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Renjun hadn’t been to Korea in a long, long time. The last he’d seen of it was from an airplane window three years ago, just under a week after his high school graduation.
He remembered that day vividly, hugging his best friends with teary eyes as he promised them he’d come back some day. Getting a smack on the arm from an equally teary Donghyuck, who said “If you don’t, I’m gonna drag you back here myself.”, chuckling as he tried to ignore the fact that one of his best friends was leaving for an unknown stretch of time.
It was a hard day for all of them, but the pain that they felt had long since subsided, and Renjun had kept to his promise that he would return.
He eyed Seoul out the window of his taxi, eyes trailing over everything as a sense of familiarity washed over his body. It was strange to be back, but excitement welled up in Renjun’s heart anyway, too ecstatic to register much else. In just over an hour, his cab finally pulled up in front of his new apartment, and he felt like his heart was about to beat out of his chest.
It took a few minutes of struggling with his bags and trying to fit into the building’s small elevator, but eventually, Renjun stepped into his apartment, facing boxes of previously shipped goods and furniture that his friends had graciously offered to bring in ahead of time. He collapsed on his couch, still covered in a thin plastic sheet, and exhaled. God, did Renjun hate traveling.
After a few hours, Renjun had significantly tidied his apartment up, and even popped some of his airport snacks into his cabinets so he'd have something to nosh on when he inevitably got hungry at 4 o'clock in the morning. He rolled over a bit on his mattress (still without a frame) before he decided that he was bored. He wasn't sure how early was too early into his return to already be leaving his apartment, but honestly, he didn't even want to think about all of the work he had ahead of him in terms of tidying up the place.
So, he shot a text to his friends, asking if anyone was down to hang out.
Jaemin was the first to reply, sending a string of crying emojis before telling Renjun that he was at work and couldn't hang out any time soon. Mark texted right after, saying that he was visiting family and was out of town for a few more hours.
Then came Donghyuck, who answered with exactly what Renjun was waiting to hear.
-
Hyuck: I'm at work right now but that's not gonna stop me from seeing my best friend 😤. I'll bother my coworker until she agrees to cover the front desk for me.
Mark: so he's your best friend now ??? I see how it is.
Renjun: mark,,, you two have literally been dating for 3 years. shut your trap.
-
And so Renjun was off again, hitching a cab to the shelter that Donghyuck had been working at since their high school days. It was a nostalgic trip, as it reminded Renjun of the days when he'd come to the shelter with Hyuck, dragged there by the arm as his friend begged him to help him study for an upcoming test.
He noted the old café he would sit at with Hyuck during his lunch break, listening to him whine about many things, school and Mark Lee the most prevalent.
He gazed fondly at the windows of an old mom and pop shop that Renjun, Donghyuck, Mark, and Jaemin would wander through aimlessly for hours, looking at seemingly ancient knick knacks and playing jokes on each other.
Fond memories, thought Renjun. That's all he had of Seoul. He couldn't wait to make more.
The door to his taxi closed behind him as Renjun walked up to the shelter. And then, a sequence of noises.
The squeak of the door, the bell over his head, the scream of his best friend, and the barking of dogs.
In a moment he was wrapped up in Donghyuck's arms, being violently swayed back and forth as Donghyuck continued to make random exclamations about how happy he was that Renjun was back.
Renjun returned all of Donghyuck's excitement with a smile, telling the other how good it was to finally see his 'stupid dorky face' again after such a long time. (That comment earned him an immediate hit on the shoulder, but Renjun deemed it worth it.)
Donghyuck then caught a look from one of his coworkers, telling him to go into the back so he could show his friend what was actually in the shelter.
And so they did just that.
Donghyuck pushed open the door to a room in the back, a playroom for the hybrids that the shelter was caring for. The room was loud and full of energy, and there were so many sights and sounds for Renjun to take in, but his eyes were immediately drawn to one hybrid in particular.
He had platinum blond hair, and the fluffiest white ears and tail Renjun had ever seen. He found himself staring, and soon enough, the hybrid was staring right back, cocking his head as he examined the newcomer. Renjun's heart tightened.
He's beautiful.
"Already found one that catches your eye?" Said Donghyuck, a teasing tone in his voice.
Renjun delivered a very quick jab at his friend's arm, which was received with immediate whining.
"I was just pointing out the fact that you were ogling. Sheesh."
Renjun's cheeks flamed up at his friend's teasing, and he sent his gaze back over to the fluffy hybrid, who had now presumed playing around with his friends.
Renjun cleared his throat.
"What's his name?" He asked, his voice sounding totally casual up until the voice crack mid-sentence.
Donghyuck smiled knowingly.
"His name is Jeno. He's a Samoyed hybrid; came to our shelter like a year ago after being neglected by his old owner. He's a real sweetheart, though. Quiet sometimes, but so so full of love and affection for anyone that cares for him in return."
Renjun smiled, his eyes following Jeno as he joked with some of his friends.
"Is it… weird that I want to take him home?"
Hyuck chuckled, now also looking at the boy in question.
"No, but I will say that I don't think your apartment is quite ready to house anyone else for the time being. You're gonna have to clean your place up before you can file to adopt him."
To this Renjun sighed, wanting to protest but knowing that it's in his best interest that he not.
"Fine. But you're gonna help me clean. Jaemin and Mark are too."
Donghyuck snorted.
"Yeah right, like that's ever gonna happen."
Three hours later, that happened.
The four friends were all in Renjun's apartment, unboxing things and unsheathing pieces of furniture that came in so much plastic it made Jaemin gag at "the sheer environmental neglect."
And yes, while doing a bunch of unpacking is never fun, the boys managed to make the most of it, playing around and occasionally throwing things across the room. One lamp was broken in this process, even though Mark claimed he had delivered a perfect throw.
(It was not a perfect throw.)
Eventually though, after hours and hours of hard work, Renjun's place was next to done. There was still the occasional box lingering about, and there was tons of bubble wrap and packing peanuts still floating around, but Renjun deemed the place done enough for the moment.
The four friends all settled down on Renjun's couch, then Jaemin groaned as he rubbed at his neck.
"I think I need a new spine after all of that lugging. What's with the impromptu cleaning session anyway? I thought you'd do this over weeklong spans like a normal person."
Renjun sighed, going to respond, but Hyuck beat him to it.
"He had a love at first sight moment with one of the hybrids at the shelter, and I told him he couldn't bring said hybrid home if his place was a whole mess."
Mark snorted.
"Love at first sight, eh? Is it one of the hybrids I know?"
Donghyuck nodded.
"It's Jeno, the blond Samoyed hybrid. Junnie had been in the playroom for literally like a nanosecond and his eyes were already zeroed in on him."
This earned Donghyuck another whack on the arm.
"You make it sound so much more dramatic than it actually was. I'm just… intrigued is all. He's cute and you told me he's really nice. Is it so weird for me to like him?" Renjun's words came out like a whine, and his lips wound up tipped into a frown.
Jaemin shook his head.
"It's not weird. I bet Donghyuck's just so psyched that he can tease you about liking someone after all the hell you put him through in high school. Like, remember when Mark had just freshly transferred to our class, and Donghyuck legitimately had an asthma attack after he was partnered up with him for a project? You teased him about it for months!"
Renjun and Donghyuck groaned at the same time, one for being put in his place and the other for being forced to remember embarrassing high school moments. All Mark did was smile.
“Ok, so maybe the revenge is deserved, but I still don't think it's very justified."
Renjun didn’t get much of a response from this, all of his friends having clearly already made up their minds regarding the situation. He huffed as his friends turned to the freshly installed television, Hyuck’s fingertips idly switching through channels.
In only a few days time, Renjun’s life was moving along well. He had a few calls in to some small shops for job opportunities, and his apartment was almost entirely furnished. He felt like he had adjusted to being in Seoul again, and now that he felt that way, he felt ready to welcome in something (or someone) new.
It took some battling with his own pride, but he succumbed to his own mental whining and sent a text to Donghyuck, asking the other if he could visit him at work, and maybe get some time to talk to Jeno.
Donghyuck, of course, responded teasingly, but still gave Renjun permission to come visit him.
Renjun hopped in a cab as soon as he got a yes from Hyuck, and pulled up in front not long after.
The next moments passed in a bit of a blur. Some teasing from Donghyuck, faint yips and meows, the door to the playroom opening, and once again locking eyes with angelic white ears.
Donghyuck walked over to Jeno, who immediately gave his full attention to the shelter worker. Renjun couldn't hear them because they were a fair bit away, but Renjun watched their exchange intently. Jeno's ears perked up as Donghyuck was speaking, and his tail started moving in little swishes behind him. He looked over at Renjun with a shine in his eye, and then he turned to Donghyuck, as if asking permission to walk over to Renjun. Donghyuck nodded with a smile on his face, watching as Jeno scampered over to his friend.
Renjun was now closer than he'd ever been to the cute hybrid, and he felt nerves swarming his heart. He didn't think he was fit to introduce himself when his body was practically shaking.
Luckily enough, Jeno seemed more than eager to start the conversation.
"Hi! You're Donghyuckie's friend, right?" He said, his voice a bit deeper than what Renjun was expecting.
After a mental deep breath, Renjun responded, sending a short smile in Jeno’s direction.
“Yeah, I’ve known him since high school. My name’s Renjun.”
Jeno beamed at him.
“Donghyuckie told me! He told me a whole bunch about you, actually.”
Renjun quirked up an eyebrow.
“Oh really? What else did he say?”
By now the two were walking towards a separate room, where they could have a conversation in peace without the chaos of the playroom.
Jeno thought for a moment.
“Well…. He said I shouldn’t tell you that we were talking behind your back… but… he said that you’re from China, he said you have a really pretty singing voice, and he said that you really wanted to give me a home!”
Jeno was smiling wide at this point, and Renjun felt like his heart would absolutely melt given the current circumstances. The two finally walked into their separate conversation room, and each sat down onto little beanbags.
“I’m honestly a bit surprised that he said such nice things about me… I was half expecting you to say that he’d told you I’m a bridge troll.”
Jeno giggled.
“Nope! All nice things, I swear.”
The room fell a bit silent then, as Renjun gazed at Jeno. He noticed as he curled in a bit on himself and his ears dipped down, looking shyer than he ever had in front of Renjun. The Chinese boy was about to ask just what exactly made Jeno feel that way, but the hybrid answered him before he even had to ask.
“He was serious when he said you want to take me home, right?”
His voice was softer than Renjun had ever heard it. Admittedly, the sound of it broke Renjun’s heart just a little bit.
“Of course. I knew I had to take you home from the moment I saw you. The only reason I didn’t was because my apartment would have been far too messy, far below what you deserve.”
Jeno looked positively ecstatic, tail going at what looked like supersonic speed, whacking against the beanbag beneath him.
“So… when you came here today…” Said Jeno, hoping the other would pick up what he was saying.
“Yes, I came here today with the intent to take you home.”
Jeno was beaming now. He jumped up and hugged Renjun, murmuring thank you’s over and over again. Renjun hugged him back, taking in the warmth of the hybrid. His hybrid.
After an adoption process that primarily consisted of Jeno saying goodbye to all of his shelter friends, Donghyuck crying (but pretending he wasn’t), and Renjun receiving many thanks from the shelter staff, Jeno was finally home.
“It’s not much,” said Renjun, his apartment now looking far too drab to ever be enough for Jeno, “but I hope you like it!”
Jeno could only smile at the sight of his new home, and he immediately started looking around so he could familiarize himself with the space. He noted the living room, with the biggest tv he’d ever seen, the bathroom that had a floor-to-ceiling mirror, the kitchen that smelled of chicken soup, and the bedroom with the comfy bed (that Jeno immediately flopped on in order to test).
Jeno thought it was absolutely perfect. He thought it couldn’t have been any better if he’d dreamed it up himself. A nice place he could call home, speckled with little knick knacks and small plants (he made a note to not knock those down with his tail), and a cute owner to boot!
It didn’t take long for Jeno to adjust, and once he had, him and Renjun fell into a routine.
They’d wake up one hour apart from each other, because Jeno slept like a rock and was impossible to wake any earlier than he wanted to.
They’d eat breakfast together, once Jeno finally stumbled out of the bedroom, still looking half asleep, just standing up.
Then, they’d go about their days together, with Jeno always tagging along wherever Renjun went. Whether that meant sitting in a waiting room while Renjun was in job interviews, or helping wheel the cart around at the grocery store, the two became inseparable.
Their nights usually ended with movies, as Jeno was very strongly intrigued by just how many there were. Being in the shelter, he’d seen the same movies over and over again, his choices limited by which DVDs the staff deemed good for the hybrids to watch. Now, he had access to thousands of movies, and he told Renjun he wanted to watch them all, impossible as that may be. The two of them wound up snuggled up halfway through every movie they watched, and sometimes Renjun would doze off on Jeno’s shoulder if he’d had a bit of a long day.
Jeno couldn’t complain, though. He’d grown an attachment to Renjun like none he’d ever had before.
Months passed like this, and the two were comfortable. Donghyuck thought they were too comfortable with keeping their relationship platonic.
He had come to visit their apartment on a rainy weekend, not having a shift at the shelter but also not having enough energy to really go out. In a break in the hang out, when Jeno said he wanted to run down to the convenience store to pick up some snacks, Donghyuck immediately turned his attention to Renjun.
“How are you not dating him yet?” He said, eyes blown wide as though even he couldn’t believe what he was saying.
Renjun shrugged. Hyuck didn’t take that for an answer.
“No shrugging. Give me an actual reason or I swear to God I will ask him out on your behalf.”
Renjun didn’t really know what to say.
“I just feel like I haven’t found the right time? Plus, I’m not sure he even likes me like that… It’d be really difficult to confess something like that and be turned down. We’ve become so close and I don’t think I could bear to have our time together suddenly taken away and taken over by awkward glances and constantly maneuvering around each other.”
Hyuck sighed.
“That’s valid. However, coming from someone who’s known Jeno longer than you have, and who’s been there every step of the way in your relationship, he’s just as head over heels for you as you are for him. So, I say you go for it.”
And go for it he did.
It took a lot of preparation, and a lot of Donghyuck talking him up, but Renjun finally managed to work something out.
It was a Saturday night, and he and Jeno had just walked out of the movie theater. Jeno was practically bouncing from excitement after watching his first ever superhero movie, and found himself mimicking some of the moves he’d seen used in the film.
“Good movie?” Asked Renjun, chuckling at the other. Jeno smiled, playfully rolling his eyes.
“Would I be so excited if it wasn’t?”
With continuous banter bouncing back and forth between them, they rounded the corner of the movie theater block, walking a few blocks down until they were situated at a small park, having a lantern-lit brick walkway and a duck pond.
The two sat down at one of the ornate park benches, looking out at the little ducks, dipping their heads underwater and swimming around as moonlight shone over them through the trees.
Renjun spared a glance at Jeno, his heartbeat ticking up as he thought about what he was about to do. With a shaky inhale, he turned his body fully towards Jeno, causing the hybrid to do the same.
“So… I’ve been thinking,” said Renjun, “way more than I usually do. About a lot of things, but mostly you.”
Jeno’s ears perked up at this.
“And forgive me, please, if I’m being too forward, or if I’ve read the situation entirely wrong, but I feel like there’s something more to us than what we’ve made it out to be.”
The hybrid’s eyes widened like saucers.
“Are you saying-” Jeno began, but it seemed as though he was at a loss for words.
“I’m saying…”
Deep breath.
“I think I’d like to call you my boyfriend.”
Immediately, Renjun felt the entire weight of Jeno’s body on top of him, the hybrid’s arms wrapping around him as his head buried into his shoulder. His tail was wagging like it had when Renjun had first brought him home.
Feeling a weight lifted off his shoulders, Renjun giggled, winding his hands around Jeno’s waist so he could hug him back.
“Is that a yes?” he said, though in reality, he already knew the answer.
Jeno brought his head out of Renjun’s shoulder, looking at him with stars in his eyes.
“Of course it’s a yes!”
And so the two rejoiced, hugging each other tightly, and sharing their first kiss under the scattered moonlight.
And when they took a selfie full of smiles to send to Renjun’s friends, the response, as expected, was:
“Finally!”