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Chanyeol cursed his luck. Or rather, he cursed his best friends for managing to convince him to go out last night. Baekhyun had used the excuse that he was going through a breakup to summon Chanyeol and Jongdae to do their best friend duties and accompany him to the bar. In reality, such so called heart-wrenching moments were in fact an almost biannual event for the kitsune. And truth be told, Chanyeol needed very little excuse to spend the night out on the town.
Most people thought it was because Chanyeol was a vampire, and as such, lived for such activities that were more suited for hours that were ruled by the cover of darkness. But Chanyeol always was a social creature, most of his kind were. And it wasn’t like he couldn’t go out in the sun. He was just extremely sensitive to its rays.
But it wasn’t the late morning hour that had Chanyeol cursing his luck. It was the fact that he had been unprepared for the storm that had moved in overnight and was now forced to run home from the train station in the pouring rain.
It’s Baekhyun’s fault, he thought to himself. If he hadn’t ordered that last bottle of soju the Chanyeol might have stood a chance at making it home before the rain had started. That, of course, completely ignored the fact that it had been Chanyeol who had suggested Baekhyun order the bottle. Chanyeol would never admit that.
Even on the best of days, Chanyeol’s home was at least a twenty minute walk from the nearest subway station. Baekhyun was always trying to convince him to move closer into the city, but Chanyeol refused to waste any money by renting. He wanted to own his home, and that meant living where the prices were cheaper. There was also the fact that he'd stubbornly fell in love with the house, even if it was a little too much house for him.
Ordinarily, the sun should be well above the horizon at this hour. But the intensity of the storm kept the skies a gloomy grey, broken only by the flashes of lightning that lit up the sky. Finally, Chanyeol turned the corner and could make out the steps of his front porch through the falling rain. He quickened his pace, eager to get out of the rain and dry off. But the sight of something huddled in front of his front door made him stop short.
It was a wolf. More precisely, it was a wolf pup. But it was a wolf nonetheless.
Chanyeol stood there for a moment just one step shy off reaching the safety of his covered porch. What was a pup doing on his doorstep? Was it even a wolf pup? It could be a werewolf pup. From what Chanyeol could recall from his Survey of Supernatural Creatures class back in High School, there was little physical differences between wolf and were pups when they were this small.
Whatever type of pup it was, it wasn’t moving. It barely even looked like it was breathing. Slowly and cautiously, Chanyeol approached it, crossing the width of his porch to get a better look at it. Upon closer inspection, Chanyeol realized two things. One, the pup was a boy. And two, it was scuffed and exhausted, and he was fairly certain starving as well. He could almost count the ribs on him.
When people would ask him why he did what he did next, Chanyeol never really knew what to say. All that he knew was that he couldn't leave the poor thing there. And so Chanyeol gently picked up the unconscious pup and brought him into the house. Little did he know just how much that one action would change his life.
-
Once Chanyeol had brought the pup inside he’d quickly set about drying him off. He didn’t even wake up as Chanyeol did so, his body limp and listless as Chanyeol rubbed him down. When he was as dry as Chanyeol could get him, Chanyeol set him down on a pillow next to the fireplace in his living room. Chanyeol never really used it, but he did keep it ready in case he ever felt like it, and so it didn’t take him long to get a fire going to warm the pup up.
With the immediate need of drying and warming the pup up taken care of, Chanyeol had showered and dried himself up. He ended up taking a nap on the couch. He didn’t know how long the pup would be sleeping, and he didn't want it to wake up alone. But it seemed his fears were unwarranted because when he woke up the pup didn't even look like it had moved once.
Chanyeol supposed he should get some work done while he waited for it to wake, but he didn’t feel right leaving him alone. Luckily, Chanyeol worked from home.
It baffled most everyone who knew him. They couldn’t believe he’d willingly choose to work from home instead of getting some job that let him be the social butterfly he was. But he liked being his own boss and choosing his own hours. He was a transcriptionist, and a damn good one at that. He was fast and he was accurate. He’d built up a portfolio of a number of loyal clients over the years and was proud of it. And he got enough socializing as it was from going out with Baekhyun and Jongdae all the time.
The decision made, Chanyeol brought his laptop and headphones into the living room and proceeded to work on his current project. It was slow going since the foot pedals he usually used to control the audio file were hooked up to his desktop computer in his office, but he made decent progress. The slower pace actually helped him a bit because the lady’s accent was thick. Chanyeol was also pretty sure she must have been chewing gum as she was dictating things too.
Eventually, the pup woke up.
It was Chanyeol’s fault he woke up when he did. The lady’s accent and gum had combined to make the recording practically gibberish for a good six seconds. Ten replays and Chanyeol had gotten fed up and kicked his legs out in frustration. Unfortunately, his gangly legs had made contact with the coffee table and his shin had paid the price.
It was the curses that spewed from Chanyeol’s mouth that woke him up. The pup was instantly on his feet, his hackles all raised and everything within it in survival mode. His eyes quickly darted around the room, taking in the strange location. Chanyeol knew the moment it recognized Chanyeol because the pup’s eyes fixated on him and it started to back away from him.
That, of course, wasn’t a good idea since behind him was the fireplace. There was a screen pulled across it for protection, but Chanyeol wasn’t so sure the pup wouldn’t kick it free in his terror.
“Hey there,” he said. He tried to keep his voice soft and friendly. But it didn’t seem like he did a very good job at that. The moment Chanyeol’s deep baritone broke the silence of the room the pup tried to scamper away.
True to Chanyeol’s prediction, the screen fell out of place as the pup backed against it. But fortunately the sound of it falling into the fire scared the pup into taking off in the opposite direction. It darted across the living room, searching to a place to either hide or escape. Chanyeol didn’t want it to get out the room, who knows where it would end up if he lost sight of it. And so he moved to place his tall frame in the doorway to the kitchen and the rest of the house. His freedom blocked, the pup rushed under the couch.
“Great,” Chanyeol muttered. Just what he needed.
He got down on all fours and bent his head to the floor to get a good look. The pup was as far back in the corner as he could possible get. At the sight of Chanyeol, the pup tried to move even further away, his eyes widening in terror.
“Hey now, I’m not going to hurt you.” Chanyeol said. He gently reached out his hand palm up in what he hoped was a sign of comfort.
“Ouch!” Chanyeol pulled back his hand, now bleeding from a few scratches. Obviously not. He made a few more wary attempts, but he wasn’t about to get his hand all cut up.
Chanyeol raised his head and and moved back over to sit on the couch. Perhaps he just needed some time to calm down. He could get a bit more work done while he waited. He supposed he would be scared too if he was suddenly in a strange place. With one last peek under the couch just to be sure he was still there, Chanyeol got back to work.
-
It was early evening by the time to storm let up and still no sign of the pup. Chanyeol had stopped to take a few breaks, but still the pup remained under the couch. Once, when he’d left the room to get his phone from where he’d left it charging in his bedroom, he thought it might have escaped. But a quick glance proved him wrong.
The pup was still there when Chanyeol got back. It was no longer tense, but it did seem to be startled by Chanyeol poking his face down there. But other than shrinking back, it didn’t move any. That was some improvement, thought Chanyeol.
The only people who’d texted him were Baekhyun and Jongdae. The first were to say they’d made it home safely, but then they’d reached out to see if he’d made it home as well. In his concern over the pup, he’d forgotten to send a text of his own. Chanyeol quickly remedied his mistake and then settled back to work.
It was almost an hour later when he felt something soft rub against his feet. It was soft and fleeting at first, and so Chanyeol almost missed it. But then it happened again, and Chanyeol realized that it must have been the pup. He looked down to see the pup, nuzzling its face against Chanyeol’s toes.
“Hello,” he said. At the sound of his voice breaking the quiet, the pup froze. His eyes instantly rose to warily watch Chanyeol’s movements. For a moment, it was as if they were in a staring match, each one unwilling to make the first move. But as they waited each other out, Chanyeol realized that the pup’s breathing seemed to rise, as if he were beginning to have a silent panic attack. He didn’t want that, so Chanyeol blinked first and went back to work.
He couldn’t see it when it happened, but eventually the pup relaxed. And then some minutes later it was again rubbing his face against Chanyeol’s toes. He let himself flex and wiggle his toes, hoping that the gesture would be seen as something comforting and welcoming and not as something threatening. There was something about the way that the pup had froze while holding Chanyeol’s gaze, something about the way that it had stayed motionless even as it seemed to be freaking out that made Chanyeol wonder just what had happened to the pup before it had sought shelter on his doorstep.
Luckily his prayers were answered, for the pup took his movements as an invitation. Soon enough it had managed to get both of Chanyeol’s socks off and was playing with his bare feet before Chanyeol pinned it down on top of one foot with his other. There it stayed, content to nuzzle and lick at Chanyeol’s toes. That is, until it bit him.
“Ouch,” said Chanyeol. He didn’t mean to, but the surprise and pain had him kicking out. He didn’t hit the pup, but it went scurrying away anyway, this time into the hallway. “Damn,” he muttered as he scrambled up to go after it.
He found the pup in the kitchen, hunched up in the corner. It watched every step of his approach with growing terror and Chanyeol was sure that if it could have, the pup would have broken a hole in the cabinets behind him to escape.
“Easy,” he said. “I’m not angry, just a little surprised is all.”
The pup let out a distressed whine, the first sound that it had made the entire time it had been in the house. It was heartbreaking enough that it tore at Chanyeol’s heartstrings and he backed off. Chanyeol was a known bleeding heart. Baekhyun and Jongdae were always giving him grief about it. And right there in his own kitchen, to the sound of fear and helplessness, Chanyeol found himself falling for the pup.
He wanted to be able to pick it up and hold it safe and sound in his arms from everything the world would throw at it. He wanted to tell him that everything was going to be okay, because Chanyeol was there now. No matter what had happened in the past, Chanyeol would make sure the future was better.
Now to make that actually happen.
-
Food, it turned out, was the key to everything. In hindsight, Chanyeol should have known the pup was starving, It had been nothing but skin and bones when he’d found it. But Chanyeol only needed blood to survive, and not that much at a time anyway. Luckily, he kept some foodstuffs on hand for when Baekhyun visited. Jongdae was a vampire like him, but Baekhyun was a kitsune and needed sustenance to survive. He was picky eater too, so Chanyeol knew that the chicken breast he defrosted and served the pup was of good quality. Even then, it took at least a half hour for the pup to trust him enough to eat it.
And with that the ice was broken. The pup managed to insert himself into Chanyeol’s daily life as if he had always been there. At first the pup stayed close by Chanyeol, almost to the point of being constantly underfoot. Chanyeol was never one known for being graceful, and so the pup got stepped on by accident more than a few times.
It was probably more for his own safety than anything that he decided that it was simply enough that Chanyeol and he were in the same room, lying at his feet or within sight. Every time Chanyeol would get up, even if it was just to drop off a cup in the kitchen, the pup would follow him. At first it was a little concerning, the way that it would follow after him like a duckling after its mother. It was as if he was afraid that if Chanyeol ever left his sight he’d disappear. Chanyeol always tried to reassure him, telling him he’d be right back. Eventually the pup seemed to believe him, because sometimes he’d stay put when Chanyeol changed rooms. He’d still get up to find him if Chanyeol took to long, but it was improvement, Chanyeol supposed.
Unfortunately, that included when Chanyeol had to go to the bathroom. He shut the door before the pup followed him in once, but when he’d finished he’d walked out to an empty hallway. For a brief moment Chanyeol allowed himself to think that maybe the pup had gotten brave enough to be without him. But after no sign of the pup for fifteen minutes, he ended up having to search his house to find him. He was huddled up in the back corner of his closet under a pile of his clothes. The poor thing had had another panic attack, one so bad that he had an accident. It took Chanyeol all evening to get the pup back to normal. And that was the last time he closed the door on him.
It did lead to the strange daily event of the pup climbing up to sit on the edge of the tub to watch Chanyeol’s every move as he took a shower. The first time Chanyeol had opened his eyes after rinsing his hair free of soap to find the pup staring at him he’d been so startled he’d nearly pulled the curtain down in shock. But like everything else about the pup, it eventually just became commonplace.
He’d tried giving him a few balls and other toys to play with, but he didn’t really seem too interested in them. He’d rather play with Chanyeol’s feet instead. He especially preferred them bare. Anytime Chanyeol put on socks for an outdoor excursion, it didn’t take the pup long to have them off when they returned home, and then he spent a long time nuzzling his face all over his feet, as if he was trying to erase the taint of the socks with his own scent.
The mystery of the toys only deepened when Baekhyun and Jongdae made an unexpected visit. Chanyeol should have known they’d show up eventually. Ever since the pup had shown up, he’d turned into a bit of a hermit. How could he go out for a night of fun when every time he was out of sight the pup started to freak out?
Surprised by the unexpected sound of the doorbell, Chanyeol got up to answer it. The pup followed him to the front door, obviously curious about who might be calling on them. But the moment Chanyeol opened the door the pup bolted away.
“Damn,” Chanyeol said, instantly rushing to go after him.
“Well hello to you too,” Baekhyun said.
Chanyeol didn’t bother responding. He was more concerned about where the pup had rushed off to. Luckily, Baekhyun and Jongdae were frequent enough guests that they didn’t have any qualms about coming in a making themselves at home. They made a beeline for the kitchen for Baekhyun to get some snacks for himself before coming to find Chanyeol in the living room.
“Why do you have so much fresh food in your-” Baekhyun started to ask him, but he cut himself off at the sight of Chanyeol on all fours, his face squished against the floor, and an arm reaching under the couch. “What are you doing?” he asked.
“I’m trying to get the pup,” Chanyeol answered without looking up. “Which you two managed to scare away.”
“Since when you do have a puppy?” Jongdae asked.
“Since the storm, I found him on my porch.” Chanyeol managed to get a hold of the scruff of the pup’s neck and pulled him out from under the couch. “Gotcha,” he said.
The pup instantly started to whine, and squirm. “Hey now, none of that. These are my friends.” Chanyeol adjusted his hold so that he could hold him properly in his arms. The pup settled a bit, but the quick pulse of his breathing told Chanyeol that he was still afraid. “This is Jongdae and one stuffing his face with your food is Baekhyun.”
“His food!” Baekhyun exclaimed, and with that proceeded to launch into a tirade of how Chanyeol had seemingly cut him and Jongdae out of his life for the past two weeks. He hadn’t meant to, but he’d been a little preoccupied with getting the pup to trust him and not be so afraid of everything. It was obvious that something or someone had traumatized the pup. Chanyeol wasn't about to just leave him alone to go out to a bar for a night of drinking.
Baekhyun and Jongdae ended up staying the rest of the afternoon and well into the night. Somehow during the course of the visit, Chanyeol managed to tell them the story thus far, from how he’d found the pup starving and exhausted and how he seemed to be two seconds away from freaking out all the time. The two took it in stride and, after hearing the full story, tried to befriend the pup as well. They weren’t too successful, but it was only their first visit so they weren’t too worried.
They ended up watching a movie on the television, some superhero one that the humans in the west were so fond of. As usual for something that they'd all seen before, Baekhyun ended up talking over most of it, giving them a running commentary that at times proved to be only barely related to anything going on on the screen. The pup stayed close to Chanyeol, choosing to stay seated in Chanyeol’s lap. But midway through the movie he got brave enough to venture out and across the couch to towards where Jongdae sat crossed-legged.
Chanyeol and Jongdae watched him take his tentative steps across the way before cautiously nosing at Jongdae’s feet. Typical of his usual behavior, the pup ended up grabbing hold of the sock and tugging at it until he’d stripped it free of Jongdae’s feet. That done the pup crept forward to sniff at Jongdae’s toes.
Chanyeol let out a chuckle as the pup let out a snort and then hopped down onto the floor so that he could play with Chanyeol’s instead.
“Are you two even listening to me?” Baekhyun said from his spot on the floor.
“Nope,” said Chanyeol. It was the truth, so why hide it. It earned him a disgusted huff of air from said kitsune, but it wasn’t anything new between the three of them anyway.
Baekhyun turned his attention away from the tv to watch the pup. He frowned at it. “Your pup got a foot fetish?” he asked after a moment.
“Maybe,” Chanyeol shrugged. “He seems to like rubbing his face against my feet, and he doesn’t like it when I wear socks, keeps pulling them off and hiding them.”
“Humm,” was all Baekhyun said in response.
As if sensing that the fox’s eyes were on it, the pup froze to look up at Baekhyun. And then when Baekhyun leaned closer to look at him, the pup scurried away.
“Stop it,” Chanyeol said, reaching to hit Baekhyun lightly on his head. “You’re scaring him.”
“What’s his name?” Jongdae asked.
Chanyeol shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve tried out a bunch of them but can’t figure out which one he likes.”
And with that, the movie was completely forgotten as he Baekhyun went off on another of his tirades, this time about how Chanyeol could spend two weeks with a pup and not pick a name for him. Then he attempted to solve the problem by coming up with a list of names himself. Fortunately the pup didn’t seem to like any of the suggestions that Baekhyun came up with either.
“For the last time, we are not calling him Lay.” Jongdae said as Chanyeol returned from the bathroom, the pup following after him like it always did. Jongdae was lying on his back on the couch, tossing a tennis ball into the air over and over again.
“Why not?” Baekhyun said, “It’s an accurate description of what he does all day.”
“He does more than just lay around,” Chanyeol said. “Besides, I thought we decided on Suho.”
Baekhyun shook his head. “You like Suho. But he’s no guard dog, at least not until he stops being a scaredy cat and grows up to be a full size wolf.”
“Are you sure he’s just a wolf?” asked Jongdae as he sat up.
“I don’t know, really.” Chanyeol had to admit. “I figure if he was a werewolf he’d have already shifted back to his human form. I mean, he can’t still be scared of me now.”
“Maybe,” Jongdae said. Noticing the way that the pup’s attention was entirely on the ball, he gently rolled it across the floor to him. “What does he sound like when he barks or howls? A werewolf is supposed to sound deeper than a normal wolf’s.”
“He hasn’t barked once the entire time he’s been here,” Chanyeol said as he watched the pup being to play with the ball. He batted it back and forth with his paws a few times before accidentally sending it back towards Jongdae. When Jongdae rolled it back to him, he played with it again for a while before picking it up in his mouth to cautiously bring it over to Jongdae. He barely brought it into Jongdae’s reach before he quickly placed it onto the floor and bolted away to stand next to Chanyeol.
He might have retreated next to Chanyeol, but his eager stance and the motion of his tail said he wasn’t done playing. Jongdae picked the ball up and tossed it lightly, and the pup took off after it.
“He’s never done that before either,” Chanyeol said. “I couldn’t get him to play with any of your toys, Baek.”
“Why not?” he asked. “They’re good toys.” He’d know too, sometimes the kitsune would shift into his fox form and would behave very much like an energetic puppy.
“I don’t know,” said Chanyeol.
The pup came back with the ball. This time he approached close enough for Jongdae to pet it before bolting back to Chanyeol. “Whoever took care of him before must have believed that he should be seen and not heard.” Jongdae said as he threw the ball yet again.
This time the ball bounced into the hallway and out of sight. The pup rushed off but drew up short just before he would have disappeared from view. His ears drooped, and he let out a small whine as he looked back towards Chanyeol.
“Go on,” he said, a smile keeping his voice light and happy. It took him a while, but after a few false starts the pup gathered his courage and darted off to retrieve the ball.
“I know who could tell you for sure if he’s a werewolf or not,” Baekhyun said.
Chanyeol turned to give his friend his full attention. There was something in his tone, not to mention the look of delight on his face, that made Chanyeol just a little afraid to ask him who he could be referring to. Foxes were known to be cunning, and Baekhyun was more than capable of living up to that reputation. Still, Chanyeol’s curiosity got the best of him in the end, as Baekhyun had no doubt known it would. “Who,” he eventually asked.
“Him,” came Baekhyun's answer, his voice unnaturally dropped into a deep register.
“‘Him’ who?” Chanyeol asked, obviously not catching onto the joke. And there must have been one because Jongdae started to laugh and agree with Baekhyun.
“Mister Velvety Voice,” Baekhyun answered.
“Mister Dulcet Tones,” added Jongdae, in case Chanyeol hadn’t figured it out.
But of course he knew exactly who they were talking about. “Kyungsoo!” He shouted out in surprise.
“Exactly, Kyungsoo.” Baekhyun said.
Kyungsoo was a translator that Chanyeol had worked with a few times while he was transcribing some interviews for a research project. He’d never met the guy in person, but his deep crooning voice had caught Chanyeol’s ear within seconds. He’d spent more time than he’d like to admit trying to imagine the type of man Kyungsoo must be to be blessed with such an instrument. He even tried searching him up online only to come up with nothing. He’d totally forgotten that he’d spend a drunken evening whining about it to the pair. Trust his friends to remember that the guy was a werewolf too.
“Yes, it would be perfect. Now you have an excuse to talk to him again.” Baekhyun continued.
“And meet up in person,” Jongdae added.
“By the sirens, you’re going to be so awkward.” Baekhyun with a laugh that sounded more like a cackling bird than the fox he was.
He and Jongdae left not too long afterwards, but by then the idea had been planted. Kyungsoo was indeed a werewolf and he’d know immediately whether or not the pup was one too. As Chanyeol got ready for bed that night he wondered what his answer would be if he called him. The werewolf was known among Chanyeol’s transcription circle for being polite, but definitely not in a friendly way. He was all business and never once volunteered any personal information. The only reason Chanyeol even knew they lived in the same city was because Kyungsoo had once sent him a recording that contained a portion of a private conversation the werewolf had with a friend. It was an accident, and Chanyeol should have told Kyungsoo about it the moment he'd heard it. But he’d liked the fact that he knew something about the voice of his dreams.
He placed the pup on his bed and then climbed in afterwards. “The worse he could do is tell me no, huh pup?” The pup looked at him and tilted his head in a way that Chanyeol chose to mean that he was agreeing with him. Chanyeol fell asleep still working the idea in his head while the pup made its way to it’s favorite sleeping spot at the foot of the bed.
-
Despite coming to the conclusion that it was a good idea, Chanyeol still hesitated to make the call. Kyungsoo was a valuable work contact and he didn’t want to ruin their professional relationship by asking for a personal favor.
Thus, two weeks later, when Jongdae had come over to drag Chanyeol into his new-found exercise kick, he still hadn’t made the call. They were supposed to go running, but since the pup tagged along it ended up as more of a jog so that he could keep up. But then again, they were both out of shape so they probably couldn’t have gone any faster. Plus, they used up most of their air talking to each other anyway.
“Just call him,” Jongdae said for the twenty-seventh time in two hours. He popped himself down on Chanyeol’s couch, splayed out as he caught his breath. Chanyeol found himself thankful that vampires didn’t sweat, because he’d hate to think of the stick Jongdae would have left on the couch if he had.
“Easy for you to say,” Chanyeol muttered as he bent to retrieve the pup’s water dish. “You’re not the one who has to do the asking.” He took it into the kitchen to replace it with fresh water. When he came back into the living room the Jongdae was playing with the pup, roughing him up with his bare feet. He and Baekhyun had visited a few times since that first unexpected visit. And while the pup still wouldn’t go anywhere near Baekhyun, he felt comfortable enough with Jongdae to let the vampire play with him, but only with his feet. The slightest hint of Jongdae moving his hands towards him would send the pup running away.
Jongdae gave the pup a forceful shove with his foot that sent him sliding across the hardwood floor. The pup quickly stood on his feet. He was about to charge in at Jongdae’s feet again but caught sight of Jongdae holding up his socks rolled into a ball. He tossed it and the pup took off after it.
Chanyeol set himself next to Jongdae on the couch, and seeing his favorite person done with his chores, the pup abandoned Jongdae’s socks to instead peel Chanyeol’s own off of his feet. When they were free of the evil things, the pup settled down to lick at them, as it he were cleaning them with his tongue. Jongdae shifted so that he could rub a foot over the pup’s back.
“I get that you’re afraid of crossing some invisible coworker lines,” Jongdae said after some time. “But it’s clear that something happened to Chen before you rescued him.”
Chanyeol fixed his friend with a glare. Not for pointing out the obvious, but for yet again trying to name the pup.
Jongdae just continued on as if he didn’t even see it. “If you want to do right by him, then you need to find out if he’s really just a regular wolf pup, or if he’s a were.”
Chanyeol let out a sigh and nodded his head. Jongdae was right, but it didn’t make the task any easier. Luckily for him, he was saved from further conversation by a call from his boss.
There was a high profile project that needed to be fast tracked because the original person assigned to it had some family emergency and wasn’t going to be able to finish on time. Chanyeol went into his office and took a look at his calendar. It’d be a tight fit, but he’d be able to do it if he got rid of the gum-chewer lady’s job.
“Consider it done,” his boss said. “I’ll get Kim to take her off your hands. I’m going to transfer you over to Kyungsoo so that he can get you up to speed. I owe you big time, Chanyeol.”
Chanyeol didn’t even get the chance to reply before a series of beeps told him his boss was no longer on the line. Two seconds later, there was Kyungsoo.
“Hello?” he said.
Chanyeol sputtered out a greeting of his own. Perhaps it was because they had just been talking about him, but Chanyeol was entirely unprepared to speak to the werewolf and found that his brain sort of short circuited upon hearing his voice.
“Hey Chanyeol.” Kyungsoo said, polite as ever. “I see Mr. Park managed to talk you into taking the project. It shouldn’t be too hard. I’ve already translated a good portion of it. I can send you my recordings within the hour.”
Chanyeol cleared his throat. “That’d be great,” he said.
Before Kyungsoo could say anything in reply, Jongdae pushed open the door to his office and walked in. “Yeol, I think the little guy’s hungry.” he said without preamble. “Want me to feed him?”
“Sure,” he waved him off. Hopefully he’d leave before he realized who Chanyeol was speaking to.
“Okay, come along D.O.. Let’s see what papa has in his fridge.”
“We are not calling him D.O.!” Chanyeol said. Of all the names his friends had suggested, D.O. had been the one Chanyeol hated the most.
Unfortunately, his little outburst was his undoing. “You alright there Chanyeol?” asked Kyungsoo over the phone.
And of course, Jongdae heard it. He turned back around quickly. “Is that Kyungsoo? It’s about time you called him.” And then, as if it was on purpose, he raised his voice just a little louder. “Did you ask him yet?”
“Ask me what?” Kyungsoo said.
Chanyeol glared at his friend. If looks could kill, Jongdae would be dead.
-
Surprisingly, Kyungsoo had been more than amenable to coming to see the pup. It did require Chanyeol to explain just how he’d figured out they lived in the same city, something that Chanyeol bumbled and stuttered through. Thankfully, Kyungsoo hadn’t sounded too upset about it and he’d agreed to stop over the next day.
Chanyeol knew it was Kyungsoo at his door just by the way he knocked. Three simple knocks, each strong and full of purpose. He made his way over to the door, the pup following as it always did.
“Hi,” he said. “I’m Chanyeol. Nice to finally meet you in person.”
He didn’t know what to expect when he opened the door. He’d only ever heard Kyungsoo’s voice over the phone and had no idea what he looked like. But the man on the other side of the door was nothing like the guy his mind’s eye had envisioned. He’d envisioned someone tall and muscular. Instead, the guy outside his door was short and definitely not ripped with muscles. His face had the beginnings of what could be a scowl, and Chanyeol almost found himself doubted this was really Kyungsoo.
But then he opened his mouth and that deep croon that Chanyeol admired poured out, leaving no doubt that this was indeed Kyungsoo.
“Kyungsoo,” the werewolf said. He was about to take the hand that Chanyeol had offered, but paused with his hand in midair. He leaned to the left, his eyes focused on the pup that was no doubt hiding behind Chanyeol.
Second later, Chanyeol found himself being pushed aside as Kyungsoo leapt to head the pup off as it took off running through the house. The pup almost made it under the couch, but Kyungsoo was faster and caught his hind leg in his strong grip and pulled him out, sending his body spinning across the hardwood.
As soon as he managed to get back on his feet, the pup tried to run towards Chanyeol. But Kyungsoo was lightning fast, no doubt due to his werewolf nature. He picked the pup by his scruff and tossed him onto the couch.
“Hey!’ Chanyeol said.
But Kyungsoo didn’t even glance his way. He stalked over to the couch, his body emanating power and authority in a way that made even Chanyeol pause. “Shift,” he said.
The pup just cowered back, pressing himself into the corner. And when he let out a distressing whine, Chanyeol found himself moving to defend him. But Kyungsoo flung out his arm, hand up in the universal signal to stop.
“I said, ‘shift.’” Kyungsoo said again. There was no mistaking the command in his voice.
For a split second nothing happened. But then dark fur gave way to smooth, pale skin as the pup slowly shifted into a small toddler. Time stood still as Chanyeol watched Kyungsoo and the boy, each frozen in place. The boy’s eyes were wide with fear as he started up at Kyungsoo. Slowly, they began to fill up with tears.
Just before they spilled over, Kyungsoo relaxed his stance and moved to sit on the couch. He held his arms out to the boy. “Come here,” he said, this time his voice was full of warmth and concern.
The boy launched himself into Kyungsoo’s waiting arms. And then, as if he’d been holding it in for the entire month he’d been with Chanyeol, the boy let out deep, heart-wrenching sobs as the tears fell from his eyes.
“It’s alright.” Kyungsoo said, rubbing the boy’s back in a soothing gesture. “You’re safe now. I got you.”
-
It took the toddler a long time to calm down, but eventually his cries quieted and his tears stopped flowing. When he was done, Chanyeol tried to take him from Kyungsoo, but he just tightened his grip around Kyungsoo’s neck and clung on all the more fiercer. Kyungsoo, bless his heart, took it all in stride and went with the flow.
It did hurt Chanyeol a bit, the way the boy seemed taken with Kyungsoo after only seconds in the man’s presence. Afterall, it had been Chanyeol who’d been there for almost every moment during the past month. It had been Chanyeol who had fed him, bathed him, played with him, and let him sleep in his bed. All Kyungsoo had done was chase after him and then fling him onto the couch before freaking him out.
Still, he supposed that there was something more comforting about being with one’s own kind. He couldn’t fault the young were for choosing Kyungsoo over him. Nor could he fault Kyungsoo for taking the pup out for a run in the woods behind his house.
“It’ll do him good,” Kyungsoo had said. “I always feel better after a run.”
The boy, of course, shifted back into a wolf mere seconds after Kyungsoo had suggested it. But Kyungsoo had taken his time getting ready. The boy didn’t need to be concerned with ripping any clothes since he hadn’t had any. But clothing did not survive a shift - something that Baekhyun frequently seemed to forget when he shifted - and so that meant Kyungsoo needed to get naked himself.
He stripped right there in the living room, folding his clothes in a precise and exacting way before stacking them in a neat pile on the coffee table. Chanyeol tried not to stare, but if Kyungsoo’s appearance was surprising fully clothed, he was just as impressive without any. He wasn’t ripped, but his muscles were toned in a way that said he was used to using them. And Chanyeol didn’t mean to look below torso, but Kyungsoo wasn’t doing anything to cover himself up.
Chanyeol was certain he stood there for longer than it was necessary before he walked through the house to the backdoor. Kyungsoo opened it up and with a speed that spoke of just how well practiced he was, he was a jet black wolf within seconds. A few more, and he and the pup had disappeared into the woods.
But that had been over two hours ago, and Chanyeol was getting a little worried. Had something happened to them? Did they get lost? Did Kyungsoo take the pup and leave him? Surely he wouldn’t do that, right? Not after everything that Chanyeol had done for him. He may not have planned on adopting a pup, but now that he practically had, he couldn’t even begin to imagine a life without him.
The sun was just starting to make it’s way down below the treeline when he heard the back door swing open. He’d kept it ajar so that Kyungsoo and the pup could come in even if they were still in their wolf forms. From the sound of claws on his floor it had been the right thing to do.
He paused in the doorway to the living room as he watched the two of them. They were playing around, Kyungsoo using his bigger frame to plow the pup over, the pup trying valiantly but never quite able to get his feet under him for long. It brought a smile to his face.
A happy yip fill the air, and Chanyeol’s face fell just a little. It was the first time he’d ever heard anything other than a whine or cry from the pup. While he has glad to hear it, glad the pup was happy, he couldn’t help feeling a little sad that it hadn’t been him that had brought it out.
But then the pup finally noticed he was there and rushed to get away from Kyungsoo to say hello. Chanyeol knelt down to pet him. “Hey boy,” he said, hoping he his voice didn’t betray any of the momentary sadness he’d felt. “Did you have a good time with Kyungsoo?”
“Yixing,” said Kyungsoo.
“Huh?” Chanyeol looked up to find Kyungsoo standing in his human form. His skin shone with a sheen of sweat, and if anything, it only served to make him look even more amazing.
“His name is Yixing,” he said, a heart-shaped smile on his lips.
Damn, Chanyeol thought. He’d developed a man-crush on his voice. But now that he’d met Kyungsoo, he could definitely see himself possibly falling for someone like him for real.
Before his thoughts could travel any further along that route, Yixing did his customary rubbing of his face against Chanyeol’s feet and knocked him off balance. Kyungsoo let out a chuckle and came to collect him. Yixing went willingly, curling up in the older werewolf’s embrace and licking at his chin.
“We both need a shower,” he said as he tried to lean back far enough to stop the licks. “Do you mind if I borrow a towel?”
“Oh, no, go right ahead,” he answered. And then for no good reason he added, “Do you want to stay for dinner?”
Kyungsoo caught Yixing’s snout with a hand and held it still. “Sure,” he said after a moment’s thought. And with that he turned and made his way towards Chanyeol’s bathroom.
Yep, Chanyeol thought as he watched his retreating backside. His heart was definitely doomed.
-
Once again, Chanyeol found himself glad that Baekhyun was a kitsune. He raided his friend’s stash of frozen burgers and buns. He made sure to grill the buns a little so they didn’t get soggy as they thawed. If Kyungsoo was underwhelmed by Chanyeol’s cooking he kept it to himself.
Dinner was surprisingly easy, and afterward they retired back into the living room. Chanyeol extended his legs across the couch while Kyungsoo sat against it, legs stretched out in front of him. Yixing stayed in his wolf form the rest of the evening, much to Chanyeol’s disappointment. He would have loved to see the toddler shift back into a boy, but at least he remembered Chanyeol was there and didn’t just focus on Kyungsoo. He kept moving back and forth between the two of them.
The tv was turned on, but neither of them was watching it. Instead they got to get to know each other a little better. For all Kyungsoo’s tight-lipped reputation at the company, he was open enough with Chanyeol. He answered every question Chanyeol threw at him and didn’t hesitate to toss them back to him.
Kyungsoo had left his shoes and socks off after showering and the pup had decided to give his feet the same treatment that he did to Chanyeol’s. It made Kyungsoo pause for a bit the first time he did it, but he didn’t say anything about it so Chanyeol thought it might be a werewolf thing. At one point during the evening, Yixing went to retrieve Kyungsoo’s socks and got him to roll them into a ball just like Jongdae did so that he could play with it.
“I’m sorry about that,” Chanyeol said. “He seems to have a bit of a foot and sock fetish. He’s always rubbing his face against my feet. I don’t know why.”
“Isn’t it obvious,” Kyungsoo said. “He likes the way they smell.”
Not the answer Chanyeol was expecting. “Why? What do they smell like?”
Kyungsoo got to his knees and grabbed hold of Chanyeol’s feet to bring them to his own nose. He took in a big whiff. “They smell like you," he said, his heart-shaped smile back on his lips.
Chanyeol jerked his feet out of Kyungsoo’s hold. “I was being serious” he whined.
“So was I.” Kyungsoo said with a chuckle. “They smell like you. And to him, you smell like home.”
Smell like home? Chanyeol could only hope. That all depended on one very important thing. His face must have betrayed his thoughts because Kyungsoo’s face changed to one of concern.
Now was as good a time as any, so Chanyeol finally gave voice to the question that had been running around in his head ever since he’d actually asked Kyungsoo for help the day before. “Are you going to take him away from me?”
That was at least part of his reasoning for not asking Kyungsoo in the first place. The fear that Yixing would be proven to be a werewolf and Kyungsoo would take him away from Chanyeol and bring him somewhere that Chanyeol would never see him again.
Kyungsoo turned to look at him. “Of course not, Chanyeol.” he said. “Why would you think that?”
“Because,” Chanyeol said, “he’s a werewolf. And I’m not.
Kyungsoo let out a small huff of air. “No, you’re not. But that doesn’t mean he can’t stay here with you.”
“You’re not going to try to find his parents? Or put him with some other werewolf family? Someone who could raise him better than I could.”
“You’re doing a fine job, Chanyeol. It’s clear that you adore him. And he adores you. I didn’t get him to tell me much more than his name while we were out there, but I know that he likes it here.
"I don’t know what happened to him before he got here, and we may never really know, but he feels safe here. I’d never take him away from that.
“He wants to be here, with you."
Chanyeol let out a big breath and it felt like a weight was lifted off of his shoulders. “Thank you,” he said.
Kyungsoo smiled at him. “Don’t worry, everything’s going to be okay. You’ll get through this together.”
The conversation moved on to less serious things, things such as stories of the strangest thing Chanyeol had ever transcribed or that Kyungsoo had translated. Before they knew it, it was almost midnight.
“I should be getting home,” Kyungsoo said. “ We have a project we need to get finished.”
Chanyeol stood to his feet, careful not to jostle a sleeping Yixing, and walked the werewolf to his front door. Kyungsoo didn’t bother to look for his socks before shoving his feet into his shoes. Between him and Jongdae, Chanyeol felt he was going to have a growing collection of sock balls that didn’t belong to him.
“Kyungsoo,” Chanyeol said just before he walked out. Ever since he had told Chanyeol he wasn’t going to take Yixing away, he'd had another question looming in the back of his mind.
“When you said I’d figure it out...you...you’re gonna be there with me, right?”
Kyungsoo gave him a look that might have been fond, but was probably really just a blank stare. But his answer contained a hint of tenderness to it. “Of course, Chanyeol. I’ll be there every step of the way.”
As Chanyeol watched the werewolf walk to his car and pull down the street. He couldn’t help but smile and wonder. Maybe one day Chanyeol could smell like home to Kyungsoo too.