[One-Shot] Let Home find you [ChanHo]
Originally posted by ablueblazer at Let Home find you
Title: Let Home find you
Rating: G
Word Count: 3,107 words
Summary: "Being old and not adopted doesn't mean that no one likes you, it's just because the right person hasn't found you yet." The wise words of his best friend echoed in his ears as the large hand petted his head gently, a wide grin plastered on the handsome face of the man in front of him.
Warning/s: hybrid!verse, mentions of Wu Yifan
A/N: This might not be exactly what you had in mind but I do hope you like it! The flow I had while writing this was much more on the fluff side ( ﾟдﾟ)
The lights flickered on, the golden glow casting their beams along the hallway where rows of doors lined the walls. The man stepped along to each door, unlocking them and popping inside to wake the sleeping bundles of joy. Each pet whined at the early rousing, rolling around in their beds as the man nudged and carried them to the shared bathrooms. It was the eighth door that the man stepped in front of that housed two instead of one pet, the last two of an exotic species he had once had the chance to acquire. The door creaked open to reveal a clean room, two tables with books and notepads laden with scribbles of handwriting sat in a corner next to a large window, the blinds drawn tightly to prevent the sun’s rays from penetrating into the dim room. A closet and a beanbag laid in the other corner, the scattered toys the only form of entertainment. To the right of the door, a double bed was pressed against the wall, covers drawn up to the top, a large lump under it moving up and down slowly in slow, deep breaths. With a sigh, the man stepped over the neatly aligned slippers before placing his hand on top of the lump in the bed, shaking it gently and cooing softly.
“Come on boys. It’s time to get ready to open up shop.”
There was a stir and a groan before the blankets slid down to reveal two pairs of ears and further to show two sleepy pairs of eyes, blinking up at him innocently. Jongdae was a nice man with light brown hair and high cheekbones, his cheeky smile hiding a wonderful singing voice he reserved for his family and all the pets at the hybrids store. Though he looked nice, he was strict with everything that might affect their health and visual appeal to the customers. He monitored the pets individually and made changes to their diets or cleaning regimes to make sure they were all in top shape. For the past few years, his reputation had grown immensely, everyday rich people with large sums of money would come in and seek out their own unique pet.
The two pets he had woken up were the last of an exotic batch. He had somehow managed to bid for a litter of 6 at an auction a few months back, his luck bringing a surge of customers that time. However, the two remaining ones were always overlooked, he never understood why as they were perfectly fit and healthy just like the ones he had sold. Kyungsoo was a small hybrid with slim shoulders and thin hips, cute hands that are smaller than his face and adorable wide eyes that was framed with luscious black locks that matched his black ears and tail. Jongdae was sure his charm was his shyness and the way his lips stretched into a heart shape when smiled widely, so the man was quite confused why no one has come to adopt Kyungsoo yet. Joonmyeon on the other hand, was handsome, like a model out of a magazine. He was just as small as Kyungsoo but with broader shoulders and had a more confident look. He also had ears that matched his hair, a dark chocolate brown that was soft to touch and smooth to run through. Though when he smiled, Kyungsoo claimed that he looked ugly and in pain so Joonmyeon shouldn’t smile often.
Kyungsoo was the first to rise up from his spot in bed, Joonmyeon choosing to roll around and bury himself more into the blankets with a soft whine. Smiling at the older, Kyungsoo crooned and urged him up, nuzzling him until he rolled out of the bed and onto the floor with a thump. The same routine for the last two months since the last hybrid of their batch was sold, a cute sleepy-looking boy named Jongin. He was adopted by a nice man named Taemin who seemed to have no qualms on forking out the money to make sure his new pet was well cared for. Kyungsoo and Joonmyeon both wishing they will be able to be adopted by a nice family, perhaps not too rich but showed just as much love.
With a sigh, Jongdae left Kyungsoo to nudge Joonmyeon up, a pout on his lips as he nudged the older out of the room and towards the now almost-empty bathrooms. With a sigh the two cleaned up and convened outside to grab their breakfast which consisted of bacon, scrambled eggs and some hash browns. They ate in silence, huddled in their corner of the yard because the other pets did not want to be their friends. It wasn’t until opening time that something went differently, Kyungsoo was split off from the rest, being told to go and have a bath while Joonmyeon was ushered into the shop to do his daily chores.
For the rest of the morning, Kyungsoo was isolated and miserable in the back room while customers came in and went out with new pets. Joonmyeon watched as each normal hybrid found a new home with an owner that loved them to bits, he on the other hand was overlooked, invisible to the eyes of all the people that came into the store. He often left the front to check on Kyungsoo, their hands separated by a glass door, the younger staring out with almost-teary eyes. Something bad was going to happen, they could feel it.
It was around 1 in the afternoon when the bell above the door jingled, Jongdae hurriedly rushing forward to greet the man. He took off his hat with a flourish, the soft flakes of the first snowfall falling off and onto the floor (in which Joonmyeon would have to mop up later). The man was tall and intimidating, with red hair and slanted eyes that sparkled blue from the contacts he was wearing. With a flourish, he swept through the store as if he was gliding, his long black coat with thick fur trimming flaring around his shins as he tried to spot his pet. Joonmyeon had seen the man before, a multitude of times over the last few weeks, just watching them with eagle-sharp eyes that glowed with the multitude of colours that came with his eye lenses. He wasn’t creepy like some of the old men and women that had been in that shop, with their wrinkled skin and their excessive touching, the man was refined, sophisticated and intimidating. It seemed like today was the day he would finally bring home a pet as he spotted Kyungsoo behind the glass door of the isolation room, an adorable smile blooming on his face as he ran to the door, pressing himself against the cold glass (Joonmyeon would probably have to repolish the glass after that).
Jongdae came around and spoke to the man, sheets of paperwork shuffling as the man signed his name on the dotted lines, ensuring that he was agreeing to the rules of the law and the regulations and responsibilities that came with caring for such an exotic breed. With a wave of his hand, Jongdae sent Joonmyeon to pick up the specially prepared box of necessities that had the label ‘Zitao’ on it in a messy scrawl. He must be pretty well off to be able to afford Kyungsoo as well as the top-of-the-range outfits and vitamins that were in the box. Then it dawned on Joonmyeon, Kyungsoo was being adopted, he was going to walk out that door and out of his life, ready to lead the happy life he deserves. Joonmyeon was going to be left alone, unwanted and becoming too old to be favourable to owners. Zitao waved a hand and a man with sunglasses came into the store, taking the box from Joonmyeon’s arms and taking it out to a black limousine that sat in front of the store. Jongdae brought Kyungsoo out from the room, squeaky clean and blinking innocently. He made a beeline for Joonmyeon, hiding behind his equally small frame and peeking at the man that would be his new owner. While ‘Zitao’ and Jongdae exchanged receipts, Joonmyeon took Kyungsoo’s shaking hands.
“Soo… You’re going to have a home!”
“Hyung… What about you? You’re going to be alone…”
“I’ll be okay Kyungsoo.”
Joonmyeon’s voice cracked slightly, his weakness showing as Kyungsoo pulled him into a tight hug, whispering soothing words into his ear as they held onto each other like a lifeline. Only a gentle hand nudging them alerted them to the shopkeeper who formally introduced the man named Zitao to them. He was a wealthy businessman who had just moved from China recently and was uninterested in the women that threw themselves at his feet, he had just about given up hope when he came across the shop being mentioned to him by a close friend and colleague. Upon arriving to the little store, he came across Kyungsoo, the innocent angel singing while sweeping the floor. Zitao had fallen in love and knew he had to have Kyungsoo to himself. Mentioned man smiled bashfully, holding out his hand to the boy, waiting patiently to show that he was not going to harm him. Kyungsoo’s small hand reached out, fingers sliding into Zitao’s larger hand where slim but long fingers curled around his soft fingers. Slowly Kyungsoo was pulled away, looking back at Joonmyeon with a wistful smile as he waved through the shop window before climbing into the luxurious looking car.
The car was long gone before Joonmyeon moved from his spot, silent tears staining his cheeks as the last of his kin was taken away, his best friend, the only person that had been so close with him all this time. Jongdae let him take the day off, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to work under the emotional stress and customers don’t want to see a snot-dribbling pet cleaning the place when they walk into the store. Joonmyeon spent the day in his nest of blankets, hugging the pillow that had the lingering scent of Kyungsoo.
***
Three months had passed since Kyungsoo was adopted, he called once every day at lunch time to check up on Joonmyeon. Zitao was considerate and kind enough to let Kyungsoo have so much freedom. He had bought him new clothes, shoes, accessories, even a brand new phone all in return for Kyungsoo’s companionship. Joonmyeon was happy for his best friend, but also felt a twang of envy in his heart at how lucky the other was. That day was no different, Kyungsoo had gushed about how Zitao had come home the night before with a present for no apparent reason, the box actually containing a collar with Kyungsoo’s name carved intricately into the silver tag. To become a collared pet was their dream, it meant their owner really wanted to keep them, not just fling them around like a toy until they were old and overused. Joonmyeon chuckled for Kyungsoo’s sake, congratulating him and promising to let him know if there was any development in his pet store life. There was a jingle of the doorbell as soon as Joonmyeon replaced the receiver, turning to see the other store owner, Yifan, approach the tall man that had just entered.
Yifan was Jongdae’s business partner, taking turns to run the store. Yifan looked like a supermodel, extremely tall, with orange-blonde hair and thick slanted eyebrows that put him in a permanent scowl. Inside though, he was the biggest soft teddy bear in the world, treating all the pets well and falling for their aegyo and charms easily. Joonmyeon liked helping out the shop with Yifan, he would always sneak him some sort of treat without Jongdae’s knowledge. Presently, he was having an in-depth discussion with the new customer, also a very tall man. He had round, soft cheeks and wide eyes that sat under a mop of styled brown hair. His most memorable feature was probably the ears that stuck out slightly on the sides of his head, making him look like a tall, adorable elf. His brown eyes flickered over to Joonmyeon before returning to Yifan’s face where they talked animatedly before the store owner nodded, leading the man over to Joonmyeon’s direction.
Poor Joonmyeon had nowhere to run, already trapped in his pet corner with nothing to cover himself with except a large plush bear Yifan had gifted him with a while ago. Yifan and the man stepped into the area, the exotic cat curling up defensively as they approached him. The shop keeper crouched down, large hands reaching to take the plush bear away from the cat’s grip before he smiled gently. He introduced the other man to be ‘Chanyeol’, a good friend of his who was looking for a pet companion to accompany him on his music tours around the world. Joonmyeon tilted his head, there were plenty of other pets who were more adventurous and more affectionate than him so why was Yifan letting the man pet him so casually?
The long fingers threaded through his hair, his ears folding and turning downwards in a sign of submission as he let the man pet his head gently. The touch was soothing, the languid strokes over his head and the hand smoothing over his hair made him forget where he was, falling into a trance-like state as Chanyeol started to rub his soft ears, fingernails scratching against that spot behind his ears that made him purr, the loud sound rumbling out of his chest and resounding around the room. It was only then that his ears perked upwards, picking up on the words of two men speaking softly to each other. There were mentions of ‘papers’, ‘above preferred age’ and ‘last of his batch’ that caught his attention, Joonmyeon tilting his head back to blink up at the man above him. Chanyeol probably sensed the intense stare and looked down at the crouched hybrid with a wide grin, eyes twinkling as his fingers never halted in their ministrations. Joonmyeon’s heart skipped a beat and he was suddenly reminded of the words that his best friend and brother had whispered to him the day he was adopted.
Joonmyeon’s voice cracked slightly, his weakness showing as Kyungsoo pulled him into a tight hug, whispering soothing words into his ear as they held onto each other like a lifeline.
"Being old and not adopted doesn't mean that no one likes you, it's just because the right person hasn't found you yet."
The wise words of his best friend echoed in his ears as the large hand petted his head gently, a wide grin plastered on the handsome face of the man in front of him. Joonmyeon took a deep breath and let his face pull into a smile, a shy one that made the man coo at him softly. Yifan left the two alone for a few minutes as he went to grab the paperwork, documents and ID in hand as he needed to keep a record for every pet that was to ever be adopted from the premises. Joonmyeon was alone with the man, the one that had been so gentle and soft with him ever since he stepped foot into his area. Chanyeol plopped onto the carpet, grin still on his face as he held out his hands, palms facing upwards, as if showing he meant no harm.
“Hey there, you’re Joonmyeon right? My name is Chanyeol, I think you already knew that since Yifan introduced me before but I wanted to do it myself-“ He paused for a breath. “I know you’re abit older than the age that people usually adopt at but that’s okay! Mature is good and you’ll be so responsible, I just know you’ll be so helpful at home too! Would you like that Joonmyeon? Would you like to come home with me? I’ll feed you well and give you nice clothes and take you all over the world! I’ll show you the Great Wall of China, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Big Ben in London… We’ll take time off and go to Disneyland in America too! Would you like that?”
Joonmyeon had to take a moment to process what the man had said, since he had basically asked it all in one breath so when everything had settled in his mind, the hybrid stared up at the man with surprise. He had never encountered anyone who would promise so much to a pet, never so considerate of what the pet wanted. Most owners would come in and take the pet home, but Chanyeol was different. Chanyeol promised Joonmyeon the world. He would have been an idiot if he didn’t fall for that gift, so with teary eyes and a wide smile, Joonmyeon skipped the part where he was supposed to take Chanyeol’s hands and accept, instead throwing himself into the man’s arms with a soft sob.
When all the paperwork was done, signatures signed on dotted lines, belongings packed and essentials picked out, Joonmyeon was lead outside by the hand. It was his first step outside the store ever, as an owned hybrid now. He was greeted with a white limousine and a man in a black suit and white gloves that held the door of the car open for them. Chanyeol bowed, an arm presenting the interior of the car before reaching to help Joonmyeon crawl inside eagerly. His owner followed closely and the chauffeur closed the door with a gentle click before going to put the boxes into the boot. Joonmyeon looked around the spacious interior at the tinted windows and the various food and drinks that were set out in front of him. As the car pulled away from the curb, Joonmyeon looked back at the pet shop one last time, chewing on a potato chip and tail flicking in satisfaction as he curled up against his new owner, purring softly. Perhaps the wait had been worth it, the right owner was more than perfect and he would cherish every moment they would be together for. He reminded himself to call Kyungsoo once he was settled in, he had asked Yifan to write down the caller ID from Kyungsoo’s last call before they had parted, a tear falling from Yifan’s eye as he waved Joonmyeon out the door, paper clutched tightly in his hand.
As he felt the same gentle touch on his head, Joonmyeon let his eyes droop slowly, falling into dreamland with one thought: I am wanted, I am happy now.
Title: Let Home find you
Rating: G
Word Count: 3,107 words
Summary: "Being old and not adopted doesn't mean that no one likes you, it's just because the right person hasn't found you yet." The wise words of his best friend echoed in his ears as the large hand petted his head gently, a wide grin plastered on the handsome face of the man in front of him.
Warning/s: hybrid!verse, mentions of Wu Yifan
A/N: This might not be exactly what you had in mind but I do hope you like it! The flow I had while writing this was much more on the fluff side ( ﾟдﾟ)
The lights flickered on, the golden glow casting their beams along the hallway where rows of doors lined the walls. The man stepped along to each door, unlocking them and popping inside to wake the sleeping bundles of joy. Each pet whined at the early rousing, rolling around in their beds as the man nudged and carried them to the shared bathrooms. It was the eighth door that the man stepped in front of that housed two instead of one pet, the last two of an exotic species he had once had the chance to acquire. The door creaked open to reveal a clean room, two tables with books and notepads laden with scribbles of handwriting sat in a corner next to a large window, the blinds drawn tightly to prevent the sun’s rays from penetrating into the dim room. A closet and a beanbag laid in the other corner, the scattered toys the only form of entertainment. To the right of the door, a double bed was pressed against the wall, covers drawn up to the top, a large lump under it moving up and down slowly in slow, deep breaths. With a sigh, the man stepped over the neatly aligned slippers before placing his hand on top of the lump in the bed, shaking it gently and cooing softly.
“Come on boys. It’s time to get ready to open up shop.”
There was a stir and a groan before the blankets slid down to reveal two pairs of ears and further to show two sleepy pairs of eyes, blinking up at him innocently. Jongdae was a nice man with light brown hair and high cheekbones, his cheeky smile hiding a wonderful singing voice he reserved for his family and all the pets at the hybrids store. Though he looked nice, he was strict with everything that might affect their health and visual appeal to the customers. He monitored the pets individually and made changes to their diets or cleaning regimes to make sure they were all in top shape. For the past few years, his reputation had grown immensely, everyday rich people with large sums of money would come in and seek out their own unique pet.
The two pets he had woken up were the last of an exotic batch. He had somehow managed to bid for a litter of 6 at an auction a few months back, his luck bringing a surge of customers that time. However, the two remaining ones were always overlooked, he never understood why as they were perfectly fit and healthy just like the ones he had sold. Kyungsoo was a small hybrid with slim shoulders and thin hips, cute hands that are smaller than his face and adorable wide eyes that was framed with luscious black locks that matched his black ears and tail. Jongdae was sure his charm was his shyness and the way his lips stretched into a heart shape when smiled widely, so the man was quite confused why no one has come to adopt Kyungsoo yet. Joonmyeon on the other hand, was handsome, like a model out of a magazine. He was just as small as Kyungsoo but with broader shoulders and had a more confident look. He also had ears that matched his hair, a dark chocolate brown that was soft to touch and smooth to run through. Though when he smiled, Kyungsoo claimed that he looked ugly and in pain so Joonmyeon shouldn’t smile often.
Kyungsoo was the first to rise up from his spot in bed, Joonmyeon choosing to roll around and bury himself more into the blankets with a soft whine. Smiling at the older, Kyungsoo crooned and urged him up, nuzzling him until he rolled out of the bed and onto the floor with a thump. The same routine for the last two months since the last hybrid of their batch was sold, a cute sleepy-looking boy named Jongin. He was adopted by a nice man named Taemin who seemed to have no qualms on forking out the money to make sure his new pet was well cared for. Kyungsoo and Joonmyeon both wishing they will be able to be adopted by a nice family, perhaps not too rich but showed just as much love.
With a sigh, Jongdae left Kyungsoo to nudge Joonmyeon up, a pout on his lips as he nudged the older out of the room and towards the now almost-empty bathrooms. With a sigh the two cleaned up and convened outside to grab their breakfast which consisted of bacon, scrambled eggs and some hash browns. They ate in silence, huddled in their corner of the yard because the other pets did not want to be their friends. It wasn’t until opening time that something went differently, Kyungsoo was split off from the rest, being told to go and have a bath while Joonmyeon was ushered into the shop to do his daily chores.
For the rest of the morning, Kyungsoo was isolated and miserable in the back room while customers came in and went out with new pets. Joonmyeon watched as each normal hybrid found a new home with an owner that loved them to bits, he on the other hand was overlooked, invisible to the eyes of all the people that came into the store. He often left the front to check on Kyungsoo, their hands separated by a glass door, the younger staring out with almost-teary eyes. Something bad was going to happen, they could feel it.
It was around 1 in the afternoon when the bell above the door jingled, Jongdae hurriedly rushing forward to greet the man. He took off his hat with a flourish, the soft flakes of the first snowfall falling off and onto the floor (in which Joonmyeon would have to mop up later). The man was tall and intimidating, with red hair and slanted eyes that sparkled blue from the contacts he was wearing. With a flourish, he swept through the store as if he was gliding, his long black coat with thick fur trimming flaring around his shins as he tried to spot his pet. Joonmyeon had seen the man before, a multitude of times over the last few weeks, just watching them with eagle-sharp eyes that glowed with the multitude of colours that came with his eye lenses. He wasn’t creepy like some of the old men and women that had been in that shop, with their wrinkled skin and their excessive touching, the man was refined, sophisticated and intimidating. It seemed like today was the day he would finally bring home a pet as he spotted Kyungsoo behind the glass door of the isolation room, an adorable smile blooming on his face as he ran to the door, pressing himself against the cold glass (Joonmyeon would probably have to repolish the glass after that).
Jongdae came around and spoke to the man, sheets of paperwork shuffling as the man signed his name on the dotted lines, ensuring that he was agreeing to the rules of the law and the regulations and responsibilities that came with caring for such an exotic breed. With a wave of his hand, Jongdae sent Joonmyeon to pick up the specially prepared box of necessities that had the label ‘Zitao’ on it in a messy scrawl. He must be pretty well off to be able to afford Kyungsoo as well as the top-of-the-range outfits and vitamins that were in the box. Then it dawned on Joonmyeon, Kyungsoo was being adopted, he was going to walk out that door and out of his life, ready to lead the happy life he deserves. Joonmyeon was going to be left alone, unwanted and becoming too old to be favourable to owners. Zitao waved a hand and a man with sunglasses came into the store, taking the box from Joonmyeon’s arms and taking it out to a black limousine that sat in front of the store. Jongdae brought Kyungsoo out from the room, squeaky clean and blinking innocently. He made a beeline for Joonmyeon, hiding behind his equally small frame and peeking at the man that would be his new owner. While ‘Zitao’ and Jongdae exchanged receipts, Joonmyeon took Kyungsoo’s shaking hands.
“Soo… You’re going to have a home!”
“Hyung… What about you? You’re going to be alone…”
“I’ll be okay Kyungsoo.”
Joonmyeon’s voice cracked slightly, his weakness showing as Kyungsoo pulled him into a tight hug, whispering soothing words into his ear as they held onto each other like a lifeline. Only a gentle hand nudging them alerted them to the shopkeeper who formally introduced the man named Zitao to them. He was a wealthy businessman who had just moved from China recently and was uninterested in the women that threw themselves at his feet, he had just about given up hope when he came across the shop being mentioned to him by a close friend and colleague. Upon arriving to the little store, he came across Kyungsoo, the innocent angel singing while sweeping the floor. Zitao had fallen in love and knew he had to have Kyungsoo to himself. Mentioned man smiled bashfully, holding out his hand to the boy, waiting patiently to show that he was not going to harm him. Kyungsoo’s small hand reached out, fingers sliding into Zitao’s larger hand where slim but long fingers curled around his soft fingers. Slowly Kyungsoo was pulled away, looking back at Joonmyeon with a wistful smile as he waved through the shop window before climbing into the luxurious looking car.
The car was long gone before Joonmyeon moved from his spot, silent tears staining his cheeks as the last of his kin was taken away, his best friend, the only person that had been so close with him all this time. Jongdae let him take the day off, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to work under the emotional stress and customers don’t want to see a snot-dribbling pet cleaning the place when they walk into the store. Joonmyeon spent the day in his nest of blankets, hugging the pillow that had the lingering scent of Kyungsoo.
***
Three months had passed since Kyungsoo was adopted, he called once every day at lunch time to check up on Joonmyeon. Zitao was considerate and kind enough to let Kyungsoo have so much freedom. He had bought him new clothes, shoes, accessories, even a brand new phone all in return for Kyungsoo’s companionship. Joonmyeon was happy for his best friend, but also felt a twang of envy in his heart at how lucky the other was. That day was no different, Kyungsoo had gushed about how Zitao had come home the night before with a present for no apparent reason, the box actually containing a collar with Kyungsoo’s name carved intricately into the silver tag. To become a collared pet was their dream, it meant their owner really wanted to keep them, not just fling them around like a toy until they were old and overused. Joonmyeon chuckled for Kyungsoo’s sake, congratulating him and promising to let him know if there was any development in his pet store life. There was a jingle of the doorbell as soon as Joonmyeon replaced the receiver, turning to see the other store owner, Yifan, approach the tall man that had just entered.
Yifan was Jongdae’s business partner, taking turns to run the store. Yifan looked like a supermodel, extremely tall, with orange-blonde hair and thick slanted eyebrows that put him in a permanent scowl. Inside though, he was the biggest soft teddy bear in the world, treating all the pets well and falling for their aegyo and charms easily. Joonmyeon liked helping out the shop with Yifan, he would always sneak him some sort of treat without Jongdae’s knowledge. Presently, he was having an in-depth discussion with the new customer, also a very tall man. He had round, soft cheeks and wide eyes that sat under a mop of styled brown hair. His most memorable feature was probably the ears that stuck out slightly on the sides of his head, making him look like a tall, adorable elf. His brown eyes flickered over to Joonmyeon before returning to Yifan’s face where they talked animatedly before the store owner nodded, leading the man over to Joonmyeon’s direction.
Poor Joonmyeon had nowhere to run, already trapped in his pet corner with nothing to cover himself with except a large plush bear Yifan had gifted him with a while ago. Yifan and the man stepped into the area, the exotic cat curling up defensively as they approached him. The shop keeper crouched down, large hands reaching to take the plush bear away from the cat’s grip before he smiled gently. He introduced the other man to be ‘Chanyeol’, a good friend of his who was looking for a pet companion to accompany him on his music tours around the world. Joonmyeon tilted his head, there were plenty of other pets who were more adventurous and more affectionate than him so why was Yifan letting the man pet him so casually?
The long fingers threaded through his hair, his ears folding and turning downwards in a sign of submission as he let the man pet his head gently. The touch was soothing, the languid strokes over his head and the hand smoothing over his hair made him forget where he was, falling into a trance-like state as Chanyeol started to rub his soft ears, fingernails scratching against that spot behind his ears that made him purr, the loud sound rumbling out of his chest and resounding around the room. It was only then that his ears perked upwards, picking up on the words of two men speaking softly to each other. There were mentions of ‘papers’, ‘above preferred age’ and ‘last of his batch’ that caught his attention, Joonmyeon tilting his head back to blink up at the man above him. Chanyeol probably sensed the intense stare and looked down at the crouched hybrid with a wide grin, eyes twinkling as his fingers never halted in their ministrations. Joonmyeon’s heart skipped a beat and he was suddenly reminded of the words that his best friend and brother had whispered to him the day he was adopted.
Joonmyeon’s voice cracked slightly, his weakness showing as Kyungsoo pulled him into a tight hug, whispering soothing words into his ear as they held onto each other like a lifeline.
"Being old and not adopted doesn't mean that no one likes you, it's just because the right person hasn't found you yet."
The wise words of his best friend echoed in his ears as the large hand petted his head gently, a wide grin plastered on the handsome face of the man in front of him. Joonmyeon took a deep breath and let his face pull into a smile, a shy one that made the man coo at him softly. Yifan left the two alone for a few minutes as he went to grab the paperwork, documents and ID in hand as he needed to keep a record for every pet that was to ever be adopted from the premises. Joonmyeon was alone with the man, the one that had been so gentle and soft with him ever since he stepped foot into his area. Chanyeol plopped onto the carpet, grin still on his face as he held out his hands, palms facing upwards, as if showing he meant no harm.
“Hey there, you’re Joonmyeon right? My name is Chanyeol, I think you already knew that since Yifan introduced me before but I wanted to do it myself-“ He paused for a breath. “I know you’re abit older than the age that people usually adopt at but that’s okay! Mature is good and you’ll be so responsible, I just know you’ll be so helpful at home too! Would you like that Joonmyeon? Would you like to come home with me? I’ll feed you well and give you nice clothes and take you all over the world! I’ll show you the Great Wall of China, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Big Ben in London… We’ll take time off and go to Disneyland in America too! Would you like that?”
Joonmyeon had to take a moment to process what the man had said, since he had basically asked it all in one breath so when everything had settled in his mind, the hybrid stared up at the man with surprise. He had never encountered anyone who would promise so much to a pet, never so considerate of what the pet wanted. Most owners would come in and take the pet home, but Chanyeol was different. Chanyeol promised Joonmyeon the world. He would have been an idiot if he didn’t fall for that gift, so with teary eyes and a wide smile, Joonmyeon skipped the part where he was supposed to take Chanyeol’s hands and accept, instead throwing himself into the man’s arms with a soft sob.
When all the paperwork was done, signatures signed on dotted lines, belongings packed and essentials picked out, Joonmyeon was lead outside by the hand. It was his first step outside the store ever, as an owned hybrid now. He was greeted with a white limousine and a man in a black suit and white gloves that held the door of the car open for them. Chanyeol bowed, an arm presenting the interior of the car before reaching to help Joonmyeon crawl inside eagerly. His owner followed closely and the chauffeur closed the door with a gentle click before going to put the boxes into the boot. Joonmyeon looked around the spacious interior at the tinted windows and the various food and drinks that were set out in front of him. As the car pulled away from the curb, Joonmyeon looked back at the pet shop one last time, chewing on a potato chip and tail flicking in satisfaction as he curled up against his new owner, purring softly. Perhaps the wait had been worth it, the right owner was more than perfect and he would cherish every moment they would be together for. He reminded himself to call Kyungsoo once he was settled in, he had asked Yifan to write down the caller ID from Kyungsoo’s last call before they had parted, a tear falling from Yifan’s eye as he waved Joonmyeon out the door, paper clutched tightly in his hand.
As he felt the same gentle touch on his head, Joonmyeon let his eyes droop slowly, falling into dreamland with one thought: I am wanted, I am happy now.