From Strangers to Neighbours to … Lovers?
Title: From Strangers to Neighbours to … Lovers?
Author: chocolet89
Pairing: Jaejoong/Changmin
Rating: G
Length: One-Shot
Genre: Fluff
Summary: Changmin didn't think he'd find love at a pet store
A/N: A super super late birthday fic for yuutong ♥ I'm so sorry it took so long T___T (apologize for the lame title and summary OTL)
Prompts: pet shop, kitties, puppies
Changmin woke up with a groan as his alarm clock sounded loudly in the room. A small bundle of fur growled in his arms, attempting to shuffle closer to his body to shut off the dreaded ringing but Changmin rolled onto his back with a stretch before sitting up, leaving the tiny white Maltese whining in response.
“Can’t sleep in today Mandoongie, we have work,” Changmin explained cracking his eyes open and turning his head to look at the miserable ball of fluff curled up beside him. Changmin didn’t blame her though. It was currently raining heavily outside and had been for the past week; to Changmin and his pet it was the perfect weather for sleeping in.
With another groan Changmin threw off the covers before dragging himself out of bed to get ready for the day.
The first week of summer break had started and Changmin, being a university student had decided to take up the job of a sales assistant at a pet shop that was about a fifteen minute walk from his apartment to earn some extra cash before classes started again.
He’d stumbled across the job a few days ago when he’d gone in to the store to buy some food for Mandoong and saw the ‘help wanted’ sign on one of the windows. Since the owner was looking for someone to work at the store up until the summer break ended, Changmin had decided it was the perfect job to apply for.
The other good thing about the job was that the owner had said he was free to bring Mandoong along as long as she didn’t destroy anything in the store.
Changmin glanced behind him at the still shivering ball of fluff on the bed and smiled before reaching down and gently draping the covers back over the shivering Maltese.
*
Changmin arrived at the pet shop forty-five minutes later with Mandoong curled up in one arm while the other held an umbrella to protect them both from the pelting rain. After unlocking the door with a bit of difficulty since Mandoong refused to be let down, Changmin stumbled inside and fumbled around on the wall until he located the light switch and flicked it on.
Walking over to the side of the counter, he gently placed Mandoong down on a small bed that he’d bought from the pet shop two days ago just for the small dog since she enjoyed taking naps during the day. Once she was settled comfortably, Changmin went about his daily tasks of starting up the small shop.
Heading into the back room of the store, Changmin grabbed his apron off the hook on the door, tied it around his waist and then started preparing food for all the puppies and kittens that were starting to whine and paw at the clear glasses of their cubicles. It didn't take long and soon he had ten bowls of food set out in front of him, one for each cubicle.
“I’m coming, I’m coming hang on,” he grumbled half-heartedly as he juggled two bowls of food on one arm while opening the glass door of the first cubicle. He made sure the puppies weren’t going to leap at him before slowly placing the bowl down in a corner on the newspaper-covered floor.
“Slowly,” he murmured with a smile patting the two cocker spaniels in the cubicle gently. He took a quick glance at their water bowl and smiled when he saw that it was still full of water. When he’d come in the day before, the bowl had been tipped over and he’d ended up spending an extra fifteen minutes in between cleaning up the mess, delaying the opening of the shop a bit.
Placing the second bowl in the cubicle beside the cocker spaniels, he then went and retrieved another two bowls, repeating the process again until all puppies and kittens were eating their fill. Standing back and giving each cubicle another once over, Changmin smiled when he saw that all the bowls of water were still in their rightful positions.
After another ten minutes of checking that all the supplies on the shelves were stocked up and nothing was out of place, Changmin switched the sign on the door from ‘closed’ to ‘open’ and went to take a seat behind the counter. Staring out into the heavy rain Changmin wondered how many customers he would get today.
*
By lunchtime, only a few customers had come in to buy some supplies for their pets and Changmin wondered if he could close the shop early today. The rain hadn’t stopped at all and would most likely continue for the rest of the day.
Just when he was about to go in the back room to grab some Gimbap he’d made this morning at home, a jingle sounded throughout the store signalling a customer had walked in. Changmin looked over and saw a man standing at the entrance shaking his head to rid the last of the water on his hair. It reminded him of Mandoong whenever he bathed her and Changmin suppressed a grin at the thought.
“Hello there, can I help you?” he asked politely after clearing his throat to get the customer's attention.
The latter looked up and Changmin was mesmerized temporarily when he was greeted with big doe eyes behind thick black framed glasses.
“O-oh hello, umm … sorry, I just came in here to avoid the rain,” the other man replied ducking his head slightly in embarrassment.
“Oh okay,” there really wasn’t much else for Changmin to say to that.
He watched as the man turned his attention to the left and crouched down to look through the glass cubicles at the kittens, as all customers would when they came in to the store.
Deciding he had nothing better to do, Changmin walked out from behind the counter over to where the other man was standing.
“Do you like cats?” he asked watching as the latter pressed his finger lightly against the glass where the kitten was pawing at.
“Hmm I’m not really a pet person, but I’ve always preferred cats over dogs,” the slightly shorter man answered before standing up to smile at Changmin.
"I see," Changmin replied, albeit a bit dazzled at the smile directed at him.
“Can I … pet it?” the man asked hesitantly, not noticing the affect his smile was having on Changmin.
“Sure,” Changmin replied. He knelt down, unlocked the glass window and then picked up the kitten, holding it with easiness before offering it to the customer to pet.
Changmin should've realized that this man had had no prior experience with cats as soon as he walked in through the door, but he was too busy ogling those beautiful doe eyes to have noticed. So when the latter reached a hand out and stroked the kitten’s back with just a bit too much pressure, Changmin quickly batted his hand away and took a step back.
However the damage was done and in less than a second, the kitten had lashed out its claws and left bloody marks across Changmin’s arm from when he’d reached out to push the shorter man's hand away.
The latter gasped and rushed forward, but Changmin kept his arm out, keeping the distance between them. He ignored the light sting in his arm and gently stroked the kitten until it was purring in his arms again, before letting it back into its cubicle.
Only when he’d shut and locked the glass window did he let the other man come forward.
“A-are you okay? I’m so sorry,” the man whispered, guilt clearly lacing through his voice.
“I’m fine, it’s not the first time it’s happened,” Changmin said and indeed, he’d had a similar experience to this on his first day at work.
He led the way to the back of the store to grab the first aid kit from a shelf and was about to open it when the man took it out of his hands.
“I-I’ll help you … Changmin-sshi,” he explained, mumbling Changmin's name after a quick glance at his nametag on the apron.
Changmin watched as the man cleaned the blood off his arms before dabbing some cream on the cuts and wrapping the wounded areas in a white strip of cloth.
“Thank you,” Changmin said when they were done.
"It’s okay, it was my fault that this happened anyway. I-I'm Jaejoong by the way.”
“So you’ve never petted a kitten before Jaejoong-sshi?” Changmin asked testing the other man's name on his tongue as he led them out the room and back into the main store again.
“Not really … I’ve only had encounters with my sister’s dog but it’s never liked me so I guess that’s how I automatically preferred cats over dogs.”
“Oh I see … well would you like to have a go at petting a kitten again?”
Jaejoong paused mid-step and turned around to look at Changmin as if he'd grown a pair of horns on his head.
“Do you really mean it? I mean, aren’t you worried I’ll do it wrong again?”
Changmin chuckled as he made his way over to the glass cubicles again.
He noticed Jaejoong staring at the same kitten again and grinned before unlocking the glass window and lifting the same kitten up in his arms.
“Don’t pet it like you’re petting a dog,” Changmin explained as he lightly applied pressure on the kitten’s head with his fingers. The kitten made small purring noises and Changmin smiled before moving to lightly scratching the kitten’s chin.
“You have to be gentle with them, here try petting it on the head like I did, just use your fingertips and don’t apply too much pressure.”
Jaejoong nodded and reached out a hand hesitantly. Changmin gave him an encouraging smile while keeping the kitten distracted with his own ministrations. The shorter man did as instructed and let out a small smile when the kitten didn’t protest.
“Ahh it feels so soft,” Jaejoong complimented, his smile widening when the kitten purred again.
Changmin gradually moved his hand away, letting the shorter man do all the petting.
"What breed is it?" Jaejoong whispered after a few minutes of silence, save for the pelting of the rain outside and the occasional mewls from the kitten.
"He's a Russian Blue," Changmin replied just as quietly. "They're normally a bit reserved around strangers, but I think he might have taken a liking to you."
Jaejoong looked up then, a sort of hopeful look in his eyes.
"Really?"
"You don't seem convinced."
"Well the only encounters I've had with animals are my family's pets and like I mentioned before about my sister's dog, they all don't seem to like me."
Changmin let out a chuckle.
"Well right now he's looking pretty attached to you," he replied, referring to the purring bundle of grey fur in his arms.
Jaejoong let out a small laugh himself and Changmin found himself mesmerized by the shorter man for the second time that day.
Normally, Changmin wasn't allowed to let a customer pet an animal for longer than a few minutes, unless they planned on buying it, but he decided to let Jaejoong pet the Russian Blue for a little bit longer, smiling when the kitten's eyes started to droop as the shorter man's ministrations lulled it to sleep.
A sudden ringing sounded just when Changmin was about to suggest putting the kitten back in its cubicle, causing both men to jump and the kitten to twitch an ear in annoyance at the interruption.
Removing his hand, Jaejoong reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, ducking his head in apology.
Changmin shook his head with a smile and, when Jaejoong turned to the side to answer the phone, gently lowered the kitten back into its cubicle, making sure the glass window was firmly shut before standing up again.
Jaejoong ended the call just when Changmin was about to walk back over to the counter, having felt slightly awkward just standing there and waiting for the phone call to end.
"Sorry, that was my editor calling. Been chasing me for a draft since the beginning of last week," Jaejoong explained briefly while slipping his phone back into his jeans.
Changmin gave a look of surprise.
"You're a novelist?"
Jaejoong grinned.
"I don't look it right?"
Changmin shook his head with a chuckle.
"Never would have guessed. To be honest, my first thought was that you were a model … or something along those lines anyway."
"I'll take that as a compliment Changmin-sshi."
Changmin just nodded his head with a grin.
"Well I guess I better get going. I've just been told that I either hand something in within the next three days or I can just forget about the whole thing."
Changmin chanced a quick glance outside and saw that the rain still hadn't let down yet and frowned.
"Hang on," he said before going into the back room and finding a spare umbrella near the mops and brooms.
He came back out and extended the umbrella in his hands.
"Here, take this. It wouldn't be a good idea to get sick when you have such a short deadline to meet," he explained.
Jaejoong let out a laugh as he accepted the umbrella with a small bow.
"Thank you Changmin-sshi, you're so thoughtful, and to someone you've only just met too."
Changmin blushed slightly at the compliment, unsure of what to say in response. He wasn't normally so caring towards others, especially to someone he knew nothing about and had only just met, but there was just something about this man that compelled the protective side of Changmin to appear.
"Y-you're welcome," he finally replied hoping it didn't sound too formal.
Jaejoong smiled, gave a quick glance over to the cubicle housing the Russian Blue kitten and then back to Changmin again.
"Thank you for teaching and letting me pet the kitten Changmin-sshi and I'm sorry once again for the injury on your arm."
Changmin waved away the apology.
"It's okay, no harm done."
"Thank you Changmin-sshi. I'll come by again soon," Jaejoong replied with one last smile before turning around and walking out of the shop and into the heavy rain.
Changmin stood still, watching until he could no longer see the shorter man's silhouette outside.
A small nudge to his calf brought his attention back and he smiled at the curious look Mandoong was giving him.
Scooping the tiny Maltese up in his arms, Changmin buried his nose against her nape to hide the grin on his face.
*
A few days later when Changmin was playing with the Russian Blue in its cubicle, batting at the kitten with a fake mouse, he noticed someone gazing in from the opposite glass outside the pet store. Looking up from the kitten, Changmin found himself looking into those familiar doe eyes behind black rimmed glasses.
With a smile gradually forming on his face, Changmin made a ‘come in’ motion with his hand before standing up and closing the glass window. The bell jingled and two seconds later Jaejoong was there, standing in front of him.
“Hey.”
“Hi.”
“H-how have you been Jaejoong-sshi?” Changmin asked saying the first thing that came to his mind.
“Alright … finally met the deadline for my editor so now I can relax and have some free time to myself for the next few days. Thought I’d come down here again.”
“I see.”
“Umm … here’s the umbrella you lent me the other day,” Jaejoong mumbled thrusting the umbrella into Changmin’s hands from where he’d been hiding it behind his back.
“Oh … thanks,” Changmin replied a bit slowly, having forgotten all about it.
Jaejoong smiled and Changmin noticed his gaze going over to the cubicle housing the Russian Blue kitten.
With a knowing glance at the older man, Changmin strode over to unlock the cubicle, chuckling when the kitten started pawing at the glass from inside.
He picked it up gently and then turned to face Jaejoong who was surprised and slightly embarrassed for having been caught staring at the kitten.
The shorter man reached out cautiously and gently scratched the kitten under the chin, smiling widely when the creature made small purring noises.
Changmin quirked an eyebrow up at him and Jaejoong quickly explained.
“I did some research the other day on how to hold and pet kittens the correct way,” he admitted.
Changmin’s eyes widened in surprise. He didn’t peg Jaejoong as the type of person to go research on how to take care of animals. Then again, he didn't know anything about Jaejoong at all.
“So you know how to hold kittens now?” Changmin asked. He probably shouldn’t be doing this unless the customer was actually planning on buying the animal but it just felt like the right thing to do at that moment.
Jaejoong nodded his head and then gasped when Changmin held out the kitten to him. The kitten meowed in protest as his back legs dangled in the air while Changmin held him under his forelegs.
Deciding to put the kitten out of its misery Jaejoong carefully lifted the cat from Changmin’s outstretched hand and let it curl against his chest. A sudden feeling of warmth spread throughout the older man’s body and he knew in that instant that he wanted this kitten as his own.
Changmin also saw that look in Jaejoong’s face, knowing that the latter had lost himself to the creature in his arms - probably since the first day he’d laid eyes on him.
Jaejoong left the store thirty minutes later with a smile on his face, a meowing shoebox tucked firmly under an arm and a bag of cat supplies in the other.
*
Since that day, Jaejoong came back in on a regular basis whenever he needed to top up on food or kitty litter supplies for his kitten. Each time he came in, he always updated Changmin on how the kitten was doing on each of his visits.
The third week after he’d purchased the kitten, Jaejoong had started complaining that Jiji wasn’t paying much attention to him anymore and was always hiding from him.
“I don’t understand, he used to always come to me for attention, but now it’s like he has a world of his own. I feel as if our roles have switched around and he’s the owner while I’m just his feeder and kitty litter changer.”
Changmin had laughed and said maybe Jiji was reaching the age of independence - which was a lie of course since Jiji wasn’t even two months old yet.
*
Changmin continued looking forward to each of Jaejoong’s visits throughout the rest of his break and even Mandoong, who was always a bit growly towards strangers, was slowly warming up to the older man. It had taken Jaejoong a bit of bribing with some dog treats of course, but eventually Mandoong had accepted him with grumble each time he visited the shop.
When summer break finally came to an end, the owner had asked if Changmin would be interested in continuing to work for him over the weekends. Changmin was ecstatic and happily agreed. As time went by though he saw less and less of Jaejoong, regardless that he’d told the latter that his shifts had changed to the weekends rather than the weekdays.
Eventually, when Changmin didn’t see any sign of the older man one month since his 'disappearance', he wondered if maybe Jaejoong had found a better place to buy his supplies from. He suddenly regretted not asking for Jaejoong's number when he'd seen the older man last.
With a sigh Changmin leant back in his chair, mind filled with thoughts of a raven haired man with thick framed glasses perched on top of a slightly pointed nose.
*
Three weeks later …
Changmin groaned as a loud thump thump noise sounded from opposite wall of his bedroom. Cracking one eye open, Changmin groaned again when he saw it was still early in the morning, not even seven yet.
Of course something like this would happen on the only day I have late classes Changmin thought ironically to himself.
The apartment beside his had been empty for about three months and the only reason there could be noise coming from opposite the wall was because a new tenant had moved in.
Mandoong grumbled from atop his stomach and Changmin ruffled her fur in apology. He shut his eyes again and attempted to grab some much needed rest when the thumping noises started again.
Changmin groaned and grabbed a pillow to throw over his face in an attempt to block out the noise. It wasn’t like he lived in a crummy apartment where the walls were so thin you could pierce them with a punch, but right now, Changmin was definitely having seconds thoughts on that thought.
After another fifteen minutes of twisting and turning in bed, Changmin finally gave up and placed Mandoong on a spot beside him before sitting up.
Grabbing a pair of sweats and a wife beater Changmin got dressed and went about his usual daily routine of preparing for the day, all the time listening to the occasional thump thump in the apartment beside him.
With nothing else to do until 1pm which was when his classes started, Changmin decided he’d check out the newcomers next door and see if they needed any help as well as introduce himself on the way. At least maybe that would stop the noises quicker and he’d be able to take a quick nap before heading off to class.
After filling up Mandoong’s water and food bowls so that she wouldn’t start whining once she decided to get out of bed, Changmin grabbed his keys and walked out locking the door behind him.
The door to the apartment next door was slightly ajar but Changmin decided it was still best to ring the doorbell lest they think he was some robber.
He pressed it a few times and waited. A slightly breathless voice called out, muffled probably because said person was in another room but Changmin thought it sounded slightly familiar.
He didn’t need to ponder long though when the door swung open to reveal the man that had been plaguing his thoughts since the day he’d first stumbled into the pet shop.
Changmin stood there in shock while Jaejoong’s flushed face turned from one of confusion as to who would be at his door when he’d just moved in, to one in recognition.
“Changminnie~!” he cried out and then arms were wrapping themselves around Changmin’s shoulders as Jaejoong pulled him in for a hug.
Changmin wasn’t exactly a people person and the only hugs he got - and gave - were from his mother and younger sister. So when he found himself with an armful of Jaejoong, Changmin could only stand there awkwardly and pat the older man’s back.
Jaejoong seemed to notice his still figure and quickly pulled back making Changmin feel somewhat lost all of a sudden and wanting that warmth back.
“S-sorry I didn’t mean to … I was- I mean I’m just so surprised to see you here. How did you know I moved here?” he asked, the thought finally occurring to him.
“Umm … actually I live right next door to you,” Changmin replied, gesturing to the right where his apartment stood.
Jaejoong’s eyes widened in surprise for the second time that day and Changmin wondered briefly if the latter was going to pull him in for another hug, but Jaejoong only grinned happily in response.
“Really?”
Changmin nodded.
“Really really?”
Changmin nodded again.
“That is such a coincidence! This is great - I mean it’s even more than great!”
Changmin just smiled, unable to believe such a coincidence himself.
“So umm … did you need any help with moving in? I heard a lot of … noises …”
Jaejoong gasped and quickly turned around, ushering for Changmin to come inside.
“I’m trying to catch Jiji but he keeps running away from me,” Jaejoong whined as he led the way down the hallway.
“Oh?”
“He keeps getting in the way while I’m unpacking - one minute he’ll sit there silently, watching me unpack, and the next minute he’ll just jump out and I’ll drop things on the floor. So I was going to lock him up until I was done but I swear he knows what I’m thinking. The moment I look at him, he just bolts off!”
Changmin chuckled and then spotted a familiar grey tail swishing back and forth from above a set of cardboard boxes in a corner.
“Jiji-ah,” Changmin tried softly and he was rewarded with a small twitch breaking the rhythm of the tail moving.
A small head peeked out and blue eyes gazed down at him. A flicker of recognition seemed to cross the kitten’s eyes and then Jiji let out a delighted meow and didn’t hesitate to jump into Changmin’s outstretched arms.
Jaejoong gawked at the scene and let out an indignant huff.
“He’s never jumped into my arms like that before. It’s always me having to get him.”
Changmin laughed as he shifted the kitten more comfortably in his arms and rubbed a spot behind the creature’s ears.
“How much have you got to go? I can keep him company and out of your way maybe?”
Jaejoong shot him a grateful look.
“Could you, please? Just keep him company until I’m done with this room. I don’t want him tearing up any of the paperwork.”
Changmin nodded, wished the older man luck, and then walked out of the room back down the hallway to take a seat on the couch. He kept Jiji entertained, petting its head and rubbing under its chin, smiling as he purred in delight.
When Jaejoong finally came out around a half hour later, Changmin couldn’t help but stare. When the older man had answered the door, he'd been wearing a light blue button up top, matched with a pair of grey sweats. Now, Jaejoong had discarded the button up top, standing there in just a plain wifebeater and the sweats.
Even though Jaejoong was shorter and much more slender than Changmin, his arms were bulky and Changmin had a feeling that taut abs rippled behind the wifebeater, if the material sticking like a second skin and mapping the outlines out were anything to go by.
Jaejoong didn’t seem to notice him staring though and just flopped down onto another couch, throwing his legs up onto the armrest.
“Finished?” Changmin asked.
“Almost. Want to help me set up Jiji's mansion?”
“Mansion?”
Jaejoong gestured to a corner where there were two boxes on the floor labelled with the name 'Jiji' in black marker. From what he could see, one box was filled with cushions, crochet balls, fake mice and an assortment of other cat toys while the other box contained what Changmin assumed was Jiji's 'mansion, except it was in a jumble of pieces, waiting for the two men to put back together.
Changmin grinned and gently placed Jiji on the couch so he could make his way over to the two boxes. Jaejoong smiled gratefully and then stood up with a groan before joining the younger man.
By the time they’d finished putting up Jiji's 'mansion', Changmin realized just how much money Jaejoong had spent on Jiji.
“Wow,” was all Changmin could say as they stepped back to admire the four level cat penthouse. Jiji let out a small meow from the couch before dashing past them in a flash to jump onto highest platform of his 'mansion'.
“Yeah, I bought this from another pet shop while I was out shopping with my sister the other week,” Jaejoong admitted, hoping Changmin wouldn't get angry at him for buying from a different store to the one he worked at.
Changmin of course wasn't offended at all and just gave Jaejoong a smile in understanding.
After watching Jiji bat at the fake mouse dangling from one of the platforms for a few minutes, they moved to the kitchen where Jaejoong poured Changmin a glass of juice and water for himself.
“So … why did you stop coming to the shop?” Changmin blurted out after setting his glass down on the counter, no longer able to hold his curiosity in any more.
Jaejoong set his own glass down while ducking his head with a shy smile.
“About that … well it turns out that the apartment building I lived in didn't allow pets. I didn’t know because I’d seen one of my neighbours sometimes bring a cat in and had just assumed it was okay. When Jiji was discovered and I'd explained the reason why I thought we were allowed pets, I ended up getting my neighbour into trouble too. Anyway the people said I either get rid of Jiji or move out. I didn’t want to give Jiji away so I gave him to one of my sisters to look after while I searched around for another apartment. During this time I had another deadline to meet and my sister already had cat supplies where she is so that's why I haven't been to the store in awhile. And yeah, so here I am.”
Changmin oh-ed in understanding and suddenly felt very silly for having thought so much about Jaejoong and his reason for not coming to the store. He wasn’t even really a friend, just a regular customer at the pet store that Changmin liked to talk to … a customer who now was his new neighbour.
“So do you still work at the pet shop right? It's been awhile, but I remember you telling me you only work there on the weekends now? I stopped by the store last Sunday but you weren't there.”
Changmin swallowed the grin threatening to form on his lips and nodded his head in response.
“Yep, still working there on the weekends. But I took last weekend off though to study for an exam I had on Monday.”
Jaejoong immediately brightened up at the answer, lips widening into a smile.
“Ohh I see. When I didn't see you there last week, I was worried you weren't working there anymore because I don't have your number and we wouldn't be able to see each other anymore."
Jaejoong stopped then, a blush forming on his cheeks at the choice of words he'd used.
"Umm … n-not that it matters so much now, since, well, we're neighbours now," he added quickly with an averted gaze, hoping that Changmin wouldn't think he was weird or anything.
Changmin could feel his face flush and tried to contain his happiness at hearing those words. Luckily Jaejoong was still avoiding his gaze and couldn't see the silly grin that Changmin was sure his face was making at the moment.
Deciding to take pity on the older man's embarrassment, Changmin quickly grabbed their glasses and put them in the sink before changing the topic of conversation over to his studies and how he wished Summer break had been longer.
Jaejoong didn't mind at all and immediately embraced the change, whining that at least Changmin got a Summer break. As a novelist, Jaejoong hardly ever got any long breaks.
Changmin almost pitied him, but then remembered that at least, in a way, Jaejoong got to work at his own pace at home and that as long as he met his deadlines, he wouldn't have to stress as much.
As a result, they ended up bickering back and forth in a playful banter until Changmin remembered he had class in an hour's time and had to take his leave.
He was just slipping his shoes back on at the entryway when Jaejoong thrust a pen and scrap piece of paper into his hands with a mumbled, 'can you write your number down?'
Changmin grinned and quickly scribbled his name and number down on the paper before handing it back to a blushing Kim Jaejoong.
*
After a few more visits to Jaejoong’s that week to 'help finish him unpack the last of his property', Changmin discovered much more about the older man than when they’d conversed briefly in the pet store.
He learnt that Jaejoong had nine sisters and that he was the youngest sibling. He also learnt about the types of genres Jaejoong wrote and read as well as what he liked and disliked. In return, Changmin also talked about his family, how his parents had wanted to pay for everything for him from his college fees to his rent fees, and even down to his daily spending money.
Changmin had been grateful that his parents were so supportive, but he didn't want to feel like a burden to them and so he'd allowed them to pay for his course and nothing else. Before college started, he'd taken on a few jobs so he could earn enough money to pay for his rent and daily expenses by himself.
Jaejoong had nodded in agreement after Changmin was done with his story, admitting that his parents hadn't been financially well when he and his nine sisters were still in school. Luckily their situation had improved after they had all graduated and found stable jobs, which guaranteed stable incomes.
As the days passed, Changmin found himself spending more and more time at Jaejoong's place where they would always find new things to talk about. Jaejoong didn't seem to mind at all and always welcomed Changmin with a smile on his face.
Changmin couldn't remember when it started, but eventually he found himself more often than not sprawled across Jaejoong’s living room floor with his textbooks spread out around him and Jaejoong sitting on the couch with his laptop on his lap typing away quietly.
Jiji would either curl up beside Jaejoong or lie next to Changmin depending on where the ray of sunlight hit during the day. Mandoong also tagged along for visits too; surprisingly the Maltese and Russian Blue got along quite well. They weren’t the best of friends, but it was safe enough to put them in the same room without them clawing and tearing at each other.
*
Another reason for Changmin's frequent visits was, Jaejoong’s cooking. The food was simply put, the best Changmin had ever had. To Changmin's surprise, apart from writing, cooking was Jaejoong’s next favourite thing to do, and since Changmin loved to eat, he found they complimented each other quite well in those terms.
A few weeks after their coincidental reunion, the duo were eating another home cooked meal by Jaejoong when the older man voiced out a question that caused Changmin to choke on a mouthful of food.
“I always see you by yourself Changmin-ah, don’t you have a girlfriend?”
At the word ‘girlfriend’, Changmin promptly choked on the spoonful of Ddeokbokki he just swallowed, a coughing fit following right after. It really wouldn't have been that bad except that Jaejoong liked to add plenty of spices to his cooking and so choking on any of his cooking was not good at all.
Jaejoong gasped and quickly stood up, grabbing Changmin's empty glass on the table to fill with water from a jug on the kitchen counter. Sitting it down in front of Changmin, Jaejoong then proceeded to rub soothing circles on Changmin's back hoping that it would help.
Clearing his throat, Changmin's coughing fit finally subsided and he took a much needed swallow of water before sighing in relief.
Jaejoong stopped his ministrations and returned to his seat, a concerned look on his face.
“S-sorry Minnie, you okay?”
“Yeah, fine,” Changmin answered as he set down his glass.
“Did I … hit a sensitive topic?” Jaejoong asked unsurely.
Changmin looked up then to see Jaejoong's head lowered in guilt.
“No, no it’s fine really,” Changmin said reassuringly with a smile.
Jaejoong looked up but still didn't seem convinced.
“Umm … how to put this … I’m … I’m not really interested in the female population,” Changmin explained with an awkward chuckle towards the end.
It was silent for a few seconds as Jaejoong’s face changed from one of guilt to one of understanding.
“Ahhh … I see,” he mumbled, a slight blush forming on his cheeks.
Changmin nodded and was debating on whether or not to change the topic in case Jaejoong wasn't comfortable when the older man spoke up again.
“Actually … I’m not either … interested that is … in the female population.”
Changmin blinked, then blinked again as his mind slowly processed the words and their meaning.
He looked up from where he’d been staring at his half-eaten food and saw Jaejoong worrying his lower lip between his teeth.
A silly grin slowly formed on his face and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
*
The next time Changmin came over for dinner, Jaejoong's eyes widened in surprise as he opened the door and took in Changmin's choice of attire, not paying any attention to Mandoong who rushed passed them in search of a certain Russian Blue in the apartment.
Normally clad in just a pair of sweats and a plain shirt for his visits, Changmin's appearance was a complete 360 turn with a pair of black slacks and white button up top, complete with a black blazer.
"May I come in?" Changmin asked politely and it was only then that Jaejoong realized he'd been standing there frozen with his mouth open in shock.
"O-of course," Jaejoong quickly said, stepping aside to let the younger man in.
When the door shut behind them, they stood there in silence until Changmin finally spoke up.
"I took a lucky guess. Most novelists are the romantic type who prefer to have their suitors dressed formally with a bouquet of roses at their doorstep." As he finished the last word, Changmin produced a bouquet of roses from behind his back and presented it to the older man.
Jaejoong could only stand there in shock as his mind was still trying to process everything that was happening.
Changmin took a deep breath, gathering up all his courage to ask the one question he'd been practicing in front of his mirror (and Mandoong) since this morning.
"Will you go out with me?"
Jaejoong's mouth fell open in shock for the second time that day and then when his mind finally caught up with everything, his face broke out into a smile as he reached forward to take the bouquet of roses from Changmin's outstretched hands.
"I … I would love to," he replied, clutching the bouquet of roses against his chest as his cheeks heated up in a blush.
When his heart had finally calmed down somewhat, only then did Jaejoong lift his head up to meet the younger man's gaze.
Changmin couldn't stop the smile forming on his face as he stepped forward to caress Jaejoong's cheek with a hand.
"You're really cute when you blush," he couldn't help but blurt out.
The comment only caused Jaejoong to blush even more but he smiled nonetheless at the compliment.
"Most novelists would prefer a romantic dinner out, but I have the feeling that you have a different opinion on that assumption," Changmin stated confidently.
"I-I prefer to cook for my date," Jaejoong admitted, lowering his gaze once more from the close proximity they were in.
Changmin smiled.
"Shall we make this our first official date then, since I gave you roses and you're currently cooking dinner for us?"
Jaejoong didn't know whether to laugh, smile or be embarrassed by Changmin's words and so he just nodded, ducked his head and did all three.
Changmin let the older man calm down a bit before touching a finger to his chin and tilting his head up.
"On first dates, kisses normally don't happen until the end, but I think you won't mind if I change that a little here?" he asked, leaning in closer with each word.
"Not at all," Jaejoong breathed out as he closed his eyes and leant forward, wrapping his arms around the younger man's neck.
Changmin smiled and met him halfway in a gentle press of lips.
♥
A/N: My first JaeMin fic \O/ I'm still not 100% satisfied with how I ended this, it feels kind of rushed but my mind refuses to do anything more to this fic LOL hope everyone enjoyed reading this! And to yuutong again I'm so so sorry I took so long to finish this fic for you (I'm only like 8 months late ._____.)
Comments and feedback are ♥ ^^
Author: chocolet89
Pairing: Jaejoong/Changmin
Rating: G
Length: One-Shot
Genre: Fluff
Summary: Changmin didn't think he'd find love at a pet store
A/N: A super super late birthday fic for yuutong ♥ I'm so sorry it took so long T___T (apologize for the lame title and summary OTL)
Prompts: pet shop, kitties, puppies
Changmin woke up with a groan as his alarm clock sounded loudly in the room. A small bundle of fur growled in his arms, attempting to shuffle closer to his body to shut off the dreaded ringing but Changmin rolled onto his back with a stretch before sitting up, leaving the tiny white Maltese whining in response.
“Can’t sleep in today Mandoongie, we have work,” Changmin explained cracking his eyes open and turning his head to look at the miserable ball of fluff curled up beside him. Changmin didn’t blame her though. It was currently raining heavily outside and had been for the past week; to Changmin and his pet it was the perfect weather for sleeping in.
With another groan Changmin threw off the covers before dragging himself out of bed to get ready for the day.
The first week of summer break had started and Changmin, being a university student had decided to take up the job of a sales assistant at a pet shop that was about a fifteen minute walk from his apartment to earn some extra cash before classes started again.
He’d stumbled across the job a few days ago when he’d gone in to the store to buy some food for Mandoong and saw the ‘help wanted’ sign on one of the windows. Since the owner was looking for someone to work at the store up until the summer break ended, Changmin had decided it was the perfect job to apply for.
The other good thing about the job was that the owner had said he was free to bring Mandoong along as long as she didn’t destroy anything in the store.
Changmin glanced behind him at the still shivering ball of fluff on the bed and smiled before reaching down and gently draping the covers back over the shivering Maltese.
*
Changmin arrived at the pet shop forty-five minutes later with Mandoong curled up in one arm while the other held an umbrella to protect them both from the pelting rain. After unlocking the door with a bit of difficulty since Mandoong refused to be let down, Changmin stumbled inside and fumbled around on the wall until he located the light switch and flicked it on.
Walking over to the side of the counter, he gently placed Mandoong down on a small bed that he’d bought from the pet shop two days ago just for the small dog since she enjoyed taking naps during the day. Once she was settled comfortably, Changmin went about his daily tasks of starting up the small shop.
Heading into the back room of the store, Changmin grabbed his apron off the hook on the door, tied it around his waist and then started preparing food for all the puppies and kittens that were starting to whine and paw at the clear glasses of their cubicles. It didn't take long and soon he had ten bowls of food set out in front of him, one for each cubicle.
“I’m coming, I’m coming hang on,” he grumbled half-heartedly as he juggled two bowls of food on one arm while opening the glass door of the first cubicle. He made sure the puppies weren’t going to leap at him before slowly placing the bowl down in a corner on the newspaper-covered floor.
“Slowly,” he murmured with a smile patting the two cocker spaniels in the cubicle gently. He took a quick glance at their water bowl and smiled when he saw that it was still full of water. When he’d come in the day before, the bowl had been tipped over and he’d ended up spending an extra fifteen minutes in between cleaning up the mess, delaying the opening of the shop a bit.
Placing the second bowl in the cubicle beside the cocker spaniels, he then went and retrieved another two bowls, repeating the process again until all puppies and kittens were eating their fill. Standing back and giving each cubicle another once over, Changmin smiled when he saw that all the bowls of water were still in their rightful positions.
After another ten minutes of checking that all the supplies on the shelves were stocked up and nothing was out of place, Changmin switched the sign on the door from ‘closed’ to ‘open’ and went to take a seat behind the counter. Staring out into the heavy rain Changmin wondered how many customers he would get today.
*
By lunchtime, only a few customers had come in to buy some supplies for their pets and Changmin wondered if he could close the shop early today. The rain hadn’t stopped at all and would most likely continue for the rest of the day.
Just when he was about to go in the back room to grab some Gimbap he’d made this morning at home, a jingle sounded throughout the store signalling a customer had walked in. Changmin looked over and saw a man standing at the entrance shaking his head to rid the last of the water on his hair. It reminded him of Mandoong whenever he bathed her and Changmin suppressed a grin at the thought.
“Hello there, can I help you?” he asked politely after clearing his throat to get the customer's attention.
The latter looked up and Changmin was mesmerized temporarily when he was greeted with big doe eyes behind thick black framed glasses.
“O-oh hello, umm … sorry, I just came in here to avoid the rain,” the other man replied ducking his head slightly in embarrassment.
“Oh okay,” there really wasn’t much else for Changmin to say to that.
He watched as the man turned his attention to the left and crouched down to look through the glass cubicles at the kittens, as all customers would when they came in to the store.
Deciding he had nothing better to do, Changmin walked out from behind the counter over to where the other man was standing.
“Do you like cats?” he asked watching as the latter pressed his finger lightly against the glass where the kitten was pawing at.
“Hmm I’m not really a pet person, but I’ve always preferred cats over dogs,” the slightly shorter man answered before standing up to smile at Changmin.
"I see," Changmin replied, albeit a bit dazzled at the smile directed at him.
“Can I … pet it?” the man asked hesitantly, not noticing the affect his smile was having on Changmin.
“Sure,” Changmin replied. He knelt down, unlocked the glass window and then picked up the kitten, holding it with easiness before offering it to the customer to pet.
Changmin should've realized that this man had had no prior experience with cats as soon as he walked in through the door, but he was too busy ogling those beautiful doe eyes to have noticed. So when the latter reached a hand out and stroked the kitten’s back with just a bit too much pressure, Changmin quickly batted his hand away and took a step back.
However the damage was done and in less than a second, the kitten had lashed out its claws and left bloody marks across Changmin’s arm from when he’d reached out to push the shorter man's hand away.
The latter gasped and rushed forward, but Changmin kept his arm out, keeping the distance between them. He ignored the light sting in his arm and gently stroked the kitten until it was purring in his arms again, before letting it back into its cubicle.
Only when he’d shut and locked the glass window did he let the other man come forward.
“A-are you okay? I’m so sorry,” the man whispered, guilt clearly lacing through his voice.
“I’m fine, it’s not the first time it’s happened,” Changmin said and indeed, he’d had a similar experience to this on his first day at work.
He led the way to the back of the store to grab the first aid kit from a shelf and was about to open it when the man took it out of his hands.
“I-I’ll help you … Changmin-sshi,” he explained, mumbling Changmin's name after a quick glance at his nametag on the apron.
Changmin watched as the man cleaned the blood off his arms before dabbing some cream on the cuts and wrapping the wounded areas in a white strip of cloth.
“Thank you,” Changmin said when they were done.
"It’s okay, it was my fault that this happened anyway. I-I'm Jaejoong by the way.”
“So you’ve never petted a kitten before Jaejoong-sshi?” Changmin asked testing the other man's name on his tongue as he led them out the room and back into the main store again.
“Not really … I’ve only had encounters with my sister’s dog but it’s never liked me so I guess that’s how I automatically preferred cats over dogs.”
“Oh I see … well would you like to have a go at petting a kitten again?”
Jaejoong paused mid-step and turned around to look at Changmin as if he'd grown a pair of horns on his head.
“Do you really mean it? I mean, aren’t you worried I’ll do it wrong again?”
Changmin chuckled as he made his way over to the glass cubicles again.
He noticed Jaejoong staring at the same kitten again and grinned before unlocking the glass window and lifting the same kitten up in his arms.
“Don’t pet it like you’re petting a dog,” Changmin explained as he lightly applied pressure on the kitten’s head with his fingers. The kitten made small purring noises and Changmin smiled before moving to lightly scratching the kitten’s chin.
“You have to be gentle with them, here try petting it on the head like I did, just use your fingertips and don’t apply too much pressure.”
Jaejoong nodded and reached out a hand hesitantly. Changmin gave him an encouraging smile while keeping the kitten distracted with his own ministrations. The shorter man did as instructed and let out a small smile when the kitten didn’t protest.
“Ahh it feels so soft,” Jaejoong complimented, his smile widening when the kitten purred again.
Changmin gradually moved his hand away, letting the shorter man do all the petting.
"What breed is it?" Jaejoong whispered after a few minutes of silence, save for the pelting of the rain outside and the occasional mewls from the kitten.
"He's a Russian Blue," Changmin replied just as quietly. "They're normally a bit reserved around strangers, but I think he might have taken a liking to you."
Jaejoong looked up then, a sort of hopeful look in his eyes.
"Really?"
"You don't seem convinced."
"Well the only encounters I've had with animals are my family's pets and like I mentioned before about my sister's dog, they all don't seem to like me."
Changmin let out a chuckle.
"Well right now he's looking pretty attached to you," he replied, referring to the purring bundle of grey fur in his arms.
Jaejoong let out a small laugh himself and Changmin found himself mesmerized by the shorter man for the second time that day.
Normally, Changmin wasn't allowed to let a customer pet an animal for longer than a few minutes, unless they planned on buying it, but he decided to let Jaejoong pet the Russian Blue for a little bit longer, smiling when the kitten's eyes started to droop as the shorter man's ministrations lulled it to sleep.
A sudden ringing sounded just when Changmin was about to suggest putting the kitten back in its cubicle, causing both men to jump and the kitten to twitch an ear in annoyance at the interruption.
Removing his hand, Jaejoong reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, ducking his head in apology.
Changmin shook his head with a smile and, when Jaejoong turned to the side to answer the phone, gently lowered the kitten back into its cubicle, making sure the glass window was firmly shut before standing up again.
Jaejoong ended the call just when Changmin was about to walk back over to the counter, having felt slightly awkward just standing there and waiting for the phone call to end.
"Sorry, that was my editor calling. Been chasing me for a draft since the beginning of last week," Jaejoong explained briefly while slipping his phone back into his jeans.
Changmin gave a look of surprise.
"You're a novelist?"
Jaejoong grinned.
"I don't look it right?"
Changmin shook his head with a chuckle.
"Never would have guessed. To be honest, my first thought was that you were a model … or something along those lines anyway."
"I'll take that as a compliment Changmin-sshi."
Changmin just nodded his head with a grin.
"Well I guess I better get going. I've just been told that I either hand something in within the next three days or I can just forget about the whole thing."
Changmin chanced a quick glance outside and saw that the rain still hadn't let down yet and frowned.
"Hang on," he said before going into the back room and finding a spare umbrella near the mops and brooms.
He came back out and extended the umbrella in his hands.
"Here, take this. It wouldn't be a good idea to get sick when you have such a short deadline to meet," he explained.
Jaejoong let out a laugh as he accepted the umbrella with a small bow.
"Thank you Changmin-sshi, you're so thoughtful, and to someone you've only just met too."
Changmin blushed slightly at the compliment, unsure of what to say in response. He wasn't normally so caring towards others, especially to someone he knew nothing about and had only just met, but there was just something about this man that compelled the protective side of Changmin to appear.
"Y-you're welcome," he finally replied hoping it didn't sound too formal.
Jaejoong smiled, gave a quick glance over to the cubicle housing the Russian Blue kitten and then back to Changmin again.
"Thank you for teaching and letting me pet the kitten Changmin-sshi and I'm sorry once again for the injury on your arm."
Changmin waved away the apology.
"It's okay, no harm done."
"Thank you Changmin-sshi. I'll come by again soon," Jaejoong replied with one last smile before turning around and walking out of the shop and into the heavy rain.
Changmin stood still, watching until he could no longer see the shorter man's silhouette outside.
A small nudge to his calf brought his attention back and he smiled at the curious look Mandoong was giving him.
Scooping the tiny Maltese up in his arms, Changmin buried his nose against her nape to hide the grin on his face.
*
A few days later when Changmin was playing with the Russian Blue in its cubicle, batting at the kitten with a fake mouse, he noticed someone gazing in from the opposite glass outside the pet store. Looking up from the kitten, Changmin found himself looking into those familiar doe eyes behind black rimmed glasses.
With a smile gradually forming on his face, Changmin made a ‘come in’ motion with his hand before standing up and closing the glass window. The bell jingled and two seconds later Jaejoong was there, standing in front of him.
“Hey.”
“Hi.”
“H-how have you been Jaejoong-sshi?” Changmin asked saying the first thing that came to his mind.
“Alright … finally met the deadline for my editor so now I can relax and have some free time to myself for the next few days. Thought I’d come down here again.”
“I see.”
“Umm … here’s the umbrella you lent me the other day,” Jaejoong mumbled thrusting the umbrella into Changmin’s hands from where he’d been hiding it behind his back.
“Oh … thanks,” Changmin replied a bit slowly, having forgotten all about it.
Jaejoong smiled and Changmin noticed his gaze going over to the cubicle housing the Russian Blue kitten.
With a knowing glance at the older man, Changmin strode over to unlock the cubicle, chuckling when the kitten started pawing at the glass from inside.
He picked it up gently and then turned to face Jaejoong who was surprised and slightly embarrassed for having been caught staring at the kitten.
The shorter man reached out cautiously and gently scratched the kitten under the chin, smiling widely when the creature made small purring noises.
Changmin quirked an eyebrow up at him and Jaejoong quickly explained.
“I did some research the other day on how to hold and pet kittens the correct way,” he admitted.
Changmin’s eyes widened in surprise. He didn’t peg Jaejoong as the type of person to go research on how to take care of animals. Then again, he didn't know anything about Jaejoong at all.
“So you know how to hold kittens now?” Changmin asked. He probably shouldn’t be doing this unless the customer was actually planning on buying the animal but it just felt like the right thing to do at that moment.
Jaejoong nodded his head and then gasped when Changmin held out the kitten to him. The kitten meowed in protest as his back legs dangled in the air while Changmin held him under his forelegs.
Deciding to put the kitten out of its misery Jaejoong carefully lifted the cat from Changmin’s outstretched hand and let it curl against his chest. A sudden feeling of warmth spread throughout the older man’s body and he knew in that instant that he wanted this kitten as his own.
Changmin also saw that look in Jaejoong’s face, knowing that the latter had lost himself to the creature in his arms - probably since the first day he’d laid eyes on him.
Jaejoong left the store thirty minutes later with a smile on his face, a meowing shoebox tucked firmly under an arm and a bag of cat supplies in the other.
*
Since that day, Jaejoong came back in on a regular basis whenever he needed to top up on food or kitty litter supplies for his kitten. Each time he came in, he always updated Changmin on how the kitten was doing on each of his visits.
The third week after he’d purchased the kitten, Jaejoong had started complaining that Jiji wasn’t paying much attention to him anymore and was always hiding from him.
“I don’t understand, he used to always come to me for attention, but now it’s like he has a world of his own. I feel as if our roles have switched around and he’s the owner while I’m just his feeder and kitty litter changer.”
Changmin had laughed and said maybe Jiji was reaching the age of independence - which was a lie of course since Jiji wasn’t even two months old yet.
*
Changmin continued looking forward to each of Jaejoong’s visits throughout the rest of his break and even Mandoong, who was always a bit growly towards strangers, was slowly warming up to the older man. It had taken Jaejoong a bit of bribing with some dog treats of course, but eventually Mandoong had accepted him with grumble each time he visited the shop.
When summer break finally came to an end, the owner had asked if Changmin would be interested in continuing to work for him over the weekends. Changmin was ecstatic and happily agreed. As time went by though he saw less and less of Jaejoong, regardless that he’d told the latter that his shifts had changed to the weekends rather than the weekdays.
Eventually, when Changmin didn’t see any sign of the older man one month since his 'disappearance', he wondered if maybe Jaejoong had found a better place to buy his supplies from. He suddenly regretted not asking for Jaejoong's number when he'd seen the older man last.
With a sigh Changmin leant back in his chair, mind filled with thoughts of a raven haired man with thick framed glasses perched on top of a slightly pointed nose.
*
Three weeks later …
Changmin groaned as a loud thump thump noise sounded from opposite wall of his bedroom. Cracking one eye open, Changmin groaned again when he saw it was still early in the morning, not even seven yet.
Of course something like this would happen on the only day I have late classes Changmin thought ironically to himself.
The apartment beside his had been empty for about three months and the only reason there could be noise coming from opposite the wall was because a new tenant had moved in.
Mandoong grumbled from atop his stomach and Changmin ruffled her fur in apology. He shut his eyes again and attempted to grab some much needed rest when the thumping noises started again.
Changmin groaned and grabbed a pillow to throw over his face in an attempt to block out the noise. It wasn’t like he lived in a crummy apartment where the walls were so thin you could pierce them with a punch, but right now, Changmin was definitely having seconds thoughts on that thought.
After another fifteen minutes of twisting and turning in bed, Changmin finally gave up and placed Mandoong on a spot beside him before sitting up.
Grabbing a pair of sweats and a wife beater Changmin got dressed and went about his usual daily routine of preparing for the day, all the time listening to the occasional thump thump in the apartment beside him.
With nothing else to do until 1pm which was when his classes started, Changmin decided he’d check out the newcomers next door and see if they needed any help as well as introduce himself on the way. At least maybe that would stop the noises quicker and he’d be able to take a quick nap before heading off to class.
After filling up Mandoong’s water and food bowls so that she wouldn’t start whining once she decided to get out of bed, Changmin grabbed his keys and walked out locking the door behind him.
The door to the apartment next door was slightly ajar but Changmin decided it was still best to ring the doorbell lest they think he was some robber.
He pressed it a few times and waited. A slightly breathless voice called out, muffled probably because said person was in another room but Changmin thought it sounded slightly familiar.
He didn’t need to ponder long though when the door swung open to reveal the man that had been plaguing his thoughts since the day he’d first stumbled into the pet shop.
Changmin stood there in shock while Jaejoong’s flushed face turned from one of confusion as to who would be at his door when he’d just moved in, to one in recognition.
“Changminnie~!” he cried out and then arms were wrapping themselves around Changmin’s shoulders as Jaejoong pulled him in for a hug.
Changmin wasn’t exactly a people person and the only hugs he got - and gave - were from his mother and younger sister. So when he found himself with an armful of Jaejoong, Changmin could only stand there awkwardly and pat the older man’s back.
Jaejoong seemed to notice his still figure and quickly pulled back making Changmin feel somewhat lost all of a sudden and wanting that warmth back.
“S-sorry I didn’t mean to … I was- I mean I’m just so surprised to see you here. How did you know I moved here?” he asked, the thought finally occurring to him.
“Umm … actually I live right next door to you,” Changmin replied, gesturing to the right where his apartment stood.
Jaejoong’s eyes widened in surprise for the second time that day and Changmin wondered briefly if the latter was going to pull him in for another hug, but Jaejoong only grinned happily in response.
“Really?”
Changmin nodded.
“Really really?”
Changmin nodded again.
“That is such a coincidence! This is great - I mean it’s even more than great!”
Changmin just smiled, unable to believe such a coincidence himself.
“So umm … did you need any help with moving in? I heard a lot of … noises …”
Jaejoong gasped and quickly turned around, ushering for Changmin to come inside.
“I’m trying to catch Jiji but he keeps running away from me,” Jaejoong whined as he led the way down the hallway.
“Oh?”
“He keeps getting in the way while I’m unpacking - one minute he’ll sit there silently, watching me unpack, and the next minute he’ll just jump out and I’ll drop things on the floor. So I was going to lock him up until I was done but I swear he knows what I’m thinking. The moment I look at him, he just bolts off!”
Changmin chuckled and then spotted a familiar grey tail swishing back and forth from above a set of cardboard boxes in a corner.
“Jiji-ah,” Changmin tried softly and he was rewarded with a small twitch breaking the rhythm of the tail moving.
A small head peeked out and blue eyes gazed down at him. A flicker of recognition seemed to cross the kitten’s eyes and then Jiji let out a delighted meow and didn’t hesitate to jump into Changmin’s outstretched arms.
Jaejoong gawked at the scene and let out an indignant huff.
“He’s never jumped into my arms like that before. It’s always me having to get him.”
Changmin laughed as he shifted the kitten more comfortably in his arms and rubbed a spot behind the creature’s ears.
“How much have you got to go? I can keep him company and out of your way maybe?”
Jaejoong shot him a grateful look.
“Could you, please? Just keep him company until I’m done with this room. I don’t want him tearing up any of the paperwork.”
Changmin nodded, wished the older man luck, and then walked out of the room back down the hallway to take a seat on the couch. He kept Jiji entertained, petting its head and rubbing under its chin, smiling as he purred in delight.
When Jaejoong finally came out around a half hour later, Changmin couldn’t help but stare. When the older man had answered the door, he'd been wearing a light blue button up top, matched with a pair of grey sweats. Now, Jaejoong had discarded the button up top, standing there in just a plain wifebeater and the sweats.
Even though Jaejoong was shorter and much more slender than Changmin, his arms were bulky and Changmin had a feeling that taut abs rippled behind the wifebeater, if the material sticking like a second skin and mapping the outlines out were anything to go by.
Jaejoong didn’t seem to notice him staring though and just flopped down onto another couch, throwing his legs up onto the armrest.
“Finished?” Changmin asked.
“Almost. Want to help me set up Jiji's mansion?”
“Mansion?”
Jaejoong gestured to a corner where there were two boxes on the floor labelled with the name 'Jiji' in black marker. From what he could see, one box was filled with cushions, crochet balls, fake mice and an assortment of other cat toys while the other box contained what Changmin assumed was Jiji's 'mansion, except it was in a jumble of pieces, waiting for the two men to put back together.
Changmin grinned and gently placed Jiji on the couch so he could make his way over to the two boxes. Jaejoong smiled gratefully and then stood up with a groan before joining the younger man.
By the time they’d finished putting up Jiji's 'mansion', Changmin realized just how much money Jaejoong had spent on Jiji.
“Wow,” was all Changmin could say as they stepped back to admire the four level cat penthouse. Jiji let out a small meow from the couch before dashing past them in a flash to jump onto highest platform of his 'mansion'.
“Yeah, I bought this from another pet shop while I was out shopping with my sister the other week,” Jaejoong admitted, hoping Changmin wouldn't get angry at him for buying from a different store to the one he worked at.
Changmin of course wasn't offended at all and just gave Jaejoong a smile in understanding.
After watching Jiji bat at the fake mouse dangling from one of the platforms for a few minutes, they moved to the kitchen where Jaejoong poured Changmin a glass of juice and water for himself.
“So … why did you stop coming to the shop?” Changmin blurted out after setting his glass down on the counter, no longer able to hold his curiosity in any more.
Jaejoong set his own glass down while ducking his head with a shy smile.
“About that … well it turns out that the apartment building I lived in didn't allow pets. I didn’t know because I’d seen one of my neighbours sometimes bring a cat in and had just assumed it was okay. When Jiji was discovered and I'd explained the reason why I thought we were allowed pets, I ended up getting my neighbour into trouble too. Anyway the people said I either get rid of Jiji or move out. I didn’t want to give Jiji away so I gave him to one of my sisters to look after while I searched around for another apartment. During this time I had another deadline to meet and my sister already had cat supplies where she is so that's why I haven't been to the store in awhile. And yeah, so here I am.”
Changmin oh-ed in understanding and suddenly felt very silly for having thought so much about Jaejoong and his reason for not coming to the store. He wasn’t even really a friend, just a regular customer at the pet store that Changmin liked to talk to … a customer who now was his new neighbour.
“So do you still work at the pet shop right? It's been awhile, but I remember you telling me you only work there on the weekends now? I stopped by the store last Sunday but you weren't there.”
Changmin swallowed the grin threatening to form on his lips and nodded his head in response.
“Yep, still working there on the weekends. But I took last weekend off though to study for an exam I had on Monday.”
Jaejoong immediately brightened up at the answer, lips widening into a smile.
“Ohh I see. When I didn't see you there last week, I was worried you weren't working there anymore because I don't have your number and we wouldn't be able to see each other anymore."
Jaejoong stopped then, a blush forming on his cheeks at the choice of words he'd used.
"Umm … n-not that it matters so much now, since, well, we're neighbours now," he added quickly with an averted gaze, hoping that Changmin wouldn't think he was weird or anything.
Changmin could feel his face flush and tried to contain his happiness at hearing those words. Luckily Jaejoong was still avoiding his gaze and couldn't see the silly grin that Changmin was sure his face was making at the moment.
Deciding to take pity on the older man's embarrassment, Changmin quickly grabbed their glasses and put them in the sink before changing the topic of conversation over to his studies and how he wished Summer break had been longer.
Jaejoong didn't mind at all and immediately embraced the change, whining that at least Changmin got a Summer break. As a novelist, Jaejoong hardly ever got any long breaks.
Changmin almost pitied him, but then remembered that at least, in a way, Jaejoong got to work at his own pace at home and that as long as he met his deadlines, he wouldn't have to stress as much.
As a result, they ended up bickering back and forth in a playful banter until Changmin remembered he had class in an hour's time and had to take his leave.
He was just slipping his shoes back on at the entryway when Jaejoong thrust a pen and scrap piece of paper into his hands with a mumbled, 'can you write your number down?'
Changmin grinned and quickly scribbled his name and number down on the paper before handing it back to a blushing Kim Jaejoong.
*
After a few more visits to Jaejoong’s that week to 'help finish him unpack the last of his property', Changmin discovered much more about the older man than when they’d conversed briefly in the pet store.
He learnt that Jaejoong had nine sisters and that he was the youngest sibling. He also learnt about the types of genres Jaejoong wrote and read as well as what he liked and disliked. In return, Changmin also talked about his family, how his parents had wanted to pay for everything for him from his college fees to his rent fees, and even down to his daily spending money.
Changmin had been grateful that his parents were so supportive, but he didn't want to feel like a burden to them and so he'd allowed them to pay for his course and nothing else. Before college started, he'd taken on a few jobs so he could earn enough money to pay for his rent and daily expenses by himself.
Jaejoong had nodded in agreement after Changmin was done with his story, admitting that his parents hadn't been financially well when he and his nine sisters were still in school. Luckily their situation had improved after they had all graduated and found stable jobs, which guaranteed stable incomes.
As the days passed, Changmin found himself spending more and more time at Jaejoong's place where they would always find new things to talk about. Jaejoong didn't seem to mind at all and always welcomed Changmin with a smile on his face.
Changmin couldn't remember when it started, but eventually he found himself more often than not sprawled across Jaejoong’s living room floor with his textbooks spread out around him and Jaejoong sitting on the couch with his laptop on his lap typing away quietly.
Jiji would either curl up beside Jaejoong or lie next to Changmin depending on where the ray of sunlight hit during the day. Mandoong also tagged along for visits too; surprisingly the Maltese and Russian Blue got along quite well. They weren’t the best of friends, but it was safe enough to put them in the same room without them clawing and tearing at each other.
*
Another reason for Changmin's frequent visits was, Jaejoong’s cooking. The food was simply put, the best Changmin had ever had. To Changmin's surprise, apart from writing, cooking was Jaejoong’s next favourite thing to do, and since Changmin loved to eat, he found they complimented each other quite well in those terms.
A few weeks after their coincidental reunion, the duo were eating another home cooked meal by Jaejoong when the older man voiced out a question that caused Changmin to choke on a mouthful of food.
“I always see you by yourself Changmin-ah, don’t you have a girlfriend?”
At the word ‘girlfriend’, Changmin promptly choked on the spoonful of Ddeokbokki he just swallowed, a coughing fit following right after. It really wouldn't have been that bad except that Jaejoong liked to add plenty of spices to his cooking and so choking on any of his cooking was not good at all.
Jaejoong gasped and quickly stood up, grabbing Changmin's empty glass on the table to fill with water from a jug on the kitchen counter. Sitting it down in front of Changmin, Jaejoong then proceeded to rub soothing circles on Changmin's back hoping that it would help.
Clearing his throat, Changmin's coughing fit finally subsided and he took a much needed swallow of water before sighing in relief.
Jaejoong stopped his ministrations and returned to his seat, a concerned look on his face.
“S-sorry Minnie, you okay?”
“Yeah, fine,” Changmin answered as he set down his glass.
“Did I … hit a sensitive topic?” Jaejoong asked unsurely.
Changmin looked up then to see Jaejoong's head lowered in guilt.
“No, no it’s fine really,” Changmin said reassuringly with a smile.
Jaejoong looked up but still didn't seem convinced.
“Umm … how to put this … I’m … I’m not really interested in the female population,” Changmin explained with an awkward chuckle towards the end.
It was silent for a few seconds as Jaejoong’s face changed from one of guilt to one of understanding.
“Ahhh … I see,” he mumbled, a slight blush forming on his cheeks.
Changmin nodded and was debating on whether or not to change the topic in case Jaejoong wasn't comfortable when the older man spoke up again.
“Actually … I’m not either … interested that is … in the female population.”
Changmin blinked, then blinked again as his mind slowly processed the words and their meaning.
He looked up from where he’d been staring at his half-eaten food and saw Jaejoong worrying his lower lip between his teeth.
A silly grin slowly formed on his face and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
*
The next time Changmin came over for dinner, Jaejoong's eyes widened in surprise as he opened the door and took in Changmin's choice of attire, not paying any attention to Mandoong who rushed passed them in search of a certain Russian Blue in the apartment.
Normally clad in just a pair of sweats and a plain shirt for his visits, Changmin's appearance was a complete 360 turn with a pair of black slacks and white button up top, complete with a black blazer.
"May I come in?" Changmin asked politely and it was only then that Jaejoong realized he'd been standing there frozen with his mouth open in shock.
"O-of course," Jaejoong quickly said, stepping aside to let the younger man in.
When the door shut behind them, they stood there in silence until Changmin finally spoke up.
"I took a lucky guess. Most novelists are the romantic type who prefer to have their suitors dressed formally with a bouquet of roses at their doorstep." As he finished the last word, Changmin produced a bouquet of roses from behind his back and presented it to the older man.
Jaejoong could only stand there in shock as his mind was still trying to process everything that was happening.
Changmin took a deep breath, gathering up all his courage to ask the one question he'd been practicing in front of his mirror (and Mandoong) since this morning.
"Will you go out with me?"
Jaejoong's mouth fell open in shock for the second time that day and then when his mind finally caught up with everything, his face broke out into a smile as he reached forward to take the bouquet of roses from Changmin's outstretched hands.
"I … I would love to," he replied, clutching the bouquet of roses against his chest as his cheeks heated up in a blush.
When his heart had finally calmed down somewhat, only then did Jaejoong lift his head up to meet the younger man's gaze.
Changmin couldn't stop the smile forming on his face as he stepped forward to caress Jaejoong's cheek with a hand.
"You're really cute when you blush," he couldn't help but blurt out.
The comment only caused Jaejoong to blush even more but he smiled nonetheless at the compliment.
"Most novelists would prefer a romantic dinner out, but I have the feeling that you have a different opinion on that assumption," Changmin stated confidently.
"I-I prefer to cook for my date," Jaejoong admitted, lowering his gaze once more from the close proximity they were in.
Changmin smiled.
"Shall we make this our first official date then, since I gave you roses and you're currently cooking dinner for us?"
Jaejoong didn't know whether to laugh, smile or be embarrassed by Changmin's words and so he just nodded, ducked his head and did all three.
Changmin let the older man calm down a bit before touching a finger to his chin and tilting his head up.
"On first dates, kisses normally don't happen until the end, but I think you won't mind if I change that a little here?" he asked, leaning in closer with each word.
"Not at all," Jaejoong breathed out as he closed his eyes and leant forward, wrapping his arms around the younger man's neck.
Changmin smiled and met him halfway in a gentle press of lips.
♥
A/N: My first JaeMin fic \O/ I'm still not 100% satisfied with how I ended this, it feels kind of rushed but my mind refuses to do anything more to this fic LOL hope everyone enjoyed reading this! And to yuutong again I'm so so sorry I took so long to finish this fic for you (I'm only like 8 months late ._____.)
Comments and feedback are ♥ ^^