puppies today?” Dongmyeong asks from near his office, and Hwanwoong looks over to him. The blond nods and pushes the box slightly onto the counter, though the balance is a little off. Youngjo closes the flap for Sunny’s carrier and helps Hwanwoong put the box more securely onto the surface.
Hwanwoong looks at him; where recognition, embarrassment, and gratitude are all an odd mixture in his expression.
“Oh, thank you,” Hwanwoong says, and bows in thanks. Youngjo waves it away and goes back to grab Sunny and go home.
The drive back is quiet, with him reaching into the bag at times to pet Sunny, and he parks into his complex' parking area. When he goes up the elevators and opens the door to his apartment, he lets Sunny out of the bag and quickly goes to his own studio; turning on the lights and his computer, preparing the files for his latest composition.
The work is simple — not exactly simple, but it's something he's practiced in, and it calms him — and he loses himself in it swiftly. The notes are pleasant to his ears, and the harmonies are coming along well. All he needs to do is get someone to sing the demo for him, and he would be able to send it off.
It’s Sunny barking for dinner that reminds Youngjo he’s been sitting in front of his computer for almost three hours, and he stretches as he stands. He feeds Sunny his meal and eats his own bowl of instant ramen, and he convinces himself to sleep and finish the piece tomorrow, along with maybe contacting Seoho to help with the demo.
He wakes up to Sunny hacking something up in the living room and he whines as he grabs the keys to his car again.
He hates his dog, sometimes.
Geonhak’s expression is obviously perplexed when Youngjo comes into the clinic for the third time in a row, whereas he knew his friend often didn’t need to visit.
“What…?” Geonhak starts, and Youngjo huffs out, “He tried biting my bubble wrap.”
Geonhak blinks as he takes Sunny in his arms, but checks the puppy over anyways.
Youngjo leaves the office because he fears he may start a whining tirade in front of Geonhak and he still has some shame despite popular belief.
Hwanwoong is there again. His blond hair is slightly damp, though it hasn’t rained recently. His clothes also look suspiciously similar to what Youngjo thinks he was wearing yesterday.
Youngjo isn’t familiar with the other, but the man is sniffling again, and Youngjo hopes he’s doing alright.
He says much the same as he carefully takes a seat beside the other.
Hwanwoong startles at his greeting of, “Hi, I hope you’re alright?” and makes the tiniest sneeze.
Youngjo thinks it’s cute.
“Uh, yeah. Sorry about all the - um - sneezing,” Hwanwoong mumbles, wiping at his eyes and nose apologetically.
Youngjo says back, “It’s okay. Why are you crying?” softly.
The way Hwanwoong goes bright red is confusing and concerning. Hwanwoong coughs.
“I’m… I’m not, I'm just, uh, allergic to cats.”
Youngjo blinks at Hwanwoong.
Hwanwoong blinks back.
“Oh.”
Hwanwoong, however shy he seems to be at Youngjo’s response, smiles and laughs brightly, making Youngjo smile and chuckle as well, bemused.
“But you’re… you’re taking them in?” Youngjo asks.
Hwanwoong shakes his head and shrugs in the same motion, answering, “I bring them here from where I find them. The clinic brings them to a foster.”
Youngjo makes an understanding sound.
“Why do you… I’ve seen you here the past three days,” Youngjo tries.
Hwanwoong chuckles. “To be fair, I’ve seen you here thrice now, too,” Hwanwoong combats, and he quirks his brow and stares at Youngjo with a deep brown eye.
He’s pretty, registers as a thought in the back of Youngjo’s mind. He says nothing except, “I guess.”
“Don’t you have any antihistamine?” Youngjo asks next.
Hwanwoong pulls his shoulders up to his ears.
“I… forgot.”
Youngjo laughs good-naturedly at that.
“I’m Kim Youngjo, by the way,” he introduces, and puts out a hand which Hwanwoong is quick to shake — adding a bow as well.
“What’s up with your dog?” Hwanwoong asks, and there’s a hint of concern which is endearing about this stranger to Youngjo.
“He likes biting things,” Youngjo says, half fond and half irritated. Hwanwoong laughs again.
“Ah,” is all that Hwanwoong says.
They simply sit there in a half-comfortable and half-awkward silence before Geonhak’s office door opens and Geonhak’s head pokes out. The vet beckons Youngjo inside and tells him Sunny is fine. Youngjo thanks Geonhak, teases him about Seoho in passing, and puts Sunny in his carrier again. He waves Hwanwoong goodbye, and the blond sends him a kind smile in return.
Sunny tries biting the wire the next day, and Youngjo is suffering as he asks Geonhak for any teething toys.
Hwanwoong is there again, too, this time with a much bigger dog, who looks to be the size of Hwanwoong, and who shies away from Youngjo’s hands and burrows further into Hwanwoong. Hwanwoong looks at him apologetically, but Youngjo shakes his head and tells him, “It’s good that she trusts you.”
Infuriatingly, it becomes a routine for Youngjo to wake up, stare at Sunny, who stares back at him with equal fervor while the dog has the audacity to eat something he should not be eating, and Youngjo drives to the clinic. Harin knows Youngjo now, and Youngjo knows Harin, too. Harin knows Youngjo hates Sunny, and Youngjo knows Harin’s married to Dongmyeong.
The visits are much less often than the four consecutive times at first — maybe only once a week as time went on — but it is quickly making Youngjo want to cry and shake sense back into his puppy.
“Am I not feeding you enough?” Youngjo whines. “I got you toys, and food, why are you ignoring them.”
“Soon enough that discount is going to be off the table, Youngjo,” Geonhak sighs, as he takes Sunny into his arms and quickly checks the dog’s teeth. Youngjo runs a hand through his hair and exhales deeply, the sound long and exasperated.
“I just… Why is he doing this,” Youngjo asks, and stares at Sunny with all the contempt that he has — which is very little, admittedly. He still loves the dog but why is he like this.
“Admit it. Sunny is a menace,” Geonhak says. Youngjo can no longer disagree.
“Like Seoho,” Youngjo comments, and Geonhak chuckles. The sound is fond and soft and it makes Youngjo smile.
“Yeah,” is all Geonhak says, and Youngjo laughs as he eyes the ring on Geonhak’s hand and says, “I still can’t believe that Seoho found your ring and stole it to propose to you.”
Geonhak grumbles. “I swear I hid it really well.”
Youngjo shakes his head in amusement and takes Sunny back into his hands. He softly bonks the dog on the head, and Sunny has the audacity to look irritated at him.
Hwanwoong pokes at Youngjo’s back as the taller of the two puts his puppy back into his carrier. Youngjo smiles to himself. Thankfully, the routine clinic visits have brought something else.
Youngjo’s learnt that Hwanwoong is a dancer, and that his dance studio is near an alley which is where Hwanwoong keeps getting the animals he’s bringing to the clinic. At first it had been Hwanwoong bringing a box of puppies to the clinic on a rainy night, and then it seemed as if people just kept putting their abandoned animals in Hwanwoong’s line of sight and the younger couldn’t not help them. Youngjo’s also learnt that Hwanwoong is also three years younger, and Youngjo has taken to teasing him good-naturedly about the fact that it’s telling the difference in age when he looks at their height, too. Hwanwoong knows Dongmyeong because he was friends with Dongmyeong’s twin in their high school days.
Hwanwoong has learnt that Youngjo composes and does the odd graphic design job. Hwanwoong knows that Sunny is Youngjo’s first pet that he’s taken care of, and Hwanwoong also knows that Sunny is an irritating bastard to Youngjo as of recent. Hwanwoong suggested some chew toys in particular from a nearby shop, and Youngjo had bought them for his puppy. Hwanwoong pouted when Youngjo said Sunny only cared about it for an hour. Hwanwoong knows that Youngjo knows Geonhak, and that the two have been friends since they were in middle school. Youngjo told Hwanwoong about Geonhak and Seoho getting married, and Hwanwoong looked so positively delighted for the two it made Youngjo warm.
Youngjo’s learnt that Hwanwoong’s eyes are expressive despite their darkness, and are telling of his mood. He’s seen Hwanwoong amble along into the clinic sleepily in nothing more than a haphazard improvement from pajamas, holding small abandoned pets in his arms. He’s ruffled Hwanwoong’s hair and played with the other’s hands while waiting for Geonhak to finish looking over Sunny. He’s also hugged Hwanwoong, because Youngjo is clingy and Hwanwoong is horribly pleasant to hug. At first, Hwanwoong had laughed, though he never complained. Soon enough, Hwanwoong is the one hugging him and Youngjo smiles as he hides his face in Hwanwoong's hair.
Youngjo’s pretty sure that he and Hwanwoong are friends, and it’s absurd that Sunny being a troublemaker is the cause of something that Youngjo honestly, with all of his heart, looks forward to every week. He’s almost sure that Hwanwoong thinks so as well, because Hwanwoong has started telling stories of talking about Youngjo, too. Youngjo will be the first to admit it makes him feel a swell of pride, but nobody’s asked yet. And Youngjo can’t say anything because there have been times he’s gone to the clinic for nothing more than spending time with Hwanwoong.
The second week, he manages to catch Hwanwoong from tripping, because the other was too busy ushering in a dog, and he’s hit with the image of Hwanwoong — slightly wet because of the light drizzle, eyes wide, doing his best to try and help the poor animals he sees on the street — and something falls into place.
Youngjo’s aware he’s starting to love the other, which isn’t something he expected as well. He likes it, though, and adores the taste of sweetness in the back of his throat when he sees Hwanwoong smile. He remembers nights spent with adoration and sweet promises, and he wonders if the way the familiar heat burns brighter in his heart only now is something only Hwanwoong can do.
Youngjo turns to Hwanwoong, and the other is proudly holding up a medicine packet.
“I bought some antihistamine today,” Hwanwoong says, grinning. Youngjo ruffles his hair.
“You should have had it before, anyways. How many cats have you already brought in here the past month alone?” Youngjo asks.
Hwanwoong shrugs and forcibly makes himself faux an expression of innocence.
Youngjo pretends to be scolding, but really, he’s happy to see the other not sniffling and sneezing every few seconds. Hwanwoong’s skin isn’t flushed pink, though Youngjo thinks that either way Hwanwoong looks cute. Hwanwoong is just cute. He knows this. The blond’s hair is slightly drier today than usual, looking particularly fluffy in fact. He thinks to himself that Hwanwoong must have gone home early yesterday and not stayed overnight at his dance studio. He’s pleased at the thought.
“Hey, hyung,” Hwanwoong says, and his voice is much quieter, smile soft around the edges and eyes warm. Youngjo blinks himself out of his stupor.
Youngjo tilts his head down to him inquisitively, and Hwanwoong seems to start saying something before thinking otherwise and saying, “Here’s my number!”
He pushes a slip of paper into Youngjo’s hands and rushes as he waves the older goodbye, almost running into the door in his haste while not looking forward.
Youngjo waves back as well, slightly stunned, feeling heat climb up his neck, and looks back down at his hands.
He smiles softly as he unfurls the paper and laughs louder when there are two poorly drawn cats in the corner.
He loves him even more.
He calls Hwanwoong the next afternoon, after checking that Sunny hasn’t eaten another of Youngjo’s pens. Sunny in fact hasn’t and is miraculously just asleep in his bed, and Youngjo feels an absurd amount of relief at the sight.
He feels — nervous. To call Hwanwoong. He has more than an idea of why, aside from the usual anxiety of phone calls. There’s something in his throat and in his chest, blocking his air instead of just shaking in his hands. He rings the number anyways and is surprised when it picks up after the second tone.
“Hello!” comes Hwanwoong’s voice, slightly different through the interference of the cellphone, losing a slight bit of the airiness and childishness that Youngjo had come to quickly adore. “Who is this?”
“It’s Youngjo, Woongie,” Youngjo says kindly into the mic of his earphones. He can almost hear the way the other brightens, in sync with the pausing of music in the background, and there’s a self-satisfied sensation that runs through Youngjo. He loves him.
The thought makes Youngjo chuckle into the phone, but nothing more.
“Hyung! Hi,” Hwanwoong greets. Youngjo imagines the smile on his lips and smiles, too.
“Wanna have a meal?” Youngjo invites, suddenly, “It’s on me, don’t worry.”
Hwanwoong understandably takes a while to answer, but when he does, he says, “Good, because even if I was the one to invite you I wouldn’t pay for it.”
Youngjo berates him, but it’s good-natured, and both of them are laughing.
Youngjo, after checking in with Hwanwoong, brings Sunny to the restaurant. The restaurant did allow pets, and surprisingly even had some meals for the pets. Youngjo was the first to arrive — Hwanwoong said he needed to catch up on a session with one of his clients, but he’d come on time. He ordered a small bowl of food for Sunny and then sat there, waiting patiently, scrolling through his phone.
The place was nice. Nothing too fancy, but not familiar to Youngjo either.
Sunny looked like he was enjoying his meal of food, and Youngjo tapped his fingers along the table’s surface.
His phone pinged with a message, and he checked it over, smiling when he saw Hwanwoong’s name across the screen.
“Hi!”
“On my way there. I hope Sunny will like the food they have!”
Youngjo chuckled as he shot off his reply.
“Oh he definitely likes it. He’s almost finished.”
And just because he knows he has a crush and he almost wants this to be a date, he adds:
“Come quicker I miss your face. :(“
The entrance to the door opens just as it finishes sending, and Youngjo looks up to see Hwanwoong, who’s scanning the room. When the two lock eyes, Hwanwoong grins, flashing his phone screen at Youngjo.
Sunny barks happily at the sight of Hwanwoong, and Hwanwoong pets the dog before slinging Youngjo into a short, finicky embrace around Youngjo’s seat.
“Sorry,” Hwanwoong says immediately, “Had to stay back for a few minutes.”
“It’s alright, don’t worry,” Youngjo assures, and he squeezes Hwanwoong’s hand consolingly. He’s hit upside the head with the desire to kiss Hwanwoong as he says it and chooses to pointedly ignore it.
He almost succeeds, if not for Hwanwoong bringing Youngjo’s hand to his cheek, laying it there and making it so that Youngjo is cradling Hwanwoong’s face in his palms.
Youngjo barely stops himself from making a strangled, choking sound, because Hwanwoong is smiling up at him with twinkling eyes, done up with eyeshadow from the day.
“I love you,” he splutters, and manages to smile when Hwanwoong chuckles.
“You say that all the time, hyung,” Hwanwoong says, and there’s something in his voice that’s not just conversational. Something slightly sad, and it breaks Youngjo’s heart.
“I mean it,” Youngjo admits.
“I know you do,” Hwanwoong sighs, and taps at the menu in front of him. It’s… wrong.
Sunny gives a short bark from the puppy’s place on the floor, and Hwanwoong picks him up to coo at him. Almost immediately, Hwanwoong starts sniffling, nose going red, and Youngjo holds Hwanwoong’s one of Hwanwoong’s hands again.
“I bought you some antihistamine in case you forgot,” Youngjo tells him, and Hwanwoong’s eyes go so soft that it hurts to look at him.
Hwanwoong buries his face into Sunny’s face, without taking the antihistamine, and whispers into thick fur.
Youngjo freezes.
“I like you,” is what’s whispered, and it sounds broken, and uncharacteristic on Hwanwoong. Hwanwoong, who stands tall over the room though he fits in Youngjo’s arms with room to spare. Hwanwoong, who laughs so brightly and makes Youngjo feel as if the room has been lit on fire.
Youngjo never thought he could break Hwanwoong’s heart, but somehow he has, and he needs to put it back together again, because he feels his own starting to splinter.
“Woong,” he says, and Hwanwoong looks up, still hiding in Sunny’s fur.
“I mean I love you.”
There’s silence. And then Hwanwoong’s brows furrow, and he straightens his back so that Youngjo can see his face.
“As in —”
“Yes,” Youngjo presses, smiling.
Hwanwoong is staring at him, and Sunny is licking at Hwanwoong’s hands.
Hwanwoong goes pink.
“Oh.”
Youngjo chuckles.
“Yeah, oh.”
“Wait since… since when?”
Youngjo counts, on his fingers.
“Second week, maybe?”
Hwanwoong quietens again.
Youngjo is still smiling, a little bit shy now, because — wait, he just confessed.
He’s just confessed to Hwanwoong, and he knows he’s wanted to for the longest time — or at least it feels like it’s been the longest time. But still, he’s just confessed.
He knows it’s been a few weeks, a few months, but that still isn’t something that seems tantamount to the way he feels as if he’s known Hwanwoong for much longer. He knows that Hwanwoong takes his coffee obnoxiously sweet, because the blond has come into the clinic with a puppy in one arm and Starbucks in the other. He knows that Hwanwoong is a heavy sleeper, when Hwanwoong had once managed to fall asleep on Youngjo’s shoulder when both of them had come to visit the clinic of their own volition. He knows that Hwanwoong lkes red, and he knows that Hwanwoong looks good in red, too. He knows that Hwanwoong is quick to shiver, he knows that —
… He knows Hwanwoong.
And he knows he’s in love with Hwanwoong. And Hwanwoong's just said he loves Youngjo.
When he’s managed to put his mind back into his body, Youngjo sees the source of his — turmoil, and happiness, and the sensation in his stomach that makes him want to wake up to the face of the blond in the bed next to him — standing up from his chair and reaching over to Youngjo.
Ah.
Now he also knows that Hwanwoong is a good kisser.
When Hwanwoong pulls back, face red with embarrassment at himself but also smiling in satisfaction, Youngjo beams back at him. Sunny gives a single, affirming bark as well from the chair that Hwanwoong’s set him down in.
“Well, I love you, too, hyung,” Hwanwoong says.
Youngjo chuckles. “I love you, Woongie.”
Hwanwoong grins, canines poking into his smile.
Youngjo laughs obnoxiously loud when Hwanwoong sneezes.
God, he loves this man.
And so Youngjo kisses him on the cheek, and Hwanwoong crushes him in an embrace.
Sunny leaps over the table, violating the singular rule about pets, and forces himself into the hug.
He still hates his dog.
(Later on, in a few months — almost a year, really — Hwanwoong mentions from his seat on Youngjo's chair, “Hey. Actually, why isn’t Sunny biting your pen caps anymore? I thought he liked them.”
Youngjo realizes with an odd, odd, set of thoughts that Sunny stopped being annoying as soon as Youngjo and Hwanwoong got together.
“I love this dog,” is all that Hwanwoong gets as an answer, and Youngjo laughs when Hwanwoong pouts, “Even more than me?”
Youngjo kisses him and runs a hand through blond hair.
“I don’t think I can love anyone more than you, Woong.”
Hwanwoong grins up at him.
“Good.”)