North Star
Title: North Star
Pairing: Kris/Chanyeol
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Kris is a stuffy CEO who needs a little bit of companionship. He was gifted a kitten, but given so, so much more.
Word Count: 10.4k
Notes: i know you can’t fix a cat at 8 weeks i just needed to hurry along the story thx
why i’m writing this after literally writing abt kris being a cat and yeol being a dog idk i think most of u have forgotten that story by now anyway which is great read this one instead
i have completed esthetics school and am waiting to take my state testing and i feel like i can finally breathe/write again hey-yo
pls don’t hate me for barely replying to comments on fics i literally forget i write them like 3 days later
north star;
Kris has literally no idea how to take care of a living, breathing creature that is not himself. Hell-- he can barely take care of himself on a good day. Sometimes his socks don’t match and he’s fairly notorious for giving his clothes the ‘sniff test’ -- his apartment is clean but honestly, of all things for him to be nitpicky about, it’s his fancy Macy’s furniture and decor from Home Goods. A pretty home is a happy home, his mother always told him, and… well. Clearly it sank in.
And plus!! Being an executive director for a trade company is busy work! How is he supposed to remember to feed himself three meals a day (that aren’t all pizza)? How is he supposed to remember to wash his casual clothes on a weekly basis, all while working sixty hours a week?
Answer: he can’t.
Well-- maybe he could, but quite honestly, he just… doesn’t. He’s busy, plain and simple, and when it counts he can take care of himself but y’know… adulting can be hard.
So, when his co-worker Jongin set a box on his desk at the end of Friday’s shift, and Kris opened it up curiously to see a fluffy, white, golden-eyed kitten staring back at him… he, of course, responded accordingly.
“What the hell is this.”
Jongin, bless his bastardly heart, rolls his eyes good-naturedly and then claps Kris on the shoulder. “A kitten. Your kitten.” he reaches into the box, pulling out the white kitten - who has a grey collar with a silver bell and pink bow attached - and lifts it up, snuggling his cheek into its soft fur. “Say hello~~” he says, taking one of the tiny paws and ‘waving’ it at Kris.
“Get it out of here.” Kris says tersely, even if his cold, cold heart already feels a jolt of warmth from hearing the baby kitten’s little, hoarse mew.
“Kris,” Jongin drops the act, cradling the kitten to his chest. “We’re all kinda… well, worried. About you.”
Tensing his jaw and squaring his shoulders, Kris returns to his computer, prepared for The Talk that he knows his co-workers have been preparing for well over a week. He’d heard snippets of hushed whispers, felt their gazes, and of course they would choose Jongin to actually come over to initiate it.
“And your solution is a kitten?” he asks, more rhetorically than anything.
“Our solution is companionship,” Jongin says, a small, but warm smile filtering over his lips.
Kris glances up. They sent Jongin because they know Kris has a soft spot for the kid. Kris is about ten years older and has an almost fatherly protection and pride for the other, and honestly, it does warm him a little to know that Jongin is so concerned about his personal life. Even though they don’t really talk out of work. Like, hardly at all.
Sighing, Kris leans back in his chair a bit and stares at the kitten, the white of its fur a pretty contrast against Jongin’s tanned hands. Running his own hand down his face, Kris laments, “Jongin, I don’t have time for a cat.”
“That’s why we decided to get you a cat, instead of a dog,” he says, a rather self-satisfied smile curling his lips. “Dogs need attention twenty-four-seven. Cats… don’t. They only care that you feed them, water them, and give them a clean place to poop.”
Kris winces. Litter box. In his clean, perfectly furnished apartment.
“Besides,” Jongin holds the kitten out towards Kris, winning smile stretching his features, his eyes glimmering with warmth. “I think she suits you. A royal white kitten for the crowned Prince.”
The running joke of the office about Kris being some runaway prince from a foreign country isn’t lost, and Kris reaches out, a bit tentative. He’s only ever petted a cat once, and that cat hated him so much he has a scar on his forearm from its botched attempt to get away. But this kitten… She mews and arches and her little paws reach out for him, and his hands are huge and she’s so tiny that she’s cupped in his broad palms, staring up at him. Her tail is bobbed, her fur is long and has the softness of a rabbit, and Kris groans, tipping his head back and closing his eyes.
“I hate you all.”
“We love you too~!” Jongin coos, patting Kris’ shoulder before heading off.
Kris stares down at the kitten, who stares right back at him, her golden eyes unblinking and so, so sweet.
He supposes this isn’t the worst thing that could happen to him.
-
This is the worst thing that’s ever happened to him.
The first night he brought Duchess (aptly named, he thinks, from that one children’s movie with the cats) home, she had curled up on his chest and slept peacefully through the night. Jongin had already supplied a bag of kitten chow, a box and some litter, so that Kris would know what to buy later when he ran out. As Duchess lay curled up, her eyes closed, breaths shallow but even and little purrs vibrating through her tiny body, Kris found himself thinking that… yeah. Love like this. Unprovoked and without specific purpose -- just… affection. This is something that he definitely did need.
Duchess only wants to be pet, fed and played with and he thinks he can do that.
When he wakes up in the morning, though, things… change.
“I think it’s possessed!” he says into the receiver of his phone, crouched behind the couch. He’s glancing around cautiously -- he can hear the jingling of her bell, the skitter of her paws over the hardwood floor.
On the other end of the line, Jongin laughs in amusement. “Kris, kittens are like that. She’s just playing.”
“I saw the Devil in her eyes!” Kris insists, hissing his whisper to try and keep his voice down. He doesn’t hear the bell anymore.
Jongin now sounds thoroughly amused. “Kris. Just… grab a string or something, wear her out, and she’ll be passed out in no time.” There’s ruffling on the other end of the line, a soft groan, and chuckling. “Kris-- I gotta go. Call me back if she uh, sucks out your soul or something.”
Click.
Cursing, Kris pockets his phone. What a little asshole. Just because Jongin got laid last night, he thinks he doesn’t need to take care of his beloved boss--
Claws sink into Kris’ feet and he yelps for his life, flailing around and flopping onto the floor, trying to crawl away from the vicious kitten currently biting and clawing at his toes, feet and ankles.
“Be gone, Satan!!!!”
-
An hour later, Duchess is passed out in Kris’ lap. Every occasional inhale has a purr, but she’s spent, and Kris is staring down at her in mild disbelief. How can a creature go from insanely adorable, to plain insane, and then back to adorable?
He’s watching tv, when he sees a commercial about getting pets checked up regularly at the vet. Frowning, Kris glances down at Duchess. Does she have shots? Is she fixed? She’s so… tiny. Jongin said eight weeks old... Picking up his phone, he does a quick google search of local vets. The first one that pops up has raving ratings and is nearby, so he clicks the ‘call’ button and holds the phone up to his ear, large hand resting as gently as it can over Duchess’ tiny body.
“Park’s Pet Clinic, this is Minseok, how may I help you?”
“Hi, uh,” Kris clears his throat a bit. “I um… have a kitten. And I uh, have never… had a kitten before.”
There’s a pause on the other end of the line, but then there’s a smile in Minseok’s voice. “Ahhh, I see. We can set up an appointment for a general checkup, and the doctor can give you further instruction. Is she healthy? Eating proper, going to the bathroom ok?”
“Yeah-- yeah, she’s fine. A little demonic, but fine.”
“As kittens can be.” The wry tone in Minseok’s voice doesn’t go unnoticed and Kris’ nose wrinkles a bit. “When works best for you?”
“What are your hours?” he asks, watching his fingers sift through long white fur.
“Monday through Friday, eight a.m to four p.m.,” is Minseok’s chipper reply, and Kris groans. Of course they’re his working hours, too.
“How long will the checkup take?”
“Thirty minutes, with a ten minute wait.”
He can fit that in on his lunch. “Ok. Can we do Monday at around one?”
Silence from the other end after Kris recites his information, and then Minseok is humming into the phone. “Alright, I’ve got you scheduled for then. Do you have any other questions?” And Kris gets the distinct feeling that Minseok is teasing him.
“No,” he replies, as coolly as possible. “See you Monday.”
“Have a good day.”
He tosses his phone to the other end of the couch, staring down at Duchess. How can something look so cute and innocent while asleep, and then be an absolute terror when awake?
Well, that basically describes Jongin, so in actuality Kris isn’t surprised that the kid picked out this particular cat.
Ok, then. On Monday maybe he’ll get a little more clue about what he’s supposed to do.
-
The weekend passes with spurts of Kris yelling in surprise, his feet bleeding in tender spots, things falling off of shelves, moving furniture around to save the trapped kitten, and exasperatingly trying to keep little paws from dancing all over the keyboard of his laptop while he’s trying to get in some extra work.
On Monday morning, he’s wary to leave Duchess home alone without him, but he has no choice. She sits and stares at him as he leaves, warning her to ‘be good’, and when he gets to work, he finds that despite the hectic weekend, he’s a lot more… relaxed, as he sits down at his chair in his office.
Twelve-fifteen rolls around and Kris stands up, closing up shop. He passes by Jongin’s receptionist desk and tells him he’ll be taking an extended lunch, but should be back by two. Jongin just smiles and waves, answering the phone when it rings and turning away to address the person on the other line.
It doesn’t take long for Kris to get home; and, thankfully, his apartment is in one piece. The only issue is toilet paper scattered around the bathroom, shredded to bits, but it could be worse. He finds Duchess, and then realizes that he has no kitty carrier to transport her in-- but, ah, he has the box Jongin used. It’s decently sized with lots of holes, so he puts her blanket in it, and then her, and then heads off. He hopes no one thinks he’s some sort of animal abuser or something, with her in this box, but it’s really all he can do. He’ll have to pick a real carrier up on his way home, later.
Park’s Pet Clinic is close enough that Kris is a few minutes early for his appointment. He checks in with Minseok at the desk, who raises a brow at Kris’ box as he hands over a clipboard, and Kris only offers a tense smile before he moves to sit down. He puts the box next to him and lifts the lid a bit, Duchess poking her head out but otherwise not doing much else, sniffing the air curiously. He fills out the paperwork and turns it back in, and then Minseok gestures for him to follow him down a corridor.
“This is the exam room you’ll be in,” he says, and he’s just as chipper in person as he is over the phone. He’s small, and cute, and doesn’t seem to be bothered by the fact that Kris looms so much over him. “Mr. Park will be in shortly.”
After Minseok shuts the door, Kris sets the box on the table and then opens it up, ushering Duchess to come out. She does so cautiously, but kitten curiosity takes over and she hops out, sniffing around, her little bob tail twitching in interest. He stands by the table, making sure she doesn’t fall off or get into anything she shouldn’t, and when the door opens again, he glances up, nearly choking on his tongue.
Mr. Park is… not at all what Kris thought he would be.
Kris had it in his mind that Mr. Park was an old, wizened man, with glasses and a pedo mustache.
In reality, Mr. Park looks younger than Kris, and is … wow. He is gorgeous. Thick black glasses rest on a charming face, his smile broad and perfect, white and pristine, his brown hair coiffed up and out of his eyes. He is also almost as tall as Kris, which explains why Minseok wasn’t bothered by Kris’ height. He looks professional in slacks, a powder blue button down and a lab coat, and Kris has to remember how to breathe because Mr. Park is reaching forward to shake hands.
Stiffly, Kris returns the shake, smiling a bit awkwardly. “Uh, hi.”
Mr. Park chuckles, but it’s not patronizing at all; he just seems like an honestly sunny person. “Hey there. I’m Park Chanyeol. You must be Kris Wu?” He gets a positive nod from Kris, and then Chanyeol’s eyes slide towards Duchess. “And this must be Duchess. Hello, gorgeous.” he says, reaching out to stroke long fingers over the top of her head. She arches into him and purrs, and Kris tries his best not to be jealous. Of what? Chanyeol, or the cat? Grah. “Minseok said you have a lot of questions. What can I help with?” Chanyeol asks, putting on a pair of gloves.
“... Everything?” Kris ventures, and then corrects himself. “Um-- health-wise. Like… getting fixed, shots, and all that.”
“Well,” Chanyeol starts his examination, pressing his fingers gently into a purring Duchess, who is arching against him, claws clicking over the metal table. “She’s in very good health.” He tilts her head back, gently forcing her mouth open to examine her teeth and mouth, before he starts feeling over her frame. “Do you know anything about her?”
Kris shakes his head. “My friend got her for me.”
“Your friend must like you very much,” Chanyeol says, measuring the stubby tail with his index finger and thumb. “A white manx is a very rare cat, and cost a pretty penny.”
Kris blinks. “Like, an expensive breed?” He really knows nothing about cats. Didn’t even know Duchess was a Manx.
Chanyeol glances up, amused. “You should ask your friend where he got her. As far as I know, there are no breeders in the area.”
“He’s uh, kinda sneaky,” Kris says, rubbing the back of his neck and sitting down in the one chair in the room. “Honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if he got her off the black market or something.”
Chanyeol laughs at that, and then prods around Duchess’ tummy. “He’s a good friend, to get you a companion.”
Kris is mildly embarrassed that a total stranger can figure out why this kitten was gifted to him. But, this stranger is now his vet, so he supposes some personal information will come out.
“Well,” Chanyeol smiles and takes off his gloves, tossing them away. “She’s very healthy. She needs her shots as soon as possible, though. Are you planning on fixing her?”
Nodding, Kris stands up. Chanyeol grabs a pamphlet from the magazine rack, by the door. “This is our menu. We try to be affordable and quality at the same time, but that’s not always possible. I hope some of our prices aren’t… too much.”
Some of these prices seem a bit outrageous, but Kris can tell that Chanyeol is good at what he does. His practice came with high reviews and good comments, it’s clean and in a good neighborhood. Kris couldn’t really ask for more.
“I’m not worried about price,” Kris says, without realizing how that makes him sound.
Chanyeol arches a brow, then smiles playfully. “I see.”
Mentally kicking himself, Kris brusquely moves on. “Can we get her shots and fixed in one go?”
“Absolutely. I can tell you’re a busy man,” Chanyeol says, looking pointedly at Kris’ straight tie and pressed suit. “You can drop her off before work and pick her up after, if that works?”
Kris is moving towards Duchess, petting her and then gingerly picking her up to put her back in the box, but holds off on putting the lid back on. “I don’t get off until after your office closes.”
“That’s ok, someone can stay behind and wait,” Chanyeol says easily. “How late?”
“...Six,” Kris says, a tone of regret in his voice.
Chanyeol blinks. “That’s… a long shift.” A long time to leave your kitten alone is insinuated, and Kris bristles a bit.
“I’m the boss, I can’t help that I have to stay late sometimes.”
If Chanyeol disapproves, he doesn’t say anything about it. “Someone will be here when you’re able to pick her up.” he holds out his hand, and Kris shakes it. “Thank you for choosing our clinic. We’ll help you take good care of Duchess.” And with that, Chanyeol leaves the room.
Deflating a little, Kris looks at Duchess. “It really is unfair how much I work, huh?” he asks, and Duchess just stares up at him. He leaves the lid off the box, tucking it under his arm as he carries Duchess out towards the reception area.
From the desk, Minseok glances up with a warm smile. “Ready to schedule?”
Kris decides on Thursday -- the sooner the better. They schedule the shots and the surgery, and Minseok writes down the date on a little business card, even though they both know Kris won’t forget.
“See you Thursday~” Minseok bids him farewell and Kris leaves the office with a little smile.
This whole kitten thing won’t be too bad. And having a hot vet? Even better.
When he gets home, he boots up his laptop and decides that maybe something in Chanyeol’s eyes had… struck him.
Time to do a little rearranging of his work load.
-
“You wouldn’t even work less hours for a relationship, but you’re going to do some work remotely because of a cat?” Jongdae clarifies, just to make sure he’d heard Kris right, no doubt.
Annoyed, Kris nods. “I don’t need to work sixty hours. I’ll cut down to fifty-five and see how comfortable that is for me, and the team.”
Jongdae whistles below his breath, “I can’t believe it. I don’t think you even know how to do ‘just a forty-hour work week’.”
“I don’t. I never have-- but I’m willing to try.”
It’s absurd, talking about how difficult it will be to cut down on hours. Kris had made good grades in high school, and then university, and as soon as he got his degree he was flying out the door and throwing himself into work.
“Whatever you decide to do, Kris, we’re behind you,” Jongdae says with a warm smile, though his eyes always have a playful, cheeky glint to them, like he knows something no one else does.
“Thanks.” Kris makes to leave, but a soft noise from Jongdae has him turning around and glancing back at the other, curious.
“Is the cat really what made you decide to chill out?” Jongdae asks, and though his eyes are guarded, he’s staring directly at Kris’. “You’ve been asked to cut back, before.”
Inwardly, Kris flinches. Outwardly, Kris’ expression stays neutral. “I wasn’t ready to, then. But I am now.”
The silence holds, the two men staring at each other, and Kris knows all of the unspoken things floating around in Jongdae’s head.
“...Ok, Kris. Good luck.”
“Thanks,” he says again, and then leaves Jongdae’s office.
-
The last time Kris had contemplated cutting his hours, was for a relationship. Joonmyun had been soft, kind, the owner of the floral shop next to Kris’ old favorite cafe. He worked minimal hours and had the luxury to do so, the shop closed every Sunday. Kris had courted him traditionally; gifts, dates, sweet promises. They had dated for six months and for a while, it worked. But eventually… Kris’ work hours got to Joonmyun. It wasn’t enough. Fitting in dates when Kris was already exhausted from work, trying to have a whole day together like a regular couple when Kris’ cell phone would ring off the hook --
Joonmyun asked Kris to please cut his hours back, please make more time for him…
And Kris had chosen the priorities of his company over his boyfriend.
That had been four years ago, and ever since Joonmyun left, Kris had drowned himself in work, in guilt.
Jongin really, truly knows him too well, even if they don’t hang out outside of work. Gifting Kris a kitten was a blessing in disguise. When he lays in bed with her curled up on his chest and purring, he has time to enjoy the moment. He actually doesn’t think about work, or clients or employees that have been slacking off. All he thinks about is the softness of her fur, how soothing her purrs are, and how his apartment feels… peaceful, for the first time in years.
He doesn’t feel less guilty, but he does feel a bit more… whole.
-
“Good to see you again, Mr. Wu,” Minseok greets warmly.
Kris actually has Duchess in a carrier, bright pink with soft lilac designs on the side. Totally not his style -- but totally Duchess’. He sets the carrier on the counter and fills out the paperwork, sending Minseok a soft smile. The man is nothing but nice and pleasant, all the time.
“Hi, Duchess,” Minseok coos, putting his fingers through the grate door to pet her. “What a pretty ride you got.”
Kris finishes the paperwork, sliding it over. “Do I need to stay?”
Minseok shakes his head and smiles, standing and picking up the carrier. “Nope. See you when you pick her up.”
“Thank you,” Kris flashes a grateful smile, patting the top of the carrier before leaving the vet office, heading in to work.
-
At four-thirty, Kris keeps glancing at the clock. He’s distracted, thinking about Duchess-- hoping the surgery went well, and also worrying about if he’ll be able to properly take care of her. Maybe he should have scheduled for Friday? So then he could give her all his attention over the weekend. But today was the day Chanyeol had slots open for surgery, so it’s all Kris could take.
Knee bouncing, he barely acknowledges Jongin when he comes to the door of his office and knocks.
“There’s a guy named Chanyeol on line one,” Jongin says, before disappearing.
Kris picks up the phone so fast he presses the button as he simultaneously smacks himself in the face with the receiver. “Ow-- uh. This is Kris Wu.”
“You ok?” the amusement in Chanyeol’s voice is duly noted.
Grumbling a positive response, Kris straightens a bit. “Is everything ok? How’s Duchess? Is it over?”
“Everything is fine, Duchess is asleep, and the surgery is over.” Chanyeol answers Kris’ questions fluidly, and it makes Kris blink. “This is just a courtesy call to let you know that she’ll be ready to go home whenever you come to get her.”
“I’ll come now,” he says in a rush, already standing up and shutting down his computer.
“You said you weren’t off until six?” there’s confusion and surprise in Chanyeol’s voice.
“I finished today’s work, I can come now.” he says, already tidying up his desk and preparing it for his arrival tomorrow, stacking up the ‘to do’ documents in his ‘to do’ box at the left corner of the desk.
“Oh-- ok,” Chanyeol chuckles. “See you soon.”
Kris hangs up, pulling his suit jacket over his shoulders and pocketing his phone and wallet, heading out of the office.
“I’m leaving early,” he says to a surprised Jongin as he passes by, long legs carrying him steady.
“Kris--?”
“See you in the morning, Jongin. Lock up when you’re out.”
It’s the first time in four years that Kris has left work early… and it feels amazing. He gets in his car, turns on some shitty pop music, and rolls down his windows as he makes the ten minute drive to the vet. Once there, he gets out and his car chirps when he locks it, making his way into the building.
Minseok has the same surprised face as Jongin when Kris enters, and he stands up, clicking around on a few things on the computer. “Hello-- you’re early.”
“I’d like to think I’m on time,” he says, flashing a gummy smile. Minseok looks a little dazed. Kris pulls out his wallet, sliding his credit card out of its slot, handing it over for payment.
“Don’t you want to look at the bill?” Minseok asks, warily taking the card.
“I saw the menu, I know about how much it is.” Kris replies, his gaze on the door that leads back towards the exam rooms.
“About,” Minseok repeats idly, swiping Kris’ card and punching in a few numbers on the pin pad. He hands the card back to Kris, and then smiles. “Have a seat. I’ll go get her for you.”
Kris doesn’t sit. He stands, paces a little, looks at the pictures on the wall and eyes the picture of Chanyeol on his license, framed proudly up on the wall. Chanyeol is smiling and he’s not wearing glasses, one of his eyes squinted up a bit, cutely.
Cute. Cute. Man.
The door swings open and Kris turns around, surprised to see Chanyeol carrying the crate, sporting a warm smile. “The Duchess has arrived.”
Kris chuckles, reaching out for the carrier, peering inside the grate. She’s a little white ball of fur, curled up and snoozing, and he looks up at Chanyeol with a grateful smile. “Thanks. What are the home care instructions?”
“Don’t let her lick the wound,” Chanyeol says, holding up a finger. “It needs to heal. You can put a little sweater on her, or keep an eye on her, whichever is better. Make sure she eats and drinks, and goes to the bathroom. The stitches should dissolve in about a week.”
Kris nods, looking back into the crate. He has to keep her from licking the stitches? He can’t do that while he’s at work, can he? Chewing his lip, he nods again. “I can do that.”
“We’ll schedule a follow-up appointment with you later, for about a month or so. Call us if there are any problems, ok?” Chanyeol is all professional, all business, and Kris treats him as such as he nods and shakes his hand.
Leaving the vet, Kris heads home, fully intending on following Chanyeol’s instructions to the T. It’s nice to have something to focus on, other than work.
He tries not to think about the fact that Chanyeol’s voice rings in his head when it’s quiet.
-
“Um… Kris?”
Kris makes a noncommittal noise, perusing a document on his laptop.
“Why is there a litter box in here?” Jongin asks.
Kris doesn’t look up. “Because there is a kitten in here.”
“Oooookay,” Jongin moves closer and drops a stack of files on Kris’ desk. “Surgery went well?”
“I have to make sure she doesn’t lick her stitches,” Kris says, eyes glancing over to where Duchess is lounging on the bookshelf, still pretty lethargic.
“Ah. Ok. So, um, this was delivered today,” Jongin also drops an envelope on Kris’ desk, smiling wryly. “Who’s Chanyeol?”
Kris huffs, “Are you looking at my mail again?”
“I just think it’s convenient that there was a Chanyeol on the phone yesterday and you left early for the first time in years, and now there’s a cute little card from him addressed to you.” Jongin’s voice is turning a bit sleazy, like the little brat he is.
“He’s Duchess’ vet,” Kris replies, feigning disinterest in the envelope with his name hand-written on it. It’s probably from Minseok, but signed Chanyeol. A thank-you card.
“Oooh, a doctor. That’s hot.” Jongin says, winking before leaving the office.
Rolling his eyes, Kris waits until Jongin is gone and the door is closed, before he picks up the envelope and opens it. He’s seen Minseok’s writing, and the shitty penmanship in the card is not that. There’s a message hastily scrawled, and Kris has to read each word individually in order to understand it.
Kris-
Thank you for your business! Duchess is a pleasure to have.
Your follow-up appointment is scheduled for October 8th at 10:00am.
I know you work a busy schedule, so if you run into anything unexpected, call this number.
See you!
-Chanyeol
Chanyeol’s - obviously - cell phone number stares up at Kris. Is that normal? He’d been expecting Minseok’s neat handwriting and a formal thank you. It’s good business practice, though, for Chanyeol himself to write and sign the cards. Kris can recognize that, as a fellow businessman.
But… his cell phone number? Chanyeol must have taken into account Kris’ work week and how he’s at work when Chanyeol’s office is open, and might not be able to get Duchess in for any emergencies that might pop up. He hopes he doesn’t come to face any of those forethought emergencies… but it’s better to be prepared.
Saving Chanyeol’s number in his phone, Kris doesn’t know he’s smiling until he catches his reflection in his dark computer screen. Coughing, he returns to work, ignoring the warmth in his chest.
-
The month comes and goes, her follow-up appointment nothing but good news. In the time spent, Kris has knocked down to forty-five hours, and his mood has improved greatly. Chanyeol is congenial in the checkup, marveling at how much Duchess has grown, and praising Kris for keeping such good care of her.
Kris doesn’t know why, but he wants to do good - not only for Duchess, but for Chanyeol, too. To prove to Chanyeol that he doesn’t work too much, that he’s perfectly capable of taking care of a kitten.
Another month goes by, and Kris’ life has opened up to Duchess considerably. She’s the first thing he sees in the morning and the last thing he sees at night. He talks to her, pets her, loves her, takes comfort in her. He never really thought that he was lonely, but in the time since Joonmyun had left… Kris hasn’t felt so warm.
On a Wednesday morning, when Kris wakes up, Duchess isn’t on his chest. She’s curled up in his side and he shifts, making sure his huge body doesn’t squish her; but when he reaches to pet her, she’s a bit stiff, and breathing shallowly.
Alarmed, he sits up and picks her up carefully in his hands, examining her. “Duchess? Kitty kitty,” he tries calling softly. Her eyes open, just barely, and she opens her mouth for a meow but no noise comes out.
It’s barely even five, and he doesn’t even hesitate before grabbing his phone, double-tapping the home button and trying not to yell. “Call Chanyeol.”
The phone rings so long that Kris is afraid Chanyeol isn’t going to answer-- the voicemail comes on, and Kris cusses, hanging up and sitting up in bed, cradling Duchess to his chest. He re-dials, and this time, Chanyeol picks up on the fourth ring, his voice deep and groggy.
“H’lo?”
“Chanyeol--”
“Kri...s?”
“Chanyeol, something’s wrong with Duchess. She’s barely breathing and cold and can’t meow,” it all comes out in a rush and Kris kind of feels stupid for how panicky he sounds, but Chanyeol doesn’t say anything about that.
“Is she awake?” he asks, sounding more alert. There’s shuffling on the other side of the line, and when Kris responds with a positive noise, Chanyeol nods. “Ok-- ok. Just… ok. Calm down, Kris, it’ll be fine. Meet me at the clinic, ok? I’m getting dressed now.”
“Yeah--ok.”
Kris throws on a hoodie over his sleep clothes, rumpled sweatpants and tank top still warm from sleep. He doesn’t bother with the crate, holding Duchess to his chest and getting into the car. He doesn’t even buckle his seatbelt, too busy making sure Duchess is comfortable against him, occasionally glancing down and murmuring reassurances to her.
He makes it to the clinic in record time, and Chanyeol pulls in right behind him. He looks pretty ruffled as well, sweats and hoodie and Kris is happy to know that they’re both equally concerned and sleep deprived, as Chanyeol fumbles to unlock the door to the clinic.
They stumble in, and Chanyeol allows Kris to follow him all the way back past the exam rooms and into the main operating room. He’s sure this might break a code or two, for Kris to be back here, but Chanyeol doesn’t seem to mind.
Settling Duchess down on the table, Kris’ eyes are wet with worry, his big hand gently stroking over her soft fur, which looks like it’s lost a bit of it’s sheen.
“Kris,” Chanyeol’s voice is still deep and sleep groggy, but his gaze is focused behind his glasses. Kris glances up, and Chanyeol offers him a reassuring smile. “It’ll be ok. I’m here.”
Exhaling, Kris nods. “Ok.”
It’s all Chanyeol’s skilled hands and assessing eyes, and after ten tense minutes of examination and prodding, Chanyeol straightens, smiling softly.
“I have good news.”
Kris gathers Duchess up in his arms, bringing her to his chest again, looking at Chanyeol with hopeful eyes.
“It’s just a cold.”
Kris breathes a sigh of relief, scratching Duchess’ head lovingly. “Thank God.”
“She can go home with you, but you have to take care of her.” Chanyeol reaches over, petting Duchess as well. “Get a humidifier for your bedroom, and switch to wet, canned food for a while. She won’t have much of an appetite for a few days. Make sure you use a soft, wet cloth to wipe at her eyes and nose, she’s gonna get kinda gooey.”
“Thank you,” Kris says, reaching out before thinking, wrapping Chanyeol into a one-armed hug and burying his face into Chanyeol’s neck, relief flooding through him, making sure he doesn’t squish Duchess between them. “Thank you so much, Chanyeol.” He feels a bit silly, freaking out over something like a cold, but he’d just been so scared.
Chanyeol seems surprised by the hug, but he doesn’t stiffen up, returning it with one arm, just as careful.
“You’re welcome. I’m glad it’s just a cold.” Chanyeol says, and when they pull apart, Kris can feel the warmth in his eyes, and he realizes that Chanyeol feels it, too, when the vet averts his gaze and his usually bright smile turns a bit shy. “Anyway-- she should be fine in a week, to ten days.”
“I’m sorry for rushing you out of the house like that,” Kris apologizes wholeheartedly as he pets Duchess’ ears.
“It’s fine! I gave you my number for a reason,” Chanyeol replies with a chuckle. “I needed to get up soon for my morning jog, anyway.”
Still a bit sheepish, Kris nods, and then hesitates. He wants to hug Chanyeol again, shake his hand, kiss him full on the mouth -- he’s so relieved and so thankful for the veterinarian. “So, um-- yeah. Thank you. I’m gonna take the next few days off of work.”
Chanyeol smiles, his eyes going a bit soft. “I gotta admit, I had my doubts about you at first, Kris. But… I’m glad to see that you and Duchess bonded well.”
Kris knew it was because of his long hours -- but hearing Chanyeol say, now, that he feels like Kris is a fit owner… makes the warmth spread from Kris’ eyes all the way through the rest of his body.
“See you later,” Kris finally says, and with Duchess still cradled protectively against him, he heads out of the clinic, feeling a million times lighter and maybe even a bit… smitten.
And not with his cat.
-
[text to: Chanyeol]
Are you free for lunch today?
[text from: Chanyeol]
depends on where you’re taking me ;)
With a boldness Kris didn’t think he had, he suggests they meet up at a cafe between their work locations. He’d been alright, asking, but -- Chanyeol had said yes, and here Kris is, sitting at a table by the window, espresso in front of him as he waits for Chanyeol to show up. This breaches patient-doctor rules, doesn’t it? Does it count if Chanyeol is Kris’ cat’s doctor? Does this cross a line? It must not, because Chanyeol is coming in through the door a moment later, a breath of fresh air. His cheeks are flushed from the fall breeze, eyes bright, and he starts unwrapping his scarf as he walks up to Kris’ table.
“Hey,” Chanyeol greets somewhat breathlessly. “I thought this cafe was closer, so I walked. Dumb idea.” he laughs good-naturedly, and Kris finds himself smiling as well. “How is your day?”
Chanyeol is so… effortless. And Kris-- well. He’s all measurements, following rules and order, like there’s some sort of ‘handbook to society’. They’re so opposite. Kris… actually really enjoys it.
“My day is good,” Kris says, bringing his espresso cup to his lips for a sip, smiling softly across the table at Chanyeol. “What about yours? Uh, before you walked all the way over here.
Chanyeol offers up a sheepish smile, laughing a bit. “Good! This week has been pretty slow. It’s nice to get out for lunch, for once. Minseok usually yells at me to leave, but I’m kind of a ‘brown paper bag’ kind of guy.”
Cute. “I’m glad you could find the will to leave your solitude and join me,” Kris teases.
Snorting a bit, Chanyeol rolls his eyes. “Didn’t you say this was lunch? Where’s your food?”
“I was waiting for you before I ordered,” he says. “It’d be rude if I was eating my food before you even got here.”
“But if you’re hungry…” Chanyeol pouts a bit.
This is surprisingly easy. Comfortable. Their texting had been pretty limited; conversations about Duchess, exchanging cheers or boos when their favorite sports team lost, but this is the first time they’re actually meeting on their own time, personally… intimately?
Over a single menu (Kris had forgotten to grab a second), they decide on what they’re going to eat. With a smile and assurance that he’ll pay, Kris heads up to the bar to place their order, taking the little number placard and returning to the table. He sits, sets the number at the edge of the table, and then he and Chanyeol fall into surprisingly easy conversation about nothing and everything. Weather, their favorite time of year, what they do outside of work.
The lunch hour passes before Kris is ready for it to, and as they start to stand and re-bundle themselves up, Kris offers to drive Chanyeol back to the clinic.
“It’s opposite where you’re going, I’m sure,” Chanyeol tries to insist, but the way he’s bundling his scarf extra tight lets Kris know that the walk is going to be anything but pleasant.
“I’m the boss,” Kris says with a gummy smile, “I can be a little late coming back from lunch.”
Chanyeol clearly doesn’t seem too thrilled that he’s inconveniencing Kris, and Kris knows that he won’t be able to convince Chanyeol that it’s anything but an inconvenience - so, he grabs Chanyeol’s coat by the elbow, dragging the vet along with him out the door towards his car. The ride to the clinic is quick and easy, heated seats and the de-frost on, and when Kris pulls up to the door, Chanyeol hesitates a bit on getting out.
Patiently, and curiously, Kris rests his gaze on the other.
“You know,” Chanyeol licks his lips eyes somewhere on the dashboard instead of on Kris, “it’s been a long time since anyone has… asked me to join them for a meal.”
Kris is honestly surprised by that, and he knows it shows on his face.
“I--” Chanyeol laughs a bit, awkwardly. “Uh, thank you. For today. And um, if you-- want to… you know, do it again sometime…” his words drift off.
Chanyeol is asking to hang out again? And if his undertones and shy actions are any indicators, he means… as a date? Kris grins, reaching out to rest his broad palm over Chanyeol’s knee, squeezing softly. What a shame, that it’s been so long since Chanyeol was paid attention to.
“Saturday. Let’s do dinner.” Kris says. Much more forward and aggressive than usual… Before, he would have brushed Chanyeol’s suggestion off with a laugh and an empty promise, but this is different. Something about Chanyeol has settled within Kris. From the way he cares for animals, to how genuine he is when speaking with people (a.k.a. Kris, whom most people treat as a ticking time bomb)… Kris maybe, possibly, could want more.
And the smile that blossoms over Chanyeol’s face at Kris’ invitation melts away any lingering chill from the outside air. “Ok!” he agrees, and then he gets out of the car with a wave and a sunny smile, before heading into the clinic.
Pulling away, Kris doesn’t notice his own smile playing on his lips, and honestly, could care less about who sees.
-
Kris really needs to stop telling Jongin his business.
What was going to be a casual dinner with Chanyeol on Saturday, turned into Jongin suggesting that Kris host the man in his home and cook a meal from scratch. Which, yes, that actually sounded like a lovely idea -- Kris found an easy enough recipe, did the grocery shopping, and spent the day cleaning his apartment from top to bottom (not that it needed much), setting out a few tasteful holiday decorations (mostly decorative candle holders and a few bows on his lamps, as well as a single strand of garland across the mantle of his fireplace).
All in all, so far, so good. Chanyeol is slotted to show up at around seven, and it’s six, Kris putting the casserole in the oven. An ooey, gooey, cheese and avocado noodle casserole with bread crumbs on top - he’s not Top Chef, but he’s not some talentless bachelor, either. Duchess is snoozing in her cat condo, he’s got the table set for two, and… wow. It’s been so long since someone has come over for dinner. Is it too romantic? Is the candle in the center of the table too much? Is he expecting something ridiculous? Not a confession or anything, and it’s not like he’s going to propose -- he’s just nervous about how long it’s been since he’s opened up his home to anyone.
Four years is a long time to turn a castle into a fortress.
At 6:58 there’s a knock on the door, and Kris almost drops the whipped cream. He’d bought a pumpkin spice pie from the grocery store and was just putting the final touches of whipped cream around the edges; wiping his hands on the dish towel slung over his shoulder, he puts the pie back in the fridge and then moves to the door, opening it up with a smile.
A smile that quickly fades a bit, as his heart tries to jam its way into his throat.
Chanyeol is smiling sheepishly, holding up a pot with a single chrysanthemum blooming from it. His hair isn’t styled in any specific way, a bit curled at the ends, and he’s bundled in a cozy looking sweater and jeans.
When Kris doesn’t say anything, Chanyeol clears his throat.
“Um, well-- mom always told me to bring gifts when going to someone’s house for the first time, so, uh…” he gestures with the potted flower. “It’s fake-- so Duchess doesn’t eat it or make a mess.”
“Thank you,” Kris finally says, snapping out of it. Wow. Cute. Cute. He takes the fake plant with a smile, inviting Chanyeol in. “I’m glad you found the place ok. Most people can’t figure out where to park…”
Chanyeol shrugs, toeing off his shoes and putting them on the shoe rack. “I ignore most signs that say ‘resident parking only’, so that was easy enough.” he laughs, and Kris chuckles a bit too. “Wow-- you have a really nice place.”
Kris sets the faux flower down on the coffee table rubs the back of his neck a bit; Duchess has stirred, hearing Chanyeol’s voice, and hops off of the cat condo, meandering towards her doctor with happy trills falling from her lips.
“Aw, hi Duchess,” Chanyeol coos, picking her up and bringing her to his chest. He turns to Kris, “Something smells good. What’s for dinner?”
“Avocado mac n’ cheese,” Kris replies, heading back towards the kitchen while Chanyeol groans in delight. “Make yourself comfy, I’m going to put the bread in and then dinner will be done.”
“I didn’t know you could cook,” Chanyeol says casually as he sits on the couch, partially draped over the back with Duchess still in his arms. “Actually… your place in general is pretty surprising. You don’t have a girlfriend…?”
The way Chanyeol inflects that question has Kris rolling his eyes and tossing him a dead look, “You know the answer to that question.” Chanyeol snorts, relaxes, and Kris works on buttering the bread and seasoning it. “My mom was the Chinese Martha Stewart. If my place looked anything less, she’d crawl out of her grave and have me by the ear.”
Chanyeol’s voice is soft, “She sounds like she cared a lot.”
“About material things?” Kris laughs a bit, shrugging. “She was very concerned with how people saw her, and her family. When she got cancer… she started caring even more. It was all about appearances. Clean house, nice clothes, good hair. She even shaved her head and started wearing an expensive wig, so she wouldn’t have to deal with the shedding.” he hums, spreading the bread on a baking sheet, before carefully putting it into the oven. “She was a strong, independent woman. She loved me like a mother loved a son… nothing more, nothing less.”
When he glances up, he sees Chanyeol frowning a bit, looking like he regretted commenting. Smiling, Kris shakes his head. “Don’t feel bad, I loved her in the same way. My family just isn’t very close. Cordial at best. And it doesn’t bother me.”
“Is that how you can let yourself get so busy with work?” Chanyeol asks, and yep, he definitely regrets asking that question.
Kris’ expression falls a bit, and Chanyeol sinks onto the couch.
“I’m sorry,” Chanyeol says quietly. “That was a mean thing to say.”
Swallowing, Kris makes his way out to the living room. “But it wasn’t wrong.” Sitting down next to Chanyeol, Kris runs his fingers through his hair, trying to gather his thoughts, feeling that for once in his life… he can explain himself. “Everything has been systematic for me… Everything has been about the end result. From work, to my last relationship. But I guess I never really got taught how to value people… like how I valued work.” he picks at the knees of his jeans. “I don’t want to be like that anymore, though.” Duchess mews, and he chuckles, petting her ears back fondly. “I won’t be.” his gaze lifts to meet Chanyeol’s, and there’s a moment of silent understanding between them. Kris is so tempted to lean in, close the distance between their mouths -- but the oven goes off and he clears his throat, pulling away.
To his pleasure, Chanyeol looks equally disappointed.
“You’re admirable,” Chanyeol says, though, as Kris makes his way back to the kitchen. “And it’s never too late to fix past mistakes.”
Kris pulls the casserole out of the oven, leaving the bread in to finish baking. He sets the casserole on the table, fanning it with a pot holder, before digging a spoon into the food and watching the steam rise. “Those mistakes… I just want to learn from them and move on. Those mistakes won’t accept my apology, now.”
Without Kris noticing, Chanyeol had stood and made his way over to the table. His hand on Kris’ shoulder is a bit surprising, and when Kris glances up, he meets Chanyeol’s earnest, trusting, warm gaze.
“Still…” Chanyeol’s gaze turns playful. “You should cut down to forty hours.”
Kris bristles playfully, “It’s not your decision.”
“For the health of your cat-child~” Chanyeol says, walking over to the counter, his eyes on the unopened bottle of wine. “And for your health, too. You should trust me - I’m a doctor.” he says, very seriously, as he starts to open drawers.
“You’re an animal doctor,” Kris corrects, pushing the casserole dish to where he’ll be able to neatly and cleanly serve both of their plates.
“Are you telling me you’re not an animal~?” Chanyeol’s tone of voice is playfully sinful, and it has Kris’ ears burning. Then, the man makes a triumphant noise and when Kris looks over, he’s found the corkscrew and is working on twisting it into the cabernet.
“That’s for me to know and you to find out,” he replies childishly. He walks past Chanyeol towards the cupboards, pulling down two wine glasses and setting them on the counter -- but there’s a roguish smirk on his face as he leans in close to Chanyeol, who is struggling to pull the cork out of the bottle. “Which, I’m sure you will.” Kris takes the bottle and pulls the cork out with minor difficulty, and Chanyeol rolls his eyes, nudging his ribs with his elbow.
Dinner passes with good atmosphere. They drink, they eat -- Chanyeol compliments Kris’ cooking ability and confesses that he can barely boil water, and their conversation jumps easily from topic to topic. Kris learns that Chanyeol moved to the city from a small town further south, to pursue his dreams of becoming a veterinarian. Kris learns that Chanyeol’s favorite animal is actually frogs, even though he has an inherent fear of touching them.
Nothing negative passes from their lips. They build each other up, they both compliment and complement each other, and their conversation grows and rarely dwindles, save for sips of wine and bites of food. An hour passes, then two, and Kris finally notices that what’s left on his plate is cold, and he announces clean up. They work in tandem, still talking and joking, clearing away the table, Chanyeol wrapping the casserole dish in foil, and Kris refilling their glasses with the last of the wine. At one point Chanyeol tries to insist on helping with the dishes, but Kris tells him promptly he’d rather not flood the apartment with water and bubbles -- to which Chanyeol pouts and swears he’d do no such thing.
Duchess walks between their feet and rubs up against their shins as they move; and Chanyeol, graceful as he is, gets tripped up with her and falls into Kris, hands on the other’s chest, bodies flush, their noses almost touching.
Looking down at Chanyeol, Kris sees warmth in his eyes and temptation on his lips. He leans in, slowly, in case he scares Chanyeol -- but Chanyeol has other ideas, pushing forward and crashing their mouths together clumsily. It might be the wine, it might be Chanyeol’s bravado, but Kris’ hands come up and cup the other man’s face, keeping him steady as he tilts his head and deepens the kiss, warmth blossoming through his chest.
And then, like the closing curtain in a play, everything fades to black… a warm, deep, comforting black.
[ Next ]
Pairing: Kris/Chanyeol
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Kris is a stuffy CEO who needs a little bit of companionship. He was gifted a kitten, but given so, so much more.
Word Count: 10.4k
Notes: i know you can’t fix a cat at 8 weeks i just needed to hurry along the story thx
why i’m writing this after literally writing abt kris being a cat and yeol being a dog idk i think most of u have forgotten that story by now anyway which is great read this one instead
i have completed esthetics school and am waiting to take my state testing and i feel like i can finally breathe/write again hey-yo
pls don’t hate me for barely replying to comments on fics i literally forget i write them like 3 days later
north star;
Kris has literally no idea how to take care of a living, breathing creature that is not himself. Hell-- he can barely take care of himself on a good day. Sometimes his socks don’t match and he’s fairly notorious for giving his clothes the ‘sniff test’ -- his apartment is clean but honestly, of all things for him to be nitpicky about, it’s his fancy Macy’s furniture and decor from Home Goods. A pretty home is a happy home, his mother always told him, and… well. Clearly it sank in.
And plus!! Being an executive director for a trade company is busy work! How is he supposed to remember to feed himself three meals a day (that aren’t all pizza)? How is he supposed to remember to wash his casual clothes on a weekly basis, all while working sixty hours a week?
Answer: he can’t.
Well-- maybe he could, but quite honestly, he just… doesn’t. He’s busy, plain and simple, and when it counts he can take care of himself but y’know… adulting can be hard.
So, when his co-worker Jongin set a box on his desk at the end of Friday’s shift, and Kris opened it up curiously to see a fluffy, white, golden-eyed kitten staring back at him… he, of course, responded accordingly.
“What the hell is this.”
Jongin, bless his bastardly heart, rolls his eyes good-naturedly and then claps Kris on the shoulder. “A kitten. Your kitten.” he reaches into the box, pulling out the white kitten - who has a grey collar with a silver bell and pink bow attached - and lifts it up, snuggling his cheek into its soft fur. “Say hello~~” he says, taking one of the tiny paws and ‘waving’ it at Kris.
“Get it out of here.” Kris says tersely, even if his cold, cold heart already feels a jolt of warmth from hearing the baby kitten’s little, hoarse mew.
“Kris,” Jongin drops the act, cradling the kitten to his chest. “We’re all kinda… well, worried. About you.”
Tensing his jaw and squaring his shoulders, Kris returns to his computer, prepared for The Talk that he knows his co-workers have been preparing for well over a week. He’d heard snippets of hushed whispers, felt their gazes, and of course they would choose Jongin to actually come over to initiate it.
“And your solution is a kitten?” he asks, more rhetorically than anything.
“Our solution is companionship,” Jongin says, a small, but warm smile filtering over his lips.
Kris glances up. They sent Jongin because they know Kris has a soft spot for the kid. Kris is about ten years older and has an almost fatherly protection and pride for the other, and honestly, it does warm him a little to know that Jongin is so concerned about his personal life. Even though they don’t really talk out of work. Like, hardly at all.
Sighing, Kris leans back in his chair a bit and stares at the kitten, the white of its fur a pretty contrast against Jongin’s tanned hands. Running his own hand down his face, Kris laments, “Jongin, I don’t have time for a cat.”
“That’s why we decided to get you a cat, instead of a dog,” he says, a rather self-satisfied smile curling his lips. “Dogs need attention twenty-four-seven. Cats… don’t. They only care that you feed them, water them, and give them a clean place to poop.”
Kris winces. Litter box. In his clean, perfectly furnished apartment.
“Besides,” Jongin holds the kitten out towards Kris, winning smile stretching his features, his eyes glimmering with warmth. “I think she suits you. A royal white kitten for the crowned Prince.”
The running joke of the office about Kris being some runaway prince from a foreign country isn’t lost, and Kris reaches out, a bit tentative. He’s only ever petted a cat once, and that cat hated him so much he has a scar on his forearm from its botched attempt to get away. But this kitten… She mews and arches and her little paws reach out for him, and his hands are huge and she’s so tiny that she’s cupped in his broad palms, staring up at him. Her tail is bobbed, her fur is long and has the softness of a rabbit, and Kris groans, tipping his head back and closing his eyes.
“I hate you all.”
“We love you too~!” Jongin coos, patting Kris’ shoulder before heading off.
Kris stares down at the kitten, who stares right back at him, her golden eyes unblinking and so, so sweet.
He supposes this isn’t the worst thing that could happen to him.
-
This is the worst thing that’s ever happened to him.
The first night he brought Duchess (aptly named, he thinks, from that one children’s movie with the cats) home, she had curled up on his chest and slept peacefully through the night. Jongin had already supplied a bag of kitten chow, a box and some litter, so that Kris would know what to buy later when he ran out. As Duchess lay curled up, her eyes closed, breaths shallow but even and little purrs vibrating through her tiny body, Kris found himself thinking that… yeah. Love like this. Unprovoked and without specific purpose -- just… affection. This is something that he definitely did need.
Duchess only wants to be pet, fed and played with and he thinks he can do that.
When he wakes up in the morning, though, things… change.
“I think it’s possessed!” he says into the receiver of his phone, crouched behind the couch. He’s glancing around cautiously -- he can hear the jingling of her bell, the skitter of her paws over the hardwood floor.
On the other end of the line, Jongin laughs in amusement. “Kris, kittens are like that. She’s just playing.”
“I saw the Devil in her eyes!” Kris insists, hissing his whisper to try and keep his voice down. He doesn’t hear the bell anymore.
Jongin now sounds thoroughly amused. “Kris. Just… grab a string or something, wear her out, and she’ll be passed out in no time.” There’s ruffling on the other end of the line, a soft groan, and chuckling. “Kris-- I gotta go. Call me back if she uh, sucks out your soul or something.”
Click.
Cursing, Kris pockets his phone. What a little asshole. Just because Jongin got laid last night, he thinks he doesn’t need to take care of his beloved boss--
Claws sink into Kris’ feet and he yelps for his life, flailing around and flopping onto the floor, trying to crawl away from the vicious kitten currently biting and clawing at his toes, feet and ankles.
“Be gone, Satan!!!!”
-
An hour later, Duchess is passed out in Kris’ lap. Every occasional inhale has a purr, but she’s spent, and Kris is staring down at her in mild disbelief. How can a creature go from insanely adorable, to plain insane, and then back to adorable?
He’s watching tv, when he sees a commercial about getting pets checked up regularly at the vet. Frowning, Kris glances down at Duchess. Does she have shots? Is she fixed? She’s so… tiny. Jongin said eight weeks old... Picking up his phone, he does a quick google search of local vets. The first one that pops up has raving ratings and is nearby, so he clicks the ‘call’ button and holds the phone up to his ear, large hand resting as gently as it can over Duchess’ tiny body.
“Park’s Pet Clinic, this is Minseok, how may I help you?”
“Hi, uh,” Kris clears his throat a bit. “I um… have a kitten. And I uh, have never… had a kitten before.”
There’s a pause on the other end of the line, but then there’s a smile in Minseok’s voice. “Ahhh, I see. We can set up an appointment for a general checkup, and the doctor can give you further instruction. Is she healthy? Eating proper, going to the bathroom ok?”
“Yeah-- yeah, she’s fine. A little demonic, but fine.”
“As kittens can be.” The wry tone in Minseok’s voice doesn’t go unnoticed and Kris’ nose wrinkles a bit. “When works best for you?”
“What are your hours?” he asks, watching his fingers sift through long white fur.
“Monday through Friday, eight a.m to four p.m.,” is Minseok’s chipper reply, and Kris groans. Of course they’re his working hours, too.
“How long will the checkup take?”
“Thirty minutes, with a ten minute wait.”
He can fit that in on his lunch. “Ok. Can we do Monday at around one?”
Silence from the other end after Kris recites his information, and then Minseok is humming into the phone. “Alright, I’ve got you scheduled for then. Do you have any other questions?” And Kris gets the distinct feeling that Minseok is teasing him.
“No,” he replies, as coolly as possible. “See you Monday.”
“Have a good day.”
He tosses his phone to the other end of the couch, staring down at Duchess. How can something look so cute and innocent while asleep, and then be an absolute terror when awake?
Well, that basically describes Jongin, so in actuality Kris isn’t surprised that the kid picked out this particular cat.
Ok, then. On Monday maybe he’ll get a little more clue about what he’s supposed to do.
-
The weekend passes with spurts of Kris yelling in surprise, his feet bleeding in tender spots, things falling off of shelves, moving furniture around to save the trapped kitten, and exasperatingly trying to keep little paws from dancing all over the keyboard of his laptop while he’s trying to get in some extra work.
On Monday morning, he’s wary to leave Duchess home alone without him, but he has no choice. She sits and stares at him as he leaves, warning her to ‘be good’, and when he gets to work, he finds that despite the hectic weekend, he’s a lot more… relaxed, as he sits down at his chair in his office.
Twelve-fifteen rolls around and Kris stands up, closing up shop. He passes by Jongin’s receptionist desk and tells him he’ll be taking an extended lunch, but should be back by two. Jongin just smiles and waves, answering the phone when it rings and turning away to address the person on the other line.
It doesn’t take long for Kris to get home; and, thankfully, his apartment is in one piece. The only issue is toilet paper scattered around the bathroom, shredded to bits, but it could be worse. He finds Duchess, and then realizes that he has no kitty carrier to transport her in-- but, ah, he has the box Jongin used. It’s decently sized with lots of holes, so he puts her blanket in it, and then her, and then heads off. He hopes no one thinks he’s some sort of animal abuser or something, with her in this box, but it’s really all he can do. He’ll have to pick a real carrier up on his way home, later.
Park’s Pet Clinic is close enough that Kris is a few minutes early for his appointment. He checks in with Minseok at the desk, who raises a brow at Kris’ box as he hands over a clipboard, and Kris only offers a tense smile before he moves to sit down. He puts the box next to him and lifts the lid a bit, Duchess poking her head out but otherwise not doing much else, sniffing the air curiously. He fills out the paperwork and turns it back in, and then Minseok gestures for him to follow him down a corridor.
“This is the exam room you’ll be in,” he says, and he’s just as chipper in person as he is over the phone. He’s small, and cute, and doesn’t seem to be bothered by the fact that Kris looms so much over him. “Mr. Park will be in shortly.”
After Minseok shuts the door, Kris sets the box on the table and then opens it up, ushering Duchess to come out. She does so cautiously, but kitten curiosity takes over and she hops out, sniffing around, her little bob tail twitching in interest. He stands by the table, making sure she doesn’t fall off or get into anything she shouldn’t, and when the door opens again, he glances up, nearly choking on his tongue.
Mr. Park is… not at all what Kris thought he would be.
Kris had it in his mind that Mr. Park was an old, wizened man, with glasses and a pedo mustache.
In reality, Mr. Park looks younger than Kris, and is … wow. He is gorgeous. Thick black glasses rest on a charming face, his smile broad and perfect, white and pristine, his brown hair coiffed up and out of his eyes. He is also almost as tall as Kris, which explains why Minseok wasn’t bothered by Kris’ height. He looks professional in slacks, a powder blue button down and a lab coat, and Kris has to remember how to breathe because Mr. Park is reaching forward to shake hands.
Stiffly, Kris returns the shake, smiling a bit awkwardly. “Uh, hi.”
Mr. Park chuckles, but it’s not patronizing at all; he just seems like an honestly sunny person. “Hey there. I’m Park Chanyeol. You must be Kris Wu?” He gets a positive nod from Kris, and then Chanyeol’s eyes slide towards Duchess. “And this must be Duchess. Hello, gorgeous.” he says, reaching out to stroke long fingers over the top of her head. She arches into him and purrs, and Kris tries his best not to be jealous. Of what? Chanyeol, or the cat? Grah. “Minseok said you have a lot of questions. What can I help with?” Chanyeol asks, putting on a pair of gloves.
“... Everything?” Kris ventures, and then corrects himself. “Um-- health-wise. Like… getting fixed, shots, and all that.”
“Well,” Chanyeol starts his examination, pressing his fingers gently into a purring Duchess, who is arching against him, claws clicking over the metal table. “She’s in very good health.” He tilts her head back, gently forcing her mouth open to examine her teeth and mouth, before he starts feeling over her frame. “Do you know anything about her?”
Kris shakes his head. “My friend got her for me.”
“Your friend must like you very much,” Chanyeol says, measuring the stubby tail with his index finger and thumb. “A white manx is a very rare cat, and cost a pretty penny.”
Kris blinks. “Like, an expensive breed?” He really knows nothing about cats. Didn’t even know Duchess was a Manx.
Chanyeol glances up, amused. “You should ask your friend where he got her. As far as I know, there are no breeders in the area.”
“He’s uh, kinda sneaky,” Kris says, rubbing the back of his neck and sitting down in the one chair in the room. “Honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if he got her off the black market or something.”
Chanyeol laughs at that, and then prods around Duchess’ tummy. “He’s a good friend, to get you a companion.”
Kris is mildly embarrassed that a total stranger can figure out why this kitten was gifted to him. But, this stranger is now his vet, so he supposes some personal information will come out.
“Well,” Chanyeol smiles and takes off his gloves, tossing them away. “She’s very healthy. She needs her shots as soon as possible, though. Are you planning on fixing her?”
Nodding, Kris stands up. Chanyeol grabs a pamphlet from the magazine rack, by the door. “This is our menu. We try to be affordable and quality at the same time, but that’s not always possible. I hope some of our prices aren’t… too much.”
Some of these prices seem a bit outrageous, but Kris can tell that Chanyeol is good at what he does. His practice came with high reviews and good comments, it’s clean and in a good neighborhood. Kris couldn’t really ask for more.
“I’m not worried about price,” Kris says, without realizing how that makes him sound.
Chanyeol arches a brow, then smiles playfully. “I see.”
Mentally kicking himself, Kris brusquely moves on. “Can we get her shots and fixed in one go?”
“Absolutely. I can tell you’re a busy man,” Chanyeol says, looking pointedly at Kris’ straight tie and pressed suit. “You can drop her off before work and pick her up after, if that works?”
Kris is moving towards Duchess, petting her and then gingerly picking her up to put her back in the box, but holds off on putting the lid back on. “I don’t get off until after your office closes.”
“That’s ok, someone can stay behind and wait,” Chanyeol says easily. “How late?”
“...Six,” Kris says, a tone of regret in his voice.
Chanyeol blinks. “That’s… a long shift.” A long time to leave your kitten alone is insinuated, and Kris bristles a bit.
“I’m the boss, I can’t help that I have to stay late sometimes.”
If Chanyeol disapproves, he doesn’t say anything about it. “Someone will be here when you’re able to pick her up.” he holds out his hand, and Kris shakes it. “Thank you for choosing our clinic. We’ll help you take good care of Duchess.” And with that, Chanyeol leaves the room.
Deflating a little, Kris looks at Duchess. “It really is unfair how much I work, huh?” he asks, and Duchess just stares up at him. He leaves the lid off the box, tucking it under his arm as he carries Duchess out towards the reception area.
From the desk, Minseok glances up with a warm smile. “Ready to schedule?”
Kris decides on Thursday -- the sooner the better. They schedule the shots and the surgery, and Minseok writes down the date on a little business card, even though they both know Kris won’t forget.
“See you Thursday~” Minseok bids him farewell and Kris leaves the office with a little smile.
This whole kitten thing won’t be too bad. And having a hot vet? Even better.
When he gets home, he boots up his laptop and decides that maybe something in Chanyeol’s eyes had… struck him.
Time to do a little rearranging of his work load.
-
“You wouldn’t even work less hours for a relationship, but you’re going to do some work remotely because of a cat?” Jongdae clarifies, just to make sure he’d heard Kris right, no doubt.
Annoyed, Kris nods. “I don’t need to work sixty hours. I’ll cut down to fifty-five and see how comfortable that is for me, and the team.”
Jongdae whistles below his breath, “I can’t believe it. I don’t think you even know how to do ‘just a forty-hour work week’.”
“I don’t. I never have-- but I’m willing to try.”
It’s absurd, talking about how difficult it will be to cut down on hours. Kris had made good grades in high school, and then university, and as soon as he got his degree he was flying out the door and throwing himself into work.
“Whatever you decide to do, Kris, we’re behind you,” Jongdae says with a warm smile, though his eyes always have a playful, cheeky glint to them, like he knows something no one else does.
“Thanks.” Kris makes to leave, but a soft noise from Jongdae has him turning around and glancing back at the other, curious.
“Is the cat really what made you decide to chill out?” Jongdae asks, and though his eyes are guarded, he’s staring directly at Kris’. “You’ve been asked to cut back, before.”
Inwardly, Kris flinches. Outwardly, Kris’ expression stays neutral. “I wasn’t ready to, then. But I am now.”
The silence holds, the two men staring at each other, and Kris knows all of the unspoken things floating around in Jongdae’s head.
“...Ok, Kris. Good luck.”
“Thanks,” he says again, and then leaves Jongdae’s office.
-
The last time Kris had contemplated cutting his hours, was for a relationship. Joonmyun had been soft, kind, the owner of the floral shop next to Kris’ old favorite cafe. He worked minimal hours and had the luxury to do so, the shop closed every Sunday. Kris had courted him traditionally; gifts, dates, sweet promises. They had dated for six months and for a while, it worked. But eventually… Kris’ work hours got to Joonmyun. It wasn’t enough. Fitting in dates when Kris was already exhausted from work, trying to have a whole day together like a regular couple when Kris’ cell phone would ring off the hook --
Joonmyun asked Kris to please cut his hours back, please make more time for him…
And Kris had chosen the priorities of his company over his boyfriend.
That had been four years ago, and ever since Joonmyun left, Kris had drowned himself in work, in guilt.
Jongin really, truly knows him too well, even if they don’t hang out outside of work. Gifting Kris a kitten was a blessing in disguise. When he lays in bed with her curled up on his chest and purring, he has time to enjoy the moment. He actually doesn’t think about work, or clients or employees that have been slacking off. All he thinks about is the softness of her fur, how soothing her purrs are, and how his apartment feels… peaceful, for the first time in years.
He doesn’t feel less guilty, but he does feel a bit more… whole.
-
“Good to see you again, Mr. Wu,” Minseok greets warmly.
Kris actually has Duchess in a carrier, bright pink with soft lilac designs on the side. Totally not his style -- but totally Duchess’. He sets the carrier on the counter and fills out the paperwork, sending Minseok a soft smile. The man is nothing but nice and pleasant, all the time.
“Hi, Duchess,” Minseok coos, putting his fingers through the grate door to pet her. “What a pretty ride you got.”
Kris finishes the paperwork, sliding it over. “Do I need to stay?”
Minseok shakes his head and smiles, standing and picking up the carrier. “Nope. See you when you pick her up.”
“Thank you,” Kris flashes a grateful smile, patting the top of the carrier before leaving the vet office, heading in to work.
-
At four-thirty, Kris keeps glancing at the clock. He’s distracted, thinking about Duchess-- hoping the surgery went well, and also worrying about if he’ll be able to properly take care of her. Maybe he should have scheduled for Friday? So then he could give her all his attention over the weekend. But today was the day Chanyeol had slots open for surgery, so it’s all Kris could take.
Knee bouncing, he barely acknowledges Jongin when he comes to the door of his office and knocks.
“There’s a guy named Chanyeol on line one,” Jongin says, before disappearing.
Kris picks up the phone so fast he presses the button as he simultaneously smacks himself in the face with the receiver. “Ow-- uh. This is Kris Wu.”
“You ok?” the amusement in Chanyeol’s voice is duly noted.
Grumbling a positive response, Kris straightens a bit. “Is everything ok? How’s Duchess? Is it over?”
“Everything is fine, Duchess is asleep, and the surgery is over.” Chanyeol answers Kris’ questions fluidly, and it makes Kris blink. “This is just a courtesy call to let you know that she’ll be ready to go home whenever you come to get her.”
“I’ll come now,” he says in a rush, already standing up and shutting down his computer.
“You said you weren’t off until six?” there’s confusion and surprise in Chanyeol’s voice.
“I finished today’s work, I can come now.” he says, already tidying up his desk and preparing it for his arrival tomorrow, stacking up the ‘to do’ documents in his ‘to do’ box at the left corner of the desk.
“Oh-- ok,” Chanyeol chuckles. “See you soon.”
Kris hangs up, pulling his suit jacket over his shoulders and pocketing his phone and wallet, heading out of the office.
“I’m leaving early,” he says to a surprised Jongin as he passes by, long legs carrying him steady.
“Kris--?”
“See you in the morning, Jongin. Lock up when you’re out.”
It’s the first time in four years that Kris has left work early… and it feels amazing. He gets in his car, turns on some shitty pop music, and rolls down his windows as he makes the ten minute drive to the vet. Once there, he gets out and his car chirps when he locks it, making his way into the building.
Minseok has the same surprised face as Jongin when Kris enters, and he stands up, clicking around on a few things on the computer. “Hello-- you’re early.”
“I’d like to think I’m on time,” he says, flashing a gummy smile. Minseok looks a little dazed. Kris pulls out his wallet, sliding his credit card out of its slot, handing it over for payment.
“Don’t you want to look at the bill?” Minseok asks, warily taking the card.
“I saw the menu, I know about how much it is.” Kris replies, his gaze on the door that leads back towards the exam rooms.
“About,” Minseok repeats idly, swiping Kris’ card and punching in a few numbers on the pin pad. He hands the card back to Kris, and then smiles. “Have a seat. I’ll go get her for you.”
Kris doesn’t sit. He stands, paces a little, looks at the pictures on the wall and eyes the picture of Chanyeol on his license, framed proudly up on the wall. Chanyeol is smiling and he’s not wearing glasses, one of his eyes squinted up a bit, cutely.
Cute. Cute. Man.
The door swings open and Kris turns around, surprised to see Chanyeol carrying the crate, sporting a warm smile. “The Duchess has arrived.”
Kris chuckles, reaching out for the carrier, peering inside the grate. She’s a little white ball of fur, curled up and snoozing, and he looks up at Chanyeol with a grateful smile. “Thanks. What are the home care instructions?”
“Don’t let her lick the wound,” Chanyeol says, holding up a finger. “It needs to heal. You can put a little sweater on her, or keep an eye on her, whichever is better. Make sure she eats and drinks, and goes to the bathroom. The stitches should dissolve in about a week.”
Kris nods, looking back into the crate. He has to keep her from licking the stitches? He can’t do that while he’s at work, can he? Chewing his lip, he nods again. “I can do that.”
“We’ll schedule a follow-up appointment with you later, for about a month or so. Call us if there are any problems, ok?” Chanyeol is all professional, all business, and Kris treats him as such as he nods and shakes his hand.
Leaving the vet, Kris heads home, fully intending on following Chanyeol’s instructions to the T. It’s nice to have something to focus on, other than work.
He tries not to think about the fact that Chanyeol’s voice rings in his head when it’s quiet.
-
“Um… Kris?”
Kris makes a noncommittal noise, perusing a document on his laptop.
“Why is there a litter box in here?” Jongin asks.
Kris doesn’t look up. “Because there is a kitten in here.”
“Oooookay,” Jongin moves closer and drops a stack of files on Kris’ desk. “Surgery went well?”
“I have to make sure she doesn’t lick her stitches,” Kris says, eyes glancing over to where Duchess is lounging on the bookshelf, still pretty lethargic.
“Ah. Ok. So, um, this was delivered today,” Jongin also drops an envelope on Kris’ desk, smiling wryly. “Who’s Chanyeol?”
Kris huffs, “Are you looking at my mail again?”
“I just think it’s convenient that there was a Chanyeol on the phone yesterday and you left early for the first time in years, and now there’s a cute little card from him addressed to you.” Jongin’s voice is turning a bit sleazy, like the little brat he is.
“He’s Duchess’ vet,” Kris replies, feigning disinterest in the envelope with his name hand-written on it. It’s probably from Minseok, but signed Chanyeol. A thank-you card.
“Oooh, a doctor. That’s hot.” Jongin says, winking before leaving the office.
Rolling his eyes, Kris waits until Jongin is gone and the door is closed, before he picks up the envelope and opens it. He’s seen Minseok’s writing, and the shitty penmanship in the card is not that. There’s a message hastily scrawled, and Kris has to read each word individually in order to understand it.
Kris-
Thank you for your business! Duchess is a pleasure to have.
Your follow-up appointment is scheduled for October 8th at 10:00am.
I know you work a busy schedule, so if you run into anything unexpected, call this number.
See you!
-Chanyeol
Chanyeol’s - obviously - cell phone number stares up at Kris. Is that normal? He’d been expecting Minseok’s neat handwriting and a formal thank you. It’s good business practice, though, for Chanyeol himself to write and sign the cards. Kris can recognize that, as a fellow businessman.
But… his cell phone number? Chanyeol must have taken into account Kris’ work week and how he’s at work when Chanyeol’s office is open, and might not be able to get Duchess in for any emergencies that might pop up. He hopes he doesn’t come to face any of those forethought emergencies… but it’s better to be prepared.
Saving Chanyeol’s number in his phone, Kris doesn’t know he’s smiling until he catches his reflection in his dark computer screen. Coughing, he returns to work, ignoring the warmth in his chest.
-
The month comes and goes, her follow-up appointment nothing but good news. In the time spent, Kris has knocked down to forty-five hours, and his mood has improved greatly. Chanyeol is congenial in the checkup, marveling at how much Duchess has grown, and praising Kris for keeping such good care of her.
Kris doesn’t know why, but he wants to do good - not only for Duchess, but for Chanyeol, too. To prove to Chanyeol that he doesn’t work too much, that he’s perfectly capable of taking care of a kitten.
Another month goes by, and Kris’ life has opened up to Duchess considerably. She’s the first thing he sees in the morning and the last thing he sees at night. He talks to her, pets her, loves her, takes comfort in her. He never really thought that he was lonely, but in the time since Joonmyun had left… Kris hasn’t felt so warm.
On a Wednesday morning, when Kris wakes up, Duchess isn’t on his chest. She’s curled up in his side and he shifts, making sure his huge body doesn’t squish her; but when he reaches to pet her, she’s a bit stiff, and breathing shallowly.
Alarmed, he sits up and picks her up carefully in his hands, examining her. “Duchess? Kitty kitty,” he tries calling softly. Her eyes open, just barely, and she opens her mouth for a meow but no noise comes out.
It’s barely even five, and he doesn’t even hesitate before grabbing his phone, double-tapping the home button and trying not to yell. “Call Chanyeol.”
The phone rings so long that Kris is afraid Chanyeol isn’t going to answer-- the voicemail comes on, and Kris cusses, hanging up and sitting up in bed, cradling Duchess to his chest. He re-dials, and this time, Chanyeol picks up on the fourth ring, his voice deep and groggy.
“H’lo?”
“Chanyeol--”
“Kri...s?”
“Chanyeol, something’s wrong with Duchess. She’s barely breathing and cold and can’t meow,” it all comes out in a rush and Kris kind of feels stupid for how panicky he sounds, but Chanyeol doesn’t say anything about that.
“Is she awake?” he asks, sounding more alert. There’s shuffling on the other side of the line, and when Kris responds with a positive noise, Chanyeol nods. “Ok-- ok. Just… ok. Calm down, Kris, it’ll be fine. Meet me at the clinic, ok? I’m getting dressed now.”
“Yeah--ok.”
Kris throws on a hoodie over his sleep clothes, rumpled sweatpants and tank top still warm from sleep. He doesn’t bother with the crate, holding Duchess to his chest and getting into the car. He doesn’t even buckle his seatbelt, too busy making sure Duchess is comfortable against him, occasionally glancing down and murmuring reassurances to her.
He makes it to the clinic in record time, and Chanyeol pulls in right behind him. He looks pretty ruffled as well, sweats and hoodie and Kris is happy to know that they’re both equally concerned and sleep deprived, as Chanyeol fumbles to unlock the door to the clinic.
They stumble in, and Chanyeol allows Kris to follow him all the way back past the exam rooms and into the main operating room. He’s sure this might break a code or two, for Kris to be back here, but Chanyeol doesn’t seem to mind.
Settling Duchess down on the table, Kris’ eyes are wet with worry, his big hand gently stroking over her soft fur, which looks like it’s lost a bit of it’s sheen.
“Kris,” Chanyeol’s voice is still deep and sleep groggy, but his gaze is focused behind his glasses. Kris glances up, and Chanyeol offers him a reassuring smile. “It’ll be ok. I’m here.”
Exhaling, Kris nods. “Ok.”
It’s all Chanyeol’s skilled hands and assessing eyes, and after ten tense minutes of examination and prodding, Chanyeol straightens, smiling softly.
“I have good news.”
Kris gathers Duchess up in his arms, bringing her to his chest again, looking at Chanyeol with hopeful eyes.
“It’s just a cold.”
Kris breathes a sigh of relief, scratching Duchess’ head lovingly. “Thank God.”
“She can go home with you, but you have to take care of her.” Chanyeol reaches over, petting Duchess as well. “Get a humidifier for your bedroom, and switch to wet, canned food for a while. She won’t have much of an appetite for a few days. Make sure you use a soft, wet cloth to wipe at her eyes and nose, she’s gonna get kinda gooey.”
“Thank you,” Kris says, reaching out before thinking, wrapping Chanyeol into a one-armed hug and burying his face into Chanyeol’s neck, relief flooding through him, making sure he doesn’t squish Duchess between them. “Thank you so much, Chanyeol.” He feels a bit silly, freaking out over something like a cold, but he’d just been so scared.
Chanyeol seems surprised by the hug, but he doesn’t stiffen up, returning it with one arm, just as careful.
“You’re welcome. I’m glad it’s just a cold.” Chanyeol says, and when they pull apart, Kris can feel the warmth in his eyes, and he realizes that Chanyeol feels it, too, when the vet averts his gaze and his usually bright smile turns a bit shy. “Anyway-- she should be fine in a week, to ten days.”
“I’m sorry for rushing you out of the house like that,” Kris apologizes wholeheartedly as he pets Duchess’ ears.
“It’s fine! I gave you my number for a reason,” Chanyeol replies with a chuckle. “I needed to get up soon for my morning jog, anyway.”
Still a bit sheepish, Kris nods, and then hesitates. He wants to hug Chanyeol again, shake his hand, kiss him full on the mouth -- he’s so relieved and so thankful for the veterinarian. “So, um-- yeah. Thank you. I’m gonna take the next few days off of work.”
Chanyeol smiles, his eyes going a bit soft. “I gotta admit, I had my doubts about you at first, Kris. But… I’m glad to see that you and Duchess bonded well.”
Kris knew it was because of his long hours -- but hearing Chanyeol say, now, that he feels like Kris is a fit owner… makes the warmth spread from Kris’ eyes all the way through the rest of his body.
“See you later,” Kris finally says, and with Duchess still cradled protectively against him, he heads out of the clinic, feeling a million times lighter and maybe even a bit… smitten.
And not with his cat.
-
[text to: Chanyeol]
Are you free for lunch today?
[text from: Chanyeol]
depends on where you’re taking me ;)
With a boldness Kris didn’t think he had, he suggests they meet up at a cafe between their work locations. He’d been alright, asking, but -- Chanyeol had said yes, and here Kris is, sitting at a table by the window, espresso in front of him as he waits for Chanyeol to show up. This breaches patient-doctor rules, doesn’t it? Does it count if Chanyeol is Kris’ cat’s doctor? Does this cross a line? It must not, because Chanyeol is coming in through the door a moment later, a breath of fresh air. His cheeks are flushed from the fall breeze, eyes bright, and he starts unwrapping his scarf as he walks up to Kris’ table.
“Hey,” Chanyeol greets somewhat breathlessly. “I thought this cafe was closer, so I walked. Dumb idea.” he laughs good-naturedly, and Kris finds himself smiling as well. “How is your day?”
Chanyeol is so… effortless. And Kris-- well. He’s all measurements, following rules and order, like there’s some sort of ‘handbook to society’. They’re so opposite. Kris… actually really enjoys it.
“My day is good,” Kris says, bringing his espresso cup to his lips for a sip, smiling softly across the table at Chanyeol. “What about yours? Uh, before you walked all the way over here.
Chanyeol offers up a sheepish smile, laughing a bit. “Good! This week has been pretty slow. It’s nice to get out for lunch, for once. Minseok usually yells at me to leave, but I’m kind of a ‘brown paper bag’ kind of guy.”
Cute. “I’m glad you could find the will to leave your solitude and join me,” Kris teases.
Snorting a bit, Chanyeol rolls his eyes. “Didn’t you say this was lunch? Where’s your food?”
“I was waiting for you before I ordered,” he says. “It’d be rude if I was eating my food before you even got here.”
“But if you’re hungry…” Chanyeol pouts a bit.
This is surprisingly easy. Comfortable. Their texting had been pretty limited; conversations about Duchess, exchanging cheers or boos when their favorite sports team lost, but this is the first time they’re actually meeting on their own time, personally… intimately?
Over a single menu (Kris had forgotten to grab a second), they decide on what they’re going to eat. With a smile and assurance that he’ll pay, Kris heads up to the bar to place their order, taking the little number placard and returning to the table. He sits, sets the number at the edge of the table, and then he and Chanyeol fall into surprisingly easy conversation about nothing and everything. Weather, their favorite time of year, what they do outside of work.
The lunch hour passes before Kris is ready for it to, and as they start to stand and re-bundle themselves up, Kris offers to drive Chanyeol back to the clinic.
“It’s opposite where you’re going, I’m sure,” Chanyeol tries to insist, but the way he’s bundling his scarf extra tight lets Kris know that the walk is going to be anything but pleasant.
“I’m the boss,” Kris says with a gummy smile, “I can be a little late coming back from lunch.”
Chanyeol clearly doesn’t seem too thrilled that he’s inconveniencing Kris, and Kris knows that he won’t be able to convince Chanyeol that it’s anything but an inconvenience - so, he grabs Chanyeol’s coat by the elbow, dragging the vet along with him out the door towards his car. The ride to the clinic is quick and easy, heated seats and the de-frost on, and when Kris pulls up to the door, Chanyeol hesitates a bit on getting out.
Patiently, and curiously, Kris rests his gaze on the other.
“You know,” Chanyeol licks his lips eyes somewhere on the dashboard instead of on Kris, “it’s been a long time since anyone has… asked me to join them for a meal.”
Kris is honestly surprised by that, and he knows it shows on his face.
“I--” Chanyeol laughs a bit, awkwardly. “Uh, thank you. For today. And um, if you-- want to… you know, do it again sometime…” his words drift off.
Chanyeol is asking to hang out again? And if his undertones and shy actions are any indicators, he means… as a date? Kris grins, reaching out to rest his broad palm over Chanyeol’s knee, squeezing softly. What a shame, that it’s been so long since Chanyeol was paid attention to.
“Saturday. Let’s do dinner.” Kris says. Much more forward and aggressive than usual… Before, he would have brushed Chanyeol’s suggestion off with a laugh and an empty promise, but this is different. Something about Chanyeol has settled within Kris. From the way he cares for animals, to how genuine he is when speaking with people (a.k.a. Kris, whom most people treat as a ticking time bomb)… Kris maybe, possibly, could want more.
And the smile that blossoms over Chanyeol’s face at Kris’ invitation melts away any lingering chill from the outside air. “Ok!” he agrees, and then he gets out of the car with a wave and a sunny smile, before heading into the clinic.
Pulling away, Kris doesn’t notice his own smile playing on his lips, and honestly, could care less about who sees.
-
Kris really needs to stop telling Jongin his business.
What was going to be a casual dinner with Chanyeol on Saturday, turned into Jongin suggesting that Kris host the man in his home and cook a meal from scratch. Which, yes, that actually sounded like a lovely idea -- Kris found an easy enough recipe, did the grocery shopping, and spent the day cleaning his apartment from top to bottom (not that it needed much), setting out a few tasteful holiday decorations (mostly decorative candle holders and a few bows on his lamps, as well as a single strand of garland across the mantle of his fireplace).
All in all, so far, so good. Chanyeol is slotted to show up at around seven, and it’s six, Kris putting the casserole in the oven. An ooey, gooey, cheese and avocado noodle casserole with bread crumbs on top - he’s not Top Chef, but he’s not some talentless bachelor, either. Duchess is snoozing in her cat condo, he’s got the table set for two, and… wow. It’s been so long since someone has come over for dinner. Is it too romantic? Is the candle in the center of the table too much? Is he expecting something ridiculous? Not a confession or anything, and it’s not like he’s going to propose -- he’s just nervous about how long it’s been since he’s opened up his home to anyone.
Four years is a long time to turn a castle into a fortress.
At 6:58 there’s a knock on the door, and Kris almost drops the whipped cream. He’d bought a pumpkin spice pie from the grocery store and was just putting the final touches of whipped cream around the edges; wiping his hands on the dish towel slung over his shoulder, he puts the pie back in the fridge and then moves to the door, opening it up with a smile.
A smile that quickly fades a bit, as his heart tries to jam its way into his throat.
Chanyeol is smiling sheepishly, holding up a pot with a single chrysanthemum blooming from it. His hair isn’t styled in any specific way, a bit curled at the ends, and he’s bundled in a cozy looking sweater and jeans.
When Kris doesn’t say anything, Chanyeol clears his throat.
“Um, well-- mom always told me to bring gifts when going to someone’s house for the first time, so, uh…” he gestures with the potted flower. “It’s fake-- so Duchess doesn’t eat it or make a mess.”
“Thank you,” Kris finally says, snapping out of it. Wow. Cute. Cute. He takes the fake plant with a smile, inviting Chanyeol in. “I’m glad you found the place ok. Most people can’t figure out where to park…”
Chanyeol shrugs, toeing off his shoes and putting them on the shoe rack. “I ignore most signs that say ‘resident parking only’, so that was easy enough.” he laughs, and Kris chuckles a bit too. “Wow-- you have a really nice place.”
Kris sets the faux flower down on the coffee table rubs the back of his neck a bit; Duchess has stirred, hearing Chanyeol’s voice, and hops off of the cat condo, meandering towards her doctor with happy trills falling from her lips.
“Aw, hi Duchess,” Chanyeol coos, picking her up and bringing her to his chest. He turns to Kris, “Something smells good. What’s for dinner?”
“Avocado mac n’ cheese,” Kris replies, heading back towards the kitchen while Chanyeol groans in delight. “Make yourself comfy, I’m going to put the bread in and then dinner will be done.”
“I didn’t know you could cook,” Chanyeol says casually as he sits on the couch, partially draped over the back with Duchess still in his arms. “Actually… your place in general is pretty surprising. You don’t have a girlfriend…?”
The way Chanyeol inflects that question has Kris rolling his eyes and tossing him a dead look, “You know the answer to that question.” Chanyeol snorts, relaxes, and Kris works on buttering the bread and seasoning it. “My mom was the Chinese Martha Stewart. If my place looked anything less, she’d crawl out of her grave and have me by the ear.”
Chanyeol’s voice is soft, “She sounds like she cared a lot.”
“About material things?” Kris laughs a bit, shrugging. “She was very concerned with how people saw her, and her family. When she got cancer… she started caring even more. It was all about appearances. Clean house, nice clothes, good hair. She even shaved her head and started wearing an expensive wig, so she wouldn’t have to deal with the shedding.” he hums, spreading the bread on a baking sheet, before carefully putting it into the oven. “She was a strong, independent woman. She loved me like a mother loved a son… nothing more, nothing less.”
When he glances up, he sees Chanyeol frowning a bit, looking like he regretted commenting. Smiling, Kris shakes his head. “Don’t feel bad, I loved her in the same way. My family just isn’t very close. Cordial at best. And it doesn’t bother me.”
“Is that how you can let yourself get so busy with work?” Chanyeol asks, and yep, he definitely regrets asking that question.
Kris’ expression falls a bit, and Chanyeol sinks onto the couch.
“I’m sorry,” Chanyeol says quietly. “That was a mean thing to say.”
Swallowing, Kris makes his way out to the living room. “But it wasn’t wrong.” Sitting down next to Chanyeol, Kris runs his fingers through his hair, trying to gather his thoughts, feeling that for once in his life… he can explain himself. “Everything has been systematic for me… Everything has been about the end result. From work, to my last relationship. But I guess I never really got taught how to value people… like how I valued work.” he picks at the knees of his jeans. “I don’t want to be like that anymore, though.” Duchess mews, and he chuckles, petting her ears back fondly. “I won’t be.” his gaze lifts to meet Chanyeol’s, and there’s a moment of silent understanding between them. Kris is so tempted to lean in, close the distance between their mouths -- but the oven goes off and he clears his throat, pulling away.
To his pleasure, Chanyeol looks equally disappointed.
“You’re admirable,” Chanyeol says, though, as Kris makes his way back to the kitchen. “And it’s never too late to fix past mistakes.”
Kris pulls the casserole out of the oven, leaving the bread in to finish baking. He sets the casserole on the table, fanning it with a pot holder, before digging a spoon into the food and watching the steam rise. “Those mistakes… I just want to learn from them and move on. Those mistakes won’t accept my apology, now.”
Without Kris noticing, Chanyeol had stood and made his way over to the table. His hand on Kris’ shoulder is a bit surprising, and when Kris glances up, he meets Chanyeol’s earnest, trusting, warm gaze.
“Still…” Chanyeol’s gaze turns playful. “You should cut down to forty hours.”
Kris bristles playfully, “It’s not your decision.”
“For the health of your cat-child~” Chanyeol says, walking over to the counter, his eyes on the unopened bottle of wine. “And for your health, too. You should trust me - I’m a doctor.” he says, very seriously, as he starts to open drawers.
“You’re an animal doctor,” Kris corrects, pushing the casserole dish to where he’ll be able to neatly and cleanly serve both of their plates.
“Are you telling me you’re not an animal~?” Chanyeol’s tone of voice is playfully sinful, and it has Kris’ ears burning. Then, the man makes a triumphant noise and when Kris looks over, he’s found the corkscrew and is working on twisting it into the cabernet.
“That’s for me to know and you to find out,” he replies childishly. He walks past Chanyeol towards the cupboards, pulling down two wine glasses and setting them on the counter -- but there’s a roguish smirk on his face as he leans in close to Chanyeol, who is struggling to pull the cork out of the bottle. “Which, I’m sure you will.” Kris takes the bottle and pulls the cork out with minor difficulty, and Chanyeol rolls his eyes, nudging his ribs with his elbow.
Dinner passes with good atmosphere. They drink, they eat -- Chanyeol compliments Kris’ cooking ability and confesses that he can barely boil water, and their conversation jumps easily from topic to topic. Kris learns that Chanyeol moved to the city from a small town further south, to pursue his dreams of becoming a veterinarian. Kris learns that Chanyeol’s favorite animal is actually frogs, even though he has an inherent fear of touching them.
Nothing negative passes from their lips. They build each other up, they both compliment and complement each other, and their conversation grows and rarely dwindles, save for sips of wine and bites of food. An hour passes, then two, and Kris finally notices that what’s left on his plate is cold, and he announces clean up. They work in tandem, still talking and joking, clearing away the table, Chanyeol wrapping the casserole dish in foil, and Kris refilling their glasses with the last of the wine. At one point Chanyeol tries to insist on helping with the dishes, but Kris tells him promptly he’d rather not flood the apartment with water and bubbles -- to which Chanyeol pouts and swears he’d do no such thing.
Duchess walks between their feet and rubs up against their shins as they move; and Chanyeol, graceful as he is, gets tripped up with her and falls into Kris, hands on the other’s chest, bodies flush, their noses almost touching.
Looking down at Chanyeol, Kris sees warmth in his eyes and temptation on his lips. He leans in, slowly, in case he scares Chanyeol -- but Chanyeol has other ideas, pushing forward and crashing their mouths together clumsily. It might be the wine, it might be Chanyeol’s bravado, but Kris’ hands come up and cup the other man’s face, keeping him steady as he tilts his head and deepens the kiss, warmth blossoming through his chest.
And then, like the closing curtain in a play, everything fades to black… a warm, deep, comforting black.
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