Dog run home run for canadaphile
For: canadaphile
Title: Dog Run Home Run
Pairing(s): Chanyeol/Tao
Rating: PG
Warning(s) kind of sort of not really BaekSoo ( a dog!brotp? )
Length: 5.6k
Summary: They say pets take after their owners. Chanyeol's not sure what to think when his dog humps his crush's dog at the dog run.
Author's note: thanks for the super cute prompts! I had a hard time choosing a pairing because you gave so many fun options, but ChanTao just seems to fit a dog fic somehow <3 I hope you will enjoy! [ and thanks to A for helping me set up the plot <3 ]
It wasn't raining for the first time in two weeks. Chanyeol decided it was a good day to head to the park before he even found his glasses and checked the weather forecast on his phone. Baekhyun, his beagle puppy, seemed to agree. The dog pounced on his bed and pinned Chanyeol to the mattress, slathering his forehead and the lenses of his glasses with his tongue before Chanyeol could drop his phone and defend himself from the violent affections.
"Whoa! Whoa there, boy! Hey, not my--!" Chanyeol struggled to sit up against the headboard and Baek tumbled to the mattress at the shift in gravity. He just rolled over on his back in the tangle of sheets, tail still wagging in invitation for a belly rub.
"Ack! You really need to learn better manners," Chanyeol groaned. He ignored the puppy's whines for attention in favor of cleaning his glasses on the hem of his pajama shirt. "Gross. You are so gross." Chanyeol laughed when the dog barked in agreement. He gave up trying to rub the smudges from his glasses without cleaner and stripped off his pajamas into the laundry pile next to the dresser.
Chanyeol hopped into the shower, bringing his sticky glasses along into the spray for a quick rinse. He nearly dropped them to their doom when Baek decided to join the party, leaping over the side of the tub and knocking Chanyeol off his feet.
"Agh, not again." Chanyeol shook his head as he felt along the back for a lump where he had dashed it against the tile in his fall. "You're not supposed to come into the water with me! Silly dog."
Chanyeol had only started showering with the bathroom door cracked open after he adopted his pet. Otherwise, the dog would park himself outside the door in the hall, howling and scratching at the wood paneling until Chanyeol let him in. Baekhyun got lonely in less than two minutes, not something Chanyeol had bargained for when he decided to adopt a puppy to keep him company around the house.
He couldn't care less if the dog saw him in his birthday suit, but in the last few weeks Baek had started climbing all the way into the tub with him and that was something Chanyeol wasn't sure he liked. For one thing, he worried about getting soap in the puppy's eyes when he rinsed the shampoo out of his hair, and there was always the danger of getting tangled up in each other's feet and wiping out on the slippery porcelain.
Chanyeol made his shower quick, a two minute shampoo and a three minute scrub down with his loofah before he shut off the faucet and climbed onto the bathmat. Baekhyun clambered over the side of the tub, toenails sliding on the slick surface. He made a safe landing before Chanyeol could bend down to help him. He shook the water dripping from his coat and sprayed his owner right in the face.
"Ah!" Chanyeol gasped, still blinded by the slinging water, "that's it! I'm towel drying you before you can leave water marks on the hall floor!”
Getting rubbed all over with a nubbly terrycloth wasn't Baekhyun's favorite thing in the world, but he cooperated enough to let Chanyeol wipe the worst of the moisture from his fur. Chanyeol dried his glasses off next and shoved them back on his face before any more mishaps could take place.
He didn't spend long hunting for a clean change of clothes in his room. They were just off to the park, after all. A T-shirt and yesterday's jeans would suffice for a walk to get some fresh air before they headed home again so Chanyeol could get to work on his next deadline. He grabbed his keys, Baekhyun's leash, and his hat from the hooks by the front door. Baekhyun raced ahead of him into the garage and hopped into the front seat as soon as Chanyeol opened the car door.
"You ready, Baek? Let's go check out the flowers at Mayer Park! The azaleas should be in bloom by now, maybe even the peonies!"
Baekhyun barked in answers, paws sliding for purchase on the leather passenger seat as Chanyeol started the engine.
Mayer Park wasn't the closest public space for recreation, but the municipal park had spacious grounds and a well kept dog run. Chanyeol had been taking Baekhyun there at least once a week for the past several months, ever since he adopted the baby beagle. It was a little cold back in November when they first started going, but by early summer they didn't need to remember Baekhyun's stripy sweater anymore. They just grabbed the leash and a plastic bag and set off to explore the landscape.
By the time they parked in the lot near the south entrance to the park, Chanyeol was starting to wish he'd remembered to grab breakfast. He'd fed Baekhyun right after their shower but neglected to pull the last bagel from the back of the fridge before they left. He considered stopping by McDonald's for a moment, but then he remembered the hot dog stand near the fountains.
Chanyeol didn't usually care for salty foods right after waking up, but he could make do with a chili dog for one day. It was well after 11:00 by then anyway, so he might as well get a head start on his lunch and have two hot dogs, he decided with a hum as he clipped the lead onto Baekhyun's collar.
He gave the leash a gentle tug to make sure the clasp was fastened securely before he opened the door. Baekhyun wasn't aggressive with his teeth but he liked to get friendly with passersby, and they'd already suffered one escape attempt featuring an angry squirrel and the puppy getting his behind stuck in a hollow log. Chanyeol didn't want to deal with any more wild beagle chases at the park, so he'd started checking the safety clasp before every walk.
Their favorite spot was the dog run, where Chanyeol could unclip his rhinestone studded collar from the lead. Behind the mesh fence of the run they could both relax, Chanyeol on a park bench with his kindle and his sunglasses, and Baekhyun footloose and fancy free to frolic in the sunshine and sniff the butts of his doggy friends.
Baekhyun wanted to head straight for the mesh enclosure of the run, but Chanyeol tugged him towards the sidewalk. "Sorry, bud! Let's go find something to eat first, then I promise you can have some fun on the playground."
Sure enough, the vending cart with the snappy red awning was parked next to the statue of the town's founder, across the brick mall from the fountains. Chanyeol was already digging in his pocket for change as they rounded the curve in the sidewalk. Baek jerked on the leash once they came in sight of the seller under the vinyl roof, eager to greet her.
"Hello, strangers! Where've you guys been all week?"
"Hey, Amber!" Chanyeol managed a quick wave before he returned both his hands to hang onto the leash. Baekhyun leapt and barked in greeting as Amber shucked off her plastic sanitary gloves and stepped out to meet them.
"Hey, Baekhyunnie! Long time no see, dog! How you been, eh?" She scratched him right behind his floppy ears, digging in with her nails to scour his silky fur in gentle circles. Baekhyun relaxed right away and dropped to a squat on his haunches. "That's right, that's my boy! Wow, I think you got bigger since I've seen you!"
"Yeah, his pedigree is 100% beagle, but he sure eats like a horse!" Chanyeol crouched beside them on the grass to run his palms up the puppy's sides while the dog leaned into Amber's strokes along his head and neck. "Just switched him over to the young adult food, since he's getting close to a year old already."
"That old already? He still acts like a baby!" Amber gave his chin a last pat before she returned to her cart to scrub her hands and arms clean again.
"All dogs are babies." Chanyeol shrugged as he dropped his handful of change on the counter. "Could I have two, please? One chili dog and one with extra mustard."
"How are you gonna hold two and still hang onto the leash?" Amber teased, but she was already slotting two sausages into buns with quick fingers.
"I'll go sit in there." Chanyeol pointed in the direction of the run and Amber nodded. She smothered one wiener with a ladle of chili and splotched yellow mustard all over the other before exchanging the wax paper trays of food for Chanyeol's quarters.
"This'll make you the most popular dude in the dog run no doubt, but make sure you hang onto your lunch!"
"Yes ma'am!" Chanyeol saluted before scooping up the shallow boxes in one hand, the leash wrapped securely around his other. He made it through the entrance of the enclosure with the help of an old lady leading a docile terrier on a pink leather leash. The nearest bench was unoccupied, so he collapsed on the seat and balanced his food on his lap while he tried to unhook Baekhyun from the lead.
The dog was so excited to play he wouldn't hold still. He kept jerking against his collar until it gagged him, and tried to do a backflip that almost landed Chanyeol's lunch in the dirt.
"Baekhyun, hang on a sec! You're--!" The dog's ears perked up and he tensed for a moment, but before Chanyeol could work the clip open Baekhyun tore across the lawn full speed ahead. He ripped the leash from Chanyeol's open handed grip and threw him to his knees.
"Baekhyun!" This time Chanyeol really did lose his meal to the dirt. He got to his feet, mustard smudged across his chin and the left lens of his glasses, and his crotch dripping with chili. Before he could shove his katchup covered fingers in his back pocket to feel for a kleenex a strangled yelp sent him sprinting after his pet.
"Baekhyun, what's wrong--what're you--! Oh no..."
The terrified yelp hadn't come from Baekhyun at all. In fact, Chanyeol's dog was wagging his tail and panting happily as he rutted up against the behind of a little black dachshund in a thin blue sweater with a hood.
"Baekhyun, no! Stop--!"
Baekhyun ignored his owner's commands as usual, and before Chanyeol could close the distance and yank him back by the still attached leash, the dachshund's owner appeared and whisked him up into his arms.
"I'm so sorry! I--don't know what to say, but--" Chanyeol panted out as he finally caught hold of Baekhyun by the collar and scooped him up too. Baekhyun squirmed in against his chest, clawing at his arms, but Chanyeol held him close until he went limp with a low whine.
"Really sorry!" Chanyeol continued. He glanced up from the panting bundle in his arms to give the man in front of him a weak smile.
"It's ok, no harm done." The man shrugged, sun glinting off the fine gold chain swinging from his earlobe, and Chanyeol's breath lodged in his throat like a wayward clump of pickle relish.
Oh. No!
"Still, I-I'm really, really so-sorry!" he stammered out, not because he was still out of breath, but because his naughty dog had chosen to hump no other than the pride and joy of Huang Zitao, first violin in the local symphony orchestra and also the object of Chanyeol's one sided affections for as long as he’d been bringing Baekhyun to Mayer Park. I.e., for the past 26 weeks and eleven days.
"Apology accepted," Zitao said. His lips curled up at the corners like the scrollwork on the end of a fiddle, just enough to bring out the blush in Chanyeol's already humiliated cheeks, but not far enough to be mistaken for a smirk.
"Baek didn't mean any harm, I'm sure! He's just...a little weird, I suppose. Like this morning, he woke me up by licking my glasses. Not my face, just my glasses."
Zitao's shoulders shook in silence for a moment before his mouth burst open with a high pitched laugh that set his earring swinging. "Were your glasses accessorized with delicious condiments as well this morning? Or do you only apply mustard before leaving the house?"
"I--wha--huh?" Chanyeol gaped in surprise, still caught off guard by the explosive laughter and also flustered by how musical the strains of Zitao's voice sounded and also distracted with the curve of his lips that--
"Well you know what they say," Zitao purred as he cuddled his dog closer to his chest, lips spreading in a full grin. "Pets take after their owners."
Chanyeol's brain kicked back into operation mode just in time to process his statement, but Zitao's teasing words didn't help extinguish the fiery flames consuming his face and neck with a mortified blaze. "I--! But--"
"We'll see you next time! Bye bye, Baekhyunnie!" Zitao made his dachshund's paw wave, first at Chanyeol, then at Baekhyun, before he strode to the gate of the run with a swish of his jacket whispering against the hips of his very skinny jeans.
Chanyeol stood there gaping after him until Baekhyun decided it was a good time to start licking the mustard off his glasses again and Chanyeol decided it was a good time to head back home for another shower. Preferably alone and without a dog underfoot this time, but he'd settle for any arrangement that could rinse him of the embarrassment as soon as possible.
The soundtrack for their ride home was a string of longing sighs and humiliated moans as Chanyeol's thoughts bounced between the beautiful curve of Huang Zitao's amused smile and his parting words. Chanyeol's only consolation was that Amber wasn't witness to the whole fiasco.
Or at least he hoped she wasn’t.
It took Chanyeol a good thirteen and a half days to work up the gumption to show his face again at Mayer Park, but by the end of the second week of his self enforced exile, Chanyeol was craving the tender ground beef mixed with soft beans and tantalizing spices that blended so well with the salty tang of Amber's hot dogs. Baekhyun was getting antsy, too. They'd been hiking around a few of the smaller parks in town, but even Chanyeol got bored looping the path around and around the quarter acre of Aoyagi Park near the YMCA. The fairgrounds had more space for them to explore, but no benches or statues or even that many trees for Baekhyun to sniff around.
It was time for a change. Or at least it was time to get back to their old routine. Chanyeol was mostly successful in keeping unpleasant memories at bay as he tossed the Frisbee and doggy bag in the back seat and helped Baekhyun climb up next to him. He kept his eyes on the road and his thoughts floating free with the melody on the radio, thinking about the sunshine and daisies that had started to bloom near the swing set, and of course about the mouth watering taste of Amber's hot dogs. He most definitely was not thinking about violins or curling smiles or musical bursts of laughter.
This time Chanyeol parked at the north end of the park, not because he was trying to conveniently avoid contact with any other dog owners, no siree. The change in parking lots was simply because it was a Saturday and he thought the south lot might be full. It was closer to the playground, after all.
Chanyeol let Baekhyun lead him down the jogging path that wrapped around the outer edge of the park. The dog sniffed through a patch of coneflowers, chased a bumblebee across the path, and got his feet wet in a mud puddle. By the time they made it all the way around to the fountains the puppy's tongue was lolling out the side of his mouth in tired pants and Chanyeol was starting to break a sweat under the band of his cap. There were no signs of any little dachshunds wearing jackets, or their owners, though, Chanyeol noted with a relieved sigh.
Baekhyun trailed behind him, the leash hanging slack between them as Chanyeol sauntered up to Amber's stand.
"Wow, this time it's really long time no see!" she said with a wink. "You didn't catch a summer cold or anything, did you?"
"Nope! We're both as right as rain. Aren't we Baekhyunnie, aren't we boy!" He tugged on the lead and the dog gave a tired wag of his tail before he plopped down on his stomach in front of the hot dog stand. "Could I have two, please? A chili cheese dog, and how about a--"
“Maybe you should stick to one hot dog for now," Amber interrupted his order with a slow hum. "You can come back for a second one if you’re still hungry. It would be disappointing if you spilled them again before you get to taste them.”
“You saw that?” Chanyeol gasped in horror, only remembering to lower his voice so no one would overhear after Amber jumped at his initial reaction.
“Oh! No, I didn't actually see it happen from all the way over in the dog run! No worries, I think only Tao and Mrs. Brumley saw what happened. Tao just happened to tell me about it when I talked to him last week.”
"Tao? You mean--Huang Zitao? Dachshund owner and virtuoso extraordinaire from the orchestra?" The long legged, sweet smiled man of my dreams?
"Yup! That's Tao. His puppy's name is Kyungsoo. I didn't know he played the violin, though! Gee, I wonder if he knows Henry."
"Wait, wait, wait, this has nothing to do with Henry! Stop trying to change the subject, Ambs! You mean to tell me you know him? Huang Zitao with a capital 'z' who wears, like, those mesh shirts and shiny vests and has the earring thingamabob that isn't really an earring but like, it dangles from his ear?"
"Ah, you're gonna have to slow down and repeat that again if you want answers to everything, I didn't quite catch all of that. But yes, he does spell his name with a 'z', and I'm pretty sure that's still called an earring." Amber flicked the stud in her own earlobe in demonstration.
It didn't look nearly as cool as Zitao's chain thing did whenever he laughed and Chanyeol happened to notice. (Which was every time he was in hearing distance, obviously, because Chanyeol maybe sort of liked to pay attention to his fellow dog run visitor. Because he was cute. And also hot. And had toned abs and wore mesh shirts and had a loud but endearing laugh. Yes.)
"Cool, earring, ok," Chanyeol repeated back to Amber, not sure what question on his long list of Facts He Is Dying To Know About H. Zitao to pester her with first.
"Yes, earring," Amber grinned as she handed over the chili cheese dog he had ordered. "That's 75 cents, would you like to pay by cash or check?"
"Here you go." He shoved half of his hot dog in his mouth and passed her the stack of quarters on his palm, head still whirling with the information he'd just learned. Zitao knew Amber. That meant Amber knew Zitao, which in turn meant she could tell him stuff about Zitao. Like the name of his dog, Kyungsoo. The name of his dog that Chanyeol's dog had--
"Hey, Amber!" a musical voice rang out from around the bend, accompanied by the soft jingle of a collar and leash.
"Oh my gosh, that's him! I have to--!" --hide! Chanyeol shoved the rest of his hot dog in his mouth sideways for safekeeping and dove behind a thick cluster of oak trees.
"Seriously? You're hiding from him?"
Chanyeol couldn't see anything with his back pressed against the thickest trunk but he could still hear Amber's hiss as he waited in dread for Zitao to approach.
"Chanyeol, you're being ridiculous!" she tried again, but Chanyeol didn't budge. He clutched Baekhyun to his ribs and threw all of his nervous energy into chewing and swallowing down the rest of his hot dog as Zitao placed his order, thanked Amber, and called Kyungsoo to heel.
“Bye guys!” Amber called after them as they jogged away towards the south gate.
At least Chanyeol had chosen his parking spot well. He comforted himself with that thought as he eased out of the underbrush once Amber hissed again that the coast was clear. He'd just have to up the ante and stay ever on the lookout if he wanted to enjoy his weekly hot dogs in peace without embarrassing himself in front of Zitao.
Scheduling visits to the dog run was another sort of difficulty, because Chanyeol had run into him there on all days of the week, but he and Baekhyun would get through that doggy flap when they came to it. For now, Chanyeol was ready to head home and shower in peace.
"Bye, Amber," he waved without meeting her eyes. He jogged away before she could call him back to try to reason him into something he knew he'd regret. Because--just face it--Chanyeol was an embarrassment and he already regretted that Zitao had found out about that in literally the worst way possible. There was no sense in prolonging their personal interactions and worsening Zitao’s first impression with an even more humiliating second one.
The next time Chanyeol made it to Mayer Park it had only been five days since the close call he’d had in front of Amber's cart, when Zitao almost caught sight of him with another chili dog in hand. It was a Thursday and the sky was overcast, but the air was dry enough that he didn't think it would start raining before noon.
Baekhyun didn’t get as bouncy and energetic when the sun wasn't shining, but he was still excited to see Amber when they reached the the courtyard with the fountains. He raced ahead of Chanyeol, tugging at the restraint of his collar and whining for him to hurry up when his owner didn't walk fast enough.
"Hey, travelers! Care for some popcorn or a dog?"
"The usual, please!" Chanyeol set his change on the counter with a grin. He pointed at the laminated sign of a chili dog. It was a very cute sign. Chanyeol had designed it for Amber himself after she'd discovered he was a professional illustrator during one of their many chats.
"You taking Baekhyun to the dog run today? He looks like he could use a bit of company." Amber smiled at the dog, who wagged his tail in anticipation of getting some loving from his friend, the hot dog chef.
"No..." Chanyeol rubbed the back of his neck with his knuckles, massaging the sore muscles around the bumps of his spine. "We might just...follow the jogging path again. I'm not sure if I..."
"Chanyeol." Amber shook her head at him as she handed over his order and swept the quarters off the counter into her palm. "This isn't about Tao, is it? Because if it is, you're just being silly. The dog run is for everyone. Tao knows Kyungsooie might get his butt sniffed by another dog if he takes him in there, it comes with the territory He's really not mad at you, or anything."
"But--!" Chanyeol felt the frustration rise in his throat, overtaking the words he couldn't figure out how to phrase. Zitao had said it was no harm done, but how was Chanyeol supposed to know if he was telling the truth? Maybe Kyungsoo's owner was just masking his very real, very violent vexation under a thin mask of denial thrown up for courtesy's sake.
"Chanyeol, trust me. I know he's not mad. I’ve talked to him a few times since I've seen you. He even asked about you, if you'd come around the park recently."
"What? He was here? You saw him? He asked about me? What did you tell him!"
"Whoa, slow down there!" Amber shook the cropped blonde hair out of her eyes with a laugh. "Which question do you want me to answer first?"
"What was he wearing!" Chanyeol gasped, squeezing his hot dog in his fist until some of the chili dripped out of the bun and onto his thumb. "Did he look happy? Healthy? Was his pet with him?"
"That's still more than one question at a time." Amber sighed in mock despair as she peeled off her gloves and threaded fingers through her hair. "And why are you asking me for updates about Tao when you could just ask him yourself?"
"Because."
"Because you're shy?" She leaned in close enough to tweak Chanyeol's cheek with a pinch of her fingers. "Really, Chanyeol. You should just go talk to him. Just say hi and see what happens."
If Amber’s wink was meant to be comforting, it didn't help much. Chanyeol still felt queasy at the thought of approaching Zitao, the man he'd been crushing on for weeks now and admiring from a careful distance for months before that. Not to bring up the fact that Chanyeol had given himself a bath in hot dog condiments the first time they actually met.
Well, it was the first time they had talked anyway. They still hadn't officially met. Chanyeol didn't even know if Zitao knew his name, or just that his dog was called Baekhyun.
"Fine. You don't get it, but fine. If you won't give me any answers then I’ll just have to…! Go find them out for myself." Chanyeol narrowed his eyes, hoping his glare might coax Amber into spilling a few more details.
"Good luck on finding them!" Amber waved as he shrugged and turned around.
Chanyeol ended up slinking towards the dog run, trying to move under cover. His white framed sunglasses and black hi tops were the perfect camouflage for a municipal park, he thought. He kept close tabs on Baekhyun, willing him not to start whining or making noise as they approached the the enclosure.
If Zitao happened to be at the park, he'd most likely be on the bench under the shade of the elm tree. He often sat there with his headphones in while Kyungsoo trotted through the tunnels and paths of the obstacle course. Chanyeol wasn't trying to creep on Zitao without actually going up to talk to him, not exactly. He just wanted to catch a casual glimpse of his acquaintance/crush/fellow dog owner and reassure himself that Zitao and Kyungsoo were doing okay. Maybe if he was in a good mood this time, Chanyeol would even find it in himself to contemplate approaching Zitao for a quick hello the next time.
Zitao found him hiding behind a peony bush near the edge of the meadow, just in sight and in easy hearing distance of the dog run.
"Um, what are you doing?"
Chanyeol yelped aloud at the sound of the melodious voice coming from behind him and several feet above his head. He jerked back to face the speaker and ended up knocking himself flat on his back when Baekhyun wrapped the leash around his ankles and then dashed forward to greet Kyungsoo with a friendly sniff of his butt.
“How--?” Chanyeol gagged on the air that Zitao (and Baekhyun) had just knocked right out of him.
“You weren’t being very subtle, you know.”
"S-subtle! I--"
"It's ok," Zitao shrugged with another small smile, one that made Chanyeol feel like simultaneously bursting into giggles and also the hottest blush of his life. "It's cute, the way you've been sneaking around to ogle my good looks."
"Good--good looks!" Chanyeol spluttered as he pulled himself into a sitting position. "Who says it's your looks I've been ogling! Maybe I just think your dog is cute."
"Is that so?" Zitao lifted his eyebrows like Baekhyun's ears perking up at the sound of a chip bag being opened. "Did you hear that, Soo? Chanyeol thinks you're cute!"
"Wait, you know my name?" Chanyeol kind of hoped Zitao would repeat the mention of his name, both because he couldn't be sure if he'd heard correctly--if Zitao really knew his name--and because the syllables rolling through those curving lips had his heart singing like the strings of a Stradivarius in the hands of an artist.
"Of course I know your name." Zitao shook his head like Chanyeol had just told him a lame joke not quite worth laughing at. "We've both been hanging out at the same dog run for weeks now. Or has it been months already? I'm not sure because the time all gets hazy in my head when you're in front of me. I-I mean--!"
Even though it was Zitao's turn to start stuttering, Chanyeol stared back at him in shock for a moment. "Come again? Did you just say that--hey wait a second, are you trying to tell me that you like me, too? You really aren't mad about Baekhyunnie's naughty behavior the other week?"
“I’m not mad, I swear on Mozart's grave!" Zitao held up his right hand, the fingers still tangled in Kyungsoo's leash. "And I’m sorry if you took my fail attempt at a pick up line as an insult the last time we talked. I just--”
“Wait, what? Pick up line?” Chanyeol still couldn't believe his ears but this time he burst out laughing, ready to collapse back into the peony bush with the force of the amusement wracking his body in bubbling sobs of mirth. "Pick up line! That was seriously your best shot?"
Tao whined in the back of his throat, sounding more pitiful than Baekhyun on nail clipping day, so Chanyeol tried to pull his raucous laughter into control. "I get nervous around the person I like, ok. It's normal. Happens to the best of us."
"Well, yeah, duh," Chanyeol agreed, still panting through his nose to inhale enough oxygen. He needed a lot of it to keep his brain supplied to deal with this emotional roller coaster of a conversation. "But you compared me to my dog, who had just tried to hump a stranger in a public space, might I add. You can't really blame me for getting confused about your...intentions."
“Yes but--! I was trying to imply that I’d noticed you've had a crush on me,” Zitao explained, staring him straight in the eye with a sunny smile that had Chanyeol blushing all over again, this time in flustered delight. “I wouldn’t have said anything to you at all if I wasn’t interested too. Please date me?”
Chanyeol let Zitao pull him to his feet with a bashful laugh. He dusted off the seat of his pants as Baekhyun started tugging him back towards the path, straining at the leash again.
“Are you always this forward?” He gave Zitao a side glance around the frames of his glasses.
“About 99% of the time,” Zitao replied with a shameless laugh as they stepped up to the hot dog cart. Chanyeol wasn't sure how or why they had ended up in front of Amber's stand. The dogs must have been eager to check out the fragrant smells emanating from the fresh batch of sausages she had just put on the rotisserie.
Chanyeol was always up for another hot dog, especially when his stomach was feeling all fluttery. He felt in his pocket for a handful of quarters but froze when Zitao caught him by the wrist, wrapping warm fingers around his pulse.
“Don’t let him fool you, Chanyeol! Tao's super shy!" Amber giggled as she collected Tao’s change in her palm and handed each of her customers a mustard drizzled sausage. "He looked like a tomato the first time he asked me about you!”
Tao hissed at her, his grip tightening on Chanyeol's wrist, but it was too late. Chanyeol had already heard her.
"You? You asked her--about me?" He laughed at Tao's sheepish face as a soft blush began to spread out over his cheeks and the tip of his nose. "You too, huh! Wow, talk about fatal attraction!"
"Fatal? I should hope no one around here is planning on dying!" Amber shook her head with a laugh and smacked Chanyeol upside the head.
"No, of course not! I was referring to the loss of my lunch that day, I didn't get to eat those hot dogs. But it was worth it, to meet you," he whispered to Zitao, enjoying the deepening pink blush in his cheeks.
“Well, be careful with the ones in your hands, then!" Amber warned with a wink. "Enjoy the food, and have a nice date, you two!”
Chanyeol and Zitao nodded in unison and wandered away with reddened ears. They let the dogs tug them down the jogging path, hand in hand with the dog leashes caught in their clasped fingers. Chanyeol squinted as sun peeked out from behind the cloud cover and smiled to Zitao.
He still felt a bit embarrassed about what it had taken to finally get them together for their first date, but he meant what he had said--it was totally worth the humiliation and the chili bath to get to hold Zitao's hand. He also hoped that Baekhyun and Kyungsoo would become just as good of friends along the way. From the looks of the dogs trotting side by side and sniffing the same rocks and stumps as they explored, it seemed that both couples were well on their on way to a beautiful companionship.
Title: Dog Run Home Run
Pairing(s): Chanyeol/Tao
Rating: PG
Warning(s) kind of sort of not really BaekSoo ( a dog!brotp? )
Length: 5.6k
Summary: They say pets take after their owners. Chanyeol's not sure what to think when his dog humps his crush's dog at the dog run.
Author's note: thanks for the super cute prompts! I had a hard time choosing a pairing because you gave so many fun options, but ChanTao just seems to fit a dog fic somehow <3 I hope you will enjoy! [ and thanks to A for helping me set up the plot <3 ]
It wasn't raining for the first time in two weeks. Chanyeol decided it was a good day to head to the park before he even found his glasses and checked the weather forecast on his phone. Baekhyun, his beagle puppy, seemed to agree. The dog pounced on his bed and pinned Chanyeol to the mattress, slathering his forehead and the lenses of his glasses with his tongue before Chanyeol could drop his phone and defend himself from the violent affections.
"Whoa! Whoa there, boy! Hey, not my--!" Chanyeol struggled to sit up against the headboard and Baek tumbled to the mattress at the shift in gravity. He just rolled over on his back in the tangle of sheets, tail still wagging in invitation for a belly rub.
"Ack! You really need to learn better manners," Chanyeol groaned. He ignored the puppy's whines for attention in favor of cleaning his glasses on the hem of his pajama shirt. "Gross. You are so gross." Chanyeol laughed when the dog barked in agreement. He gave up trying to rub the smudges from his glasses without cleaner and stripped off his pajamas into the laundry pile next to the dresser.
Chanyeol hopped into the shower, bringing his sticky glasses along into the spray for a quick rinse. He nearly dropped them to their doom when Baek decided to join the party, leaping over the side of the tub and knocking Chanyeol off his feet.
"Agh, not again." Chanyeol shook his head as he felt along the back for a lump where he had dashed it against the tile in his fall. "You're not supposed to come into the water with me! Silly dog."
Chanyeol had only started showering with the bathroom door cracked open after he adopted his pet. Otherwise, the dog would park himself outside the door in the hall, howling and scratching at the wood paneling until Chanyeol let him in. Baekhyun got lonely in less than two minutes, not something Chanyeol had bargained for when he decided to adopt a puppy to keep him company around the house.
He couldn't care less if the dog saw him in his birthday suit, but in the last few weeks Baek had started climbing all the way into the tub with him and that was something Chanyeol wasn't sure he liked. For one thing, he worried about getting soap in the puppy's eyes when he rinsed the shampoo out of his hair, and there was always the danger of getting tangled up in each other's feet and wiping out on the slippery porcelain.
Chanyeol made his shower quick, a two minute shampoo and a three minute scrub down with his loofah before he shut off the faucet and climbed onto the bathmat. Baekhyun clambered over the side of the tub, toenails sliding on the slick surface. He made a safe landing before Chanyeol could bend down to help him. He shook the water dripping from his coat and sprayed his owner right in the face.
"Ah!" Chanyeol gasped, still blinded by the slinging water, "that's it! I'm towel drying you before you can leave water marks on the hall floor!”
Getting rubbed all over with a nubbly terrycloth wasn't Baekhyun's favorite thing in the world, but he cooperated enough to let Chanyeol wipe the worst of the moisture from his fur. Chanyeol dried his glasses off next and shoved them back on his face before any more mishaps could take place.
He didn't spend long hunting for a clean change of clothes in his room. They were just off to the park, after all. A T-shirt and yesterday's jeans would suffice for a walk to get some fresh air before they headed home again so Chanyeol could get to work on his next deadline. He grabbed his keys, Baekhyun's leash, and his hat from the hooks by the front door. Baekhyun raced ahead of him into the garage and hopped into the front seat as soon as Chanyeol opened the car door.
"You ready, Baek? Let's go check out the flowers at Mayer Park! The azaleas should be in bloom by now, maybe even the peonies!"
Baekhyun barked in answers, paws sliding for purchase on the leather passenger seat as Chanyeol started the engine.
Mayer Park wasn't the closest public space for recreation, but the municipal park had spacious grounds and a well kept dog run. Chanyeol had been taking Baekhyun there at least once a week for the past several months, ever since he adopted the baby beagle. It was a little cold back in November when they first started going, but by early summer they didn't need to remember Baekhyun's stripy sweater anymore. They just grabbed the leash and a plastic bag and set off to explore the landscape.
By the time they parked in the lot near the south entrance to the park, Chanyeol was starting to wish he'd remembered to grab breakfast. He'd fed Baekhyun right after their shower but neglected to pull the last bagel from the back of the fridge before they left. He considered stopping by McDonald's for a moment, but then he remembered the hot dog stand near the fountains.
Chanyeol didn't usually care for salty foods right after waking up, but he could make do with a chili dog for one day. It was well after 11:00 by then anyway, so he might as well get a head start on his lunch and have two hot dogs, he decided with a hum as he clipped the lead onto Baekhyun's collar.
He gave the leash a gentle tug to make sure the clasp was fastened securely before he opened the door. Baekhyun wasn't aggressive with his teeth but he liked to get friendly with passersby, and they'd already suffered one escape attempt featuring an angry squirrel and the puppy getting his behind stuck in a hollow log. Chanyeol didn't want to deal with any more wild beagle chases at the park, so he'd started checking the safety clasp before every walk.
Their favorite spot was the dog run, where Chanyeol could unclip his rhinestone studded collar from the lead. Behind the mesh fence of the run they could both relax, Chanyeol on a park bench with his kindle and his sunglasses, and Baekhyun footloose and fancy free to frolic in the sunshine and sniff the butts of his doggy friends.
Baekhyun wanted to head straight for the mesh enclosure of the run, but Chanyeol tugged him towards the sidewalk. "Sorry, bud! Let's go find something to eat first, then I promise you can have some fun on the playground."
Sure enough, the vending cart with the snappy red awning was parked next to the statue of the town's founder, across the brick mall from the fountains. Chanyeol was already digging in his pocket for change as they rounded the curve in the sidewalk. Baek jerked on the leash once they came in sight of the seller under the vinyl roof, eager to greet her.
"Hello, strangers! Where've you guys been all week?"
"Hey, Amber!" Chanyeol managed a quick wave before he returned both his hands to hang onto the leash. Baekhyun leapt and barked in greeting as Amber shucked off her plastic sanitary gloves and stepped out to meet them.
"Hey, Baekhyunnie! Long time no see, dog! How you been, eh?" She scratched him right behind his floppy ears, digging in with her nails to scour his silky fur in gentle circles. Baekhyun relaxed right away and dropped to a squat on his haunches. "That's right, that's my boy! Wow, I think you got bigger since I've seen you!"
"Yeah, his pedigree is 100% beagle, but he sure eats like a horse!" Chanyeol crouched beside them on the grass to run his palms up the puppy's sides while the dog leaned into Amber's strokes along his head and neck. "Just switched him over to the young adult food, since he's getting close to a year old already."
"That old already? He still acts like a baby!" Amber gave his chin a last pat before she returned to her cart to scrub her hands and arms clean again.
"All dogs are babies." Chanyeol shrugged as he dropped his handful of change on the counter. "Could I have two, please? One chili dog and one with extra mustard."
"How are you gonna hold two and still hang onto the leash?" Amber teased, but she was already slotting two sausages into buns with quick fingers.
"I'll go sit in there." Chanyeol pointed in the direction of the run and Amber nodded. She smothered one wiener with a ladle of chili and splotched yellow mustard all over the other before exchanging the wax paper trays of food for Chanyeol's quarters.
"This'll make you the most popular dude in the dog run no doubt, but make sure you hang onto your lunch!"
"Yes ma'am!" Chanyeol saluted before scooping up the shallow boxes in one hand, the leash wrapped securely around his other. He made it through the entrance of the enclosure with the help of an old lady leading a docile terrier on a pink leather leash. The nearest bench was unoccupied, so he collapsed on the seat and balanced his food on his lap while he tried to unhook Baekhyun from the lead.
The dog was so excited to play he wouldn't hold still. He kept jerking against his collar until it gagged him, and tried to do a backflip that almost landed Chanyeol's lunch in the dirt.
"Baekhyun, hang on a sec! You're--!" The dog's ears perked up and he tensed for a moment, but before Chanyeol could work the clip open Baekhyun tore across the lawn full speed ahead. He ripped the leash from Chanyeol's open handed grip and threw him to his knees.
"Baekhyun!" This time Chanyeol really did lose his meal to the dirt. He got to his feet, mustard smudged across his chin and the left lens of his glasses, and his crotch dripping with chili. Before he could shove his katchup covered fingers in his back pocket to feel for a kleenex a strangled yelp sent him sprinting after his pet.
"Baekhyun, what's wrong--what're you--! Oh no..."
The terrified yelp hadn't come from Baekhyun at all. In fact, Chanyeol's dog was wagging his tail and panting happily as he rutted up against the behind of a little black dachshund in a thin blue sweater with a hood.
"Baekhyun, no! Stop--!"
Baekhyun ignored his owner's commands as usual, and before Chanyeol could close the distance and yank him back by the still attached leash, the dachshund's owner appeared and whisked him up into his arms.
"I'm so sorry! I--don't know what to say, but--" Chanyeol panted out as he finally caught hold of Baekhyun by the collar and scooped him up too. Baekhyun squirmed in against his chest, clawing at his arms, but Chanyeol held him close until he went limp with a low whine.
"Really sorry!" Chanyeol continued. He glanced up from the panting bundle in his arms to give the man in front of him a weak smile.
"It's ok, no harm done." The man shrugged, sun glinting off the fine gold chain swinging from his earlobe, and Chanyeol's breath lodged in his throat like a wayward clump of pickle relish.
Oh. No!
"Still, I-I'm really, really so-sorry!" he stammered out, not because he was still out of breath, but because his naughty dog had chosen to hump no other than the pride and joy of Huang Zitao, first violin in the local symphony orchestra and also the object of Chanyeol's one sided affections for as long as he’d been bringing Baekhyun to Mayer Park. I.e., for the past 26 weeks and eleven days.
"Apology accepted," Zitao said. His lips curled up at the corners like the scrollwork on the end of a fiddle, just enough to bring out the blush in Chanyeol's already humiliated cheeks, but not far enough to be mistaken for a smirk.
"Baek didn't mean any harm, I'm sure! He's just...a little weird, I suppose. Like this morning, he woke me up by licking my glasses. Not my face, just my glasses."
Zitao's shoulders shook in silence for a moment before his mouth burst open with a high pitched laugh that set his earring swinging. "Were your glasses accessorized with delicious condiments as well this morning? Or do you only apply mustard before leaving the house?"
"I--wha--huh?" Chanyeol gaped in surprise, still caught off guard by the explosive laughter and also flustered by how musical the strains of Zitao's voice sounded and also distracted with the curve of his lips that--
"Well you know what they say," Zitao purred as he cuddled his dog closer to his chest, lips spreading in a full grin. "Pets take after their owners."
Chanyeol's brain kicked back into operation mode just in time to process his statement, but Zitao's teasing words didn't help extinguish the fiery flames consuming his face and neck with a mortified blaze. "I--! But--"
"We'll see you next time! Bye bye, Baekhyunnie!" Zitao made his dachshund's paw wave, first at Chanyeol, then at Baekhyun, before he strode to the gate of the run with a swish of his jacket whispering against the hips of his very skinny jeans.
Chanyeol stood there gaping after him until Baekhyun decided it was a good time to start licking the mustard off his glasses again and Chanyeol decided it was a good time to head back home for another shower. Preferably alone and without a dog underfoot this time, but he'd settle for any arrangement that could rinse him of the embarrassment as soon as possible.
The soundtrack for their ride home was a string of longing sighs and humiliated moans as Chanyeol's thoughts bounced between the beautiful curve of Huang Zitao's amused smile and his parting words. Chanyeol's only consolation was that Amber wasn't witness to the whole fiasco.
Or at least he hoped she wasn’t.
It took Chanyeol a good thirteen and a half days to work up the gumption to show his face again at Mayer Park, but by the end of the second week of his self enforced exile, Chanyeol was craving the tender ground beef mixed with soft beans and tantalizing spices that blended so well with the salty tang of Amber's hot dogs. Baekhyun was getting antsy, too. They'd been hiking around a few of the smaller parks in town, but even Chanyeol got bored looping the path around and around the quarter acre of Aoyagi Park near the YMCA. The fairgrounds had more space for them to explore, but no benches or statues or even that many trees for Baekhyun to sniff around.
It was time for a change. Or at least it was time to get back to their old routine. Chanyeol was mostly successful in keeping unpleasant memories at bay as he tossed the Frisbee and doggy bag in the back seat and helped Baekhyun climb up next to him. He kept his eyes on the road and his thoughts floating free with the melody on the radio, thinking about the sunshine and daisies that had started to bloom near the swing set, and of course about the mouth watering taste of Amber's hot dogs. He most definitely was not thinking about violins or curling smiles or musical bursts of laughter.
This time Chanyeol parked at the north end of the park, not because he was trying to conveniently avoid contact with any other dog owners, no siree. The change in parking lots was simply because it was a Saturday and he thought the south lot might be full. It was closer to the playground, after all.
Chanyeol let Baekhyun lead him down the jogging path that wrapped around the outer edge of the park. The dog sniffed through a patch of coneflowers, chased a bumblebee across the path, and got his feet wet in a mud puddle. By the time they made it all the way around to the fountains the puppy's tongue was lolling out the side of his mouth in tired pants and Chanyeol was starting to break a sweat under the band of his cap. There were no signs of any little dachshunds wearing jackets, or their owners, though, Chanyeol noted with a relieved sigh.
Baekhyun trailed behind him, the leash hanging slack between them as Chanyeol sauntered up to Amber's stand.
"Wow, this time it's really long time no see!" she said with a wink. "You didn't catch a summer cold or anything, did you?"
"Nope! We're both as right as rain. Aren't we Baekhyunnie, aren't we boy!" He tugged on the lead and the dog gave a tired wag of his tail before he plopped down on his stomach in front of the hot dog stand. "Could I have two, please? A chili cheese dog, and how about a--"
“Maybe you should stick to one hot dog for now," Amber interrupted his order with a slow hum. "You can come back for a second one if you’re still hungry. It would be disappointing if you spilled them again before you get to taste them.”
“You saw that?” Chanyeol gasped in horror, only remembering to lower his voice so no one would overhear after Amber jumped at his initial reaction.
“Oh! No, I didn't actually see it happen from all the way over in the dog run! No worries, I think only Tao and Mrs. Brumley saw what happened. Tao just happened to tell me about it when I talked to him last week.”
"Tao? You mean--Huang Zitao? Dachshund owner and virtuoso extraordinaire from the orchestra?" The long legged, sweet smiled man of my dreams?
"Yup! That's Tao. His puppy's name is Kyungsoo. I didn't know he played the violin, though! Gee, I wonder if he knows Henry."
"Wait, wait, wait, this has nothing to do with Henry! Stop trying to change the subject, Ambs! You mean to tell me you know him? Huang Zitao with a capital 'z' who wears, like, those mesh shirts and shiny vests and has the earring thingamabob that isn't really an earring but like, it dangles from his ear?"
"Ah, you're gonna have to slow down and repeat that again if you want answers to everything, I didn't quite catch all of that. But yes, he does spell his name with a 'z', and I'm pretty sure that's still called an earring." Amber flicked the stud in her own earlobe in demonstration.
It didn't look nearly as cool as Zitao's chain thing did whenever he laughed and Chanyeol happened to notice. (Which was every time he was in hearing distance, obviously, because Chanyeol maybe sort of liked to pay attention to his fellow dog run visitor. Because he was cute. And also hot. And had toned abs and wore mesh shirts and had a loud but endearing laugh. Yes.)
"Cool, earring, ok," Chanyeol repeated back to Amber, not sure what question on his long list of Facts He Is Dying To Know About H. Zitao to pester her with first.
"Yes, earring," Amber grinned as she handed over the chili cheese dog he had ordered. "That's 75 cents, would you like to pay by cash or check?"
"Here you go." He shoved half of his hot dog in his mouth and passed her the stack of quarters on his palm, head still whirling with the information he'd just learned. Zitao knew Amber. That meant Amber knew Zitao, which in turn meant she could tell him stuff about Zitao. Like the name of his dog, Kyungsoo. The name of his dog that Chanyeol's dog had--
"Hey, Amber!" a musical voice rang out from around the bend, accompanied by the soft jingle of a collar and leash.
"Oh my gosh, that's him! I have to--!" --hide! Chanyeol shoved the rest of his hot dog in his mouth sideways for safekeeping and dove behind a thick cluster of oak trees.
"Seriously? You're hiding from him?"
Chanyeol couldn't see anything with his back pressed against the thickest trunk but he could still hear Amber's hiss as he waited in dread for Zitao to approach.
"Chanyeol, you're being ridiculous!" she tried again, but Chanyeol didn't budge. He clutched Baekhyun to his ribs and threw all of his nervous energy into chewing and swallowing down the rest of his hot dog as Zitao placed his order, thanked Amber, and called Kyungsoo to heel.
“Bye guys!” Amber called after them as they jogged away towards the south gate.
At least Chanyeol had chosen his parking spot well. He comforted himself with that thought as he eased out of the underbrush once Amber hissed again that the coast was clear. He'd just have to up the ante and stay ever on the lookout if he wanted to enjoy his weekly hot dogs in peace without embarrassing himself in front of Zitao.
Scheduling visits to the dog run was another sort of difficulty, because Chanyeol had run into him there on all days of the week, but he and Baekhyun would get through that doggy flap when they came to it. For now, Chanyeol was ready to head home and shower in peace.
"Bye, Amber," he waved without meeting her eyes. He jogged away before she could call him back to try to reason him into something he knew he'd regret. Because--just face it--Chanyeol was an embarrassment and he already regretted that Zitao had found out about that in literally the worst way possible. There was no sense in prolonging their personal interactions and worsening Zitao’s first impression with an even more humiliating second one.
The next time Chanyeol made it to Mayer Park it had only been five days since the close call he’d had in front of Amber's cart, when Zitao almost caught sight of him with another chili dog in hand. It was a Thursday and the sky was overcast, but the air was dry enough that he didn't think it would start raining before noon.
Baekhyun didn’t get as bouncy and energetic when the sun wasn't shining, but he was still excited to see Amber when they reached the the courtyard with the fountains. He raced ahead of Chanyeol, tugging at the restraint of his collar and whining for him to hurry up when his owner didn't walk fast enough.
"Hey, travelers! Care for some popcorn or a dog?"
"The usual, please!" Chanyeol set his change on the counter with a grin. He pointed at the laminated sign of a chili dog. It was a very cute sign. Chanyeol had designed it for Amber himself after she'd discovered he was a professional illustrator during one of their many chats.
"You taking Baekhyun to the dog run today? He looks like he could use a bit of company." Amber smiled at the dog, who wagged his tail in anticipation of getting some loving from his friend, the hot dog chef.
"No..." Chanyeol rubbed the back of his neck with his knuckles, massaging the sore muscles around the bumps of his spine. "We might just...follow the jogging path again. I'm not sure if I..."
"Chanyeol." Amber shook her head at him as she handed over his order and swept the quarters off the counter into her palm. "This isn't about Tao, is it? Because if it is, you're just being silly. The dog run is for everyone. Tao knows Kyungsooie might get his butt sniffed by another dog if he takes him in there, it comes with the territory He's really not mad at you, or anything."
"But--!" Chanyeol felt the frustration rise in his throat, overtaking the words he couldn't figure out how to phrase. Zitao had said it was no harm done, but how was Chanyeol supposed to know if he was telling the truth? Maybe Kyungsoo's owner was just masking his very real, very violent vexation under a thin mask of denial thrown up for courtesy's sake.
"Chanyeol, trust me. I know he's not mad. I’ve talked to him a few times since I've seen you. He even asked about you, if you'd come around the park recently."
"What? He was here? You saw him? He asked about me? What did you tell him!"
"Whoa, slow down there!" Amber shook the cropped blonde hair out of her eyes with a laugh. "Which question do you want me to answer first?"
"What was he wearing!" Chanyeol gasped, squeezing his hot dog in his fist until some of the chili dripped out of the bun and onto his thumb. "Did he look happy? Healthy? Was his pet with him?"
"That's still more than one question at a time." Amber sighed in mock despair as she peeled off her gloves and threaded fingers through her hair. "And why are you asking me for updates about Tao when you could just ask him yourself?"
"Because."
"Because you're shy?" She leaned in close enough to tweak Chanyeol's cheek with a pinch of her fingers. "Really, Chanyeol. You should just go talk to him. Just say hi and see what happens."
If Amber’s wink was meant to be comforting, it didn't help much. Chanyeol still felt queasy at the thought of approaching Zitao, the man he'd been crushing on for weeks now and admiring from a careful distance for months before that. Not to bring up the fact that Chanyeol had given himself a bath in hot dog condiments the first time they actually met.
Well, it was the first time they had talked anyway. They still hadn't officially met. Chanyeol didn't even know if Zitao knew his name, or just that his dog was called Baekhyun.
"Fine. You don't get it, but fine. If you won't give me any answers then I’ll just have to…! Go find them out for myself." Chanyeol narrowed his eyes, hoping his glare might coax Amber into spilling a few more details.
"Good luck on finding them!" Amber waved as he shrugged and turned around.
Chanyeol ended up slinking towards the dog run, trying to move under cover. His white framed sunglasses and black hi tops were the perfect camouflage for a municipal park, he thought. He kept close tabs on Baekhyun, willing him not to start whining or making noise as they approached the the enclosure.
If Zitao happened to be at the park, he'd most likely be on the bench under the shade of the elm tree. He often sat there with his headphones in while Kyungsoo trotted through the tunnels and paths of the obstacle course. Chanyeol wasn't trying to creep on Zitao without actually going up to talk to him, not exactly. He just wanted to catch a casual glimpse of his acquaintance/crush/fellow dog owner and reassure himself that Zitao and Kyungsoo were doing okay. Maybe if he was in a good mood this time, Chanyeol would even find it in himself to contemplate approaching Zitao for a quick hello the next time.
Zitao found him hiding behind a peony bush near the edge of the meadow, just in sight and in easy hearing distance of the dog run.
"Um, what are you doing?"
Chanyeol yelped aloud at the sound of the melodious voice coming from behind him and several feet above his head. He jerked back to face the speaker and ended up knocking himself flat on his back when Baekhyun wrapped the leash around his ankles and then dashed forward to greet Kyungsoo with a friendly sniff of his butt.
“How--?” Chanyeol gagged on the air that Zitao (and Baekhyun) had just knocked right out of him.
“You weren’t being very subtle, you know.”
"S-subtle! I--"
"It's ok," Zitao shrugged with another small smile, one that made Chanyeol feel like simultaneously bursting into giggles and also the hottest blush of his life. "It's cute, the way you've been sneaking around to ogle my good looks."
"Good--good looks!" Chanyeol spluttered as he pulled himself into a sitting position. "Who says it's your looks I've been ogling! Maybe I just think your dog is cute."
"Is that so?" Zitao lifted his eyebrows like Baekhyun's ears perking up at the sound of a chip bag being opened. "Did you hear that, Soo? Chanyeol thinks you're cute!"
"Wait, you know my name?" Chanyeol kind of hoped Zitao would repeat the mention of his name, both because he couldn't be sure if he'd heard correctly--if Zitao really knew his name--and because the syllables rolling through those curving lips had his heart singing like the strings of a Stradivarius in the hands of an artist.
"Of course I know your name." Zitao shook his head like Chanyeol had just told him a lame joke not quite worth laughing at. "We've both been hanging out at the same dog run for weeks now. Or has it been months already? I'm not sure because the time all gets hazy in my head when you're in front of me. I-I mean--!"
Even though it was Zitao's turn to start stuttering, Chanyeol stared back at him in shock for a moment. "Come again? Did you just say that--hey wait a second, are you trying to tell me that you like me, too? You really aren't mad about Baekhyunnie's naughty behavior the other week?"
“I’m not mad, I swear on Mozart's grave!" Zitao held up his right hand, the fingers still tangled in Kyungsoo's leash. "And I’m sorry if you took my fail attempt at a pick up line as an insult the last time we talked. I just--”
“Wait, what? Pick up line?” Chanyeol still couldn't believe his ears but this time he burst out laughing, ready to collapse back into the peony bush with the force of the amusement wracking his body in bubbling sobs of mirth. "Pick up line! That was seriously your best shot?"
Tao whined in the back of his throat, sounding more pitiful than Baekhyun on nail clipping day, so Chanyeol tried to pull his raucous laughter into control. "I get nervous around the person I like, ok. It's normal. Happens to the best of us."
"Well, yeah, duh," Chanyeol agreed, still panting through his nose to inhale enough oxygen. He needed a lot of it to keep his brain supplied to deal with this emotional roller coaster of a conversation. "But you compared me to my dog, who had just tried to hump a stranger in a public space, might I add. You can't really blame me for getting confused about your...intentions."
“Yes but--! I was trying to imply that I’d noticed you've had a crush on me,” Zitao explained, staring him straight in the eye with a sunny smile that had Chanyeol blushing all over again, this time in flustered delight. “I wouldn’t have said anything to you at all if I wasn’t interested too. Please date me?”
Chanyeol let Zitao pull him to his feet with a bashful laugh. He dusted off the seat of his pants as Baekhyun started tugging him back towards the path, straining at the leash again.
“Are you always this forward?” He gave Zitao a side glance around the frames of his glasses.
“About 99% of the time,” Zitao replied with a shameless laugh as they stepped up to the hot dog cart. Chanyeol wasn't sure how or why they had ended up in front of Amber's stand. The dogs must have been eager to check out the fragrant smells emanating from the fresh batch of sausages she had just put on the rotisserie.
Chanyeol was always up for another hot dog, especially when his stomach was feeling all fluttery. He felt in his pocket for a handful of quarters but froze when Zitao caught him by the wrist, wrapping warm fingers around his pulse.
“Don’t let him fool you, Chanyeol! Tao's super shy!" Amber giggled as she collected Tao’s change in her palm and handed each of her customers a mustard drizzled sausage. "He looked like a tomato the first time he asked me about you!”
Tao hissed at her, his grip tightening on Chanyeol's wrist, but it was too late. Chanyeol had already heard her.
"You? You asked her--about me?" He laughed at Tao's sheepish face as a soft blush began to spread out over his cheeks and the tip of his nose. "You too, huh! Wow, talk about fatal attraction!"
"Fatal? I should hope no one around here is planning on dying!" Amber shook her head with a laugh and smacked Chanyeol upside the head.
"No, of course not! I was referring to the loss of my lunch that day, I didn't get to eat those hot dogs. But it was worth it, to meet you," he whispered to Zitao, enjoying the deepening pink blush in his cheeks.
“Well, be careful with the ones in your hands, then!" Amber warned with a wink. "Enjoy the food, and have a nice date, you two!”
Chanyeol and Zitao nodded in unison and wandered away with reddened ears. They let the dogs tug them down the jogging path, hand in hand with the dog leashes caught in their clasped fingers. Chanyeol squinted as sun peeked out from behind the cloud cover and smiled to Zitao.
He still felt a bit embarrassed about what it had taken to finally get them together for their first date, but he meant what he had said--it was totally worth the humiliation and the chili bath to get to hold Zitao's hand. He also hoped that Baekhyun and Kyungsoo would become just as good of friends along the way. From the looks of the dogs trotting side by side and sniffing the same rocks and stumps as they explored, it seemed that both couples were well on their on way to a beautiful companionship.