Work Text:
"Sangie, have you seen where the scissors are?" Yunho called out from the kitchen, leaning over the counter where he was currently working on a cardboard project.
He could distantly hear Yeosang's deep timbre response from the living room before came the sound of footsteps and shuffling papers. Yunho let out a quiet sigh whilst he listened to his roommate rummage about. Final exams were killing them both in their owns ways, but they still knew to work well together, that's why Yunho loved Yeosang as his roommate.
A few more minutes passed, so Yunho decided to busy himself with another task instead. Getting the glue gun to work with him instead of against. For the past few tries, he's managed to burn his fingers multiple times in attempts to glue on the little picture frames onto the walls for the miniature room he was making as well.
He knew this project would be incredibly difficult since his hands were already bigger than the average person's so handling tiny items would be agony personified, but apparently he hadn't properly considered that before deciding to take up this task with blind confidence.
Projects like this honestly made him wonder why he decided to take up architecture classes. He didn't see why this was important nor necessary, would his professor even keep this tiny living room? There was no way Yunho was going to do this half-assed only to have his professor to mark it really low and throw it away. He'd rather burn down the entire school before that happened.
Was it dramatic? Of course it was, but Yunho was all about dramatics, so it fit! Maybe he should've followed Seonghwa into musical theatre (or whatever it was that his hyung did, he didn't really know) instead. That would've taken much less physical pain than this did...
Yeosang returned into the room with scissors raised high over his messy blond head and a guilty smile on his face, "I forgot that I took this some time back for my own stuff, sorry."
"What stuff do you even need to cut out? Aren't you in accounting or something like that?" The taller man muttered with furrowed brows as he reached forward for the scissors Yeosang handed back to him.
"No, law."
"My point still stands, no idea what you have to cut out."
"It's complicated to explain." The man said as he waved his hands vaguely, his voice vibrating comfortably through Yunho's bones.
The taller didn't bother to ask as his attention returned onto his project. He stared at all the material he'd need to cut out for his little couch and the wallpaper... How on Earth was he going to make the little TV screen as well?
He swallowed, scissors clutched tightly in his hands as everything dawned on him all at once. Yunho wasn't one to panic easily. It took a lot of upset him, unsurprisingly. But this was a whole different sensation that he did not like whatsoever.
So he decided to put the scissors down, step back with a calm inhale and exhale.
This was fine. He just needed some fresh air before he could come back to this. Yeah, that sounded like a wonderful idea. He hadn't gone out in a long while anyways, plus his legs were basically begging to go on a walk. Nothing wrong with that, the project would always be here anyway. He unpocketed his phone and checked the time.
13:34.
Okay, so if he went out on a walk to... the park nearby or maybe Seonghwa's apartment, he could time himself and return home by 14:30 latest, then work on this project until 16:00.
Once satisfied with his planning, Yunho moved to slip his sneakers on by the front door and called out to his roommate, "I'm going out for a bit, I'll be back!"
"Bring back snacks, please!" Sangie responded from the other room, Yunho assumed was his bedroom because of how much further away he sounded.
"No promises." Yunho whispered with a soft huff before he swung the kitchen door open and left, humming a tune under his breath.
It was a beautifully bright day out today. The little duck pond near their place was glimmering against the sun's shine, but the ducks were nowhere to be found. Probably searching about for food. Maybe he'll come across them later on.
The trees were drowning in all the sunlight, making the green leaves appear that pretty soft orangey-yellow Yunho loved and the bark a gentle chocolate milk brown.
The sky was perfectly clear and stretched on for eons, not a singular cloud in sight. The birds were singing, the air was clean and everything felt lighter in a matter of seconds.
He nodded to himself, slipping a hand into his pocket to fish out his airpods. He was so glad he was the type of person that made weather related playlists because this called for some lovely summer tunes.
The rays passed over his eyes and he could not help but to melt from the comforting warmth sinking into his skin. He let out a quiet sigh, forgetting all about his music for a second. He slowed his steps before stopping entirely in his tracks and let his eyes slip shut, let the sun press kisses all along his skin and soothe away his nerves.
If he could stay just like this forever, he'd probably be awarded as the happiest sun puppy in the entire world. Or maybe be relentlessly coddled and cooed at by Seonghwa and Yeosang about how adorable he looked whenever he stepped outside. The usual.
A quiet chuckle escaped his lips at the thought of his friends. They should all meet up again and do something together, it's been a while...Maybe a simple game night would be nice, he could invite Mingi and San too since Yeosang would invite Wooyoung most likely. He hadn't talked much to the man, but he seemed wonderful. Would Jongho be free? He hoped so...
Once he felt the sun beginning to drift slightly and the shade returning, he let his eyes flutter back open and continued along his easy path.
He let time entirely slip off his mind, instead taking a slow stroll along. It felt like he was sightseeing for the first time all over again. His eyes flitted over to the little dog park where he caught a golden retriever happily rolling around in mud whilst its owner watched with a mix of fond amusement and pain stricken horror. Good luck with that bath day...
The birds decided today was the perfect day to somehow all sing a beautiful tune all at the same time. It was beyond peaceful, everything that a slow relaxed day needed, as long as he didn't think about the project waiting for him back at home.
He swayed his head along with the music the birds sung and whistled, noting how it felt like they were performing it just for him.
Then, the little squeaks started from behind him. Assuming it was a crowding of the ducks following him, he turned around, ready to apologize for not bringing snacks and promising to do so next time.
No. Not ducks at all.
In fact, it was an entire squirrel.
He paused, blinked once.
Yunho stared at the little thing for a while too long, expecting it to already start running away.
But it never did. Which he thought was weird, but it was cute so he didn't mind it.
Yunho blinked. So did the little guy. He did it again twice as fast three times, the squirrels copied.
Then, Yunho tilted his head slightly to the side, so does it.
"Huh..." He hummed, surprise colouring his voice as he cautiously crouched down to the squirrel's level.
The little animal made squeaky noises in response, blinking even faster at him as if trying to convey some message Yunho couldn't quite decipher.
"Um..." He furrowed his brows, leaning in a little closer to the little thing as if its small noises would make any more sense than they already weren't, "I don't really understand you..."
The squirrel looked at him for a moment, the silence stretching too long, then it genuinely frowned. Like full smile turned all the way upside down.
And all Yunho could was stare, absolutely baffled. He wasn't a hundred percent sure that animals could frown, nor could they smile really. He just assumed they couldn't. But they could convey the feeling of it, that's at least what he's seen in dogs and cats and such.
A squirrel was a whole new ball park he was not very acknowledged to.
He cleared his throat, trying to gather his thoughts together once more. This was so weird and absurd, he was talking to a squirrel.
Speaking of the squirrel, it was now chattering so quickly and flattering their little arms about, as if berating him...or trying to tell him something important?
The little thing stepped even closer, way closer than Yunho would ever assume. He froze for a moment too long, entirely too baffled to properly think. So when he anxiously reached out a hand, he internally slapped himself across the face because why would he do that!?
The squirrel didn't seem to second think their choice either and skittered all the way onto the middle of Yunho's palm. Luckily his hand was big enough so it settled comfortably with its surprisingly well-maintained tail happily wagging back and forth.
Yunho on the other hand just stood there, confused on what to do. Put it in a tree? Put it on the ground? Call the authorities? Go to a doctor to check for rabies??
Without a beat, he fished out his phone with his free hand and did what he could in the moment of panic.
Call Jongho, his lovely friend, and veterinarian student.
~♡~
Yunho returned home with a squirrel in his hand.
He sighed, Jongho did advise for him to leave it where he found it, but honestly, he did try.
The little guy just didn't seem to want to leave Yunho's side no matter what he did. And trust, he tried so very desperately.
"C'mon little guy, you need to go back home."
The little thing just stared at him, confused. So now they wanted to behave as if they didn't understand him. Cheeky...
Yunho put them down onto the ground, turned on his heel and tried to walk away from it, but it followed. Persistently.
Then he started walking faster, letting his longer legs stretch the distance between them. It didn't take too long for him to lose the squirrel.
But then, the cries started. And out drained his strength.
"Is that a squirrel?"
Yunho froze at the door.
Then slowly turned around to face the other man.
The other man who was stood near the oven, mittens on and all.
"Are you baking?"
They stared at each other.
They called Jongho. And Seonghwa for comfort measures.
~♡~
The squirrel turned out to be very against others initiating touch. So much so that it would glare at them with a look that resembled closely to disgust.
Except for one person other than Yunho himself —
Seonghwa.
The squirrel stomped and hissed in Yunho's palm whilst every one of his friends stood around watching.
Wooyoung was by far the most interested by the animal; constantly cooing at him, calling him adorable and attempting— very petulantly— to hold the little guy.
And apparently that was all it took for him to become incredibly adverse to touch specifically from Wooyoung. It didn't seem to be against much from San, did occasionally bite Mingi's fingers, and would simply stare at Yeosang and Jongho.
Seonghwa on the other hand, handled him with the patience of a thousand deities. He stepped forward, slowly reached his cupped hands forward and quietly introduced himself in that tone he'd use with babies.
And that seemed to leave the little creature absolutely smitten. He glanced up at Seonghwa like he'd hung up all the stars and was the reason for the beautiful azure skies. It was honestly the cutest expression he'd ever seen and he really wished someone would take a photo of it so he could hang it up in his bedroom.
But despite the obvious adoration, the creature didn't climb into the man's hands at all.
The small squirrel instead buried his face into Yunho's palm, all shy and embarrassed, and everyone in the room burst into coos and laughter.
Well, the squirrel hated Wooyoung and had a massive crush on Seonghwa. That was... an interesting start.
"We should give the little guy a name." Yeosang suggested as he set his apron onto thr hook on their oven, "Feels like it would be a... Lucky, or something."
"Lucky? Are you serious—"
"Please never name things again—"
"Yeosang...—"
Yunho ignored all their unnecessary complaints shot at Yeosang. Instead, his focus shifted entirely to the bundle of fur in the palms of his hand.
Huh, he hadn't expected for today to go like this. Hadn't expected to receive a new little companion he had to name...
His eyes traced over the unique white swirl in their tail, over the little darker patch around their arm that funnily resembled an armband. The little guy must've been some sort of captain in its past life...
"What about Joongie?" Yunho randomly threw out, eyes lifting up to meet all his friends'. "That's pretty fitting, no?"
Everyone stopped fighting and stared, before all muttering incoherently in some form of agreement, or at least that was what Yunho was assuming. Even if they didn't like it, he didn't care. The little guy was his. And maybe Seonghwa's too since it seemed to really like the man.
Ugh, custody sharing...
"Hi, Joongie." Yunho whispered, bringing the squirrel up close to his face. And it seemed like the squirrel didn't mind the name as it glanced up from its hiding spot to look back at Yunho. Well, Joongie it is.
He smiled, and so did Joongie.
Whilst everyone continued to scatter into their own conversation and random activities, Yunho decided to pad over to his unfinished project still resting on the counter top.
He glanced at the fabric laying around, at the attempt of constructing a miniature couch and felt a shiver run down his spine from his glue gun battle.
Then he'd glanced at Joongie. Then his project.
He sighed.
Well, guess this had to be as perfect and comfortable as possible.
For his Joongie.