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Hyunwoo's favorite time of day to go jogging is in the early morning, when the sun has already risen but most of the people have not.
He likes the solitude, the way the city seems sleepy and quiet with most of its occupants either still in bed or just rolling out of it. Kisses doesn't mind it either, which is a plus.
Being a rather large two year old German Shepherd, she can be a little bit intimidating to the general public. Hyunwoo understands, she's a big dog and he's a big guy, and he doesn't hold a grudge when people walk to the other side of the path whenever they see the two of them coming. Taking this into consideration, he doesn't mind waking up a little bit early if it means that he and his dog can get their exercise in peace.
This particular morning, the air is brisk, but not cold. As Hyunwoo runs, one hand clenched around Kisses's hot pink leash and the other pumping away at his side, the cool air keeps him from getting too sweaty, which is nice. Kisses is keeping pace without a problem, relaxed tongue lolling out of her mouth, angular ears flicking this way and that. The park is relatively empty, like every morning, only a few other joggers that Hyunwoo can recognize, as well as a man setting up a coffee cart by the entrance gate and a group of high schoolers taking a shortcut through the wooded path to get to the campus building on the other side.
After another few minutes, Kisses is starting to pant beside him, and Hyunwoo's own mouth is starting to feel dry. He steers them towards the nearest bench, coming up on the right side of the paved walkway. There's someone sitting on the far end, sort of hunched over in a big hoodie, but Hyunwoo just assumes them to be drunk, and stays at the other end to catch his breath.
He unclips the collapsible bowl he keeps in his pocket, filling it with water from the solitary fountain next to the bench and bending to nestle it into the neatly trimmed grass off the edge of the path. Kisses eagerly starts lapping it up, and Hyunwoo ruffles the fur on her forehead before standing back up. As he stands, he sees how the stranger a few feet away peeks over, despite his face being shadowed by his hood.
Hyunwoo ignores him. Making sure his grip on Kisses's leash is tight, he goes to take his own drink of water from the fountain. He dips his face in the spray, exhaling as it chills his skin. He runs his free palm over his cheeks and through his hair, wiping the moisture away, and sneaks another look at the man. He's still fidgeting, fingers playing gently with each other in his lap, face still turned towards the two of them at the other end.
In a good mood, and feeling generous, Hyunwoo addresses him.
"You can pet her, if you want. She doesn't bite."
The man jolts, caught, and reaches up to push his hood down.
Hyunwoo freezes up like a granite sculpture.
The stranger is probably around his age, maybe a bit younger, and he's... well. An angel, possibly? Hyunwoo is too busy picking his jaw up off of the pavement to concentrate much on a proper descriptor.
The stranger's eyes are dark and expressive, a shy light illuminating them while dark eyebrows raise apologetically above. Straight teeth dig into an unfairly plush-looking bottom lip that's flanked by twin kitten curls. His face is soft, round, and Hyunwoo feels the inexplicable urge to knead his cheeks, see if they feel like dumpling dough as much as they look like it.
"Are you sure?" He asks, and his voice is raspy, tired, but still on the higher end of the register, and sweet.
Hyunwoo gulps, and hopes his grin doesn't look as stilted as it feels.
"Yeah, totally. She's a sweetheart."
He whistles at Kisses, and she looks up at him from where she'd been glaring at some toddling pigeons a few feet away.
"Go say hi, baby," he coos, and points at the stranger.
She knows what that means; Pats Incoming, Please Behave.
Hyunwoo keeps his eyes on the guy as Kisses trots over, watches as he holds his pale hands out carefully for her to sniff before scritching her gently behind both ears. It feels so good that her back leg starts thumping right away, tail a whirlwind behind her, and the man laughs, giggles, really, before really getting into it.
Kisses rests her whiskered chin on his thigh while he scrubs his fingers over the back of her neck, reaching to get the hard-to-reach spots underneath her pink halter that have her hunching her back to get closer.
"What's your name?" He asks, turning his head to look at Hyunwoo without stopping his scratching.
"It's Kisses." Hyunwoo answers helpfully.
There's a moment where the guy is looking at him, smile growing, where Hyunwoo just stands like a big dumb log, before he finally registers what was said.
"Hyunwoo! It's Hyunwoo, I'm- not Kisses, she's Kisses. My dog."
He can feel his face heating up as the guy laughs, a real one, from his belly. Even he seems surprised by the strength of his own laughter. His face lights up like Hyunwoo's does at lunchtime (he knows this because Hyungwon and Minhyuk always laugh at him about it), and Hyunwoo thinks distantly that he wouldn't mind making a fool of himself even more, if it keeps that happiness on that sweet face.
"Nice to meet you Hyunwoo, and you too Kisses," a raised brow is directed at Hyunwoo, whose shoulders hunch up. "I'm Hoseok."
Hyunwoo returns his shallow bow, conscious of the embarrassed blush still highlighting his cheeks. It's quiet again after that, Hoseok concentrating on giving Kisses the park petting of a lifetime while Hyunwoo watches, cycling through ice-breakers in his mind, wanting desperately to keep Hoseok's attention on him as long as he can.
Just as he works up the courage to make an insightful comment about the weather, Hoseok takes away his opportunity. By audibly sniffling.
Hyunwoo freezes.
He watches, shocked and confused, as Hoseok's big brown eyes turn glassy and wet, and he takes a hand out of Kisses's scruff to rub at them. Kisses whines, nudges his hand with her nose to get it back where she wants it, and the little laugh that Hoseok lets out now is a shadow of his first.
"Um, Hoseok?" Hyunwoo moves to sit beside him, staying an arm's length away, unsure and fumbling. "What's wrong?"
Hoseok looks over at him, makes brief eye contact, and looks away, embarrassed. He shuffles his feet enough for Hyunwoo to glance down at them, and for the first time he notices a plain backpack, unzipped and overflowing with sheets of paper.
"I'm sorry," Hoseok snuffles, wiping his nose on his sleeve. "I didn't mean to make this awkward."
Hyunwoo shrugs, rubs a hand over the back of his neck, waits for him to continue. After a shaking sigh, he does.
"I just lost a pet recently, and I miss her so much."
Hyunwoo's heart squeezes in sympathy. Before he knows it his own eyes are feeling hot and scratchy, and a sniff slips out before he can stop it.
"Wait, don't cry! I meant literally, I literally lost her! My cat slipped out my window last night, and I've been taping up posters ever since."
Hurriedly, Hyunwoo clears his throat of the empathetic tears that had collected there. Kisses looks over at him at the sound, ears perking and head quirking.
"That really sucks. I'm sorry."
Hyunwoo knows he's not the best with words, he never has been. And he knows that he certainly could have been a little more elegant in his condolence. But Hoseok sends him a smile that's genuine, if a little watery, and the hand he pats Hyunwoo's knee with is warm and leaves a lingering echo of touch.
"I appreciate it."
With a bracing breath, Hoseok gives a last scritch to Kisses's chin, and then heaves himself off of the bench. He yawns before he stretches his arms above his head with a stuttering groan. Hyunwoo catches a swath of smooth pale skin beneath the hem of his hoodie, a pair of thumbprint sized dimples on either side of the dip of his spine, before looking away.
Hyunwoo stands as well, rubbing his palms on his thighs, watching Hoseok step carefully around Kisses's splayed paws and grab his backpack up off of the ground. After a moment of hesitation, he reaches in to grab one of the posters.
He holds it out to Hyunwoo.
"Just in case," he says, almost shyly.
Hyunwoo takes it with a short whistle that has Kisses immediately coming to heel.
"I'll keep an eye out," he assures.
Hoseok graces him with another real smile, his teeth once again catching on his lip, before waving shortly, sending a seperate one to Kisses, and walking off, following the paved path.
Hyunwoo watches him as he flips his hood back up and stuffs his hands in his pockets. He does so until his line of sight is broken by a group of cyclists coming between them. Kisses whines, a little distressed noise at his feet.
"Me too, baby," Hyunwoo says, patting her head.
It's nearly a week later that Hyunwoo hears a meek meow from just outside his front door.
At first, he shrugs it off. The tv is on some random sitcom as background noise, it was probably just an awkwardly timed sound bite. He pops another handful of shrimp chips into his mouth and continues watching. But then it happens again. More plaintive this time, a tiny little plea, and even Kisses picks her head up off of Hyunwoo's lap to look towards the front door.
For a moment, he thinks back to Hoseok. Remembers the flyer stuck to his fridge and the cute, fluffy white cat with blushie marks edited on to its cheeks gazing at him from it every time he walks by.
Kisses sighs when he lifts her upper body off his lap to allow himself to slip off the couch. He sympathizes.
As he shuffles into his slippers and opens the door, a part of him holds hope that it is indeed the cat from the flyer, Eevee as it declares, just so that he would have an excuse to use the number printed beneath it. Is that selfish? Maybe. But is Hyunwoo also a romantic with a bleeding heart who would never let a kitty stay out on a cold night whether or not their owner was stupidly beautiful anyway? Definitely.
So he opens his door, and crouches low, to try and peek past the dense leaves of the shrub that must be shielding the little beast.
He clicks his tongue a couple times, snaps his fingers together, and is rewarded with a pointed white face, peeking out from between the lowest branches. Blue eyes, the same as those on the flyer, gaze at him with reproach.
"Mrow," it says.
There are no blushie marks in real life, and he can't yet see if this cat has got the heart-patterned collar mentioned on the flyer, but the eyes are the same, and the long white fur, though dirty, looks similar.
"Um, Eevee? Are you Eevee?"
He's not expecting a reply, per say, but the flyer had mentioned that she would respond to her name, so he uses it despite feeling a little ridiculous.
Two tiny white paws scoot up underneath the fuzzy chin, and the little animal scooches forwards a few centimeters. A white collar with a motif of pink and red hearts is revealed with the movement, and a breath Hyunwoo hadn't even known he'd been holding leaves his mouth in a relieved exhale.
He thinks fast, scooping the dirty little furball up before she can scoot back into the safety the bush offered. She gives a wriggle and a little hiss, more pitiful than anything, as Hyunwoo steps back inside with her cradled to his chest.
Kisses perks up on the couch, ears tall, and gives a little huff of interest when she catches sight of the cat sitting tensely in Hyunwoo's arms.
"Be nice," Hyunwoo warns.
Kisses whines in offense.
Eevee seems to settle down as he continues to hold her, propping her paws comfortably on his forearm as he carries her into his little kitchen. She mewls when he transfers her to one arm so that he can grab his phone from his shorts pocket, and he shushes her gently. His hand is suspiciously sweaty as he starts to dial the number on the flyer, and he coughs harshly, feeling awkward in his own home as he holds it up to his ear, and listens to the dial tone.
Hyunwoo may not know Hoseok particularly well, he'll be the first to admit. That being said, he can't find it in himself to be surprised when Hoseok starts crying as soon as he learns that Eevee has been found.
Through his tears, the man had made a choked promise to be at Hyunwoo’s place in less than fifteen minutes with a cat carrier and his reward. Hyunwoo had stumbled over his words, trying to deny needing anything, but Hoseok had already hung up before he could get the words out. Resigned, Hyunwoo simply sends a pin of his address to Hoseok’s number, and goes about preparing for a visitor.
A sweet, angel-faced visitor with what appears to be a soft, golden heart.
Hyunwoo may or may not be freaking out. In his arms, Eevee begins to knead with her dainty little paws. The little pricks of her claws wakes Hyunwoo from his panicked daze. He jumps into action.
Knowing Kisses and her comfort level with other animals, he gives her a stern command to stay on the couch, and sets a protesting Eevee down on the kitchen floor to roam. He hurries to the living room, gathering his half-empty bag of shrimp chips, rolling down the top and tossing them into his snack cupboard. Jogging back to the couch, Hyunwoo haphazardly smacks the surface of the cushion he’d been sitting on, ridding it of any crumbs he might’ve left.
As he goes about all of this, a tiny white shadow has mirrored his every step. He’s careful not to step on the the little cat, though she seems to be trying her very hardest to get smooshed, serpentining between his legs and flopping onto the floor in places he’s likely to move to. Hyunwoo gives her an exasperated look, hands on his hips, after a particularly harrowing near fall. Balefully she gazes at him, paws in the air. Hyunwoo’s heart gives a squeeze.
Deciding his apartment is clean enough, Hyunwoo goes to pull a small dip bowl from the cabinet, and fills it with water from the tap. Eevee is on it as soon as he sets it on the kitchen floor, lapping ferociously. Hyunwoo’s chest lurches like he’s been pulled by a leash. If he had anything other than dog and people food he’d be more than happy to share, but unfortunately, water is all he has to offer. He crouches down to run a hand over the thirsty kitty’s hunched back, marveling at how his hand dwarfs her slim body. He wonders, pink cheeked, how she’d look cradled to her owner’s ample chest.
Distracted, Hyunwoo is startled whenever Kisses perks up from the couch and wuffs lowly.
He springs up so quickly his knees pop. Just in time for three frantic knocks to sound from his front door, accompanied by the distinctive scratch of nervous feet on his doormat. His heart in his throat, Hyunwoo compulsively runs a hand through his hair, hoping it looks decent before calming Kisses with a quick pat and opening up the door.
Hoseok stands on his little porch, just as beautiful as he’d been a week ago. He’s breathing heavily, and his cheeks are flushed with exertion; he’d obviously run the whole way from his apartment over to Hyunwoo’s. Recovering himself with a start, Hyunwoo steps back and gestures for him to come in.
“Do you need anything to drink, some water?” Hyunwoo wants to brush the damp hair back from Hoseok’s forehead, but resists.
Hoseok is quick to shake his head. “No thank you, I just need to see her. You’re sure it’s her right? Does she still have her collar? Is she-“ Hoseok’s rambling is cut off with what sounds like an aborted sob whenever his eyes are caught by something over Hyunwoo’s shoulder. Hyunwoo spins to see that Eevee has apparently drunk her fill, and hopped up onto the counter directly in Hoseok’s line of sight.
Hoseok moves to scoop her up immediately, strong arms bared by a short-sleeved shirt wrapping her up like iron bands as he buries his face into her fuzzy side. He’s gentle despite his joy, and Eevee starts grooming the side of his head with a purr as soon as she realizes who’d snatched her up.
“She was just outside my door beneath that bush, Kisses noticed her before I did,” Hyunwoo says with a hopefully natural sounding laugh. Hoseok’s response is muffled, as he hasn’t yet removed his face from his cat’s coat.
“Then she deserves a reward too.”
Ah, that.
“Hoseok, seriously.” Hyunwoo waits for Hoseok to look at him. His eyes are bright and glittering, but it looks like he’d managed to keep his tears at bay. “I can’t accept anything. I didn’t even find her, she found me.”
Hoseok continues rocking Eevee in her arms until she settles down, content and buzzing like a miniature airplane engine, as his expression twists into a semblance of a pout. Hyunwoo spots resolve in the soft contours of his face. “I have to give you something, you brought my baby back to me.”
“Anyone would have,” Hyunwoo starts. A sharp look from Hoseok quiets him.
“But ‘anyone’ didn’t. You did.” Hoseok steps towards him and Hyunwoo’s heart does a funny little dance in his chest when he carefully deposits Eevee into his arms. “You can just choose from what I brought.”
Hyunwoo only has time to pull a confused face while Hoseok slings a backpack over his shoulder, different from the one he’d had in the park. This one is hard plastic, with a transparent dome protruding from the front. When he sets it on the kitchen counter, it thumps heavily. Hyunwoo can’t help but to move a little closer, trying to peer inside while Hoseok rifles around. Eevee lifts her head, apparently just as interested.
“I got my friend to bake some cookies, and my mom sent over some kimchi from her last batch.” He pulls out a tupperware container and a glass jar as he speaks, lining them up on the counter. “I also have a voucher for a free meal at my favorite ramen shop, and this bag of salt water taffy’s that I got the last time I went to the beach.”
When he turns back to look at Hyunwoo, he’s sheepish.
“I don’t really have any cash now, but if you can wait until my next paycheck I can set some aside-“
“Hoseok.” Hyunwoo can’t stop the smile spreading over his face just like he can’t stop the warmth welling up inside him. “Seriously. I don’t need anything.”
Hoseok pouts in earnest now, throwing his hands up. To quell his urge to squeeze those indignantly flushed cheeks, Hyunwoo squeezes Eevee instead. She merps.
“I don’t know what else I can do! Do you need your windows cleaned, or your laundry done? Please, I have to pay you back somehow.”
Hyunwoo doesn’t know where his surge of confidence comes from, maybe it’s how much fondness has accumulated in him over the past few minutes, needing an outlet. Whatever it is, he harnesses it gratefully, and metaphorically crosses his fingers.
“You could go on a date with me? Maybe?”
Okay, maybe it wasn’t confidence. A dash of misplaced conviction? That seems closer to the truth, every second that Hoseok stands and stares at him, wide-eyed, lips parted in surprise.
Hyunwoo shrinks, and cringes at himself.
“You don’t have too, obviously, that was stupid of me. Those cookies look yummy, I’ll just take those and-“
A finger, lightly pressed under his chin. His mouth claps shut as if he’d been sucker punched. Hoseok steps back as quickly as he’d stepped forward. His shock had turned to pleased bashfulness while Hyunwoo had been self-destructing, painting his face peachy tones.
“I’d love to go on a date with you,” He says with a smile. “And you’re also welcome to the cookies.”
“Oh,” Hyunwoo says articulately. “That’s cool.”
Hoseok snorts into his hand, and Hyunwoo is so hopelessly charmed he forgets about his embarrassment.
Eevee starts getting restless in Hyunwoo’s arms, and Hoseok takes her with a series of placating coo’s. Hyunwoo tries not to be hyper aware of all of the places they touch as the hand off is made, and spectacularly fails.
While Hoseok gets Eevee situated in the backpack, which turns out to double as a cat carrier, Hyunwoo stands with a hip cocked against his counter, rubbing his nape.
“Seriously though, don’t feel obligated to go out with me just because I found your cat.”
Hoseok’s lips curl up on one side, sending something electric cascading down Hyunwoo’s spine.
“I’m going out with you because you managed to ask me first.” Hoseok zips the backpack with a flourish, and carefully slides it onto his back. “I was still working up the courage to ask you myself, so I guess the cookies can be a reward for taking the pressure off of me.”
Hyunwoo can’t help it. He laughs full and heavy, from his gut, surprise coloring it giddy. Disbelief must show on his face, as Hoseok continues.
“You were just so sweet at the park, and you didn’t freak out when I started crying, and you’re also kind of ridiculously hot.” Hyunwoo chokes. “It doesn’t hurt that you have an awesome dog, either.”
Hyunwoo’s shoulders climb to meet his ears. “Well, when you put it that way.”
“Yep.” Hoseok grins so wide that his cheeks hint at shallow dimples. There’s shyness hiding in his smile, the way he holds himself, but enough mettle to balance it out. Hyunwoo hopes his eyes aren’t visibly heart-shaped.
Hoseok stops by the couch on his way to the front door, keeping his rejected rewards cradled in one arm while he reaches to let Kisses sniff his fingers. As soon as he starts petting her, her back foot starts thumping the couch cushion just as it had a week prior.
“Don’t tell your daddy that I really only like him for you, okay sweetness?” Kisses’s tongue lolls in oblivious bliss. Hyunwoo feels like swallowing his own.
When Hoseok leaves, it’s with a final angelic smile, and a coy wave to both Hyunwoo and Kisses, who had slid off the couch to stand beside her owner in the doorway. Hyunwoo returns the wave and repeats a promise to text Hoseok whenever he wanted to schedule their date. When Hoseok turns his back to them, Hyunwoo blows a kiss at Eevee, her pointed little face bobbing in the window of her carrier with each step Hoseok takes farther and farther away. One of her blue eyes winks coquettishly.
Hyunwoo closes the door, stands still for a moment, and then slides down it with a thump. He buries his face in his hands to hide a fool's grin he doesn’t try to suppress. Worried, Kisses whines, and forces her face through his forearms until she can try and assault him with her namesake smooches.
He wrestles her away and hops up, a new pep in his step, practically skipping over to her treat bin. She deserves a reward, as many milkbones as she wants, for bringing him to Hoseok.