Fantasy
Unlikely, UnusualWhile it took Sehun at most an hour and a half to get showered and dressed, Lu Han had been inside his room since after lunch getting ready for the party. During the meal, the pet had softly asked Sehun to not bother him during this process and then disappeared shortly after the two finished clearing the table.
Sehun took this time to go over the notes Kyungsoo had been gracious enough to prepare for him. As a sort-of apology for his actions, Kyungsoo wrote down everything he could possibly think of about the Christmas event: from the itinerary to the menu for dinner to exactly what was expected of their behavior. Or really, what was expected of Sehun’s behavior. When Kyungsoo gave the notes to Sehun, he mentioned offhandedly that Lu Han didn’t really need any prep for events like these.
Thirty minutes before they were set to leave, Sehun heard a door open. He looked up from his papers that were now spread out on the dining table to see Lu Han walk down the stairs.
It was one thing to see the clothes on a hanger, but another thing altogether to see Lu Han in the clothes.
The first thing Sehun noticed was Lu Han’s pale, angular shoulders, revealed by the cut of the fabric. The top, long enough to cover his midriff currently, would definitely expose his stomach if the pet were to slightly lift his arms. The pants fit to show off a curve before billowing out at the bottom. Tiny opals lined the edges of the fabric and twinkled as the light shifted. Gold thread was weaved throughout to create intricate designs along the sleeves and pant legs.
And while the clothing was beautiful, those hours spent in his room were clearly not wasted. Lu Han’s hair was much fluffier than normal, his eyes lined with kohl, his skin glittering from the careful application of powder. He was wearing a pair of dangling earrings that accentuated the length of his neck and made a quiet chime whenever he moved.
Lu Han was definitely the most beautiful thing Sehun had ever seen.
His intense stare made Lu Han flush once he moved to sit on the chair next to Sehun’s. The pet’s hands moved to fix Sehun’s tie. Sehun had a bad habit of loosening it as he was working. The tie was the obligatory black color, but his pocket square was color-matched to Lu Han’s clothing. Sehun didn’t know if this was customary at these types of parties, but Kyungsoo hadn’t mentioned anything either for or against it in his notes, so he decided it was fine.
Sehun smiled and moved to take off the collar Lu Han usually wore only to replace it with another that was made for this event. Like usual, he’d chosen the collar with as little presence as was appropriate for this event: a thin gold band, plain and minimal. He locked it into place and clipped on a golden chain to act as a leash, another thing he was not at all proud to do but was required of him anyway.
The two looked a right couple, remarked the driver who came to pick them up. Both of them brightened at the compliment. Lu Han kept pawing at Sehun during the ride, a behavior typical of pets although unusual for Sehun to see Lu Han doing. Particularly since they’d avoided this type of physical contact since that day.
He was about to ask Lu Han to stop before he realized where they were and what they were heading to. They couldn’t act like how they did at home anymore. Sehun had to act like a proper master while Lu Han needed to put on the perfect persona of a pet, eager to please, but a little spoilt in an endearing way.
Once they arrived at the venue, it was clear that Lu Han would have no problem becoming just that. Sehun had refused to allow him to crawl around on all fours but other than that, Lu Han was no different than any other pet at the event, constantly pulling at his master’s clothes and making a big show out of the entire thing.
Sehun didn’t think he’d ever get used to this. Lu Han looked like he was already used to it, as if this was the behavior he engaged in all the time. Which he probably did to some extent, before he met Sehun.
As soon as they entered the lobby, some of the members of drinking party from a few weeks before swarmed around them. They had been waiting at the door, desperate to get a proper view of Lu Han. They were all clearly impressed. Lu Han gave Joonmyun's arm a little swipe to capture his attention, which caused a smile to creep on the man's face. Baekhyun made a comment about how funny it was that the one person who didn’t want to own a pet managed to get the finest one out of the entire bureau.
Sehun smiled politely and made the appropriate comments before slipping away.
The event started out with a dinner and Sehun sat down in his assigned seat while Lu Han kneeled beside him. Most pets ate in a separate area, but the favorites sat next to their masters during the meal.
Kyungsoo was sat to Sehun’s left. And while Kyungsoo didn’t own a pet, he always made it a point to show up to this event. Something about diplomacy which Sehun suspected to be mainly an excuse to enjoy good food and even better eye candy.
“Lu Han!” Kyungsoo said, brightening up. He’d taken a liking to the pet through their brief encounters when Kyungsoo was sent on errands to pick up things from Sehun’s house.
Lu Han looked at Sehun for a moment as to ask for permission. Sehun didn’t realize quick enough that he needed to respond, so Lu Han continued anyway as to not draw attention to Sehun’s lack of experience. Kyungsoo did notice, however, but was polite enough to pretend he didn’t.
“Kyungsoo!” He said softly, perching his upper half on top of Sehun’s lap to send a smile.
Kyungsoo reached over to gently ruffle Lu Han’s hair, being careful to replace all the pieces he messed up once he removed his hand. Lu Han smiled gratefully and replaced himself on the floor.
Looking at the expression on his fellow investigator’s face, Kyungsoo smiled, “You still aren’t prepared for all this, are you?"
“Am I that easy to read?” Sehun responded, “I knew what this would entail, but I’m afraid I never allowed Lu Han to act like this when it’s just us."
“You’ll get used to it. I like the matching colors you guys have on. Nice touch."
“Thanks. Am I making any obvious mistakes yet?"
Kyungsoo smiled and shook his head, “So far so good. Lu Han is doing a good job of covering for you."
Sehun gave Lu Han a pat on his back as the first course was brought out.
Throughout the meal, Lu Han continued to play the part of a perfect pet, tugging at Sehun’s sleeve and practically jumping in his lap to get Sehun to feed him. The master obliged, picking up bits of food between his fingers and holding it up for Lu Han to eat.
The spectacle resulted in a lot of approving glances. Even Sehun could admit that it was clear that his pet had received exceptionally good training. Not once did Lu Han overstep his boundaries and he maintained the composure of a playful, although slightly spoilt, pet. The proper etiquette for pets was a bit arbitrary, but Lu Han did not break a single rule. Chest never got higher than the table; the teasing was enough for Sehun to pay attention to him but not too much to the point that he couldn’t engage in polite conversation with his neighbors; direct contact with Sehun was not made unless it was initiated by Sehun.
Lu Han attracted a lot of attention. Following the meal, guests mingled and socialized, and after a brief exchange with his superior, Sehun was surrounded by a small crowd. Some of which included his friends, but the majority of them were acquaintances from other divisions.
“Sehun, where did you get your pet?” asked Chanyeol, an investigator of similar rank from a different department. Also, apparently, the guy who the girl Joonmyun was eyeing was also into. He was Kyungsoo’s friend.
Sehun responded, “From a trainer we helped during a bust—he asked me to take on Lu Han."
Chanyeol looked skeptical but didn’t press the issue further, “I don’t think I’ve seen a better trained pet anywhere."
“I agree,” chimed Jongdae, another member from the department Chanyeol was from, “the way he acted during dinner was impeccable. I have never seen better table manners from a pet."
Sehun smiled and thanked him. More faces approached him to praise Lu Han and ask questions about his trainer and the tailor of his outfit. Lu Han sat completely still at Sehun’s feet but Sehun could feel the happiness radiating off him in waves.
“Say,” Chanyeol said, “Sehun, show him off a little!"
A chorus of agreement sounded, echoing the same sentiment.
This was some sort of euphemism, Sehun was sure, but he was distanced enough from the pet world to not fully be aware of what it was. This sort of thing wasn’t in Kyungsoo’s notes either. His pride prevented him from asking anyone, so he instead racked his brain and recalled a time where his brother had talked about a pet for weeks because of a particular thing he did with his master.
Well, if that wasn’t showing off, Sehun didn’t know what was. But as well as Lu Han was trained, Sehun wasn’t sure if he could pick up on the nuances. Especially since Sehun hadn’t done anything like this with him before, and Mr. Zhou specifically told him that Lu Han hadn’t received training in this area.
Plus the fact that this would be a huge leap after having stopped close contact for such a long time, and that the implication behind it was something Sehun was not fully comfortable with. He fought with his own mind for a while, going back and forth on the issue. But peer pressure was a powerful thing, so he finally decided to do it.
Sehun made his way to a chaise tucked into the side of the room, gently pulling on Lu Han’s leash to direct him in the same way.
“Up up,” he commanded after sitting down, patting his knee.
With all the thoughts running through his mind, Sehun barely noticed Lu Han climb up on to the chaise and place his head gently on his lap.
If there was any pet that he could pull this off with, Lu Han was the one. Sehun decided to stop thinking and just act.
It started with a slight brush of his index finger on Lu Han’s plush bottom lip. The pet’s mouth parted ever so slightly. When Sehun passed his finger over his lips again, Lu Han placed a soft kiss to the tip. Sehun then gently pushed his finger into the heat of Lu Han’s mouth.
He shouldn’t have worried. Lu Han on the finger slowly. Sehun gently pulled at the hair at the nape of the pet’s neck and elicited a sound that was a mix between a mewl and a purr.
By this point, their audience had gone silent. Sehun was able to push their presence out of his mind enough to continue. He pushed the remaining length of his finger into Lu Han’s mouth and the pet responded immediately, bringing his knees to his chest and curling his toes, looking every bit the submissive kitten he was supposed to be. A delicate hand came to rest on Sehun’s wrist as the pet’s eyes became half-lidded.
Despite this appearance, Sehun was vaguely aware that he was not the one in control here. Lu Han was helping him, making up for his lack of experience in this area.
Lu Han had angled himself in a way that offered a clear view to their growing audience, his nail secretly biting into Sehun’s skin whenever the pet wanted him to move. Even as Sehun put another finger in alongside the first one, he knew that the Lu Han here was as put on as a show, movements deliberate to make himself seem unbelievably attractive.
Lu Han’s tongue circled around the fingers, shifting his glance from the hand up to its owner. The nail pushed into his wrist, and Sehun boldly spread his fingers apart, stretching the pet’s mouth and offering a view of the inside. Lu Han was panting at this point, pressing his head down on Sehun’s lap, presenting himself as ready for his master’s use.
Sehun felt a bit of heat building up in his stomach. That wasn’t good.
Before he could panic, Sehun withdrew his fingers, a thin line of saliva connecting them until it snapped when Sehun shifted. He pulled a handkerchief out of his jacket to wipe his fingers and Lu Han’s lips, which were still parted as if needing to be filled again.
The crowd was silent, as if not believing that they had just witnessed.
Finally, it was interrupted by a quiet applause.
Sehun helped Lu Han up before standing himself, smiling because he didn’t know how to react.
A few people pushed through the crowd and approached Sehun. Sehun wasn’t quite sure what they wanted from him, but he’d assumed that it was something along the lines of compliments and more praise, something he was quickly getting used to receiving with Lu Han although Sehun had done nothing to deserve it.
The first one, who quite rudely pushed himself to the front of the line, was a big, tall man who was quite intimidating. “How much?” He asked in a gruff voice.
Sehun was sure he heard him wrong, and asked him to repeat what he said.
“How much?” He repeated. When Sehun continued to have a confused look on his face, he asked again, “How much for a night?"
This time Sehun’s eyes widened as he finally understood the question and instinctively pushed Lu Han behind him.
“Anything he’ll give, I’ll offer double.” A lady had sided up to Sehun when he wasn’t paying attention and chose this moment to speak up.
The others, realizing that offers were being placed, began shouting out bids of their own. Sehun just stood there, a bewildered and horrified, trying his best to keep Lu Han behind him and away from the grabby hands that were starting to appear.
He knew that this was a practice that occurred, but to witness it firsthand was quite a frightening experience.
“Guys, guys, calm down!” A familiar voice echoed over the crowd. Sehun had never been so thankful to hear it.
Daehyun pushed his way through the the people, “Back it up, back it up,” he said, holding out his arms to physically barricade the increasingly rowdy group, “this pet is not up for offers today, please move on."
This dispelled most of the people, but there were a few that were adamant that there would be a price Sehun would accept.
Daehyun sent a sharp look to the man who was trying so sneak behind him. Finally, he decided to pull out the big guns.
“This pet has not had his First Night and I would strongly suggest you back off at this moment."
A few disbelieving looks, but this statement finally made everyone leave them alone. Sehun wasn’t quite sure why, but he sure wasn’t going to ask Daehyun about it.
“Thanks Daehyun.” Sehun said, stepping aside so Lu Han was out from behind him.
“Not a problem little bro.” Daehyun grinned, “Although I’d never expect you to pull that stunt."
“They told me to show him off,” Sehun said, “and isn’t that what I should do?"
Daehyun gave his brother a long stare before sighing and shaking his head, “Now I know you never listen to me when I talk about these things. Show him off if they tell you to show him off, but don’t do that unless you really are offering him up for a night.”
“How would I know?” Sehun said, a bit irritated, “Isn’t that what you went on and on about with some pet?"
“It was, but… oh never mind. Next time, just tell Lu Han to do a twirl or something. That was way overboard.” Daehyun said, “Although, Lu Han, great job.”
Lu Han smiled and thanked Daehyun.
“Anyway, a friend of mine wanted to meet you. He has an elite pet and was really interested when I told him about Lu Han."
“Daehyun, can’t you keep a secret?” Sehun exclaimed, appalled that his brother would just casually tell someone about his pet, “And how did you know he was elite?"
“Don’t underestimate your brother’s connections, Sehun.” Daehyun said, smiling, “Also I only told him because he owns one. So do you want to meet him?"
As much as Sehun didn’t appreciate Daehyun spreading around his information, he had to admit that another person with an elite pet would be a good contact to have. So he reluctantly agreed.
“Great! Speaking of which,” Daehyun said as he spotted the said owner and waved, “Yixing!”
The man who turned in their direction was someone who Sehun had never seen before. He looked friendly enough, dressed in formal attire with no accessories other than the bracelets around his arm.
The two exchanged greetings before Yixing addressed Sehun, “You must be Sehun, right? I’ve heard a lot about you and Lu Han. I’m Zhang Yixing, nice to meet you."
“Likewise,” Sehun responded, giving Yixing’s outstretched hand a firm shake, “and who is this?” He motioned to the pet by Yixing’s side.
“This is Jongin.”
Jongin was a rather sweet-looking pet, blonde hair currently a bit ruffled and eyes downcast, looking at his feet. Yixing had good taste when it came to dressing his pets—Jongin was pretty modestly covered, and his clothes were plain for what they were, lacking any sort of detailing other than a line of gems decorating the hem.
“I’ll leave you guys to it.” Daehyun said, politely excusing himself from the group.
“What have you heard about me from Daehyun?” Sehun asked.
“The usual things.” Yixing chuckled, “I was under the impression that he told basically everyone about his little brother and his views on pets being problematic or something of the sort."
Sehun groaned. Of course he would.
“But I did hear a little bit about Lu Han here, and I must admit that he’s every bit as pretty as Daehyun described.”
Lu Han blushed a little and gave his thanks before burrowing himself into Sehun’s shoulder.
“Very sweet.” Yixing laughed, “Who did you get him from?"
“Zhou Mi.” Sehun said, “As a gift.”
Yixing’s eyes widened, “Really? Zhou Mi has a reputation for training some of the nicest pets, even in the elite world. May I ask why he gifted Lu Han to you?”
Sehun briefly detailed the events as Yixing listened intently. He seemed a bit surprised at the fact that Lu Han was originally raised as a child.
“Wow.” Yixing said once it was all over, “Even with Lu Han’s background, Zhou Mi still gave you a gift worth a couple million, easily. Call yourself lucky."
“I am.” Sehun glanced at Lu Han, who was cautiously approaching Yixing’s pet, “What about Jongin?”
“Oh him? Nothing as interesting as Lu Han. I spent a pretty penny to get him from Victoria. I wanted a pet a little less traditional than what Zhou Mi normally does.” Yixing said, smiling fondly at Jongin interacting with Lu Han.
Sehun knew that each trainer had a style, but this was the first time he’d heard it detailed out like this, “Traditional? What does that mean?”
Yixing turned his head back in Sehun’s direction, “Oh I forgot you didn’t have to deal with this until recently.” He then began explaining the different styles of elite pets there were.
Elite pets were much more diversified than the normal population of pets. This was due to the fact that owners searching for an elite tended to have higher standards for them due to the amount of resources they needed to dedicate to them. As a result, so they wanted a specific pet with a personality suited to them and not one that was trendy.
Since Zhou Mi was older, he was more used to the traditional style of pet, who was competent in both chores and conversation. This type of pet was very attentive and low-maintanence. And specifically with Mr. Zhou, his pets liked human contact and were to be handled gently. Because of this preference, he typically choose pets that looked a bit younger than their age and were very cute so the owner would want to spoil them.
Victoria, Yixing explained, was a younger trainer who had made a name for herself training typically contemporary style pets. These pets were expressive and energetic. They were more aggressive than traditional pets and required a bit more time in terms of care-taking. Yixing had chosen Jongin because he had a bit of a gap in his character where there were phases when he acted more traditionally-trained.
There were numerous other styles, such as sporting pets, who were very athletic and heavily built, or neo-traditional types, who acted like lapdogs and required constant attention.
“Shopping for an elite pet is perhaps one of the most time-consuming activities you could ever go though.” Yixing sighed, “It’s a lot of research, then you visit trainer after trainer to find one who trains to your liking. Then after you decide on a trainer, it’s weeks of hanging out with the oldest litter to pick out a pet who you really like.”
Yixing looked at Jongin and smiled, “But it’s worth every second. You end up with the nicest companion you could ever ask for.”
Sehun was surprised that the process was such a long one, “I didn’t have to spend nearly as much time to get Lu Han, and we suit each other well, I’d say.”
“I’m sure Mr. Zhou has enough experience that he could tell that you two were a perfect match. Lu Han doesn’t strike me as one of the pets he would have brought out to see new customers, so he was probably waiting for the right person to come along.”
Suddenly everything clicked for Sehun—why Mr. Zhou had been so adamant that he should take Lu Han; why he had called down Lu Han to convince him; why he kept making flimsy explanations of how Sehun’s morals would make him treat Lu Han better.
A person who lived alone with a demanding job would definitely prefer a traditional style pet to come home to every evening. A person who wasn’t a fan of pets in the first place would definitely prefer a pet who wasn’t trained intimate techniques. And maybe a person who looked stern and austere would want someone he could cuddle from time to time. Sehun had to give it to Mr. Zhou. The man was a lot more shrewd than he let on.
“I never thought I’d say this, but I’m really grateful to Daehyun from introducing us,” Sehun said, “you’ve helped me learn so much already.”
“Happy to help. I’m always willing to talk if there’s anything on your mind. We’ve got to stick together, with our pets and all.”
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