Archive of Our Own

Jaehyun eyes the stranger beside him up and down. His brown hair glimmers under the cafe's warm lights and his long fingers tap against the counter. He's not giving Jaehyun any time of day, which gives Jaehyun the chance to trail his eyes down the man's back, carefully tracing the slope of his ass through his skinny jeans. Thankfully, one of the baristas calls Jaehyun's name, and he turns away before the man can feel the weight of his gaze. He quickly thanks the barista for his drink and takes a tentative sip of his Iced Americano.

It all happens so fast. One second, Jaehyun has his eyes closed, feet ready to take him to school and the next, the cup of coffee is gone and something wet is soaking through his sweater. Jaehyun opens his eyes to see that his cup has fallen to the ground, most of his coffee spilled on the cafe's floor. But what makes it worse is that when he lifts his eyes, he spots some of his coffee spilled on the white cashmere sweater of the guy he was just checking out.

"Hey!"

"Oh, fuck," Jaehyun mutters.

"Yeah, fuck you too." The stranger clicks his tongue and angrily asks one of the baristas for tissue, even though he mutters the stain is never going to come out.

It's then that Jaehyun regains some sense of manners. "I'm so sorry," he starts to say, stepping forward to wipe some of the coffee away, except he brings his hands out to do the job. The handsome man steps away, disgusted, obviously smarter than Jaehyun.

"I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to bump into you, I was just, I didn't notice you—"

The stranger scoffs, and Jaehyun has to stop his brain from thinking that his pissed off expression looks really good.

"—I'll pay for your dry cleaning! Or you know what, I will bring your sweater to the cleaners."

"Order for Doyoung!" The stranger looks up and nods, probably at the barista, and then gives Jaehyun another glare.

"I think you've done enough for the day. It's fine, just do me the favor of watching where you're going next time." Doyoung—Jaehyun assumes that's his name—shoulders his way past Jaehyun and gets his order. Jaehyun hates himself for it, but he watches Doyoung walk out of the cafe, and he can't help but think—hope—that they'll run into each other again.

"You should've seen him, Johnny." Jaehyun sighs as he flops back on his bed. His large samoyed, Byul, chooses that moment to pounce on him, licking his cheeks. Johnny, his roommate, finally looks away from the laptop in front of him and crosses his arms.

"Jay, I'm really grateful that you're lending me your laptop, but you didn't say that it was a requirement for me to listen to you wax poetic about Doyoung. Doyoung's so hot, he was so angry, but the way he knit his eyes brows just made him look like an angry bunny, it was so cute," Johnny finishes in his worst imitation of Jaehyun's voice.

Jaehyun rolls his eyes and chooses to ignore his roommate. He ruffles Byul's fur and talks to him instead. "You understand me right, Byul? If you were there, you would think Doyoung was cute and hot at the same time too."

Johnny groans and throws something right in Jaehyun's face.

"Hey!"

"Instead of moaning all about Doyoung's face, why don't you take Byul out for a walk? Help him burn some of that energy off, he's practically humping everything in sight, including your leg." Johnny walks away. "Oh, and think about getting him neutered while you're at it!"

Jaehyun quickly covers Byul's ears. "Shhhh, don't listen to the bad man, Byul. Daddy won't let people cut your balls off." He grabs the leash and attaches it to Byul's collar. "But Johnny's right, we should go for a walk. How about going to your favorite park, how about it?"

Byul sits up and barks in acknowledgment.

"You think Doyoung's cute and hot too, right?"

Byul barks again, a smile practically on his face. Jaehyun laughs and pats his head.

"Good boy! Come on, let's go and I'll give you a treat."

After giving Byul his treat, Jaehyun packs some in his coat's pocket and walks out the door. Johnny shouts his goodbye just before Jaehyun can shut the door on him.

The chilly autumn air makes Jaehyun shiver, but Byul doesn't seem to mind the cold. He gives the autumn a loud, welcoming bark, making Jaehyun chuckle. Jaehyun makes a mental note to pack hot packs for when winter comes. He might be freezing, but Byul will definitely want to walk. He's not looking forward to it, but anything for his precious Byul.

They arrive at the neighborhood's park, and despite the cold weather, some children are gathered at the playground, hanging on monkey bars and pushing each other on the swings. Some dog owners have theirs dogs off their leashes, running around and chasing after each other.

Byul barks excitedly, but he doesn't run or tug on his leash. He does whine at Jaehyun a little. Jaehyun pats him on the head.

"Okay, Byul. Sit."

Byul obeys. Once the leash is off though Byul runs like the wind, tongue lolling out and chases after the dogs. Jaehyun watches and takes a seat at a bench with a good view of the park, eyes never leaving Byul.

A few minutes later, when most of the dogs have left and only children are left playing in the park, Byul comes bouncing for Jaehyun, pawing at his knee and whining. Jaehyun chuckles as he gets up.

"I get it; I get it," he says as he takes out Byul's favorite rubber ball. Jaehyun can practically see the way Byul's eyes light up at the sight of the ball. He teases Byul a couple of times, moving the ball forward and backward before throwing it far away. Byul runs as fast he can, chasing after the ball.

Jaehyun starts walking and running around as well, partly to keep up with Byul but mostly to stay warm in the chilly afternoon. Byul's playing with the ball by himself when his head shoots up. He starts sniffing the air, and Jaehyun has to look around to see what Byul might be looking for.

"What's up boy?" Jaehyun asks. Byul's on all fours, walking around trying to follow a scent that only he can smell. Before Jaehyun can leash or hold onto him, Byul's shooting forward and out of the park.

"Oh, shit!" Jaehyun runs as fast as he can, trying his best to keep his eyes on Byul. Byul takes a right towards a street Jaehyun is unfamiliar with and promptly disappears. "Byul!"

Jaehyun follows the path that Byul took, hoping he'll see a sign of white, fluffy fur. His heart won't stop hammering in his chest even though he isn't running anymore. "Fuck, fuck, fuck," he keeps muttering to himself the longer he goes without seeing any signs of Byul. He's just pulling out his phone to call Johnny when someone bumps into him.

"Noon—oh, I'm so sorry!"

When Jaehyun turns around, his jaw drops. Doyoung is standing in front of him, looking as frantic as he's feeling. There's a rosy tint on his cheeks and nose, and Jaehyun can't help but think that he looks cute.

"It's you!" Jaehyun says, remembering that he's not technically supposed to know Doyoung's name.

"Oh, it's you." Jaehyun pretends he isn't offended by the standoffish tone. Suddenly, Doyoung's expression turns into a panicked one. "Have you seen a large samoyed around here? She's in heat, so it'd really help me if you spotted her."

Jaehyun blinks a couple of times. "This is gonna sound weird, but I'm, I actually lost my dog too, and uh, he's a samoyed too."

Doyoung grips him by the arms. "Where did he go? Oh my god, he's gonna get my Noon pregnant! We have to find them!" Doyoung throws Jaehyun away from him and starts running down the street.

"Wait!" Jaehyun shouts as he runs after Doyoung. "If they're together, it would be better if we looked for them together as well."

Doyoung stops and turns to give him a heated glare. If Jaehyun weren't so infatuated with Doyoung, it might have worked. "You better wish they're not together because I will personally hold you responsible if Noon gets pregnant."

Jaehyun puts his hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay, but I still think it'll be easier to look for them together. Where did you last see your dog run because Byul ran this way and disappeared?"

Doyoung scrutinizes Jaehyun for a moment before heaving a deep sigh. "Fine," he mutters, so softly that Jaehyun almost misses it. "Where did your dog come from because this is the street where my apartment is so there's a chance my dog went back home."

"We came from the park over there." Jaehyun points behind them to where he knows the park is. "And wow, we live in the same neighborhood! That's pretty cool."

Doyoung rolls his eyes. "Okay, come on, I think I know where my dog went." Doyoung doesn't wait for Jaehyun as he starts walking forward and turns into an alley that's too narrow. Jaehyun follows closely behind, looking around for any signs of his—their dogs.

"So, why're you walking your dog if she's in heat?" Jaehyun asks, genuinely curious but also wanting to have a conversation with the stranger in front of him.

Doyoung sighs. "Because it's not as if she can do her business in my house." Jaehyun gets the feeling that Doyoung's rolling his eyes at him right about now. "That's also why I made sure I'd be walking her at this time and why we didn't go to the park. I just didn't think she'd break loose from her leash." Doyoung brings up a bright blue leash, with the hook for the collar broken and gone. "What about you? What's your excuse?"

"Well, I usually let my dog run off leash at the park. We had him trained, so he usually obeys when I tell him to come. When he ran off, I thought I just lost him; didn't think about the possibility of him chasing after a dog in heat. Speaking of, have you considered getting your dog spayed?"

Doyoung turns to glare at him again before walking forward and exiting the narrow alley. When Doyoung doesn't say anything, Jaehyun decides not to push it and follows Doyoung's lead. Now that they've exited the alley, he finds himself in a wider street where they finally spot their dogs. There's a brick wall not too far ahead, telling them that the dogs had no choice but to stay put. Before Jaehyun can shout Byul's name, he finds Byul mounted on top of a dog, whom he assumes is Doyoung's.

"Fuck."

"Noon!" Doyoung shouts and starts running towards the dogs but it's too late. The dogs acknowledge their presence but do nothing to untangle themselves from each other.

"I think they're tied together."

Doyoung glares at Jaehyun. "You think?"

Their dogs separate after a couple of minutes, but there's a look of horror and disbelief on Doyoung's face. Even though both dogs are leashed and are no longer bound together, they're still stuck to each other's side, neither of them wanting to leave the other.

"Uh." Jaehyun rubs the back of his neck and gives the leash a tug, but Byul doesn't budge. "I think our dogs are in love with each other."

Doyoung glares at him again but doesn't say anything.

"So I think, uh, I should give you my number in case your dog actually gets pregnant because that's the responsible thing to do, and besides, half of this is Byul's fault, so…"

Doyoung glares at him again, but he reaches for his pants pocket and pulls out his phone. He wordlessly hands it to Jaehyun and starts tugging on Noon's leash. Noon whines but eventually gives in, allowing Doyoung to pull her away from Byul.

Jaehyun finishes inputting his number on Doyoung's phone and calls himself so that he can also get Doyoung's number.

"I'll call you if Noon's pregnant." Doyoung pockets his phone as soon as Jaehyun hands it back to him. "I'm Doyoung by the way."

"Jaehyun." Jaehyun smiles and offers his hand for Doyoung to shake, which Doyoung begrudgingly accepts.

Doyoung keeps Noon by his side, preventing her from gluing herself to Byul's side. "Well, if we're lucky maybe I won't have to call you." Doyoung gives him a half-hearted smile and turns away.

Jaehyun doesn't fight the grin off his face, but he does wait for Doyoung to disappear before he crouches down and tells Byul, "I hope he calls."

"Why hasn't he called?" Jaehyun whines, face practically glued to his phone.

Johnny, who's sitting beside him on their apartment sofa, doesn't say anything. He continues flipping through the channels on their TV, ignoring Jaehyun who mumbles something under his breath. It sounds suspiciously something like, "I miss Doyoung."

Byul comes out from Jaehyun's room, legs slow and head bowed down. He flops his large body down on the ground and whines, sounding as pitiful as Jaehyun. When Johnny makes the mistake of looking down, Byul meets his eyes and, if Johnny were seeing things, frowns.

Johnny takes a deep breath and stands up, reaching for the leash hanging on the door of their apartment.

"Stop that!" Jaehyun catches the leash before it hits him on the face.

"You and Byul have been moping for weeks, and you guys have been especially sulky today, so please, for my sanity, go out and walk with Byul and get some dopamine into your systems." Johnny groans, grabs Jaehyun so he'll get up and practically leashes Byul on his own.

"Wait, wait, Johnny—" Jaehyun protests as Johnny pushes him out the door. He only has enough wits about himself to accept his phone and wallet being handed to him before the door slams in his face.

"Finally!" Johnny's voice echoes from the door. Jaehyun feels bad enough that he tightens his hold on Byul's leash and leads him out of the apartment complex. Out of habit, he pulls out his phone and checks to see his notifications.

"Still nothing, Byul," he says to his fluffy friend. Byul seems to comprehend his words as the dog lowers his head and whines. If Doyoung doesn't call then Byul can't see Noon. "I know, bud." Jaehyun crouches down and hugs his dog. "But it's not like I can call Doyoung, right?"

Byul barks and smiles.

"You think I should call Doyoung?"

Byul barks again and his smile seems to grow wider.

"What would I even say?" Jaehyun takes a seat right in front of their apartment complex and brings his phone out. "Hey Doyoung, I was wondering how your dog was?"

Byul barks and shakes his head.

"Yeah, you're right. Bad idea. What about, 'Hey Doyoung, my dog really misses your dog'?"

Byul barks and starts tapping on Jaehyun's knee. Jaehyun laughs and tries to calm his dog down.

"Okay, okay, wait gimme a sec." Jaehyun takes a deep breath. His heart beats wildly as he pulls out Doyoung's contact information on his phone. He's just about to tap on the call button when it rings. "Oh my god."

Jaehyun almost drops his phone in his haste to answer, so his "Hello" comes out hasty at first and then prolonged only by his shameless need to act smooth.

"Uh, is this Jung Jaehyun? It's Doyoung."

"Yes!" Jaehyun replies too excitedly. "I mean, yes, uh, this is Jaehyun. So, Doyoung, what's up?" At the mention of Doyoung's name, Byul starts barking and pawing at Jaehyun's leg.

"So I've just been to the vet, and well, uh, remember Noon, my dog?"

"Yeah?"

There's a sigh at the end of the line. "She's pregnant."

Jaehyun has to bite his lip to stop himself from screaming, "yes!"

"Oh, yeah, really? I'm, what should I, we, do then?"

"Would you be able to meet me at the park, the one where you walk your dog. We have to talk."

"Of course, yeah, sure, I'll be right there."

"Thanks." And Doyoung ends the call before Jaehyun can say one more thing.

Jaehyun decides not to dwell on that and turns to Byul with a bright smile. "Guess who we're going to meet at the park?"

Byul barks and jumps up and down.

"Yes! Doyoung and Noon. Come on, Byul, let's go!" He and Byul almost run to the park in their haste, not knowing if Doyoung is already their or on their way. It's better to be early, Jaehyun thinks as they arrive at the park's entrance in half the time that it would usually take them.

Doyoung isn't at the park yet, but Jaehyun and Byul share the same excited energy, watching the entrance to the park for any newcomers. Even Byul, who easily gets excited by the littlest things, stays focused.

A car pulls up in the parking lot, and Jaehyun watches with bated breath as the door pulls open, and bit by bit, Doyoung steps out. Moving as if in slow motion, he opens the back door and brings Noon out. He's dressed in dark colored pants and an oversized sweater that reaches his palms. He looks warm even though a nice shade of rose has dusted his cheeks and nose. When Doyoung's eyes meet Jaehyun's, for the first time since Jaehyun laid eyes on Doyoung, a smile graces Doyoung's lips and then everything goes back in motion.

"Wow," Jaehyun says to himself at the same time that Byul barks. Byul starts tugging on his leash, and then he's bringing Jaehyun towards Doyoung. Noon does the same thing and both Jaehyun and Doyoung are helpless as their dogs meet and they both crash into each other.

"Ow." Jaehyun's head stings, having collided with the ground, and the heavy weight pressing against him doesn't help alleviate the pain.

"Oh, shit, sorry." Doyoung quickly gets up, and Jaehyun feels like he can breathe again. Before his mind can catch up to what's happening, hands are on him, lifting him up and dusting him off. "You okay?"

When his vision clears, the worried expression on Doyoung's face is the first thing that greets him.

"Yeah," Jaehyun replies, a little too breathy for his liking.

"Sorry about that. Noon kind of pulled on the leash too hard."

"No problem. Byul did the same thing; guess they missed each other." At that, they both turn to look at their dogs who are nuzzling into each other's necks and sniffing at each other.

Doyoung heaves a sigh of relief. "Thanks again for meeting me even if it was a bit last minute."

"Yeah, sure, no problem. You said Noon was pregnant right? It's partly my and Byul's fault, so we, I'd be glad to help in any way."

Doyoung gives a nervous laugh and avoids Jaehyun's eyes, focusing on the dogs who are now licking each other's faces. "Yeah, about that… We should probably be sitting down for this. Come, Noon!" Doyoung tugs on Noon's leash, and the dog whines in protest but obeys. Byul whimpers and follows after Doyoung and Noon, pulling Jaehyun along.

They let their dogs off their leash, but they don't run too far away. Instead, Noon and Byul walk a few paces away and begin sniffing at each other. Jaehyun and Doyoung watch in silent awe as they take a seat at a nearby bench.

"So, what's up?"

"Right, uh, would it be okay if you and I met up more often with our dogs? Noon's been really depressed since we last saw you guys. She used to be a very active dog, but the vet says that the pregnancy and her not being able to meet your dog has made her really sad. It's gonna help me out a lot and Noon too if she could see your dog more often. It would also be great for her pregnancy, or so the vet says." Doyoung gives Noon a worried look, reminiscent of a mother looking at her child.

"Hey, yeah, of course. I'd be more than happy to let our dogs date." Jaehyun laughs at his little jokes and feels pride warm his heart at the tiny smile that Doyoung gives.

"Thanks," Doyoung says with a sigh of relief. "I was really worried you'd say no, but I'm glad you're really cool with it."

"No worries. Actually, Byul and I, I mean Byul was feeling really down when he couldn't see Noon either. I'm sure it'd help the both of us if we let them meet a lot more now." When Jaehyun looks at their dogs, they're running around and chasing each other. "Besides, I have a feeling that they know they're parents now, so it's gonna be harder and harder to tear them apart."

Doyoung lets out another nervous laugh. "Don't remind me. Just thinking about having the puppies is stressing me out."

Jaehyun reaches out and squeezes Doyoung's hand as a gesture of comfort. The surprised look on Doyoung's face tells Jaehyun it might be too much, but he decides to ignore it for now. "You're not alone in this, Doyoung-ssi. I promise, I'll be by your side every step of the way." Jaehyun offers him the brightest and most reassuring smile he can.

It seems to help as the corners of Doyoung's lips pull up into a small smile. "Thanks, Jaehyun-ssi."

Jaehyun is grateful for the winter vacation because he gets to do things like buy Doyoung coffee in the morning before meeting up at the park, so they can walk their dogs together.

"Taeyong, our vet, says I can still walk Noon, but only for a short time," Doyoung says in explanation. Jaehyun doesn't really need any, but he likes hearing Doyoung talk. Now that they're spending more time together, he's gotten a lot more talkative. Jaehyun's even managed to get his coffee order out of him, which is why he has two warm cups of coffee ready at 9 a.m.

"You're a lifesaver," Doyoung whispers, hands circled around the warm cup. It's a chilly morning in Seoul, and both Jaehyun and Doyoung are both bundled up with puffer jackets and scarves. Doyoung still looks a little cold despite his thick layers, and Jaehyun's tempted to take him into his arms and warm him up. He quickly dismisses the thought and drinks his own coffee instead.

Doyoung chuckles right after he takes a sip of his own coffee. "I'm glad you didn't spill your coffee on me this time."

"That was one time!" Jaehyun shakes his head, but he can't fight the smile off his face. "Besides, this is like the 5th time I've gotten you coffee, and I haven't spilled anything."

"So far," Doyoung adds, but there's a teasing tone to his voice. Jaehyun decides to let it slide because Doyoung's cute.

"Yeah, yeah. We know you're never gonna let me live it down, right Byul?" Byul barks at the mention of his name. "You pity me, right, Byul, being made to relive my mistakes over and over again?" Byul barks again.

"Noon, tell Jaehyun he's being dramatic." Noon barks and draws a laugh out of both Jaehyun and Doyoung. They don't know if the dogs really understand what they're talking about or if they're barking simply because their owners called their name. Nonetheless, they don't stop bringing their dogs into the conversation, often to make the dogs side with them in a petty argument. None of them win, but that's besides the point.

A very specific ringtone echoes in the living room, and Jaehyun almost throws off the controller in his hands in his haste to reach for it. Johnny laughs maniacally beside him, presumably because he's going to win their match now that Jaehyun's preoccupied.

Jaehyun shushes him just as he answers the call. "Hey, wassup, Doyoung."

"Jaehyun, thank god! I've been texting you for a while now, but yeah, do you think you can stay over tonight? I, uh, Noon's about to give birth, and my brother isn't home and my parents have work tomorrow, I. I don't wanna be alone." The panicked tone to Doyoung's voice is what gets Jaehyun to agree in no time.

"Where're you going at this time of the night?" Johnny asks, watching Jaehyun pack an overnight bag.

"Noon's about to give birth, staying over at Doyoung's house."

Johnny chuckles. "You guys sound like a married couple." His chuckle turns into a full blown laugh when Jaehyun flushes bright red in embarrassment. "You are so whipped, man." Johnny claps him on the back and leaves him be. Jaehyun flips him off even if Johnny's back is to him. After Jaehyun packs for himself, he starts packing things Byul might need, like his favorite toy, a leash and some food and treats.

Jaehyun chooses to walk the distance that separates his apartment from Doyoung's house. It had been a surprise at first to find out that Doyoung lived so near from them, but that just made meeting up and spending time together easier. Despite the chilly, winter breeze, Jaehyun is warmed by thoughts of Doyoung, and he's sure Byul is practically the same.

They reach Doyoung's house in no time at all, greeted by a worried looking Doyoung. Jaehyun looks around, trying to spot any member of Doyoung's family.

"My mom and dad went to bed, and Gongmyung hyung is staying over at his girlfriend's place, but don't worry. I told my parents you were coming over," Doyoung explains as he lets Jaehyun and Byul in.

Noon comes bounding after Byul, and the look of relief on Doyoung's face at the sight of his happy dog makes Jaehyun think, worth it.

"Here." Doyoung tugs on Jaehyun's wrist and leads him straight down to his room. "You can leave your stuff in my room. Do you wanna sleep here for the night or do you wanna stay with me and the dogs in Noon's playroom? That's where we set up her nest, and I kinda wanna spend the rest of the night with her."

Jaehyun swallows at the thought of sleeping in Doyoung's room. Doyoung is even thinking of leaving me alone in his room. His thoughts go into overdrive, until he remembers that Doyoung asked him a question and is waiting for a reply. He seriously considers pretending to need a bed to sleep, but the need to spend time with Doyoung wins over. "I'll stay with you in the playroom. I gotta watch over Byul too. No offense, but as much as Byul likes you, he loves me more," he replies just a little smugly.

Doyoung rolls his eyes, but there's a smile on his lips. "You can wash up in my bathroom. It's right over there. Noon's playroom is the room right next to mine. I've already got everything set up, so get ready while I bring Noon and Byul there." Doyoung reaches for Byul's leash before Jaehyun can say anything and leaves Jaehyun alone in the room.

Jaehyun waits a beat before breathing in Doyoung's scent that lingers in the air. It smells strongly of the shampoo that he uses, and before he can creep even himself out, Jaehyun rushes to the bathroom and changes into something more comfortable. He makes sure to brush his teeth, using more toothpaste than necessary just to be sure his breath smells minty fresh. Once he exits Doyoung's bathroom, he takes a moment to survey Doyoung's room.

Doyoung's room is neat, with his bed and covers done cleanly, his desk and bookshelf organized. The top portion of his shelf is filled with frames. Pictures of him with his family and friends almost show the story of Doyoung's life. Jaehyun notices that Noon isn't in any of the older pictures, but there is one picture of her with Doyoung, one towards the end. Jaehyun wonders about it for only a second before leaving Doyoung's room.

Doyoung's playing with the dogs in Noon's playroom, but when Jaehyun enters the room, he lets them entertain themselves. "Want a hot chocolate?" He doesn't really wait for Jaehyun to reply before he's handing him a warm mug.

"Thanks."

They settle on a mattress near Noon's nest. It's littered with soft, fluffy pillows and warm, fleece blankets. Both Noon and Byul are huddled together on her nest, and Doyoung keeps his eyes on them as he sips his hot chocolate. Doyoung doesn't bother wrapping the blankets around himself, too distracted with worry. Jaehyun smiles softly as he does it himself, shaking Doyoung out of his stupor in the process.

"Oh, thanks."

"No problem," is all Jaehyun says. He reaches for the second blanket, but Doyoung opens up the blanket on him and motions for Jaehyun to get inside.

"It'll be warmer this way," Doyoung says in lieu of an invitation, his cheeks flushed with warmth. Jaehyun doesn't know if Doyoung's cold or embarrassed. Either way, he accepts the invitation and breathes in relief at the warmth Doyoung's body offers.

"Is this okay?" Jaehyun whispers.

"Yeah," comes Doyoung's breathy reply. "It's perfect." Doyoung rests his head on Jaehyun's shoulder, and that's when Jaehyun thinks that this is indeed perfect. Their dogs are quiet for now, huddled together on Noon's nest, and they're enjoying the calm before the storm, warm and sipping their hot chocolate.

"Hey," comes Doyoung's quiet voice. "Tell me about when you first got Byul."

Jaehyun is surprised by the topic, but he starts recalling how he first met Byul, and the smile comes naturally to him. "When I was in junior high, our next door neighbor's dog had puppies. He offered to give us one of the pups for free, and since I really wanted one, my parents agreed to get me one. I picked Byul out from the litter and took him home soon after that."

"Wow, so how long have you had him?"

"I don't know, around 5 years, why?"

"Wow," Doyoung says again, straightening up. Jaehyun's only slightly disappointed to have Doyoung's warmth disappear. "I, well, I kind of just got Noon recently." He chuckles nervously. "That's why I'm always on edge, because I just got her and she's already gotten pregnant."

"Oh, that explains the lack of pictures in your room—" Jaehyun quickly shuts his mouth, but the look on Doyoung's face tells him that Doyoung knows he was snooping.

"Yeah. She was originally my brother's girlfriend's dog, but because she moved to her own place and they don't accept dogs, we decided to take her in. We love her like she's ours, but I'm so new to this, and then she got pregnant, so I got even more confused. I didn't even know she wasn't spayed until she got pregnant." Doyoung clicks his tongue. Jaehyun laughs.

"Hey, don't worry too much." Jaehyun wraps his arm around Doyoung's shoulder, bringing him into a half embrace. "I think you're doing a really good job, and I can tell that you really love her. That's all that matters."

"You think so?" Doyoung turns bright and hopeful eyes to Jaehyun, and there's just no way Jaehyun can say no to that face. Not that he needs to anyway.

"Yes." No words pass between them as they lose each other in their eyes. Jaehyun leans forward, and Doyoung closes his eyes. Before their lips can meet, Noon whimpers, and the moment is gone. They pull apart, and Jaehyun reluctantly takes his arm back to his side. "But maybe, as precaution, we should get our dogs spayed anyway."

Doyoung laughs fills the quiet room, and it's a melody that Jaehyun can listen to all night.

When they lie down to get some sleep that night, their shoulders and arms touching, Doyoung whispers, "Thanks, Jaehyun."

Jaehyun laces their fingers together and squeezes Doyoung's hand. "You're welcome, Doyoung."

Jaehyun groans as the loud barking and the familiar scratch of dog nails on the floor chase away his dream of a pool date with Doyoung. He blinks a few times, trying to remember who he is, what's going on and where he is at the moment. The memories of last night piece themselves together in Jaehyun's hazy consciousness until he's wide awake.

The sight before him takes Jaehyun's breath away. Doyoung is still sleeping, but his eyebrows are scrunched together, and he's moaning into wakefulness. Jaehyun swallows and tries to move away, only to realize that Doyoung is lying down on one of his arms, while his other arm is relaxedly hanging over Doyoung's waist.

Before Jaehyun can do anything stupid, like kiss Doyoung awake, Byul bounds over to them and barks in their faces. Doyoung's eyes snap open, and he bolts upright at the wake up call. Jaehyun thinks he's going to scold Byul, but Doyoung chants, "oh my god, oh my god," instead. "Noon's giving birth."

"What?"

Doyoung rolls his eyes at Jaehyun and points him to where Noon is doing her best to birth her puppies. "Oh, right." Satisfied that Jaehyun's back to reality, Doyoung gets up from the mattress and goes to his dog. There isn't much Doyoung can do so he watches from afar and waits for the first signs of life. Jaehyun watches pityingly until Byul whines right beside him and barks again.

"Uh, Doyoung, I think it's time I took Byul out of the room."

"Oh, okay, you can, uh, just leave him in my room. Uhm, this is gonna sound weird, but is it okay if you came back?"

Jaehyun's eyes widen at the invitation, but he smiles and nods. "No, of course not." Jaehyun pats Doyoung on the shoulder and drags a barking Byul out of the room.

"Byul, stay." Byul whines but obeys. "Good boy." Jaehyun presents him with a treat and leaves him in Doyoung's room, feeling mildly guilty.

"Was he okay?" Doyoung asks as soon as Jaehyun's back in the room.

"I think he'll be fine. But I gave him a command and a treat, so he'll probably stay focused on that for a while." Jaehyun sits beside Doyoung who's eyes never leave Noon. From what Jaehyun can see, she's already pushed out her first pup. He quietly wraps his hand around Doyoung's and watches as his shoulders droop slightly. He's still panicked, but at least he's not as tense as he first was when he woke up.

After 30 minutes of watching Noon give birth on her own, and two puppies later, Jaehyun decides it's better to distract Doyoung. Things seem to be going well, and Doyoung's panic just increases the longer they sit there doing nothing.

"Come on," Jaehyun says, pulling Doyoung to stand up. They stumble a little onto each other but are able to walk out of the room. "You and I both know there's nothing we can do now, so why don't we watch something, or eat, or play a game. We can always check in every hour," Jaehyun suggests as they make their way through Doyoung's house.

"Okay," is all Doyoung says. Jaehyun gives Doyoung a long, hard look but doesn't hold it against Doyoung. He knows he's just being a worrywart.

"Why don't you go to the kitchen and start making us some sandwiches while I go get Byul?" Jaehyun waits for Doyoung to respond, and when he gives Jaehyun a small nod, Jaehyun walks him to the kitchen before going back for Byul. Byul is restless once free but easily distracted by his favorite chew toy, which Jaehyun throws in the direction of the living room.

Once Byul is entertained on his own, Jaehyun goes back to Doyoung and helps him make some sandwiches. Doyoung's in the middle of spreading mayonnaise on one bread, so Jaehyun pops two more slices in the toaster.

"So you like mayo on your bread?" Jaehyun asks.

Doyoung pauses and gives Jaehyun a look like he can't believe Jaehyun's even asking him.

Jaehyun chuckles. "Because I don't like mayo on mine."

Doyoung's jaw drops. "Really? Then how do you eat your sandiwches?"

"I add everything in except mayo." When Doyoung's jaw opens even wider, Jaehyun is quick to add, "it's not that bad, really! It tastes the same."

Doyoung scoffs. "I doubt that, but sure, go ahead and make your travesty of a sandwich."

"Is that a challenge?"

"I hardly believe an incomplete sandwich can challenge my perfect creation."

"You're on!" Jaehyun laughs as he prepares the fillings for his sandwich. "I'll make you eat your words, Kim Doyoung."

"You can try." Doyoung scoffs as he calmly starts putting lettuce and tomatoes on his sandwich.

"Is it okay if I get some more ingredients in your fridge?"

Doyoung thinks about it for a good second before humming in agreement. Jaehyun finds it funny that they're seriously going to have a battle for their sandwiches, but he's glad that it's taken Doyoung's mind away from Noon. He grabs some mustard and honey from the fridge and starts making his sandwich.

"Interesting," is all Doyoung says before going back to his sandwich.

By the end of it, they both make a clubhouse sandwich, with the dressing as the only difference. They bring their plates over to the living room, and Byul follows after them, tongue lolling out.

"We should make Byul be the judge," Doyoung suggests.

Jaehyun laughs. "Then prepare to lose, Doyoung." They give half of their slices to each other and take out a smaller piece for Byul to eat.

"Okay, Byul which do you like best?" Jaehyun lifts up both plates and waves it across Byul's face. They wait with bated breath as Byul chases after the plate he likes most. Byul takes a short sniff before following Jaehyun's plate, much to Doyoung's dismay.

"I call foul! You're his owner, so he's probably impartial."

"Then you shouldn't have made him the judge!" Jaehyun says with a laugh. "But seriously, my sandwich is good, so you should try it."

"I'll take a bite when you take a bite."

"On three."

"Okay."

They bring the sandwiches up to their mouth and, at the count of three, take a bite. It's surprisingly good, Jaehyun has to admit. The mayonnaise on the bread is light enough that it isn't revolting, and it helps accentuate the flavors of each filling in the sandwich. "It's good, but..."

"I still like mine better," they both say at the same time.

"But it's good right?" Jaehyun reaffirms.

"Yeah, yeah," Doyoung dismisses, but he's taking a pretty large bite out of Jaehyun's sandwich.

After that, Jaehyun turns on the TV and they lose themselves in another argument of what to watch before settling on a movie they've both seen—Avengers, and just letting it play in the background.

When another hour passes up, Jaehyun volunteers to take the first check on Noon. So far, there are only three puppies out of the expected six, so after seeing nothing out of the ordinary, Jaehyun goes back and reports the good news.

"Do you think we should call, Taeyong?" Doyoung asks.

"Nah, it's still too early. I doubt he's even awake. We can call him at 8."

"Yeah, you're right. Besides, if she's doing well, then there's nothing to worry about, right?"

Jaehyun puts an arm around Doyoung's shoulder and pulls him into a half embrace. "Absolutely."

The night continues to pass like this, with Doyoung and Jaehyun checking up on Noon every hour. Doyoung's parents wake up at around 6 in the morning, and Jaehyun and Doyoung join them for breakfast. At 8 a.m., right after his parents leave, they call Taeyong who agrees to drive down to Doyoung's house, and Taeyong arrives 2 hours later, just as Noon's delivering the last of her puppies.

They watch in silence as finally, the last pup is out, and Noon cleans them.

"What do you think?" Doyoung finally asks.

"We'll have to wait for a few more hours, just to be sure that she's done giving birth and then I can check on the puppies. But for now, everything looks just fine." Taeyong offers them a comforting smile and then returns his focus on Noon who's beginning to rest from her long labor.

Doyoung breathes a sigh of relief and rests his head on Jaehyun's shoulder. "It's done."

"It is, and see, I told you you had nothing to worry about." Jaehyun hesitantly wraps his arms around Doyoung, and when Doyoung doesn't pull away, he tightens his embrace. Doyoung melts into his arms, and Jaehyun wonders if Doyoung can feel how rapidly his heart is beating.

"Thanks for staying with me."

"I'll always be here for you, Doyoung."

Taeyong clears his throat, and they both pull away from each other, embarrassed to have been caught. "Sorry to uh, ruin your moment, but do you guys have any coffee?"

"Right, here, I'll make you one." Doyoung leads the way, and Jaehyun stays back, still feeling flushed and embarrassed.

Doyoung comes back a few minutes later, Taeyong missing. "I offered him some breakfast," he answers Jaehyun's silent question. Doyoung takes a seat close to Noon's nest, watching her nurse her pups. Jaehyun crouches down beside him.

"What're you thinking about?"

Doyoung shrugs, leaning against Jaehyun. "How cute they'll be when they grow up, how much I'm gonna miss them when we have to give them away."

"If we, uh, start going out, we could probably keep all the puppies?"

Doyoung raises his brow at him in question. At the deepening flush of Jaehyun's kiss, Doyoung chuckles. "Just say you wanna be my boyfriend and kiss me."

"Be my boyfriend?" When Jaehyun leans in for the kiss and Doyoung meets him halfway, it's the only answer Jaehyun needs.